neutralwhite
Flashlight Enthusiast
hi there, could an prometheus alpha light UI's micro controller be programmed to a ZL kind of interface?.
possible?.
i know someone on here does programming( frank ), and I did PM him asking this.
i read on the below link the present UI on the alpha is not all that with all its cycling through modes, and not so suitable for many.
would like the ZL kinda of UI , not as many modes as such, but just the very basics of it.
worth it?, or forget it & just get a ZL SC600MkII?.
thanks.
Sporting a simple 3-mode L-M-H interface, the Alpha has very well spaced modes at 5%, 30% and 100%. With these numbers instead of actual lumens readings (or even calculated outputs, my initial suspicions always gravitate toward PWM, but try as I might, there is none that I have yet detected. Either the frequency is too high to worry about the associated flicker, or Jason has gone with current regulation instead. The light does have mode memory though to allow you to select the desired starting output for your next activation. Its method of selecting this, or even changing modes in general, though is what I call out as less than perfection.
The Alpha memorizes its current mode when it has been activated for more than two seconds. This translates into a light that is all too easy to bring up in the wrong mode, but still quite often annoyingly difficult when trying to intentionally change modes. When you quickly pulse the light to check out what that rustle was in the hedge, you have changed modes for the next time you start up, be it in a few minutes, or not until tomorrow night. Conversely, If you have been using the light on high for a minute or so and decide that you don’t need to run full tilt and overheat the LED, a quick cycle will not bring you down to low, but rather back to high where you were trying to escape. You will not change modes until you have had the light on for less than 2 seconds before cycling the power. This issue would be solved by using the same style mode switching and memorization on the majority of power-cycle lights on the market. If the light has been off for more than 2 seconds, it will come on at the last used level. If it was off for less, it will cycle to the next mode. This seems like a change that would be very simple to make, however I have not yet acquired the necessary knowledge on how to program microcontrollers such as this (a shortcoming I intend to rectify at some point). It just feels like a somewhat major flaw in the usefulness of what is otherwise a very strong light.
http://www.laymanslights.venturous.org/blog/2012/06/prometheus-alpha-mc18-b-ready-made/
possible?.
i know someone on here does programming( frank ), and I did PM him asking this.
i read on the below link the present UI on the alpha is not all that with all its cycling through modes, and not so suitable for many.
would like the ZL kinda of UI , not as many modes as such, but just the very basics of it.
worth it?, or forget it & just get a ZL SC600MkII?.
thanks.
Sporting a simple 3-mode L-M-H interface, the Alpha has very well spaced modes at 5%, 30% and 100%. With these numbers instead of actual lumens readings (or even calculated outputs, my initial suspicions always gravitate toward PWM, but try as I might, there is none that I have yet detected. Either the frequency is too high to worry about the associated flicker, or Jason has gone with current regulation instead. The light does have mode memory though to allow you to select the desired starting output for your next activation. Its method of selecting this, or even changing modes in general, though is what I call out as less than perfection.
The Alpha memorizes its current mode when it has been activated for more than two seconds. This translates into a light that is all too easy to bring up in the wrong mode, but still quite often annoyingly difficult when trying to intentionally change modes. When you quickly pulse the light to check out what that rustle was in the hedge, you have changed modes for the next time you start up, be it in a few minutes, or not until tomorrow night. Conversely, If you have been using the light on high for a minute or so and decide that you don’t need to run full tilt and overheat the LED, a quick cycle will not bring you down to low, but rather back to high where you were trying to escape. You will not change modes until you have had the light on for less than 2 seconds before cycling the power. This issue would be solved by using the same style mode switching and memorization on the majority of power-cycle lights on the market. If the light has been off for more than 2 seconds, it will come on at the last used level. If it was off for less, it will cycle to the next mode. This seems like a change that would be very simple to make, however I have not yet acquired the necessary knowledge on how to program microcontrollers such as this (a shortcoming I intend to rectify at some point). It just feels like a somewhat major flaw in the usefulness of what is otherwise a very strong light.
http://www.laymanslights.venturous.org/blog/2012/06/prometheus-alpha-mc18-b-ready-made/
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