Question for Patrick Lasswell

[Steve C]

In another thread, you refer to a TriLight adapter running for 96 hours. Yet, in the specs on your site, it says battery life is four hours.

What am I missing here?

I'm interested in the TriLight, as recommended by Mike Boyd, to supplement my rechargeables for around-the-house light.

While I'm no stranger to flashlight use (still using my 1978-vintage SL-20; they truly "don't build 'em like they used to"), these LED lights are new to me, so forgive my confusion.

Steve

 

[Ratso]

I would assume it provides 4 hours at maximum brightness but can still provide very usable light for 96 hours?

 

[INRETECH]

As with the 2AA adapter, the products are able to supply a high-intensity amount of life for the initial number of hours, and then supply enough light to read and keep you from stumbling over things

The 4 hours mentioned on the WebPage is just a approx time, I have performed a run on the TriLight using new Energizer Batteries:

http://www.inretech.com/pictures/lightmeter.jpg

We need to generate a standard here on CPF for measuring run time, I suggest the cut off at 25% of initial light

Mike
www.inretech.com

 

[Roy]

Some of us have been using 50%, which is called by some, "half brightness". I have no feel for how much it takes a light to dim for the human eye to perceive the change. Sounds like a good research project for a degree canident!

 

[INRETECH]

I will post them in both formats then, linear and Exponential - they both are helpfull

Mike
www.inretech.com

 

[INRETECH]

Once this value has been agreed on, there would be a standard to measure operating life

I have removed the "Operating time" from the webpage, and put in a link to:

www.inretech.com/batlife.htm

To let the user determine what he/she feels is the useable amount of time

You remember the mess with stereo power ?
Power, Peak Power, Peak Music Power ?
Until someone stepped in and said RMS power only

Mike
www.inretech.com

 

[Ratso]

Do you think you could draw or scale the graph to where the time is equally space out? (not exponential), it might seem decieving to people if they think the interval is only 10 minutes or hours.

Thanks

 

[INRETECH]

Since the brighter products make the chart so large on the Candle output scale; I have updated the battery run time charts into two groups and then two formats:

2AA Products
Linear Time
Log time

3D/6D Products
Linear Time
Log time

This will allow people to see more accuracy

 

[shipinretech]

I would suggest that there are at least three conversational standards in light output. The three I consider meaningful...OK, that make InReTech products look good...are as follows:
Brilliant Light
Practical light
Survival light

The TRILIGHT produces about four hours of Brilliant light, the kind of brightness you use to impress your friends and stun burglars.
The TRILIGHT produces more than a day of good Practical light, the intensity you would be happy to use as a flashlight for most applications.
The TRILIGHT produces more than four days of Survival light, the kind of light that will keep you from panic if you are trapped and help direct rescuers to your location if you cannot move.

Both the TRILIGHT/Helios and the Super6/MEGA6 light designs use resistors to match the voltage provided by the batteries to what is needed by the Luxeon LEDs. The AA adapter does not use resistors and will provide a longer period of survival light. Our tests have shown weeks of Suvival light from the AA adapter. We have not run more than 96 hours of testing on the other designs because we don't have many of them and we don't see that as a priority.

The AA adapter is the light we expect people to happen to have along in an emergency. It is a lot easier to pack a AA light than a D-cell light. For instance, you can carry a AA MiniMAG light in your pack through airport security. I know because I have done so through four airports since 9/11. The most stringent security check I went through was in Sitka, Alaska where the lady was a dedicated security professional who saw nothing wrong with my lights. I do not even attempt to carry my D-cell lights on the plane.

I hope this answers your questions.

 

[Steve C]

<<...Brilliant, Practical, Survival Light...>>

Interesting terms; and easily-understood ones, even for the layman.

In the meantime, I think I'll lay back and see what develops. Besides, if I buy another flashlight any time soon, I will be stretching wifely tolerance to it's elastic limit...

Steve