Some thoughts on EDC UIs

[yowzer]

For an EDC light -- which, for me means a small pocket-carryable light that can handle the vast majority of my day to day (Night to night?) illumination needs -- I like at least three levels of output: Something under 5 lumens for short range and around the house use (Unlocking the front door because the porch light got left off again), around 20-30 lumens for general use (Nighttime walks), and 100+ for those 'Maybe taking this shortcut down a dark alley wasn't as good an idea as I thought' moments. (More choices are nice, especially a sub-1-lumen moonlight mode) I also like lights that can be operated one handed, and that can get to any particular output level quickly, without a lot of fiddling. Simple is good, UI-wise.

So, on to a survey of various interfaces I've played with over the years in EDC lights:

Twisty: Twisties are nice on, say, a keychain light where you want something that won't be turned on by accident by something hitting it, but having to twist on, off, on, off, etc through modes is a pain, and depending on the light, hard to do one-handed. Then there's the whole L/M/H vs M/L/H thing...

Clicky: Having to click on and off through modes is, again, a pain. Lights that use soft presses to switch are slightly better. Lights that remember what the output mode was the last time you used it and start in that same mode are better, too.

Piston, in the form of the original Nightcore D10/EX10 UI: A fair amount of quick and long presses to get to the desired output, but unlike clickies, it doesn't bug me. The feel of a piston versus pushing against a spring in a clicky switch is a different sensation, one I'm much more amenable to.

Zebralight style electronic switch: Good for accessing low (Long press on) and high (Fast press on), but it takes a while to get to medium (Loooong press on). Less motion required, so better than a normal clicky.

Control ring: I love the Jetbeam RRT style ring, with detents at each output level. Very very easy to always have the light turn on at the level you want, without having to cycle through modes. Unfortunately for pocket carry, control rings tend to result in bigger lights.

Surefire style variable pressure switch: I just got my first light using this UI, an A2 Aviator, and I love the idea. Not so hot on having to twist the tailcap for constant on, though. If it was the bezel that needed twisting... also not so good for more than 2 modes, but for 2... :rock:


My favorites are rings and piston drives. I've been trying to think of something better than a control ring for instant access to whatever output level you want, but short of a light that can read minds, I'm coming up short.

 

[scout24]

Personally, clicky with memory (Haiku), programmable clicky (HDS-Ra) or SF Titan style twisty where I can go from zero to max in one twist are my favorites. In no particular order. I wish we could arrive at lights with a true moonlight mode (Titan/Spy) in one of the clicky variants above... If we have, and I missed it, please let me know!!!

 

[yowzer]

A variant that I've thought of that I haven't seen (But I'm sure have been used): A sliding side switch that controls brightness... basically a Titan control ring/head that's been unrolled into a linear slider.

Also, side clickies in general are easier to use one-handed than tailcap mounted ones, at least with the hammer grip that I normally use with a light.

 

[yowzer]

Personally, clicky with memory (Haiku), programmable clicky (HDS-Ra) or SF Titan style twisty where I can go from zero to max in one twist are my favorites. In no particular order. I wish we could arrive at lights with a true moonlight mode (Titan/Spy) in one of the clicky variants above... If we have, and I missed it, please let me know!!!

Switching outputs on the Ra lights sounds over-complicated and intimidating. double click, triple click, triple click and hold, etc. :thinking: Too much work for me.

I always thought the Titan had a ramping control ring, and didn't realize the whole head moves. That works too. It's the constant back and forth in the usual twisty setup that I don't like.

 

[UnderTheWeepingMoon]

Switching outputs on the Ra lights sounds over-complicated and intimidating. double click, triple click, triple click and hold, etc. :thinking: Too much work for me.

It seems like that at first, but the Ra lights have the best clicky interface around, IMO. Because it uses an electronic switch and not a latching switch, like in most other lights, it's very easy to quickly change modes. If you get a chance to try one out, give it a go.

I agree with you about the PD interface. It's also my favourite. Its simplicity makes it perfect for two-mode lights like LunaSols and it also adapts well to programmability in the Arc6.

 

[skyfire]

agreed
love control rings. hate multi-mode twisties. Piston drive feels very nice.
i dont like lights with more than 2 modes, 3 is the max for me. so a clicky that cycles through 2 modes such as an E2DL is fine for me.

 

[experimentjon]

I actually do not like the feel of the PD in the Nitecore D10. I picked one up with high hopes due to the hype, but somehow, it just doesn't feel right to me. I feel like I don't know for certain whether I've pressed the piston properly. So I usually stick to regular clickys.

I don't like twisty lights either, because I like quick one handed operation.

I do hope to try a light with a control ring one day, but I probably won't be buying any more lights for a long time.

But I do enjoy the Surefire 2 stage switch. Twisting it is not too big of a problem, since I find myself rarely having to do that. But that easy access to two levels is quite convenient. On the other hand, cycling through levels is not a problem for me either, and I feel like I get more options with it. And that's why I prefer the Quark regular interface to the tactical (which has fewer readily accessible levels.) I'd rather flip to what I want.

However, I'm pretty sure the HDS programmable clicky will be the best of every interface combined, when I finally receive mine in the mail. When I read about the UI, I was already very excited because I knew that was what I had been looking for.

 

[GunnarGG]

Zebralight ...... but it takes a while to get to medium (Loooong press on). Less motion required, so better than a normal clicky.

You can also double click from off to get to medium quick. I think it's a pretty good UI.

The ITP A3 twisty with MED-LOW-HI is pretty good for me most days "when I don't plan to use the light - but you never know". Then the small size is what makes me choose that light.

As soon as I think there might be a chanse of needing some light then I grab a 1xCR123 light, preferable my SC30w.

The ultimate UI, for me, would be the one where I:
1 - Can go between 2 levels without passing any level that is not between them. As HI - MED without passing LOW and from MED-LOW without passing HI. I don't want to turn the light off either.
2 - Can go to any level from off without passing any other level. From off or LOW to HI then it is OK to briefly pass the levels "on the way up".
3 - Can switch on/off and control levels without changing grip.
4 - No blinking modes or well hidden.
5 - Not a big deal but I mostly prefer underhand grip and then a sideclicky.

I don't have any control ring light but that might be a good UI for me IF:
off or standby in the one end-position and max in the other. There might be a tailcap clicky that I can switch on when I put the light in my pocket or hand and then I control it via the ring. NO STROBE by accident.

As far as I know there is the Eagle Tac M-series that have this UI but that is no 1xCR123.

The Sunwayled looks pretty good but they have strobe.

Jetbeam RRT-0 doesn't have off/standby on the ring. ???

I don't know about RA clicky - with right programming that could be good also. Maybe sort of Zebralight clicking but more correct to my wishes above?
Some Ra-owner that can convince me that I need one?

EDIT: I realize that my Zebralight is almost perfect according to point 2-5 above but it fails on point 1 and that can be quite annoying sometimes.

 

[entoptics]

Perfect UI for me would be the D10 Tribute, but with discrete brightness levels instead of ramping. ultra low, low, med, max. Ramping is so slow on the D10 that it makes accessing a "medium" level next to useless. Having discrete brightness levels means you can tailor your runtimes for your needs, while ramping = crapshoot.

If a maker could come up with an EZAA (original version) type interface but with a clicky and one extra mode, that would be just about perfect too.

Tight = max, quarter turn = med, half turn = min. Sorta like a control ring, but built into the head to keep the size down. Instant tactile access to the mode you want.

Alas though, as a strobe hater, I'm certain I'll never find the "Perfect" UI in a package the size and price of a D10.

 

[Flying Turtle]

While I've not played with a Ra or HDS for comparison, the LiteFlux UI seems to have the versatility to make anyone happy. From one mode to five at any level of brightness or frequency. Memory or not. Momentary. ODP or auto-shutoff. And, for good measure, a battery voltage report.

It would be hard to not be able to configure these lights exactly like you want. Remembering how you did it without checking the instructions is something else.

Geoff

 

[ampdude]

My EDC's don't have UI's.

Keep it simple, keep it bright.

 

[jacknife]

who sells the liteflux-UI ???

 

[entoptics]

...the LiteFlux UI seems to have the versatility to make anyone happy. From one mode to five at any level of brightness or frequency. Memory or not. Momentary. ODP or auto-shutoff. And, for good measure, a battery voltage report...

who sells the liteflux-UI ???

Excellent points that a heck of a lot of CPFers are hoping to see resolved.

If someone can put a programmable UI (click, click hold, double click, bezel tight, bezel loose), in a light with a floody, 150 lmn per hour, 1xAA, the size/toughness of a D10, for $60 they'd have a home run.

Hundreds sold through CPF alone. Good marketing, and they could sell thousands more on amazon.

 

[cjay]

I wonder why I haven't seen any lights that have more than one button. Two buttons (or a rocker switch) could easily be used to increase or decrease the brightness without having to deal with the changing ramping direction implemented in the Nitecore D10 or the Liteflux lights.
I suppose it would be hard to get the signals of multiple buttons from the tail to the head, so the buttons would have to be on the side. Maybe combined with a ordinary switch in the tail to prevent accidental triggering of the side buttons.
There could be an array of small LEDs (like a Macbook battery indicator) to indicate and adjust the brightness when the side buttons are pressed before switching on. Most advantages of a ring without using one

 

[Hevy Lite]

Olight M20 S has a side button on the tailcap to select modes or you can twist the head. It remembers the last mode. Cycles from low to high.

However, it is large tactical light, strobe is in the selection order after high and no low-low mode. It's a start.....

They get the signals from the tailcap to the head with no extra charge for the side switch model.