The neglected LOW LEVEL

Long-live the McLux! (side note: I ended up keeping just two of the original McLuxes from our build days. Oops... three. Standard nickle, black and a chrome. And you know what - I still use them for all kinds of things in the house - with those pathetic low-dome, low-output (but utter fantastic output for the day) emitters. A perfect amount of light with an awesome flood for peeking behind the stereo cabinet, or fixing something under the sink. The other lights in my collection typically offer too much light, or to bright a hot-spot.)

Now... how did that zebralight escape my wallet???
 
I love super-low modes on lights. I just am getting back into the game by ordering a Ra Clicky 170T. It has a .07 low capability. But I'm sure the .28 preset will be low enough. Can't wait to get it. Hopefully by Saturday....
 
KDOG3 said:
I love super-low modes on lights. I just am getting back into the game by ordering a Ra Clicky 170T. It has a .07 low capability. But I'm sure the .28 preset will be low enough. Can't wait to get it. Hopefully by Saturday....
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That was my hope too, but the .07 is about what I'd like for my 2nd to lowest level. No mistake, you're going to like it, but the lights that really go low are my Titan, 007 and MillerMods Arc-AA - they'll go low enough to make even BeaconofLight happy. Me too!

The best readily available super-low is the T1A, with it's softer hotspot to spill gradation and it makes the low on the Clicky look like a medium setting. The 007 is a lot harder won, and with it's beam pattern, not quite as good as the Titan/T1A at really low levels, but it can go so low that it's virtually useless. This means that you actually get to choose the level, because it's impossible for you to want it lower. Every other light other than the Spy lineup is more likely to have a segment of the super low level fans who will find it to be higher than they'd like, even the Titan/T1A.

As soon as you get a chance, get ahold of a neutral P4 or XP-G modded T1A.
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The Sunwayman V10R Ti has an incredibly low, low level, not much brighter than a tritium vial.
I have 3 of them and they are all this low.
 
I forgot to mention the Safelight Survival model has "Glow Mode" which is pretty low. Also love the lows I have set on all my Novatacs and the newest member of my low low arsenal is the Jetbeam RRT-0. I have a couple of Peak lights with the QTC material to make the light a variable output supposedly with super low lows and super long runtimes in the mail I should receive tomorrow from UPS.
 
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Guys, how about you get a Maglite Solitaire. Dim, warm, 100 CRI. The perfect light, eh?

Nap. :tired:
 
Im thinking it'd be nice to have a low output, small light but one thats not cheesy and unreliable. Hopefuly as small as possible. Fenix maybe? Thoughts? Help out a noob lol.
 
My trusty SureFire T1A still does duty at my bedside, but with the new Mako Flood shipping out this week there soon might be ~85 new converts to the 'dim side'.
 
Kestrel said:
My trusty SureFire T1A still does duty at my bedside, but with the new Mako Flood shipping out this week there soon might be ~85 new converts to the 'dim side'.
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I've still got my Titan laying on the floor where I can reach it anytime I need a light that always comes on at the lowest level and is way more than enough when I wake up in the middle of the night.

Really like the tweak to the switch that the T1A got with the detent at the off position.
 
The Zebralight SC600W is my favorite small flood right now, and I am a strong believer in low level patterns needing to be flood for most applications, as its rare to need to see something far away, but dimly.....but occasionally, if using low for anti-bump-type navigation, a flood of soft light is the best way to see, as opposed to a small circle that you have to sweep about to stitch together what's out there, etc.

😀
 
Huge low level fan here - I shop for lights based on how dim they can get. I found the best performance enhancement (perceived brightness & runtime) for a light is simply letting your own night vision work.

My typical "L/M/H" is 0.2/4/19 lm with 80%+ between L&M. I think I end up changing my 1xAA batt. somewhere between 50-100hr of use and usually with plenty of batt. capacity left. Moonlight modes are like having an A/C plug - you can just leave them on continuously without any concern on battery usage.

I'm personally a fan of some throw at the low levels though.... it allows me to use the hotspot to see things further away that I would otherwise have to click up to a higher mode on a pure flood light. I read in bed every night before going to sleep on moonlight - it's only thing that doesn't disturb the Mrs. No problem with a throwy beam, all you have to do is angle the light to the page to elongate the hotspot.

Unfortunately, the current mega-lumens arms race is not looking too good for the low lumen enthusiast. But on the other hand, I think even Fenix has finally started using a single-digit low mode (still too bright for me) on some of it's lights :laughing:.
 
Personally, I wouldn't want any more flood than a XPG Q-mini with an uber low. To me, it would get too washed out and have too much peripheral distraction.

Can you tell I use them to put kids to bed??
 
In my projects I typically build custom lights, that are very bright, but personally, I am a huge fan of the low level. I have a McGizmo mule with a two level driver, and the low is very low - about perfect, but even better is that I can use a CR123 cell in there that is completely depleted (per my ZTS Pulse Load Batter Tester, and I "still" get enough juice left to drive the low level for a LONG time.

Recently I also have been using a two-level McGizmo tailcap in a 1x CR123 body with a low power, warm LED P60 Malkoff drop-in, and just like with the McGizmo, the driver Gene selected has the uncanny ability to function with cells that are completely depleted as well. I can't tell you how much pleasure I get from using those "used" CR123 cells for several months when I get the kids to bed.

In fact I feel the low level is useful that on my MagnetoDrive I added the "slow" mode so that I can have steps of 1/255 (from 0 to 100% in 0.39% steps) so have very fine control of the low levels 😀

LONG LIVE THE LOW LEVEL!

Will
 
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