What's the DIMMEST flashlight?

[DBrier]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Another vote for the PAL always on mode.
It can also be brighter if you need it to be. No messing with it to check you watch either, just take it out, use it and put it away. Mine over ran two years that way with a few uses here and there.

 

[nikemboka]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

How about an Eternalmax adjusted down to the dimmest setting (one led)?

 

[glockboy]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

flip open yours cell phone to use it as a flashlight.

 

[Pi_is_blue]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

The EliteMax on the dimmest setting is still surprisingly bright. It wouldn't be ideal for this application.

 

[Bill.H]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Want to buy my old solitaire? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Look up "dim" in the dictionary and there's a picture of it there....

 

[Brody]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Actually, the Rigel Skylight on it's dimmest setting in red is very decent for preserving night vision. With the white light, it is brighter on the dimmest setting.
Hmmm... if it is just to check your time on a watch, wouldn't it be better to just get a watch with a backlight that turns on when you press a button? Watches like that are pretty cheap.

 

[Double_A]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

PALight in it's always on mode.

The advantage for the PALight is that you still have a usable flashlight if you need more light.

GregR

 

[paulr]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Brody, my watch already has a button like that, but the backlight is way too bright. Anyway I was interested in the more general question of the dimmest flashlight.

 

[pal251]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

buy a new watch

 

[milkyspit]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Paulr, why do you always seem to ask these questions that ultimately have no answer? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif

My dimmest light would be my own Milky Candle when set to its dimmest setting, the "nightlight" mode. Draws a regulated 1.3mA or so on that setting, yielding about 1000 hours runtime from a pair of 123 cells. But with dark-adapted eyes, even that's bright enough to illuminate about a 6 foot radius around it.

Incidentally, the nightlight mode only came into existence when I was doing extended testing of the prototype's then-lowest 6.5mA setting, but realized to my dismay that the ENTIRE ROOM WAS ILLUMINATED when I'd wake up in the middle of the night. I couldn't sleep in that much light! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Of course, the same circuit could be adjusted about as low as you'd like to go. I'm sure you'll find a suitable light for your needs, but if not, send a PM my way and I'll see what I can cobble together for you. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[paulr]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

I guess I see this as an exploration of how dim a light can possibly be to be useful 1) to see detail with (read a watch holding it next to the light; 2) to see coarse shapes with (i.e. see large objects a few feet away so you won't bump into them; and 3) as a locator/marker light.

I see someone on another thread mentioned making a locator/marker for a 4AA-powered resistor limited LED light, by putting a 50 kilohm resistor across the on-off switch, i.e. about 0.05 milliamps! Wow!

Your 1.3 mA figure is also interesting. If the Milky Candle is omnidirectional (covers a complete sphere with light), that's 4*pi steradians, so a flashlight with a 1-steradian beam (basically 60 degrees) would need only about 0.1 mA. Realistically the MC probably isn't really omnidirectional, but might be like a 60 degree led at 0.3 mA or whatever. Still neat!

 

[B@rt]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Hmm, a PaLight in the always on mode is too bright to keep unshielded in my bedroom... I can easily navigate the house with it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif
A partially covered glowring would be better for me...

 

[JasonC8301]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Would you use a run down battery in a Arc AAA or a CMG Infinity?

 

[StuU]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Palight in red led would give just barely enough light to read your watch in total darkness. It's what I use for bedside usage.

 

[milkyspit]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Actually Paul, the Milky Candle uses a Nichia Rank S 9200mcd white LED, which I believe has beam half-angle of 15 degrees... in other words, it shoots out a 30 degree beam. When I said nightlight mode illuminates roughly a 6 foot radius around the Milky Candle, that's using light reflected off the ceiling. So maybe it's too powerful for your purposes, eh? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Hmm... maybe you need some glow POWDER. That stuff glows really brightly for the first minute or two, then settles into a long lasting but much dimmer glow. If I recall correctly, it supposedly keeps glowing gently for hours. Charge it up just before bedtime, and it'll probably give you the illumination you need for most of the night!

 

[bj]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

I have one of those adjustable single LED lights from Garrity, which is pretty dim on it's lowest setting. Probably not in competition with a glowring, but with a claimed life of hundreds of hours on 3 AAA's, it's pretty dim for a conventional light. It's got an ugly shaped beam, but I picked it up for power outages, where having a dim but long lasting light could complement my other, brighter lights.

 

[SilverFox]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Hello Paul,

In my computer room I notice that the green "power on" LED on my laser printer gives enough light to navigate in the dark.

I have also noticed in motel rooms, the LED on my power supply gives a dim but usable amount of light.

I measure the output of the power supply LED at 25 mcd. My PALight measures 50 mcd.

Tom

 

[Roy]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Countrycom used to sella small pear shaped key-chain light that operated in the UV range. Most "He-Man" style watches will lightup when hit with UV. It also puts out enough visible light to navigate by.

 

[SilverFox]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Hello Roy,

That's a good idea.

I just also remembered that my M1 glows. I will have to see if there is any "usable" visible light from that.

Tom

 

[SilverFox]

Re: What\'s the DIMMEST flashlight?

Hello Paulr,

I am sorry to say that the M1 is too dim. I can see that I have a watch on, but can not read what time it is.

Tom