WP's Review of the DRACO by Modamag

[DM51]

By chance, I just moved a thread about swivels into 'Beyond Flashlights', and then I happened to see your posts here on the same subject.

Here is the link - these ones look quite good.

 

[FsTop]

...just wait for about 3.5 seconds and it will go to burst mode.

I was hoping to get to Burst faster, not slower. I don't think that "wait 3.5 seconds" is a really terrific UI element.

When you need a lot of light, you probably aren't going to be willing to hang around for a while waiting for it - in a developing situation, having to do a long series of complex control motions could cost you your life, and switching through the BLINK that comes with the adjustment position just calls attention to you.

All in all, I'd say that this is a really good argument for a sequence of Low-User-Burst, rather than Burst/User/Low - it would be a lot faster to get to Burst from the other settings.

Such a sequence wouldn't impress your friends with the WOW reaction, but it would be a lot more practical, and you could always set it to High mode if you wanted to be a showoff...

Once again, another light with an irrational control sequence - the only flashlight UI that makes any sense at all to me is the new Jetbeam IBS - three settings, always in the same sequence, and any of which can be set to any level or function.

The level-setting with the IBS or the Draco is so easy you don't mind using it, although the Draco does do part of it better, with only ten levels - on the Jetbeam, you have to count off seconds and guess when to turn it off to get the right level, while with the Draco, with only 10 settings, you can count them to get to a reproducible level.

I guess nothing is perfect, not even the Draco...

 

[FsTop]

BTW, if they are ever all in my possession and all working at the same time, I'll do some keychain 10440 beamshots.

I've been seeking the perfect keychain light recently, so I'll be able to compare a new Draco with a Lumapower Avenger, an MJP Extreme III, and a JetBeam Mk. I.B.S. - all great lights, but with distinct personalities. Quality and reliability, unfortunately, have been spotty.

From memory, the Jetbeam is the brightest and most throwy of the three, followed by the Extreme III, while the Draco has the most useful beam for my personal keychain needs (closeup use more often than distant) and the Avenger is quite close behind it.

 

[Icebreak]

Increasing instead of a decreasing interface pattern makes sense. I think it was discussed. IIRC the majority of folks, if they could have only one direction, wanted as much as possible right away. That's my preference as well (if I could only have one).

The HDS had a mode I think you would like. You could set it so that whatever level the light was in, depressing the switch would send it to burst for as long as you held it down. So if you were reading a map or fixing a piece of equipment and heard a noise in the distance you could point-depress-identify.

Looking forward to your 10440 shoot out.

 

[FsTop]

I know that this has been beaten to death, but as to the modes, the current Draco setup makes Burst much LESS accessible, if starting from any other pre-set level.

Also, I've just learned that my little "shoot-out" won't be including my MJP Extreme III, as it is not repairable - an expensive lesson in several things. It seems that I used it on 100% High for more than what I am now told is a limit of 2 seconds with a 10440. That, in my view, would make its advertised 10440 support and very high brightness a party trick, rather than a real capability.

In fairness, a second Ex III, which I gave to my brother, is working fine on NiMH and alkalines. However, on NiMH, it isn't as bright as a Draco and is a lot bigger in the pocket.

I'll shoot some pix of the Draco against Avenger and Jet-1, and start another thread.

 

[bexamous]

"Also, I've just learned that my little "shoot-out" won't be including my MJP Extreme III, as it is not repairable - an expensive lesson in several things. It seems that I used it on 100% High for more than what I am now told is a limit of 2 seconds with a 10440."

What? Isn't it just a LF2X with a rebel basically? I've never heard of a LF2X failing at 100%... its bad for the battery and all but not the light.