What specifications would the ultimate flashlight have?

What specifications would the ultimate flashlight have? Let's stick to things which are physically possible now or will be possible in the near future . I'd like to suggest the following features:

• Run time to 50% brightness - 72hours - usable light for another 96 hours after that (total run time one week).
• Flashing light with low current drain to find at night. (This could be the main led or a small one built into body.)
• Waterproof.
• Can use various battery chemistries and types - different battery carriers available.
• Different brightness and flashing modes (like Photon III).
• Ability to mount in various ways e.g. lanyard, head strap.
• High intensity beam.
• Focusable.
• Interchangeable leds e.g. UV LED and ability to upgrade as new LEDs developed.
• Based around one AAA or AA battery - similar size.
• Small luminous compass built into base.
• Laser pointer module (perhaps).
• Optional extra length tube with small compartment to carry some survival items such as a few matches, nylon string etc.
• Built-in solar cell to recharge battery when rechargeables used (or perhaps an external cell).

On that ultimate flashlight I'm missing the NMG (Nuclear Micro Generator).

What do you think?

man some of them are not correct with each other.

runtime of 72 hours then 96 hours of useful will be possible ONLY if you are using one 5mm led with a regulator giving it 20ma and 3.6v from a BIG battery.

then you want high intensity beam... you want the battery to big as big as you?

how the hell are you going to get 1aa or aaa sized light to have that runtime?!!?

hell no, compass on the end of lights are silly.

come on... laser module with a 1aa/aaa light with high intensity beam?

battery as big as you and you want extra length tube...

how big must the solar cell be to be able to charge a battery as big as you? and even if it can, 1 months to charge it full?


but hell, i support you

Seems to me it would all depend on what your environment is. For example, if I am out searching for a group of hikers or a wounded hog I'd need something radically different from the guy who is taking down notes for his investigation in a dark resturant. Also, compasses and other weird stuff tend to turn me off as would a solar cell wrapped around my light. I'm not opposed to the interchangable LEDs or the focusable part, but again my idea would look something like this:

75-80 lumens
superior throw but with sufficent spill for walking
easily adjustable beam with no loss of quality
dedicated rechargable body w/ primary body avail.
usable green or blue leds aside from the main source
integrated 12v charger
will accept SF parts (e.g. Turboheads, beamshapers)
2.5 hr runtime on hi setting
no more than 4 brightness levels

Oh yeah, and put my name on the side of it. :rock:

A few things to cover, some suggestions, some opinions

1. Has programmable ever come to your mind?
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2. more than two levels of brightness?
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3. The solar cell is a OMGWTFBBQ idea.
Solar cells give out high Voltage and low current, a proportion based on the intensity of sunlight at the observation point.
-charging a battery requires relatively low voltage [slightly up on par with the batteries "float" voltage] but a relatively high and continuous stable current to effectively charge a battery. So your going to loose alot during the transfer and nottomention typical solar cells only have about 10-20% efficiency.
-good idea tho, nonetheless, Im thinking of something like the promotional pens, where the flexible solar cell can be pulled out from the side into a long sheet and anchored for greater output, and when your finished charging, pull and the retract spring should take it in and roll it on the outside of the battery casing.

examples of flexible solar cell
http://www.solarnavigator.net/thin_film_solar_cells.htm
http://www.oksolar.com/pv/unisolar_flexible.htm
http://www.sanyo.co.jp/R_and_D/e/profile/field/energy_device_e.html
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4. Something like "Deltius Concepto"?
where a threesome of technology...jeez, bad word usage
Where you have the xenon for sheer brightness, LEDs for long battery life, and various Luxeons, a 3 driven at a 1 for efficiency and a 5 driven full as a backup to the xenon in the event that the bulb blows.
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5. for "Flashing light with low current drain to find at night. (This could be the main led or a small one built into body.)", I think tritium capsules has already made a flasher obsolete, but thats just me
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6. for "Interchangeable leds e.g. UV LED and ability to upgrade as new LEDs developed.", the head can have parts with slots you can hot swap light assemblies in and out [taking apart a entire reflector "textured of course" by putting in and out lamp assemblies, replacing part of the reflector with another, chanching the style for spot or flood options]
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7. "Based around one AAA or AA battery - similar size."
no-no AAA and AA can't give much power adding to the generally high internal resistance, Im still thinking of rechargeable with the PV option.
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8. "Optional extra length tube with small compartment to carry some survival items such as a few matches, nylon string etc."

Thats A mighty big flashlight if you want something like that, REMEMBER, A FLASHLIGHT IS JUST A TOOL, YOU STILL HAVE TO BRING THE SURVIVAL PACK ALONG WITH THE LIGHT, At this point, if thats possible, it sounds like you want to have chicken noodle soup warmed by discharging batteries right out of the tailcap.

Make sure the body is made out of this stuff:

http://www.liquidmetal.com/

The ultimate flashlight woulden't BE a flashlight.

It would be bionic eye implants that let you seen in any available light/wavelength, tuned automatically and powered by a blood/glucose-fuelcell.

But failing that, something powered by a non-chemical battery. With 99.9_% efficiency.
And a runtime measured in centuries.

Ask a silley question get a silley answer.

Should have asked: Whats the best possible flashlight that CAN be built now, assuming cost is no object.

(It would probably be a TNG/BNG type LED light with prototype emmiter dies and a fancy microcontroler setup permanently sealed in epoxy and fiberglass/carbonfiber.)

I like your list and completely agree with most of your points. I do have a couple of 1w led lights, branded as "random acts of summer" from Target stores. They came with a bonus single AAA light that isn't great, but will work as an emergency light. The 1watter is large with cooling fins in the head and a side clicky. It runs on 3 x AAA batteries, and puts out a very nice bright white beam with very useable spill. I was very surprised when I first tried it. The neat thing is an extension that screws onto to the tail. It contains an insert specifically designed to hold 3 spare batteries! With a little ingenuity, the insert could be removed and the cavity filled with fishing line and hooks, medication, other types of spare batteries, and I even have a coincell type keychain led light that'll fit in there! You can carry the light without the extension if you prefer.

chesterqw said:

...
battery as big as you and you want extra length tube...
...

Click to expand...

That's kind of funny.