How do you judge runtime?

Hi everyone! This is my first question to the group.

I have my share of lights and it seems that the one issue I have trouble dealing with is regulated runtime. I have a few LED's that are not very bright but I love them for their runtime and utility (Gerber IU, PT Attitude, Impact XL). Other lights are brighter and have longer runtimes (Inova T2, T3, X5T, SL ProPoly 4aa, ProPoly 3c). I'm also happy with my PT EOS, Tikka Plus and XP and others. My problem comes when I'm considering getting an LED light but its regulated runtime is only an hour or slightly over (or even less). I just can't seem to justify buying a light with such a short runtime. I really don't care to use rechargables. I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts. Do you have a minimum runtime limit? Are battery types an issue? How do you judge runtime?

I think I'm kind of the same way about regulation. Probably 2-3 hours is my minimum as in the recent Fenix E1. Even for something brighter, one hour just doesn't seem like it's enough.

Geoff

I agree with that too. It depends on the light and its intended purpose though, really.

For instance, if I'm considering a light to use frequently for navigating around the house at night or out camping, I want several hours of runtime and brightness isn't as much of a factor. If I'm considering a spotlight to infrequently throw light across the back yard to identify critters or intruders, much less runtime is acceptable.

Even considering that, I tend to stay middle-of-the-road and I don't have any lights that won't run for at least 3 hours. The longest runtime of my lights would be the Gerber IU that I use frequently to navigate at night at 36+ hours, and the shortest is the Huntlight FT-01 at ~3 hours. They're both great performing lights for their intended purpose and when all factors are considered.

NutSAK said:

I agree with that too. It depends on the light and its intended purpose though, really.

Click to expand...

Same here.

On average, I would prefer a light that has rock solid regulation till the end of useful battery life. But it'll also depend on the light too. Since "higher" output means less runtime, it'll always be a compromise.

Some lights that I want will have a short runtime at max and it'll dip down but if it still belts out usable light, I probably won't complain much till there is a better alternative.

I should have added this:

I think this very topic is the reason that more and more people are searching for good regulated lights that have two or more output levels. For example, the L2T is a very well-regulated light on both levels, and even though it provides a really good amount of light on high for 2.5 hours, it will run for 20 hours on low with decent output.

It all depends on the light and what I use it for.
My keychain light must run for long periods of time so for that I have a FireFly III. It absolutely screams on the single RCR123 lithium-ion rechargable on max output (measured at over 72 lumens actual) but the runtime is short. Normally, I use it on level 2 low which gives 16 hours of output. Medium output is level 12 for an hour and 20 minutes. The multiple outputs are like cheating in a way.
My EDC light for work runs over 2 hours on two Sanyo 2700mAH AA cells and gives a mild strobing when the batteries go low and it kicks out of regulation. If I need to, I just pull my FF3 keychain light out of my pocket and press on in medium mode.
My LuxeonV Mag mod punches out the regulated lumens for over 2 hours when set on level 1 high... around 24 hours when set on level 1 low. Again, the multple output levels can give me the runtime when needed and the punch when required.
The two lights that I have that really pull the power is the MillerMods U bin 1.7 watt L1P for around 75 minutes on a 2700mAH cell and my Peak Baltic (super ultra power) that gets about 45 to 50 minutes from a 1000mAH AAA NiMH cell.
My runtime king is an Arc AA which gets about 13 hours of runtime.

Generally I will say that I go for longer running lights over high lumens in most instances. Even in my brighter personal carry lights, I go for something like the Inova X03, my brightest except for a Surefire that never gets used, in part because I love its runtime/brightness tradeoff. I want lights I can count of for hours, the more the better with 3 or 4 being my hopeful minimum in a larger light.

In general purpose around the house lights I want really long runtimes, I like Minimags modded with MJled because of the 30 hours runtime, and the X5 with its long runtime. The X1 is my favorite daily carry pocket light because of its long runtimes.

The one exception I have allowed to this lately is the Ultrafire WF602D, it is very bright and very small which I had a spot for.

Ditto here. I like to try nto strike a balance between power and runtime. My EDC remains my X5, simply because I like the flood style beam and long runtime for unexpected adventures. I also have an XO3 and an X1 that get regular use for the same reason. If I think I might need extra punch I will carry a L4 or A2 in addition to the X5. They all have their place and all get used depending upon circumstances. Why do I not carry a multi-level light? I like the simplicity of a single power level, even if that means carrying two lights (And having a backup is a good idea anyway).

I always felt if I need bright and short runtime, I'll use an incan.

With LED, I try to strike a good balance of both. And I'll have to say, the light I have that does it the best, would have to be a MagliteLED.
Of course the downside is the larger size. (depending on your application)
As LEDs continue to get more powerful, there's eventually going to be a roadblock for the pocket-sized lights.
'Wow, that's bright!' Yeah, but I only get 20 mins of runtime....

I'd say a PR-SMJLED gets about a 70% (runtime) to 30% (brightness) ratio and that's makes for a great emergency light.

The Mag is closer to 50/50.

I'm one who greatly favors dim lights with longer runtimes. I also try to remember that lights are tools and for me the most important thing is having the right tool for the job. When I need a bright light nothing else will do and since I use bright lights way less that 1% of the time and then usually only for a few seconds at a time -- I won't worry much about runtime when I need bright.

That works with my usage patterns. If I needed to use bright lights much more of the time I would probably feel differently.

Interesting question.

I've been wondering if I have been giving to much importance to runtime. I've been EDCing a Fenix L2P head on an L1 body for 2 months and I'm still on the first battery. My Surefire E1L sees frequent use and is also on the first battery.

I use both lights frequently but for short duration. Thirty seconds would be a long time for me to have a light on, five seconds would be about average.

Thanks to everyone who responded. There are some good ideas here. It all boils down to personal preferences based on experience and how you perceive the value of a light's characteristics based on how it will be used. This should make my next purchase a more thoughtful one.