10 (or so) most undesirable flashlight features (EXCLUDING the projected spot)

EXCLUDING THE PROJECTED SPOT.

As a start, here is my list.

Exposed AND protuding LED on the Streamlight Stylus
Too small lanyard hole on the Inova X5
Dual lamp assembly on the Surefire 10X
Gold ring on the Tigerlight
Too loose lamp assembly housing on AA and AAA Mini Maglites
Too large lamp assembly housing on Legend LX
Too small splitring provided with ARC AAA
Hex bezel on the various Surefire products
Inadequate pocket clip on various Surefire products
Flimsy bulb connection on Streamlight Scorpion
Rubber sleeve on Streamlight Scorpion
Lexan lens on SEVERAL products
Excessive length of Streamlight SL-35X
Cooling fins on the Surefire KL series
Battery rattle on SEVERAL products
Lack of lanyard attachment on ASP Taclite
Flimsy, protruding switch on Princeton Tec Surge
Charging cradle of SL-Series Streamlight products
Cheap switch on Legend AA and AAA

What bothers you about Lexan lenses?

They can melt, and scratch, in the wrong hands. They are also not as easy to waterproof as glass ones.

Have to agree with a lot of that list, especially the hex bezel that SureFire is obsessed with these days. Yuk!

I also don`t care for the switching arrangement of the CMG Reactor, or the fact that the head is plastic and bulky, whereas the body is aluminum and slim.

Can`t say I`m fond of any light that has a back-spill of light through a clear bezel or body, like the PT Attitude or the Tektite lights. Granted, Tektite do have removable glare-shields so I`ll let them off!

And Surefire turboheads are too big. Surely they could design a small <2 inch reflector that would just be deeper, in order to focus the beam tighter. Love the beam of the T3 but it`s too durn big for daily use

Scorpions tailswitch that gets recessed with more use because the sleeve slides out.
E2e's bulb falling out when changing bezels.
CMG's Reactors hybrid build material.
ARC AAA's positive battery end gets smashed down with use.
Inova X5-Ts linear machining makes it slide through your hand when pushing down the switch.
Gold Ring on Tigerlight, design of the Tigerlight itself looks Magish
Luxeon inconsistency!!!!!!ARG!!!
Pocket clips when I would rather have a belt clip
Ultrastinger's Lexan lens
Non Lock out tail cap ( when to me, a LOTC is only a Non LOTC with a circle machined in it )

Melting lens on the Scorpion
No lanyard hole on the Scorpion
Price of a Surefire
Small lanyard hole on the ARC LS TSP
Tigerlight charger design
Belt Clip on a Pelican L-1

Stiff tail switch on Legend LX
Holster of MiniM*g (must be put on when putting on belt)

Merry Chistmas to everyone.

Lexan as a lens material itself does not bother me. In a high output flashlight application is where I have reservation. Lexan scratches easily and is subject to distortion caused by sustained application of light from an incandescant bulb capable of 60+ lumen.

Meltdown of a lexan lens has occurred for me twice when a Surefire 6P activated in my pocket. I had to replace the entire assembly, twice. The 6P also burned by coat pockets.

Distortion and meltdown diminishes the product output of the flashlight adn denigrates its usefulness.

This was a training issue. I should have been more careful to back off the tailcap so that the 6P would not activate as easily.

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Technology of the lockout tailcap for the Surefire product has eliminated the accidental activation issue. When using the lockout tailcap, one must know that it is in the lockout feature.
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In the one and only 2 CR123 Lithium battery powered flashlight that I still own - the ASP Taclite, I have replaced the original Lexan lens with a sapphire watch crystal. I have purposely tested the sapphire lens by allowing the light to remain continously activated with not just one set of CR123s but FOUR; changing one set after another after light output has expired.

Note: The switch on the Taclite is recessed enough into the housing where I have NOT had one incident of accidental activation in my pocket since owning and carrying it daily since January 1997. The design of the switch and housing is such that the issue of the melting lens should no longer be of concern.

I have decided to address one issue with two, separate solutions.

My personal favorite:

Legend LX bulb popping out on it's own.

Stock Bulb on AAA MiniMag which lasts about 2 hours or as long as it takes for the darn thing to roll off the table (whichever comes first - usually the latter),

Rubber sleeve slipping on body of Ring Mini CybaLite (fixed with a little household glue),

***The price of replacement batteries***

$10.00 an hour.

I know. They are wonderful lights and I should not criticize them until I actually own one. And yes, I do want one.

I just remember as a young man (many years ago) how excited I got when I got a raise to ten bucks an hour.

Awkward grip on MegaRay
Slippery delrin on TACMIII
Aggressive knurling on the Surefire E2e
Poorly functioning switch on the Galls H.A.L.O.
Brittle pocket clip on several Pelican lights
Excessively sized shroud on Surefire Clickie switch

I have a few problems with the Megaray
1) Switches are the ones you find at Radio shack
2) Focusing the lens, a light that expensive could focus like a SLR at least. Shot gun cocking style focusing isn't worth the cost.

Don't forget the solder pad used as a battery connection in the Streamlight 3N. The negative connection from the bottom of the battery tube cuts a grove into this the very first time you put batteries in it and it starts flickering.