Why is it so hard to make a momentary on???

Seems like 99% of CPF-users likes them, why are there so few lights that has it (not that we are the biggest buying group). How hard is it to make a light with twistie constant on, and a rubber button in the cap for momentary on, it's hardly any mechanichal parts at all? My first cheap led even had this function. Why not more expensive lights? Is there a patent somewhere? Or does it affect the water resistance? Really bugs me. I would even prefer a twistie with slight threadplay (to use as momentary) over reverse clickies.

I think the simple answer would be that most of the mainstream public probably doesn't like them and would prefer a clickie. Most manufacturers need to deliver something that will appeal to the mass market at a price point that they are willing to pay. Delivering to a niche market requires a different approach and usually at a higher price point.

Lobo said:

Seems like 99% of CPF-users likes them, why are there so few lights that has it (not that we are the biggest buying group). How hard is it to make a light with twistie constant on, and a rubber button in the cap for momentary on, it's hardly any mechanichal parts at all? My first cheap led even had this function. Why not more expensive lights? Is there a patent somewhere? Or does it affect the water resistance? Really bugs me. I would even prefer a twistie with slight threadplay (to use as momentary) over reverse clickies.

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Its called a Gladius ...

Lobo said:

...How hard is it to make a light with twistie constant on, and a rubber button in the cap for momentary on, it's hardly any mechanichal parts at all? My first cheap led even had this function. Why not more expensive lights?

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SureFire LOTCs (not the click-on LOTCs) are like this.

GeorgePaul said:

SureFire LOTCs (not the click-on LOTCs) are like this.

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Are they like the Inova X03 switch? That must be the best solution ever. Reliable, and momentary on.
I can understand that lights that are for the public dont have it (as Brighteyez said), but there are a lot of smaller companies that sell a significant of their share of lights here, like Fenix, Lumapower, Jetbeam etc. Wonder why they dont use this solution (maybe not in their multitap lights), must be really cheap also compared to a clickie, and more reliable.

Perhaps it would be easier to just patronize those companies that provide what you want. Different companies seem to have different characteristics in their products. Taking two mainstream consumer brands, Dorcy and Brinkmann, Dorcy always uses what is called a reverse clicky here, while Brinkmann uses a momentary on clicky (I believe that's what you're looking for?)

Of the lights that are made with tailcap switches, almost all of the ones intended for industrial (professional) usage use a LOTC. Presumably for their simplicity and lower potential for failure.

Brighteyez said:

Perhaps it would be easier to just patronize those companies that provide what you want.

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I'm not buying anything now, just curious why things are as they are, should be some reason. And thanks for learning me that patronize has two meanings, I was a bit confused there for a while.

English might be your second language, but I don't know any Swedish at all, so right there, you're one ahead of me.

I believe a more common term that is found on web forums is "Vote with your wallet"

Lobo said:

I'm not buying anything now, just curious why things are as they are, should be some reason. And thanks for learning me that patronize has two meanings, I was a bit confused there for a while.

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As long as people are willing to pay $55-$100 for a light without a decent switch, manufacturers will continue to make them that way.

Vote with your wallet.

Brighteyez said:

English might be your second language, but I don't know any Swedish at all, so right there, you're one ahead of me.

I believe a more common term that is found on web forums is "Vote with your wallet"

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Third actually (half-indian).
Voting with your wallet is a good concept, unfortunately it's not as easy if you don't have that much in your wallet. But I'll start as soon as I graduated.

I think switch technology is very SADLY LACKING in most lights. And it ain't rocket science. Other than lights like HDS which have very cool switches (but use a circuit to achieve higher power light control with a low power rated switch I believe) there are no lights I have seen that have the kind of switch I would like to see. I know they are around and I used to have a cool surplus electronics store where I lived in Calif that had all kinds of switches. A tiny low activation pressure tactical clicky is something I absolutely know can be made (if it doesn't already exist somewhere) and I'm sure would be extremely popular in some of our tiny lights that are currently twisties. Twisties IMO are not more reliable than a well made switch. Think of the switch on you computer mouse that you click all the time or game pad switches. They can easily do a million clicks before wearing out. Twisties wear out the threads on your lights grinding away at the aluminum threads, sometimes put undue pressure on a PCB and wear it's thin tracing material out long before a switch would wear out. Sorry for getting sidetracked a bit on your thread - I really need to start a message thread about this myself.

I personally prefer a click on since I rarely need my light to be on for extended periods, but long enough or in a way that I can't just hold it. But there is a soft spo tin me for those click twists, all but a couple of incans from SF are that way.

BTW - for a long time I used one of those $5.95 Walmart Dorcy AAA lights as my bench/desk light when needing to take a close look at anything small while at my computer. That was one of my most often used lights despite having an array of high end and bright Luxeon lights and hotwires. And it was only used because it has a very light pressure easy-to-use momentary switch. A very sad state

Some of the SF switches are decent. But big in size and there should be comparable ones for tiny lights.

My Coast Focusing Lenser is used more than any of my other...gasp...20 lights for this reason. It has a very nice momentary switch...that, and the beam really rocks too.

FlashCrazy said:

My Coast Focusing Lenser is used more than any of my other...gasp...20 lights for this reason. It has a very nice momentary switch...that, and the beam really rocks too.

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For that exact same reason my LedLenser Hocus Focus would have
to be one of my favorite Tactical lights

I like the Inova X03 type switch as well. I first got hooked on this kind of switch with my first Surefire 6P years ago. hopefully we can get some of the Asian manufacturers to start using this switch too.

surefires got it

FlashCrazy said:

My Coast Focusing Lenser is used more than any of my other...gasp...20 lights for this reason. It has a very nice momentary switch...that, and the beam really rocks too.

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And of course, I love mine too! :thumbsup:

matrixshaman said:

I think switch technology is very SADLY LACKING in most lights. And it ain't rocket science...Twisties IMO are not more reliable than a well made switch...Twisties wear out the threads on your lights grinding away at the aluminum threads, sometimes put undue pressure on a PCB and wear it's thin tracing material out long before a switch would wear out.

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Agree 100% matrixshaman.

Some people don't like to acknowledge this fact, but it is reality nonetheless. Every time a twisty switch light is turned on, threads are subject to wear and tear!

Multi-level twisty threads suffer even worse erosion, being subjected to to wear and and tear every time the output level is adjusted.

Twisty light O-rings suffer gradual wear during switching operations. If exposed to gritty contaminants, twisty switch light O-rings can erode rapidly, possibly leading to loss of waterproof integrity of the light.

Environmental contaminants - sand, mud, fine clay particles, pocket lint, generalized crud - WILL work their way into twisty switch threads. This accelerates wear and will cause harder twist action. If not cleaned out in time, twisty switches may jam up from contaminants.

I have experienced these failures with twisty switch lights used in dirty and wet environments: O-ring leaks, rough twist action, twisty jams, and even twisty freezes.

In some twisty lights there is additional wear between aluminum head and copper PCB traces. Corrosion due to electrochemical action between aluminum and copper is also possible here.

These wear issues may not be that important in keychain lights, if they are not turned on and off a lot. And, if they are not used where exposed to heavy doses of environmental crud.

However, I still maintain that a good clicky switch, like the one Mag uses, is more reliable overall than most twisty switches.