Comparing twisties vs. twisties...

Not everyone likes a twisty; and more importantly, not all twisty switches are equal. There are better ones and worse ones, and I think the differences are worth noting.

There are 3 kinds of twisties: 1) the internal switch type of twisty used in plastic bodied lights (e.g. Princeton Tec twisty lights); 2) the metallic "crush your battery" type twisty (like Arc AAA); and 3) the Civictor style twisty where a spring holds the battery against the + contact and twisting pushes the EDGE of the body against a contact ring on the PCB.

The internal plastic switches have potentially breakable thin metal contacts, etc. which can be a reliabillity problem compared to the solid metal lights (although my PT lights have always worked fine). The Arc type twisty works fine if the threads conduct electricity well; but dirt or excessive grease (most greases are non-conductive) can add resistance to the circuit and create flicker. To me, the Civictor type seems most reliable as the contact points (body edge and PCB) are sealed inside the light, remain clean, and make a very positive contact when activated. The Civictor type also won't crush the battery or rattle.

Two other features also affect twisty function: 1) range of motion of the twisty, i.e. can the twisty head/tail bottom out before the switch closes contact; and 2) the thread engagement of the twisty (how many turns from when the light is on until the head/tail come apart?). More turns means more thread bearing surface to absorb shocks and reduce wear.

Some cheap Chinese 1AA LED lights (5 LED Medea type) had the problem of bottoming out before a good contact was made. The problem could be fixed by grinding off some of the lip of the tail cap, but it was definitely a flaw. Good designs (Civictor, Arc..) either have no ridge in the body guaranteeing no early bottoming out or have appropriate dimensions.

Regarding bearing surface, I counted the number of turns between twisty turning on and light coming apart for some makes. I got:

Cheap Arc AAA clone (the 4 dollar ones) - 2 turns
Medea 1AA 5 LED light - 3 turns
PT Tec 20 - 3 turns to turn on, 4.5 turns to the bottom
Jetbeam CLE - 4.5 turns
Fenix E1 - 5 turns
Fenix L0P - 5 turns
Civictor V1 - 7 turns

So that's it. IMHO, the winner by a wide margin is the Civictor V1: it has the best type of twisty and also the longest bearing surface by far.

Just some thoughts for the twisty fans...

i have never given a thought to what you said. i have a few "twisties". Fenix E-1, two P-1's, Jet-beam Cle and a Lumapower F-1. by far my favorite is the F-1. it just works so well one handed.

Hmm....I've always been a bit curious about the F-1 and it good to hear that the twistie works so well.

I have always liked the Twistie's on the ARC and Longbow lights

nerdgineer said:

There are 3 kinds of twisties: 1) the internal switch type of twisty used in plastic bodied lights (e.g. Princeton Tec twisty lights); 2) the metallic "crush your battery" type twisty (like Arc AAA); and 3) the Civictor style twisty where a spring holds the battery against the + contact and twisting pushes the EDGE of the body against a contact ring on the PCB.

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nerdgineer, I'm curious as to where the Mag Solitaire and the MiniMags fit within your twisty classification system.

Am I correct in thinking that the Mag twisty is something else entirely? Since Mag twisty lights are about the most ubiquitous twisty lights around, they really should be classified. Incidentally, my Solitaire twisties have been long-term reliable - I have several that still work after 16 years.


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Good summary.

ringzero said:

nerdgineer, I'm curious as to where the Mag Solitaire and the MiniMags fit within your twisty classification system.

Am I correct in thinking that the Mag twisty is something else entirely? Since Mag twisty lights are about the most ubiquitous twisty lights around, they really should be classified. Incidentally, my Solitaire twisties have been long-term reliable - I have several that still work after 16 years.


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Sorry, I don't have any Mag Solitaires or Minimags anymore. I think they both have some kind of internal switch activated by the compression of the bulb holder into the body, but I'm not sure. I had a solitaire for a long time and the switch always worked (but it let me down the one time I needed it so I threw it out and started on the long road which led me here....:laughing: ).

If you have one, you might count the number of turns between the swith being "full on" until the head comes off and post it here. That will at least give an idea of the bearing length of the twisty thread.

Thoughtful.

If you consider all other twisty lights as regular then the Mag Switch is a reverse twisty. It's the only twist light that you loosen to turn on. I bet this designed is patented as well. I can tell you the easiest place for it to fail are those little tabs that have to make contact at lip of the head.

I doubt that it's patented, because I have a cheap $5 nexxtech keychain light that works in the same when. You tighten it to depress the tab thingy and it turns off.

nerdgineer said:

Sorry, I don't have any Mag Solitaires or Minimags anymore. I think they both have some kind of internal switch activated by the compression of the bulb holder into the body, but I'm not sure.

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Yes, I agree. Then Mag twisties would add a whole fourth category to your twisty switch classification system.

I'm interested in this because I've always thought the Mag twisty design to be superior in reliability - at least in theory - to the other twisty categories you describe.

It doesn't rely on conduction through threads. It exposes no parts of the switch to environmental contaminants or to excessive wear due to scraping metal as it twists on and off.

I have MiniMag 2AA and 2AAA lights around 20 years old with twisties that still function like new. Also, I have Solitaires 16 years old that have seen a lot of use and still twist on and off reliably.

nerdgineer said:

If you have one, you might count the number of turns between the swith being "full on" until the head comes off and post it here. That will at least give an idea of the bearing length of the twisty thread.

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Appears to be about three twists from full on to head separation. I believe that Mag uses a higher pitch thread on its smaller lights. So, one full turn of a Mag head will advance the head further linearly, when compared to other lights. The MiniMags also use some very unusual threading, whose proper name I can't recall at the moment.

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I think Inova's X series employs another form of twisty. There is a plunger inside the flashlght body, near the head. A switch is connected to the plunger.

When you push the tailcap on an X series light, the battery is forced against the plunger, pushing it and activating the switch.

parnass said:

I think Inova's X series employs another form of twisty. There is a plunger inside the flashlght body, near the head. A switch is connected to the plunger....When you push the tailcap on an X series light, the battery is forced against the plunger, pushing it and activating the switch.

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Now that I think about it, you're right parnass.

The X series, although they are not twisty head lights, does represent another approach to twisty design, and another twisty switch category.


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parnass said:

I think Inova's X series employs another form of twisty. There is a plunger inside the flashlght body, near the head. A switch is connected to the plunger...

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That's the way the Nightcutters were, too. The Nightcutter Sport was probably the stortest 2x123 light ever produced.

This is interesting. I've never given any thought to the different twistie types.