What are YOU waiting for?

GLOCKshooter

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Jun 12, 2005
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With the fast pace of change (luxeon>Cree>P>Q>?), I decided to put off a few purchases. But I think there will come a time when future advances will have diminishing returns for specific applications for specific users.

The "top of the curve" for me would be the following two lights:

1) an EDC that is about the size of a POD-CE or Mag Solitaire that has a two stage clickie, 100+ lumens on high, 30+/- on low, that ran on cheap, reliable, available batteries with a long run time. I would also like a tritium vial or glow in the dark clickie cover or some other "find in the dark"

2) A weapon light that mounts like the insight M3, but runs on one rechargeable CR123 type battery, 4 modes (250/80/15/strobe) with a last mode memory.

The kicker is I would like them both to function so the lower power modes like the 15 lumen "navigation" the 80 lumen "room clearing" and the 30 lumen "general purpose" would be mostly spill, and the higher settings, for outdoor use, would be mostly throw. I ASSuME that would require a margarita-glass shaped reflector and some camming device to move the led forward and back.

So... what are you waiting for, and do you think I'll see my ideals any time soon?
 

Barbarian

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May 3, 2007
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I wish Surefire would have left the low on the L1 Cree very low and then have the 65 lumen burst when needed. Oh well, still sounds like a great light that I will purchase soon.
 

FrogsInWinter

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Feb 27, 2006
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NYC
Gotta agree with Barbarian about Surefire, or any other lights, having a very low "low" mode in addtion to high mode.

Of course what I would love to have are Z5 bin Cree X-RE leds. I'm thinking maybe in the ballpark of 250-300 lumens @ 350mA, hehehe :devil:.
That and Z bin SSC P4 LEDs that hopefully no longer using the present dust magnet gummi dome.

Or really any LEDs that can get upwards of 80% efficiency from its power source. That's my dream for the, hopefully, near future.
 
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IdahoDoug

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Jun 4, 2007
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I would like a much more simple interface to get to the various levels of lighting and I'd like infinite variability. My ideal setup would be a tailcap clicky simply for on/off, then rotate the head for "dim - to bright" output so it's a quick movement to the light you need at any given task. Then you'd have a firm detent to rotate it past the brightest setting and put it in strobe mode. Very simple and you could even hand the light to someone else and they'd figure it out in oh - about 3 seconds.

I have a product design background and feel the "click this many times and that many times" way of accessing brightness levels is inherently poor and will go away soon. Any time you have to cycle a device through its levels to find the levels and then try to remember how many clicks to do to bring it back to the one level you thought was appropriate, it's a bad design. Rotating the head and simultaneously getting the feedback of brighter or dimmer is a common thing in our life and would be far better. You simply rotate until you've got enough light and let go. Done for a few seconds? Click it off. When you pick it up and click it on - voila - it's the same brightness. No more "click, click, etc".

Anyone who's cycled through a ceiling fan's speeds with the chain pulls will feel the same way. You keep pulling the chain, trying to decide if the fan blades are just spinning from inertia or it's off, then click through the various speeds counting to see how many pulls gets you the fastest speed from the straining sound of the motor. It's guesswork that takes an annoying 10 seconds of yanking and listening. Wouldn't it be nice to simply reach up and rotate a switch to one of 3 clearly marked (high,medium,low) positions??? This is a century old switch interface I find hard to accept on a state of the art product like a digital LED tactical flashlight.

So, that's what I'd buy in the future though I'm a newbie to the LED flashlights as of a week ago with two AA Crees and a beautiful Wolf Eyes Explorer Cree 4 level from PTS.

DougM
 
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jbosman1013

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Apr 4, 2007
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michigan
now we need to sell these ideas to a flashlight manufacture :D

I think Idahodoug has a good idea about the clicky on/off and variable light rotating head but i think the strobe should be on the clicky switch for a fast change between light and strobe. I would also like to see the loud click go away from the clicky
 

Monocrom

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Aug 27, 2006
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With the fast pace of change (luxeon>Cree>P>Q>?), I decided to put off a few purchases.

I have the opposite outlook. New technology means untested technology over the long haul. I need lights I can count on now matter what. I keep a cheap no-name 9-LED light on my desk at home. (With a 2-D Maglite right above my desk).

Since I work nights, I need a light that won't fail me, period. Living in NYC, Con Edison is about as reliable as a promise from a politician. :mad:

If there's another Blackout, and I'm at work, I need lights I can count on until I can make it home. And Cree-based lights don't fall into that category. Too new, still unknown how they'll hold up over the long haul. If brightness is all that matters to you, that's one thing. But there are other factors I look for in a light.... especially one that I'll be EDCing.
 
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enLIGHTenment

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Feb 5, 2005
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Ottawa, Canada
I'm waiting for something like an E2L that accepts rechargeables. In other words, optic + momentary/latching switch (no reverse clickie) + 2x R123A and/or 18650 compatibility. I thought the E2L might fit the bill, but thanks to KX2 voltage limits, I'm still waiting....

Next thing on my anticipation list is using EDC-xxxP with mild modifications to support an optic.
 

ICUDoc

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Aug 20, 2004
Messages
907
Location
Sydney, Australia
I'm waiting for a LED light with true white ouput. The difference between sunshine and LED colours annoys me.
Actually that's a lie, I'm not waiting- I'm still buying more and more lights all the time- I guess it's "something I look forward to" NOT "something I'm waiting for".
 

moon lander

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Feb 8, 2007
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boston
im waiting for:

1. rebel or pwt based button cell lights.

2. flood (reflectorless) multi cree lights

3. programmable UIs like the LF2 but with more stages as you twist the head further, plus a clicky for on/off.

4. a "lego" style light kit with all interchangeable parts. would have a tube for each type of battery with separate driver modules and led modules and reflectors etc. so you can configure it for your needs on any given night. :shrug:

5. my current order from dx.
 

datiLED

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May 9, 2006
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Atlanta, GA
Some really small twisty head AAA and CR2 lights using the Rebel LED to make things even shorter than current offerings.

LumaPower is supposed to be introducing an AAA light soon that is probably going to be using the Rebel, but they are not know for making lights with a small form factor. They are like a Chinese Inova, as far as the size and amount of material used to make their lights.
 
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aceo07

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Jun 24, 2005
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East Coast
I'm waiting for JetBeam to improve their Jet-u so that it has better runtime for the output and also have true low ouput of 2lumens or less. Also a lower price tag. Or someone else to do it.
 

big beam

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Jan 14, 2006
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upstate ny
I'm starting to take a new tack.Most of the time I can't find just what I need(off the shelf) so I take a light that I like and have someone mod it to what I need.Right now CM is installing an X bin in my L4:drool::drool:
DON
 

Daekar

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Mar 23, 2007
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Virginia, USA
I'm waiting for an 18650-powered EDC light like the one PEU is working on with the highest bin LED available, a 1-3 lumen low, a 30 lumen medium, and full-blast high that will chase away shadows with massive flood power. Flat discharge curve on all settings.

Also waiting for a AAA-powered light similar to the Arc AAA-P with the same small highly-durable form-factor and a high-efficiency emitter (maybe a Rebel?) that would extend the runtime for low (3-4 lumens) on NiMH or alkaline and a 30-lumen high with decent runtime.

ALSO waiting for a higher-binned version of the MRV. I know the Tiablo throws further, but I like the spot size and spill of the MRV. More light in the same package and beam-style would be nice! If Ricky releases a dark-nickel light engine with R-bin Crees, I'd be all over it.
 

Blindasabat

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Jan 24, 2006
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Michigan
I think Idahodoug has a good idea about the clicky on/off and variable light rotating head but i think the strobe should be on the clicky switch for a fast change between light and strobe. I would also like to see the loud click go away from the clicky
That strobe UI kinda kills the reason for the separate switch. The button needs to exactly one thing: turn it on and off. Loan a strobe/ on-off clickie to a non flashlight person and they will strobe the room again and again, embarrassing themselves and you. Having to explain a flashlight to somebody is one of the dorkiest feelings ever for everyone involved.

IdahoDoug, I think we are twins, I've been looking for and promoting that same interface ever since I saw the SF U2. I also have a product design background, and KISS is a mantra for good reason.

1. rebel or pwt based button cell lights.
That would so rock if done right. LRI Photon please get over your Luxeon hissy fit!!!!

4. a "lego" style light kit with all interchangeable parts. would have a tube for each type of battery with separate driver modules and led modules and reflectors etc. so you can configure it for your needs on any given night.
...a well supported one with updated heads, UI, and switching every once in a while for more options. The SF E-series comes sort of close (and maybe C or M series I'm way less familiar with) with KL1 or L1 SF heads and Aleph heads too. The KL1 has the voltage capability, and L1 heads can possibly be run on RCR123 and/or maybe 17670 with some care.

For my own in addition to the above:
1. TOUGH bodies that are truly scratch resistant so I'm not afraid to carry it even if it takes plastic. The G2 is one of the toughest lights I have.

2. LOW levels that are actually LOW. Well spaced levels that make sense.

3. Elegant simplicity that combines function with usability. Not just in SF lights that seem to get it right (L1, L2, A2...), but on super small single cell CR123, CR2, AA, and AAA pocket lights too. Photon Freedom is a coin cell example. HDS is almost there, just too big - like the L1.
 

2xTrinity

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Dec 10, 2006
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California
Right now I have enough LEDs to keep me satisfied until someone starts producing LEDs in netural white (as opposed to the cool white we have now), that are no less efficient than what we presently have. Looks like the next generation Luxeon Rebels do just that, at least on paper. Who knows how long it will be until we actually see them, but IMO improving the color on LEDs needs to be done.

With the fast pace of change (luxeon>Cree>P>Q>?), I decided to put off a few purchases. But I think there will come a time when future advances will have diminishing returns for specific applications for specific users.

The "top of the curve" for me would be the following two lights:

1) an EDC that is about the size of a POD-CE or Mag Solitaire that has a two stage clickie, 100+ lumens on high, 30+/- on low, that ran on cheap, reliable, available batteries with a long run time. I would also like a tritium vial or glow in the dark clickie cover or some other "find in the dark"
The closest thing to this is the LF2, which has a two stage twisty (tight = off, 1/4 turn = low, 1/2 turn = high). The levels are user programmable and can go as low as 0.2% of max. On 10440 LiIon the high is defintiely above 100 lumens, but on standard cells it is around 60, a light with a next-generation emitter should be able to achieve your desired specs. An actual clicky switch (ie, one that carries current) in a keychain light woudl be too bulky, though a signal level momentary switch (one that does not carry current, simply tells an internal computer to turn the light on) would be doable. IMO I would actually prefer something like the photon freedom -- click off/on, click-and-hold to vary the brightness.

2) A weapon light that mounts like the insight M3, but runs on one rechargeable CR123 type battery, 4 modes (250/80/15/strobe) with a last mode memory.
I disagree, I tend to dislike lights that rely on sequences of button presses, and especially dislike ones that have last-mode memory (as it forces me to always have to switch to the lowest level then pause, before turning it off). A light with those lumens specs (but with a neutral white, high CRI spectrum) and a separate dial to change the brightness, and forward clicky would be a fairly ideal general-purpose light.

The kicker is I would like them both to function so the lower power modes like the 15 lumen "navigation" the 80 lumen "room clearing" and the 30 lumen "general purpose" would be mostly spill, and the higher settings, for outdoor use, would be mostly throw. I ASSuME that would require a margarita-glass shaped reflector and some camming device to move the led forward and back.
I persoanlly think that woudl add a bit too much compliexity, but IMO the way to do it, rather than having a mechanical adjustment scheme (which IMO shoudl be a separate control, similar to the mag cam focus) would be to have separate emitters -- each located at a differnet focal point.
 

Burgess

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Apr 10, 2006
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USA
a "PR-base bulb" which uses a Cree or SSC LED, ala the
SMJLED-PR2 bulb which Lambda and TrueBlue sold a year ago.

Something to use in 2 to 4 cell (or even more) flashlights.

Do NOT want HIGH brightness ! Rather, want LONG battery life.
Thus, heat buildup will not be an issue.

This would/could inject "modern technology" into millions of common flashlights from the past 50 years.


Really liked the SMJLED-PR2's, but they need an update ! ;)


Anyone else feel this way ?


-
 

CostcoAAcells

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Sep 9, 2004
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Burbank, CA
I'd like to see the latest bin Cree XRE in a 6C or 6D aluminum body with 120+ lumens that should burn regulated for a ridiculously long time.
 
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