Do regulated flashlights show that the batteries are running low?

enforcer

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Do regulated LED flashlights give you warning signs that they are going to stop working? like with the unregulated LED flashlights that go dimmer and dimmer that I'm slightly more used to.
Although I haven't used many LED flashlights so far.
Mini Maglite LED and Led Lenser P7 is the only LED flashlights I've used.

As in an emergency situation, say I was in a dodgy area walking alone and the flashlight just went dead, that would be terrible.
As it would need so indication of low battery warning before it stopped working.
So I'm not sure if regulated flashlights show you that warning, as I read they don't dim as the batteries loose their capacity.
 

Saint_Dogbert

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The lights I've used usually drop out of regulation on the high output modes, e.g. they will have reduced output on those levels before going :poof: So that gives you a little bit of warning and time to switch to a lower output or a different light (or new batts). There are some lights that are known to simply go dark on you, though.
 

enforcer

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Cheers!

Do you know which makes and models happen to go dark on you without warning you the batteries are going flat?

Would be very useful to know as I'm going to buy a regulated flashlight in the very soon.
 

Sgt. LED

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Some dim and some just go out.
There's too many lights to list which does what!

How about you narrow it down to a few choices or maybe a dozen, then we can tell you which is what.
:thumbsup:
 

Oddjob

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If you are going someplace where you have to rely on a light its a good idea to carry a spare cell and/or a back up light. Most people that EDC a light usually EDC back ups as well. Doing this will make you more prepared and less worried about how much battery life you have left while using your light.
 

enforcer

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Some dim and some just go out.
There's too many lights to list which does what!

How about you narrow it down to a few choices or maybe a dozen, then we can tell you which is what.
:thumbsup:

My shortlist is:

Fenix TK20
Nitecore Extreme
Surefire G2 LED
Surefire 6PL LED
 

Gunner12

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Also depends on the battery. Protected Li-ion batteries have a circuit that cuts the power from the battery once the battery voltage drops below a certain point to prevent damage. Some lights will run below the voltage at which the batteries trip, so the light will suddenly go out when the batteries can't take anymore.

Most regulated lights will go into a dimmer level when the batteries aren't powerful enough to support the drive current. It could be a sudden drop in output, but you will still have some light.

Some regulated lights like the Fenix P3D have a warning when the batteries are low enough. Some step down in output levels when the batteries are too low to support a higher output, this is different then dropping out of regulation to a lower output.

I'd suggest looking for runtime charts to see which lights do what when the battery is low.

All the lights you mentioned will go dim when the batteries aren't powerful enough. The Nitecore Extreme would be the smallest, the Tk20 runs on AAs ans has a neutral white tint, which is renders colors more accurately then cool white. If you are getting the G2L or 6PL, I'd suggest getting a stock 6P at a lower price and looking for a good LED drop-in. The 6PL is a 6P with a P60L drop-in, so is the G2, except that the G2 has a polymer body.

:welcome:
 
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mbw_151

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I separate lights into two groups, ones for regular use including my EDC, and ones for "emergency only" use. I periodically put fresh batteries in the emergency only lights and use those cells in my EDC and other user lights. The emergency lights are all high quality, very simple lights like Surefire 6Ps. When you really need a light to work you don't want to be thinking about the interface or the state of the batteries.
 

computernut

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My L1 and E2L drops from high to low when the batteries get too low. My A2 drops to a sickly yellow. I usually swap batteries at this point as I don't want to forget and someday curse myself for not having good batteries in them. It's nice knowing that I won't suddenly be left in the dark if I don't have any spares, I'm sure in most instances the low beam would be enough to get me home.
 

deeuubee

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My AE Light Tactical has a low battery warning. The push button by the head turns red when it's low. I don't know what voltage the red light comes on because it usually goes back in the charger when I'm not using it.

It's not an EDC though. I have it mounted in my van.

It's kinda Mag lite (pun) long and skinny, yet has a good secure feeling when walking the dog at night. (club)

Edit: The Top Gun MK1, not the New P.I.
 
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carrot

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Some do, and some don't. Many with low modes will drop into low, so that you are not left completely without light, but some, especially those with perfect flat-line regulation, will just stop working. The custom flashlight I have EDC'd for the past 3 years exhibits the latter behavior and it is no problem because I always carry a spare battery or flashlight.
 

WHT_GE8

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My 3 lights are all different. My P1D will just shut off, my TK10 will flicker, and my M1X will run at about 50%.
 

Swedpat

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About Fenix TK20 you can simply see that the batteries are low when high mode isn't still available and the brightness is the same undependent of the bezel is loosened or not. I think this is the same with the most multimode lights. As mentioned above TK10 flickers shortly before it drops.

Regards, Patric
 

fareast

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The NEX and batts running low, my experience;

On primaries: "whilst playing with it I have noticed when it starts dropping out of regulation, the highest possible setting gets an ever so slightly greenish tint. All the levels it can support in regulation though are still a perfect slightly warm white." This is strictly a guess: The tint shift is less noticeable when the tint is more white (no green nor blue, i.e. if your NEX is slightly blue tinted, the tint shift would be towards more blue when the cell is running low. So for me on primaries the first, ahum, "tint-shift (not like with the SSC P4's) is an indication for me of cells running low. It will not drop dead suddenly this way (i.e. using primaries), in fact, the NEX is notorious for it's ability to vampire depleted CR123's.

On rechargeable's: It drops suddenly when the cell protection is kicked in. Lower levels are still supported for a short (perhaps some minutes) while.

However, my general rule for any electronic light is this: as soon as it starts doing weird things (mostly flickering) I know I will need to change cells soon. When I have switched to fresh cells, the flickering/weird issues stop.
 

Woods Walker

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My shortlist is:

Fenix TK20
Nitecore Extreme
Surefire G2 LED
Surefire 6PL LED

The TK20 drops the high mode and then the low gets lower I think but by then the batteries are changed out and recharged. The P60L in the G2L/6PL is semi regulated in my view as the majority of the run seem more like direct drive so I know when its getting low. As for the Nitecore I can't say.
 

deranged_coder

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The Gladius has a low battery warning as well.

As many others have already mentioned, if it is critical that you always have a working flashlight you can (1) bring a backup flashlight, (2) bring a backup battery, or (3) get a battery tester and make it a point of checking the batteries on your EDC light before you head out.
 
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