Turbo Mode?

JerryM

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OK, here is where I again show my ignorance. I see that some lights have a turbo mode. In searching I have reached an opinion that it is a mode where all the capability of the emitter and battery is used, but it gets hot and should not be used for long periods.

So what is the turbo mode, and what is its use if it is very time limited?
Thanks,
Jerry
 

oKtosiTe

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Most lights will automatically reduce the brightness after a while before high temperatures become an issue.
My 4Sevens Quark X AA2 for instance drops from about 400 to a sustained 300 lumens after approximately five minutes; this is still significantly brighter than the "high" mode's 115-ish lumens. Max (turbo) is my go-to setting for late night forest dog walks, even if it forces me to carry some spare NiMHs. :)

I think turbo might just be a marketing term, like moonlight mode.
 
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JerryM

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I have noticed it on several lights, but most recently on the Fenix LD10 R5 Tactical LED.
I am having some difficulty finding what I want in a 1AA light. The specs show a high of 45 lumens, but 100 lumens in the turbo mode. I am searching for a 1 AA light that has a mid level of somewhere around 25-40 lumens and a high of around 100 lumens. However, what little I know about the turbo mode makes me think the LD10 is not what I want.

Edit I guess I was typing and did not see the post by oKtosiTe.
From your post I get the idea that even though the light gets hot in the turbo mode it does not damage it, but just drops in output. Am I correct?

Thanks,
Jerry
 
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TEEJ

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The idea of a turbo mode is that you'd normally need less light than that, but once in a while, you might want a bit more juice to make out something you could not see with the lesser amount, etc.

Its like having glasses, and a set of binoculars. You can see further with the binoculars, but, normally, you see what you need to with just your glasses. Once in a while, you need to see further, you raise the binoculars up, see what you need to, and lower them again.

If you are always on turbo, it means you should have gotten a more powerful light to start with for example.

The reason its called turbo and not just "High" is because it damages the light to stay at that screaming setting for too long, and you, or the electronics, needs to throttle it back to improve durability/survival when its getting too hot....and like the turbo in a car engine...you typically would not be running on turbo boost your entire drive to work and back, maybe just to pull out off the exit ramp/pass that semi, etc. (Unless you have a Turbo'd Rotary, etc...)

High or below that would be what the light can sustain with 100% duty cycle...and Turbo would be what it could sustain for a limited duty cycle.

:D
 

JerryM

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The idea of a turbo mode is that you'd normally need less light than that, but once in a while, you might want a bit more juice to make out something you could not see with the lesser amount, etc.

Its like having glasses, and a set of binoculars. You can see further with the binoculars, but, normally, you see what you need to with just your glasses. Once in a while, you need to see further, you raise the binoculars up, see what you need to, and lower them again.

If you are always on turbo, it means you should have gotten a more powerful light to start with for example.

The reason its called turbo and not just "High" is because it damages the light to stay at that screaming setting for too long, and you, or the electronics, needs to throttle it back to improve durability/survival when its getting too hot....and like the turbo in a car engine...you typically would not be running on turbo boost your entire drive to work and back, maybe just to pull out off the exit ramp/pass that semi, etc. (Unless you have a Turbo'd Rotary, etc...)

High or below that would be what the light can sustain with 100% duty cycle...and Turbo would be what it could sustain for a limited duty cycle.

:D

Many thanks, I had kinda gleaned that, but was not at all sure. Thanks for clarifying it for me.
Regards,
Jerry
 

entercpf

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TEEJ, what's your source? If what you're saying is correct, then TURBO is pretty lame. And quite frankly it's a sham.

If you take a look at Fenix runtime charts, it suggests otherwise. Modes of your choosing should work indefinitely until battery runs down. Also there's a proper runtime review of LD20 and turbo lasted about 1.5h...
 

roadkill1109

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OK, here is where I again show my ignorance. I see that some lights have a turbo mode. In searching I have reached an opinion that it is a mode where all the capability of the emitter and battery is used, but it gets hot and should not be used for long periods.

So what is the turbo mode, and what is its use if it is very time limited?
Thanks,
Jerry

Turbo mode is the mode which puts the light in "overdrive" mode. This means that the circuit inside the flashlight drives the led at almost the maximum capacity if not at the intensity that generates a lot of heat. This is useful when you need a whole lot of light to brighten up a big or wide area at once.

Lights are most often run in the mid or high setting, and only sometimes in turbo mode as most flashaholics here would agree, mid and max may be enough for longer run times than keeping it on turbo all the time.

You'd be able to tell if the light is operating higher than its normal capacity as the light tends to get hot quickly.

Think of it more of a security investment, you don't necessarily need it right away, but its there should you need it. If you need big light performance in a small light, its there, instead of having to switch to a bigger light.

So that's my take on the Turbo mode in today's modern lights. :)
 

derfyled

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TEEJ, what's your source? If what you're saying is correct, then TURBO is pretty lame. And quite frankly it's a sham.

If you take a look at Fenix runtime charts, it suggests otherwise. Modes of your choosing should work indefinitely until battery runs down. Also there's a proper runtime review of LD20 and turbo lasted about 1.5h...

These runtime tests are done in a controlled cool environment, often in icy water. Even if these lights can handle to stay on turbo for a long period, it's not recommended to do it, you're for sure shortening led's life. Led's worst enemy is heat, turbo level generate a lot of heat.
 

Swedpat

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For me the use of turbo mode is depending on the light. Some lights I use high or medium mode for normal use. But with some lights my intention is to use them mainly at turbo mode.

One definition of turbo mode could be that it's too high current drain for good performance with alkalines. All the other modes usually work well with alkalines.
 
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Racer

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The last time I really used turbo mode it was when we thought we saw what looked like a prowler on the street.

"Hey is that someone hiding behind the neighbor's bushes?"
*clicks on turbo*
"Yep."

Mostly though in pratice it's more useful for showing off :)
 

TEEJ

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TEEJ, what's your source? If what you're saying is correct, then TURBO is pretty lame. And quite frankly it's a sham.

If you take a look at Fenix runtime charts, it suggests otherwise. Modes of your choosing should work indefinitely until battery runs down. Also there's a proper runtime review of LD20 and turbo lasted about 1.5h...

LOL - Its not a sham any more than a turbo or nitrous on a car is a sham.

If they just left you with high, and made it so you could NOT get it brighter for a little while if you wanted it to, why is that better?

It would be a sham if they didn't TELL you that it HAD a turbo mode...and pretended that the turbo brightness was the "high" setting...so you didn't know it would get a bit dimmer after it had been on a while, etc.

Its just saying the car has nitrous too, and if you need a burst of acceleration, you can hit the NOX.

I don't see the downside of having a flashlight with NOX.

:D

If you wanted a light that could be that bright ALL THE TIME, you would simply need a stronger light to start with...that DID produce the beam you needed all the time.

If you would rather carry a smaller light, that could boost the output as needed, then a smaller light with turbo is a good choice.

If you'd rather carry a larger/more powerful light, you can do that too.

Some people want cubic inches, some want DOHC and a turbo.

:D
 

StarHalo

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How else would you know it's a serious boombox..

turbobass.png
 

yifu

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Turbo mode is simply just the highest mode available on a light and nothing more. I think you are messing it with direct drive, in which the LED simply draws what's available from the battery at a given voltage.
 
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