SIDE SWITCH POPULARITY?

Lately I find my taste in lights changing. I use to prefer tactical lights. Now I hardly ever use tactical lights. Smaller edc lights became my obsession. I have tried clicky, twisty and magnetic variable rings. I love the magnetic ring on my Jetbeam RRTO1, but it sometimes gets bumped on in my pocket. I wish the ring was tighter and the indents deaper. The RRTO1 made me realize how much I like underhanded style lights.
So I have decided to get a olight s10 nw. I like the feel of clickies but I don't like changing hand position. I plan on adding a spark and a Zebralight to my edc rotation also. I am curious why side switches are not more popular. I would love to see more brands offer some nice side switch lights. Unless you are a cop overhand use doesn't seem very useful or comfortable for edc use.
Maybe it's just a phase but side switches seam like the best option for a edc. This preference by no means will stop me from buying more clicky or twisty style lights when I find something else that I must own:

cjmorris said:

Lately I find my taste in lights changing. I use to prefer tactical lights. Now I hardly ever use tactical lights. Smaller edc lights became my obsession. I have tried clicky, twisty and magnetic variable rings. I love the magnetic ring on my Jetbeam RRTO1, but it sometimes gets bumped on in my pocket. I wish the ring was tighter and the indents deaper. The RRTO1 made me realize how much I like underhanded style lights.
So I have decided to get a olight s10 nw. I like the feel of clickies but I like changing hand position. I plan on adding a spark and a Zebralight to my edc rotation also. I am curious why side switches are not more popular. I would love to see more brands offer some nice side switch lights. Unless you are a cop overhand use doesn't seem very useful or comfortable for edc use.
Maybe it's just a faze but side switches seam like the best option for a edc. This preference by no means will stop me from buying more clicky or twisty style lights when I find something else that I must own:

Click to expand...

the side switch might be popular with manufacturers because many lights have a turbo/burst mode that should be used for just a short time therefore the switch should be more accessible.

also the word you may be trying to use is phase

I find myself now gravitating towards side-switch lights for EDC pocket carry. They're just a lot more convenient for one-handed operation and the ones I have tend to be smaller than my magnetic ring lights. Also when I stick my hand in my pocket to play with light, my hand will naturally grip the light with my thumb falling on the side switch. Tail-switch lights feel much less natural for this pocket-flashlight-fondling.

The side-switch lights I find myself using for EDC:

1. XTar WK42 - this is a very small and lightweight 1xCR123 light. It's smaller and lighter than a Zebralight SC52. I modded mine, replacing the LED with an XML2 5000k neutral on a copper Noctigon. I replaced the driver with a custom programmed 2.8 amp Nangj 105c with shortcuts to min, max and 10% and 2-way ramping with 34 steps. I run it on IMR 16340 cells. At max power, output is over 900 lumens, but it gets hot fast and max runtime is around 13 minutes.

2. Spark SF3 neutral - slightly larger CR123 light. Output is around 350 lumens or so in turbo on protected 16340. The light looks and feels beautiful and the interface is excellent. Tint is superb. Maybe 4000-4200k warmish neutral white.... probably the most pleasant tint on any of my XML2 lights. It's larger and heavier than my modded XTar and has much longer runtime. Unlike the SC52w this one is easy to turn on in moonlight without accidentally blasting your room with turbo.

3. Zebralight SC52w - everyone knows about this light. Great interface, though it can be somewhat difficult getting it to turn on in minimum when you are drousy in the middle of the night. Tint is slightly greenish.

4. Olight S10 - I replaced the emitter with an XML2 5000k and replace the lens with a less greenish one. I primarily use it as a "mouth light" when I need extra light in front of my face (I don't own a headlight). It's very small and light. Interface on my original version S10 isn't great though as it lacks the shortcut to max power present in the new L2 version.

***

I just received in the mail a new custom light I'd ordered. It's a modded Convoy M1. Emitter replaced with an MTG2 on copper Noctigon and driver replaced with a Nangj 105c with 12x7135 chips (tested at 4.34 amps at the tailcap). Runs on 2xIMR 18350. This is my first multi-cell LED light. Definitely gotta use with extreme care due to the dual-cells, complete lack of undervoltage protection, and 10 minute runtime. It's my biggest and heaviest LED light and I really wish it had a sideswitch. It's too big to comfortably use one-handed with the rear switch.

The ultra-short runtimes and risky 2-cell operation render this light pretty impractical. And it's too big and heavy for comfortable EDC pocket carry. However, with around 2600 emitter lumens, it's by far my brightest light.

The sf3 nuetral is next on my list. Then the new zebralight sc62d hi cri. You have me curious about the wk42. I have the xtar meteor wk21, the UI is terrible unless you customize it. But for $ it's a impressive light. How much did the mods cost on wk42, and we're they difficult to do?

The downside of side switches is that they're more difficult to locate than a tail switch.

I still prefer a rear forward clicky for on/off and momentary, but I do love a side switch for mode changing.

The other day I gave the SC52 to my wife to use it and she pressed the bottom of the light (the switch is not there) without looking. Then instantly she looked at the light and pressed the side clicky. All this happened in 1 second or less. I found this interesting. Basically she had no trouble using it, the light was turned ON in 1 second or less.
I wonder if someone did a study to non flashaholics what would most people try to use the tail switch or side switch first ? i guess it would depend on many factors such as size, shape, etc. Maybe background. That would be interesting.

Actually even more info. Most people I know have had a difficult time with a twist light. I remember on a couple of occasions giving a twisty to a family member and if I remember right they tried to press the bottom of the light first then looked for a side clicky. When they did not find it they were puzzled. Some figured it out some did not, "how to you turn this thing on"

So I guess the tail switch is more instinctive.

Now I have to say the SC52 with side click is just awesome and makes for a perfect EDC.

marinemaster said:

I remember on a couple of occasions giving a twisty to a family member and if I remember right they tried to press the bottom of the light first then looked for a side clicky. When they did not find it they were puzzled. Some figured it out some did not, "how to you turn this thing on"

Click to expand...

Hard to believe but Maybe they had never seen a Maglite before

I am pretty sure they did not. I am referring to the 2xAA and 2xAAA and 1xAAA. The bigger C and D lights with side clicky, I think more people are familiar with it.

I like side switches, too. Especially for bigger lights. Big lights with a tail switch kind of puzzle me because an overhand grip is difficult for sure. Examples like TN31, K40, etc. that have tail clickies. I know those lights have the magnetic ring but the Fenix design with two side switches seems like a well thought out interface.

Side switches on small EDC lights are by definition electronic and can offer a lot of advantages like shorter bodies, better UIs, and battery meters. But for me, they are also an additional complexity and potential point of failure on what is the most significant moving part and wear item on a light - the clicky. After drop testing, clickies are usually the first things to go on light. I can't argue that mechanical clickies are any more durable or reliable (although that's my gut feeling) but at least they can be easily user-serviced, field-repaired, part-swapped, or by-passed altogether with piece of tinfoil turning them into twisty lights. If an electronic switch fails, it must be sent back for repair and could leave you in the dark. It really makes me wonder why some dedicated manufacturers of electronic clicky lights only offer 1 yr warranties while the industry standard seems 2+.

I like reading the failure posts on CPF - it helps me gauge brand and part reliability. This is purely anecdotal, but it seems that when a mechanical clicky failure surfaces, we can usually get the OP running by just cleaning and tightening down the retaining disk. Also, although electronic switch lights much be massively outnumbered by mechanical among CPF members, electronic switch problems seem (anecdotally) disproportionately high. For example, this HL10 and H60 just came up last week with electronic switch parasitic drain issues.

Course the simple solution to all this is just to carry a twisty back-up light and simply enjoy your preferred EDC

Side switches are my favoured type of main switch. Always have been. I find 'tactical' tail switches pretty annoying and uncomfortable to use. Generally I have to take an over-hand grip or a cigar grip.

The only type of mechanical switch I like are forward clickies, I really dislike anything with a reverse clicky.

Recently, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I found a light with a forward clicky side switch, the 5.11 A6 (which I have also reviewed). Very comfortable to use and no aching arm from holding the light up at head level.

I can see where a tactical tail switch has its place, and LEO / Military use makes perfect sense. For civilians though the side switch is surely the way to go. However in most general use lights, the tailcap click is more a way for the manufacturer to make the switch cheaply than it is for the user to have a good interface.

Of the lights I have, the 5.11 A6, Zebralight SC51, Lupine Betty TL and Piko TL, Nitecore EA2, P25 and TM11, Fenix TK41, and the Streamlight Sidewinder and Knucklehead all have side switches, but of all of these only the 5.11 A6 is a mechanical switch, all the others have parasitic drain.

From the point of view of using these in an every day way (rather than playing with a new toy light), the side switch is king in my book.

PS: in case I didn't make myself clear enough, I really like side switches.

cjmorris said:

I am curious why side switches are not more popular. I would love to see more brands offer some nice side switch lights. Unless you are a cop overhand use doesn't seem very useful or comfortable for edc use.
Maybe it's just a phase but side switches seam like the best option for a edc. This preference by no means will stop me from buying more clicky or twisty style lights when I find something else that I must own:

Click to expand...

I totally agree and ordered a ZL SC600 yesterday. Included in my search were only side switch lights...I hate the tail clickies. I am not a police officer and even in their case I do not understand the advantage of this strange grip using the tail switched light.

Streamlight says that their electronic switches are sonic welded and extremely long life. I have a couple of their lights will see how their clicky perform long term.

I like the side switches as I use lights in an industrial setting, not tactical. The Sunwayman D40a that utilizes 4AA batteries is quite nice - a coworker picked one up an is wowed by it. Good for non-flasholics, he got it from illumination supply during their 25% off black friday sale. In order to make the switch(s) easier to spot I put trits above & below the switch(s) on mine (that I got modded by Vinh)

cause it just makes more sense to have it on the side. especially when ur dealing with a larger light. but even a smaller one it is far easier to locate and manipulate. there is nothn tactical about haven a switch in the rear. tactical means u can get to it quickly and efficiently.

there is nothn tactical about haven a switch in the rear. tactical means u can get to it quickly and efficiently.

Click to expand...

Of course there is. You don't have to look for the clicky. You don't have to feel for the clicky. You just push on the rear of the light. You can do it with gloves on and never look at the light. As much as I also like side switches, they are anything but tactical.

Additionally, electronic switches lack a momentary function. HDS incorporates it into their lights, but it's more of a novelty as it won't work nearly as well as a forward clicky/twisty using gross motor skills.

A rear mounted, forward momentary/twisty such as what Surefire incorporates is a true tactical switch.


Then again, we're talking edc / non tactical lights here for the most part, so none of that is of any importance. (Except that reverse clickies suck )

I'm all about side switches now. It's just comfortable for the way I hold my light 99% of the time.

cjmorris said:

The sf3 nuetral is next on my list. Then the new zebralight sc62d hi cri. You have me curious about the wk42. I have the xtar meteor wk21, the UI is terrible unless you customize it. But for $ it's a impressive light. How much did the mods cost on wk42, and we're they difficult to do?

Click to expand...

The XTar WK42 disassembled easily. Remove the bezel and reflector and desolder the driver from the star. 2 screws inside the head hold in the driver. Unscrew those screws and the driver and switch assembly slide right out.

For the mod I used a Nanjg 105c with DrJones lumodrv firmware on it. Instead of using the stock switch, I used a small micromomentary switch that I purchased from Radio Shack. I mounted the switch on a small piece of plastic then slid it into position.

My biggest problem was that the original driver had fewer parts around the edges than the Nangj 105c. I used a drill to grind out part of the inside of the head so the new driver could seat further in. I also removed the spring on the back of the 105c and replaced it with a small copper disk attached with low temp solder paste. Once the new driver and switch were wired up it was a simple matter to slide everything into position. The new driver and switch have no problems staying in position so it wasn't necessary to glue it in. Since the top of the battery tube makes direct contact with the edge of the driver negative contact is excellent. This light did not have the problem of trying to connect the negative contact to the pill like some other lights I've modded.

Overall I'd rate this mod as moderate in difficulty. It's not a mod I'd recommend for a beginner to modding. Total parts cost for the mod: $8 for the driver, $2 for the Noctigon star, $2 for the switch, $5 for the XM-L2 neutral. So around $17 in parts. Since I did the mod myself there was no service cost.

I have a fresh batch of 3.04 amp lumodrv drivers on the way. When they arrive I plan to replace the current driver with one, upgrade the LED wiring to 22aug silicone, and copper braid the tailcap spring. I may also try wiring up the original switch.

I agree that the stock UI on the WK41/42 is awful. But modded with your choice of emitter and DrJones custom UI it's a great light.

reppans said:

Side switches on small EDC lights are by definition electronic and can offer a lot of advantages like shorter bodies, better UIs, and battery meters. But for me, they are also an additional complexity and potential point of failure on what is the most significant moving part and wear item on a light - the clicky. After drop testing, clickies are usually the first things to go on light. I can't argue that mechanical clickies are any more durable or reliable (although that's my gut feeling) but at least they can be easily user-serviced, field-repaired, part-swapped, or by-passed altogether with piece of tinfoil turning them into twisty lights. If an electronic switch fails, it must be sent back for repair and could leave you in the dark. It really makes me wonder why some dedicated manufacturers of electronic clicky lights only offer 1 yr warranties while the industry standard seems 2+.

I like reading the failure posts on CPF - it helps me gauge brand and part reliability. This is purely anecdotal, but it seems that when a mechanical clicky failure surfaces, we can usually get the OP running by just cleaning and tightening down the retaining disk. Also, although electronic switch lights much be massively outnumbered by mechanical among CPF members, electronic switch problems seem (anecdotally) disproportionately high. For example, this HL10 and H60 just came up last week with electronic switch parasitic drain issues.

Course the simple solution to all this is just to carry a twisty back-up light and simply enjoy your preferred EDC

Click to expand...

A clicky switch has a rotating piece inside it that works very much like a pushbutton ballpoint pen. That's what allows it to go on or off. This rotating piece is usually made of plastic and has small ridges in it and can wear out over time. In contrast, an electronic switch is a simple momentary pushbutton with a spring. There's no rotating piece inside. Electrical contact is only made when the button is depressed.

This simpler mechanical construction means that electronic switches should be much less prone to wear than clickies. They're also much smaller so allow for a more compact light.

An electronic switch will also need to be connected to a circuit that will open or close the current to the LED. This circuit can be on a separate board mounted with the switch, or it can be part of the main driver. However, unlike a conventional clicky, because it's wired in, electronic switches usually aren't a user serviceable part except for hobbyists. This additional circuit has no moving parts so really shouldn't wear out.

When Zebralight first came out with their new smaller switch in the original SC600, they had issues with the switch cycling from static electricity when people brushed the switchboot without depressing it. This was due to defective assembly on Zebralight's part and not due to the switch wearing out.