andrewnewman
Enlightened
The title says it all. What lights in your collection did you purchase with high hopes that just never quite worked out? I don't mean minor flaws but something (or a collection of "somethings") that rendered the light a design failure (subjectively, naturally)?
I'll start the ball rolling:
So...what's disappointed you?
I'll start the ball rolling:
- The Novatac Storm. All the good things of the original Novatac 120-series flashlights implemented so poorly it just didn't work out. Type II anodization, a weirdly soft positive contact spring that distorts, funny parasitic drain that sometimes (but not always!) drains a fresh CR123a in a week or two and occasional flickering at all brightness settings. This light is an example of picking all the wrong things to cut corners on when (re)-implementing a light as an import from overseas.
- Sunwayman C20C. First sample flickered on high, had brightness settings that were spaced such that the brightest two (or three!) setting were often indistinguishable. It was larger with a worst UI than comparable 18650 Zebralights and I just couldn't figure out why I would use it vs. other single cell 18650s. Mediocre runtime, a useless low battery LED and just a "cheap" feel. I sent the original back as flawed and the replacement was identical in all regards.
- Sunwayman D20A Gemini. Cool rectangular shape and an interesting red LED as a secondary. It was *very* heavy for a 2AA light and had kinda sharp corners making it an uncomfortable pocket carry. The UI (with two buttons!) was neither useful nor intuitive. In hindsight I'm not sure what the intended use was of this light but I never found a use that suited me. Pretty much on the shelf permanently now.
- Peak Logan with QTC. I almost hate to put this on the list. The SS body is beautiful and the craftsmanship is a thing to behold. The optic makes for a great beam and the LED has a good tint for a cool white LED. The problem is that the QTC pill never lived up to expectations. It quickly skipped around in brightness and a slight bump *significantly* changed the light output. Without the QTC pill it is *way* too bright and eats CR123 batteries in obscenely short periods of time. I ordered the QTC upgrade and it seemed better for a bit but fell into the previous sample's habits. I may still ask Peak for a third QTC but in the meantime it's a shelf-er.
So...what's disappointed you?