What happened to Titanium Control Ring lights?

There seem to be no new offerings in the Ti flashlight category since 2015. Is this due to SureFire's patent lawsuit?

Control Ring Lights are more complicated in production than normal lights without Control ring. I have the feeling most manufacturers are using existing designs, and only improve this designs with new LEDs (and driver modigfcations) instead of creating something completely new or making complicated lights with lots of parts.

The chinese manufacturers Sunwayman and Jetbeam were the ones making lights with Control ring in ~2015 and earlier. SWM is more or less not in the market anymore, nothing really new in my opinion. Jetbeams focus is more on not control ring lights.

Even Surefire skipped control ring Lights. The UM2 was the last (aluminium) light with control ring and this production run had only ~800 Lights.

As alternative you can try to hunt a Titanium Rotary. In January there will be a few remaining lights available for $1200 if I am correct. The Rotary button is as good as a Control ring in my opinion.

There were control ring UI Surefires? Learn something new everyday. Nitecore. Yes I will say it. The SRT6 and SRT7 STILL have the ergonomically best control ring UI I have yet to use in ANY control ring UI light. NC's very well designed and built SRT6 and 7 control rings are VERY easy to find in the dark. I have beat my SRT6 and 7 into many a take the entire light apart clean and lubing. The rings on my SRT6 and 7 have NEVER had a SINGLE ISSUE. They work perfecty. Even the ring on my many years old now original SRT7 still works right.

As for the REST of the SRT line designs...well that is a book for another day. As for other control ring UI lights no I have not used them all. The SWM V11R still has the WORST control ring I have used in any light. Is THAT what SWM calls "infinitely variable output"? First the ring itself is made of plastic and can break easily. Second what you get with your SWM variable output is 2 things DIM or BRIGHT. In between there is nothing but DIM.

CelticCross74 said:

There were control ring UI Surefires?

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U2, Kroma, Kroma MILSPEC, UB3/UBN Invictus, UNR Commander, UM2, Dominator.... don't know if I forgot one?

WarriorOfLight said:

U2, Kroma, Kroma MILSPEC, UB3/UBN Invictus, UNR Commander, UM2, Dominator.... don't know if I forgot one?

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Wasn't there one of the Surefire DARPA lights with a control ring? Wasn't the original Surefire Titan 1A is years ago also a control ring?

The Titan and Titan T1A were infinitely variable, but the entire head (or tail) twisted to effect changing output. Not a control ring per se...

Thanks for the clarification, Titan 1A is one of the lights I have not yet been able to add to the collection....

The Titan (CR2 light) and Titan T1A are at least not using magnetic sensors / hall sensors. This two lights are using a variable resistor for brightness adjustment. Its than a questuion of definition it is is a "control ring light".

The DARPA lights are also control ring lights that is correct. I forgot them. There were also some PK Lights also nicknamed "Kroma Turbo" from some people. They also have a control ring brightness / color selection. But I an not into this special lights.

Control Ring lights are more complex that lights with just a button for control.

They're also bigger. That control ring takes space!

don't they tend to be fragile,finnicky and a bit unreliable as well? require more maintenance? Not sure about the Surefire versions but I remember the early ones needed special lubricant and such and had other issues. Just me trying to remember here not facts

I own a Kroma MILSPEC since a long time and also a U2. Both lights are rather old. The Kroma MILSPEC is the old one with 40 or 50 lumens, the U2 has a 18650 capable body, has a low 4 digit serial and has a Luxeon LED. I never had problems with both of the lights. The U2 has a few nicks on the head since it dropped a few times...

I also never read about issues regarding the U2 or the Kroma.... From what I know this two lights are very reliable.

Some of the newer driver UIs approach the flexibility and convenience of a control ring, but do so with a 1-button interface. This allows for cheaper manufacturing and a more compact light than one using a control ring.

Take the Emisar D4 for example, a light which is available in both aluminum and copper/titanium: With the 18350 tube installed, the D4 is much smaller than my Jeatbeam TCR-01 or Sunwayman V10R. But at the same time the D4 is much, MUCH brighter than these older control ring lights.