Turbo really put me off as a Newbie

I've always been a lantern guy. Got a propane Coleman double mantle for my 18th birthday, been using it flawlessly for the last 22 years. About 5 years ago I bought my girlfriend a Eureka 210 (210 Lumens), it was the first time I saw a decent LCD flashlight and it really blew me away. I've been wanting a LCD flashlight since then, but didn't have reason enough to pick one up until recently. I'm going on a fishing/boating trip and want something high powered so when we are coming in at night, if I think I see a log or something in the water I can illuminate it for the driver. Here's where I start having issues with Turbo

I went to my local Fenix dealer, I intended to buy the TK16. 1000 lumens on Turbo and 400 on High. It was a little more than I wanted to spend but I was willing to do it. The salesperson shows me the Fenix E16, 700 Lumens on Turbo and 150 on High. It was small and more affordable. I said wow 700 lumens is plenty and I picked it up. That night I tried it and found that within 30 seconds of it being on Turbo it was too hot to hold and perhaps by a minute and thirty seconds it would drop down to a lower setting. I did some searching online and read that this model has issues with overheating. I returned it and got the TK16. That night i use it, really was blown away and really liked it. The next night I started to notice that the Turbo mode didn't seem to be as powerful as it was the night before, the night after it was basically the same as High mode. I've since researched it more and found out the truth about Turbo. That it is intended for a short stint and that it really only gives you the advertised amount at the start of a new battery charge.

Ultimately the 400 lumens on High is good enough for what I need it for, and I really like the TK16.

I am however overall aggravated with the flashlight industry in general. It's very misleading and it caused me to purchase the wrong flashlight at first. I don't like that on the TK16 I have to cycle through Low Med High Turbo. I want it on high, but if I accidentally hit the button I could switch it to Turbo and not notice and drain the battery faster than I want.I also don't like that if I want to lower the setting I have to cycle through Turbo once and cause an extra battery drain. I wish I could lock out the turbo mode altogether or just wish it wasn't even there. I know other brands have different options on this but I'll stick with the TK16 and just be careful with it, it is overall a pretty awesome flashlight.

I got the Flashlight bug and I ordered a Olight S1 Mini. I like that it can clip to my hat and has a magnet bottom. Also turbo mode is activated in such a way that I don't have to worry about accidentally turning it on or having to cycle through it. I suspect I will mainly use this one on Med setting.

Just want to add that this forum has been a lot of help to me in understanding modern flashlights and their functions, really appreciate the great community and all the good info. That said, buying a flashlight shouldn't be so deceptive or this difficult and it's Turbo mode that is causing the problem, at least in my experience as a newbie.

Welcome aboard.

Lumens wars led to gimmicks and out right false advertizing. There are still a few companies touting real numbers. Even some that hold 1000 lumens.

But be prepared for thinner wallet if you spend a lot of time here.

Rather than getting stuck with just one settings mode group, you could always replace the driver board with another that has a variety of selectable program modes to suite you use better (starting on high, eliminating turbo etc.)
There is a wide variety of such custom driver software described at http://drjones.nerdcamp.net/#over and many of these custom software options are offered on driver boards from DIY friendly vendors such as Mountain Electronics LLC.

Some users prefer to operate in the lower modes knowing that they have the option of a turbo boost when needed. It works into their general use pattern. Personally, I agree with you. I like flat, predictable output from flashlights that don't over heat.

Yup, I'd rather have 600 full time than 1000 for 22 seconds the 425 after that.

Don't want to set off a brand debate, so I'll just say that there are loads that don't use temporary numbers to entice sales.

Gone are the days of press n hold for turbo then release for a full time output.

Lumens are almost irrelevant for a focused beam - cd/beam distance along with over all beam pattern and tint are far, far more important.

Streamlight has a ten tap feature that allows you to program high only for simplicity (most Streamlights don't really have a "turbo").

I must be the odd ball. I like turbo mode. I really only need 50-200 lumens for normal flashlight stuff. Most light can do that all day. But sometimes I want a bit more light for a few seconds, and turbo works perfectly for that. There isn't a difference between a 500 lumen light without turbo and a 500 lumen light with a 1200 lumen turbo. I can't think of why I would want the former over the latter.

The marketing side can be a bit annoying. But most us here look at more than just the max output when buying a light so maybe I'm just used to it. Honestly, max lumens and battery life specs reported by the manufacturer have gotten a lot more accurate over the years. So overall I've seen an improvement.

Me too but we are not Newbies either!
I can understand where someone new may be put off the whole idea of the false or misleading specs as with many other things sold these days and marketed to misrepresent.

offroadcmpr said:

I must be the odd ball. I like turbo mode. I really only need 50-200 lumens for normal flashlight stuff. Most light can do that all day. But sometimes I want a bit more light for a few seconds, and turbo works perfectly for that. There isn't a difference between a 500 lumen light without turbo and a 500 lumen light with a 1200 lumen turbo. I can't think of why I would want the former over the latter.

The marketing side can be a bit annoying. But most us here look at more than just the max output when buying a light so maybe I'm just used to it. Honestly, max lumens and battery life specs reported by the manufacturer have gotten a lot more accurate over the years. So overall I've seen an improvement.

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offroadcmpr said:

I must be the odd ball. I like turbo mode. I really only need 50-200 lumens for normal flashlight stuff. Most light can do that all day. But sometimes I want a bit more light for a few seconds, and turbo works perfectly for that. There isn't a difference between a 500 lumen light without turbo and a 500 lumen light with a 1200 lumen turbo. I can't think of why I would want the former over the latter.

The marketing side can be a bit annoying. But most us here look at more than just the max output when buying a light so maybe I'm just used to it. Honestly, max lumens and battery life specs reported by the manufacturer have gotten a lot more accurate over the years. So overall I've seen an improvement.

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I like turbo too, but i typically only access it for short periods of time. After trying different UIs, i prefer the ones where i can access for the short period and then go back to a lower level. The Zebralight, Olight, and some Fenix UIs are good for this

I really like the idea of a Turbo/Burst mode but have been kind of disappointed with them in practical terms. I have tried and used Olight and Fenix flashlights with such modes and they work good but only on new fresh batteries. When you start using the flashlight as a normal EDC you probably won't turn it on for weeks but the one time you need it the chances are the batteries' juice won't be enough to provide it. So I guess it really is more on the novelty/advertising side of the things.:candle:

ViperaPiper said:

I really like the idea of a Turbo/Burst mode but have been kind of disappointed with them in practical terms. I have tried and used Olight and Fenix flashlights with such modes and they work good but only on new fresh batteries. When you start using the flashlight as a normal EDC you probably won't turn it on for weeks but the one time you need it the chances are the batteries' juice won't be enough to provide it. So I guess it really is more on the novelty/advertising side of the things.:candle:

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You aren't using your light for weeks and when you do try to turn it on, it won't enter turbo because the battery is depleted? Sounds like you are using lights with high parasitic drain.

A light with low or now parasitic drain should have virtually no change to the battery voltage after being left unused for weeks.

I can understand OP's frustration with stated output being a limited mode. I also appreciate that you identified what works for you in terms of sustainable output.

It seems to me that there is quite a bit of frustration on the forum about the temporary nature of turbo modes. On the other hand there is another group that suggests high output would only be used in short bursts. What I don't see is an emphasis on sustainable output, regardless of the modes surrounding that output. This is why I bought the BLF Q8. I wanted several thousand sustainable lumens for walking in otherwise creepy places at night. It's been a revelation.

Personally, I don't care how long turbo lasts. I do care that the sustainable lumens I'm seeking is supported.

To quote PK:
"Fake lumens sucks".

Wanna call it turbo? Fine. But to say 120 lumens from a triple a battery then at turn on lasts 8 seconds then quickly settles to 45% of that?
Fake lumens.
(I just received a gift light touting 120 lumens from a rechargeable battery that only puts out 103 for a few seconds then in a few more seconds goes to 46, meanwhile the package says 120 LUMENS) It's a nice little 50 lumen number. But to call it a 120 lumen light is pure BS.
Not going to mention the brand.

Turbo/Burst has its place, especially on smaller single cell lights when you require a little more oomph for a few seconds to perhaps see down a trail a little further than you could previously. Handy to see if it's a carpet python or a brown snake up ahead on the track.

Yeah, the reality is, turbo is useless for any prolonged use. These days, whenever I buy a light I ignore turbo and determine the performance by the other levels.

Lately, I use the Nitecore EA42. It has an 1800 lumen turbo. The next level is 850 lumens. So, I basically view it as having an 850 lumen light that is briefly capable of 1800. Most of the time I'm on 300 lumens anyway.

There are times I'm glad I have that extra kick to see much further ahead, and most of the time I just need a few seconds of it.

I like the very high turbo modes on some lights. Nice to light up the woods to see far trail markers or verify that sound isn't actually Bigfoot. However I know what to expect. I know the Turbo modes aren't sustainable as they push the limits of what's possible. So it's an option and options are rarely bad things.

grayjay70 said:

Rather than getting stuck with just one settings mode group, you could always replace the driver board with another that has a variety of selectable program modes to suite you use better (starting on high, eliminating turbo etc.)
There is a wide variety of such custom driver software described at http://drjones.nerdcamp.net/#over and many of these custom software options are offered on driver boards from DIY friendly vendors such as Mountain Electronics LLC.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that link, I see I'm going to spend a lot of time reading today.
Brawny

I like turbo mode, but I know it is just for brief use. As long as I know what the sustained output is (preferably regulated as well), I don't feel there is any deception. But, yeah, sometimes you have to get that info from reviews or other users.

BTW, turbo can be a sustained output, depending if the light supports temperature regulation, and you're using the light in the winter or when cycling in cool weather. In those situations, you really do have a light that can output at full turbo all the time. For example, my (small) Zebralight SC600w IV Plus will maintain 2300 lumens when I use it as a cycling light in the spring or autumn. The battery dies after 30 minutes, but it sure is fun while it lasts!