Lights you wish they\'d make
No science fiction please (i.e. no 1000 watt HID keychain lights). Just stuff that someone could straightforwardly make with existing standard technology, but doesn't, and you wish they did. Here are some of mine:
1) a 1AA, compact lightweight headlamp, along the lines of the CMG Tracer or PT Aurora, but powered by an AA (or two AA's if needed), for those of us who like to standardize our equipment on one battery type. Yes there's lots of AA-powered lights (PT Corona etc). but they're way bigger and bulkier. I'm imagining something with two or three 5mm leds and a boost converter.
2) 1AA Luxeon pocket light, like a brighter and whiter Arc AA. Many modders have built these. Almost every question about the Arc AA/AAA/CMG Ultra/etc. are about making it brighter or whiter. A Luxeon running at 150 mA or so would completely solve this problem, and still have good runtime. The new ISP 100 mA 5mm led would be another good candidate for this type of light.
3) 2AA and 2D plastic Luxeon lights, sort of like the UKE 4AA eLED but using 2AA (smaller) or 2D (longer runtime). Underdriven Luxeon with reflector, light weight. The Elektrolumens Anglelux and Blaster 1R are sort of steps in this direction but I'm imagining something lighter and cheaper. And no, I'm not looking for an Everled or a metal light.
4) 2AAA waterproof light (like PT Blast) but with a spare bulb inside (several premature Blast bulb failures make me leery of the integrated lamp/reflector assembly). Aside from the issue of bulb failure, these lights are simpler and cheaper than LED lights of remotely comparable brightness, so they do have their uses in the world.
5) Waterproof coin cell keychain light. The old version of the CMG O-4 was sort of an attempt at this, but was large and clunky, and its weirdly shaped gasket didn't really seal out water all that well. The new version has no constant-on so its usefulness is diminished quite a bit without reducing the size. The simplest approach would be a squeeze-only light that's permanently sealed on every seam (no battery replacement possible). If cheap enough, that would be fine.
6) Wristwatch LED light that clips onto the watchband like some little compasses do, powered by coin cell(s). A few CPF'ers have made these but I don't know why they're not made commercially. Similarly, watches with built-in LED lights. There are a few very expensive ones but it seems to me like there should be a lot more G-shock type watches with this feature.
7) Rechargeable 5 watt compact LED light, basically a Streamlight Strion with a KL4-like head. Yeah I know about Pila batteries, but by a rechargeable light, I mean one that you can just drop into a charger without having to remove the battery. Maybe some modders are working on hosting something like this in the Strion?
8) AAA Anglehead light, basically an Arc AAA except the LED points perpendicular to the body. That lets you clip the light into your shirt pocket and have it pointing forward. Similarly, coin cell lights could be made that way.
9) Ultra-compact, lightweight, 2AA or 4AA solar NiMH charger. There are tons of solar chargers on the market, but they are unnecessarily heavy and bulky. The manufacturers don't seem to realize that backpacking is an obvious application for solar chargers, and bulk and weight have to be minimized.
10) Properly designed solar LED light. Basically another iteration of the Swisslight, with the bugs fixed. The main fix needed is that a light like this should be impossible to overcharge. The Swisslight instructions warn you to not leave the Swisslight out in the sun too long. That means you can't carry it in the obvious way, clipped to the outside of your belt or pack, so it's always getting charged and you don't have to think about it til you need it. It should also be totally waterproof to the point of being able to withstand swimming and accidental trips through the washing machine.
No science fiction please (i.e. no 1000 watt HID keychain lights). Just stuff that someone could straightforwardly make with existing standard technology, but doesn't, and you wish they did. Here are some of mine:
1) a 1AA, compact lightweight headlamp, along the lines of the CMG Tracer or PT Aurora, but powered by an AA (or two AA's if needed), for those of us who like to standardize our equipment on one battery type. Yes there's lots of AA-powered lights (PT Corona etc). but they're way bigger and bulkier. I'm imagining something with two or three 5mm leds and a boost converter.
2) 1AA Luxeon pocket light, like a brighter and whiter Arc AA. Many modders have built these. Almost every question about the Arc AA/AAA/CMG Ultra/etc. are about making it brighter or whiter. A Luxeon running at 150 mA or so would completely solve this problem, and still have good runtime. The new ISP 100 mA 5mm led would be another good candidate for this type of light.
3) 2AA and 2D plastic Luxeon lights, sort of like the UKE 4AA eLED but using 2AA (smaller) or 2D (longer runtime). Underdriven Luxeon with reflector, light weight. The Elektrolumens Anglelux and Blaster 1R are sort of steps in this direction but I'm imagining something lighter and cheaper. And no, I'm not looking for an Everled or a metal light.
4) 2AAA waterproof light (like PT Blast) but with a spare bulb inside (several premature Blast bulb failures make me leery of the integrated lamp/reflector assembly). Aside from the issue of bulb failure, these lights are simpler and cheaper than LED lights of remotely comparable brightness, so they do have their uses in the world.
5) Waterproof coin cell keychain light. The old version of the CMG O-4 was sort of an attempt at this, but was large and clunky, and its weirdly shaped gasket didn't really seal out water all that well. The new version has no constant-on so its usefulness is diminished quite a bit without reducing the size. The simplest approach would be a squeeze-only light that's permanently sealed on every seam (no battery replacement possible). If cheap enough, that would be fine.
6) Wristwatch LED light that clips onto the watchband like some little compasses do, powered by coin cell(s). A few CPF'ers have made these but I don't know why they're not made commercially. Similarly, watches with built-in LED lights. There are a few very expensive ones but it seems to me like there should be a lot more G-shock type watches with this feature.
7) Rechargeable 5 watt compact LED light, basically a Streamlight Strion with a KL4-like head. Yeah I know about Pila batteries, but by a rechargeable light, I mean one that you can just drop into a charger without having to remove the battery. Maybe some modders are working on hosting something like this in the Strion?
8) AAA Anglehead light, basically an Arc AAA except the LED points perpendicular to the body. That lets you clip the light into your shirt pocket and have it pointing forward. Similarly, coin cell lights could be made that way.
9) Ultra-compact, lightweight, 2AA or 4AA solar NiMH charger. There are tons of solar chargers on the market, but they are unnecessarily heavy and bulky. The manufacturers don't seem to realize that backpacking is an obvious application for solar chargers, and bulk and weight have to be minimized.
10) Properly designed solar LED light. Basically another iteration of the Swisslight, with the bugs fixed. The main fix needed is that a light like this should be impossible to overcharge. The Swisslight instructions warn you to not leave the Swisslight out in the sun too long. That means you can't carry it in the obvious way, clipped to the outside of your belt or pack, so it's always getting charged and you don't have to think about it til you need it. It should also be totally waterproof to the point of being able to withstand swimming and accidental trips through the washing machine.
