Regulated vs Unregulated Preference?

Whats your preference?

I personally like having an unregulated circuit on my lite. Most of all, so I can plug a pair of E2 Lithiums into it and benefit from them on the beam and the runtime. Rather than just the runtime you will get on the regulator.

My friend Chris on the other hand prefers the regulated circuit. He likes the fact that the output on his lite will remain constant from battery birth to battery death. Hence the fact he carries an Inova.

We have gone round and round on this for a long time now. I just cant see how it doesn't bother him knowing that once the batts Don't have enough current to charge the circuit capacitors anymore the light will just fail without warning. He tells me he cant see why I would want to have a light that will not perform the same from start to finish on the batteries. I Don't ever think we will see eye to eye on this so we decided to agree to disagree.

Isn't it also nice having a simple circuit design that you don't have to worry too much about shock damage and moisture shorts.

I cant be the only one in the world with a simple circuit preference?

So whats everyone else's preference? Simple Circuit or Regulated Circuit

I'll take a constant current, regulated circuit, thank you. Many do give you enough advance notice that a battery change is in order. I don't mind an unregulated low level as an option but on high, I prefer the consistancy and knowledge that I am getting the designed output. If the circuit is properly designed and protected, I am not aware of shock damage or moisture shorts being a problem. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

There is a simple elegance and efficiency to a well matched direct drive combination, especially with a lithium cell that has a nice flat discharge curve. Under driving in direct drive is really the way to go for the best efficacy!

Ditto what Don said.

Welcome to the CPF, NERDNIK. It's nice to have you amongst our expanding ranks.

Try a search; IIRC this was a poll some, 4 - 8, months back.

Regulated for consistency. Moisture shorts? Could be a problem for some of us seniors, but no need to bring it up here.

Regulated like my L4.

,,,,and then there is the Newbeam....10 hours of FLAT regulation and then a small RED led comes on to warn you it's time to change batteries,

Another vote for regulated here.
If the circuit is potted or otherwise protected, moisture-induced short circuits should not be an issue, and shock-resistance would also be enhanced.

If batteries are common and easily available, regulated is very nice.

But if batteries are exotic and difficult to find, then unregulated might be a better option for overall longer battery life.

The reason I like regulated because I hate throwing away primary cells with some capacity left, yet I also dislike the fact that the light output keeps dropping off. It's good to bleed every drop of useful capacity out of the cells while still putting out all the light you can get. Regulated lights also tend to give you notice, for example my KL1 LED will start strobing as it transitions from regulated to direct-drive mode, I view it as a reminder to change batteries soon.

As I said in another post, there's also the advantage of regulated circuits being able to transition to direct drive mode when the cells can't supply enough power, so you still get a long 'tail' of light that allows you to change batteries and such.

With rechargeable lights it's a different story. I can always top off the NiMH/lithium ion cells prior, thus benefiting from the bright lights without regulation. It helps that the battery discharge curves are relatively flat.

Direct drive, or resistored (a simple resistor in series with the circuit) benefits from KISS engineering in that it is simple to design, build and maintain. A lower component count also means (statistically) better field reliability although I don't see it being an issue with my regulated lights.

IMHO the 3 different approaches (DD, resistored, regulated) are all different solutions to different problems. It really depends on what you're trying to solve. I like all of them for different reasons, and I've got all types powered by the 3 solutions.


PS: Craig, is that the birthday icon I'm seeing above your name? Happy birthday, and have you received your 'present' from PK yet? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/party.gif

Constant current regulation, as flat as possible if what I prefer.

The two best constant output circuits I've seen are the Opalec Newbeam and UK 4aa eLED. The Arc LSH is a very close third (does run as long, but still retains 95% output for most of the battery life).


My second choice is partial regulation, like the LedXTreme Predator, Arc AA, and Arc AAA use.


I do not care for unregulated lights when given a choice.

I only buy regulated, multi-stage lights. I look for a high-output mode of around 1.5 hours, and a low mode of 10 hours or so. That gives me the best of both worlds.

I prefer to keep it simple with unregulated!

I grew up getting told by my father to Keep It Simple Stupid

......... I wonder why he always stressed the word stupid when he told me that? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

I could paraphrase some of the arguments made previosuly, but you simply have more options with a regulated LED (including the option to bypass the regulator if desired).

Sticking my a## into the wind, I prefer unregulated.

I simply don't see the advantage to a light that quits unexpectedly. As in you are in the DARK at a very inappropriate time.

I think regulated lights certainly appeal to the perfectionist, and hobbyist, but I USE my lights; in some situations that DEMAND reliable light.

Regulated Circuit

Happy Birthday Craig-eee!

As to reg vs non, I have one of each kind (oops, more like one Hundred of each kind); different benefits for different applications.

Hey, why not get'em both??!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

Any regulation I have seen or used so far either went into DD when batteries were very weak or let the user know somehow that the batteries are going to be depleted sometime like the A2 does. The only "sudden-dark" regulation I know about is when using Pila's or similar as these shutoff from one second to the other when a certain limit is reached.

If possible I will stick to regulation, no matter if LED or incandescent lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Initially I too feared that regulated lights shut off abruptly, but I discovered they don't. A quick check of Roy's runtime plots in the Reviews forum will turn up many regulated lights with long discharge 'tails' of minimal light. They then become DD lights with all the benefits of DD/resistored drive. Looks like I get the best of both worlds.

An unregulated, high powered incan is more likely to "go dark" on you, just ask my 6P et. al. I carry both a Surefire C2 and a KL1, one incan, one LED, one unregulated, one regulated /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I have 6 or 7 lights I use alot and use them in all sorts of conditions. Half of them are regulated, one is direct drive, and two of them are.....well, whatever the Arc AAA and AA are.

I've used regulated lights out in some really bad weather and for weeks at a time in tropical humidity and haven't had any problems with moisture. But, they are not just any regulated lights.

How and in what the circuitry is hosted makes alot of difference in my experience. I'll never be confident in a Minimag whether it's regulated or not. Atleast not for all my uses.

I've only had a couple of regulated lights that would abruptly end with seemingly no warning at all.

If I were defusing a landmine or performing surgery by flashlight the abrupt loss of light could cause a problem. But, usually I just reload. I've got a backup if I'm out in the deep weeds. At home, well, I've got the light switch. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif