What would be your ideal LED light?

Many of us own a plethora of flashlights, and I'm thinking that's possibly because we are searching for that one ultimate light that just hasn't been made. So if you could tell a manufacturer what features you want in a light, what would they be?

Mine would be:

- 3w Luxeon Star LED for primary illumination. 80+ lumen output.

- Recessed momentary/on/off clickie switch positioned at head dedicated to primary LED.

- Textured reflector.

- Regulated, takes 2 x CR123 cells.

- O-ring sealed and highly water resistant.

- Ability to stand on tail cap.

- Streamlined shape like the Inova T2 for easy bezel down carry. Octagonal design at mid-point of flashlight to resist rolling.

Ok, here's where I add my wild ideas. Don't know if some of this is even possible but I'll add it anyway:

- Also accepts custom LiIon rechargeable stick that recharges internally. Positive contact for the stick is on rim so the flashlight can distinguish between power options.

- Flat black carbon fiber body making it lightweight, damage resistant, and temperature neutral.

- 3 dual color low dome LED's mounted in the reflector;
white and red switchable used for low power area illumination. If such LEDs don't exist, then 3 white and 3 red LEDs are used.

- Head acts as 3 position dedicated switch for low power LEDs.
Twist head one click to left for white, center off, right red.

- Some sort of optional dome that fits over the bezel to allow the flashlight to act as a table lantern.

You just described an L4! Well, all except for when you went off to la la land with your wild ideas.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
The problem with mounting LED's in the reflector is that it is next to impossible to allow the light to flow across them without causing a minor loss of output or a distorted beam.
Internal charging and water resistance it a tough job too, there has to be a way to get the juice in.. Unless the charger incorporated some sort of transformer that allowed for a non-contact charging.. Now I am dreaming too..
My wishes are simple, I want the output of "the Beast" in the size of an E1E, and seeing how this isn't about reality then throw in a self supportive power supply, nucular or something.. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

(edited for spelling)

I'd like:

1 AA battery

Minimal size and weight - possibly even a plastic housing like an eLED

Regulated and OK for use with Nimh, Alkaline and Lithium

1W Lux

Adjustable output or a single surface-mount LED for use as a task light.

(the surface mount LEDs used by Terralux produce a perfectly flat 150 degree light - all spill, no hotspot, and it's the best light I've ever used for arm's length work of any kind)

There are a couple of lights out there that are pretty close: the Keylux AA is nearly there, and the Nuwai 0.5w AAA suggests a AA light might be available soon...

Doesn't seem like anything about it is difficult to do... I guess if I get desparate perhaps I'll ask for bids from some modders ;-)

Mine would be..

- 100+ lumens at max power. The more power the better. Sometimes you really do need that 'shield of light' and all that you can possibly get.

- 2 x CR123, with 17670 or preferably 18650 lithium ion support. Low-voltage cutout to protect bare lithium ion cells. MUST run on both CR123 and rechargeable cells, that way I can use rechargeable when I have access to a charger, but if I am going out into the sticks with no electrical power I can carry a cache of 123s.

- Regulated with variable power control. Two levels minimum, more would be nice.

- EXTREME efficiency. For example, a KL1 can run for around 5 hours on 2xCR123. This other light delivers the power of a KL1 and runs for 11 hours. That's efficiency. Unheard-of efficiency, too. Extreme runtime on low setting. 24 hours or more would be great.

- Waterproof is a must. HA3 is a must for a working light. Bezel down clip is cool. Lanyard attachment point is a must. Clickie tailswitch - very convenient. I'd like that too.

- Charge-in-place capability like you mentioned, the ability to drop the light into a cradle Magcharger/Surefire 10X style and have it tank up. I want a removable battery as well so that way I can charge spares ahead of time and change up, just like the SF 10X.

- The size of a Surefire L4.


I hear, that except for the last two, someone has already delivered the light I want /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleye11.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I want a LED flashlight with a marked blue periphery and a white center hotspot with a very narrow beamwidth. Other features I don't care about especially. Oh, cheap, that would be nice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif

luxeon III
regulated
uses two aa batteries
ha finish
waterproof
civilian look
twisty tailcap
highest quality (no rattles, etc)
can use lithiums
lanyard attachment (optional)
a clip that can be removed

I'd be happy with:

A Lux 3 or possibly Lux 1.
Three levels of output via twistie tail.
Stand on end with recessed ring.
Smooth knurling, not to agressive.
Natural HAIII for sure, 100 ft waterproof.
Runs on one 123 with rechargeable support and comes with 2xAA body.

Levels would be: 15 minute runtime crazy bright for single cell, 1 hour runtime L1 on high, 24 hours runtime about the same as n Infinity Ultra.

HDS may be very close to what I'm looking for.

I think a AAA luxeon the size of an Arc or Peak with two or three power levels would be ideal. Regulation would be nice, too, with about an hour runtime on high.

Geoff

I would like a single "AAA" light with two (or three) power levels. One about 3-5 Lumens and the other 30-50 lumens.

This would have a run time of 10-20 hours on high and 100-200 on low.

Regulated.

This would require a effeciency increase of 10x over what is avaliable now.

Maybe in 5 years or so.

Something to look forward to.

wwglen

Give me a lux 3 in a plastic case with a variable current control that works up with alkaline,nimh, and lithium with same output. Make the ringed edge of the bezel translucent so a little sidespill will light up it and make it glow in the dark. It would be tailstanding and have a thermal shutdown circuit to keep the LED from being burned up. Also waterproofing to 100 feet. perhaps you could even make the case of translucent plastic and have a seperate mode to light up the whole light by a small LED in the tail end so you can find it in the dark.

1. The controolable color flashlight I just inquired about.
2. A string of individually adressable lights like the iColor Flex, but in C7 shape and cheaper and with at least 625nm instead of 619 orange as the primary red. Also make all the other Christmas decoration variations: icicles, bare branch trees, spiral cone shaped trees, deer spahed lights, etc. (Oh, and give me a home with a yard to place them all in /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif).
3) The most useful, a standard based full color bulb, but controllable with dip switches like Color Kinetics' MR16. All of these would use single rgb's instead of 3 or more separate color LED's (like the MR16 does). Perhaps, if possible, the colors could be controlled by remote control, as well, so the bulb could be placed in ceiling fixtures.

4 I might as well add, full color signs for the new NYC subway cars on order. Full color signs are appearing on some bus signs around the country (On a few Grey Light sightseeing double deckers here), but the subway has depended on its color route markers. The last batch of new cars used red-orange only for the front (deemed more visible, and the full-colors were still brand new and more expensive when these were ordered). Exterior side signs use amber, and interior signs use RYG only. The first prototypes from 13 years ago used RYG for the red/green lines (IRT), but the blue line (the famous "A" train) had to revert back to a rollsign, as the high-brightness GaN-based blues were not even out yet. But as an avid transit fan as well, it was the idea of full color LED signs for trains that got me into LED's in the first place! (along with the RYG signs that were appearing in various places then)

1800 Lm output.
10 cm lenght, 12 mm diameter.
30 hour runtime
Nuke power!!!

Sorry, just kidding

[ QUOTE ]
Muppet said:
I'd like:

1 AA battery

Minimal size and weight - possibly even a plastic housing like an eLED

Regulated and OK for use with Nimh, Alkaline and Lithium

1W Lux

Adjustable output or a single surface-mount LED for use as a task light.

(the surface mount LEDs used by Terralux produce a perfectly flat 150 degree light - all spill, no hotspot, and it's the best light I've ever used for arm's length work of any kind)

There are a couple of lights out there that are pretty close: the Keylux AA is nearly there, and the Nuwai 0.5w AAA suggests a AA light might be available soon...

Doesn't seem like anything about it is difficult to do... I guess if I get desparate perhaps I'll ask for bids from some modders ;-)

[/ QUOTE ]
You took my answer. Make it the size of an Arc AA or an Infinity AA and tell me where to send my money.

[ QUOTE ]
KevinL said:
I hear, that except for the last two, someone has already delivered the light I want /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleye11.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Newbie here, even if not in name. Would this be a Surefire U2?

Bill D.

[ QUOTE ]
Sierra said:
[ QUOTE ]
KevinL said:
I hear, that except for the last two, someone has already delivered the light I want /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleye11.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Newbie here, even if not in name. Would this be a Surefire U2?

Bill D.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well done... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Now, I agree, it's not for everybody. My definition of the light I want is not going to match anybody else's (and it's coincidence if it does), but the U2 is as close to perfect as I've ever seen. Every time I think about a scenario and "if I could take only one light" it comes up. It's as good as it gets using today's technology. L4 size would be good, not too big, not too small. If I had to guess, I'd say Surefire is working on it but not talking about it.

Probably the only other things I could ask for apart from what's been mentioned above is 1. more lumens 2. more runtime, but those are standard flashaholic requests that apply to every light.