Chanik, Photon ideas

How about a photon 3 type arrangment only with more levels and using the same LED as the freedom. And can it be regulated? I love the Freedom but like the fact the photon 3 can be set to come on at a set level unlike the Freedom. Or maybe the Freedom can be changed to come on at a set level instead of having to dim down or ramp up to reach the desired level of brightness.

Thanks for being so candid on the Proton thread. I posted this question here as I didn't want to hijack that thread.

Well, the real problem is the one button interface, cheaper and more manufacturable than the two button P3. The gaol was to make a UI simple enough for people to figure out by trial and error without the manual, which 99% of the general public never reads. So how does one set and recall latched settings without confusing the non-manual reading public? It can be done, of course, its just potentially very confusing. And that makes the phone ring. Some substantial percentage of P3 consumers never realized it had two buttons. Seriously. And we got many complaints about the P3 unexpectedly turning off after 1 minute sometimes, a feature much pined for by this CPF crowd.

thanks normal people!
thanks for screwing it up for the rest of us!

Even as one of the nerdier flashaholics on CPF (and I have a Freedom, three or four P3's, and about ten P2's) I think the "general public" has the right idea. The P2 is the version that I carry on my keychain. The P3 is just too confusing and hard to operate. The Freedom is a big improvement in terms of simplicity, but it can turn on in your pocket and drain its batteries. Now if it's possible to replace the microprocessor with a flash-programmed version, modders could have a field day...

Why not leave it in momentary mode when carrying it in your pocket?

Momentary mode is just too complicated because of the tap dance needed to re-enable constant-on. Best would be a 2 minute timeout. It's ok if the default setting is no timeout if that's what most buyers want, and if it takes some complex button sequence to enable the timeout. I'd just enable the timeout when I first get the light, and be done with it.

I really don't feel like I need multiple brightness levels in a keychain light. They're nice, but the P2's interface is far more intutive than any of the computerized models. It's unfortunately but unavoidably somewhat flakier because of how the LED leads are used as a switch, and less waterproof because of the hole for the slide switch.

I also think the particular P2 on my keychain is better looking than a Freedom. It's the one sold with the Spyderco Jester as a matching set, and it uses a green plastic shell instead of the usual black. I really like the way it looks with the Jester. I'd like to buy a couple of those Nichia leds from you, one to upgrade my Freedom and the other for this particular P2.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Freedom is a fantastic technical achievement, I just can't bring myself to feel as much at ease with it as I can with the P2. It's like the Arc LS vs. the Arc4+.

Since this is a Photon ideas thread, let me request something completely different: a 1AA headlamp version of the Proton, using 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) of those new Nichia white leds, plus a red led like the Proton. It would look sort of like a bigger CMG Tracer. The white leds would be set up for a wide beam and the whole thing should be lighter and smaller than a Petzl Tikka, PT Aurora, etc. There is a terrible shortage of small, AA-powered LED headlamps and there's times when you really want to use AA's for everything and not mess with AAA's.

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chanik said:
Well, the real problem is the one button interface, cheaper and more manufacturable than the two button P3. The gaol was to make a UI simple enough for people to figure out by trial and error without the manual, which 99% of the general public never reads.

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don't like the timer function, but some may.

if you want to see an example of an easy UI. look no further than "lionheart" no manual needed. most anyone can figure out how it works within minutes with trial & error

IMHO Lionheart has the best user interface so far. VS way over complex menu's like ARC4.

Just got HDS basic 60 GT and think UI is too complex. had to read instructions on how to latch on high beam. EDC basic makes you click twice, then press, after clicking once to turn on light /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

all that just to latch light on high beam /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/Christo_pull_hair.gif

Fair enough Chanik, I understand you can't please everybody (you could however import the higher LED to the Photon 3 or other Photons). Unlike Arc and the one button intereface of the Arc4, I understand Photons are geared towards a higher percentage of the mass market and to "double click" to get in this mode, triple click for this, etc. would be confusing.

Has LRI ever experimented in Photon regulation or higher capacity button cells?

[ QUOTE ]
chanik said:
Well, the real problem is the one button interface, cheaper and more manufacturable than the two button P3. The gaol was to make a UI simple enough for people to figure out by trial and error without the manual, which 99% of the general public never reads. So how does one set and recall latched settings without confusing the non-manual reading public? It can be done, of course, its just potentially very confusing. And that makes the phone ring. Some substantial percentage of P3 consumers never realized it had two buttons. Seriously. And we got many complaints about the P3 unexpectedly turning off after 1 minute sometimes, a feature much pined for by this CPF crowd.

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