Switches - What happened....

...to the good ol' days when flashlights had their switches on the side and did one simple thing - Turned the light on or off with one click?

I like many of my small flashlights and most of the ones I like a lot have a tailcap switch. I often really wish that they the switch on the side though. I don't often care to turn a light around "backwards" (To me anyway) to use a tailcap switch or futz around twisting anything. It's nice to be able to pull a small light from my pocket and easily activate it with one hand while it's down at my side.

I guess mine must be a minority opinion or flashlight makers would make more of the small lights with side switches.

I think it's a CONSPIRACY by the manufacturers against those with elbow, wrist, finger or shoulder injuries. Not everyone can lift a light up to head height to use a tactical switch. Maybe I should start a class-action lawsuit. They're trying to keep us in the dark!

Seriously though, I'm looking for quality pocketable lights (LED or incan) that have a side switch that simply turns the light on-off with no cycling between different modes. I'm looking at the SL Stinger. The Pelican M1 & M3 look nice too.

Any suggestions?

You are absolutely correct. Side switches are rare. Your choices in a quality light with a side switch are quite limited.

This is certainly in response to preference and marketplace demand, but also it is much easier to construct a waterproof light that does not have a switch mechanism which penetrates the case.

Your search gets much tougher when you added the pocketable feature. You will not get a SL Stinger in your pocket unless you have very large pockets. Likewise Maglite which uses side switches. I just mentally ran through my inventory and the only light I own that is pocketable and has a side switch is my SL TwinTask 2L. A very good light, but it is two mode: Incan-Off-LED-Off.

The Pelican M1 seems to fit. I do not no anything about this light. The M3 being a 3x123 light might be too long for pocket carry.

I probably have overlooked a bunch of great lights. Someone will come up with them if I did.

Mark

Vee3 said: "...I often really wish that they the switch on the side though...It's nice to be able to pull a small light from my pocket and easily activate it with one hand while it's down at my side....looking for quality pocketable lights (LED or incan) that have a side switch that simply turns the light on-off with no cycling between different modes..."

The Nuwai ALX-253L mostly meets your criteria: relatively compact (but longer than a MiniMag), lots of output, single-stage side switch:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/nuwai_5w_alx-253l.htm

If you don't mind more money, the LionCub is available at LightHound for about $172. It's one of the smallest most powerful side switch lights. It's technically not single stage, but I think can be programmed to work like that:

http://www.lighthound.com/sales/lioncub.php

The Inova T4
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/inova_t4.htm

or the Pelican M1, M3 or M6
http://www.pelican.com/lights.html
might be also what you are after, mid body switches

or you could get a tactical light with a tape switch and run it to the body of the light. :laughing:

Get the TwinTask 2L.

Problem is a switch on the side is harder to find & activate than on the end.

You often not only need to choke your grip on the light to place your hand in the right spot along the LENGTH on the flashlight, but then you might need to rotate the light in your hand until the switch is under your finger.

When the switch is on the end you don't need to do either of these things to find AND activate the switch.

I have many 2AA, 2C, 2D and many other form factor lights that are activated from a side switch. In order to correctly activate the switch, you must carry the flashlight "underhand", at the level of your pants pocket.
There are situations where you must carry the flashlight "overhand", at level of your shoulder, and activate it from there. This is where the tailcap switch comes into play.
The whole "tactical" concept is based on the instant activation of the light in overhand mode. Also, a special ring on the flashlight body allows the "combatgrip", where you activate the light with the palm of your hand, with the arm distended forward.

For plain use, side switches a-la-Mag are perfectly acceptable. With the time, I grow fond of tailcap switches, even if I am not part of any special ops team... Just like the high manouvrability of tactical lights.

Anthony

Sam's Club has the "Element" flashlight. These have a side switch that is only on/off. They are two for $26. They use 3AAA batteries and have a 1 watt Luxeon with a reflector. They have a pretty good (ie: smooth) beam. I think I read that they have about a two hour runtime.

They weigh 5 ounces with alkaline batteries and are about a half inch longer than a Surefire G2, otherwise they are about the size of a G2.

One of the models of Dorcy Metal Gear 3xAA's has a side switch. It's a little wide to put in your main pants pocket IMHO, but fits great in a cargo pocket. Not a bad little light and quite moddable.

Of course, the cream of the crop is the Lioncub though.....side switch, small size....and you have all the features that you could possibly use, or not use...depending on your desires.

Modern side switches seem to occupy a full cylindrical section of the body, increasing the length of the light (more than a tail clicky would) where most of us prefer shorter over longer lights, everything else being equal. The old side switches were mounted along side the batteries in an arrangement which didn't add length but which would be expensive to duplicate in today's heavy walled tube lights.

I still prefer the original Arc LS twisty for its very short length (2 7/8" I think). I kind of like the look of this one because it is a compact side switch light, but I don't have one.

Thanks much for the suggestions. I'm looking into them all.

When I say "pocketable" I don't just mean in the front pants pocket - I don't mind them sticking a bit out of a rear pocket or in a (large) jacket pocket.

I can see the advantages of endcap switches and use them often. Not by choice, however. It's just my personal preference to have a side-mounted switch (At least on some lights that I can stick in a pocket).

Anyone used this one?

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/coupled_alx-1713a.htm