Some will also give the maximum theoretical lumens for a certain current to the led, that is usually higher than the actual current their torch utilises.
Lastly I have 2 Thrunite T10s with a .09 lumen low Again the run times are awesome for these firefly modes. There are other times when a discreet amount of light is needed and these ultra low lumens come to play. I like the option of these ultra low lumen lights and the options that come into play for using them. They're generally on lights with a middle and high mode as well so if I need more output I have it.
Personally, I don't consider anything less than 3 lumens as good enough for negotiating your way round a house, or anything less than 10 lumens for negotiating an outside path. That may be different for everyone depending on eyesight and night vision.The firefly modes of less than one lumen still serve a fantastic purpose though.... they help you find the torch in the middle of the night. This function has been of use several times in the past, particularly when visiting friends. You wake up inthe night, can't quite remember the layout of the room, certainly daren't risk negotiating your way to the bathroom in the dark, and have no idea where the lightswitches are. You see the little tell tale glow of your light on firefly mode and all is wellin the world. As soon as you see that glow, you know you're not going towalk into the wardrobe, trip over that sodding cat, go head first down the stairs, or pick the wrong room and pee on your mates head.Downside is you won't remember you put in on firefly mode when youwake inthe morning, and so you might need a new battery sooner than you thought
I also like the diffuser that came with the T10's. I have the neutral and being my first I wasn't thrilled initially with the tint. I got the CW because of my initial uncertainty with the neutral. I however love this tint and love having it as an option for light. I love the warm glow as my eyes are sensitive to the brightness of the CW on high indoors. I will definitely be getting another neutral as a result of this light. I also want to try a nichia led at some point.
Quote from: 50ft-trad on May 07, 2015, 10:56:35 PMPersonally, I don't consider anything less than 3 lumens as good enough for negotiating your way round a house, or anything less than 10 lumens for negotiating an outside path. That may be different for everyone depending on eyesight and night vision.The firefly modes of less than one lumen still serve a fantastic purpose though.... they help you find the torch in the middle of the night. This function has been of use several times in the past, particularly when visiting friends. You wake up inthe night, can't quite remember the layout of the room, certainly daren't risk negotiating your way to the bathroom in the dark, and have no idea where the lightswitches are. You see the little tell tale glow of your light on firefly mode and all is wellin the world. As soon as you see that glow, you know you're not going towalk into the wardrobe, trip over that sodding cat, go head first down the stairs, or pick the wrong room and pee on your mates head.Downside is you won't remember you put in on firefly mode when youwake inthe morning, and so you might need a new battery sooner than you thoughtI really prefer leaving everything I EDCd that day, in whatever clothes I was wearing, then transferring it over to my new clothes, the next day. This insures that Il'll have all of basic items immediately available, in the event that I have to get up and leave in the middle of the night (emergency, or whatever), without having to fumble around, trying to locate my EDC items, other than my smart phone, which can easily pulled from the charging cable, and holstered.The daily routine is to top off all batteries, in any devices I used that day, as soon as I get home. This means smart phone, tablet, external lithium ion batteries, and flashlights. When I leave the house, the next morning, everything is fully charged, and I feel prepared. I use 14500 batteries in my T10 lights. Because of the increased output, I have to be careful not to run the lights in the highest model for long periods, to avoid internal damage from the heat. But I generally use these lights for a few moments or minutes at a time; so no worries, there.
I see you're a fan of the older T10; a man of good taste I'd say. I think I was saying in this thread that I've had some use for a moonlight mode and that I liked it on the old T10. I was also saying that I have a NW Ti3 with a moonlight mode as well. The BIG issue for me with the Ti3 is that it doesn't have a mode memory so I'm constantly having to flick past the moonlight mode to get to some full lumens. If only it had a true mode memory like it's older brother I think I'd carry it a lot more.
I sold my i3s with its 0.5 lumen and regret it now
The low-med-high high-med-low med-low-high debate is easily solved with multiple light carry.This is yet another good reason carry multiple lights. I'm all for having and carrying different tints, throwers, flood, sub lumen, ultra high, etc.
Great post mate.
Wow! - Orange peel reflector = good flood. For short to medium distance, that's what you want mostly. If the Fenix LD09 I carry on my person had an orange peel reflector, I'd be a very happy camper.
Quote from: firiki on September 11, 2015, 12:21:43 AMWow! - Orange peel reflector = good flood. For short to medium distance, that's what you want mostly. If the Fenix LD09 I carry on my person had an orange peel reflector, I'd be a very happy camper.Depending how heavily peeled is the Orange Peel reflector, I usually hate it for stealing the throw. The decisions for the balance between spot and flood + how big is the hotspot are strongly tied to the intended use of the light and the shape of the reflector. Some flashlight makers, instead of doing homework on studying those decisions, just op the reflector and call it ideal for close range use/smooth transition, or even just it to hide imperfection of light rings/halo beam pattern.For a keychain light or AA light with firefly mode, due to its limited size of the reflector and low output, will inherently has a shorter throw, and an orange peeled will further reduce the throw even more. Another example is a 2x123 light with a slightly large head, mostly intended to be a thrower, an OP reflector will just steal the glory.
My moonlight-only flashlight
LEDs are sensitive to heat and we get loads of that in the summer so I keep a 2AA incan Maglite without battery cells in the car Quote from: SAKnight on September 18, 2015, 01:23:26 AMMy moonlight-only flashlight Looks good How's the runtime on that? I tend to get obsessed with runtimes
LEDs are sensitive to heat and we get loads of that in the summer so I keep a 2AA incan Maglite without battery cells in the car
I have a Olight i3 and while it is a twisty so far it has been 100 percent reliable including a deployment to Afghanistan.Don't use its low mode to much here at home but used it a ton while overseas. Not so much to keep night vision but to present less of a target on a blacked out base at night. Nothing worse then being shot on the way to the latrine.
Quote from: firiki on September 19, 2015, 02:22:01 AMLEDs are sensitive to heat and we get loads of that in the summer so I keep a 2AA incan Maglite without battery cells in the car This is a new one to me. Most higher powered LEDs get MUCH hotter from their own internal heat when powered up than is possible in a car (even one parked in hot sun with all the windows wound up). That is why good light makers put a lot of effort into conducting heat from the LED to the body of the light to dissipate the excess heat, and why aluminium (or copper) is a better material than titanium for high powered LED lights.I would have thought that the batteries would be more susceptible to heat damage than the LEDs in a light (particularly cheap "alkaleaks" (alkaline) batteries.