Twisty lights

Inzelique · **on:** September 22, 2011, 11:28:33 PM

I have a question for those more informed about flashlight design than I. Maglite makes their ligth with a twisty switch that you tighten to turn off. All the other makers that i have seen make their twistys so you loosen them to turn off. Now, i realize the simple elegance of this system. Its just like the light in the attic when I was little, loosen the bulb to turn it off. However, I kept ending up with flashlight parts and a battery rolling around my pocket because the head worked itself loose. So i put a small O ring at the base of the head and problem solved! Except that if I wanted to twist it fast enough to change modes I had to roll the o ring out of the way first. So my question is why can't other makers copy the maglite method? Is there a specific advantage one way over the other?

jzmtl · **Reply #1 on:** September 23, 2011, 11:55:30 AM

A few reasons I can think of. Maglite is very sue happy, and have sued small companies out of business for frivolous things, so I guess other companies do best to stay out of their way. Two is the way minimag is constructed the bulb sits in a module that moves up and down, with high powered LED lights you will have trouble move enough heat away as there isn't much contact between module and body.

I usually put some teflon tape on thread to make it harder to turn.

Sent from my phone

Inzelique · **Reply #2 on:** September 24, 2011, 01:57:58 AM

Hmm. My LED minimag doesn't have any heat problems. Tho maybe it doesn't really count as a HIGH power LED? As for lawsuits, The Chinese knock off experts don't seem too worried about lawsuits from any other large US companies?

I will have to try the teflon tape. But won't it be the same issue? Makes it harder to switch between modes?

Don't mean to seem confrontational, but this question has bothered me for a while.

jzmtl · **Reply #3 on:** September 24, 2011, 02:43:09 AM

Minimag has about 1/6 of the lumen of latest high power LED lights.

I haven't had any problem with teflon tape, it adds resistance but not enough to make it hard to turn. Remember you can control how much resistance by the amount of tape used.

Carthas · **Reply #4 on:** September 24, 2011, 03:34:11 PM

I'm sure that other makers could copy the maglite method. But as you've pointed out, the loosen to switch off and tighten to switch on method is one of the the simplest (read cheapest) and most reliable methods for switching on and off a flashlight.