Why low mode first on LED lights? Suggestions?

[jbrett14]

OK, I have been doing some research into mini-sized 1 x AA flashlights, in which most are twisties. What makes no sense to me is to see that just about all of them that have multiple modes, start off, when initially turned on, in LOW. Now I know there has been talk in these forums about what folks prefer, and I know that it may be that most folks prefer a light to start off in low (hence my questioning of it), but where does my following logic go wrong?

First of all, when talking about a 1 x AA flashlight, we are talking about an EDC light (a POCKET light). Now, I don't know about others, but I do not sleep with pants on, and even if I did, I would not sleep with a flashlight in the pocket. So, we are now talking about an EDC light that is typically carried in one's pocket, DURING THE DAY (or at least during hours that humans are awake). With this in mind, why on earth would anyone want an EDC light that is typically carried in the pocket (or keychain) and used during hours in which people are typically awake, to come on in LOW?

If anyone is in need of LIGHT, during hours in which people are typically awake, wouldn't they need it to be as bright as possible? E.g. your child shoots a dart across the room and it goes behind the television where it is dark. You pull your light out and turn it on HIGH to see what's back there. Or, your circuit breaker trips and you head to the basement to check it out. You wouldn't use LOW mode, you would use HIGH. I can think of hundreds of scenarios in which one would use their EDC light at the spur of the moment, and in nearly EVERY case it would be used in HIGH.

Again, we are not talking about a designated bed-side light here. We are talking about an EDC POCKET light that is used, in the pocket, while awake, and usually during the DAY when a HIGH beam will be of no offense to any sleepers.

So, it puzzles me as to why so many manufacturers have this odd sequence of modes. I have a little 1 x AAA Olight which has 3 modes. I HATE it compared to the simple ONE mode iTP that it replaced. Whenever I have pulled it out of my pocket, I have NEVER needed it in low mode, yet I have to cycle through it just to get to the main purpose of carrying a light in the pocket - to have as much light as possible during hours in which humans are typically awake. The low mode can certainly be useful - say, perhaps, for the child in the back seat who wants to read while driving home at night. But this is not the typical everyday use of an EDC light.

I would love to hear what others are using their EDC lights for that causes them to prefer turning it on LOW mode first. Again, it's an EDC pocket light, NOT a bed-side light, so any talk about not wanting to wake up the family won't make a whole lot of sense given that you are likely a flashaholic that has a designated bed-side light.

Are my EDC uses really in the minority? I find that very hard to believe. I work regular hours like most folks. I have a family that sleeps regular hours like most folks. I own a regular house with regular problems like most folks. I drive a regular car with regular needs like most folks. I have average eyesight like most folks. I fix things around the house like most homeowners. And yet, I have NEVER needed my regular EDC light to come on in low. Yet the manufacturers make their EDC lights come on in low? I don't get it.

Does anyone know of ANY good mini AA LED light out there that is either a ONE mode light, or, if multiple mode, will come on in HIGH? Besides ZebraLight

 

[Seb71]

In the time it took me to read your post I could have cycled my flashlight through LOW-MID-HIGH at least 50 times.

Joking aside, I think LOW first is preferred because it favors keeping night vision (if LOW is low enough).

 

[ragweed]

Ditto on that! I also beg to differ on checking the circuit breaker on high beam. I tried just that & was blinded by the light flashing back at me from the breaker. There are lights out there that come on high beam first so, I would suggest you to get one if that is your preference.

 

[jbrett14]

I also beg to differ on checking the circuit breaker on high beam. I tried just that & was blinded by the light flashing back at me from the breaker.

With a 1 x AA light? Really?

 

[jbrett14]

There are lights out there that come on high beam first so, I would suggest you to get one if that is your preference.

And I am hoping that folks will chime in to recommend some of those lights.

 

[jbrett14]

In the time it took me to read your post I could have cycled my flashlight through LOW-MID-HIGH at least 50 times. .

You got me there. Sorry about that long post. Just venting I guess.

 

[reppans]

I've always had the exact opposite question about all those supposed camping headlamps from Petzl and Black Diamond, that you tend to in pitch black environments and they ALWAYS start out on frigg'n MAX, not mention that their lows were always too high for the pitch black They drove me to CPF and using traditional flashlights in headbands for camping.. moonlight mode... ahhhh, so much nicer to my eyes.

There are a few points during the bright daylight, or in well lit room, when I may use a flashlight to look into a dark spot but 3 or 20 lumens is just fine. By far, when I use my lights, it's dark out.... and I really really like my night vision. Nearly half the year I'm commuting when it's dark out, or walking the dog at night, or camping, etc. and I always prefer starting out on low.

Get a mini clicky like the Fenix E11 or EagleTac D25 if you like starting out in high.

 

[the.Mtn.Man]

My flashlight use follows amateur radio conventions: use the minimum power necessary to do the job. So I really don't mind starting on low and then adding more power as needed until I have sufficient light for my task. In my opinion, it's always preferable to start with not enough light and then add more as needed than start with too much light and blind yourself.

However, there are lights that can be configured to come on full power first. HDS flashlights are fully programmable and can be configured however you want, but they're CR123 (the AA battery tube is not yet available). The 4Sevens Quark line will come on full power if you tighten the head. I can't really think of any others off the top of my head.

 

[ragweed]

With a 1 x AA light? Really?

Yes... It was a Romisen single AA that puts out 100+ lumens.

 

[HaileStorm]

I think you need a Klarus. Always comes on in high no matter what mode you used it in last. Get an xt1c or something and you'll put an end to your complaints. Albeit, it takes cr123s. But I was checking their website a few days back and I do remember some lights which take aa's. Not sure about aaa's though.

Like you, I hated it when my lights started out in a different mode other than high. I guess I'm oc that way...


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[Joe Talmadge]

I think your reasoning is way way off ... the assumptions about when people carry lights and how they use them, specifically. From what I can tell, most people want their light to start on low, and that is all the proof you need of that. People carry their AA lights during the day and at night. And during either time, just a little light can often work just fine.

That said, the good news is there are other options. In AA size, as mentioned above, the Klarus XT1A (not XT1C) is a AA light that always comes on in high (or on strobe, your choice), and then you can switch it down from there. Any light with a ring UI, like Sunwayman and Jetbeam's offerings, can be set at whatever mode you like beforehand. Zebralight also lets you pick where you want to start.

In the end, I think a click-click-click style interface is an unacceptably bad UI (for my style of light usage, at least), and so the above offerings are what I'd go with anyway.

 

[twl]

This was a big topic several years ago on CPF.

The overwhelming majority wanted the light to come on "Low" first. There was even a strong aversion to having it come on "Medium" first.
So much so, that virtually all the light manufacturers who are active on CPF and had lights which came on in "Medium" or "High" first, all changed them to coming on in "Low" first.
Coming on in "Low" was the runaway favorite.

A good example was the ITP and Maratac AAA lights. They originally came on "Medium" and there was such an outcry for them to come on "Low" that they changed their programming to meet the demand.

The people spoke.
The manufacturers followed.

 

[fresh eddie fresh]

I like low first because I can turn the light on, and if I have enough light to do whatever I need it for, then end of story, but if I need more light, I can cycle to the brighter level. I don't really like three mode flashlights, but I have a Stratum and a G3FYL, and indoors usually just use the first two levels... the high is there in case I need to go to "11" though.

That being said, I tend to carry an E1B in my pocket for work, which comes on bright first, I have to remember that if it is really dark, or the blast of light will dazzle my eyes, so I will close my eyes for the split second it takes to cycle to low. For a "tactical" light, I can see where you would want bright first, but I can also see where if you need that much light all the time, you should probably go single mode.

 

[Fireclaw18]

I think most lights come on in low first in order to preserve night vision. If the light came on in high first, night vision could be destroyed. Also many people use their EDC lights at night camping or bedside use. Not everyone wants it to come on in high first just because it sits in a front pocket.

One option would be to get a light with 2 mode groups like an Eagletac D25a. Keep the head fully screwed in and it comes on in high first. Slightly unscrew the head and it will start in low first.

 

[peterkin101]

Low mode first is sooooimportant IMHO.

First if you have a powerful torch you may not want an 800+ lumen beam coming out straight away-imagine if a child gets hold of it, points it at their face and truns it on.

On a LOW setting no real chance of a problem.

HIGH or TURBO mode and an 800+ Lumen beam could do some serious damage to eyes.

Secondly if the torch accidentally turns on in your pocket, again with LOW mode not too much of a problem.

HIGH or TURBO-BAD NEWS!

Risk of burn injury to skin and even start of fire with serious consequences.

Third-Again in LOW mode battery consumption isn't too bad.

HIGH or TURBO mode, a fresh set of CR123A's can go flat in 2 hrs-accidentally left on and thats a VERY expensive mistake-at least in the UK.

Believe me this ISN'T a good idea.

But if you are aware and can allow for those eventualities than fine.

 

[jbrett14]

Awesome responses gentlemen. I really appreciate the posts. I hope it is understood that I was not looking to argue, but rather, to understand.

Perhaps my eyes are worse than I thought, as I just don't ever see much need for LOW being the first setting, as far as a general purpose EDC use (not a light used for bed-side, hiking, or camping). I tend to fix things a lot and do a lot of checking things out in dark places (crawl spaces, attics, basements, garages, etc.). I wrongfully assumed that these were common actions by most folks. Apparently not. I guess I am in the minority after all, as "night vision" issues have never been an issue for me.

Also, for anyone willing to offer any more suggestions, please understand that I was hoping for MINI 1 x AA lights - the smaller the better. I love the JetBeam's easy UI on the BA lights but their 1 x AA light is a bit large for my pocket.

 

[Sgt. LED]

Yes having low first is my preference.

You waste less power stepping up to the output you need than stepping down to it.
High first may mean more cases of "hot pocket".
Less disturbing others sleeping around you since you aren't creating a mini disco selecting modes.
Coming on high first usually doesn't feel so nice on the ol eyeballs.

The "night vision" preservation thing always seemed like hogwash tho.
If you are using a flashlight haven't you decided your night vision isn't good enough for the task? What are you saving it for anyway? You are here, you like flashlights, use the damn things and don't worry about night vision.

 

[nfetterly]

L/M/H means if low is enough you use low, if medium is enough you use medium, if high is required you use high.

H/M/L means if medium or low is enough, having had it at high may mean medium is no longer enough, similarly for low.

I've gone through a lot of triples / quads. Now they are typically 1% / 30% / 100% - and I'm talking up to ~1500 lumens on high - the 30% now means I don't need the high nearly as much. Earlier they were 20% for the medium - I found I was using high much more than medium - or I was using H / M / L and then 20% is no good.


Now I know the OP was edc AA lights. They are getting brighter now - I use my lights in industry and I'm often reading a motor name-plate (stainless steel) and shining the light across it - if I start off on high even on some AA lights it makes it that much more difficult to read it.

 

[jbrett14]

Low mode first is sooooimportant IMHO.

First if you have a powerful torch you may not want an 800+ lumen beam coming out straight away-imagine if a child gets hold of it, points it at their face and truns it on.

We seem to have gotten off on a rabbit trail about lights that have nothing to do with the points I made.

The discussion was about MINI 1 x AA EDC pocket lights (lights that one keeps in their pocket for being able to see in dark places during hours in which one is active during the day, for the most part).

 

[jbrett14]

Less disturbing others sleeping around you since you aren't creating a mini disco selecting modes.

This is assuming one is using this EDC light as their bed-side light. But c'mon, let's be honest. We're flashaholics. Don't we all thrive on having different lights for different purposes? I much prefer a larger light next to the bed than a small 1 x AA light.