To locate an object on the floor of my apt. in high ambient light, and to learn several things while doing it.
Shortly after I arose today I was dealing with a somewhat out-of-bounds condition, and while still half asleep I was a bit on the back foot. I grabbed the ET D25C from my pants pocket, gave a slight twist to the head to put it in WOT-only mode (wide open throttle), and used it to search the floor. I fumbled and dropped the light into a narrow space between the reefer and the counter, and grabbed a stick w/magnet on the end to just barely reach and retrieve it easily. Having subsequently succeeded to find the object I'd been looking for, I sat down to wake up properly with my first cup. Ambient light was fairly high, but as I was doing something, my eyes caught something that freaked me out a little. I spotted what appeared to be a red laser dot on my left thigh. After freaking a few milliseconds, I instictively looked up, and then around, but saw no light source / reflection to account for it. I put my hand above it to block the beam, but nothing changed. Duhh.
In my haste, I had dropped the light back into my pocket turned on. I don't recall ever doing that before. I felt the warmth with my hand, but had felt nothing with it in my pocket on my leg, due to it's having been positioned exectly in an area of my thigh where I have no surface sensory function due to some surgical nerve damage when I was a kid, so I never felt a thing. The light was warm, but definitely not as hot as it would typically have gotten, or had obviously been earlier. The light was still on when I pulled it out, although at a reduced output level. I checked my leg, and while there was ~6" circular area that was mildly reddened, it clearly wasn't actually burned to any degree, and that would disappear completely in minutes.
So, I learned / confirmed that my error rate is increasing with age. I learned that that although I practically never use it, it's best to leave the nice ferrous metal clip on that light, as I'd have stood no chance of retrieving it otherwise. I learned that the thermal regulation on that light works very well, as advertised. I learned that my heavy weight 100% cotton 'steel grey' (USA-made) pants are actually red, I just can't normally see that.
So, Mister Wizards, what's up with my 'red' 'steel grey' britches y'all? The light was my 4500K 519A version, but my 4000K SST-20 copy produces essentially the same effect. They're acting as a rather strange filter...and yeah, the much lighter weight fabric the pockets are made from matches the color of the pants, not 'white' like my jeans pockets. I still find the red dot very strange.
EDIT: Don't tell me my steel pants have rusted;-)
