# Flashlight Specification Tool (Very Cool!)



## Erik1213 (Apr 20, 2013)

I found a website that allows you to search for flashlights across every imaginable variant.

http://flashlights.parametrek.com/index.html

It's fun just changing specifications to search for and see what comes up.


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## Vortus (Apr 20, 2013)

Its interesting, but soooo many brands are missing. If its updated however to include more brands, stores etc, it would be pretty nice.


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## TEEJ (Apr 20, 2013)

I like the idea.

They only have ~ 9 brands in the system though, but, still, its a cool idea.

If you click "Brands"

It does have a part where it asks if you want to see them add a brand....so go there and ask them to add some specific brands.

You can also add other criteria, such as if it can tailstand, is regulated, and so forth.


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## Erik1213 (Apr 20, 2013)

There is a recommendation section. I have already requested several brands, including Zebralight.


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## parametrek (Apr 20, 2013)

Hey, creator of Parametrek here. Glad you guys are liking it! Not to highjack the thread, but I'll answer any questions you all have.


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## gravelmonkey (Apr 20, 2013)

Claimed 575 lm/W efficiency for the Coast HL8... :laughing:

Neat comparison tool, thanks for the heads-up!

Edit: Dig at Coast's claimed runtimes, not your site!


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## Erik1213 (Apr 20, 2013)

Coast always has flawless math. Six 100lm/w efficiency LEDs = ~600 lumens per watt. Right?


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## Erik1213 (Apr 20, 2013)

parametrek said:


> Hey, creator of Parametrek here. Glad you guys are liking it! Not to highjack the thread, but I'll answer any questions you all have.



Just curious, how did you know this site was looking at your page? 

Thanks for making it!


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## parametrek (Apr 20, 2013)

Yeah, the lum/watt numbers are all over the map. They are calculated by _(lumens * hours) / (Wh battery capacity)_. Works great when the flashlight uses a constant-brightness regulator and the battery type is known. For unregulated lights it might overestimate by a factor of three to six. A unfortunate artifact of how the ANSI FL1 testing is done.

Has Selfbuilt done any nice runtime graphs for cheap unregulated flashlights? Should be possible to calibrate the efficiency numbers then.

Edit: I can't seem to find any unregulated lights tested by Selfbuilt. However, http://flashlightreviews.com has a bunch. Looks like direct drive (resistor) overestimates by around 4x and unregulated boost (Joule Thief circuits) overestimates by 2x on alkaline batteries.


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## parametrek (Apr 20, 2013)

Erik1213 said:


> Just curious, how did you know this site was looking at your page?



HTTP Referers. Whenever you click on a link, the browser asks a server for the webpage at the URL you clicked. Most browsers will also tell the server what page you were looking at when you clicked the link. It is not very useful, except when you suddenly get a 4x increase in traffic and want to know why


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## parametrek (Apr 23, 2013)

Added Zebralight to the index.


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## awyeah (Apr 23, 2013)

I'd like to request that this thread be made sticky.


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## alexandrul (Apr 23, 2013)

parametrek said:


> Hey, creator of Parametrek here. Glad you guys are liking it! Not to highjack the thread, but I'll answer any questions you all have.



There is something fishy about the filters, I get a Mini MA-AD by Foursevens in the resulting list when I select Fenix and 1xAA.

Update: The filtering seems to work just fine after a page refresh. If I play with the filters a lot (select 1xAA, deselect 1xAA, select 1x18650, and so on), I get strange results (like no E35 found for Fenix + 1x18650).


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## Speedfreakz (Apr 23, 2013)

alexandrul said:


> There is something fishy about the filters, I get a Mini MA-AD by Foursevens in the resulting list when I select Fenix and 1xAA.
> 
> Update: The filtering seems to work just fine after a page refresh. If I play with the filters a lot (select 1xAA, deselect 1xAA, select 1x18650, and so on), I get strange results (like no E35 found for Fenix + 1x18650).



I thought it was just me being clueless. a refresh did It


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## parametrek (Apr 23, 2013)

alexandrul, might I ask the browser and version you are seeing this with? I won't say the system is perfect (try clicking on all the sorting buttons really fast) but those basic filters should be watertight. My first guess would be an accidental hidden filter that is blocking the E35 from the results.


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## alexandrul (Apr 23, 2013)

Firefox 21 beta. In this video you can see the page behavior on my PC: at the 3rd try (starting at 1:40) I was able to replicate the missing E35 from the results of Fenix + 1x18650 filters. In almost all cases, there is a mismatch between the result count and the list of results.


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## parametrek (Apr 24, 2013)

Huh. Okay, that is pretty bad  Thank you for recording the video, it clarifies things immensely. It is also odd that the browser never loads the pictures.

I do not know what to say other than it works in FF19, all the webkits (from android to safari), IE10 and Chrome. I'd really need to sit down with Firebug on a computer with the problem to get to the bottom of it. To that end, it looks like you are on Windows. It should not matter (but just in case) which version of windows? And 32 bit or 64 bit? And we are taking about the latest FF beta binaries, 21.0b3?

Taking a single random shot into the dark, I'm guessing the problem might be related to some junk that was added for IE8 compatibility. It's been cut out. Does it act any better after a page reload?


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## alexandrul (Apr 24, 2013)

Windows 7 x64, latest beta, the site works ok with all add-ons disabled. However, I can't surf with all add-ons disabled, so I did try to whitelist your site in every extension I could think of, and it's still not working after many selections. However, the issue is my browser, so it's my problem.

OTOH, very nice site


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## parametrek (Apr 28, 2013)

alexandrul, good news. It looks like this was fixed in FF 20 beta 4.


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## alexandrul (Apr 28, 2013)

parametrek said:


> alexandrul, good news. It looks like this was fixed in FF 20 beta 4.



Indeed, it's much better now (not perfect, I can still replicate the issue in 4-5 attempts with the add-ons enabled and the site whitelisted, but is a huge improvement over the last beta build). Thank you for the good news 

As a side note, could you add a PWM yes/no/unknown property?


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## parametrek (May 4, 2013)

I've added the frequenty requested EagleTac brand, viewable here.

It took a little longer than expected, due to wonkiness on their specifications page. Such as the way turbo mode is used to game the ANSI FL1 tests, and how they report max theoretical lumens as well as measured lumens, and the sheer number of LED/battery combos they describe.

The voting for what to do next continues.


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## parametrek (May 11, 2013)

Added ThruNite, here are their lights. It is nice to see a company that really embraces moonlight/firefly modes, with 75% of their models having a sub-lumen level. (Only Zebralight has more, though ThruNite is much more affordable.)


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## parametrek (May 17, 2013)

I read through the fog thread the other day and decided to focus on throwers this week, particularly "Recoil" throwers. These lights point the LED backwards, into a parabolic reflector. This allows for a very shallow reflector and perfectly focused beam. Downside is that the LED is hard to cool, limiting max output. (No one has yet done the next logical step of recoil mounting with heatpipes connected back to the body. Do any high power lights use heatpipes for that matter?)

Pelican is not a brand mentioned often around the forums, but they are known for their recoil lights. They also offer some nice variety to the typical catalogs of black tactical lights. Many of their standard features I'd like to see more places try: day-glow yellow bodies, glow-in-the-dark bezels, waterproof to 100 meters. One truly unique headlamp of theirs uses a non-contact infrared proximity sensor to change modes and sounds like a great idea for when you are wearing filthy and bulky gloves. Now if only they'd use better regulation circuitry...

You can see my index of Pelican's lights here.

If you want to try out recoil on a budget, there are the Ultrafire WF-008 and Sipik CK361 lights.


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## parametrek (May 26, 2013)

Added Olight to the listings. This brings Parametrek to a total of 497 flashlights.


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## Erik1213 (May 26, 2013)

Thanks for the update!


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## Tiresius (May 29, 2013)

Didn't like how highCRI always sends me back to the minimus. Almost all search with 0 results *always* shows the minimus--which is super annoying because I do not like SF's headlights.


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## parametrek (May 29, 2013)

Tiresius said:


> Didn't like how highCRI always sends me back to the minimus. Almost all search with 0 results *always* shows the minimus--which is super annoying because I do not like SF's headlights.


 If it shows the Minimus, then you are not getting 0 results - you are getting 1. The Minimus does not even have a high CRI LED, it has a "warm white" led. It is the only model in the database with a warm led too, so stop checking "warm" and you won't see it. If you only have high CRI checked, you will not see the Minimus. If you really don't like Surefire's products, open the Brands filter, select Surefire and click Invert. Here is a link with that already done for you.


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## parametrek (Jun 12, 2013)

Added Streamlight flashlights. They one took a little longer because there are so many models; over a hundred. This brings the grand total to 611 flashlights. Here are the new additions.


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## argleargle (Jun 12, 2013)

I like the tool. Thanks! Bookmarked...


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## Cataract (Jun 13, 2013)

Internet Explorer 8 is saying there are erros on the page. I might be missing a plug-in, but I'm checking from work and can't install anything myself. Cool tool, though and bookmarked even if I can't use it at the moment. 

I'd like to see Regulation and PWM added as a parameter and perhaps a description of how bad the PWM frequency is or the frequency itself when it is known.


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## parametrek (Jun 13, 2013)

For now IE8 is not supported. I spent a day trying to hack around its quirks and got nowhere. Long term I'd like to fix that but there are more important things to do. (Been working on a UI overhaul.)

Regulation and PWM are tricky things. I've got about half the information compiled, not yet enough to release on the site. Not everyone says if they are using it and not every light has been reviewed here at CPF. Some lights use a mix of regulated, unregulated and PWM. A lot of turbo modes these days are direct-drive, even those from good companies. It is all very messy.

Portable firefox?


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## parametrek (Jun 17, 2013)

No new models added, but fleshed out lots of data.

You can now search for lights by regulation, tailstand, voltage indicator or integrated charger. All of these are availible (along with pocket clip, focusable and variable output) under the new *features* filter.


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## parametrek (Jun 24, 2013)

Lots of new stuff the past few days. The bulk of the UI improvements are finished and ready for you fellows to play with. It feels much faster and less cluttered now. New flashlights include 32 models by Klarus, 11 models by LRI, 16 models of Maglite and 18 models of Armytek. The grand total is up to 688.

Klarus has some pretty nifty lights. The 1xAA RS1A is the first light I've seen with a built in NiMH charger. And they have the cutest gold plated 1xAAAA keychain model.

LRI is of course the standard for keychain lights. Not the most interesting, but very practical and with a large selection of options. I had never heard of their more traditional 1xAA white & red Proton Pro for example.

I never realized how *sturdy* Armytek builds. They are the only place I've seen with IP-68 and 10m drop testing standard across all their products.


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## parametrek (Jul 14, 2013)

A few minor additions this week. L3 Illumination is a fairly small and new manufacturer, however they have the distiction of making the most affordable Nichia 219 light on the market. When it is in stock, at least.

Black Diamond was added by popular request. Would be nice if more of their lights were regulated, or if they tested to FL1.

And Maratac, because they make some very affordable stainless steel lights.


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## parametrek (Jul 26, 2013)

Malkoff and Solarforce were leading the polls, and I've just finished adding them. See them here. I've only done their (small) number of fully assembled lights. Still trying to figure out a good interface for all the host/drop-in combinations.

The flashlight request page is starting to look a little thin, so I'll probably do one of the larger and less exciting brands next. Maybe Energizer, Gerber or Lenser.


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## Slewflash (Jul 26, 2013)

Erik1213 said:


> Coast always has flawless math. Six 100lm/w efficiency LEDs = ~600 lumens per watt. Right?



Not sure if you're being sarcastic, but six 100lm/w LEDs would be 600lm/6w, which still equals 100lm/w.


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## parametrek (Aug 6, 2013)

Added Inova and Led Lenser this week. Inova seems to be the only place you can get lights with the old style of Surefire tail switch - momentary push, twist to stay on. Lenser is of course known for their wide variety of focusable beam flashlights. I did not realize that many of their lights have variable dimming circuits as well, though these light also have extremely agressive stepdowns.


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## Gene43 (Aug 7, 2013)

Malkoff Hound Dog and Wildcat?


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## parametrek (Aug 7, 2013)

Hound Dog and Wildcat are both head-only, bodies need to be purchased separately. Little more complicated than what I'm aiming for now. I'd like to hear any ideas on how it could work though.


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## argleargle (Aug 7, 2013)

Thanks again, parametrek! I'm like a lizard monitoring this thread. I regularly view the comparison site. A tool like this was dreadfully needed. Fan mail? Nah. Just sayin' "good job," keep up the good work!


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## parametrek (Aug 23, 2016)

Sorry, I haven't posted any updates to this thread in ages! But you might be interested that I've bought a banner ad for here on CPF. I haven't been able to figure out how to upload anything but here's what it looks like:



​
Thanks for all the support, and I'm proud to be able to give something back.

edit: Figured it out.


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## parametrek (Nov 23, 2016)

Just a small announcement about my site: I've added quite a few links to standardized beamshots. Between wikilight.de and fonarik.com there are beamshots for 261 different models. So now parametrek is a quick reference to specs, manufacturer's pages, CPF reviews and beamshots.


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## Grijon (Nov 24, 2016)

I've been using Parametrek for some time; it really is a wonderful tool and I thank you for it!


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## bulrush (Nov 25, 2016)

I don't quite see it on the sight, but is there a tool to find a flashlight list that shows runtime per amp hour? I would call that "power efficient". Their "efficacy" is lumens per watt. I would call that "brightness efficiency".


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## parametrek (Dec 9, 2016)

Bulrush, I don't quite follow what you mean? Amp hours are a bad unit. Series vs parallel, li-ion vs NiMH all cause problems.. Voltages matter so watt hours are the only practical thing. What is runtime? Hours? Hours per watt hour cancels out to be inverse watts.

The search engine has two new features! Lights with integrated charging now have a micro-USB charging sub-category. Micro-USB is great when you are giving a flashlight to a non-flashaholic. No special chargers or special cables to worry about.

The second new feature is to help you find lights of a certain shape. Previously you could filter by length and body diameter. Now it also has a filter for bezel diameter. This makes it easy to find slim tube lights or big-head throwers.


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## parametrek (May 2, 2017)

Big news! I've added a search engine for batteries. They are all from reputable US dealers like Illumn, Mtn Electronics and IMRbatteries too. Check it out and tell me what you think?

http://batteries.parametrek.com


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## eh4 (May 6, 2017)

Really nice! Bookmarked. 
It would be useful if you could add a blacklist function, for instance "No Tail switch", or "No Side switch".


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## parametrek (May 7, 2017)

You can do that that, but it is complicated so the functionality is slightly hidden. In the "switch" filter there are buttons on the right do various advanced functions. Specifically the "any" button, which changes how boolean logic is applied. (Default is "any" aka boolean OR.) Tap the button to change the logic. Cycling it to "none" will find logical complements. For example, here are flashlights without a tail switch.

Let's say you want something a little more expressive. You want a light that not only doesn't have a tail switch, but does have a side switch or control ring. That can be expressed using the "only" option (aka logical subset). Here are lights with only control rings/side switches.


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## ChibiM (May 8, 2017)

Never saw the website, but think that is a great idea! Thanks for all the work!


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## eh4 (May 9, 2017)

Parametrek, that's excellent, thanks!


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