Flashlights
Table of Contents
- Terminology
- Battery Sizes
- Battery Models
- Battery Chargers
- Sub-10440
- 10440 and 14500
- 18650
- 18650 and 26650
- Headlamps
- Additional Resources
Terminology
Mostly taken from Flashlight Wiki, other sources are hyperlinked. This is not an exhaustive list.
- Die: The part of the LED that actually produces light. It is usually yellow and protected by a clear dome.
- Dome: A clear plastic or silicone hemisphere placed over the LED or die with the purpose of increasing the amount of light emitted.
- Driver: The electronics between the battery and the LED. Drivers regulate voltage to the LED and provide various light intensity modes and memory functions.
- Electronic Switch: Traditional flashlight switches are “single pole single throw” (SPST) switches that complete a circuit between the battery and the driver. Electronic switches do not complete a circuit, rather are used to ‘tell’ the driver to allow power through. The battery and the driver are always ‘on,’ even when no light is emitted. Electronic switches allow for half presses, click and hold, and other enhanced button inputs that a traditional SPST switch could not. Electronic switches require a small amount of current (referred to as “parasitic drain”) even when the flashlight is turned off so that the driver can monitor the switch.
- Emitter: The actual light-emitting part of an LED assembly. May include the LED die, its circuit board, and the dome attached to the LED.
- Flood: Light that is emitted from a flashlight in a wide pattern, as if to ‘flood’ the scene with light.
- LED: Light Emitting Diode, the electronic component on the die that produces light.
- Lumens: A measurement of light output.
- PCB: Printed Circuit Board. A circuit board with electronics soldered to it.
- Pill: The housing for the driver the LED.
- Orange Peel: Referring to the textured surface of a reflector used to smooth out beam perfections.
- O-Ring: A rubber ring placed alongside threads on the body of a flashlight to make the flashlight water and dust resistant.
- PWM - Pulse Width Modulation. A technique of varying the brightness of an LED by turning it on and off very quickly. Good implementations of PWM are unnoticable by eye, but bad PWM can produce strobing artifacts.
- Ramping: A flashlight mode where the brightness gradually increases or decreases (“ramps” up or down), allowing for the user to select the exact brightness level desired.
- Reflector: A metallic ‘bowl’ that rests around the emitter that redirects light rays to allow for more light to be reflected forward. Typically a chromed reflector is used, but cheaper flashlights with copper-colored “reflectors” serve to do the exact opposite, to prevent light not coming directly from the LED to be emitted out the front of the light.
- Throw: The ability of a flashlight to place light far away, often described as either “flood”-y or “throw”-y, where “throw” or “thrower” refers to light that has a narrow pattern, but high intensity and range (distance).
- UI - User Interface. The specific combition and order of button presses required to operate the various modes of a flashlight. A popular UI for enthusiast flashlights is Andúril, but there are others, such as A6, Biscotti, Bistro, and more.
Battery Sizes
For reference, popular battery sizes for flashlights are shown below.
The naming scheme is as follows (taken from Wikipedia):
The larger rechargeable cells are typically assigned five-digit numbers, where the first two digits are the (approximate) diameter in millimeters, followed by the last three digits indicating the (approximate) height in tenths of millimeters.
- 10440 = AAA
- 14500 = AA
- 16340 = CR123
- 18650 = Probably the most popular size for enthusiast flashlights. Larger than AA
- 21700
- 25500 = C Cell
- 26650
- 32650 = Larger than a D Cell
Battery Models
TODO: list models like VT6 and samsung etc, ignore housefire(tm) batteries
Battery Chargers
TODO: Liitokala and Nitecore
Sub-10440
These flashlights are strictly keychain-size form factor. Some 10440 and 14500 flashlights may pass for being keychain-sized.
- Nitecore TUBE ($5)
- Astrolux K1 ($25)
- Nitecore TINI ($32)
- Nitecore TUP ($40)
- RovyVon Aurora A8 ($47)
- Acebeam UC15 ($50)
Nitecore TUBE
TODO
Astrolux K1
TODO
Nitecore TINI
TODO
Nitecore TUP
TODO
RovyVon Aurora A8
TODO
Acebeam UC15
TODO
10440 and 14500
TODO: Cut down sofirn models
- [Sofirn C01S]
- [Sofirn SF10]
- [Sofirn SF14]
- [Sofirn SP10A]
- Convoy T2
- Lumintop Tool AA
- Wuben E05
Convoy T2
TODO
TODO
Wuben E05
TODO
18650
- Convoy S2 ($10)
- Sofirn SP10 ($15)
- Sofirn SP32A ($15)
- BLF A6 ($22)
- Emisar D4 ($35)
- Lumintop FW3A ($38-$50)
Convoy S2
A classic. The Convoy S2 is widely known as a versitile EDC flashlight and modding platform. Also consider Convoy S9 ($20) for a MicroUSB rechargable varient of the Convoy S2.
Sofirn SP10
TODO
Sofirn SP32A
Alternatively consider the SP31 Version 2, which is similar.
BLF A6
Alternatively consider the Astrolux S1, which is very similar. A successor to the Convoy S2.
Emisar D4
A pocket torch that will literally reach burning temperatures on its turbo settings.
Lumintop FW3A
A ‘flashlight-of-the-month’ for the majority of Summer 2019. A flashlight designed by enthusiasts. Also sold as “BLF FW3A” or “TLF FW3A.”
18650 and 26650
TODO: Cut down this list
- Convoy C8 ($14-$19)
- Convoy S11 ($20)
- Astrolux FT03 ($30)
- BLF Q8 ($45)
- Emisar D4S ($48)
- Sofirn SP36 BLF ($50)
- Convoy L6 ($50)
- Sofirn SP70 ($55)
- MHVAST TS70 ($90)
- Emisar D18 ($100)
Convoy C8
TODO
Convoy S11
A Convoy S2, in 26650 size.
Astrolux FT03
TODO
BLF Q8
A “Soda-can” light designed by enthusiasts. Also known as the Sofirn Q8.
Emisar D4S
A larger varient of the Emisar D4
Sofirn SP36 BLF
An upgraded varient of the BLF Q8, with USB-C and better emitters.
Convoy L6
TODO
Sofirn SP70
TODO
MVHAST TS70
TODO
Emisar D18
A multi-LED monster.
Headlamps
- Eagle Eye X1R ($16)
- Convoy H1 ($27)
- Utorch H09 ($30)
- Skilhunt H03 ($30)
- Rofis R2 ($35-$45)
Eagle Eye X1R
A budget headlamp.
Convoy H1
TODO
Utorch H09
A headlamp with magnetic rotating recharge contact pads(???)
Skilhunt H03
TODO
Rofis R2
TODO
Additional Resources
Stores:
