Peak power can only be maintained for a minute (if you are lucky) before it overheats. Peak power is the main advertised spec, so it has to be high and default mode so you don't feel cheated when you turn it on for the first time. The other modes you toggle through are settings that can be sustained for extended periods of time.

The problem is that the old multiple-choice physical switches (like the ones from 90s) got replaced by a single electronic flip-flop button (plus lots of "modernities"). These old flashlights could last for decades (especially if the user has the knowledge to repair it through simple soldering for replacement of a defective battery contact, for example).

The vast majority of flashlights just go to your last setting with one click, what flashlights are you using that this is an issue?

I like using a lot of my flashlights diffrent functions at diffrent times. Although mine also has the option to turn off from whichever if you hold the power button so I don't have to cycle through, which is nice.

My go to light for work is a Streamlight Protac 2L-X. It has a few modes to set it up how you prefer. Plain bright. Low, bright. Bright, strobe. Rechargable 18650 but you have to take the battery out to plug a usb into it but it lasts a loong time between charges so I don't mind

Strobe is great for raves, self defense and epilepsy tests! (jk)

I know the feeling. Most of those features are only useful in low probability events.

If you’re looking for simple flashlights, Maglight has always made decent flashlights, though I’ve been buying Ryobi flashlights for the last 15 years as they are relatively affordable and I’ve already a bunch of their 18v batteries. Not sure how weather proof they are but I’ve never had an issue with the “new” (I think it’s a 10 year old design) led flashlights.

It is basically I/O limitations, and the majority of lights in this area likely have an origin in cycling lights as far as the silicon is concerned. I think that is the original high profit niche that drove a custom asic for the application of a PWM LED controller with integrated charging. Pretty much all other lights are built to a price. The chip likely has additional functionality but the actual designs are all built to a bare minimum price (or max profit margin). From this perspective, you'll see a lot of the feature set differently. On a bike, one button is convenient as well. They usually fash too bright because of the default clock speed of the chip and a design that does not deviate from the chip's example implementation.

The most logical programming is

• Double tap for brightness level - cycles through low, med, high
• Triple tap for sos - this whole setting is optional
• Quadruple tap to reset to default
• Single tap for on and off and it remembers last setting.

Yeah, my grandpa's has like 3 of them for camping. They're rechargeable and made really solid. You control the brightness by pulling on the front which slides the glass thing making it wider and darker or blinding bright but narrow.

My Pretzel headlamp turns on and off in steady full beam. Can choose to cycle through low beam and flashing if I want to with quick depressions of button. Switch to red light and back by depressing and holding button. Sometimes use low beam to save battery, red light to keep from loosing night vision, flashing to be seen, not see with.

Yeah, I've used strobe a few times.

The anduril settings make it easy imo.

But, we use it they're at the house plenty, the strobe. If I'm out in the yard at night, doing some kind of crap in the rain (hello helene, the most recent event that I used it), flipping to the strobe is a quick and easy signal I need help. It lets everyone else stay dry (er, until I need them to come out lol), and means I don't have to fumble with my phone in the wet and dark.

It's not an every day thing, and it isn't meant to be afaik.

It's handy enough that my best friend and his husband now use the lights I bought them after they saw how well it worked and wanted the same thing.

We've also got a sort of awareness of it in the neighborhood now. My using it drew attention, and I explained why I was doing so. Everyone close enough to see the flash now knows that if it's only on for a minute or so, it's no big deal, and I know that after word spread, if I leave it going longer, they'll know I need help, or at least check.

One of the neighbors bought his own wurkkos as word spread. It's such a good signal at night that it's likely going to be a thing in the entire neighborhood rather than just our block.

There's even diffusers you can get for most lights that come in colors, so you could expand the signalling to have different meanings per color, if it became useful to do so.

Seriously, you have no idea how nice it is to not be fucking around in a storm either running back and forth for things, or having someone else just standing around miserable while you work just in case you need help.

It's kinda niche, but at this point, I've got those kind of lights for everyone in the house just in case we need to be coordinated when sound is difficult (like in a freak hurricane lol).

So i carry a sure fire. They don’t. The one I carry takes a rechargeable 18650, and has 2 settings “intellibeam” that adjusts brightness based on near-and-far and intensity, and full-on-burn-your-eyes-out.

They have other lower cost models. Alternatively , if you’re not looking for something that’s incredibly bright, stream light offers a very inexpensive penlight that’s pretty handy. (Only complaint with that is they take AAAA’s)

Agree. I hate having to click through 4 modes just to turn it off. On, dim, on and off slow, strobe…off. No!