Terminology: Difference between revisions
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;HOLA: High Output Lamp Assembly, typically a bulb/Light Emitting Diode module that is an upgrade and not standard, providing greater output at the expense of battery life. | ;HOLA: High Output Lamp Assembly, typically a bulb/Light Emitting Diode module that is an upgrade and not standard, providing greater output at the expense of battery life. | ||
;hotspot: The central and most intense portion of a flashlight beam. Intensity of a hotspot is governed by surface brightness of the light emitter, and the shape, depth, diameter, smoothness and reflective efficiency of the reflector surface. i.e. the hotspot is produced by light coming directly from the emitter, PLUS light reflected by the reflector. The more intense the hotspot, the greater the flashlight's | ;hotspot: The central and most intense portion of a flashlight beam. Intensity of a hotspot is governed by surface brightness of the light emitter, and the shape, depth, diameter, smoothness and reflective efficiency of the reflector surface. i.e. the hotspot is produced by light coming directly from the emitter, PLUS light reflected by the reflector. The more intense the hotspot, the greater the flashlight's throw. | ||
;hotwire: Generally, a [[Maglite]] that has been modified with special bulbs and batteries to be significantly brighter | ;hotwire: Generally, a [[Maglite]] that has been modified with special bulbs and batteries to be significantly brighter | ||
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;lux: a measurement of [[Light Output Measurements|light intensity]]. Lux refers to intensity of light at a spot (compare to lumens). | ;lux: a measurement of [[Light Output Measurements|light intensity]]. Lux refers to intensity of light at a spot (compare to lumens). | ||
;mAh: milliampere-hours - a rating of | ;mAh: milliampere-hours - a rating of battery capacity in thousandths of an ampere in an hour. A 1000mAh battery should be able to discharge 1000mA for 1 hour or 500mA for 2 hours. Multiply this by the voltage to get watt-hours, which is the amount of power stored in the battery. | ||
;mcd: millicandela - a measurement of [[Light Output Measurements|light intensity]] | ;mcd: millicandela - a measurement of [[Light Output Measurements|light intensity]] | ||
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;P60 drop-in: an assembly of the reflector, bulb, and driver originally introduced by [[SureFire]], but now an industry standard. See article [[Flashlight Types#P60|P60]] | ;P60 drop-in: an assembly of the reflector, bulb, and driver originally introduced by [[SureFire]], but now an industry standard. See article [[Flashlight Types#P60|P60]] | ||
;pill: a housing for the driver and a mounting point for the LED. In smaller lights it is threaded on the outside and screws into the throat of the flashlight body. | ;pill: a housing for the driver and a mounting point for the LED. In smaller lights it is threaded on the outside and screws into the throat of the flashlight body. | ||
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;PWM: Pulse Width Modulation. A technique of varying the brightness of a LED by flashing it on and off very quickly, making it appear to the eye that the LED is dimmer. Good PWM is at such a high rate that you can't notice it. But if you wave your hand in front of the light and get a strobe effect, the PWM is getting too low. Some use current regulation which makes the light dimmer without PWM. | ;PWM: Pulse Width Modulation. A technique of varying the brightness of a LED by flashing it on and off very quickly, making it appear to the eye that the LED is dimmer. Good PWM is at such a high rate that you can't notice it. But if you wave your hand in front of the light and get a strobe effect, the PWM is getting too low. Some use current regulation which makes the light dimmer without PWM. | ||
;ramping: a mode in some flashlights where the brightness varies (ramps up or ramps down) and you select the brightness level you want. | ;ramping: a mode in some flashlights where the brightness varies (ramps up or ramps down) and you select the brightness level you want. Sometimes this level is then memorized, but in the original Nitecore D10 it is only used until you turn the light off again. | ||
;regulator: in a flashlight, a circuit that takes energy from a battery and converts it to a (usually) constant current or voltage to feed the flashlight's light element (either an LED or bulb). Using a regulator, the flashlight's brightness usually stays constant for the majority of the lifetime of the battery, and then output drops quickly and significantly as the battery is no longer able to supply the required energy. Non-regulated flashlights (also called direct-drive) usually start out at a high output, and then the output diminishes gradually over the lifetime of the battery. See article [[Driver]]. | ;regulator: in a flashlight, a circuit that takes energy from a battery and converts it to a (usually) constant current or voltage to feed the flashlight's light element (either an LED or bulb). Using a regulator, the flashlight's brightness usually stays constant for the majority of the lifetime of the battery, and then output drops quickly and significantly as the battery is no longer able to supply the required energy. Non-regulated flashlights (also called direct-drive) usually start out at a high output, and then the output diminishes gradually over the lifetime of the battery. See article [[Driver]]. | ||