UKH

Just bought a Petzl E-lite and noticed that the burn times on the packaging seem back to front?

Says the high output is 26 lumins for 50h, while economy white light for 75h. But then it's red light use, both constant and flash both only last for 30h?

Is that correct? And if so, why would you ever use the red light?
It says 'being seen' distance is 750m with red light and 2300m with the economic white light.

In reply to CharlieMack:

The red light is for reading a map at night so it doesn't ruin your night vision.

Use the white light if you want to be seen.

In reply to ewar woowar:

If that's its sole purpose, the flashing red light seems pointless. I know on most models the red is a low output that usually lasts longer for emergencies. Seems silly that for and 'emergency-lite' (sic) that the red lasts so little time.

In reply to CharlieMack:

Never really seen any value in the flashing red mode on mine.

If I want to be seen, white is by far the best light to use on any torch/headtorch. (at the same wattage)

I have no science to back this up, but my guess is that a 10w white light will have a higher lumens count than a 10w red.

In reply to CharlieMack:

Red light does less damage to your night vision if you are just using the torch to check details on a map. The red light on that torch will only let you see about 5m max so is only good for fairly specific uses.

In reply to ewar woowar:

Agreed. I think they confirmed this in their packaging. Guess the only use would be on your back as a bike light. But its pretty dim. So seems pointless.

In reply to CharlieMack:

I (very) occasionally use the flashing red when walking on roads, I fix the torch round my leg pointing backwards, and use a normal torch to face forwards.

In reply to CharlieMack:

If you are being searched for from a helicopter the white light would blind the night vision gear used to look for you which is why you should not aim a white light at the aircraft at night until a search light is aimed at you

The red light maybe helps locate you and give a point to hover on without the risk of being blinded. The strobing mode the helps extend the battery life in the red setting

In reply to berna:

Makes a lot of sense. Though the strobe mode has the same battery life as standard red light. This baffles me. Unless it's slightly higher output on strobe? Not sure.

In reply to CharlieMack:

good spot. I checked the tech specs on the petzl website and it says it has the same output on both settings so much like you I was initially puzzled.

Them I remember something I read a good while ago somewhere(apologies for the wobbly quote). It basically said that our brains tend to interpret some things as background in order to be able to focus on important things and therefore if there is no change at all as the case may be with a red light turned on continuously you'd risk this being accidentally filtered out whereas the change in the scenery created by the blinking light would stand out much more to someone looking.

In reply to berna:

Ok so basically if you're being looked for by mountain rescue, you have the light blinking white. If you're reading a map then continuous red. And when attracting the attention of a helicopter, then blinking red. Got it.

Though I'd much rather dazzle the helicopter for a few seconds than them not see me. Although I guess if you've given them accurate location then the red seems best so as not to annoy them

In reply to CharlieMack:

Unless they prefer not to approach you for fear of being blinded and smashing into the side of a mountain...

I do see your point and most of my comments come from sort of remembering having read something at some point somewhere so they are to be taken with quite a bit as (opposed to a pich) of salt.

In reply to CharlieMack:


It's quite handy to put on the back of a helmet when cycling, either as a supplement in dodgy traffic, or as an emergency if your rear light runs out of batteries.

In reply to spenser:

Sounds ideal, but orange (OS) contour lines on a map don't show up under red light.