What is the difference between the GatLight V3 Titanium and the GatLight Titanium in production/for sale now?

While the design and look of both is pretty much identical there are a few minor differences:

• The GatLight Titanium is brighter (V-bin LED instead U-bin)
• The knob in the back has a different more refined knurl
• The male thread in the back (knob) is gold plated
• Different titanium alloy for the bars for a perfect finish
• Engraving is GATLIGHT and serial no. start at D-301

Is the GatLight 240 Lumen bright?

The GatLight is using an LED rated by the manufacturer at 240 lumen. However those lumen tests are typically done with a short flash not factoring in brightness loss due to increasing temperature.

The lumen output at max brightness when facturing in the loss through heat as well as other factors is likely to be at around 150+ Lumen.

What is the runtime of the GatLight

The runtime at maximum brightness is about 35-40min - after that you have about 1h of runtime left at a very low brightness level. At the minimum brightness level the runtime with a new battery is about 240h (10 days).

Also the runtime can vary for each light because each LED is slightly different in efficiency. We select the LEDs for maximum brightness and color tint, as a result we can not select for efficiency which can result in your light being slightly different.

Why does the GatLight dim down when one pushes the knob/knob rim (not the switch) in the back.

This is actually a feature, called momentary dim. It allows to temporarily dim the light by simply pushing onto the knob rim - not the switch in the center). This feature is especially liked by users who need to shine into people's faces... f.e. cops, bouncers etc... it alllows them to set the light at max (close to max) to search a car or shine at someone's body, then when they want to see their face, they can temporarily dim the light in order not to blind the person.

Can the GatLight use rechargeable batteries?

Officially the light is designed to be used with 3V Primary Lithium (123) batteries. There are 3V & 3.6V rechargeable lithium ion batteries available and the GatLight's driver circuitry is designed that it can operate with both rechargeable batteries. The driver can work with any input voltage between 1.5 and 5.5 Volts.

HOWEVER there are a couple of things to consider when using rechargeables (such as RCR123s).

1. ONLY use protected rechargeable batteries. Protected means they contain a circuitry which prevents a too high discharge. Batteries without this circuitry build hydrogen inside of the shrink plastic and can explode. We've seen battery manufacturers sell unprotected batteries as protected ones. We know that the batteries at this store here are protected.
    
2. OVERDRIVE - The GatLight is designed that when a rechargeable battery is used, that the light will overdrive the LED by about 30%, meaning at the maximum brightness setting you will get a little bit more brightness, at the expense of dramatically shortened runtime, more heat and reduced life time of the LED (normal life time is 10 years of continous use). As a result when using rechargeables we suggest to only use it at the maximum setting for a short period of time (<3min)and to hold the light. If you need a continuous high brightness (when using rechargeables) just turn the light a notch down - where you notice a slight decrease in brightness...that is typically a safe level to run the light continuously (when using rechargeables). This overdrive feature provides the light with a higher maximum brightness then other flashlights using the same LED for short periods of time.
   If the light is used with regular 3V primary lithium batteries the overdrive feature is not available.
    
3. DISCHARGE - The GatLight is designed to completely drain every battery, all the way down to 1.5V, whether its a primary lithium one way battery or a rechargeable. This feature is desirable when used with primary lithium batteries, however when using rechargeables, draining a battery to less then 2.9 significantly shortens the life time of the rechargeable cells. As a result when using rechargeables it is recommended to recharge frequently and don't let the batteries drain completely - to maximize life of the rechargeable cells.
    

Because it is impossible for us to judge whether a customer is really using a protected cell and the risks associated with not using protected cells, the light is officially specified to be used with primary lithium 3V 123 batteries. However as outlined above the light can be used with rechargeables paying attention to the 3 items listed above.