FW3A, a TLF/BLF EDC flashlight - SST-20 available, coupon codes public

So, ah, for those who can’t keep up with the thread, there will be messages on the system here when it’s time to pay money, right?

YEP

Thanks for answering people’s questions. OP updated with the latest news and FAQs. Edited sections are below.


- TK




Current status (2018-06-03): Lumintop made a second prototype, hoping it’ll arrive soon for testing.

Team

  • Fritz15: Design
  • Tommy TLF: General TLF communication
  • DEL: Driver
  • Tom E: Firmware (originally), driver
  • ToyKeeper: Firmware / UI, BLF gardening
  • The Miller: General BLF communication
  • pepinfaxera: Interest list management
  • MRsDNF: Early prototyping
  • Neal: Facilitating tasks in China
  • Lumintop: Manufacturing

The FW3A

Small elegant EDC triple flashlight designed by Fritz15

  • Runs on a single 18650 battery.
  • 94.8 × 25.5 mm: Unusually small for an 18650 light — about the size of a SK-68 (1xAA).
  • Tail e-switch.
  • Bare-looking lathe-like finish, hopefully.
  • Wide range from ~0.3 lm to ~3000 lm.
  • Regulated output up to ~1000 lm.
  • Fancy yet easy UI.
  • Nice clip firmly attached.
  • Good ergonomics.

It’s meant to be a good all-around EDC light, something to be used heavily.

FAQ

How can I get one? What is the ordering process and payment method?

  • First, post in this thread to say how many you want. You’ll be added to the interest list. Then when it’s available to buy, a private message will be sent to you on BLF with further instructions. If you’re not on BLF very often, it helps if you have email notifications turned on for private messages.
  • Ordering and payment: Not yet determined.

How does the FW3A compare to the Emisar D4?

  • FW3A advantages: Slightly smaller, lighter, nicer clip, metal tail switch, higher regulated modes, cheaper (probably), much fancier firmware.
  • D4 advantages: Sturdier, more emitter/optic/host choices, rubber side switch, higher turbo modes, available from mid-2017, also comes in throwy D1/D1S flavors.

Old News

Poll (2018-04-19): What UI style do you want for muggle mode?
Results (2018-06-03): By popular choice, smooth ramp is now implemented for muggle mode.

  1. Smooth ramp (Condorcet winner: wins contests with all other choices)
  2. 3-mode Baton (loses to Smooth ramp by 66–36)
  3. 1-mode (loses to Smooth ramp by 71–31, loses to 3-mode Baton by 63–31)
  4. None (loses to Smooth ramp by 72–34, loses to 1-mode by 57–38)
  5. 3-mode clicky (loses to Smooth ramp by 80–22, loses to None by 51–47)

2018-04-17: Waiting on Lumintop to make second set of prototypes based on feedback from first batch.

2018-02-22: “FW3A Team” account created, thread ownership changed, so now updates can be posted again.

2018-12-xx: The first round of LT prototypes arrived. Details are posted in the thread around that time, and also a little bit in the OP.

2017-11-ish: The Miller is taking some time away from BLF to deal with real-life matters. Tom E has also been too busy to be on BLF much. ToyKeeper is filling in for both… for Tom since 2017-11, and for The Miller since 2018-04.

Change Log

2018-06-03: Updated FAQ, closed muggle mode poll, second prototype confirmed to exist (via potato pics), filled in some missing “old news”.

Thank you for the updated info & post #1 update TK…… :+1: . :beer:

Please add me to the FW3A Flashlight list for 1 each.

Fritz15 explained this, but I still can’t quit laughing about KB’s comment…
It is quotable!!! :smiley: . :smiley:

As well as applicable to so many different situations in life…… :wink:

O. K.
.

Personally I think the tapering looks fantastic. Very futuristic!

Put me down for 3 please.

I can not enter http://www.taschenlampen-forum/

It has been down since 2018-05-25, for some sort of server updates. I haven’t seen it working since before then. All I get is a HTTP basic auth popup I don’t have a login for.

Thank you very much TK

Thanks Fritz and TK for the update. Looking great (just get the surface finish correct please), and pleased to hear that it is still a Fritz design.

Personally I am most impressed with DEL’s driver, which I think is a triple channel design (please correct if wrong) with linear regulation for all except the turbo FET mode, which is very neat, efficient, and should perhaps be emphasised more. Quite a jewel to fit into this, with E-switch as well. I don’t think anything else comparable exists.

As for the “potato” pictures, here’s Fred and Ginger’s take on it:

IMO: both look good, tapered & non-tapared.

For frequent clip users the tapered one will surely function better :cowboy_hat_face:

No argument there… they both look great!! As well as what you said about the clip use. :wink:

This light is going to get a lot of use, I appreciate the taper under the clip.
I used to just let them bounce around in the bottom of my pocket, a straight light across a curved leg looked like I was carrying a roll of quarters all the time.
Gunga convinced me to start using a clip and now it’s a deal-breaker for my EDC. Hands get dirty at work and I can just slip out my clipped light with 2 fingers without dirtying up my pants.
It’s a little thing, but when it’s dragging out of your pants 20x a day the wear adds up.

The design looks similar to HDS but a fraction of the cost, moddable, native 18650 support, and comes with an even better UI. (IMHO)
I’ve been a fan of HDS, Liteflux, and Novatac because of the flexibility programmable lights offer and, more importantly, they have onboard battery protection.
It’s probably irrational for onboard protection to be such an issue for me, but fewer points of failure and not having that strip of doom going down the side of my battery eases my mind.
With any luck this will be the first in a whole lineup of lights like this. One for all of the li-ion battery sizes!!

I like this design.
Oh! Fritz first design, well
Now I, see it better.

You know, I just realized that this is likely the same size as an hds that uses cr123 batteries!

I just sold my hds rotary. That should give me enough $ to buy about 5 of these!

Yes, it is about the same size as some older CR123-based lights. I see 94.0 x 25.4 mm listed for the HDS Rotary CR123, and the FW3A is 94.8 x 25.5 mm. So almost identical size, but it uses 1x18650 instead of 1xCR123. Much greater battery capacity and much higher maximum brightness.