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

Put me down for just 1 right now, looks like you already did. Thanks!

Yes, that looks like well into the blue area of the dark sky map I linked. Similar to where I was a couple of nights ago. There are some parks Iā€™ve been to that are a shade or two darker than the blue areas, but theyā€™re a couple of hundred kilometers away so I rarely get there. Iā€™d like to go to even darker areas, but those are a long way from civilization, mostly in mid-northern parts of Canada where you canā€™t even get to by road. I think there are some equally good areas like that in the deserts of the US, and certainly much easier to get to.

Itā€™s a shame that most people in industrial parts of the world will never get to see the stars under a truly dark sky.

Thatā€™s a great map, thanks! Bookmarked.

My wifeā€™s family has a cabin thatā€™s outside the blue in the light gray, and over 9,000 ft elevation. The sky is amazing at night.

Altitude has a huge benefit, if you want to see the stars. Gets rid of most of that humid air that makes the stars look dimmer.

I live in a dark green area on that map; it used to be blue I believe but not in recent years. So for walking around home, some of the light is pollution. My astro shots suffer a color cast. But Iā€™ve been to darker places; the part of the yellowstone area I visited was pretty good. I could still see by starlight, though it did take some adjustment time.

Yes, a real shame. :frowning:

Besides the remote high country of Colorado & Wyoming I think the darkest area I have experienced is in the Gulf of Mexico.

It is hard to beat a night spent drifting a couple of hundred miles offshore in a sport fishing boat on a clear cool crisp low humidity fall night with no moon.

Turn off all the boat lights, darken all the helm gauges. Darken all the electronic screensā€¦ā€¦ leaving only the proximity alarms active on the two radarsā€¦ā€¦.

Thatā€¦ā€¦. is nothing short of magic!!

Oh, the Milky Way on a clear night. Fabulous. And humbling.

No torch necessary.

You guys and your night sky talk!

I am always in the big city. I guess I donā€™t know what Iā€™m missing. I am happily ignorant, though! :stuck_out_tongue:

I remember about 10 or 15 years ago, there was a power outage that knocked out most of north-east US and southern Canada. I think it lasted for at least several hours, and up to a couple of weeks in some places.

Did people in New York City look up at the sky, and wonder, ā€œWTF is that?ā€ Or, did they just not bother looking up, because thereā€™s never any point in doing so?

(Or maybe it was cloudy or the moon was out?)

Left the city to stay near Galloway for a few nights some years ago, never knew there were so many visible stars on a clear night. Beautiful.

Hi, Iā€™m new hereā€¦
Please add me for one if possible.

I was stuck in Ottawa after the ice-storm and freezing rain that knocked everything out for a couple of weeks, it was lovely. Though I only intended to be there for two days. Walking across the frozen river was perhaps not the most sensible thing to do, should have stuck to skating on the Rideau canal. Still, I survived.

North Norfolk is also pretty good for dark skies (Burnham Market). I am privileged to have multiple choices, I think I would die very quickly in a city.

My main residence is quite close to where the Royal Greenwich Observatory re-located long-ago to escape the miasma from London. (Herstmonceux). But still close to the meridian.

Clean air, clear skies, the coast nearby, my boat on itā€™s mooring. My dog agrees too, if he doesnā€™t get a swim most days he gets even grumpier than me. The sea is warming up nicely now so I will be joining him.

For a truly stunning astronomical experience, try to catch a meteor shower. The Perseids are epic. Comet Hale Bopp was awesome, but that was a long time ago (or in the future).

Total eclipses are great too, seeing the moon shadow approach at 1000 mph is unforgettable. Even though I had to drive to Rouen to see the last one (it was worth it, and cheaper than flying to Lake Balaton).

Put me down for one!

WOO HOO! Put me down for 2x FW3Aā€™s and 1x lantern.

Here, lantern = flashlight! Are you in for 2 x FW3A,then?

What do you call an actual lantern then?

It has to do with translations from different languages to English.
pepinfaxera is from Spain, where flashlight is said ā€œlinternaā€ (in portuguese it is ā€œlanternaā€).
Most common translation from our languages is ā€œflashlightā€ despite ā€œlanternā€ is also used.

In this case I just tried to help to clarify that there is no difference from both terms. So there is only the FW3A flashlight/lantern, not 2 different products to subscribe for!

However, lantern is a term associated to other type of lights. Please search for ā€œZanflare T1 lanternā€ - a recent thread - to see what the term may refer to :wink:

Welcome to BLF!

Lets get this thread back on track.

Iā€™ll startā€¦.

PSA: I am not sorry if you are on a metered or slow connection.

The furthest tree in the center of the frame is approx 42m (138 freedom feet)
The fence line is ~28ft/8.7m
The peak on garage roof is ~63ft/19m

All 3 triples were using 10507 optics (clear narrow spot)
All lights were in their highest mode (mostly FET w/ fresh batteries)
Camera settings were full auto because iā€™m a potato photographer







PS: Since we have a bunch of armchair astronomers can anyone identify the star/satellite/planet/ufo in the pics? I am facing approx due East and iā€™m located in Texas.

As much as I want to ask if itā€™s Uranus, I will guess Venus.