One is human-powered portable, the other requires something mechanically more powerful to transport the same distance. The WW2 spotlight if we’re talking about the same thing were called searchlights IIRC. The image of a searchlight at least to me brings up something on wheels basically. Portable but not truly a spotlight either.
So the gray area is getting grayer and grayer. That’s all I’m really saying here. :sunglasses:
1. New LEP lights will show up. The low end will drop in price. The high end will improve performance. There’s a lot room for improvement.
2. BLFers will learn more about LEPs. What is the actual emitter performance/power curve? What power gives the peak performance? Can we swap the laser for a better one? Can we swap the phosphor for a better one? Can we move the emitter to another light? I’m not sure that all these questions will be answered in 2019. But some will.
3. Boost HX - I hope it becomes readily available, but I’m not certain it will. I hope it will perform as well as advertised, but I’m not certain it will. If it delivers….wow, it’s going to shake things up.
4. I don’t predict whether it will happen. But I hope it does:
5. More flashlight powerbanks.
6. More Type-C
I’m somewhat dismayed by the false dichotomy - you can have either throw or high CRI. The latest developments really cement this. LEPs are low CRI and that’s not easy to change. Osram’s thrower LEDs are way better than any others that we’re aware of - and low-CRI only.
I don’t expect that to change but I’d love too.
My two are that the F3WA gets finished, and we get a nice, thin 14500 light with a good driver. The Wuben E05 was a good start, but there are improvements to be made.
Edit: I hope Hoop gets some traction with Darkside Illumination too, I really want a Nymph or really anything that comes from him.
Really like to see some active cooling lights.
Not something like the acebeam x70 with its fan handle 
.
I’ve been reading these predictions in the tone of the late 90s Conan, in the Year 2000 skits with their incan maglites. Good stuff and good discussion.
Solderless surface mount and wireless.
Next year may be a little too early; but some “crazy engineer” with a little hole in the wall shop will figger it out sooner or later. 
I hope we get to see a BLF triple or quad XHP70.2 pushing 12-15K lumen in a BLF Q8 form factor with a slightly larger head.
What kind of solderless surface mount?
Your #2 is intriguing on various levels. Specifically to mod LEP’s I ponder that one should/will become an expert on this laser class. Especially the type that can/will blind you permanently if you don’t know what you’re doing.
I kinda equate this upcoming LEP paradigm to electricians that know how the wiring IN your home works and can play with it competently vs a lineman that understands the unique characteristics of the high tension overhead that supplies power TO your home.
So I wonder, if the typical BLF LED modder (home level electrician) is adequately prepared to deal with some of these lineman level deals when he takes these LEP modules apart and starts fooling around with a laser. Maybe a P60 sealed module approach for most of us here is the way we’ll end up approaching this shift.
I guess we’ll find out. Maybe it’ll be easy. Maybe not. Hopefully no one gets hurt in the process of learning cuz ya know they think it’s just another flashlight.
Obviously this ain’t.
“Have you lost yer mind?”
Answer: “Nope. I’m just a BLFer.”
:laughing: 
Hmm…Haikelite MT09R or MT03 II? Seem to check all the boxes except that they are only partially BLF developed.
Indeed, the hobby becomes much more dangerous. This applies not only to modders but also to consumers of lights. Before the first LEPs appeared there was speculation that light manufacturers would use fully integrated LEP modules. That turned out too optimistic. A manufacturing defect is very dangerous with LEPs….
No, they aren’t. There is a reason why the use of Class 4 lasers is restricted.
You’re absolutely right. It’s not a flashlight. It’s the flashlight.
This is a rare case of bragging where it’s entirely warranted.
Ya know my wife wood completely agree!!!
:laughing: :+1:
If you blind me one good eye from Norway I’m suing. :person_facepalming:
Deal! :sunglasses: :person_facepalming:
Zebralight never produced a follow-up to their compact S6300 reflector triple.
MecArmy/Altun exploded on the scene with their PT series triples offering efficient noPWM, larger than Carclo optics flood, interchangable battery tubes with easy to mod heads featuring unglued bezels. They only produced PT16 reflector triples in titanium and bra$$ models. The beams were CW only, and full of artifacts.
Now we have to hope for something from FF (are you guys reading this?), with special order sm4070e Nichias, reflectors by Eagtac orAndy Wei (Sunwayman), infinite mag control ring from the Jetbeam rrt01/TCR1, the same Altun USB (rechargeable) battery tubes (with addition of 16500 and 18500 sizes), offering extra heads and tubes a la carte like Emisar and Jaxman.
Include additional finishes Olight is fond of, and easy UI flashing as on the already exposed contacts Altun has on the undersides of the heads for those wanting ramping, presets, or attachment to your smartphone
I predict Thorfire may make a comeback in the industry with new flashlights models. Their quality is typically good, even though I didn’t see many models in the pre-Christmas shopping season.
Who knows, maybe 2019 could even bring another community-designed Thorfire light?
DD ‘drivers’ will finally lose popularity in 2019 due to low Vf LEDs.