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

Bare beam angle matters w/out a collimator. With - die size does. And LH351D has it over twice as large as SST-20.

Yeah, that makes sense.

I can’t find exact numbers, but if it was a doubling in central beam width from the SST-20 to the LH351D (without getting into the effect of the lens), that would triple the hotspot brightness (within the hotspot area of the SST-20), but the rest of the light would be much brighter (on average outside the range of the SST-20’s hotspot) on the LH351D.

Comparing SST-20 to LH351D, the SST-20 is quite a lot more throwy, and the LH351D is very very floody. I don’t have the exact numbers, but on Carclo’s spec sheet, there are some similar emitters to compare…

  • XP-G2: 5.5 cd/lm
  • LH351B: 3.0 cd/lm

SST-20 is similar in size to XP-G2, so ~5.5 cd/lm might be about right. However, LH351D is two steps larger than LH351B. So at a very rough guess, we’re talking ~5.5 cd/lm vs about ~2.0 cd/lm. The SST-20 likely gets more than twice as much beam intensity per lumen. Even at half the brightness, it should still throw farther… and with less light in the near field causing pupil contraction and haze, objects in the distance should be easier to see.

Looking at it from a different data source, LH351D is about as floody as XP-L HD. Probably a little bit more floody, even. And from Intl-Outdoor’s D4S specs, I see that SST-20 is about 2.6 times as throwy as XP-L HD. So I’m guessing we can expect a similar ratio in the FW3A.

So… At a very rough guess, here’s what to expect:

  • SST-20 65CRI: 15.5 kcd, 2600 lm
  • XP-L HI 75CRI: 12.5 kcd, 2800 lm
  • SST-20 95CRI: 11.5 kcd, 2000 lm
  • LH351D 70CRI: 7.5 kcd, 3300 lm
  • LH351D 90CRI: 6.5 kcd, 2800 lm

Ish.

Plus or minus a pretty wide error margin.

Aside from the extra cost, and aside from people wanting high CRI, I’d kinda prefer to do a spread of XP-L HI tints instead. ~3300K, ~4100K, ~4900K, ~5700K, all in “A” or “D” tints so they’d be on the pink side of BBL. Or perhaps they can be convinced to do a Cree spread and a high-CRI emitter.

I’m not really sure what’s going on lately though. The last message I got was a bit over a week ago, and all it said was “it is fit”. I think that was about the driver shelf being cut wide enough, but I’m not sure and my request for clarification hasn’t been answered. So I guess we just wait for news as usual.

Please add me to the list. Thought I was there already, but can’t find it any more.

Add me to the list please, I’m interested in buying this flashlight!

Thats a good idea. I have a 4000k xpl-hi and even though it’s not a hcri, it’s pretty good. I would still want a warmer hcri but would jump on this as well.

We knew your username was usurped, now you are also a renegade.

Definitely! I default to XP-L Hi 4000k V2 5D in a bunch of triples and quads. The ever so slight pink looks so much better than any of the Nichia 219c that I have had and many others.

List updated in post #4. 1447 people, 2080 lights… plus ~400 on TLF.


- TK

The people at the source of this effort should feel complimented.

Is that a record number for a BLF/TLF initiative?

I humbly ask for access to this light- it sounds like precisely what I want. Cheers!

(been lurking… for years it seems- just registered to ask advice… and am awestruck by members’ kindness and generosity…I’ll be dropping by fairly regularly- I’m hooked)

a record of some sort…longevity? prolongevity?

It kind of depends on whether the manufacturer puts a limit on the number of lights sold at the cheaper, group buy price. I’m surprised they are allowing 2000. Their profit margin goes up the more they can sale at the regular, higher price. Anyway, it seems the list keeps growing. :smiley:

News has it that the (most probably) last hurdle of this project is the delayed availability of the optics before production commences.

I sure hope so… I’ve followed this from the beginning. Can’t (but can) believe it’s been nearly two years. I dream of the day my inbox has that new unread message from FW3A Team :weary:

Thanks for the update tatasal…. :+1:

:beer:

Thanks for the latest news. Does the news include clarification whether they’re still having trouble sourcing high CRI emitters, or is it possible this is the last hurdle only before the XP-L HI version starts production?

I think the anticipation is the greater part of the fun - admit it, three days after the light shows up it’ll be on the shelf with the other 40 lights we don’t use, and we’ll be griping because The Next Great Thing is taking so long to arrive. :person_facepalming:

Enjoy the anticipation, it’ll be over soon.