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

No, Neal is working in this project with Lumintop; Barry is from Sofirn.

Also, to frame this, I will quote from here:

And honestly, I guess we don’t need to get into more details! The things that are missing will be probably solved (leds, optics), taking more or less time. All that helps finding solutions in articulation with Lumintop and the team, is probably welcome. More than that…I believe not so much, specially considering our inherent expectation (or delusion, in some cases).

tatasal and ToyKeeper are keeping us updated when possible!! It is better to let them bring the news than speculating and throwing stones to the Universe! :arrow_right:

Well, whatever the story, it seems that Neal did not secure the supply from his different supplier, for whatever reason. Who knows who let down whom.

Bottom line is that they are not yet available for the first FW3A build, so we’ve been told. Leading to disappointment.

BTW, why is a middleman (Neal) dabbling in procurement ? Surely that’s the job for Lumintop professional buyers. Where and how has he inserted himself here, and is his continued presence conducive to progress ?

Give the buyers a signed-off Bill of Materials (BOM) and let them do their job. Should have been committed many months ago. LEDs, driver components, MCPCB, optics. all critical items.

The driver design, optic and LED choice were determined months ago, and have not changed. Just refinement of the mechanical parts.

I think BlueSwordM helped Sofirn find emitters for the BLF Lantern.

Regarding optics, Digikey has thousands of the 10507 in stock, but as was noted upthread, it produces undesireable artifacts with at least the XP-L HI.

They’ve only got a couple hundred of the 10511, but say it can be ordered with an 8 week lead time:
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/carclo-technical-plastics/10511/1066-1058-ND/2641674

Mouser has around 1000:
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Carclo-Technical-Plastics/10511?qs=sGAEpiMZZMt82OzCyDsLFCKTBTJBKqhiN5ShHkyUM2M%3D

Arrow has only 26, but BLF members should keep in mind Arrow has free shipping:
https://www.arrow.com/en/products/10511/carclo-technical-plastics

Off topic, but it’s interesting that a simple 4 mode twisty that had an unimpressive max output even by the standards of 6 years ago did so many things right that it is still worth comparing to one of the most anticipated lights today.

I’ve lamented this before, but I still wish L3 had put the effort into figuring out how to make their lights more robust, instead of just fading away.

Interested for 1, please!

Thank you iamlucky13. Any decent buyer should have found those in a few seconds. And more.

Tired of these delaying excuses.

Well Tom Tom,
since you seem to have all the answers, why don’t you just build your own Group Buy flashlight in like 30 days since it is so easy?
We’ll wait.

Peace Out

Thirty days is too long.

One week perhaps? :beer:

One thing we should all keep in mind: The wait may be frustrating, but it it is well worth it if it results in a superior light.

Give me two years (and counting) and I’m quite sure I would be years further forward. Onto MK IV. In my business (Aerospace) 6 months is a long time, for very complex stuff. In F1 2 weeks is enough for big redesigns, testing, manufacture, back for the next race.

This slow pace, and dilletantism, is mind-numbing. I suspect some enjoy the process far more than the satisfaction of a result, and would prolong things indefinitely, if not restrained.

Still don’t know why I bother with torches, they are such simple things, hardly a challenge.

Meanwhile our suppliers want to get on quickly, make their sales, move on, improve their offerings, do business, continuously improve, improve their lives.

Seems not to be be understood here any more, the drive seems to have gone, and it’s left to a handful of fuddy-duddies to try to keep the flame alive, at their slow pace, and with their conservative attitudes, stuck in their furrows, basking in their fan club plaudits.

Real innovation here ? Show me some from the last few years.

Not volunteering to have another go, having participated in teams twice, interesting but exhausting, frustrating thankless, no concept by others of how to run an efficient tight programme, and unappreciated by the masses.

Other good people I used to work with have just withdrawn for their own reasons. As have I.

Cherish the very few that you have left.

:wink:

Given your experience and wise advice you don’t seem to practice what you preach.

Don’t mind Sharpie Tom Tom. He just really likes to complain and argue. Even got banned for it, but he eventually made a new account. He has been stirring up trouble on BLF for three years now, since around the end of 2015.

If I understand correctly, he’s part of the reason why the “Report” button was added. (originally called the “Rude!” button)

As our admin wrote and reiterated

Thank you for confirming my suspicion, TK.
I enjoy listening to opposing viewpoints at times, and I appreciate knowledge and perspectives that I don’t have, but wow, talk about glass half empty…

Doh! :person_facepalming: Thanks TK :beer:

I did not know about Sharpie & TomTom, ToyKeeper.

Now things make a lot more sense, as I remember Sharpie.

Hopefully, very soon; we will be going from this….

to this….

…. and the FW3A’s will start rolling off the assembly line. :beer:

I’m surprised the chinese don’t make flashlights out of jade…
i would like a lens made of jade…
jade is as hard as a diamond

Shatters on impact and weighs 1kg

Count me in for 1. Hoping for the LH351D version to have news come out but otherwise I’ll take whatever will actually, really exist.

Some news, for those wanting schedule info:

So… that’s the soonest anything could happen.

The supplier has been unable to get LH351D yet, so the first run is almost certainly going to be XP-L HI 3D only. After that, I’m not sure if it’ll be SST-20, LH351D, or other XP-L HI tints.

Thanks for the update TK. :+1: