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

Yes, we wouldnā€™t want to go off topic in this thread :smiley:

Heavens no, that would be tragic. Especially since the thread has stayed so close to topic thus farā€¦ :smiley: :smiley:

I had forgot all about TKā€™s Tom Tom post, I was back focused on the light again. Then Tom brings it up and now itā€™s topical again. I think he shot hiself in the foot by bringing it up. :person_facepalming:

Now back to the FW3A. :innocent:

OK! So, what mods are you people thinking about when the FW3A arrives? :partying_face:

Not planning on modding. The only exception being a possible LED change in one (1) of mine. The stock XP-L HIā€™s will remain in the others.

Iā€™ve been thinking on that too, I would like to get some Luxeon V 4000K into it!
Recently, I started thinking about the possibility to add a tritium vial in the tail cap, but that may be dependent on the thickness of the metal (to dig a place for the trit) :beer:

Iā€™m probably going to try and electroplate this light.

Iā€™d love myself a copper plated light, or a silver plated light.

Slicing LH351 for High CRI Samsung HI version.

I would have liked some LH351*B* but they donā€™t like direct driveā€¦
So itā€™ll be SST20, maybe Iā€™ll try a 3000K + 4000K + 5000K mix to see how it goes.
Maybe Orange LEDs if itā€™s there for Halloween :innocent:

Iā€™ll configure Anduril to discrete ramping, floor level 1, ceiling level 130 (max 8 x 7135), and 7 steps. This puts max 1 x 7135 at step 4.

Iā€™ve been using discrete ramping with my ROT66 and I think I prefer it this way. Of course, if I need more options, it only takes three clicks to go back to smooth ramping.

If I have the free time, Iā€™ll do a 3-way comparison to decide what emitter choice I like best:

  • LH351D Stock
  • LH351D Sliced domes
  • SST-20

The ease of modding will depend on whether Lumintop glue it together, as was their intention.

Please not, at least for the BLF run.

Has that been kiboshed yet ?

Lower Vf leds donā€™t concern me, actually my preference for overall efficiency and consistency of output, in linear mode. This has X1 and X7 7135 banks (I think), which is enough to sustain more than enough output for my needs, and as much as something this size can reasonably sustain, thermally.

Actually this driver (DELā€™s ISTR) is a key attraction, together with the lack of bling stuff (e.g lighted up this that and the other).

I see the FET as a novelty feature, of little practical use, for me, for a few seconds. But fun.

As a compact, factory triple, with an attractive driver and firmware, at a price which I would exceed just trying to cobble together e.g. an S2 myself, I still want one.

The tail e-switch keeps it short, but adds a lot of complexity and potential for future problems. Time will tell. At least it is in the right place, tail, not side. It also makes it interesting.

Efficiency is in opposition to consistency of output with linear drivers. That is to say, consistency of output is provided by lower Vf, but using a linear driver with a large difference between LED Vf and battery voltage results in more energy wasted by the driver.

LH351D

SST-20 - 4000k

SST-20 - 2700k

XP-L HI V2 5D

I would like to add one more for a total of 2 please

2xLH351D 4000k+1x SST-20 3500k.

Not really. Keep in mind that they were only considering using glue on the tail cap. So the only mods it might effect are removing the clip and bypassing/replacing the tail spring.

All the more likely mods, swapping emmiters, lenses, etcā€¦ are not effected.

Sign me up plz. Thanks OP.

2* 4000k SST-20 & 1* 3000k SST-20 might be a nice combo

How much of an effect does bypassing the tail spring actually have? I know PFlexPRO swears by it (claiming ā€œ200 lumensā€ worth of reduced resistance), but if it was actually such a major difference maker, wouldnā€™t it be more of a standard feature rather than something only seen in mods?