FW3A mod thread. Post yours!

Yeah… those look great!! :beer:

Too bad only 0.001% of humanity has CRX like ninja modding skills.

I hope it’s 0.001%.
I’m afraid it may be as low as 0.000000013%

Good work !
I knew you would make something like this. :smiley:

Updated the first post with pics of the latest work and beamshots… hope ya’ll enjoy!

Thanks for the update, looking good too. :+1:

Got a question: It that a fly tying vice holding the driver in this picture??

I got impatient, so I modded a FW3A XP-L HI to use 219B instead. It’s a sw45k triple now, and it’ll probably be my daily carry light for a long time… because FW3A is my favorite light and it’s awfully hard to beat 219B for tint and general beam quality.

Overall output is very close to what Bob posted… but mine is about 3% lower because all my measurements are about 3% lower than his. I think we jut have slightly different calibration on our integrating devices.

  • Moon: 0.1 lm
  • 1x7135: 93.5 lm
  • 8x7135: 622 lm
  • FET: 1384 lm (with a 4.0V cell)

This is measured with a tube calibrated to match some reference lights from maukka, so I think it’s probably pretty close to accurate. It’s nice that the variation between people’s measurements is so small now, instead of being as much as 50% off like things were a few years ago.

Anyway, for the time being, I basically optimized my EDC light to taste as much as possible. Time to go work on something else, I guess.

I was at that point 6 years ago :person_facepalming:

Yes it is! I’ve been using it for years for reflows, dedoming, etc. When I was a young teenager I would use it to tie fly hooks but haven’t for many years.

Man, I could use a weekend of fly tying, or something.

True. Here's how if anyone's interested ;)

First I made a template from an old 20mm triple MCPCB to match up with a Carclo 105xx optic. 65mm steel box lid.
This is the most difficult & time consuming part but only needs done once.

A piece of sticky tape placed on the steel surface sticky side up.
6mm x 2mm and 3mm x 2mm magnets, three of each for the optic & leg holes.

Place the 6mm magnets onto the sticky tape using the template.

Then add the 3mm magnets and remove the template, apply non stick grease carefully around the magnets & tape.

Template back in place and thin 20mm ID x 2mm outer ring fitted around the template with four large magnets to keep it from movement.

Carefully remove the template again and now we have a mould.
Mix up some GITD powder and UV setting glue.

Apply the mixture to the centre of the mould and allow it to slowly bleed out to the extremities on a flat surface until even.

Next is setting the glue mixture using a UV light source and then slide the tape and moud from the steel.

Carefully peel the tape from the back of the mould and press out the magnets with something like a thin screwdriver.

Remove the outer ring and sand down the surfaces of the gasket.

A little tidying up the well holes with a scalpel blade and it is just about done.

I've found these to be superior to the tape method, although initially more effort.

Very impressive CRX… :beer:

:+1:

^ Patience of a saint. :person_with_crown:

Most of the time :innocent:

Awesome!

I’m waiting for the $30 model because I’ll be immediately swapping to rosy Nichia emitters too. :slight_smile:

Will you be offering these for sure Lexel?

How about colors rendition ?
Don’t you see a huge difference between a CRI70 XP-L HI and a 219B ? I’m a little worried for your retinas. :stuck_out_tongue:

I was planning to make a mold with an external ring and fill it with epoxy charged with glow powder and then use a guide (from carclo datasheet) printed on paper to drill holes.
The mold with magnets for making several is clever, this is the true CRX’s touch.

Where is the best place to get 90+ CRI 219B?

Guy called azhu (BLF name) or Andy Zhu on Facebook has it. But they are going fast and no resupply planed…:confused: