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

It does not have a pill if that is what you are asking. If you want different emitters you will have to take the MCPCB out & either reflow new ones or install another MCPCB with different emitters.

As far as the head being “easily replaceable” …. yeah, you can just screw one off and screw another one on.

Kawi plays grand piano in a marching band

Nice… :+1:

Cute piano.

Just an update for this thread. I tested to see what happens if the spring shorts to that trace in the tail cap. Nothing big happened. All is fine, so there’s no worry about that specific scenario. Details are HERE and a couple posts below that.

Something else caused the malfunction is DBSAR’S light when it fell.

Could it be that there was a blob of solder etc, that somehow affected the light and melted away / loosened when it shorted?

A blob of solder could be the cause of a short if it touched both a positive point on the driver and a ground point at the same time. I doubt it would melt, though. They tend to blob up when heated like surface tension does a water droplet.

There was a small blob of solder on the oval trace on my switch board. I took it away with a pincer, it loosened very easily. A little bit bigger blob there could possibly touch the batteries negative pole.

All that would happen is it would simulate the button being pressed like in my test.

Same thing if the inner tube gets shorted, it simulates a button press.

Mine melted the solder on the black wire & disconnected itself.

I received my SST-20 light yesterday (which was a nice surprise because the tracking never worked no matter which tracking site I used). I am glad that I got one because the tint is great. Like others mentioned, I don’t see a green tint at all, no matter what level it is on. It’s as warm as I’d like and the colors really pop. Well done.

Mine had no issues. No loose retaining ring, tight tail cap, worked right out of the box with a GA cell I have.

There are a few differences though that some others have mentioned. Brass (?) retaining ring, shiny silver clip, shorter and lighter travel in the switch button and the anodizing is slightly more blue than the HI one I got a while ago. Nothing to be concerned about, except for the switch which seem to be easier to turn on. I’ll keep it locked out or in an Astrolux holster I’ve got. It’s low-profile and a lot less bulky than the Convoy ones I have.

I chose to have Neal send me the light with the new optic and the lens. I swapped the optic for a floody one I’ve got (can’t remember the number but it’s more frosted than the one I received on my HI FW3A). It looks great and I’ll get a lot of use out of it around the house and at work.

I must say that I thought the new optic was going to be junk but it really isn’t. The beam looks good and the material is better than what I envisioned. I thought it was going to be some lousy milk-carton soft plastic, but it’s actually pretty nice. I can see why they went their own way if Lumintop couldn’t find the original optics in sufficient numbers or having to wait for them and keep customers waiting.

Overall, I am very glad I’ve got my two different models. Each will be used a lot. I doubt I’ll get another. No need for alternative materials for me and the colors are cool but not necessary, although I really did like that olive/sand one…

My FW3C with SST-20s has shipped, and hearing the reports of how good these SST-20s are, I’m quite hyped. Thankfully my D4V2 has just arrived to tide me over until then.

I believe mine will be here tomorrow. Look forward to measuring these sst20 with new lenses

It’s rare there is enough current flowing through a wires soldered end for the solder to liquify. Once it does, tension in the wire can pull it loose. A scenario that can cause this is if a wire has a poor solder joint to a pad. The poor connection can create a lot of resistance which then heats up.

What exactly happened to your light?

I posted a video of it but can’t remember which thread I put it in ,
Well one led was discoloured & when on the light was bluish from that led , when on turbo I could smell burning almost instantly,so I took the bezel & lens off to make a video of it to show neal ,and while videoing it I could see smoke & within a few seconds it stoped working & when I inspected it afterwards I found the black - wire was not connected any more ,so I’m guessing it was the black wire was getting way to hot & was melting the insulation but instead of catching fire luckily it melted the solder & disconected itself & therefore shut down.

Here is the video post FW3A Troubleshooting / FAQ - #244 by Nev

If it’s coming from the top the LED probably had solder or flux on the dome and it burned up. Without the bezel pressing down the optics and mcpcb the heat wont get to the body as well too.

As a rule of thumb when I get a new light I turn it on in moon and check for dirt. If any exists clean with alcohol.

Yes that’s it , thanks.

If it was just the wire to solder back on then I might have attempted to solder it back on , but because one led was duff makes it useless to me as I don’t posses the skills or tools to repair it.