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

I see. Thanks for all the answers, folks. :slight_smile:

ok, that answers that - glad I asked… a digikey order next… thx…

(off topic) and that meme - stop it, you’re killin’ me… tears in my eyes from laughing so hard (again) for reasons I won’t go into here… but yes, more blinking shiny furniture, please…

I enjoy it, but I don’t expect anyone else to care about the noises I make. I have a Digitakt and a Blofeld and a keyboard… and I figure if I can’t make good music with that, no amount of gear would help. The main limiting factor isn’t my gear, but my skill. And that largely depends on how much time I put into it.

that’s all that matters…

Arrived today @ NEALSGADGETS

Thanks for posting the pix. I’m anxious to get my order. Seeing the blue one, I wish I would have included one of those. I’m actually hoping a batch of “boring” black will be made. Then I have to order black and blue.

I know I am a little late to the party, but I discovered the real issue:
The driver board is sometimes not properly centered (this could be true of the board in the tailcap as well).
I had all the same issues and did all the steps several times.
The cure was to loosen the retaining ring on the head, CENTER the board by grabbing the spring with my needlenose pliers and getting it centered, and tightening it down. Since then, PERFECT.
Since the signal is carried in the tube, I am not certain if this was a bad contact issue, or more likely it was shorting out to the body through the ring. Whatever, this is the actual cure. All the other mechanations are probably just moving everything around until it somehow lines up.
Anyway, this is the issue when the light flickers screwing on the head (the flicker means there is indeed power) and the switch does nothing.
AND
If you crank it down too hard (your really don’t need to do that once everything is properly aligned) the easy way to get it apart is throw it into your freezer for about 5- 10 minutes, at which point it will unscrew with minimum effort (the metal contracts and it no longer grabs the shoulder).
Please, don’t ask me how I KNOW this works LOL.

I got my copper yesterday. The ring in the head appears to be brass, and there is a ring in the tail. It is some kind of black metal.

And I ordered the purple one just because, Illumin shipped it out today.

that's the latest version

got it from Amazon this week...

Is the newest Nubbin wider and thicker? We might need a new size drill bit to make new size nubbins.

Much Ado about Nubbin
I have not been posting for awhile, and thought I’d provide an update on my “nubbin situation” as if anybody cares.
The original orange gatorade replacement nubbin I made is still in the same FW3A. I just left it in there and it’s been fine.
On the first day I made it, I thought that the bottle-cap plastic may be too soft and it had deformed, but the nubbin just needed readjusted back into the correct position. I was thinking about making a nubbin from a rubber compound, but the plastic seems to be perfectly fine. Since then the light has been used in heavy rotation and I have had zero problems, of course always replacing the battery from the head.

Be thankful I didn’t hit you upside the cranium with a dozen extremely unfunny puns. In my post that got moved to the troubleshooting thread I had actually typed up possibilities and was attempting to work them into the post. Things like “Nubbin Lost, Nubbin Gained.” and “ True Knowledge Exists In Knowing You Know Nubbin.“. It was just too silly and in the end, I held myself down to only two puns! Consider yourself lucky.

ToyKeeper, I do not own any Synths, but I hear there’s nubbin better.

Yes, the new nub is wider. I haven’t gotten to see one yet, but Illumn took some apart to check for changes.

I don’t know what you’re talking about — it means nubbin to me.

Hello my dear friends!

this week i ordered a Lumintop FW3A from Amazon.de (reflink) and noticed many differences:

Overal both flashlights have same size and apperance (please ignore the blue button and the rubber cigar grip on my “V1”) but the “V2” (right) has a silver clip
(note: the copper comes with silver clip too)

the V2 (right) has a bronce retaining ring in the head (silver in V1)

the V2 (left) has a black retaining ring in the tailcap (none/all loose in V1)

that black retainer in the tailcaps needs some space – thus the V2 (right!) has a shorter shoulder and the threads sit noticeable deeper… (the outer tailcap bodies are identically)

the inner tube of the V2 (left) has a much longer upper part then V1

V1 (left) uses a glas lens + carclo optic
V2 (right) comes with Lumintops own optic (one pcs)
-> i tested both optic setups vice versa in both lights and there is no difference in Lumen output!

all changes (i noticed so far) in one picture :

what did you notice?

M4D M4X… thank you for this very concise comparison with pics… so helpful… I’ve been waiting to see these differences… much appreciated…

Thanks for detailed pictures! As far as I know the PCB should be a bit wider so that it is better centered.

Is the beam shape and throw also the same with both optics?

maybe 5% average more throw for the carclo

I had specified that I would buy four FW3A’s in the pre-release list, but after I had big problems that turned out to be nubbin, I decided I would purchase only one at the cheaper price. In hindsight this was a mistake, but now I am quite happy to see the retaining ring in the tailcap, and plan to give FW3A’s for holiday gifts this year. I just couldn’t see giving a light to muggles with the nubbin falling out. It’s still only for adult muggles.

I hope the new design appears in the color-anodized versions soon.

That’s funny because my FW3A I got from Neal has the silver clip, bronze ring in the head but no black retaining ring in the tail.

Does anyone know the size of O-ring that goes between the pocketclip and the tailcap? My Ti one I just received does not have one and the clip rotates too easily.