Thanks for the support guys, I had a couple ideas i wanted to pursue…and still do… but DBSAR’s got my brain going again about a dual purpose flashlight/lantern combo which is something I’ve also been yearning for that isn’t out there. I’ve had some ideas come and go, but never acted on them. Maybe this is the direction I should go.
It will definitely be challenging to fit what i want into a package size I want but I like a challebge. I’m thinking I’d definitely need some help with software/ driver(s) on this.
Hmmm. I’ll just toss some of my thoughts out here to get them wrote down, and see what sticks:
Micro-mini thrower/ lantern combo, no longer than the fwa1, but even smaller would be cool. Distance and broad area lighting in one light.
Might also be able to be used as a headlamp if glare can be controlled and it isn’t to bulky/ heavy…maybe, dunno. Just had a very loose idea for how to implement this rolling around in my brain using sliding or rotating clear vs. Semi- translucent diffusers…I’ll have to loose some sleep on this one to hatch it better.
The premise is that the whole handle (or most of it anyway) will be a diffuser, with one area that is not frosted that can be rotated into position in front of the leds on one side of the handle while used in 180 degree mode, to avoid having glare come back into your eyes. Might have to do something special with black paint, or a mini optic installed or cast into the plastic to further reduce glare.
Dual button interface just to make it simple to use-One controls the lantern, the other controls the flashlight.
21700? 18650 will make it skinnier and allow for more/ larger diameter diffuser.
Fold out stabilizers.
Electronic tail clicky for the flashlight.
Selectable 180 or 360 degree lantern modes via an easily felt, but bezel protected switch on the side of the body. Maybe one on each side, corresponding to which side you want light on. Damn. That means 3 drivers, or one very complicated one.
Magnetic pocket clip that the body can rotate in, so the lantern can shine anywhere you want when stuck to the hood of a car. Similar to how I modded my (now missing) acebeam h10 headlamp, by heat shrinking a few small bar magnets the pocket clip.
A clip that also allows the light to be fastened to the brim of a hat. This has been another of the things I’ve wanted out of a headlamp pocket clip for a long time.
USB charging would be nice, but my skill and knowledge level may prohibit a size- efficient implementation of that.
I’ve been thinking about what I’d like for a u/I in a edc flashlight for quite a while, so might as well write it down even though that may not happen with this one. I will more than likely have to rely on someone else’s help to achieve that, unless I somehow miraculously lean how to write code.
DREAM U/I: details coming tomorrow.