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

Purple: Cree XP-L HI 1A 6500K, Aluminum: SST-20 4000K.

Well I received a shipment of parts and lights from Neal yesterday, and it would appear the new deep-carry clip and 18350 tube is not compatible with older versions of the FW3A…or at least not with my particular version (no retaining ring in the tailcap). I can’t get the 18350 tube to work at all. The inner tube does not seem to contact the switch board correctly because I’m getting no continuity on the meter when the switch is pressed. Tried screwing it together as tight as I could, with clip, no clip, nothing works. The short tube does however work with the brand new FW1A that also came yesterday, but really I wanted it for the FW3A as that’s my EDC light.

Same issue with the deep carry clip…I think the ring is just thick enough to keep the inner tube from contacting. It appears to be slightly thicker than the original clip’s ring.

At least the new SS bezel fits on my old FW3A…nevermind that they sent two FW3A bezels instead of the one FW3A and one FW1A I ordered. My shiny new FW1A will have to wait for it’s bezel upgrade.

If anyone has gotten these new parts to work with older versions of this light please let me know how!

As cool as the Fw3a is I’d love a super slim 1 led model that takes 14500s.

I had no luck with the 18350 tube and a first-batch FW3A. I don’t have a newer one to try it with.

I made a brass signal tube for mine. Had to make brass signal tubes to replace the signal springs in my NovaTacFW3 mods and my FW3A shorty, FW3Ti shorty mods…

Now I can run any accessory I want… no more messing around…

Nothing like jumping into a thread at post number 13,000 and change.

Simple question. Should I get this FW3A for yet another EDC? I’ve read about the head burning hot, I’ve read about the first rev having issues with a clamp in the tail cap… bla bla bla…

The biggest reason I’m toying with this light is the cool UI
’update” with candle simulation as well as a nice floody beam, but it’s a good chunk of change for yet another toy…

So what is the consensus on this light? In less then 13,581 threads!

Ps. I never buy lights off amazon, but in this case pricing seems reasonable. $42.99 with a Samsung INR. Amazon.com. Delivered tomorrow. …

it is small and it has power - so it gets hot if you pull many lumens ;)

if you like the UI and want a more classic EDC go for the EDC18 ;)


http://www.youtube.com/embed/KUMTdYKkmzo

It really depends on what you like. Do you want a small light with tail e-switch and lots of features? If so, this light is a good choice.

If you prefer a side switch, something else would be a better choice.

I like it quite a bit, but I’m biased. It has been my main light since I got the first prototype in 2017; I hardly use anything else any more. Mostly, a bare aluminum model with XP-L HI 3D LEDs. This gives me good tint, good efficiency, and scratches aren’t really visible.

The main other light I use is a FW1A, which has a throwier beam for outdoor use.

Or I’ll carry around whatever light I’m working on at the time, but those come and go.

Coming from you, even with the disclaimer, it’s a solid recommendation! Thanks!

I’m pretty biased though. I mean, I made the firmware for it and ran the project for the final year or so. I’d have to be pretty crazy to put in that much effort if I didn’t like it.

So I really can’t give an objective opinion about it.

Is there more conversation about the emitters / cri/ efficiency/ otf lumens / throw-spot profile other thread one? Are the guts of the tail switch now retained with a retainer ring so it’s safe to open the tail cap to change the battery without risk of loosing internal bits?

The FW3A has gone through so many hardware revisions and spinoffs that it’s really hard to keep track. It doesn’t help that nearly all of the revisions have been done silently, so people only find out by opening up the item and finding that it’s different.

In other words, YMMV. I have no idea who is shipping which versions, or what the most recent ones are like.

The safest bet is to order from a vendor who cares and pays attention, like Calvin at Illumn, who can answer questions about the current status.

About the LEDs, it really depends on personal preference. Me, I like the XP-L HI 3D version… but I don’t like any of the others. I dislike SST-20 in particular, since it looks rather green on the modes I use, and it sucks the blue out. So despite having a high CRI rating, it makes all the colors look wrong… even after correcting it with a minus-green filter.

It’s also probably a good idea to open the front of a new light to make sure it doesn’t have flux on the LEDs. That has happened sometimes… like here’s how one of mine looked when it was brand new, before I cleaned it:

Is the newest version lense no more glass and plastic now?

Not sure about that. Although inquired with Lumintop several months ago, and they offered the FW3A with the “plastic” glass lens and FW3A with Carclo glass lens. The plastic lens version was a bit cheaper (I think something like $1 cheaper) — but that was several months back…

Lumintop is very confusing :smiley:

Is there any store to buy FW3A PURPLE with postage to europe ?
thx

I would be surprised if there is.

That was a limited edition.

Maybe check one of the European eBay sites?

Hello, what is the minimum current the led driver gives?

I measured 23 micro amps. So super low parasitic drain.

When the LED is on, it gets 0.0000023A?