3600 Lumen EDC. The FW4A Beam shots and mini review!

It is a lego able part. Works with the 18350 bodies etc. Its not going to be any more sustainable in the high/turbo modes.

This. If it was a 21700, I would have purchased.

Thanks. Good to know it’s compatible, already got a good collection going :wink:

Obviously it’s going to heat up even faster at high levels (like it needed to be faster), but given the efficiency curve of leds as well as a slightly larger head, would it be incorrect to assume that it might be able run at a slightly higher sustainable output? Eg. ~250lm instead of ~200lm?
Or is the level of sustainable output so low on these devices that the efficiency of higher output isn’t even going to come into it?

Love your videos mate, thanks for all the work!
Stay safe, we are all thinking of our American cousins right now.

Unfunny joke. Not usable turbo. Paper lumens, unreachable on real use battery, and immediatly stepped down by thermal control.
Nothing new, no new ideas.

That’s true of all EDC-size hotrods.

Not every light has to reinvent the wheel, having options is okay.

It’s cool, in that not too long ago we couldn’t even imagine a light like this in this size, but I honestly don’t see any advantages over the triple. Maybe it is just to compete with Emisar?

Still no USB. Is it really that hard to add built-in charging?

It is if you don’t want to redesign the whole light and make it a whole lot larger.
They could have added a couple of mm to the fw21 while they were at it if they had wanted that.
But you can’t add a port, controller and wiring into something this small without making it larger and incompatible with existing parts.

OMG. WHat’s the difference exept additional led, 4 against 3.
Something changed?

Same design, same driver, same leds. Lets put inside fifth one. And sell this stuff again as new awesome flashlight, best of best

The FW5A - yeah, I gotta have it!

Not everyone like built-in charging. Size of the flashlight need to be increased or thermal mass decreased (space for new compomponents on driver and charging port). Also space on driver is limited so some extra board would sometimes be needed. This can also affect thermal regulation as flashlights usually use internal attiny functionality for that.

Facepalm……

Even EDC18 with 3 LED with medium current cells like 35e takes from them around 8A on turbo and makes itself hot in count seconds.
More led’s shift Vf and on high current cell flashlight would be overdriven like crazy horse and stepped down in seconds. So what for such actions? If you need real power - just take a little larger flashlight.

The advantage of a pocket EDC is that you have it on you. Unlike a larger light, which you may not have brought along.

A small pocket EDC can always be run at low power for sustained output. But it’s really nice also having the option of being able to go into “ludicrous mode” turbo if you need it. Sometimes you just need a lot of light and being able to only sustain it for 10 seconds may be enough. Or maybe you just want to wow your friends.

Put another way:

  • You could get a conservative EDC flashlight that only runs at 500 lumens which it can sustain; or
  • You could carry a pocket rocket like an FW3A or Emisar D4V2. These lights can be used just like the conservative light. But in addition you have the added flexibility of a burst turbo mode.

8 minute abs? How about 7 minute abs?

Is this different from how most products are released with only incremental changes?

Nobody has to buy it.

I feel happy when there is another person on planet earth who has a similar thought as I do.

"Is this different from how most products are released with only incremental changes? Nobody has to buy it."

I bought this light for all of the several usual happy reasons that I like, even though I already have bought the three emitter version of this light. Yet another reason: To continue to help support the spiritually advanced community of people who helped design it, and the manufacturer who makes this light.

I have never bought a fancy car. I should go on to a car forum, when there is a review of a new car, and point out reasons why nobody has to buy it.

I have never bought a fancy special breed of dog. I should go on to a dog forum, when there is a review of a new breed of dog, and point out reasons why nobody has to buy it.

I have never bought a fancy boat. I should go on to a boat forum, when there is a review of a new fancy boat, and point out reasons why nobody has to buy it.

I have never bought a fancy watch. I should go on to a watch forum, when there is a review of a new fancy watch , and point out reasons why nobody has to buy it.

I have never bought a fancy knife. I should go on to a knife forum, when there is a review of a new fancy knife, and point out reasons why nobody has to buy it.

I have never bought a boring 9mm gun. I should go on to a gun forum, when there is a review of a new boring 9mm gun, and point out reasons why nobody has to buy it, because it is just another 9mm. Yawn.

I have never bought a flashlight that I do not like. I should go on to flashlight forums, when there is a review of a new flashlight that I will never buy because I do not like it, and point out reasons why nobody has to buy it.

I have never bought a fancy computer. I should go on to a computer forum, when there is a review of a new fancy computer and point out reasons why nobody has to buy it.

I quit eating animal products four years ago. I should go onto a steak forum, and point out reasons why anyone who does not want to get colorectal cancer and a heart attack should not eat steak.

Maybe our interpretations are different. The way I see it, people are saying why THEY won’t buy it. I don’t read it as them telling someone else not to buy it.

I agree with this. An FW4A is trying to step over the line of one given class into another: mid-size pocket EDC to single cell thrower search light. How much more efficient is the 4A over the 3A? I can’t imagine enough to make an appreciable difference. I find the form factor of the FW3A about the limit on pocket-comfort. Now, I could see having the 4A as an inside breast pocket light.

Rechargeable lights are of course very convenient, but… how many do you need? When I travel, I take one USB rechargeable light with me as my 18650 charger. It covers all my charging needs for the other two 18650 flashlights in a compact sturdy package. Problem solved. I also don’t care for Micro USB or USB-C, because of the wear & tear to the socket on the flashlight body. Magnetic connector as on Olight & Skilhunt is terrific (of course, only caveat is the proprietary cable).

I might get a 4A just for kicks if I had some spare cash to throw around, but having a great 3A that I’ve customized & does all I need… not going to get a 4A anytime soon.

There’s a difference between making genuine criticisms of the light vs making general criticisms that could apply to any light in a similar class and aren’t constructive.

If there’s anything being active in the flashlight community has taught me, it’s that people WILL spend lots of money on something with 10% higher “numbers”, whatever they are, and however noticeable the difference actually is. From a business perspective I completely understand the FW4A, even if I’m bummed that more people don’t know how imperceptible a ~20% output increase is.