Can’t talk myself into buying any FWxy light. I’d try to collect them-not good with so many variations. But I’m curious how it would look like, so my best wishes for this project.
I like AA lights, if only to keep around for emergency use in case I’m out and about and dont have a way to charge my 18650 lights. I can always buy a cell at the store if necessary. I rarely actually use AA lights anymore, since getting my lumintop hl3a. When I’m out on the town or for other occasions when I want to have my light be as small as possible and not noticeable, I go for an Aaa light.
It all comes down to size to ability ratio, and what I’m using it for. The HL3A hits all the right spots for me since it’s so small, thin, and uses 18650 cells. The form factor, even though I wasn’t too sure about it before buying, has proven to be perfect. Putting the LEDs on the side of the battery tube and the switch and driver on that same end was IMO the perfect solution to the tube-in-a-tube switch contact and girth problem. The HL3A is much smaller in diameter than the FW3A, with the very tip of head being the only thing that is as large in diameter. It tapers down from that point to .875”. The thing really does disappear in a pocket.
The fact that it is still an ‘end switch’ design makes it easy to find the switch. The magnet makes it super useful as a work light, more useful than a traditional cylindrical flashlight because you can aim it 360° while stuck to something magnetic.
Now, if they designed a light like the HL3A but scaled down to take AA/ 14500 and running a simple ramping U/I like a stripped down anduril with double click to turn on (one click does nothing) and a small (no bigger than 19mm) head using only 2 LEDs instead of 3, then I would probably buy that. It could be TINY if built that way.
The advent of super minimalist LI-ION chargers with flexible leads and magnets makes it easy to take a charger with you. I would rather have that than a built in charger that adds to the size of the light.
And sometimes when carrying aa or aaa lights I just throw an extra battery in the other pocket for peace of mind.
YES.
Ramping is awesome...
I don't spend much on AA flashlights, but if I did, I would probably get a FW1A "mini".
I'm just willing to spend a lot more on nice 18650 or 21700 lights.
Yes, actually. Neal sent me a CAD file of a blank PCB and wanted to know if I could make firmware for it. But, um, a blank PCB can’t run code… and even just from the PCB I could tell the light would be too big to be worth making. I tried to explain the issues, but nothing ever happened. Perhaps that was just the usual lost-in-translation thing, but as far as I could tell, Lumintop wanted someone to send them complete schematics for the entire light… and may not have been aware that everyone involved had been gone for a long time.
Can’t some components go to the MCPCB?
I’m assuming it would have to be a completely new design in order to be coherent at a smaller size.
If anyone is interested in actually making it happen, I’d suggest putting together a 3D model for the host, and talking privately with Hank of Intl-Outdoor to work out details.
For a 14500 light (especially if it needs to work with AA too), the ideal designs tend to be long and thin… close to the shape of a tube light, but perhaps with a slightly flared head and tail. The tail switch signal could be transferred with a ribbon instead of an entire inner tube, to reduce diameter. A single LED in a reflector can easily be throwy enough without making the head wide. And the clip, of course, should ideally be a unidirectional deep carry type which runs parallel to the tube, similar to an Olight S2 (but perhaps captive instead of clip-on).
With a narrow diameter, it might be necessary to have a tall or stacked driver… especially if it needs AA support. That’s usually fine though. It worked nicely in the L3 L10, and in the EagleTac D25A.
great ideas
and if the new AA Anduril driver can be put into a D25a Ti host that would be awesome too
Only if it works with AA.
I would use it with Eneloop AA.
If it doesn’t work with Eneloop AA… I would not buy it.
The D25A has a reverse clicky, no?
I guess it would need more than the driver, it would need a bigger mod to make it work, to make the connection between the tailswitch (that would need a change) and the driver!
But it would be a nice form factor flashlight!
I don’t have anything in the works and have concluded that Neil is, at least sometimes, overwhelmed. I agree, Hank may be a better resource.
Could you just imagine a “baby” KR4 powered by one 14500? I picture a reflector design with a single white primary emitter LED and three RGB secondary LEDs; running Andúril - of course.
If that little fantasy light were to actually become a reality, I might have the perfect replacement for my beloved NC D11.2s with trit pistons.
If it’s AA compatible with an LH351D.
I wouldn’t mind a KR4 mini… KR1 mini?
I agree with this. Too many 14500 lights are nearly as large as 18650 lights. What’s with that? If a 14500 light is approaching the size of a compact 18650 light, forget it - I will just buy a small 18650 light - or another D25A.
I’ve been completely spoiled by EagleTac’s D25A lights. They have been my EDC pocket lights for years!
The D25A is incredibly small and light (aluminum version), compared to so many other 14500 lights out there. My only quibble with them may be that I might prefer a warmer, or more floody, or higher-CRI emitter. The D25A is a landmark EDC light, in my view. Has been for a long time. For EDC in the pocket, price point, quality… it has been THE one to beat for quite some time now.
SO PLEASE, producers, trim down your 14500 lights to a respectably small format - it obviously can be done by EagleTac. These make for remarkably comfortable EDC lights and with 14500 power, can be very potent in both output and runtime.
EagleTac has been doing it, FOR YEARS… so can YOU!
Lastly… I would so readily part with money for a D25A size light, with Anduril software, 14500 capable, Nichia 219C 3000k emitter, and perhaps an optic for a soft, floody beam! To me, that would be an IDEAL light for around the house and semi-close range utility use.
I agree; running on Eneloops is a nice thing.
BUT: If it doesn’t work with 14500 Li-Ion… I would not buy it. With 14500 you can have awesome potency in output. And with Eneloop you can have excellent utility. Ability to run both (as with EagleTac D25A) is a winning combination!
Here we go, they should be able to put this right into production 
-edit
Whoops, messed up my math. Hope they didn’t already start producing this. Here’s a corrected version:
Your measurements are pretty similar to the DQG Slim Ti flashlight.
I think that would be a great wishful thinking to make it work, but it wouldn’t work due to the dimmensions.
The DQG is so small because it has the LED on the driver PCB itself, what raises some issues in case we want to build a light like the FWxA.
For the length, I just took the length of the FW3A minus the difference in cell size. So they’d just need to replicate the depth of components in the FW3A to achieve that length.
That would mean a 6mm deep TIR optic, any reason that couldn’t happen?
And the driver should be a miniaturized version of the Lume1, where loneoceans managed to fit all of the components on one side of the driver. Using both sides, hopefully that could all fit? Maybe a mm or two needs to be added here?
The battery would of course be an unprotected 14500. Limited battery compatibility hasn’t slowed down sales of the FW series yet, and I doubt it would here either. Frankly, the idea of AA capability, while it would be nice to have in some Andúril light, seems completely inconsistent with the ethos of the FW series.
And is there any reason the switch couldn’t be basically the same as the one on the FW3A?
For the width, I just measured the narrowest part of the FW3A and subtracted the nominal cell size to get the minimum needed for the two tubes and room for the cell to move, then added a mm for threads and stuff. Maybe that needs another mm?
Please note that my comment above only has per base the structure of the FWxA light and the structure of the DQG slim TI, which is one of te smallest AA lights around with a clicky switch (not e-switch).
I guess it could fit such TIR or even a small reflector such as the one of the Nitefox ES10K (I’m basing on the lights I have for comparison).
Hum, this is the part where I believe some mm more will be needed.
Again, comparing to the DGQ Slim Ti: this light has a driver with the LED incorporated in the upper part. All the components are around it, and I guess that wouldn’t be the best solution for the light we’re aiming here.
So, a more common (and moddable solution) containing driver + shelf (or pill) + MCPCB w/ led, could probably take some more space.
BUT, again I don’t know how this would be feasible with the driver from loneoceans and other designs, so I won’t say much more.
The smaller 14500 cell I have is a protected and micro-usb rechargeable Lumintop 700mAh, that is “much” smaller than the unprotected Sanyos and Efest I have, so the cells wouldn’t be a problem here 
I guess the best 14500 cells (both from Shockli and Vapcell) are bigger than that battery.
No, I guess not, and here - comparing again the 2 flashlights - some space could be won! The FWxA switch would be less large and slimmer than a clicky switch, so, some optimization would make the tail less tall. :+1:
I guess some mm more would be needed in case an internal tube was used. The DQG is very thing, but it wouldn’t have space inside for another tube, so at least 1-2 mm more would be needed!
I would poiny to a thickness closer to the battery tube of the Lumintop Tool AA (in the knurling part), which would allow some more thickness and space for the inner tube.
Again, my knowledge about the possibilities out there in this is limited, so please look to my considerations as a help to improve your design :+1: