So, how many are going to make the deadline of July 15? Iām cutting it close, but I think I can get something ready by them (it might be the biggest twisty light youās ever seen though 
). I still have a fair amount of work to do, but the major body and head assembly work is behind me, WooHoo! Just little things like the driver, lens and bezel to figure out.
i may not.... its a pretty simple setup im doing, but i have been slackin
My plans are out the window. The drivers no good and I donāt have a lot to choose on. I will have to change my thinking on what this light will be.
Iām staring at 20,000 lumens and thinking āI could use some moreā¦ā
of slackers and procrastinators that ever modded a light! Geesh!
I never made a light before, but mine is done and gone. I then modded my custom Ti light with a new driver. Then I de-domed another custom light for better throw. Today I took another apart and swapped emitters, created a mule for up-close-and-personal illumination in 3A of XM-L2 T6 Neutral White. 
And I donāt even do this kind of stuff! Yāall should be ashamed, kickin back and tinkering with 60 parts and such, pshaw! And whatās up with that anyway? I thought this was a flashlight forum, lasers? Really? Lazy way out with no reflectors or lenses to build for huh? 
Guess Iāll make another one cause weāve got so much time left and Iāve got these left over parts and batteriesā¦
In the meantime, canāt wait to see what yāall slap together and call a light lol
(of course yāall know that Iām blown away by what some o you guys are whipping up, out of this world!)
You are living the life Dale. Now get back to reality and start earning a quid. 
Direct drive. 8)
Well youāve already got me on horsepower. What are you going to do for afterburners? 8)
The laser is in addition to the flashlight. But youāre right, I whine too much. Must be the drugs, sex, and alcohol Iāve had to abstain from to get this done.
The photon recoil when you switch it on is rather brutalā¦ J)
Rufusbduck suggestion about direct driving.
What sort off unrefined animal do you think I am. Yeah, ok Iām an unrefined Moose. But no direct drive where I live. I must have control off something. I donāt control anything else in my life so the control off the current is mine. All mine and no one can take that away from me. Oh the power.
Do you have maybe a dozen or so 7135ās?
Rufusbduck, I was out in the shed last night with that very idea off piggy backing chips again and again I failed miserably. Iām not sure whats going on with my meters. Both are measuring current low or every driver I have tested is dodgy, which points to my meters being wrong. Iām just going to get the light built and then worry about it. Iāve come to the conclusion that unless a miracle happens overnight Iām just a poor solderer full stop.
thats me! but i like to blame it on my cheap soldering iron that the rosin core seems to melt away my tips...
Iām not good at soldering but I go by thus rule: if it doesnāt work, donāt keep doing it the same way hoping for better results. Reading helps but melting things is set. I cheat now and use a temp controlled iron with 5 different tips. I close my eyes, flip a coin, and spin the knob. Oh, and use flux.
I need to get a decent soldering iron. I use flux too. My current soldering iron I got for like 4.99 at big lots, and it came with like 3 replacement tips. This last one refused to tin except for one tiny spot, and the flux seemed to eat that spot away. I keep meaning to get a new iron, but I always put it off. Now I have no tips I can actually solder with, so I mine as well get a new one.
Before this one I had a pretty expensive butane soldering iron, but that also sucked. When it ran good it was awesome. But I constantly had to adjust the flame control... And not just turn the slider up or down. I constantly had to adjust the adjustment range. Like adjusting an adjustable lighter to have a 2' flame. Take it apart and move the selector ring a few teeth this way or that...
I hear you and work on that principle all the time. Iām still trying but just cant crack it.
Man, wouldnt that be awesome?
a guy can dream, right? :P
Just a reminder, no pressure or anything like that.
It's now the 6th. of July.
The contest ends on the 15th.
Panic attack. :Sp