ClipSwitch Flashlights

Commercial Sellers' Spot
1

Please comment on this thread to show the flashlight industry that we are interested in clip switched flashlights.

Update 02/2021:
2020 was a a crazy year! Between kids, covid, and a new position at work I haven’t been able to focus on making clip-switched flashlights a mainstream reality. But I’ve got several ideas for building budget clip switch lights from scratch. Stay tuned to this thread for new updates soon!

Help me get the word out to the flashlight industry that we want flashlights with clip switches! If you would like one, leave a comment or link to a video describing why you like the idea of a clip switched flashlight. Please don’t be shy, even if you don’t have a clever comment you can help make clip switches mainstream by showing your interest.

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Original:

Introducing the ClipSwitch Flashlight

Never have a flashlight inadvertently turn on or be left on while it’s clipped to your pocket or bag again! Be among the quickest to get light onto a subject. A clip switched flashlight stays off when it is clipped over any non-conductive material and will turn on instantly when unclipped.

Currently I am modding new Streamlight Microstream USB flashlights so that they work with the ClipSwitch mod and will be selling them in limited quantities. I will post below when the lights are available for purchase. In the future I hope to offer different clip switched flashlights (specifically AA powered lights similar to Eagtac D25As but with a reversible pocket clip).

Please be sure to check out my other ClipSwitch informational videos here ClipSwitch Youtube Playlist

If you would like to do this mod yourself, please visit ClipSwitch Flashlight - How To

Thank you for your interest!

Note: The tint of this LED is not blue, it just looks blue in the video.

2

Hey, smart idea ! :beer:

3

Thanks!

4

Great for a working light you use all the time. By this design you can only have 1 mode for practical reasons I guess. You should also sell a high CRI LED option.

5

Omega_17, multiple modes still work as normal since the tailcap switch works the same as usual (the switch controls the light but the clip controls the switch). On the microstream, you can use the tailcap switch to change the modes as normal or you can also use the pocket clip to change the modes if you like.

I definitely plan on making a clip switched light in a high CRI version (or at least neutral white) but I either need to find a good light to mod or I need to get better at machine work to make my own light.

You guys have any ideas on what other lights could be modded to work with a clip switch? Note: Twisty lights would work too. The tailcap just has to have the ability to be isolated from the body (or head) and the pocket clip attach to the tailcap.

6

Nice, like it !

Would possibly buy one but not with that nasty blue tint.
If you could mod something with real low output and natural tint, it would make an excellent Doctors/Nurses flashlight.
That would be a great market to mine.

Good luck in your venture and keep us posted.
Thanks

Keith

7

Thanks Keith! The tint isn’t blue as it looks in the video, but the low mode definitely isn’t very low (though it’s pretty diffuse). I’ll try and get a few pictures that accurately represent the color tint (most of the samples I’ve had are actually a little netural at around 5500 to 6000k if I had to guess).

8

That is a very clever and interested idea.

Truly thinking outside the box.

9

Thank you, thijsco19.

As for actual tint of the Streamlight Microstream USBs, I just grabbed a random one and took the photo below with an iPhone 11 Pro. I then cooled the color temp of the photo a little so that across several screens it best represents the color I see in real life.

The light is about two feet away from the bucket lid (which is as white as white can be), and the carpet is an ugly greyish beige. You can see that the center of the hotspot is between neutral and cool white, with the outside of the hotspot and corona tending more toward neutral. The spill is cool white with a very slight blue tint (see the rim of the lid) and the outer edge of the spill turns a little green. Also, the hotspot is quite diffuse so the spill doesn’t really attract much attention.

So they by no means have a warm tint and are not high CRI but they are pretty darn good. I like it and I’m by no means a tint snob but I hate blue tinted LEDs (I recently got an XP-G3 light and will probably never do so again).

10

Cool , I look forward to this being available.

11

I own a red laser pointer with this type of switch.

12

Scallywag, some old medical lights had a pocketclip switch as well. The key difference with my design is that you don’t have to hold down or even touch the pocket clip in order for it to activate the light. The original clicky switch remains intact and controls the light but the pocket clip controls the clicky switch.

13

Tell your friends!

If you’d like to make your own clip switched flashlight you can see my how to thread here ClipSwitch - How to thread

14

A really cool idea. Doubles as mechanical lockout. :slight_smile:
I don’t normally use lights with clips but I would definitely want to try this one. :slight_smile:

15

OK - I really like the idea of this.

Loved the video with the various lights and the types of switches to activate them. I thought of one other to add. How many times have we pulled a BIC lighter our of our pocket and with a thumb slide turned it on to see in the dark!

All the best in this endeavor.

16

Images in post #1 and #14 are not visible to me ???

17

Using Imgur instead of Google now. Are they showing up?

Interesting note: The pictures were showing up on my end every time I reloaded the page or tried a different browser/computer. After about an hour they still showed up for me (must have been in the cache) but they stopped loading on different browsers and computers.

18

If you want a light that’s not going to switch on in your pocket, buy one with a decent switch - not one that pokes out 10mm above it (like my no longer used aaa tool which always turned on).
My Thorfire PF04 has a low profile switch that is actually hard to switch on, and I’d say almost impossible to accidentally activate.

It doesn’t switch on when you unclip it, granted but I’d have no use for that anyway.
Clever idea though, and good luck with your venture! :+1:

19

Pictures okay now.

20

Thanks G0OSE. I’ve not had accidental activation issues with any of my Streamlights but many find their switches too stiff. The Eagtac D series lights have some nice recessed switches that are easy to press and don’t come on inadvertently either.

That said, there are other advantages to a clip switch. Many people, myself included, forget to turn their lights off. Many a time I have pulled my standard switch light out of my pocket either to find it on or the battery dying/dead.
With a clip switch, as long as it’s clipped the light not only can’t come on, it can’t be on.

Also if your light accidentally slips out of your pocket, you’re much more likely to notice a light that’s on versus a light that’s off. Long as your pocket clip is intact, a clip switched light will be shining brightly to alert you that it’s not where it should be.