The Pre-order count has been removed from the item page on Banggood. The Add To Cart button continues to work only for 6500K and 5700K emitters, but there is no more mention of Pre-ordering.
As has been stated, freeme’s code listed in the original post remains active for $31.99. If the quality improves to the point where bad lights are caught before shipment, this is an excellent value. Depending upon your battery source, you should be able to get the FT03 and a good 26650 for US$40 or less.
Though I really miss having the smoothness and security of square threading on this light, I still believe that it’s a great thrower for $32 and I use it pretty much every night. It does exactly what I expected and I have no desire to swap the emitter in exchange for a pencil beam. The FT03 has a beam long enough for 20/20 eyesight, but still wide enough to light a decent area. It’s not a close-range flooder, but that’s not its purpose and I still find the spill to be quite sufficient for walking around, etc.
Strange addition to this thread, but can someone assure me that I’m seeing things? I needed to use my FT03 the other night but didn’t have access to my 26650 or any other lithium battery.
I did have a 3xAAA holder filled with NiMH batteries. After sticking a couple of neodynium magnets on each end (N50 grade) to make contact with the springs I could use the light for what I needed.
When I eventually put the 26650 back into the light, I could swear that the beam was slightly dimmer when shining at the same location, on max ramping (didn’t try Turbo). There can’t be anything in the driver circuitry which would be affected by the magnetism of a couple of N50 neodynium magnets on the other end of the positive spring… can there?
If not, then it must be my subjective judgement of the brightness, no matter how sure I am of what I saw.
P.S. I have no dedicated equipment to measure lumens.
P.P.S. The NiMH batteries were each at around 1.37v in a series holder, giving 4.11v in total. The 26650 was charged to 4.17v
Yeah, this is common thing among members here, over time flash/lights become dimmer and dimmer, thats why we buy more and more powerful flashlights as time passes by.
If someone told you just a year ago that 10000+ lumen lights will be a “THING” you would lought and say “this guy is nuts”.
My astrolux ft02 has the exact same issue! I purchased from freeme group buy also. I’ve hadn’t very very bad luck with astrolux lights. I purchased maybe 10 lights and 8 are defective! I keep telling myself never to buy another astrolux again. But it’s hard when I see sales. And I end up receiving another lemon. Horrible qc astrolux!!!
Is anyone considering to swap the SST40 with SST20 for extra throw/tint etc? I wonder how this would turn out. Any estimate on potential lumen output from a single, hard driven SST20?
My light is cold white, My output has not dropped much i measured mine at about 2250 lumens at the start. now its around 2100 lumens. Is the figure right? I am not sure but lux when doing the test has not dropped much at all.
Slicing is different from de-doming you should be able to retain most lumens but you won’t get as much throw. Some one else in a older post on this thread gained like 30kcd then me by fully dedoming the SST40.
I have 1mm thick nylon washers that i used to slice the dome so its fairly close to the limit but you could still go a tad lower.
I don’t know about that. As far as lumens and throw, the results of slicing and dedoming should be about the same since your removing the magnifying effect of the dome. The difference between the techniques should really be more about small differences in the tint. Hopefully someone with more experience in both techniques can confirm.
looks good mate!