Has any one else tried this? Those old bulbs can shatter just by looking at them.
What?? I know the owners, and there isn’t a single lawyer among them. In fact, it is just two really nice guys that rubbed two nickles together to buy Wavien out of bankruptcy (after honorably serving this country in the military), and so far, they have nothing to show for it. The previous owners also invested a lot trying to make a go of it and went bankrupt. If losing a fortune is disgusting, then I agree with you. We all hate that.
Perhaps I am stepping out of bounds, as I can see that you are a prolific poster with more than 30 such posts in just the last 30 days, and 7 years-worth of hundreds and hundreds of valuable insights on nearly every topic, but perhaps you would like to elaborate on how disgusting these folks really are.
Now the Chinese are copying the invention that many trolls have continually poo-poo’d on this forum, yet these same folks are now paying 4X the price from Microfire, and are then proud of themselves thinking they got a really good deal and an unbeatable beam from China. I haven’t seen a single post about how disgusting this intellectual property theft is, unless someone here thinks someone stole the idea they once had in their head, but never acted upon it.
Politics aside I think almost all the serious thrower flashlight builders on here respect what RLT is capable of. So much so that most of them (us) whatever even purchased this tech directly from the people in question when they did a group buy for us (that was nice of them).
Also, I dont think many people here are doing any business with Microfire at those prices.
Do you mean MeadowStar here? The HQ is in an office bldg. 120 patents - for wut? Just to own them and deny others? They certainly are denying us. I find this no better than the car giants and oil giants buying out battery technology patents just to bury them in research.
I believe there was some contention on the idea being patented specifically with regard to an LED, when a similar or identical mirror had been used with other light sources already (prior art). However, I’m not an attorney and the debate was also primarily before my time.
Also, the original company allegedly sent cease and desist letters to individuals who were making their own one-off (or a few) mirrors for private use. If that’s true, it’s kind of crappy. Again, just my impression from what I’ve read, but it seemed like a lot of modders and enthusiasts were interested in the mirrors but couldn’t get them. Then, when they pursued alternatives, they were threatened.
If you know the wavien collar patent holders, it might be worth pointing them here. There is still demand, and rather than having the patent sit and do nothing they could try to arrange some licensing deal and/or group buy.
They aren’t going to make any real money with us. It’s too bad they didn’t get a mil contract or automotive something years ago so that by now the tech could be cheap and we could be ripping them out of cheap flashlights and supercharging them. Even Chinese companies aren’t copying this en mass so clearly it hasn’t taken off like anyone hoped. Too bad for everyone involved really.
Show me a single post where someone is proud of themselves thinking they got a really good deal from Microfire. Microfire makes good/interesting lights but FAAAARRR from budget and “good deal”. I don’t believe Microfire stole the RLT collar idea simply because you make such an accusation which seems to be baseless. Why don’t you ask the owners of the RLT patent to prove your accusation otherwise you’re just smearing an innocent company based on your personal bias.
Also without all these Chinese flashlight companies we would not have BLF and all these crazy innovations and breakthroughs we’ve been seeing in the flashlight world at budget prices. Sure the Chinese manufacturers lack the RLT collar, but they are constantly pushing limits with lights like the MS18, R90TS, K75, W30, X80GT, TK16, R90TS, E07, Noctigon K1 etc. that would be considered technically impossible just a few years ago, and I would take these over RLT any day. Without these Chinese companies, we would still be stuck with Surefires and Maglites where 2,000 lumens would be considered ultra bright.
Reminds me of Apple suing other phone manufacturers for patent infringement by making rectangular phones with round corners. I believe the original intent and idea of having patents is good and sound however these days it’s transformed into other sinister functions. Greedy corporations and patent trolls have been weaponizing patent laws to prevent/hurt/coerce competition for selfish gains…
Unreasonable patenting policies severely slow down progress.
And again, we’re talking about a blithering concave spherical mirror with a hole in it.
And just sitting on patents while doing nothing with it simply sucks.
Eihter way….
How am i gonna get or even make a few of these things for a reasonable price?
Why don’t they produce more?
They were sold out pretty fast.
Did I hear you say they were sold out pretty fast? Seems like the unreasonable price was at a pretty good intersection of supply and demand (at least for the buyers). You gotta love good old fashioned macro economics (and capitalism) where the equilibrium price represents a fair agreement between producer and consumers of the goods, so they fly off the shelves. Everyone is a winner, and the producer stays afloat to sell again another day.
Christmas ornaments are another brilliant alternative, of course. The right time of year too. After all it is only a blithering mirror with a hole in it.
FYI, some have been sold in the meantime. But only to folks that actually inquired to the licensee that produces them.
I still have mine waiting for a good fixed aspheric host, this might be a while.
Speaking of cut mirrors I have heard another user say they were not consistent how they sliced the top and it effects the beam as a result.
If you sell something people want and you only produce / supply a few of them, of course they will sell for too much money.
Is that beautiful?
(i missed the whole thing though, i was on another break from flashlight mania for a while)
But since you know (of) these licencees, isn’t there something that can be arranged for the community of flashlight enthusiasts?
[edit]
Okay, so i should try something here:
https://meadowstar.com/rltproducts/rlt-retroreflectors/
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Yeah, they’re not quite perfect spheres either and the metal layer will flake off when cutting it (i presume with a diamond dust cutting wheel and cooled with water?)
It sounds pretty impossible to me, to be honest.
I am waiting on spherical mirrors and will have a go at cutting the hole in them. $250 for that is a joke and if i cant make them Im sure someone in china will be able to.
I can understand that some may find benefits out of the intellectual property and patent system thing, but something which is only of benefit to some while causing serious drawbacks to society and humankind as a whole can only be considered evil.
Thereby, intellectual property and patents are evil and deserve to be transmuted, banished and/or extinguised. While humanity awakens to this realization, I can only hope or wish that those who exploit the patent system employ their leeching profits to create actual, tangible and balanced benefits to humankind, the planet and All that Is as a whole. For I am the Light, and I speak in the name of God here. O:)
Happy New Year, by the way. 
You too, Barkuti ! 
I brought a marinebeam flashlight the light is junk
Off with legal monopolies!
Can you be more specific, I hope for maybe a small review?