Maybe it’s possible to still use your Aspire 18350s!
Just mod your FW3A with a zener diode on the driver. Replace the stock LEDs with triple XHP70 (you might have to make a custom star for that) and run it on 2xAspire 18350 in series!
I agree… no glue please!
The tail cap has a taper to it’s outer dimension, should help to distinguish the operator end from the business end. And of course, there’s the clip.
There have been group buys here lately where everyone’s opinion is weighed and averaged to determine the final aspects of a light, I didn’t think this was one of those… Fritz designed a light and The Miller helped find a manufacturer for production. Seems everyone still want’s to weigh in with their opinion anyway. Guess I got it wrong in the beginning… not surprising really, my success rate lately has been more about successfully getting things wrong than otherwise.
I did not express my opinion with the idea that all opinions will be weighed and averaged, you are correct, from the start it was made clear that this was Fritz’s design so it is up to him and the team how it is going to look like.
But I still liked to express my disappointment in the changed looks.
What happened to the beautiful light in the OP? Don’t like this prototype at all.
Not meant that way Jos, sorry… I was simply saying that I thought Fritz’s design was nailed down and they were going to make it like his plan. Am surprised at all the back and forth on here as much as I am the design change by Lumintop.
It’s still a very nice light, no doubt, just has strayed from the original intent.
I’m not really in the loop about host design changes. I liked the appearance of Fritz’s original design better, but I’m okay with the slope too.
However, there was a different clip proposed earlier and in some private messages I was pretty loud about disliking it, and now it seems to be back to the original design. Not sure what happened behind the scenes, but maybe I had something to do with that?
Mostly though, I’m just doing firmware.
Hi, I received my prototype but did not yet have much time to examine it.
Some thoughts though:
- Build quality is good, but there are some flaws in mine,
- It is anodized in the same colour
- I am also not 100% happy with the design. Currently it looks a little mixed up. Either there should be two chamfered parts or two sharp parts. We might make a small adjustment there,
- The switching operation feels weird somehow. The driver responds with some delay for some reason,
- The tailcap is glued to the body,
- A transparent rubber ring prevents the clip from rotating, which is quite clever. I first want to have a look at the disassembled switch though before I make my final judgement,
- It is very small and compact and the clip is really really good.
Some more information will follow shortly
BTW, someone asked about dimensions, and someone asked about putting the FW3A next to a BLF A6 shorty.
FW3A proto1 dimensions:
- Length: 92.9 mm
- Bezel diameter: 25.6 mm
- Tailcap narrowest diameter: 24.0 mm
- Body narrowest diameter: 21.5 mm
I don’t have a BLF A6 shorty, but I have a Convoy S2+ shorty… pretty close.
Convoy S2+ 18350 dimensions:
- Length: 85.9 mm
- Diameter: 22.9 to 23.9 mm
So the full-sized FW3A is about 7 mm longer than a Convoy or BLF A6 “shorty”… and its grippable section is 2.4 mm narrower so it feels smaller. The FW3A head is 1.7 mm wider, which allows the entire optic to be exposed instead of having the edges blocked. A glass lens protects and holds in the optic.
The sizes are actually pretty close. The FW3A is almost shorty-sized, but has 3X-5X as much battery capacity.
It’s also shorter (and lighter) than both of my Brass Beauty lights, which are two of my favorites…
Brass Beauty v1 dimensions:
- Length: 97.3 mm
- Diameter: 19.7 to 21.1 mm
Brass Beauty v3 dimensions:
- Length: 102.4 mm
- Diameter: 19.5 to 21.7 mm
Tailcap is glued?
That doesn’t sound good. Looking at the design of the light, removing the tailcap is necessary to remove the clip. Does that mean we’re stuck with the stock clip and can never remove it or replace it unless we somehow break the glue?
Thanks Fritz15 for answering here.
What about two chamfers like on a Lumintop Tool AAA? 45 deg. The step down is also 1.5mm
Yes, I like to have the 18350 option.
Almost same size as a Zebralight s64! Not much larger at all
Dimensions
Head Diameter: 0.96 inch (24.5 mm)
Length: 3.64 inch (92.5 mm)
+1
I do not like that
Please no glue
I would like to be on the list please.
Agree with the 45º step down to the tube on the Tool, I have all 3 versions (Brass, Copper and Titanium) and they did the 45º bevel on the step down to the tube on all of them and it looks nice, doesn’t take away from the clean lines and virtually eliminates snagging.
(Finding a picture online, this from outdoornerd, was easier than snapping a pic and uploading it)
Its funny how people have completely opposite ideas about the aesthetics of the old and new design.
I personally think the new design is a huge improvement.
I was not too crazy about the original, but functionally it sounded really cool. In my opinion the new design is much much better.
I dont like the luminitop Tool design at all, to me it just looks incredibly low effort and unimaginative. I have seen nicer looking spark plugs.
Yes I have a completely opposite view of this than you do
The first design is original (at least for me). The new design remember me the Nitecore Concept, remember the HDS lights……I not find the new design as improvement. Of course I like the Technical qualities, the interface, the switch…. but is a shame lost the original design.
Agree 100%