I would also love a 26650 D4 or mini Q8.
With four XPLs it should do 4k+ lumen.
Onboard USB charging would be nice too.
Which optic/reflector remains a good question. The D4 TIR is too floody IMO. The Q8 beam is just right to my taste. Can it be shrunk and maintain some throw?
I would think the C8F triple reflector would be pretty close to the Q8. My guess would be a little bigger hotspot, so not as good throw, but still good and much brighter spill than a TIR. Here is a video of the C8F xpl to see the beam. Video by DB Custom.
How was the spill brightness? I was really hoping to find a TIR setup that could come close to a reflector as far as beam proportions, hot spot size to spill brightness.
EDIT, I changed post 487 to better reflect what I was trying to say.
TIRās give you a larger hotspot then a reflector but that doesnāt mean less throw, they are simply better at collimating the beam.
I have dozens of TIRās laying around here and I have tried all sorts of combos. The spill is usually better then you would expect unless the optic you got is specifically designed to not have any spill.
Unlike reflectors TIRās are designed for a bunch of use cases and a whole lot more then size factors into what they give you.
In my case I did a lot of testing for my EDC tube light.
As a rule, the TIR gave more spill close to the hotspot, then there was a small area near the edge of the reflector beam where the reflector spill was slightly brighter. After the reflector spill cutoff though, the TIR spill kept going, just getting dimmer.
I prefer TIR optics in most cases, the beam is more pleasing.
Iād like a small, elegant, titanium light. BLF style.
Seeing how Astrolux sells their TI3A for $16 I canāt help but think that a much better BLF light has to be doable for $25 (preorder price). And I want one.
So:
10440 powered
e-switch, BLF UI
FET driver (FET+1 would be better, but if it complicates the build itās not worth it)
CRI90 219c
clip
locator light
I think that LED locator would be cheaper than tritium. And if connected to the driver it could act as an indicator as well. Or with RGB led the colour could be configurable to best suit the garment.
Iād like it the most with the switch in the tail, but Iām not sure if doing the FW3A thing is feasible in a titanium light (I guess with Al internal tubing - yes). It would make the light thicker though.
A double-tube 10440 light doesnāt make much sense because it would lose the advantage of being thin. Itās also difficult to fit a complicated driver into something that size. But perhaps a 16340 light could work? It seems like itād be a lot easier, at least.
I still want a BLF version of the Olight S-Mini.
I also still want a small BLF 14500 light. Could be like a smaller FW3A, could be like the brass AA clicky.
I have been looking for a good quality mid-size thrower for a while now and I just thought of bringing it up here. What I have in mind is a 3 or 4 cell Q8 style battery tube with a 2.8 to 3ā head. Throw in good heat management, an efficient driver and Narsil or other great UI and BLF would have a nice light that would fill a hole in my line-up.
Iām sure there are lights like that already out there, they just need a driver swap. Maybe a Haikelite MT07S or Klarus G35 with one of Lexels drivers.
When his boost driver comes out you could build an even smaller thrower using a 26650. Like the Utorch uto2 which is very cheap.
Donāt wait for BLF to make it. Make it yourself! Lol
I have a MK35 that I might upgrade with a GT/Narsil driver and a 4000K or 4500K led swap. Wish me luck, Iām goin in! The 4000K in the GT has gotten me hooked. I just bought a MX30L4Cvn with XPL Hi 4000K which is now my favorite balanced light.
Texas Commander / LD4 style driver with FET on MCPCB, regulating the light all the way to peak output. Might place other components on MCPCB too it thatās needed to save space.
Ramping UI
Initial, somewhat incorrect sketch:
I drew it without glass protecting the lens. Iām not sure it thatās a great choice especially that bezel blocks some light, just like it is with S2+ triples.
And there is no place to put threads between head and body tube, so this is a unibody light with press-fit driver. Not sure if thatās feasible with USB and maybe a button on the other side. You can remove the driver by poking it from the optic side.
Why did I say āmaybe a button on the other sideā? Because Iām wondering if a button assembly plugged into USB slot wouldnāt be a good idea.
It seems that āextremely compact for its battery typeā is a very common desire. In general, Iād like to see more lights which are barely bigger than the fuel tank.
Unusually, Iād like to suggest not a from-scratch project but a special edition of existing light.
DQG Spy Ti which has low-bin XP-G2 replaced with Samsung LH351D. Warm CRI90. Thatās it.
Well, extra points for shortening it to 10150 or 10160.
ADDED:
Or AR coated lens.
Or glow o-ring.
OK. There are a few things that could be done better.
But nevertheless this is a good light thatās extremely close to being a great light.