A good question. On the one hand, answering it properly might take one, or more, graduate dissertations.
On the other hand, I think there is a simple, pragmatic answer that applies to the present context, which is that the context of this poll is focused on emitter choice for the FW3A project. It isn’t a general poll about what emitter people thinks looks best, and it would be mistake to try and apply the results of this poll to a different or more general situation, at least not without interpretation and some added hypothesis testing.
Anecdotal information like PBWilson’s explanation for his reasoning can provide insight into interpreting poll results, and into designing subsequent polls. In this case, it reinforces the idea that at least some of the people voting in this poll are doing so in the context of their existing portfolio of flashlights.
My own considerations, as best I remember them now, a few days later:
- I want at least 80+ CRI, and preferably 90+ because I already have enough lower CRI lights, most of which will probably be given away or receive emitter swaps. I don’t need another one.
- Higher max output is good. Lower heat/ higher efficiency is good. Tighter beams are good in an 18650 tube-light triple.
- The max output, high efficiency and throwier beam of the XP-L HI isn’t worth the added cost and the poor CRI to me.
- The slightly throwier beam of the 219c isn’t worth the significantly lower max output and the lower efficiency wrt toe the LH319d.
- My existing higher CRI lights already have Nichia (219c and 319at) emitters, and I have more such emitters for new builds or upgrades of existing lights.
My priorities would be different for a different light: single vs triple; 18650 vs 26650; ~20mm reflector/optic vs 25, 30, 40, 50mm, etc; general purpose beam vs thrower v s flood.
Anyway, I really hope this doesn’t end up being available with only 70+ CRI XP-L HI. If that were the case, I’d really like a version with everything but the emitters, at a lower price.
This raises some questions about the XP-L HI for me:
- Will a 3x XPL-L HI draw significantly more current off a single high-drain 18650 than would 1x of an efficient low Vf emitter like an SST-40 or Luxeon V?
- Whatever the peak draws and outputs are for these two possibilities, thermals and battery discharge curves are going to place severe restrictions on duration of peak power, so what do things look like at other power levels? 20W (which is also going to heat up fast)? 10W?
- Will a 3x XP-L HI deliver a significant throwier beam than 1x of something like an SST-40, Luxeon V or XP-L2 at similar power consumption levels?
- How different will the beam profiles be?
These may be pretty basic questions, but the answers aren’t all that obvious (to me, anyway). Have they already been addressed in this thread.
A big part of what I’m wondering about is that, given that this light is a triple, are there some emitter options that take better advantage of that tripleness than others?
It’s pretty clear that hitting the 3000lm goal in a 1s 18650 light without triple emitters (or an as yet non-existant, compact, high-power boost driver), isn’t really possible. So, certainly, any emitter that hits that output goal takes advantage of the tripleness. The goal of regulation to 1000lm doesn’t require a triple, though the lower Vf of a triple increaces the amount of time under which that regulation can be maintained.
There are other angles to be considered, but it kind of seams like taking advantage of trippleness isn’t necessarily a strong tie-breaker, at least not on its own.
It seems to me though that this project has a bias towards a bare, elegant, refinement laced with innovation. It isn’t an Emisar light (which is to take nothing away from any of the Emisar lights). The FW3A it isn’t pushing the limits of output nor compactness for an 18650 light (the D4 is), or compactness and throw (the D1). Which isn’t to say that it isn’t still trying to hit similar levels of output per-emitter, but it’s also seeks to provide regulated output at ~1000lm, a powerful but easy to use UI, a tail e-switch. For me, 90+ CRI is more refined and elegant than 70+ CRI. For me, using an emitter not yet seen in a large or limited-run flashlight is a bit of innovation.
In any case, it’s great to see this project moving forward. I’ve no interest in second guessing choices that have been made, I am interested in understanding them and how they might inform remaining choices for this project, and also how they might inform future projects I might want to undertake. I look forward to being able to buy a FW3A, light, even if it has XPL-HI that I want to replace