CRX wrote:

All you need is a box of crayons

My daughter is two so the crayons are HERS ONLY

I’ve been surfing the forum for a bit. This is my first post.

Heck, I’m still waiting for the slow canoe from China (FT shipper) that’s carrying my 2x Convoy S2+ (black/clear).

Happy to be here. I’ll post more soon (still in learn mode).

Dougiestyle wrote:

I’ve been surfing the forum for a bit. This is my first post. … Happy to be here.

I have to get in on this GB! Put me down for one (XPL-HI), please.

Welcome to BLF! Happy to see you here.

You’ll be included in the next interest list update.

Dougiestyle wrote:

I’ll post more soon (still in learn mode).

Always in learn mode. Learn mode is life.

Welcome to BLF Dougiestyle, enjoy your stay!! .

CRX wrote:

All you need is a box of crayons

You can change the colour of Ti with voltage.
Some of the Rey pattern look like if they used a flexible PCB with a pattern, wraped it arround the tube and then applyed different voltages for different colors.
Or you have resistors on the flex PCB to get automatically the different voltages.
Maybe they work with one voltage for the body color and than they do the pattern.

Heat works also
Other Ti parts I see look if someone wraped a heated wire around it.

But this are only guesses.

Yeah, here’s a rough colour guide to voltage effect: (Borrowing TKs picture)
There’s instruction videos on how to do it.

Looks like the Dawn sections were submerged separately for a base colour then “painted”.
You can submerge the Ti or apply the electrodes to a painting implement and kinda paint different colours on, cool.

I did this light with heat:

But, we would need a titanium version for this of course

“Titanium anodize is an electrochemical process that varies the mass of the oxide layer that naturally occurs on the titanium base metal. By varying this mass using different voltages, a wide range of unique colors can be produced without the use of dyes or harsh brighteners, leaving the chemistry and structure of the substrate unchanged.”

Your probably right joechina about using a pattern. One way to get the same effect is to use a small sponge soaked in electrolyte on your negative lead after first doing a base color… but this method would be much to labor intensive & slow for mass production.

As CRX said, Titanium can also be heat colored… but that is not as durable as anodizing. And I don’t think the splash effect (such as TK’s light) could be achieved with heat.

.

You can stack colors. The Rey lamp has blue, brown, purple as base = low voltage.
Ontop you can apply yellow and red with higher voltage.

/\ Exactly…
You can achieve various base colors by varying immersion times and/or voltage.
And then come back with higher voltages in the ‘splash stage’… as you said.

And 6 months later you can do it all over again as it will gradually turn back to the natural Ti color with even the slightest wear and tear.

So a different design every so often..
This just gets better & better

It’ll be like Christmas twice a year with a new design “every 6 months”.

I see no downside……

DB Custom wrote:

And 6 months later you can do it all over again as it will gradually turn back to the natural Ti color with even the slightest wear and tear.

That’s why I don’t think I should actually use it. It’s pretty, but I don’t trust it to stay that way if it gets used. If it’s anodized like I think it is, the finish won’t be very durable.

The FW3A gets used a lot though — more than any other light I have.

I really fell in love with this:

It’s really not my kind of light. And it’s expensive for me, very. But the looks made it really hard to resist.
I would get one if not for durability worries. Now it seems this was a right choice….

So…is there any way to get such effect and have it seriously durable?

[quote=FW3A Team]

Interest List

Valera I’m interested 1pc (darker)

Please don’t qoute giant lists. Just say you want one and that is all.

Wow that is one long quote!

JasonWW wrote:

Please don’t qoute giant lists. Just say you want one and that is all.

I am sorry, but I could not insert my message

valera wrote:

JasonWW wrote:

Please don’t qoute giant lists. Just say you want one and that is all.

I am sorry, but I could not insert my message

Can you please edit your previous post?
You can click on “edit” and then erase” all the information about the list; just leave your phrase there saying that you want one

What cells are y’all gonna use?

I mainly use Samsung INR18650-30Q but don’t have any spare. For slightly longer runtimes, I’m thinking of getting either Samsung INR18650-35E or Sanyo NCR18650GA. Is there much, if any, real world difference between the 35E and the GA?

Here are my findings so far:

• 35E has very slightly more capacity.
• GA performs slightly better at high currents.
• GA performs slightly better in extreme cold conditions – this doesn’t really matter to me.
• Cycle life is pretty much identical; 60% capacity after 500 cycles.
• 35E is 10% cheaper than GA.
• 35E is pink, GA is red

I’m a big fan of 35E, superb cell and relatively cheap.
But for hot rods like FW3A I would recommend GA. I think it would be healthier for the cell (you’re going to exceed the rated current anyway) and also you’ll get a bit higher output.
Neither difference is big really. But I feel a bit more powerful cell is just the right choice.

hodor wrote:

What cells are y’all gonna use?

I mainly use Samsung INR18650-30Q but don’t have any spare. For slightly longer runtimes, I’m thinking of getting either Samsung INR18650-35E or Sanyo NCR18650GA. Is there much, if any, real world difference between the 35E and the GA?

Here are my findings so far:

• 35E has very slightly more capacity.
• GA performs slightly better at high currents.
• GA performs slightly better in extreme cold conditions – this doesn’t really matter to me.
• Cycle life is pretty much identical; 60% capacity after 500 cycles.
• 35E is 10% cheaper than GA.
• 35E is pink, GA is red

Both are wrong. Becaus they are rated for 8A continous. With this flashlight, you will get around 15-20A power draw.
So please use Samsung 25R/30Q, Sony VTC5/5A/6, LG HE4/HG2 or similar.

Wieselflinkpro wrote:

hodor wrote:

What cells are y’all gonna use?

I mainly use Samsung INR18650-30Q but don’t have any spare. For slightly longer runtimes, I’m thinking of getting either Samsung INR18650-35E or Sanyo NCR18650GA. Is there much, if any, real world difference between the 35E and the GA?

Here are my findings so far:

• 35E has very slightly more capacity.
• GA performs slightly better at high currents.
• GA performs slightly better in extreme cold conditions – this doesn’t really matter to me.
• Cycle life is pretty much identical; 60% capacity after 500 cycles.
• 35E is 10% cheaper than GA.
• 35E is pink, GA is red

Both are wrong. Becaus they are rated for 8A continous. With this flashlight, you will get around 15-20A power draw.
So please use Samsung 25R/30Q, Sony VTC5/5A/6, LG HE4/HG2 or similar.

Agro wrote:

Wieselflinkpro wrote:

hodor wrote:

What cells are y’all gonna use?

I mainly use Samsung INR18650-30Q but don’t have any spare. For slightly longer runtimes, I’m thinking of getting either Samsung INR18650-35E or Sanyo NCR18650GA. Is there much, if any, real world difference between the 35E and the GA?

Here are my findings so far:

• 35E has very slightly more capacity.
• GA performs slightly better at high currents.
• GA performs slightly better in extreme cold conditions – this doesn’t really matter to me.
• Cycle life is pretty much identical; 60% capacity after 500 cycles.
• 35E is 10% cheaper than GA.
• 35E is pink, GA is red

Both are wrong. Becaus they are rated for 8A continous. With this flashlight, you will get around 15-20A power draw.
So please use Samsung 25R/30Q, Sony VTC5/5A/6, LG HE4/HG2 or similar.

GA is 10A rated.
And the draw will be high only for short periods before the light steps down.

I thought the purpose of the FW3A was that it was not meant be a hot rod? Hence me asking about relatively low drain cells.

ToyKeeper wrote:

…Personally, I recommend the 35E cell, because it gives more runtime at every level except turbo, and the FW3A is not designed to operate at turbo for very long. It’s not a hot rod.

Wieselflinkpro wrote:

Both are wrong. Becaus they are rated for 8A continous. With this flashlight, you will get around 15-20A power draw.
So please use Samsung 25R/30Q, Sony VTC5/5A/6, LG HE4/HG2 or similar.

This is a FET driver so it will only draw what the battery can give. Using a high capacity battery will reduce the current draw and give longer run time. A battery’s continuous current rating is irrelevant for this light since the light itself can only do maybe 2A continuous. All 18650 cells should be able to handle that. For people not wanting max turbo output, a 35E or a GA are fine choices.

hodor wrote:

I thought the purpose of the FW3A was that it was not meant be a hot rod? Hence me asking about relatively low drain cells.

It’s meant to be an attractive, interesting, feature packed and unique well rounded practical EDC light, that just happens to not hold back on maximum output, should you choose to use it in a mode that allows that.

Zulumoose wrote:

hodor wrote:

I thought the purpose of the FW3A was that it was not meant be a hot rod? Hence me asking about relatively low drain cells.

It’s meant to be an attractive, interesting, feature packed and unique well rounded practical EDC light, that just happens to not hold back on maximum output, should you choose to use it in a mode that allows that.

Exactly

JasonWW wrote:

Wieselflinkpro wrote:

Both are wrong. Becaus they are rated for 8A continous. With this flashlight, you will get around 15-20A power draw.
So please use Samsung 25R/30Q, Sony VTC5/5A/6, LG HE4/HG2 or similar.

Wieselflinkpro, are you not familiar with batteries? I’m really surprised.

This is a FET driver so it will only draw what the battery can give. Using a high capacity battery will reduce the current draw and give longer run time. A battery’s continuous current rating is irrelevant for this light since the light itself can only do maybe 2A continuous. All 18650 cells should be able to handle that. For people not wanting max turbo output, a 35E or a GA are fine choices.

We have different emitters and I am not shure if all two emitters are fixed. I read some discussions about another emitter besides the XP-L HI. With other emitters, we have other Vf and maybe more amps.

Can you garantee, that the amps will not be above 10/12A?

As always, I’ll just use a Samsung 30Q since they are my most versatile cells.

Otherwise, I would just the 35E since it’s pink