FW3A mod thread. Post yours!

Nice :wink:
Later I will try to capture de sound differences in video, just in case it helps anyone :wink:

Thanks mate, I was having trouble posting images this morning :zipper_mouth_face:
But that’s what I was referring to :wink:

Still waiting on mine, hopefully get the tracking soon. :cry:

Delayed off is normal.

Hum, I guess I didn’t noticed it much before, then!
I started messing up with the switch/caps, and thought it was because of that (and I guess it happened for a while, as the metal “activator” on the switch seemed to recover slowlyer), but it is a “feature”, not an error of my light!
Thanks for clarifying!

You are welcome. TK has shortened the delay in newer versions.

Lens comparison from first batch FW3A vs No Lens (optic in place) vs UCL Lens. This is a modded 219B on the 2nd stepped level.

Stock AR Lens:
1260lux (239.4lm)

Yxy: 337.437599 0.364519 0.362489
CCT = 4372K (Duv –0.0018)
Color Rendering Index (Ra) = 91.8 [ R9 = 84.5 ]
R1 = 93.8 R2 = 92.4 R3 = 88.7 R4 = 92.1 R5 = 92.6 R6 = 87.6 R7 = 93.3
R8 = 93.9 R9 = 84.5 R10 = 80.7 R11 = 92.1 R12 = 71.8 R13 = 93.0 R14 = 93.8

No Lens:
1280lux (243.2lm)

Yxy: 291.757632 0.362148 0.358032
CCT = 4422K (Duv –0.0032)
Color Rendering Index (Ra) = 92.2 [ R9 = 88.3 ]
R1 = 94.9 R2 = 92.9 R3 = 88.5 R4 = 92.2 R5 = 93.6 R6 = 88.1 R7 = 93.1
R8 = 94.6 R9 = 88.3 R10 = 81.7 R11 = 92.4 R12 = 72.8 R13 = 93.9 R14 = 93.6

UCL Lens:
1290lux (245.1lm)

Yxy: 324.812067 0.363629 0.359307
CCT = 4381K (Duv –0.0031)
Color Rendering Index (Ra) = 92.2 [ R9 = 87.9 ]
R1 = 94.7 R2 = 92.8 R3 = 88.5 R4 = 92.1 R5 = 93.4 R6 = 88.0 R7 = 93.1
R8 = 94.5 R9 = 87.9 R10 = 81.6 R11 = 92.4 R12 = 72.8 R13 = 93.8 R14 = 93.6

So, I arrived home and made some experiences.
Here’s the first video with the normal configuration of the FW3A in the tailcap:

Here’s the video with the inverted silicone cap, and nubbin towards the metal cap, as mentioned above.

And this was the last thing i’ve done to make it a “silent-stealth-tactical-decent” switch :smiley:

with the help of these :smiley:

I applied some white Scotch tape (adhesive) in the edges of the metal cap to avoid the metal “scratch” after clicking or pressing&hold. And inverted/flipped the silicon cap + nubbin :wink:
It is silent now! :innocent:

FW3A Tritanium switch button…. :wink:

A WIP……

Nice.

The bezel was made to ideally accept a Convoy S21a reflector. Currently I’m using the same S2+ SMO, which is too small and looks silly. Also, I ran out of time machining the part and didn’t get a chamfer on the outer edge. I made this of 7075 in hopes that it’ll stand up to drops better than 6061. Lastly, I’m going to dip the new part in an NaOH bath to try and match the surface finish of the rest of the light that was stripped.

If anyone has any suggestions to reflectors or single optics in the 22-23mm range and very shallow (10-12mm) let me know please. I’m hoping Simon makes available the S21a reflectors like he does with most models but as of yet haven’t heard back

The FW1A is for real?

edit: just read your text. what a wonderful creation.

It should be. But I had to make my own. Requires only a new bezel, two off-center holes on the emitter shelf, and a suitable reflector.

I hope that someone will create and sell this bezel. The other parts should be easy to get.

It’s great, we need one. A single TIR optic would be fine too, and there wouldn’t be more length.

Nice job, I like that. :+1:

Which size UCL lens? 22.6 x 1.9? Sounds like a good fit with the SST20.

Call me crazy but I actually like it a bit longer. Maybe it’s just because I have larger hands, but it feels a lot better now and that 5-6mm extra is unnoticeable in my pocket.

Diameter however is another story. You notice every millimeter there. I like the girth of the FW3A in hand (seems just right), but in the pocket it could stand to loose a mm or two.

Single TIR optic is still going to be longer than the stock triple TIR. Unless you use a very tiny single-TIR optic that only uses a fraction of the width of the light.

One advantage of the Carclo triple TIR is that it’s really shallow. Just 7mm. You’re not going to find any single-TIR optics that are 20mm wide and only 7mm deep.

Maybe a little longer, but probably still shorter than a reflector? Either or both would still be small and great.

Lumintop can have anything made…… :slight_smile: