FW3A, a TLF/BLF EDC flashlight - SST-20 available, coupon codes public

That’s my current configuration, 18500 tube, deep carry clip, SS bezel :wink:
It is great indeed :wink:

Mmmm… that shiny copper one does look really nice!

Where does that deep carry clip come from?

Maybe I’m wrong, but those shiny copper FW3A’s seem to be going away. I went looking last weekend and fleabay was the only place I could find them. Just checked, and it still says one left, same as when I ordered, but I ordered two, and the shipped notification email has arrived…. Notice it is from Shenzhen.
The bead blasted copper didn’t seam to take off, you can still get them.

Maybe I’m wrong, but is that prototype FW3A V2 Lumintop’s first production light with tritium slots? (assuming it does go into production.)

Edit:
It looks like it’s got both a (magnetic?) brightness adjustment ring, and an on/off switch.

The FW21 has trit slots and it’s already out (21700 version of FW3A)

I got it here

Carclo doesn’t melt in UV? I am asking because I know that Yajiamei singe optics are melting.

The threaded ring is what screws in the switch assembly, that all it does. The tail and battery tube are one piece.

I think the Carclo handle about 150°C 120°C.
I don’t know what material the Yajiamei singe optics are made of.

They said me once that’s PMMA.

I had to check my older posts, it’s actually around 120°C. The Carclo is a UV stabilized clear polycarbonate.

PMMA is like acrylic or plexiglass. Generally speaking it seems to have a melting point of around 160°C. Maybe it’s not UV stabilized?

some people rant about the many variations and "offsprings" of the original design / idea...

but i actually like that it evolved from "something for some freaks" to a flashlight-family suiteable for many ...

a nice example:

a customized FW3T+C with engraved copper button (by S•C•P Schiller Custom Parts) and more - what a beauty!
owner: Patric Böttcher

IMO, this is not a flashlight for “many”. It should be owned only by “freaks”, who have the necessary knowledge to deal with it safely. There’s way too many reports of melt-downs due to a variety of speculative causes.

It’s a very nice-looking light, but potentially much more dangerous than most other lithium-ion lights. The design is inherently bad for the kind of manufacturing tolerances used to produce it cheaply. And, add to that, firmware which has some dubious safety issues in recent months (D4v2). Maybe not the version used in this light, but who knows what other bugs are waiting to be discovered?

People should be careful with this light. It’s a fun light, but don’t leave it on some paper and go to bed, even if it’s “off”.

I totally agree with you. This light is a danger to muggles and noobs. If twice as much was invested in the light it might have been a different story. I love my FW collection…

:heart_eyes:

@maba: BEAUTIFUL

I received my second FW3A today :)

For a few days i was suspecting shenanigans from La Poste as the parcel status was bouncing from "has arrived at the site for distribution" to "deposited in the recipient's mailbox" and back again several times but it eventually reached my mailbox for real !

There are a few difference with my first FW3A that was from 1st batch.

Pros :

  • the most obvious at first sight is the smooth SS clip wich i like better than the original one
  • new Anduril version with the 2 levels momentary lockout (nice move !)
  • retaining ring added for the tail pcb

Cons :

  • the switch action doesn't feel right and the button sometimes stay stuck in the pressed position

The switch problem was easily solved thanks to JaredM's post about the "o-ring, no nubin" mod so everything is perfect now but as much as i love this torch i have to agree with the people saying that, with that kind of issue, the FW3A might not be for everyone.

Note : The SS bezel is beautiful !

Yes, it’s a great modification :smiley:

I used the usual o-ring:

Purple: Cree XP-L HI 1A 6500K, Aluminum: SST-20 4000K.

Well I received a shipment of parts and lights from Neal yesterday, and it would appear the new deep-carry clip and 18350 tube is not compatible with older versions of the FW3A…or at least not with my particular version (no retaining ring in the tailcap). I can’t get the 18350 tube to work at all. The inner tube does not seem to contact the switch board correctly because I’m getting no continuity on the meter when the switch is pressed. Tried screwing it together as tight as I could, with clip, no clip, nothing works. The short tube does however work with the brand new FW1A that also came yesterday, but really I wanted it for the FW3A as that’s my EDC light.

Same issue with the deep carry clip…I think the ring is just thick enough to keep the inner tube from contacting. It appears to be slightly thicker than the original clip’s ring.

At least the new SS bezel fits on my old FW3A…nevermind that they sent two FW3A bezels instead of the one FW3A and one FW1A I ordered. My shiny new FW1A will have to wait for it’s bezel upgrade.

If anyone has gotten these new parts to work with older versions of this light please let me know how!