They said me once thatās PMMA.
I had to check my older posts, itās actually around 120Ā°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 160Ā°C. Maybe itās 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 Sā¢Cā¢P Schiller Custom Parts) and more - what a beauty!
owner: Patric Bƶttcher
IMO, this is not a flashlight for āmanyā. It should be owned only by āfreaksā, who have the necessary knowledge to deal with it safely. Thereās way too many reports of melt-downs due to a variety of speculative causes.
Itās 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. Itās a fun light, but donāt leave it on some paper and go to bed, even if itās āoffā.
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 collectionā¦
@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, itās a great modification 
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 FW3Aā¦or at least not with my particular version (no retaining ring in the tailcap). I canāt get the 18350 tube to work at all. The inner tube does not seem to contact the switch board correctly because Iām 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 thatās my EDC light.
Same issue with the deep carry clipā¦I think the ring is just thick enough to keep the inner tube from contacting. It appears to be slightly thicker than the original clipās ring.
At least the new SS bezel fits on my old FW3Aā¦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 itās bezel upgrade.
If anyone has gotten these new parts to work with older versions of this light please let me know how!
As cool as the Fw3a is Iād love a super slim 1 led model that takes 14500s.
I had no luck with the 18350 tube and a first-batch FW3A. I donāt have a newer one to try it with.
I made a brass signal tube for mine. Had to make brass signal tubes to replace the signal springs in my NovaTacFW3 mods and my FW3A shorty, FW3Ti shorty modsā¦
Now I can run any accessory I wantā¦ no more messing aroundā¦
Nothing like jumping into a thread at post number 13,000 and change.
Simple question. Should I get this FW3A for yet another EDC? Iāve read about the head burning hot, Iāve read about the first rev having issues with a clamp in the tail capā¦ bla bla blaā¦
The biggest reason Iām toying with this light is the cool UI
āupdateā with candle simulation as well as a nice floody beam, but itās a good chunk of change for yet another toyā¦
So what is the consensus on this light? In less then 13,581 threads!
Ps. I never buy lights off amazon, but in this case pricing seems reasonable. $42.99 with a Samsung INR. Amazon.com. Delivered tomorrow. ā¦
it is small and it has power - so it gets hot if you pull many lumens ;)
if you like the UI and want a more classic EDC go for the EDC18 ;)
http://www.youtube.com/embed/KUMTdYKkmzo
It really depends on what you like. Do you want a small light with tail e-switch and lots of features? If so, this light is a good choice.
If you prefer a side switch, something else would be a better choice.
I like it quite a bit, but Iām biased. It has been my main light since I got the first prototype in 2017; I hardly use anything else any more. Mostly, a bare aluminum model with XP-L HI 3D LEDs. This gives me good tint, good efficiency, and scratches arenāt really visible.
The main other light I use is a FW1A, which has a throwier beam for outdoor use.
Or Iāll carry around whatever light Iām working on at the time, but those come and go.
Coming from you, even with the disclaimer, itās a solid recommendation! Thanks!
Iām pretty biased though. I mean, I made the firmware for it and ran the project for the final year or so. Iād have to be pretty crazy to put in that much effort if I didnāt like it.
So I really canāt give an objective opinion about it.
Is there more conversation about the emitters / cri/ efficiency/ otf lumens / throw-spot profile other thread one? Are the guts of the tail switch now retained with a retainer ring so itās safe to open the tail cap to change the battery without risk of loosing internal bits?