Share your expectation for an 18650 flashlight here

LED Flashlights – General Info 18650 Flashlights
1

Hi Guys
Greetings!
We have benefited a lot from my last thread asking for advice on our 2 forthcoming USB chargers. Your suggestions are quite user-based and include details which we might have ignored if not be mentioned. Thanks a million.
So here again, we are eager to know what features would you like to see on an 18650 flashlight.

Our preliminary conceptions of it are as follows,
Mainly for sporting, and outdoor applications;
It should be powered by an 18650 Li-ion battery, 18700 may be compatible as well;
2.8A discharge current;
800~900lm;
Side switch;
5 modes, H/M/L but not sure the other 2 modes, strobe/beacon/SOS/firelfy ?
Orange Peel Reflector or Smooth Reflector, which one do you prefer?
Is “rechargeable” a good idea?
How about a magnet on the tail?

Do I forget something? Any complement or advice will be highly appreciated. Thanks a lot. :beer:

2

XPL HD V6 3D on DTP MCPCB
SMO 20-25mm diameter

CC regulated
Moonlight PWM of the low mode for better tint

4 modes plus moonlight
900 with thermal regulation
400
165
40
Moonlight always >0.5s press from any mode

Moonlight stepless programmable between 0.05 and 3 lumens with click and hold

Strobe direct access with double click

Direct access to moonlight, turbo and strobe from off
Via >0.5s press for ML, double click for turbo and triple click for strobe

Hidden strobe modes, Strobe SOS and Beacon

Rechargable yes but not with a rubber plug to seal it maybe hidden in the thread or magnetic

High quality AR coated glass that has almost no tint shift
Springs with copper wire bypass

Sideswitch lockout with option to have a locator beacon LED activated like skilhunt h03

The light should be able to fit 18700
Low voltage protection

Parasitic drain below 15uA

No glued threads to make the LED moddable

Just a crazy idea but maybe option over USB to modify the lights modes and UI

3

I personally like the rechargeable idea. I am actually looking around currently for one to use at work with a single 18650.

Crank up the amps, put a 4500k XP-L HI sitting on a bitchin’ DTP under a smooth reflector, bypass the springs.

Wrap it up in a nice package around the size of a C8, with a slightly smaller head, and I’ll buy 10 :laughing:

4

May I further ask why a rubber plug is not a good idea? I personally have a EDC flashlight which use that and I see it works quite well.

5

I personally guess this one meets your requirements, except the bulb
http://www.xtar.cc/products_detail/productId=71.html

As for our flashlight, we plan to make it quite affordable but with good performance.Cranking up the amps means addition to its cost. I need to see it through. Thanks for your advice.

6

Double Side AR
DTP pcb
Highest Bin led
micro usb charging
ipx8(some lights has a micro usb didn’t survive in water test)
as small as possible
CC or pwm, whatever, but it should be high Frequency Pwm and direct drive if using PWM
E switch is better, i tired with” half press and full press” UI
a small led battery indicator is good( RGB small led is da best)
and at this time, it should use a newest XP-L2 led, the efficiency of these leds is impressive

7

What selling price are you roughly aiming at?

Anyways I’d say contact user Toykeeper for nice clicky firmware or Tom E for electronic switch firmware
Both we love and offer fairly simple configuration so all users can set it up how they like it.

8

I think you’re on the right track with your starting specs. Here are some other things I’d like to see:

  • Make it easy to modify. Don’t glue anything shut. Don’t use press fit parts. Use a programmable (ATtiny MCU) driver. A lot of us here will want to take it apart, change the LED and/or driver, and maybe make other changes. Work with us on this, not against us.
  • Make it decent quality. The LED board should be sitting on a solid piece of metal. This can be an integrated shelf, or a solid pill that screws in nicely. If using a pill, it should be large enough to make very good thermal contact. The pill threads shouldn’t be too loose. Also, the tailcap threads should be well machined, possibly anodized, and lubricated.
  • No blinking modes in rotation. Some people like strobe mode. But most of us don’t want it to be in the normal mode rotation. If blinking modes are included, they should be hidden.
  • Moonlight mode should be included. Most of us here prefer to have an ultra-low mode available. This could also be hidden, but doesn’t have to be. If it is hidden, it should still be separately accessible without having to click through other hidden modes.
  • Mode memory should be user selectable. A lot of us like to have mode memory, but some prefer to not. If you make it user selectable through the UI, that will be great. Do not use ‘next mode’ memory. I don’t know anybody that likes that. The light should be able to turn on/off without switching through modes.
  • E-switch would be great. If you are going to use a side switch, make it electronic switch. If you’re thinking of a clicky, put it in the tail. A side clicky isn’t really all that great. It adds lots of length to the light for no real benefit.
9

20 or 16mm pcb that is easily replaced. Any led will do - XPL 5000k if we can choose.
17mm driver that is easily replaced, any driver will do. 3A minimum.
Solid pill, preferably copper and bigger.
Bigger head than C8, because C8 dominates the market in that area.
L2 diameter of head minimum.
Tail switch, that can hold 6A minimum.
Gray or transparent anodizing - so it will last, and not show scratches.
26650 default battery for a better tube design and ergonomics, and plastic insert for 18650 to reduce the tube size.

Basically what we all wanted the Courui D01 to be:

  1. Good tail switch.
  2. Big diameter reflector.
  3. Light body with no fins.
  4. 26650 tube with 18650 insert.
    Since this is also discontinued there and there is a lot of demand for a good D01, and no replacement still - it is the best choice.