What is current optic used for lights now selling?
Carclo with glass or other?
—
“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” - Isaac Asimov
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured...the first thought forbidden...the first freedom denied – chains us all, irrevocably."
Are they doing anything different with the buttons on the newer FW3A/C/Ts?
I just got a new FW3C from Illumn and it seems the button on this version is easier to activate and feels softer. I prefer the original button.
Some people’s complained that it was to easy to accidentally activate,
Lumentop changed the button to make it activate easier ,
I think the two are related.
Yep… that just about sums it up.
As we discussed a few days ago…. in most cases it is a very bad idea for a manufacture to base changes to a product on idle forum chatter….. especially chatter that is nothing more than subjective opinion.
Got something that works…. leave it alone.
—
You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him up to a heavy load./"Bear" Bryant
.................................. "Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast" ...................................
Are they doing anything different with the buttons on the newer FW3A/C/Ts?
I just got a new FW3C from Illumn and it seems the button on this version is easier to activate and feels softer. I prefer the original button.
Some people’s complained that it was to easy to accidentally activate,
Lumentop changed the button to make it activate easier ,
I think the two are related.
Yep… that just about sums it up.
As we discussed a few days ago…. in most cases it is a very bad idea for a manufacture to base changes to a product on idle forum chatter….. especially chatter that is nothing more than subjective opinion.
Got something that works…. leave it alone.
Just a quick update, also added at the top of the first post:
Current status (2019-08-07): New flavors are available for order or pre-order: Bare aluminum, TK Purple, Blue, Military Green, polished copper, bead-blasted copper, titanium, and titanium+copper. The “TK Purple” version has a stylized moonbeam logo on the button, and a portion of the sales from it will be sent to ToyKeeper.
Coupon codes are:
Colors: BLFFW3A 20%OFF
Copper (FW3C): BLFFW3C 15%OFF
Titanium (FW3T): BLFFW3T 20%OFF
… and for a short time, there is a private 25% off coupon available for people who already bought a FW3A and post pictures of it in this thread.
—
You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him up to a heavy load./"Bear" Bryant
.................................. "Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast" ...................................
Please point something out to a thicko like me , what’s the difference between party strobe & tactical strobe ? To me they are the same & the only difference is the tactical strobe is brighter , am I missing something?
Please point something out to a thicko like me , what’s the difference between party strobe & tactical strobe ? To me they are the same & the only difference is the tactical strobe is brighter , am I missing something?
Usually Tactical strobe alternates between 2 different rates, but on the FW3A Tactical seems to have a longer On pulse which is more irritating plus it is brighter. Party strobe has a short On pulse that can make things seem to move in slow motion and is not irritating.
—
Texas Ace Lumen Tube and JoshK Sphere calibrated with Maukka lights
I remember because I repeat myself a lot. I say how to do a factory reset pretty often.
Factory Reset
With light turned On, click 4 times to enter ramp config mode. At the prompts (fluttering light), respectively, click 1 time, then 21 times. If there is a 3rd prompt, click 7 times (this is seen when in stepped ramping mode).
—
Texas Ace Lumen Tube and JoshK Sphere calibrated with Maukka lights
My FW3A from the first batch died last night. I was using it at work (at pretty low power, below 350mA) and all the sudden it got stuck on, I could go above 350mA but now below.
I took it apart today and found one of the 7135’s completely shorted between output and GND (I did have to strip them all to find that).
Got it going again with another 7135 but I think for many that’s above the level they’d be able to diagnose / repair.
Not upset in the least, I jumped on the fw3a train from the beginning, I knew going in there could be problems early on. What’s odd is all the soldering looked great, no bridges or solder balls or anything that stood out, no excess flux, nothing… That one bad 7135 seemed to die internally with nothing triggering the failure other than use/time.
Again not a complaint, don’t even plan to contact Neal, just reporting here. All’s well again.
7135 chips do seem to have a reputation for dying recently. I wonder if the clones of a clone of an original chip are just getting worse and worse. We may have to step up to using the more expensive (couple of cents more) resistor/resistor bank designs instead of 7135 chips. Reliability should be better and there’s no upper voltage limit of around 7 to 8 volts.
—
Texas Ace Lumen Tube and JoshK Sphere calibrated with Maukka lights
Please point something out to a thicko like me , what’s the difference between party strobe & tactical strobe ? To me they are the same & the only difference is the tactical strobe is brighter , am I missing something?
Usually Tactical strobe alternates between 2 different rates, but on the FW3A Tactical seems to have a longer On pulse which is more irritating plus it is brighter. Party strobe has a short On pulse that can make things seem to move in slow motion and is not irritating.
Thanks Jason , the party strobe is more irritating to me because it’s not bright enough, I can get both strobes to freeze a fan ,although I don’t think they’re stable (in frequency speed )because it needs adjusting now & again to keep it froozed.
Edit
It must be the 3 fans I’ve tried it on that’s not stable in speed.
Unless the frequency is changing slightly as the cell gets depleted or as the light heats up & cool ?
Ordered a full ti version. Probably going to swap in 7a xpl Hi’s to keep the heat down a bit. Strange this led is not an option anymore, seemed popular.
Thanks Jason , the party strobe is more irritating to me because it’s not bright enough, I can get both strobes to freeze a fan ,although I don’t think they’re stable (in frequency speed )because it needs adjusting now & again to keep it froozed.
Edit
It must be the 3 fans I’ve tried it on that’s not stable in speed. Unless the frequency is changing slightly as the cell gets depleted or as the light heats up & cool?
That is a tricky question, for me at least. I have to think about it. The output frequency for the strobe is controlled by the MCU internal clock which I believe recieves power from an LDO (low drop out voltage regulator) at about 1.8v. So the MCU has stable voltage and can output stable frequencies and pulse rates. It has it’s own built in precision clock/timer.
The reduction in brightness as the battery goes down is all due to factors between the battery and led and not due to anything the MCU does. The MCU still pulses the FET and 7135 chips the same rate as always regardless of battery voltage, but the lower battery voltage across the FET and 7135 chips equals less brightness. This is a direct drive design after all.
Boost and Buck drivers actually increase and decrease the voltage going to the Leds which is why the brightness level is stable to a certain point then steps down like a staircase (Boost). With Buck it has stable output until it falls out of regulation then the output slopes down. With direct drive the output starts high and then immediately starts to slope down in a smooth line.
—
Texas Ace Lumen Tube and JoshK Sphere calibrated with Maukka lights
Ordered a full ti version. Probably going to swap in 7a xpl Hi’s to keep the heat down a bit. Strange this led is not an option anymore, seemed popular.
Won’t a warmer led make more heat , or maybe you’re comparing it to sst & not XPLHI?
What is current optic used for lights now selling?
Carclo with glass or other?
“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” - Isaac Asimov
"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured...the first thought forbidden...the first freedom denied – chains us all, irrevocably."
My reviews:
Sofirn SF36 /// Thorfire VG10S /// Sofirn C8F /// Zanflare F1
I think that depends on where you get it. The last one I got from Neal was an FW3C and it had a Carlco with glass.
I have no idea about Banggood, but it’s possible they have something different.
Illumn here in the US repeatedly has been selling them with Carlco lenses.
You probably have to ask the seller before you buy to make sure.
As we discussed a few days ago…. in most cases it is a very bad idea for a manufacture to base changes to a product on idle forum chatter….. especially chatter that is nothing more than subjective opinion.
Got something that works…. leave it alone.
You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him up to a heavy load./"Bear" Bryant
.................................. "Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast" ...................................
Texas Lumens Flashlights / M4D M4X Deals : sign up - save $$$$
Rudeness Level _ mΩ _ {width:70%} _ LightWiki _ LED Tint Chart
Xlamp size chart _ BatteryU _ Flashaholic? Need Professional Help??? TheOriginal _ TAB _ LightSearch _ BatterySearch _ 14500's _ DiCal
That’s excellent advice
PM sent.
Cheers for the PM’s, what an amazing add on and feature
Looks like you’re correct: http://budgetlightforum.com/comment/1506066#comment-1506066
How did you remember that?
Anyway, I’ll edit my comment. Hopefully DarkShot sees it with all the the…“clutter”…going on
Maybe he read the manual
You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him up to a heavy load./"Bear" Bryant
.................................. "Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast" ...................................
Texas Lumens Flashlights / M4D M4X Deals : sign up - save $$$$
Rudeness Level _ mΩ _ {width:70%} _ LightWiki _ LED Tint Chart
Xlamp size chart _ BatteryU _ Flashaholic? Need Professional Help??? TheOriginal _ TAB _ LightSearch _ BatterySearch _ 14500's _ DiCal
OK … I’m ready to order FW3T TITANIUM / CU but I’m on the fence regarding emitter. What do you suggest?
https://www.nealsgadgets.com/products/tlf-blf-fw3t-titanium-edc-flashlig...
... Happy Landings ...
Oops. Guess I should have RTFM, huh?
I need to remember to print some of those if I give any of these as gifts.
Ti/Cu. MSRP $95……..
Contact M4D M4X for a discount code …
$76.76
... Happy Landings ...
And now, for those that need or want it; a brief musical interlude.
Don’t need or want it…. pass on by. .
.
You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him up to a heavy load./"Bear" Bryant
.................................. "Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast" ...................................
Texas Lumens Flashlights / M4D M4X Deals : sign up - save $$$$
Rudeness Level _ mΩ _ {width:70%} _ LightWiki _ LED Tint Chart
Xlamp size chart _ BatteryU _ Flashaholic? Need Professional Help??? TheOriginal _ TAB _ LightSearch _ BatterySearch _ 14500's _ DiCal
You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him up to a heavy load./"Bear" Bryant
.................................. "Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast" ...................................
Texas Lumens Flashlights / M4D M4X Deals : sign up - save $$$$
Rudeness Level _ mΩ _ {width:70%} _ LightWiki _ LED Tint Chart
Xlamp size chart _ BatteryU _ Flashaholic? Need Professional Help??? TheOriginal _ TAB _ LightSearch _ BatterySearch _ 14500's _ DiCal
Holy moly, he’s got a great voice. Would have never known from watching him barking orders on show lol.
"America has three cities, New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland."- Tennessee Williams
/\ Yep… that’s the truth. I was pleasantly shocked when I heard it the first time.
You never know how a horse will pull until you hook him up to a heavy load./"Bear" Bryant
.................................. "Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast" ...................................
Texas Lumens Flashlights / M4D M4X Deals : sign up - save $$$$
Rudeness Level _ mΩ _ {width:70%} _ LightWiki _ LED Tint Chart
Xlamp size chart _ BatteryU _ Flashaholic? Need Professional Help??? TheOriginal _ TAB _ LightSearch _ BatterySearch _ 14500's _ DiCal
Pure gold.
Please point something out to a thicko like me , what’s the difference between party strobe & tactical strobe ? To me they are the same & the only difference is the tactical strobe is brighter , am I missing something?
Usually Tactical strobe alternates between 2 different rates, but on the FW3A Tactical seems to have a longer On pulse which is more irritating plus it is brighter. Party strobe has a short On pulse that can make things seem to move in slow motion and is not irritating.
Texas Ace Lumen Tube and JoshK Sphere calibrated with Maukka lights
Click this to go to signature links. I'm still around, just not reading many new threads.
I remember because I repeat myself a lot. I say how to do a factory reset pretty often.
Factory Reset
With light turned On, click 4 times to enter ramp config mode. At the prompts (fluttering light), respectively, click 1 time, then 21 times. If there is a 3rd prompt, click 7 times (this is seen when in stepped ramping mode).
Texas Ace Lumen Tube and JoshK Sphere calibrated with Maukka lights
Click this to go to signature links. I'm still around, just not reading many new threads.
My FW3A from the first batch died last night. I was using it at work (at pretty low power, below 350mA) and all the sudden it got stuck on, I could go above 350mA but now below.
I took it apart today and found one of the 7135’s completely shorted between output and GND (I did have to strip them all to find that).
Got it going again with another 7135 but I think for many that’s above the level they’d be able to diagnose / repair.
Not upset in the least, I jumped on the fw3a train from the beginning, I knew going in there could be problems early on. What’s odd is all the soldering looked great, no bridges or solder balls or anything that stood out, no excess flux, nothing… That one bad 7135 seemed to die internally with nothing triggering the failure other than use/time.
Again not a complaint, don’t even plan to contact Neal, just reporting here. All’s well again.
7135 chips do seem to have a reputation for dying recently. I wonder if the clones of a clone of an original chip are just getting worse and worse. We may have to step up to using the more expensive (couple of cents more) resistor/resistor bank designs instead of 7135 chips. Reliability should be better and there’s no upper voltage limit of around 7 to 8 volts.
Texas Ace Lumen Tube and JoshK Sphere calibrated with Maukka lights
Click this to go to signature links. I'm still around, just not reading many new threads.
Can we get the XP-L 7A for the new aluminum releases at least?
Thanks Jason , the party strobe is more irritating to me because it’s not bright enough, I can get both strobes to freeze a fan ,although I don’t think they’re stable (in frequency speed )because it needs adjusting now & again to keep it froozed.
Edit
It must be the 3 fans I’ve tried it on that’s not stable in speed.
Unless the frequency is changing slightly as the cell gets depleted or as the light heats up & cool ?
Ordered Ti/Cu, same discount code as Ti and in theTi drop down options. This one should hold up to my rough handling. BLFFW3T
Ordered a full ti version. Probably going to swap in 7a xpl Hi’s to keep the heat down a bit. Strange this led is not an option anymore, seemed popular.
That is a tricky question, for me at least. I have to think about it. The output frequency for the strobe is controlled by the MCU internal clock which I believe recieves power from an LDO (low drop out voltage regulator) at about 1.8v. So the MCU has stable voltage and can output stable frequencies and pulse rates. It has it’s own built in precision clock/timer.
The reduction in brightness as the battery goes down is all due to factors between the battery and led and not due to anything the MCU does. The MCU still pulses the FET and 7135 chips the same rate as always regardless of battery voltage, but the lower battery voltage across the FET and 7135 chips equals less brightness. This is a direct drive design after all.
Boost and Buck drivers actually increase and decrease the voltage going to the Leds which is why the brightness level is stable to a certain point then steps down like a staircase (Boost). With Buck it has stable output until it falls out of regulation then the output slopes down. With direct drive the output starts high and then immediately starts to slope down in a smooth line.
Texas Ace Lumen Tube and JoshK Sphere calibrated with Maukka lights
Click this to go to signature links. I'm still around, just not reading many new threads.
Yes I did, thanks for the confirmation!
It just seemed odd that turbo output was only slightly higher than the max regulated output, which is part of the reason I asked.
Won’t a warmer led make more heat , or maybe you’re comparing it to sst & not XPLHI?
Pages