Thanks!

Omega_17, multiple modes still work as normal since the tailcap switch works the same as usual (the switch controls the light but the clip controls the switch). On the microstream, you can use the tailcap switch to change the modes as normal or you can also use the pocket clip to change the modes if you like.

I definitely plan on making a clip switched light in a high CRI version (or at least neutral white) but I either need to find a good light to mod or I need to get better at machine work to make my own light.

You guys have any ideas on what other lights could be modded to work with a clip switch? Note: Twisty lights would work too. The tailcap just has to have the ability to be isolated from the body (or head) and the pocket clip attach to the tailcap.

Thanks Keith! The tint isn’t blue as it looks in the video, but the low mode definitely isn’t very low (though it’s pretty diffuse). I’ll try and get a few pictures that accurately represent the color tint (most of the samples I’ve had are actually a little netural at around 5500 to 6000k if I had to guess).

Thank you, thijsco19.

As for actual tint of the Streamlight Microstream USBs, I just grabbed a random one and took the photo below with an iPhone 11 Pro. I then cooled the color temp of the photo a little so that across several screens it best represents the color I see in real life.

The light is about two feet away from the bucket lid (which is as white as white can be), and the carpet is an ugly greyish beige. You can see that the center of the hotspot is between neutral and cool white, with the outside of the hotspot and corona tending more toward neutral. The spill is cool white with a very slight blue tint (see the rim of the lid) and the outer edge of the spill turns a little green. Also, the hotspot is quite diffuse so the spill doesn’t really attract much attention.

So they by no means have a warm tint and are not high CRI but they are pretty darn good. I like it and I’m by no means a tint snob but I hate blue tinted LEDs (I recently got an XP-G3 light and will probably never do so again).

Scallywag, some old medical lights had a pocketclip switch as well. The key difference with my design is that you don’t have to hold down or even touch the pocket clip in order for it to activate the light. The original clicky switch remains intact and controls the light but the pocket clip controls the clicky switch.

Tell your friends!

If you’d like to make your own clip switched flashlight you can see my how to thread here ClipSwitch – How to thread

Using Imgur instead of Google now. Are they showing up?

Interesting note: The pictures were showing up on my end every time I reloaded the page or tried a different browser/computer. After about an hour they still showed up for me (must have been in the cache) but they stopped loading on different browsers and computers.

Thanks G0OSE. I’ve not had accidental activation issues with any of my Streamlights but many find their switches too stiff. The Eagtac D series lights have some nice recessed switches that are easy to press and don’t come on inadvertently either.

That said, there are other advantages to a clip switch. Many people, myself included, forget to turn their lights off. Many a time I have pulled my standard switch light out of my pocket either to find it on or the battery dying/dead. With a clip switch, as long as it’s clipped the light not only can’t come on, it can’t be on.

Also if your light accidentally slips out of your pocket, you’re much more likely to notice a light that’s on versus a light that’s off. Long as your pocket clip is intact, a clip switched light will be shining brightly to alert you that it’s not where it should be.

Updated 2/1/2020: As stated before, the person with the best comment or video will win the blue ClipSwitch Microstream USB (winner will be picked February 15’th, 2020 8:00 p.m. PST). A random commenter will win the black one on leap day and it is a bit special all its own. During testing, it was noticeably brighter to my eye than the three other Streamlight Microstream USBs I had in my possession at the time. So I set it on my lumen tube and it is indeed 20% brighter on both the low and high settings!

My multiplier is 0.23 so as you can see it puts out around 300 lumens on high (compared to the 250 ANSI rating) and it’s 60 lumens on low instead of 50. All the other Microstreams are putting out within a margin of error of their advertised rating on my lumen tube.

Kindle wrote:

Have you thought about getting them into the hands of some of the more well known reviewers here and/or on youtube? That is one of the better ways to get eyes on your product out in the community.

Yeah, good idea. Who would you recommend I could send some to? I was thinking of trying Matt from AdventureSport.

Teaser trailer for the ClipSwitch. It’s the flashlight that would have chosen Harry Potter.

Who else would be interested in one? Don’t be shy, even if you don’t have a clever comment you can help make clip switches mainstream by showing your interest.

I’m now giving the black one away to a random commenter on leap day! If you can’t think of something to say, just reply “interested”.