Black, naked is not for me… Even a clear anodizing looks fake chrome to me…
Naked will be a great hand warmer in the winter.
Actually what am I thinking, we are going to have the same driver in the X6 Cu/SS, better hand warmer thsn this.
Yeah if there’s a list for the naked, put me on that.
From what I understand...no extra list will be needed sooooo I am guessing there will be an order option
Machine vs. Man
Dale, Richard, and many many others here can do a better job than a PnP machine but as in this case....these guys at Manker are better off sticking to designing and manufacturing than hand made production. LOL. I would probably be worse and one day may try...maybe.
Pilot :) If you or others would like additional units I will add them but if the quantity is the same I would not worry about it. I was told that "naked" can be available...I just do not know how it will be implemented...ie: ready to ship or order and build.
What I could really use help with is if someone (I cannot remember who did it before) can help with a running tally of CW vs NW. I am too whipped looking at lists. LOL. Any takers?
Through #725
NW: 492
CW: 195 (+1 “VW” #692)
No tint listed: 30
NP: 7
[quote=Lilien] BTW: Is there a risk that the driver will produce an annoying high pitched sound? [/quote]
The only high pitched sound will be all the squealing when the postman delivers your light .!!!
The trick to getting clips on and off without scratching a light is use a plastic flosser toothpick to lift the edge of the clip and slide a short piece of a soda straw underneath and around the clip. Do the other side and just pull the clip off the light . to install ...just do the opposite .slide over each arm of the clip ...snap the clip on and slide the straw out . Works really really well ... 9000 times better than trying to be super quick :P
That’s one of those why haven’t I thought of. Cute!
The huge difference between building a few drivers by hand as compared to building many is in the actual soldering process. Building one or three by hand sometimes it’s easier and quicker to use the soldering iron, which can get a little messy depending on multiple factors (the condition of the iron, the skill set of the person doing it, etc.). But when building many drivers at once, a hot air system or hot plate is used to re-flow all the components at once. This method is neat and clean and delivers the best solder joints.
The most I’ve done is 20 at once. Every single one looked identical to the others. I even put lead wires on all of em and tested them still connected in one panel.
The most I’ve done is 20 at once. Every single one looked identical to the others. I even put lead wires on all of em and tested them still connected in one panel.
Dale,
That looks like a real challenge!!!
Must have taken a bit of time to set everything up 
There are only 7 components, usually, on the FET driver. This takes 25 solder points. I like to use a solder paste mask and swipe solder onto the driver in a neat thin layer that makes it all come out exactly right. Populating every pad by hand with a toothpick and a tiny guesstimated amount of solder paste is a booger of a chore! I like populating the board with components, it’s a neat challenge, like the old electronic Operation game.
But yes, you tend to get deep into it and a couple 2 or 3 hours slides by very fast.
Edit: The panel of 20 drivers is sitting on top of the massive Ledil Seanna optic. This is capable of a 1º beam angle with an XP-E2 on board. My XP-E2 Torch is making about 230 lumens, but doing 362Kcd for a laser like pencil beam from this massive 6” Ledil mounted to a Courui D01 battery tube/pill.
I once made the mistake of challenging Dale, asserting that he couldn’t possibly get 100 kcd out of a typical tube light without installing a laser engine in it. Then he pulled out this massive optic…
Don’t challenge Dale. 
Au contraire! Challenge me! I like the challenge. What’s the fun in doing what everyone says is easy to do?
Tonight I’ve been toying with the neighbors military grade Surefire. Before I tore into it (didn’t tear into it) I found out it’s over $500 for a new one! $280 for a replacement head alone! So ok, the strap wrenches can stand down and I’ve got it working without breaking into the vault. (whew!)
It kills me, this mega expensive light makes a measely 150 lumens! The A6 totally slaughters it in performance for not much more cost than the batteries that go in this thing!(CR123’s, yuck!)
The big challenge is for me to leave things well enough alone! NOT spring bypassing the A6 samples is a chore! lol
Ya need to bring the neighbor here so we can show him what real lights are....that is unless you already showed him what a real $20 light is. LOL
Military contracts most likely have a “Buy America Clause.”
That gravy train seems to be grinding to a halt:
Press Release 6/24/15:
“We had to make some difficult decisions to layoff some very good people,” said Dr. John Matthews, SureFire founder and chief executive officer. “SureFire ramped up to meet the demands of our military but we must ‘right-size’ now that military spending has declined.”
Huh, Sure Fire is well named
Disclaimer: Just reporting the news.
By the way, don’t you just love that phrase “we must right-size.”
The whole feeling around that company makes me want to vomit to get the taste out of my mouth from what they are shoveling. There is a story on one of their true story pages about a guy knocking a boar out with one of their lights… Now we know where the penthouse forum writers went…
In my humble experience, if your poop don’t stink, your facing into the wind, not special.
I know the feeling.
At a social event I had been fiddling with a keychain light and someone asked me about it. I mentioned I was “kind of into flashlights” and they said they were too and pulled out an ancient Surefire C2 Centurion and started raving in great detail about how it was the most amazing thing they had ever bought, and it helped them change a tire in the rain, and isn’t it amazing that it works in the rain, and they had spent a lot to upgrade it to a state-of-the-art LED (80 lumens!), and shined it at the wall to admire the blue beam, and so on… He insisted that I hold it and try it, and I pressed the button but it didn’t click so I let go, pressed again and was surprised it didn’t change mode (it’s a 1-mode light), and he informed me you have to twist it to make it stay on, so I twisted the requisite two full turns (which merely holds the button down) and gave it back.
I didn’t mention that my 1xAAA keychain light has a brighter mode and can get longer runtime, or that nearly everything is waterproof now, or that a better light only costs a few dollars, or that I had a collection of other lights which would put it to shame. Or anything, really.
I just nodded and halfheartedly agreed to the effect of “cool light, bro”, and went on my way. I feel like it was the humane thing to do.
:bigsmile:
If you're a gal,
I'm sure he just wanted to impress you, not mainly about his flashlight.... Just as a guy.