I have searched this forum and others but I can’t find any reference to flashlight kits. The popularity in modding existing flashlights appears to be very high, I would think having readily available flashlight kits where all parts are supplied with the option to upgrade critical parts would be very popular. As long as clear instructions are included I think a lot of new guys would feel much more confident getting started on the hobby. Uniformity in designs and sizes would also help making parts more interchangeable. Any thoughts?
There is several build threads on BLF. Convoy tube lights take 16mm mcpbc and 17mm driver. Probably the easiest place to start.
The host at Flashlight Hosts
will tell you the size of the parts you need to build. Rather simple once you get the parts in your hands.
That is a great idea!! If someone took the time to put an even more detailed list of upgrades than RMM together for different flashlights, would be profitable I’m sure. Say you bought a Convoy S6, there could be several optional kits you could purchase along with the flashlight with the option you like best. But it would start with the base model. RMM, what do you think? Anyone?
Convoy S6
Just add a 16mm MCPCB with LED, 17mm driver, a bit of solder, and you’ll be in business!
That is simple.
Maybe a thread of possible drivers and LED combo’s with expected results. Everything else is just some research.
I think everyone knows that if you have a little knowledge then you can easily source the bits you need to make a flashlight or mod an existing one, that is not what I am suggesting.
I also have an interest in fishing and make all my own rods. I would never buy a rod kit because I know what I want the rod to do and have the knowledge to choose the parts I need to achieve this. I also know that rod kits are one of the biggest sellers for the specialist fishing rod supply stores. They come with all the parts you need plus clear instructions on how to put them all together, many people obviously find this the way to go.
I think a kit would be very appealing to someone new to the hobby.
Agreed! :face_with_monocle:
I think there would also be a good market for upgrade kits for suitable flashlights that people already own. I recently purchased a Supfire M6 from Mountain Electronics, it can be purchased from Richard with two upgrade levels. I would have liked to get the first upgrade just for the better UI but was not prepared to wait the month or so for the work to be done. If the upgrade was available as a kit with all instructions then I would probably look at getting it at a later date.
Frankly some things don’t translate to instructions very easily. And I really don’t mean this to sound rude, but if you need all the parts laid out for you and instructions for every step, you probably won’t be able to do it yourself with much success.
Maybe I am totally wrong about you, but I’m not wrong about everyone.
And what constitutes a “kit”? Individual unprogrammed driver components and empty driver boards? Pre-programmed driver and mounted emitters and all you have to do is solder wires? Pre-programmed mcu and you do everything else? If it’s pre-programmed what program do you use? There are just too many options to “standardize” modding into kit form. That’s why it takes Richard a while to fill orders, there isn’t much that can be pre-assembled before the order is placed. And trying to put together enough kits to cover most of the options would take a lot of time. Not to mention all the time supporting all the people that got in over their heads.
Kits wont work because new chips and hosts are released sometimes several times a year
We could have updated kit lists, if someone wants to take on the responsibility of updating it regularly a thread with several combinations and links to every part, you buy the parts and it has instructions on assembly and where to get iron and solder.
Two benefits, one can also keep group buy lights on it that are already “kitted” and maybe some websites may be willing to offer a discount if you buy the whole thing from them
+1 to pilotdog68
To me anyway, part of the fun is learning about what each part does and which ones work best together. Though I have yet to do a serious ‘mod’ I now know what to do and what to do it with so I can get the light I want.
And +1 for Richard and Mountain Electronics for having parts and advice to make an optimized build without having to do all the testing and research yourself. Closest to a “kit” build you can get.
And does anyone else remember the “Visible Flashlight” kit? It was part of the series of “Visible” model kits which used to be sold in the US, like the Visible V-8 and Visible Wankel engines I could never afford as a kid.
Phil
Developing modding parts can get tricky if the light they are designed for has had changes over the years. You probably couldn’t design aftermarkets parts for SkyRayKing’s; too many variants. Some lights seem to have enough popularity and a stable enough design that they could support mod parts, like Mag-lite’s and possibly the Courui D01.
The reason there aren’t many off the shelf modding parts available for flashlights is because despite the prominence of this forum and others, there really is little or no money to be made from this. Manufacturing for small quantities is expensive. It takes a $500 investment to get a batch of one size of custom BeCu springs made at a decent price per piece. There’s a ~$100 minimum lot fee for each type of coating/plating needed for a given component. (anodize, nickel, etc.) Without some volume these types of expenses generally make small batch production a prohibitively expensive exercise. I will however soon be releasing an entire line of modding components for the classic 2D mag. Some pretty innovative stuff if I do say so myself.
Kits would be outdated by the time they hit the shelf, since flashlights change so many times a minute, day, month. Also, for it to be a complete kit, a Soldering iron, solder, thermal paste, etc., would have to be included. It would end up being too expensive for most, unless some Chinese seller made the kit and we all should already know how bad that would be.
I don’t think the kits would necessarily be all that satisfying anyhow. The led would have to already be re-flowed. The driver would already have to be programmed. The wires already cut and tinned, etc. I don’t really see that as much more than just an assembly, but maybe I don’t see that right. Maybe that is fun for some people, like paint by numbers is to some people. I don’t see fishing rod kits as anything more than an assembly either, so I just don’t get why people do them. Most of modding is learning/making from scratch, not assembling someone else’s kit. At least that’s how I see it, but that’s just my opinion, not everyone’s.
As long as the flashlight industry is the way it is, I do not ever see uniformity of design. Actually, the lack of uniformity causes the diversity that we crave. We always want something totally new, not a rehash of the same old thing.
I appreciate the replies guys, I guess it comes down to market demand.
I was not looking at this from the point of view of someone that enjoys modding lights just because they can be modded, I was thinking more along the line of a consumer buying a light and when a major improvement is brought out for an emitter, reflector or driver then the average person can just replace that part with a modular unit. Most people would have access to a soldering iron and know how to use it. That way they can have the latest and greatest without having to buy a completely new light.
As I tried to explain with my fishing rod reference a flashlight kit would not be targeted at the guys that presently mod their lights, they enjoy getting deeper into the hobby, but they represent a very tiny proportion of flashlight owners. Modern alloy flashlights are of such quality that they would last many generations if the working parts could be easily upgraded and replaced.
Most of “Modding” is really just swapping LEDs and drivers (2 wire connections). It seems to me that most of the people with the skills and access to tools already do it, and the most of the people that don’t already do it don’t have the skills or desire to do it.
You’d be surprised how few people have a soldering iron these days. I don’t know a single person that does.
That mag upgrade kit I mentioned… I am going to launch it very soon and see how it does. If it does well… it will help fund some custom springs, reflectors, and copperclad boards and stuff that I need to release other mod parts.
Edit: decided to remove description and picture. It should be out in a week or so.
Awesome, there are millions of them out there!!
Geez, that heatsink just blows me away! Looks like it may be a light saber kit in the making.
Personally, I think the kit idea is a good one. There are knife kits. There are raspberry pi computer kits.
If you want to get ambitious (and have deep pockets) you can even build a kit car.
As a kid, I built Heathkit ham radio gear. The experience was life changing in many ways.
The end product is not always less expensive or better than just buying outright.
It is the reward of completing something with your own hands, no matter how trivial, that can start a lifelong journey.
I don’t even like mag lights…but I do have one laying in the garage and would gladly bring it back to life lol. I’m in!!
Give me a holler if you want a regional rep for South East USA! I believe a little demonstration to the right chiefs, at the prime time of darkness, and the sales will take care of themselves.
I wish I thought of it!
Congrats, and don’t forget to give me a holler 
I think a kit is a great idea! Even if it seems overly simplistic for many of the experienced members here, I think it would be very attractive to people just getting started. Of course it wouldn’t be available with the absolute latest/best components, but it should be easy enough to find a set of components that would make a very good quality, very bright light at a reasonable price. A little bit of soldering, maybe some filing or drilling, but no complex machining or tedious lapping, should make for a satisfying first project.
I bet there would be good demand for an “assemble-it-yourself” kit for aspiring mod-ers, if it can be marketed appropriately.