FW3T

Pto · 2019-10-26T18:51:40.000Z

Just want to know what people’s opinions are of the FW3T in stonewashed titanium are

justanotherguy · 2019-10-28T23:06:47.000Z

as to what , exactly?
I think it performs almost the same as an aluminum, but the heat transfer is poorer. Poorer still than the copper version…

Do you mean people’s opinions on how it looks?? Because that should only matter to you…if you like it, buy it

Pto · 2019-10-28T23:40:07.000Z

Does that mean that it gets hotter faster

justanotherguy · 2019-10-28T23:44:02.000Z

Pto:

Does that mean that it gets hotter faster

Yes…I believe it will throttle back faster

hIKARInoob · 2019-10-28T23:51:31.000Z

Pto:

Does that mean that it gets hotter faster

It’s the other way around. Titanium conducts heat less well compared to Aluminium, therefore you’re not going to notice temperature increase quickly. However, heat will build up inside the light, and the led temperature will rise much faster.

Edit: inside the light it gets hotter faster as heat builds up. And outside the light where you hold it with your hands it does not get hotter faster.

justanotherguy · 2019-10-29T00:05:15.000Z

^ He saids it better

justanotherguy · 2019-10-29T23:11:34.000Z

So to be clear, the Ti will not pull heat from the LED as well as copper or aluminum.
So it will throttle back on output a bit faster than those two. Looks stunning though…

Then again , these lights can pull off quite a show, albeit for a short time…Then they have regular old boring output…

Firelight2 · 2019-10-29T23:31:50.000Z

How much heavier is the Ti-Cu version compared to the all-Ti version?

hIKARInoob · 2019-10-29T23:52:05.000Z

justanotherguy:

So to be clear, the Ti will not pull heat from the LED as well as copper or aluminum.
So it will throttle back on output a bit faster than those two.

I don’t think this conclusion can be drawn. The light should throttle back faster, but this depends on the design.

1) Thermal sensor is placed on led board. The light will throttle down faster, because the led board will get hotter quicker as heat is dissipated slower. I know Thrunite does this, and I believe this is not the case with the FW3T.

2) Thermal sensor is placed on the driver. I think this is the case with the FW3T. This means that the heat from the led board has to travel via the Titanium shelf (single piece with the head) to the driver. This means there is a higher thermal barrier compared to an Aluminium light. So the ledboard increases in temperature faster, but the Titanium shelf slows down this”information” to the driver where the thermal sensor is placed. I suspect testing is required to get accurate numbers, and my guess is that the Titanium light needs a different thermal program compared to the Aluminium variant.

Anyhow, this is just my take on it.

Mocarny · 2019-10-31T09:45:39.000Z

Firelight2:

How much heavier is the Ti-Cu version compared to the all-Ti version?

Ti is 74.5g , and I assume the Ti-Cu could be ~ 90g

pinkpanda3310 · 2019-10-31T10:45:14.000Z

Mocarny:

Firelight2:

How much heavier is the Ti-Cu version compared to the all-Ti version?

Ti is 74.5g , and I assume the Ti-Cu could be ~ 90g

Nice guess. I measured mine to be 87g.

nocturne · 2020-10-10T22:19:43.000Z

Recently got the polished FW3T with SST-20 4000K emitters. I don’t have any other Ti lights. It is very nice, I’d say luxurious for the price, and I’d put it up against $500+ Ti lights. It is an incredible bargain for what you get in materials and an excellent design, and an amazing driver and interface including nearly every function anyone would want. I actually thought I had ordered the Cu Ti hybrid, but I am happy with what arrived. Light does get hot on turbo, but I will trust the driver’s temperature regulation.

That said, I am coming across a recurring problem with the button sticking on if pressed anywhere but dead center. I tried to squeeze some Vaseline in, all I have readily available, to no effect. I need to get some Motorcraft XG-12 for this and all my lights, start cleaning threads and re-lubing. I hope I can squeeze a little between the button edges and the tail cap and solve the problem of the edge of the button getting caught by friction and sticking.

Also a little bummed there is no glass lens on top of the TIR. In my experience, plastic TIR gets scratched pretty easily, and that accumulates. I guess I can find a thin glass lens for it, so at least it is solvable. Edit: There is, in fact, a glass lens. Must have been stuck to the optic first time I opened it. Saw a post discussing it, checked again, and it fell out. Hard to see glass sometimes. LOL

nocturne · 2020-10-12T15:07:18.000Z

FW1A w/ 18350 body and high amp high cap 18350 is the HDS EDC killer.

HDS is more than 6 times more expensive than FW1A. FW1A is more than twice as bright with High CRI SST-20, or 4x brighter with cool white XP-L, and with similar runtime on 18350 compared to CR123A or about 1.5x the runtime of 16340. FW1A has smooth rather than HDS’s stepped ramping, or stepped if the user wants it. Plus manual or automatic mode memory, an accurate battery check, and neato lightning and candle modes. Thanks to Andúril, FWIA’s tail cap is configurable to either reverse or forward clicky. And FW1A, with its larger and deeper reflector, will throw further than HDS at the same output level, and there are also FW1T and FW1S versions in titanium or stainless, respectively (no Cu version?)

Is the rotary control, dimmer output, and reduced runtime worth the high cost of the HDS?

Am I preaching to the choir here, or what?

Firelight2 · 2020-10-12T15:44:20.000Z

I don’t own an HDS, but my understanding is they’re built for durability. You can supposedly throw them at concrete from 3 stories up and they will still work.

Try that with an FW1A and you probably won’t like the result…

nocturne · 2020-10-12T18:23:53.000Z

A fair point. But I can always buy 5 more FW1A for the same price as one HDS. So that raises the question, how many times can you toss an HDS onto concrete from 3 stories to no ill effects?

Just realized I posted in the wrong thread ><

Mod? Any chance you can transplant these last 3 comments to the FW1A thread?

nocturne · 2020-10-19T16:55:42.000Z

Anyone know for certain what the clip material is on FW3T? Feels a little flimsy for titanium, but that could just be because it is thin. I like the clip, but it would be a shame if it is stainless. If everything is the same material, it reduces chances of galling, as I am sure everyone knows.

BOO5TED · 2020-10-20T01:05:01.000Z

nocturne:

Anyone know for certain what the clip material is on FW3T? Feels a little flimsy for titanium, but that could just be because it is thin. I like the clip, but it would be a shame if it is stainless. If everything is the same material, it reduces chances of galling, as I am sure everyone knows.

Stainless, same as every other FWXX light.

Even the LM10 comes with a stainless clip, a titanium is optional, but the stainless is standard.

nocturne · 2020-10-21T02:22:31.000Z

Ah, well. Thanks for the info.