PREDICTING the biggest flash developments that'll hit in 2019.....

Tjohn · 2018-12-08T12:59:28.000Z

Zebralight never produced a follow-up to their compact S6300 reflector triple.
MecArmy/Altun exploded on the scene with their PT series triples offering efficient noPWM, larger than Carclo optics flood, interchangable battery tubes with easy to mod heads featuring unglued bezels. They only produced PT16 reflector triples in titanium and bra$$ models. The beams were CW only, and full of artifacts.
Now we have to hope for something from FF (are you guys reading this?), with special order sm4070e Nichias, reflectors by Eagtac orAndy Wei (Sunwayman), infinite mag control ring from the Jetbeam rrt01/TCR1, the same Altun USB (rechargeable) battery tubes (with addition of 16500 and 18500 sizes), offering extra heads and tubes a la carte like Emisar and Jaxman.
Include additional finishes Olight is fond of, and easy UI flashing as on the already exposed contacts Altun has on the undersides of the heads for those wanting ramping, presets, or attachment to your smartphone

USA · 2018-12-08T13:02:43.000Z

I predict Thorfire may make a comeback in the industry with new flashlights models. Their quality is typically good, even though I didn’t see many models in the pre-Christmas shopping season.

Who knows, maybe 2019 could even bring another community-designed Thorfire light?

Jerommel · 2018-12-08T13:05:07.000Z

DD ‘drivers’ will finally lose popularity in 2019 due to low Vf LEDs.

Tom_Tom · 2018-12-08T15:46:09.000Z

“Peak torch” will be reached. The tiny proportion of the population who are interested in these things will have already accumulated so many, that are already more than good enough for any conceivable purpose, that they have no room for any more. A one-in, one-out policy will have to be adopted.

Torch mountains will build up as the recycling chain fails to cope with the megatonnes of discarded torches and cells.

Collectors and “investors” will grow older, and their heirs will take little interest in their obsession, when the time inevitably comes, and it all has to be cleared out.

The practice of buying multiple copies in every body material and LED tint, then boasting about it (with pictures) will become socially unacceptable. Rampant consumerism will become confined to only one part of one continent, where it is compulsory, part of their “way of life”. Thoughtful use of “surplus” money for humanitarian and charitable causes will become the norm. Mostly.

People may become nicer to each other, worldwide, but that’s not the trend at the moment.

Quality, rather than quantity, or cheapness, will become better appreciated.

The ubiquity of the voucher code, affiliate link, flash-sale, pre-sale, special holiday, special edition, group buy etc. will diminish, sellers will eventually realise that this is just an annoyance, better just to price and market things correctly, and not waste money paying intermediaries, which can only put up the price to the customer overall. The way things are done at the moment nobody with any sense pays the list price, but demands a special code, or gets upset when one is not available. Then whinges when the product is delayed, or turns out not to be the perfect Unicorn that they felt entitled to.

Cylindrical torches cheaply and easily CNCed out of tube and bar and poorly finished will become unfashionable and some design sophistication, and use of more interesting materials may finally prevail.

A new true BLF Special Edition, put together swiftly by a tight BLF team, that is really special and does something better than anything else, might be started, but I have no high hopes of that, there aren’t many left who have the experience, and I don’t see much new blood coming on.

Bug free UIs may be developed that are instantly understandable by anyone (along with efficient drivers), that don’t require an MCU the size of a planet and a gazillion lines of code just to turn on and off.

lampliter · 2018-12-08T15:57:40.000Z

Agro:

lampliter:

Solderless surface mount and wireless.
Next year may be a little too early; but some “crazy engineer” with a little hole in the wall shop will figger it out sooner or later.

What kind of solderless surface mount?

Magnetic with filament pathways.

Trying to figure out how to make the patent drawings. :sunglasses:

nottawhackjob · 2018-12-10T01:26:05.000Z

Jerommel:

DD ‘drivers’ will finally lose popularity in 2019 due to low Vf LEDs.

This. IMO the EDC fabric is about to be resown. Essentially small quads ala DS4, S43, etc., with Osram Flat Whites. Heat management issues subsequently for the most part resolved. Carclo type setups specifically tuned to specific LEDs. Drivers, firmware, et al to adjust designs accordingly. I see all this coming. Osram sees it. Maybe even a small cottage all U.S. made company will crop up out of it at some point depending on how far this tariff spiff goes.

PS. I’d go to work sweeping floors at a new U.S. flash company if they gave me a 50% discount. I figure considering what I’ve spent in this “hobby” I’d be ahead even making minimum wage. :laughing:

Virisenox · 2018-12-08T16:12:41.000Z

Enderman:

I just spent $500 on a laser if that’s any indication.

Some crazy high powered blue module, no doubt. Got a link?

Tom_Tom · 2018-12-08T16:38:55.000Z

A crazy obsessive genius with no funds, maybe called Emmet, will put together, in their shed, an arrangement of salvaged laser modules from scrap DVD and Blue Ray burners.

Focussed onto a single Dilithium crystal, to charge up a flux capacitor, using inertial fusion confinement.

Which can then be bounced off the moon, or just a fake moon.

https://gbtimes.com/china-just-bounced-a-laser-off-reflectors-on-the-moon-placed-by-nasas-apollo-15-mission

BBC News

Fake moon: Could China really light up the night sky?

The sci-fi plan would use giant mirrors in space to light city streets, but scientists are sceptical.

Maybe we could all have our own individual “fake moons” precisely directed, using CubeSat technology.

But that would never be allowed by big business, and the Lizard people.

Lightbringer · 2018-12-08T16:46:01.000Z

Tom Tom:

But that would never be allowed by big business, and the Lizard people.

Nah, the Lizard People are cool with it. I asked.

CRX · 2018-12-08T16:59:31.000Z

2019: Tom Tom will design, build, produce & release the perfect driver and be revealed as one of the Lizard People

thijsco19 · 2018-12-08T17:02:11.000Z

Tom Tom:

Cylindrical torches cheaply and easily CNCed out of tube and bar and poorly finished will become unfashionable and some design sophistication, and use of more interesting materials may finally prevail.

A new true BLF Special Edition, put together swiftly by a tight BLF team, that is really special and does something better than anything else, might be started, but I have no high hopes of that, there aren’t many left who have the experience, and I don’t see much new blood coming on.

Bug free UIs may be developed that are instantly understandable by anyone (along with efficient drivers), that don’t require an MCU the size of a planet and a gazillion lines of code just to turn on and off.

I really hope so!
Nitecore is doing great with some of there ‘different than cylindrical’ designs.

I would really like to see some more aluminium cast designs. Or even plastic injection molded lights.

Enderman · 2018-12-08T17:17:45.000Z

Virisenox\_:

Enderman:

I just spent $500 on a laser if that’s any indication.

Some crazy high powered blue module, no doubt. Got a link?

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Also had to buy a driver, safety goggles, etc and it all added up.

Lightbringer · 2018-12-08T21:10:06.000Z

Maybe in 2019 I’ll finally get the 21700s I ordered… :weary:

Jerommel · 2018-12-08T21:34:32.000Z

CRX:

2019: Tom Tom will design, build, produce & release the perfect driver and be revealed as one of the Lizard People :laughing:

CRX will find a way to make threaded parts.

CRX · 2018-12-08T21:58:09.000Z

It’s a journey

Firelight2 · 2018-12-10T03:50:24.000Z

My hopes / predictions for 2019:

100k lumen production run (non-custom) flashlight.

FW3A gets released and is in my hands

More LEP flashlights and reduced price on LEP.

LEP zoomie flashlight

Emisar D5: Basically an Emisar D4 with (1) knurled battery tube, (2) recessed button, (3) unibody construction (head and tube are one piece for improved thermal management), and (4) battery tube sized to fit a 21700 cell.

slowtechstef · 2018-12-08T22:41:52.000Z

Do-it-yourself CRI metrology.

Tom_Tom · 2018-12-09T00:47:10.000Z

slowtechstef:

Do-it-yourself CRI metrology.

That’s called looking with your own eyes and deciding what seems good.

Instead of obsessing over numbers, and graphs, and placing other vocal, maybe a little bit self-obsessed, peoples opinions above your own.

Trust your own judgement.

The technical analyses and reports are very useful, but it all gets messed up for ordinary people who just want to to buy something ordinary, and use it. Instead of having to listen to reports of how dreadful they all are (seems to be a theme), and e.g. an emitter swap is essential, or even that some colour correcting filter must also be applied before it can be tolerated by any “right thinking” person. And that the “BBL” matters not in the least (hint, learn about how eyes respond to colours and intensity, and no, they are not tuned to some hypothetical Plankian emitter).

LouieAtienza · 2018-12-09T01:00:13.000Z

I’d like to see more powerful built-in processors, with either WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity to smartphones/computers for full control of adjustments and settings and programming, or even remote operation. Mechanized zoom would be cool as well; I’ve seen them in HID torches. How about solderless MCPCBs and driver boards using ribbon strip conductors for low profile?

Jerommel · 2018-12-09T01:03:53.000Z

Tom Tom:

slowtechstef:

Do-it-yourself CRI metrology.

That’s called looking with your own eyes and deciding what seems good.

Coincidentally for warmer LEDs it looks the best when it’s high CRI with plenty or deep red and a hue towards red (under BBL)

Instead of obsessing over numbers, and graphs, and placing other vocal, maybe a little bit self-obsessed, peoples opinions above your own.

Trust your own judgement.

Of course, but the numbers can tell you what to expect from an LED or it can confirm what you perceived.

The technical analyses and reports are very useful, but it all gets messed up for ordinary people who just want to to buy something ordinary, and use it. Instead of having to listen to reports of how dreadful they all are (seems to be a theme), and e.g. an emitter swap is essential, or even that some colour correcting filter must also be applied before it can be tolerated by any “right thinking” person.

You don’t have to care if you don’t care.

And that the “BBL” matters not in the least (hint, learn about how eyes respond to colours and intensity, and no, they are not tuned to some hypothetical Plankian emitter).

Well, not everyone is a CRI baby, nor should they be.
You’re right about how the visual system responds, but it’s not the full story.
It doesn’t mean that you won’t notice the traits of a certain LED.
For example, skin tones are very telling regarding CRI and the amount of red.
And often you leave a place where there is high quality light (tungsten bulbs, candles, kerosene lights) before you use your flashlight, and then you notice what your LED does.
This also translates to numbers you get by testing.
Pleasing LEDs have he numbers to prove it, as do unpleasant LEDs.

Important? Maybe not, but to some important enough to care about it.
Plus, it’s a welcome development comparing to the XR-E days.
And it’s a hobby where you can choose to pursue perfect lighting.