Anyone ever put that to a test? Ie, any noticeable changes to the beam shape, CT/tint, etc.?
Glass would offer more scratch-resistance, but dunno how an extra set of air/glass interfaces might affect things.
This topic may be in the FW3A thread as the original came with a lens and the later ones didn’t. People talked about it a lot but I don’t remember testing.
Eep! Long thread, but I’ll have a go at it, tnx!
Search within thread and you may get lucky 
All I remember the first go around was everyone was pissed because they wanted the original optic with lens and not the off brand one without.
Btw, anyone with these non carclo FW3x lenses collecting dust, they are a perfect fit inside a convoy s21a (diameter)
I have a few lights with no glass and TIR’s. They are pebbled TIR’s so I would never notice any scratches. I have put glass in them and didn’t notice any difference unless the AR was super thick. In a few lights the glass is there just to take up a bit of space to make everything tight.
Mmmm, that’s what I was hoping, no negative effects.
Was wondering that if it were a wide-angle TIR, too much of the beam might be above the critical angle and just get bounced back vs continuing on out the front.
I have a 60 degree pebbled TIR in a RRT-01 with a nichia in it. Of course I lose a bit of output with the emitter swap but, I haven’t noticed any other losses. I ran it with and without the glass and the output was the same. Even ran it as a mule for a few minutes and only loss 13% of my light adding the wide pebbled TIR. I expected to lose a little. According to a light meter and a ceiling bounce in a small dark room. I was making a guess as to the output after the emitter swap and it looked to be about 500ish. So I would never notice a 13% loss with my eyes. What it lacks in output it really makes up for in beam quality. If flood is your thing.
I have that same optic in a few S2’s, with glass, but didn’t take the time to do the same testing. Have it in a YLP Unicorn as well, without glass. Maybe I will test that one. The S2’s are just around the house kids lights so it’s not worth it for me to mess with it. It gives them light and they like it. Almost forgot, I have it in one of my DQG Tiny 18650’s as well. I can mess around with that one too.
Kewl, tnx.
So I guess I can forgo the glass as long as I’m reasonably careful with it, which wouldn’t be too hard, as I’m easy on my lights.
for me having a lens felt more dust/water proof as it sat flush against the top o-ring better… stuff all difference in beam
True enough, that lens and oring will make it water proof. The pebbling on the TIR won’t make a good seal.