Djozz got it right. The Marinebeam light was developed more than 6 years ago, and wasn’t meant to satisfy any cutting-edge flashaholics demands. It was meant to provide >12-hours of high-intensity long range light, using very little power, and use off-the-shelf dry cell batteries. It produces a modest (by today’s standards) 120,000 candela beam, without having a “turbo” driver mode, or having to consider any special thermal or beam duration considerations.
The RLT technology was, and still is, a great way to make a low-powered long-range and long-duration collimated LED beam, and can be coupled with almost any existing LED or SORRA white laser chip. Consider its valid purpose, and the fact thousands of the flashlights have been sold to happy boaters. Also consider that Marinebeam thoughtfully and purposely targeted an existing demand, with a fairly substantial base of potential customers, and did so very successfully. It has D-Cell batteries, and a simple mode driver, because customer demographic wanted exactly that. Those that have been on this site long enough know about the 2 previous RLT licensees that focused on uber-high end RLT based flashlights, and then promptly went out of business.
When Marinebeam offered (and sold out) 50+ RLT Collars and lenses on this site last year, they did it with the understanding that there was an anxious group of tinkerers and DYI flashaholics that would quickly turn those highly demanded RLTs into 50 spectacular home-brewed flashlights. Marinebeam’s hope was that they could crowd source the expertise in these groups like was done on the BLF flashlight, and then make it available to all. Even with the number of posters demanding the RLT collars, and all the comments about easy DYI solutions with Christmas tree bulbs, 3D printing, and catalog mirrors, I have not seen many results or feedback using any of the 50+ real RLTs. Step up fellas! Let’s see what you can do. This is the Budget Flashlight Forum after all! Get off the keyboard and out into the shop.
With regard to the pricing, I don’t know where the $250 figure comes from. Or the $10 Marinebeam cost figure. The collars were originally offered for $50, and everyone that wanted one got one. Marinebeam’s flashlight COGs is mainly in the lens and the collar. When y’all are not typing on the forum, use that time trying to find a vendor to make you an RLT collar to the specs needed to make it work with very high (2.2X) gain. And when you find them, let me know. Also, while you are at it, price out a high-quality F/1 Borosilicate 50mm aspheric lens like used in the Marinebeam flashlight. I’ll even help by giving you a place to start 50mm Dia., 0.50 Numerical Aperture Uncoated, Aspheric Lens
Once you have those sources figured out, pay the upfront patent licensee fees, then the per instance royalties, machine tools and fixtures, packaging, carrying case, wrist tether, insurance, salaries, free shipping, and yes my dear Pocahontas, PROFIT. Then get back with me. I’ll become your dealer for that $10 flashlight.
Contact me via PM if you want a real RLT collar. If I get enough demand, I will see if I can arrange it with Meadowstar through Marinebeam like last time. Any of those that wish to help create a BLF type crowd-sourced light using RLT, I am very interested in that.
