500 Lumen - AAA Flashlight (photos) - Work In Progress - Part 2

[the_guy_with_no_name]

Sounds like you were playing computer games

It takes time for R&D, testing and bringing something to the market. Take your time, don't rush it to the market with bugs... Patiently waiting for the final product

Hi Hazna,

Life is to some degree a game

R&D, testing, refining, calibration with partners,
Yes as I have learnt over the past 6 months, these things do take time.

I was under the impression I would submit a spec to a manufacturer, they would read my mind, and it would be perfect the first time.
I have since discovered the reality that sometimes things take a little more time, but I have also discovered how to optimize and improve my process along the way and I am grateful to everyone here at cpf for the support, encouragement, advice and patience with my first venture into serious manufacturing.

The most important thing (to me at least) is ensuring the final product is of the quality I'd expect from a world class brand.

tgwnn

 

[Draven451]

Hi Draven,

The 10250 version is indeed very compact.
The big difference to the PO is that the broad beam pattern easily fills a room of 250sq ft.
I am impressed with the PO's small size and Im working on something smaller than that also

The torpedo has enough flood to fill a 250sq ft room! This little light is going to be amazing!

If that was not enough you are also working on something smaller than the PO! :naughty:

Do tell....do tell...

 

[tatteredmidnight]

Take your time and bring it to market right! I know i'm not going to drop out of the market for one of these any time soon.

-- Adam

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

The torpedo has enough flood to fill a 250sq ft room! This little light is going to be amazing!
If that was not enough you are also working on something smaller than the PO! :naughty:
Do tell....do tell...

Hi Draven,

Not quite a 100watt bulb, but I'd call it a directional flood.
Plenty of light, and good flood.
I've been contemplating a photo of the living room lit by the torpedo,
just not sure if I can post it publicly though.

The smaller thing, Im waiting on feedback from the lab.
Once I get confirmation and its underway, I will post more when the time comes,
but the basic concept is multi-mode, driverless, powerful, tiny.

Take your time and bring it to market right! I know i'm not going to drop out of the market for one of these any time soon.

-- Adam

Hi tatteredmidnight,

Thanks for posting.
Working on doing that "getting it right" and thanks for the support!

tgwnn

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

Not sure if anyone noticed,
but my post count is kind of fixed now.

Admins,
Thanks very much for taking the time to fix that :twothumbs

tgwnn

 

[dc38]

Hi Guy,
That's where we come in .
Other users input :thumbsup:
I agree with everything Calipsoli has said and posted. Think of it like steak knives. One that is made from say Steel, versus one with stainless 308, versus one with stainless 35V. The cost of an alloy outweighs the cost of replacing worn out parts, or having them not look as you would like after a 6 month carry in a pocket. Proceed with what you have. The purer the copper, the more it will wear as Calipsori has said. Of course there are other factors also like heat dispersion that need to be calculated as well. Copper, unfortunately does not heat treat like other metals. So in order to get that wear resistant quality, more testing and evaluation of copper alloys would be desired. I'd like to claim some dibs on these early copper prototypes . They will definately be a collectors item.
GL

Hi guys, in regards to a copper light's finish, I vaguely remember a chemistry lab session where we coated pennies with silver and gold...something with heating the penny up then dunking it into a solution that would coat the penny in either a shiny gold or shiny silver finish depending on what solution was used...I was wondering if theres any use or marketability for this technique in the world of copper lights?

 

[SPNKr]

I can't help but notice the estimated run-times of this light in the manual (I know this is a little old). Specifically, 3 hours on 100 lumens? From perusing all the lights on sale by manufacturers today, I can't even find an AA light that can put out that much light for that long. Is this a different "lumen" unit, an extremely optimistic estimate or are production lights really that far from an XML's true capability?

I'm new to the flashlight world, so do forgive me if this question may sound amateurish

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

Hi guys, in regards to a copper light's finish, I vaguely remember a chemistry lab session where we coated pennies with silver and gold...something with heating the penny up then dunking it into a solution that would coat the penny in either a shiny gold or shiny silver finish depending on what solution was used...I was wondering if theres any use or marketability for this technique in the world of copper lights?

Hi dc38,

Could be possible of course, (I recall seeing somewhere talk of gold-plating lights) but I do imagine its just a preference thing.

I can't help but notice the estimated run-times of this light in the manual (I know this is a little old). Specifically, 3 hours on 100 lumens? From perusing all the lights on sale by manufacturers today, I can't even find an AA light that can put out that much light for that long. Is this a different "lumen" unit, an extremely optimistic estimate or are production lights really that far from an XML's true capability?

I'm new to the flashlight world, so do forgive me if this question may sound amateurish

Hi SPNKr,

Thank you very much for pointing that out and I'd say you are right.
Based on my battery tests, at 100 lumens, the runtime should be closer to 1hour, not 3.
I will update that page of the manual.

(I think I may have used 100 as the mA required to drive the XM-L at 100lumen instead of the 250mA).

tgwnn

 

[Cataract]

calipsoii : Thanks for sharing your experience. Now I know I should keep the cu Torpedo apart from my keys. I might consider the copper torpedo a weekend EDC and the Brass one weekday EDC :devil:.

[...]
I would like to add that the control ring does not have to be Copper. It could be a copper body with a SS, Brass, or Titanium ring :shrug:. But your input really does save some time in helping TGWNN design it.
[...]

I already voted for a titanium control ring

 

[Denzel24]

Yippppeeeee!!!!! Finally, powerful flashlight in BLACK color and in a key-chain size !!! :naughty: :naughty:. I'm just hoping that it will be possible to ship it to my country, Indonesia... :sweat:

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

calipsoii : Thanks for sharing your experience. Now I know I should keep the cu Torpedo apart from my keys. I might consider the copper torpedo a weekend EDC and the Brass one weekday EDC :devil:.

I already voted for a titanium control ring

Hi Cataract,

Mix'n'Match...
Ok, now that's really getting complex

Maybe down the road I might be able to offer a DIY non-potted version, with parts in different materials so you can truly please yourself,
but for practical purposes, if I can, it would likely be after run #2.
Hope you can understand.

Yippppeeeee!!!!! Finally, powerful flashlight in BLACK color and in a key-chain size !!! :naughty: :naughty:. I'm just hoping that it will be possible to ship it to my country, Indonesia... :sweat:

Hi Denzel,

Thanks for posting.
I'll ship anywhere Mr.Postman will deliver.


Update on progress
Expecting a new proto of the driver/pcb next week.
For now, we will test the new pcb and if its up to par, the lab will send 1 assembled proto to confirm the functionality.
Once confirmed, we will make some additional units for more thorough testing, but it doesn't make sense to make too many (as each custom proto costs $$$) until we verify the circuit/driver is working to spec.

We have both copper and ti available now and the workshop is planning to make a body proto of each, early next month.
Depending on the outcome of testing the newest driver, I may have them hold those so we can get them to be working proto's rather than just body only proto's, though I should know by next week.

tgwnn

 

[HKJ]

Look like I soon will have to get a new AAA light.

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

Look like I soon will have to get a new AAA light.

Hi HKJ,
I was under the impression you had more AAA's than anyone

I will be happy to see the Torpedo added to your famous collection very soon.

tgwbb

 

[HKJ]

Hi HKJ,
I was under the impression you had more AAA's than anyone

I will be happy to see the Torpedo added to your famous collection very soon.

I do have a few, but none of them are 500 lumen or with that type of interface.

 

[applevision]

I do have a few, but none of them are 500 lumen or with that type of interface.

HKJ's blessing is powerful, indeed! This is such an exciting light! Can't wait!!

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

I do have a few, but none of them are 500 lumen or with that type of interface.

Hi HKJ,

Thanks

HKJ's blessing is powerful, indeed! This is such an exciting light! Can't wait!!

Hi applevision,

Yes, it is indeed, as was your blessing for the CoreTi (_)

tgwnn

 

[Got Lumens?]

Hi HKJ,
Thanks
Hi applevision,
Yes, it is indeed, as was your blessing for the CoreTi (_)
tgwnn

 

[Machinist Man]

I have been watching this thread for a while now since I found it in my search for the brightest AAA size light. I think this project is awesome! I am patently awaiting production so I can add at least one of these to my collection of AAA lights. I would also purchase some of the 10440 IMR li-ion, high discharge batteries to optimize the light, when they would be offered. Assuming that they would be of better quality then some others and a better match for the power consumption of the torpedo light. This is COOL to watch this project unfold in front of our eyes!
:thumbsup:

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

I have been watching this thread for a while now since I found it in my search for the brightest AAA size light. I think this project is awesome! I am patently awaiting production so I can add at least one of these to my collection of AAA lights. I would also purchase some of the 10440 IMR li-ion, high discharge batteries to optimize the light, when they would be offered. Assuming that they would be of better quality then some others and a better match for the power consumption of the torpedo light. This is COOL to watch this project unfold in front of our eyes!
:thumbsup:

Hi Machinist Man,

Thanks very much for posting and glad you like the project.
It's plenty of reading if you start from Part 1

Hoping to have an exciting update later in the week.
In the meantime, thanks to everyone for your continued patience and support.

tgwnn

p.s. Still working on the final clip design

 

[Cataract]

Hi Cataract,

Mix'n'Match...
Ok, now that's really getting complex

Maybe down the road I might be able to offer a DIY non-potted version, with parts in different materials so you can truly please yourself,
but for practical purposes, if I can, it would likely be after run #2.
Hope you can understand.
[...]

Of course, there's just so many possibilities and still so much to do