Hexbright Open source flashlight

[the.Mtn.Man]

Anyone make a Titanium replacement body for this yet?

I wouldn't expect it. Despite ginning up considerable support by advertising the flashlight as "open source" and promising to release full specs, code, and mechanical and electrical drawings, the developers have thus far failed to do so.

 

[Noctilucent]

Full specs are pretty much available - not sure what 'specs' you're missing. I'd be more interested in whether the given specs line up with reality, though - an OTF figure, somebody with an integrating sphere to take some measurements, etc.

Electrical drawings are sorely missing - the rev5 schematics are the only complete ones and are somewhat outdated compared to rev7 or whatever is in the Kickstarter units (not to mention the new iteration), while no board files have been made available (would be simple enough to re from actual boards - it's claimed to be 4-layer but looked like 2-layer to me.. 4 layer may be mostly thermal management, but I haven't had one in hand to check).

The code is available, though - it's available right off of Github. Though you'd be better off starting with one of the other firmwares as they've seen more love than the official one.

Mechanical is also largely missing. According to the data compendium the actual body shape itself may never be released for IP reasons.
However, for the purpose of the question asked here: there are base models available as CAD files right here, including a blank that you can then machine down to whatever shape you want: http://community.hexbright.com/c/Bodies (scroll down, follow links)
So anybody who wanted to make a titanium main body (tailcap excluded) could certainly do so - all the other missing info doesn't factor into that.

 

[joeg679]

I have this light and I like it a lot. I have a Jeep Wrangler and would like some sort of holster that I can tie to the inside somwhere with paracord, to mount the light. Has anyone found something that would fit the light that has a loop or something? Thanks

 

[Noctilucent]

I have this light and I like it a lot. I have a Jeep Wrangler and would like some sort of holster that I can tie to the inside somwhere with paracord, to mount the light. Has anyone found something that would fit the light that has a loop or something? Thanks

There's some suggestions in the data compendium; http://tinyurl.com/hbfdc ( retail > aftermarket > holder )
Any generic flashlight holster/holder/tube/thing that it would fit in should work, though?

 

[joeg679]

There's some suggestions in the data compendium; http://tinyurl.com/hbfdc ( retail > aftermarket > holder )
Any generic flashlight holster/holder/tube/thing that it would fit in should work, though?

Thanks

 

[electromage]

Where's the delete button?

 

[Noctilucent]

Where's the delete button?

Aw, the notification in my mailbox had me curious what you were talking about

 

[electromage]

Aw, the notification in my mailbox had me curious what you were talking about

Why did you get a notification?

 

[Noctilucent]

Why did you get a notification?

Standard reply notification (thread subscription) - nothing sinister

 

[electromage]

Using the demo firmware makes me think that whoever wrote it doesn't have much experience with commercial flashlights. I find it strange that the light always scrolls through the brightness modes before turning off, even after running for a while. Also, one of the programs makes it shut off after running about 2m 20s on high, when the light is barely warm.

For some reason I thought that the Hexbright GitHub was the main repository, but I guess that doesn't make sense.

 

[Noctilucent]

For some reason I thought that the Hexbright GitHub was the main repository, but I guess that doesn't make sense.

None whatsoever
It should be, but for now, you should probably check out these as a starting point:
https://github.com/wbattestilli/hexbright
https://github.com/dhiltonp/hexbright

 

[dhiltonp]

None whatsoever
It should be, but for now, you should probably check out these as a starting point:
https://github.com/wbattestilli/hexbright
https://github.com/dhiltonp/hexbright

I've just added a couple of things that will be of interest; initial button presses are much more sensitive, and tactical now goes straight to off if the button hasn't recently been pressed.

 

[RedLeg]

I've just added a couple of things that will be of interest; initial button presses are much more sensitive, and tactical now goes straight to off if the button hasn't recently been pressed.

I have recently discovered your work, and am impressed. Question for you: although you do not appear to be the original author of Up-n-Down.... Is there a straightforward way to change the order of modes as they correspond to clicks? I tried just swapping option 1 and 2 in the mode definition block up top block, hoping to make BLINK come before LEVEL: but that did NOT turn out as I expected. Any advice is appreciated. -Red

 

[wbattestilli]

I have recently discovered your work, and am impressed. Question for you: although you do not appear to be the original author of Up-n-Down.... Is there a straightforward way to change the order of modes as they correspond to clicks? I tried just swapping option 1 and 2 in the mode definition block up top block, hoping to make BLINK come before LEVEL: but that did NOT turn out as I expected. Any advice is appreciated. -Red

I'm the original author of Up-n-Down.

To change the order you need to change the mode definition block that you referenced. By default it looks like this:

// Modes#define MODE_OFF 0
#define MODE_LEVEL 1
#define MODE_BLINK 2
#define MODE_NIGHTLIGHT 3
#define MODE_SOS 4
#define MODE_LOCKED 5

If you change it to this:

// Modes
#define MODE_OFF 0
#define MODE_LEVEL 2
#define MODE_BLINK 1
#define MODE_NIGHTLIGHT 3
#define MODE_SOS 4
#define MODE_LOCKED 5



it should do what you have described above.

 

[dhiltonp]

You can get a black hexbright for $85 right now on grandst (It's $100, plus there is a $15 discount due to signing up through a referral link). It's on sale through Sunday, I believe.

Here's a video that goes over some differences I've noticed between the newer and older lights. I'm not as much a flashlight guy as a software guy, but hopefully the video is useful.

 

[RedLeg]

I'm the original author of Up-n-Down.

I played with it with the option orders switched, and went back to your original. It seems to flow better.

Now, another couple of questions:

- Would it be possible when in "safe mode" (5 clicks to enter or exit), to change the exit behavior to a lesser number, and to go directly to ON, instead of OFF? I've been through the code, and am not a real coder, but I think this would be difficult the way dhiltons libs work, and how you are using them. Not a critique of either of you, and I may just not understand the code well enuf, hence the question.

- Can the arduino sense and report on the battery capacity (voltage?). I have another microprocessor powered widget which does this, reports cell voltage via LED pulses. Since we have two LEDs in the tail, we could report volts in flashes of red, followed by tenths in flashes of green, or something like that, IF the board can sense it. This could be another mode of operation, TEST_BATTERY or something.....


In and case, thanks for the work. Your firmware makes for an excellent EDC, and is exactly what Christian had in mind (IMHO) when he designed an open-source platform.


Red

 

[dhiltonp]

To alter up_n_down's behavior when locked, you'll need to modify code between lines 139 and 157.

Due to the electrical design of the hexbright, we can only detect a low battery condition. The rear leds behave like this:
Battery Low: short red flash every second
Battery Charging: even green flashes
Battery Charged: solid green

 

[iguanamafia]

Trying to get my hex bright to do the up n down and for some reason I can't get it to work. The Readme says that it requires Hiltons Library which I believe I have, but not sure what to do with that library. I've gotten tactical and spin level to work fine, just not sure what I should be doing specifically with the library (I have downloaded it). It says upload complete, button presses only get red tail LED and nothing else.

MAC OSX, OG Flex, not a programmer.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[iguanamafia]

Trying to get my hex bright to do the up n down and for some reason I can't get it to work. The Readme says that it requires Hiltons Library which I believe I have, but not sure what to do with that library. I've gotten tactical and spin level to work fine, just not sure what I should be doing specifically with the library (I have downloaded it). It says upload complete, button presses only get red tail LED and nothing else.

MAC OSX, OG Flex, not a programmer.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I got it. I didnt realize, or appreciate the fact, that it defaults to locked mode. Ive had this thing since the beginning and used it in stock form only because I was a bit overwhelmed in the beginning when there wasnt much support. Thanks to you guys, I fumbled through just fine.

 

[Mark4931]

I know this is necro, but I have a question for anyone that still has one of these. Does anyone know how to get it programmed on Windows 10 with the new Arduino IDE? I am having a difficult time getting it to work, even with an old IDE.