You will love this NASA penlight

[grinsefalle]

Nice video, well done. I like the sound of the radio communication in the background and the interference of the video. It has a good atmosphere and leads towards your flashlight.
I agree with kaichu dento, some facts about the light, at least some buzzwords or a teaser about the technical data would not be amiss.

Michael

 

[phosphor22]

Love the video -- the footage, narration/sounds, and editing. Agree with ideas from other members that some information on specific features of the light would be a good addition.

 

[jankowiak]

Very cool lite

 

[tab665]

hope things are still on track with this project! still looking forward to this very much!

 

[Bok15]

Just saw this and am very interested! Cant wait for a release!

 

[Barbarin]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1111219402/apollo-penlight-project

We decided to make it this way. Is a great light!

 

[Johnnyh]

Went over and made my contribution...since I'm the first official backer...I will of course receive serial number 00001 or something like that...right? [emoji6] But seriously, I really hope the goal is met! Good Luck!

 

[bugblatter]

I'm in! Pretty excited. I hope it gets funded within the time limit, since it's all or nothing. Good luck!

 

[Barbarin]

Thank you guys, help me please spread this project!!

 

[sandalian]

Re: You will love this NASA flashlight

Beautifully designed flashlight. I really like its simplicity in design.

 

[Barbarin]

Re: You will love this NASA flashlight

Beautifully designed flashlight. I really like its simplicity in design.

thank you!

one present for you

[/IMG]

 

[tab665]

Re: You will love this NASA flashlight

backer #10!!! would it be against rules to start another thread in the main led flashlight forum? seems there is a lot more traffic in that part of the forum.

 

[archimedes]

I think while it is still a "work-in-progress" it would be better to keep this thread here ... but after they go into production and general release, if OP wants, I can move this thread into the main "LED Flashlight" forum.

 

[Barbarin]

I think while it is still a "work-in-progress" it would be better to keep this thread here ... but after they go into production and general release, if OP wants, I can move this thread into the main "LED Flashlight" forum.

This one is a flashlight that sooner or later will go into production, not necessarily as a KS project, but as a regular product. It is so different to our regular customer target that we decided to try this way, which speaking frankly is not showing as a very effective marketing way (unless you spend thousands of US$ on firms specialized on promoting crowdfunding projects). Regarding the product itself, we can say that it is fully developed and perfectly defined and tested to be put into production immediately.

Thanks for your interest to you all.

 

[parametrek]

Fair warning: I have no interest in buying one of these. But that is only because I've photographed an original from every angle and intend to one day make my own reproduction as my first lathe project

As someone mostly interested in the historical aspect, the 100 lumen thing is really off-putting. Would Nasa have wanted more lumens? Probably. Would they have gone with 100 lumens? No way.

This light was made for what is called task lighting. And there are plenty of modern task lights on the market to get an idea for what could have been. The highest output I've seen in a task light is 55 lumens and they usually have lower modes. Some examples include the Surefire HL1 (19 lumens), Streamlight Sidewinder series (at least 4 different version, all 55 lumens max), Princeton Tec Charge MPLS (55 lumen max), and Princeton Tec Point MPLS (10 lumen max).

I'm also disappointed to see so much Loctite in the construction. It might turn away people who would buy your light with the intent of modding the driver to produce more historically accurate output, or who want to go all the way and use an incan bulb.

 

[Barbarin]

Fair warning: I have no interest in buying one of these. But that is only because I've photographed an original from every angle and intend to one day make my own reproduction as my first lathe project

As someone mostly interested in the historical aspect, the 100 lumen thing is really off-putting. Would Nasa have wanted more lumens? Probably. Would they have gone with 100 lumens? No way.

This light was made for what is called task lighting. And there are plenty of modern task lights on the market to get an idea for what could have been. The highest output I've seen in a task light is 55 lumens and they usually have lower modes. Some examples include the Surefire HL1 (19 lumens), Streamlight Sidewinder series (at least 4 different version, all 55 lumens max), Princeton Tec Charge MPLS (55 lumen max), and Princeton Tec Point MPLS (10 lumen max).

I'm also disappointed to see so much Loctite in the construction. It might turn away people who would buy your light with the intent of modding the driver to produce more historically accurate output, or who want to go all the way and use an incan bulb.

Thank you for your input.

All those considerations were studied before making the first units, and we do not discard making a lower output version in the near future. But at this moment we have tried to make an updated and improved version, more useable and attractive to general public. It was not intended as a pure replica, because to start with we didn't wanted to use an incandescent bulb, but also according to our company philosophy we wanted to make a waterproof flashlight, more environmental resistant. I fully agree that in the darkness of a confined environment 100 lm is an overkill, but being practical the potential buyers of the light will be more probably sailors or regular people who will want to keep on their cars, homes, or give away as a present than astronauts or aircraft pilots. And on that case 100 lm are a fair amount of light while keeping a loooong runtime. Projects need to be attractive to "general public" to allow us to make sometimes things which are just interesting to a few. By the way, that Loctite is very easy to remove heating the light over 100ºC, and at that temperature the electronics are still safe (for a few seconds, which is all what you need to open the head).

So, summarizing: It is waterproof, it has a LED, the lights distribution is achieved with a precision optic with a perfect distribution, it uses alkaline batteries (original were magnesium AA), and it puts out near 5 times what the original did... plus you will find written on it "BBL" instead or "ACR", and the date won't be 60-70's... This is why we avoid calling it a replica. A replica is another thing at least as we understand it, you can call this a "reborn". How would it be nowadays an astronaut light? For sure nothing similar to this one.

Regards,

Javier

 

[Barbarin]

There is one consideration I forgot to add on the previous explanation. This light is using a very floody secondary optics, this means that most probably the lx value is quite similar to the original light, but the difference is that the area covered is much wider. Not "blinding" for close task work, just more light with more generous distribution.

 

[leon2245]

Love the single mode, runtime/output levlels, optic, battery, materials and just general style & look of this thing. REally want one. Thanks for trying to start discussion in main led forum or else I wouldn't have known about it.

Thank you for your input.

All those considerations were studied before making the first units, and we do not discard making a lower output version in the near future. But at this moment we have tried to make an updated and improved version, more useable and attractive to general public. It was not intended as a pure replica, because to start with we didn't wanted to use an incandescent bulb, but also according to our company philosophy we wanted to make a waterproof flashlight, more environmental resistant. I fully agree that in the darkness of a confined environment 100 lm is an overkill, but being practical the potential buyers of the light will be more probably sailors or regular people who will want to keep on their cars, homes, or give away as a present than astronauts or aircraft pilots. And on that case 100 lm are a fair amount of light while keeping a loooong runtime. Projects need to be attractive to "general public" to allow us to make sometimes things which are just interesting to a few. By the way, that Loctite is very easy to remove heating the light over 100ºC, and at that temperature the electronics are still safe (for a few seconds, which is all what you need to open the head).

So, summarizing: It is waterproof, it has a LED, the lights distribution is achieved with a precision optic with a perfect distribution, it uses alkaline batteries (original were magnesium AA), and it puts out near 5 times what the original did... plus you will find written on it "BBL" instead or "ACR", and the date won't be 60-70's... This is why we avoid calling it a replica. A replica is another thing at least as we understand it, you can call this a "reborn". How would it be nowadays an astronaut light? For sure nothing similar to this one.

Regards,

Javier

Hey go for it!

 

[archimedes]

Ok, thread moved, at request of OP

 

[Barbarin]

Ok, thread moved, at request of OP

Thank you Sir,

I'm here to reply all your questions