archimedes
Flashaholic
It's been a pleasure chatting with you by PM, and I am continuing to follow your project with interest.
You will love this NASA penlight
- Thread starter Barbarin
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tab665
Flashlight Enthusiast
dang leon, i forgot about your love for single mode lights!
leon2245
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2008
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Yeah id even nasa fan but it's like this one was made for me.
Only way I could like it more is if it had stayed like the prototype which i understand had a higher cct.
Only way I could like it more is if it had stayed like the prototype which i understand had a higher cct.
Barbarin
Flashlight Enthusiast
Once you try the 3000ºK high CRI you won't want to get rid of it. If still you don't like it , I will replace the LED for you.
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- Jan 17, 2008
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- 1,687
I love warm flood! The 2800k XPL in my Spy Tri-V3 was perfect!
Newguy2012
Enlightened
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- Jul 4, 2012
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The light doesn't have any springs on the tail or head?
Barbarin
Flashlight Enthusiast
No, it does not. Neither the original. This kind of design, which is the simplest one, does not need it, and the only reason for it would be to avoid the potential sound of the batteries moving inside, which is insignificant. The contact is perfect and super reliable.
Javier
Newguy2012
Enlightened
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- Jul 4, 2012
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Wouldn't the spring help with impact? Have you done any drop test on the light? Did you update runtime with NiMH yet? Is the tail slightly chamfered? What titanium grade did you use for the prototype? You said alloy in the comments so I'm guessing grade 5 since it's the most common grade. Why don't people use grade 2? It has better thermal dissipation than grade 5.
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Barbarin
Flashlight Enthusiast
Hello, thanks for your questions.
Yes, springs do help with contact as they will absorbe the changes in height of the batteries if they are smashed because of a violent shock. But in this case, as the length of the inner tube can be adjusted to the length of the battery set, then there will be no problem.
Yes, we have done drop test, and there is no signs of damage or failure. Lens are retained with an o-ring that will prevent cracking on it even on the even of a strong shock, and the PCB is small in diameter and thick, impossible to break unless you use a hammer and a nail.
Regarding the NiMH test, yes, we did it but we didn't saved the record... kind of stupid on our side. We will repeat it.
The titanium prototypes were made as you said with grade 5, as long as it is already an overkill. Heat dissipation is not an issue on a 1 Watt flashlight designed the way this one is... specially using an XPL-HI driven at 350 mA. Grade 5 has higher availability, I mean, you can get almost in no time every shape, diameter, wall...
Javier
leon2245
Flashlight Enthusiast
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Wow i didn't catch that on my mental twisty spec checklist, and he even posted a diagram. It's been a while, thanks for pointing that out.
BUt I'm certain that if this design was good enough for NASA it'll be good enough for C.P. enthusaholics.
ntm LED vs. incan no less.
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Barbarin
Flashlight Enthusiast
One of the most reliable lights I ever had in my life was an Infinity (pre CMG). Nowadays would look ultra dim, but on that time it was always on my pocket on my much more frequent then caving trips. One day I submerged one to -30 meters. It was not intended to, but that light was really bombproof based on its simplicity. Twisty, no springs... the only weak point was the unanodized threads, for me a critical point when it comes to aluminun. It suffered hundreds of drops, and other than being scratched and occasionally smashed batteries, it always worked. Alks still have some advantages, when using them they have an "autodim" function and they do "self recover"
Javier
Barbarin
Flashlight Enthusiast
I think you will probably like this pictures !
Barbarin
Flashlight Enthusiast
Barbarin
Flashlight Enthusiast
I can't tell you for sure... but I would say a PR type, PR6 or PR4, as long as that is the one most used by Fulton, which is the real manufacturer (ACR was the contractor, but Fulton the manufacturer)
Javier
Barbarin
Flashlight Enthusiast
The project has been successfully funded, and still 11 days to finish!
Thanks to everyone... now it is the moment of a "teaser". It's been inspired by the Apollo penlight, but it is made from titanium, has a 18650 battery. and instead of 350 mA on a warm LED is putting 1000 mA on a Neutral one. Is an early prototype anyway, perhaps more a concept of an ultracompact light, there are some mixed parts, different knurling...
Javier
Thanks to everyone... now it is the moment of a "teaser". It's been inspired by the Apollo penlight, but it is made from titanium, has a 18650 battery. and instead of 350 mA on a warm LED is putting 1000 mA on a Neutral one. Is an early prototype anyway, perhaps more a concept of an ultracompact light, there are some mixed parts, different knurling...
Javier
Johnnyh
Enlightened
Great news Javier! Again, I was the very first backer, so in honor of this, serial # 0001 will be great. You do fill the orders in sequential order, right? Ok...great! That Ti 18650 looks very nice! Hope you can load it with a High CRI Nichia 4500k.
thermal guy
Flashaholic
I don't really understand how this all works now that it's backed and ready to run. How do we purchase one??
