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Sold/Expired The Aeon Mk. III

Endeavour

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Messages
1,673
Location
Texas, USA
Hello Everyone,

This thread is for the sales and discussion of the Aeon Mk. III, along with its associated accessories.



The Aeon Mk. III is a small, bright, long running torch designed to provide very nicely rendered light output off of a CR2 cell, in a very high-quality, no-compromises package.

It is available in a few different forms: 6AL4V Titanium, 7075-T6 Aluminum (lightweight alloy with the strength of steel), Polished Copper, Timascus, and Mokume Gane.



It is 17.5 x 63mm long (0.689 x 2.48 inches), comes equipped with a click tailswitch, a secure, double-locking clip, and a double-AR coated sapphire lens (aluminum models have an ultra clear double-AR borosilicate glass lens).

I went through a substantial amount of effort with this light to design something small, simple, and elegant, with performance to match, and you'll find the beam bright, its shape pleasing, and its color neutral and of high quality, without the starkness frequently seem in non-High CRI LEDs.



A summary of the torch's features:
High-CRI Nichia 219 LED
1/25/180 Lumens Output
Trapezoidal Threads
Custom Light Orange Peel Parabolic Reflector
Microprocessor Controlled Light Engine
Gold Plated Electrical Contacts
O-Ring Sealed, Water Resistant
Clicky Pushbutton Tailcap
Stainless Steel Pocket Clip
CR2 Based
17.5mm Diameter, 63mm Length

It is available on the website for purchase in all versions (timascus and mokume are expected to complete production around the end of April), with pricing starting at $295.

I have also collaborated with the Ashland Leather Co. out of Chicago to bring you some high quality sheaths made from Genuine Horween Leather. These are hand stitched and designed to fit your Aeon snugly, protecting your light with no small amount of class. :)



Leather conditioner for the sheaths and all your leather products (shoes, bags, etc.) is also available here.

When I set out to make this version of the Aeon I wanted to elevate the product from what was already a good and well reputed design with the Mk. I and Mk. II, to a higher level. In terms of quality, fit and finish, and overall performance, I think this has been well-achieved in the Aeon Mk. III, and I look forward to seeing how you use the light yourself once you have it in hand!

If you have any questions, please feel free to post here, or e-mail [email protected].

Thanks!

Enrique
 
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Endeavour

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Mar 22, 2004
Messages
1,673
Location
Texas, USA
April 15, 2016
Moved the original thread post below:

Hello Everyone,

For the past several months I've been working on a new project. It's CR2-based, tiny, and packs a decent punch. Without further ado, the completely redesigned Aeon Mk. III:

1gdEYi5l.jpg


Up to 200 lumens output on high mode. A pushbutton tailcap. A clip. Double-AR coated sapphire crystal lens. Nichia 219 High-CRI LED. All in a package that's slightly slimmer, and slightly longer, than its predecessor.

The Aeon Mk. III combines elements from all my prior designs, to create something new. The driver has been completely redesigned to allow for higher output, and multiple light intensities. A pushbutton tailswitch has been implemented to allow for fast and effective output selection with the new driver. Milled engraving is used along the exterior of the light as well.

Fx0tfXtl.jpg


On the driver, with substantially higher output, you're still looking at 48 minutes runtime on high mode, 13:15 on medium mode, and 57 hours on low.

5mjuzCOh.png


Hml7B8mh.png


The reflector is completely custom, and designed for the Nichia 219. It has a light orange peel finish, and produces a fairly wide beam with a traditional hotspot and sidespill.

CF6FvNll.jpg


A full list of features:
6AL4V Titanium Construction
High-CRI Nichia 219 LED
2/20/200 Lumens Output
Double-AR Coated Sapphire Crystal Lens
Trapezoidal Threads
Custom Light Orange Peel Parabolic Reflector
Microprocessor Controlled Light Engine
Gold Plated Electrical Contacts
O-Ring Sealed, Water Resistant
Clicky Pushbutton Tailcap
Pocket Clip
CR2 Based
17.5mm Diameter, 63mm Length

Right now the light is undergoing prototyping, which is being cataloged over on Instagram. The first article has been in use by me for about a month, and I am very pleased with the design. A few changes are being made, and the second set of prototypes are nearly complete. Some of those will be making it out into the wild in the coming weeks for broader testing.

Production is expected to start end-of-September, pending testing of the next batch of prototypes. A final production ETA will be available once production starts.

The Aeon Mk. III is available on the store with at a discounted pre-order price of $395. The price will rise to $425 once production begins (and I'll give a week's advance notice of this). Also note that the features may change slightly after continued prototype testing - if they do, notice of this will be clearly made before production.

J0rPbmyl.jpg


Also, there are some new things going on here that are worth noting, that I've talked about in a blog post here. In short: Since April I've been completely restructuring the way my lights are produced so that I can eliminate bottlenecks that have been experienced in some past projects. I've consolidated the number of companies I'm sourcing from and made the entire production process more streamlined than before.

The Aeon Mk. III is the first product to go through these new methods, and so far I've been very pleased with the steady progress in prototyping up to this point. I'm confident that this will result in faster turnaround for production runs, a better overall experience, and also a superior lighting tool.

Lastly, I've been posting updates about the Aeon Mk. III, from renders, through current prototyping, on Instagram very regularly. You can view the whole prototype process up until now, and follow me for frequent updates on what's to come, here.

i5xDzG4l.png

Aaaand a little more fun with Art Deco. :)

Questions? Comments? Discuss below or send an e-mail to [email protected]!

Enrique

September 16, 2015
I mentioned this a few times in the original post, but please review my Instagram feed. You'll see renders from initial concept, through prototyping, as well as videos of the light in use, and a couple months worth of photos. :)

September 16, 2015
Reserved for updates. (and so nbp doesn't claim first post! ;) )
 
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Thud1023

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Sep 27, 2014
Messages
648
Location
Austin, TX
Looks fantastic Enrique! Can't wait to get my couple! Also, I'm right down the road if you need another tester ; )
Congrats on getting production streamlined as well.
Regards,
Todd
 

Endeavour

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Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Messages
1,673
Location
Texas, USA
I'm interested, but prefer rechargeable Li-ion - what is the input voltage range?

Cheers,
David

Hey David,

CR2 primaries only on this one, unless you can find a cell that charges properly to about ~3V. Even so, the driver will discharge the cell to below the safe discharge threshold, so if you use one, be aware that the cell must be protected, and that it's possible to damage the cell if you repeatedly over-discharge it.

Rechargeable cells present a design compromise that I don't like: Basically, I have to diminish overall system performance, and completely nerf performance on primaries, to accommodate improper voltages. (And they are improper - A CR2 or CR123 is a 3V cell - using a 3.7-4.2V cell in a camera or other device would very likely toast it). Consequently I optimize the system as best as I can around primaries. With the runtimes you get out of the Aeon using a fresh Duracell CR2, you replace batteries so infrequently that cost and convenience aren't nearly as big of an issue as in short-runtime lights.

Enrique
 

write2dgray

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Mar 23, 2009
Messages
315
Location
Princeton, NJ
Understood :), thanks for the detailed response. Still don't love throwing batteries away after one use, but that's just me. Different strokes for different folks - keep up the great work! Love the mode choices and clicky tail!
 

Str8stroke

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Nov 27, 2013
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5,032
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On The Black Pearl
Everything looks awesome. Its defiantly a looker.
I would be ok with a few more mm of length & diameter to get CR123 or 18350's in it.
So bottom line: CR2 kills it for me. But others opinions may vary greatly.
 

Endeavour

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Mar 22, 2004
Messages
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Location
Texas, USA
Str8stroke: Thanks! The Aeon is a CR2 light, though, and the performance of the Aeon in terms of size, output, and runtime is pretty much unparalleled.

What you describe would be a Nautilus, which I am finishing a run of presently, and is the last of that style design that I'll be doing.

write2dgray: No problem. As I mentioned, if you use 3V cells, you'll be fine so far as the light is concerned. I think that some LiFePO4 cells exist that do this, but I couldn't recommend a specific brand.

Enrique
 

Tixx

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Joined
Mar 29, 2009
Messages
1,975
Love the new look and clicky! I have a question. Why 2 lumens for low and not go for a true moonlight/firefly at 0.5 lumens? I just find even 1 lumen extremely bright in a dark house. Enough to have to partially cover it with my finger not to wake a baby. :) Thanks!
 
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Endeavour

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Mar 22, 2004
Messages
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Texas, USA
Love the new look and clicky! I have a question. Why 2 lumens for low and not go for a true moonlight/firefly at 0.5 lumens? I just find even 1 lumen extremely bright in a dark house. Enough to have to partially cover it with my finger not to wake a baby. :) Thanks!

Hey Tixx,

The intensities and runtimes for the prototype are currently set to 2/20/200 because they're sensible output levels. That being said, the intensities are the only thing I'm considering changing, depending on feedback from testers as well as my own further testing. I have not yet decided if I will lower the low intensity, or raise the medium intensity, or in fact change anything at all, but we'll see.

So far, the two lumen setting has been pretty good and my most frequently used setting at night. Obviously, if you're in near total darkness frequently, you will tend towards lower intensities across the board, whereas if you're in a more urban setting with more light pollution you're going to need higher output on all stages for the light to be useful. I suspect I won't be able to please everyone on this point, but I will note that whatever ends up chosen will be generally useful, as the previous Aeons have been. :)

Enrique
 

troutpool

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Joined
Apr 22, 2010
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1,327
Location
Arizona
I am really happy to read of your progress with this light, Enrique. I look forward to mine, and I will be happy with it, I am sure, whatever output levels you decide on.
 

Joseph Milton

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Apr 7, 2008
Messages
468
Location
Illinois
I'm in for one.
I have a few Aeons & Nauts already, and love their simplicity.
I'd like to see more knurling & no engraving, but that's just me! I also do not like snap-on clips.
But, I'll buy whatever you make!
Joseph
 

Endeavour

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Mar 22, 2004
Messages
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I'm in for one.
I have a few Aeons & Nauts already, and love their simplicity.
I'd like to see more knurling & no engraving, but that's just me! I also do not like snap-on clips.
But, I'll buy whatever you make!
Joseph

Thanks! RE: Clips & knurling, there are a few videos on Instagram showing the light being operated in different ways - both clicking through modes, disassembly, etc. The grip the knurling provides is sure, and the clip also grabs onto the light well. There are also cutouts in the tail that will allow you to mount the light directly to a keyring, too. :)

Enrique
 

Hoosier Light

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Sep 15, 2010
Messages
91
2/20/200 sounds great to me. I, too, make use of an HDS with moonlight mode for getting around the house in the middle of the night. But my Aeon never leaves my pants pocket--a true EDC. And for that use, moonlight is very rarely something I want.
 

nbp

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Wisconsin
September 16, 2015
I mentioned this a few times in the original post, but please review my Instagram feed. You'll see renders from initial concept, through prototyping, as well as videos of the light in use, and a couple months worth of photos. :)

September 16, 2015
Reserved for updates. (and so nbp doesn't claim first post! ;) )

:crackup: You've got my number! Hahaha.

These are looking great Enrique! You know I love your stuff. :thumbsup: The introduction of a clicky really has my attention. While I do like twisties in small packages, I do prefer clickies in general. The fact that you were able to keep it so small is awesome too. I like that it tailstands and the teardrops are such a classic look. I don't know what I'm gonna sell anymore to get one of these!!!
 

Endeavour

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Messages
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:crackup: You've got my number! Hahaha.

These are looking great Enrique! You know I love your stuff. :thumbsup: The introduction of a clicky really has my attention. While I do like twisties in small packages, I do prefer clickies in general. The fact that you were able to keep it so small is awesome too. I like that it tailstands and the teardrops are such a classic look. I don't know what I'm gonna sell anymore to get one of these!!!

Yeah, the clicky and clip are something pretty unique to this size class I think (the output is pretty great, too!). I like twisties - I've been making them for nearly 10 years, after all - but after the Aeon Mk. II I decided I would not do an analog three stage light like that again in a new design. Mode spacing has always been variable from light-to-light on every single flashlight I've made, but since there were only two modes, no one really ever noticed. When there were three modes, some people wanted spacing from Low-Med and Med-High to be the same, which is impossible with my switching design - there are too many variables in spring coiling, size, and position when soldered to be able to do that repeatably.

Fully analog switching only works with certain kinds of electronics - not every driver IC is capable of being adapted for it. When you have a multi-intensity light, you have more flexibility in output choices. Singular high-output "pocket rockets" are fun, but not very useful, if that's all they are - blasting massive amounts of light in most situations in the dark is pretty useless and destroys your night vision, sucks your batteries dry, and is not very practical. When you have options, though, and can run a low or medium mode most of the time, and reserve high mode for select circumstances, then it makes sense to be able to offer much higher brightness options. That's what I did with the Aeon Mk. III, and it required a total redesign of the electronics.

To that end, a driver I've been working on and testing since February was adapted for use in the light, and paired with a microprocessor from a company whose engineers I personally know and who make high-reliability products for automotive and consumer industries, which has allowed me to enable much higher output than previously possible on the Aeon Mk. III. Ultimately this has allowed for a massive increase in maximum brightness, while still maintaining good runtimes on all intensity levels, and adding a good amount of functionality and performance without increasing size much.

Since the light is now digitally controlled, the best way to do this is with a clicky, both for on/off and mode switching. It's much faster and more easily accessible than twisting, and I'm really happy with how it has been working out. (You can see videos of mode switching on Instagram.) The clicky switch is completely new for my lights, and made completely custom, and I've been very pleased so far with the performance it enables in the new Aeon. I expected that I would like the change, but it has exceeded all expectations, and the few extra mm in length are worth the functionality (All in all, the light is only 2.5% larger by volume than it's predecessor since it was slimmed down by a full millimeter).

With regards to the teardrop and head areas, note that in the photos the bezel has a gap that won't be present in production - the next batch of prototypes will have this correction. :)

Enrique
 

transultimate

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Joined
Nov 21, 2013
Messages
113
Great looking light! Can you describe a bit more about the action of the clickie, perhaps relative to the McGizmo clickie pack? Is there an intermittent on stage? Are you double clicking to change levels?

I took a look at the Instagram videos but had a hard time making out the exact behavior.

Thanks, and great work!
 

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

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Aug 18, 2009
Messages
4,442
Location
CT, USA
I am intrigued by this light. I've owned a few Aeons over the years and they are really nice.

The addition of the clip is a huge plus.
The clicky concerned me at first but watching it in action was pretty nice. Looks like a reverse clicky so switching levels when on is easy.
The level spacing seems nice. A lower first low is always better for me but you only have three levels to work with you want good spacing.
 
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