# 7w Lux 'Minimighty' Tasklight Update-Part 2



## Roy (Feb 8, 2005)

*7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

The origional thread can be found at: 7w Lux 'Minimighty' Tasklight Update-Part 2


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## andrewwynn (Feb 8, 2005)

*7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

cool.. time to start clean.. 












these are the latest images of the Minimighty.. 

Summary of the light: 7W 2 emitter LiON powered light.. charger built right in.. with the 'bighead' i expect close to 3000lux.. with the smallhead.. outputting 120 or so lumens and about 500 lux (but with tremendous amount of spill).

(extimates.. i'll have a test bed built soon to measure actual lux).. 

I just moments ago made a model in black that i liked enough to share:






and.. for those curious about the possibility of 2xAAA version it's coming too:






I will make a 'bighead' for the micromighty as well.. i would expect to get around 1200+lux.

though the images are blue.. the plan is for the prototypes they will be 'black chrome' bodies and gold plated heatsink and clip... black doesn't work well for modeling and i like blue/gold, so i use that for modeling. 

Size: it's 1/2 x 1 3/4 x 3 9/16 inches.. with the bighead on.. height goes to 4 inches long.. and the head is 2 1/4 x 1 inch.

a comparison to some other lights for size: CMG and my favorite muse.. the VIP










I hope to order the prototypes within about a month.

-awr


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## diggdug13 (Feb 8, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/drool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/drool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/drool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/huh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/huh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/huh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif Pay pal is loaded and ready to send..

Doug


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## HarryN (Feb 8, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Very nice Andrew. As you know well, I have been working this side by side concept for a while in a "family" home built, but based on 123, so definitely thicker.

Despite the printed claims, I have not been able to achieve the rated Lumens expected from a T bin Lux III, even with good heat sinking. I think you will be ok for heat management, even with the two LEDs, since they probably will not be on all that long at a time.


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## andrewwynn (Feb 8, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

i wouldn't expect more than about 15 lumen/watt.. over driving the LEDs to 3.5W i anticipate getting as much as 60 lumens each.. since lumileds likes to say 120lumens from a 5W emitter.. maybe the 120 i'm estimating might be the first few minutes 'til the heatsink warms up.. but it's a very heavy duty heatsink unlike others, so even if it's not as bright as that it'll be as bright as possible given the variables. 

another teaser image:


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## Dr_Joe (Feb 8, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif


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## JonSidneyB (Feb 8, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

very interesting


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## NetMage (Feb 12, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Looks great so far!


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## StoneDog (Feb 17, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

The micromighty is very nice too. It reminds me of an iPod Shuffle for some reason.

Will the micro' use AAA li-ions or AAA alkaline?

Jon


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## jtice (Feb 17, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

wow, these lights are looking sweeeeeet
very different design, slim, look like they will make great pocket lights.

Cant wait to see these materialize !

Keep up the grrrrreat work! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif


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## diggdug13 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Andrew,
I'll have you know that this light is the reason I don't have a HID yet had to pass on a GB with modmag/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif beacuse I HAVE TO HAVE THIS LIGHT/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/au.gif.

so lets all sing a song and have a round whilst we wait for this wonderful light /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy23.gif
doug


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## mobile1 (Feb 18, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Very nice the way this thing looks. Specially now with the clip. Looks like there is even space for a 3rd Lux3W


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## Dr_Joe (Feb 21, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

[ QUOTE ]
*mobile1 said:*
Looks like there is even space for a 3rd Lux3W





[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/str.gif Three ! I love it !


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## andrewwynn (Feb 22, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

unfortunately... no-can-do.. look more closely at 'big head'.. the wide spacing is so that there is room for big reflectors.. i do have concepts with a third eye... like a red center, etc... I also wanted to make a 9W version with 3xL3s.. but the fatman won't output more than 700mA into 3 lux 3s from a single LiON bat.

In any event.. 3000lux is about what to expect from 2x 24mm reflectors.. give or take a bit.. the test i did with 2x20mm was 2500lux... i may de-tune the max brightness to get a solid 1hr.. so may be in the mid 2000 lux range.

In any event.. the models are basically 100% complete, ready to order the prototypes.. there is only the smallest amt of fine tuning to do (like figuring out exactly what part will be used for the power jack so i know how big the hole has to be precisely). 

-awr


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## fleshlite (Feb 23, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Andrew ,
Any idea on the final cost of these lights? A rough guesstimate will be fine so we the masses can start selling our 401, 403 plans, stock, bonds etc. I still have to pay for the USL, CR2, just paid for the polaris.
tks


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## Dr_Joe (Feb 23, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Andrew, IIRC the minimighty will run on Nimh or alkaline right ? 

Any chance of a 4 "N" cell super compact model/battery pack ?


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## andrewwynn (Feb 24, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

cost estimate.. over $200 below $250 is the goal.. if i can sell enough to order 300 initial units i can keep the cost below $250.. maybe $300 for a 'full boat' version with a spare battery and the bighead.. remember of course that this will include a high capacity (1800mAH LiON battery) and two premium luxeons. 

The original MM will be LiON built-in.. in the second-generation I am planning on making a low-voltage model, but it can only be 3W vs 7 due to restraints on the power capabilities. 

4N wouldn't have the output of a nano, so no plans of goiing that route.. I do have a plan for a 'pico' which uses a 1/2AAA Lion bat.. it would be 3/4W output but roughly 2/3 the size of the nano.. under 2" long and 1/2 " diameter.. but very difficult to source the batteries. 

Don't ya just hate when you go up against the laws of physics? 

-=awr


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## Dr_Joe (Feb 25, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

[ QUOTE ]
*andrewwynn said:*
Don't ya just hate when you go up against the laws of physics? 

-=awr 

[/ QUOTE ]

But we've all become so accustomed to you bending those laws daily ! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif


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## pokkuhlag (Feb 25, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Is the 2AAA version using Nimh? Or Li-ion? If it's Nimh, do you have any price estimate?


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## andrewwynn (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

pokkuhlag.. NO.. no Nimh on the 2AAA.. it would be the same brightness as the nano which is a single AAA light. It could be conceivable to make it 2W vs 1.5W if you use NiMH.. but with LiON.. the 2AAA model can be a full 3W even with driver overhead.. 

I haven't done cost estimates on the 2xAAA model yet, but a quick estimate .. lemme think a sec.. well.. maybe about the price of a current nano.. range is $90 to $131 depending on the emitter and extras.. I'm thinking there is a really good chance that a 2AAA micromighty would be sub $100 if i keep it simple (maybe just 1 level brightness, but with the charger and 2 batteries).

The entire reason the MM is the size it is is that the minimum requirement for alkaline batts to run 3W is 4 AAA batteries.. the case is designed around 4 AAA batteries for that exact reason. 

When i discovered the LION AAA battery things changed and the first models will be LiON to take advantage of the power and the long term cost savings.. thing of this:

Alkaline batteries.. at 3W with 4 Batteries.. you can expect at a discount that you'll pay $2 per refill and you'll get about 35 minutes... which means.. $3.42/hr to operate... LiON batteries on the other hand... you can get SEVEN watts for about 50 minutes on a single charge.. and.. it would take about 8-10WH of energy to recharge the battery.. in Wi.. it's 10cents/KWH so.. 10WH*10/1000 = 1/10th of 1 cent to recharge.. or roughly 1/7 th of a cent per hour to operate.

In normal use i would expect about 1 charge per week maybe 2 per month.. and the batteries should last about 3 to 6 yrs... replacement LiON batteries for the MM should be less than $10 your cost from me.. (consider that the nano's AAA batteries are $9 each).... there is some amazing cost savings with the bigger flat-pack batteries. 

I have some neat ideas i'm thinking about to 'get over the hump' of primary vs rechargeable batteries and the 'primary' pros vs cons just has way to many checks in the 'cons' column. 

Here is an example to consider... the only consideration i can think of for 'primary' batteries is you have to go someplace where you won't have access to mains voltage OR 12V (car/boat/plane) voltage to recharge.. for a period of more than a couple weeks or even a month.

If you are an 'extreme adventurer'.... you may already have a 5 or 12V power source you can use to recharge your MM light.. 

I'm still interested in making the most ludicrously small lux light.. i won't ever beat the 'picolight' somebody else created out of a bullet... but mine will output close to a watt of power.. 

summary: 

nano: 1.5W output.. 35minutes.. 1AAA
micromighty: 3W output 40 minutes 2AAA
minimighty: 7W output 50 minutes.. 1800mAH flat pack battery.


pico: .8W output: 30 minutes.. 1/2 AAA
minimighty II... 3W output.. 35 minutes on alkaline.. 50 minutes on NiMH. 

I would like to hear some 'balance' on the other side for the point of primaries.. 

I just built a light for my dad using a VIP driver which can't take more than 3V so i can't use rechargeable 123... so i built it to use primary 123 lithium... now.. that's a different philosophy for use.. i made his light to not be expected to be used very often.. he can put it in his hunting gear and expect it to work if he doesn't use it more than a couple time a year... the MM can basically handle this job, but.. you'd want to charge it before you go (probably would not have to charge it while you were there, especially if you had a spare battery)... an hour of max power.. or 21 hrs of useful room illumination on a single charge.. it's really hard to justify why to fill up landfills with batteries when for a fraction of a penny you can recharge the light.

I am working on a very simple solar charger for the 'extreme sport' type that might be in the wilderness.. that would roll up or at least fit flat in a pack (made out of flexible panel for robustness) since that is pretty much the only 'need' for such a solution.. also i'm thinking of having a primary or tertiary solution.. i.e. having a 6V lantern battery as your charging source.. you could probably charge a minimighy light oh.. lets see.. probably takes 10WH to charge a MM light.. and about 150WH of storage in a single alkaline lantern battery.. means 15 recharges from a single 6V lantern battery.. considering they cost like $4 if you find them on sale.. for about a quarter a charge you can use the MM from a primary source that is portable enough to take just about anywhere... a much smaller source could be used.. like a flat-pack battery that you charge at home.

In any event.. not cutting off the plan to build a primary sourced version of MM, but the first models will definitely use state of the art batteries and not 1/2 century old battery technology... I would love to hear some arguments on the 'pro' side for primary batteries... is anybody going to want to buy a light of the caliber of MM and leave it sit in a drawer for a year at a time before they use it again (the primary argument for the likes of Lithium primary.. 10yr shelf life)... I wouldn't recommend a MM for the glovebox.. i'd get a CNC123 just like the one i just built my dad.. put in a 123 camera battery and you have one hellova relibable light.. MM is meant to be EDC, and EODU (every other day used)... so consider that in your argument... is there a use regime that mates MM and alkaline? 

I've been considering the concept of NiMH vs LiON.. and in my mind.. if you have to recharge it anyhow.. what's the point of including NiMH into the foray? there are a lot of people out there that have NiMH chargers but MOST of them won't charge AAAs.. so it starts getting into a very vertical market.. somebody that AAA NiMHs have any significant advantage.

The cold hard facts are these:

Alkaline AAA can be expected to cough up about 1/2WH
NimH AAA can put out just .9WH
LiON AAA can put out 1.1WH w/o blinking..

however.. a flat-pack LiON in the same space of (4) AAAs has 1800mAH capacity compared to the 1200mAH of four individual cells.. in addition... they cost about 1/8th the cost total.. since you only need one and they cost 1/2 the price... they can also output easily 6WH or more of power.. 

consider than.. that (4) NiMH rechargeables can output 3.6WH compared to 6WH of a flat pack LiON that costs less and holds a charge better... there really is very little argument toward that solution, especially considering that with NiMH 'byob' (bring your own batts) solution... you have to take the batts out to charge vs just plug in the light just like just about everybody on EARTH now is accustomed to do with their cellphone. 

I will be ordering the parts to make the switch this week whoo hoo.. i did a test with some old computer parts to make sure the prototype controller will work and it kiccckkkss buttt... holy cow.. i found a 'miracle pill' device to control the thing with off-the-shelf parts.. just what makes it so cool is still under wraps but let's just say that i wanted 'instant control' in a creative way that doesn't exist on any flashlight.. and 'more than a couple' levels of brightness with no cumbersome method to get to them.

consider that the light is 1 3/4 wide and 3 2/3 long by 1/2 thick... and try to imagine getting a workable controlling solution into that space w/o any of the hang ups of the current lights out there.. i think a few of you out there will do that classic 'duh' (hitting forehead) when you see it. 

back to nanoland see you again soon.

-awr


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## diggdug13 (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Thanks alot for the update, I can't wait to get my grubby hands on one of these (I'll wash em before I pick it up)

doug


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## Dr_Joe (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/goodjob.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif


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## fleshlite (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Just a quick comment, in the initial thread you stated that you wanted to bring about a light that did not cost as much as the Katokichi Ichishiki CR2 Flashlight over run. I can see that this Gem that you have created is a huge evolovement of the genes of the flashlight but the cost is a bit above what was targeted. This is not meant as a antigonistic comment but just a reflection.
tks


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## andrewwynn (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

don't sweat it fleshlight.. didn't forget about the average Joe.. just that the lower cost models will come out after the first one which has as you pointed out has evolved into a different monster.

A goal of having a two-digit price on a light related to the MM has not been lost and as still in the plans.. my original goal was to have the 4AAA model powered by alkaline/NiMH, which of course means no charger included and no batteries included and a price close to $150.. adding in the charger, another emitter and the battery def. brought the cost up, but i'm still working on the next model. I will produce a 3W version of the MM.. i'm working to make it run on normal batts like the original philosophy and possibly with a simplified UI that can also make it less expensive. 

If i can get the light into mass production it would mean very likely 2-digit prices... that will not be 'soon' or the first run, which has evolved into something bigger and better, albeit more expensive.

I'm not going to be happy 'til i can sell a MM for $99 just won't be the first run. I was hoping to make a simplified version that was the micromighty ... 2AAA and just a simple on/off.. i'm still exploring that option and that may come out shortly after the main light and the main point would be trying to get the very best bang for the buck... sadly the batteries are like 4x as expensive so i'm still working on it... It doesn't make logical sense to have a 2xAAA 1W light if i already have a 1xAAA 1.5W light, right? 

I may have answered my own question about 'why primary batteries'.. initial cost /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif even though it's wasteful to use Alkalines.. if the initial cost is $60-80 less.. that's a lot of AAAs.. for an 'occasional user'.. that would be years and years.

Like i've mentioned.. 3W version is in the works.. that model could be capable of being worked into using primary or secondary batteries and that is the plan.. may have to come out with two versions if i can't figure out a driver solution that can handle both, but want to fulfil my initial philosophy of using primary batteries to get a really good price on a really good light... and if you have the extra $.. you can get the LiON version with a charger and bat.. it just costs more. 

the first version i want to be the baddest brightest it could possibly be so it's going to have two emitters, and only LiON can drive it.. it would take eight NiMH or Alkaline to run 7W, so like i said 'laws of physics' dictate LiON. I know there is a market for the 'baddest' tiny light.. pretty sure there is nothing nearly this size that will output 7W so it'll have a claim to fame.. it's brothers don't have to be 7W to take advantage of most of the innovations so it'll be the same light described in the first 1/2 of this thread.. 3W light.. same exact shape and size.. of course it will run a lot cooler.. and plans are to have at least a version that runs on primary batteries to keep the initial cost down.

Hope that answers some questions and maybe brings a sigh of relief. I think it will be very nice if i can bring a 'killer wow light' to market for in the low $200s.. but follow that up with a light that basically looks just like it but with one emitter and 1/2 the power for low 100s.. haven't lost sight of that original goal, just that it will be the follow-up. 

You can expect to see a 4AAA 3W version and a 2AAA 3W LiON version they might be about the same price, but the 4AAA would be alkline vs 2AAA LiON. 

-awr


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## fleshlite (Feb 26, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Hey Andrew , 
thanks for clearing that up , it is a relief to know that you can still see your initial vision. This also shows good marketing skills as now I would have to buy the go for broke one and when the lower power ones come on line I would need them for my EDC.


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## andrewwynn (Feb 27, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Reminds me of my favorite saying about budgeting to buy a new computer... 

Figure out the absolute maximum you are willing to spend... and pay 20% more. 

I feel bad when it comes down to the nuts n bolts of how expensive it is to make state-of-the-art stuff.. i was trying very hard to keep the advanced MM below $200 especially since my initial target for MM was $159.. price of my muse... I will be very happy if i can get them into a real mass-market and the advanced MM with two heads can be sold for $99.99 .. about 1/3 of the 'cpf-qty' costs... 

I have some neat things in the works ... like a holder for spare heads to keep the dirt n water out.. trying to figure out how to make some articulated holder as well.. I already have little digital camera table tripods which will work most excellently with the MM and the 1/4-20 thread on the bottom.. i bought some for like $3 each.. i'll have to find a source for them again. 

I know full-well that i won't achieve my flashlight goals only making the highest-end lights.. i would love to sell everybody in america a flashlight.. which means eventually i need a light that is $10 or $20... and would like to have a $40 to $50 light that can be sold at the likes of wallmart but based on the technology derived from building the MM.. kinda like how formula 1 cars test the technlogy that goes into the indy cars and they test the technology that gets into the sports cars eventually trickling down into our minivans.. 

at some point i'll have to do a little market research about a primary solution with a 2AAA light.. it could be about as bright as a nano but use normal batts.. it could be muuuch cheaper so i will def. have to consider going that route.. the key will be if lumileds can come out with a 60lumen 1W emitter.. that would make all the difference in the world.. makes LiON become a moot point since even an alkaline can output 1/2W.. go lumileds go!

the MM is specifically designed to be the easiest light of EVER to upgrade a luxeon emitter.. because i'm sure the month i finally get them out the door will be when lumileds finally announces the 60lumen/watt emitters. Just hope the form factor is similar so don't have to re-do the head.

-awr


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## x-ray (Feb 27, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Hi Andrew,

Have you considered the possibility of a desktop charger for future generations of the Minimighty ? 

Seems to go well with the high tech design (simply get home from work and drop your flashlight into it's charging stand/base just like a PDA).


_PS. "EODU" - You just invented a new acronym /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif_


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## andrewwynn (Feb 27, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

yes i most certainly have.. and for the varinano and mass-production version of the nano as well. I have found however that when i had a charging base for my cell phones i more often just used the cord.. i think that market pressures have led to this solution for most cell phones because it's the most used method. I do like the clean solution of single-handed use of a charging base. I really don't want to introduce the complexity of having power down at the bottom of the light even though plenty of the early designs had the charger and plug down in the base.. everything is planned to be on one circuit board now so the charger plug has to be in the 'side' of the center of the light.. but you could plug it into a dock on its side so i will be looking into that possibility naturally.

-awr


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## diggdug13 (Feb 27, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Andrew,
My PP is standing by, hurry it's burning a hole in my pocket, I"ve passed on three bad @ss light just to make sure I had enough for this light. I want I want I want.

BTW. You sure have been doing your homework, everytime someone thinks of something that could make it better, you're two or three steps ahead and have already explored that option. U DA MAN

doug


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## andrewwynn (Feb 28, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Dig.. first.. love your avitar soo funny it cracks me up every time i see it.

second... about 1100hrs into the project... and there are plenty of secrets so i do have the 'upperhand' in the step ahead game.. however.. i really appreciate the feedback and several very nice tips have been gathered from the cpf gang.. one of them became a principle member of the project, including inventing with me a new interface that's never been used as far as we know.

third.. you'll have time... i'm estimating the end of august to try to have a comfortable shipping deadline.. depending on once the prototypes are made what the 'reality' is about how many people can afford the light.. I may be making a Tucker.. 'the best' but 'too much for prime time'.. anybody notice the latest lexus adds bragging about copying the 1950s design of the tucker in their headlights that turn with the wheels? 

When i make the prototypes.. i may open up an option for some of the 'extra eager' to get their hands on a prototype.. they will cost on the order of 3x as much to make as the production models, but if i make say 20 vs 10 it really will drop the prototyping costs for me, so i will see what people think about a little bit of a personal 'investment' in the MM machine.. if MM becomes a 'big thing' you could have quite a piece of history.. i hope i will be doing just that. 

In any event.. once i'm close to 'pulling the trigger' to order the prototypes i will definitely bend some ears and see if a few would be interested in quite an exclusive.

The current plan for the prototypes is 'black chrome' with a gold-plated heat sink.. it won't be everybody's cup of tea but it will be striking.. not 100% dead-set on it but it's where i'm leaning right now.

-awr


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## Bimmerboy (Feb 28, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Andrew,
You may have already thought along this line as well, but upon reading your latest posts, I couldn't help thinking how the MM would be great in the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog (the description of black with a gold plated heat sink did it). Yeah, they're sometimes associated with expensive, overindulgent stuff, but they're prestigious and well known (they've been around for a very long time so they must be selling something), and most anything they recommend is on average quite good. Apparently they do some pretty cool product testing, and if something makes it into the catalog, they tend to call it the best available. Could be really good exposure if the MM was in there perhaps? I just bought a window fan partially based on their recommendation and so far it seems to be very high quality.
Not sure if that's a useful idea, but since I can't afford a MM right now (and I would _have_ to get the advanced one if I could... a Nano will do for now /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif ), figured I could swing at least $0.02!

EDIT: Just remembered there's also the Sharper Image catalog.


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## inluxication (Feb 28, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

We wouldn't want to have the MM (or any other $200+ CPF light) in a catalog sometimes associated with expensive, ovindulgent stuff, would we. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


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## Bimmerboy (Mar 1, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Hehe... being the practical minded folk we are... of course not. Why, that could even typecast it right into Tuckerville!
Seriously though, that'd be hot stuff... I can picture it billed as "The Ultimate Gentleman's Flashlight". Even in the lower cost versions, it's hard to envision these things being sold at Home Depot alongside the sawdust and sheetrock covered Mags.
Of course, one is still free to sell through any other channel as you can find most products in these catalogs elsewhere. No exclusive contracts or anything that I know of.
Anyway, before I start rambling...


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## nethiker (Mar 1, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Bimmerboy,

Your idea of getting the minimighty into a high-end catalog got me to thinking that there are some magazines that would possibly be interested in doing a story on top shelf flashlights and the new technologies involved.

I hope you don't mind Andrew, but I sent an email to the Robb Report suggesting they look at this thread and consider doing a story on your lights. I know there is a bunch of executives out there that would love to have the best little light around and have no problem with the cost. They just need to find out about it somehow.

Well, this will probobly not go anywhere, but I thought it was worth a shot. I usually aim high, and somethimes get lucky.

Greg


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## Bimmerboy (Mar 1, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Andrew could potentially mind if he feels the time is not yet right for the MM to be in the spotlight (Do I even need to say pun intended?).
On the flip side however, getting that street (and internet) buzz going around can do a lot. Large corps. all the way down to indie musicians use buzz to good effect.
What do you think, Andrew? Are you ready for Robb Report, or should we pipe down with the marketing schemes?... hehe. It sure is easy to get carried away with this stuff.


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## nethiker (Mar 1, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

You're right Bimmer.

I should have thought about Andrew's plan and the timing. It is very easy to get carried away here. I'll try to sit on my hands and wait as patiently as any kid before christmas can. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/santa.gif
Greg


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## Dr_Joe (Mar 2, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Let's hope Andrew has some patent protection pending now that the cat is out of the bag /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif


----------



## andrewwynn (Mar 4, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Well fortunately.. nothing really 'sacred' or 'secret' is really out of the bag.. i have some things in-order to follow-through on the patent lines for things worthy of doing so... there are a few innovations i believe worthy of patent in both the MM and the varinano... if they weren't.. i would expect that lights would be out with the technology, right?

I can not wait to have 'clearance' to show the lights.. likely by the time i can show the user interface i will already have a working prototype.. let's just say that from my understanding there is no light out that has an easier way to change levels than MM or varinano or that is more intuitive... a 'first time user' will figure out the interface within seconds in either case.. you just grab and go. 

MM is gearing up to have a range of runtimes on the order of 1 to 15 hours... haven't done the math recently but the 'low' on the prototypes is working out to be higher than i want... limitations of using stock parts... i was aiming for 20+ hrs on low. 

I have contacts in some high places for catalogs like the sharper image or H.S. (not going to try to spell it).. and would love to have some high-end MMs like sterling silver or gold plated models.. but.. i mostly want to mass produce it eventually that 'anybody' could afford it.. if i can get it into the price range that maglights were when they first arrived on the scene, i think there will be a lot of pockets out there sporting a MM.

I also think that it would be awesome to have an original that got things started.. i know that personally even if i KNEW that they'd be mass-produced at a much lower price.. i'd want the better cpf-qty model right now than wait.. .but i know a lot of people won't be able to afford that either, so i'm aiming to do both. 

I have the models 98% done.. just a couple more things to tweak.. and i will build an actual-size prototype driver with the charger and make sure i can fit it in the space.. basically soon as i'm done with producing the first nanos i plan to get the ball rolling on the MM.

-awr


----------



## inluxication (Mar 4, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

[ QUOTE ]
*Dr_Joe said:*
Let's hope Andrew has some patent protection pending now that the cat is out of the bag /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif 

[/ QUOTE ]
Dr_Joe, don't be silly. As I'm sure Andrew well knows, anything said on this forum is already out of the bag. It's on the WWW, indexed by google -- I think the USPTO would count that as "publication". Mind, I believe you have a year to patent after publication, under current rules. Anyway, Andrew's obviously not saying anything here until he's ready to make it public, so the rest of us needn't worry.

Speaking of which, Andrew, you spoke of "clearance" to show the lights. Clearance from whom? If you don't mind saying.


----------



## kevindick (Mar 4, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Actually, if you don't want to destroy your chances for international patent protection, I don't think you even have the year. No prior publication at all is allowed. Much better to be safe and file a provisional patent application yourself for a very small fee.


----------



## andrewwynn (Mar 4, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

kevin is correct re: intern. patent rules.. they also have 'first to file' rules most of the world vs 'first to invent'. In any event the stuff that i want to keep under wraps is under wraps.. but i hope to unveil some of the cooler stuff around the time the prototypes are ordered.. maybe in a month or so.. i think that we will make a couple waves with the UI solution. I just got the parts from digikey today to test it out and have to build some mock-up parts for actual-size testing.. taskled's fatman driver is working exceptionally well for my testing.. can't get quite the range i want.. the low-end is only coming down to about 70mA which is pretty dawgone bright with two emitters going.. but heck the light is supposed to be bright, right? 

70mA with 1800mA battery and factroing 20% loss gets you.. 14 hrs or so.. i can live with that.. i'd be happier with 20. I will be working with george i hope for the final driver and can tweak the input mechanism to make it do exactly what we want. 

This light will be too expensive to reproduce into the single digit dollar arena, i don't know how worried i am about 'world' markets vs the usa anyhow but i have people smarter than me that will tell me what to do involved in the process. 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Mar 5, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Ok.. this is kinda neat.. 

A full scale model of Minimighty made from wood next to some fairly recognizable and amazing flashlights for direct comparison of the size:




click image to see the other pictures.

For the people not familiar with the lights in the picture.. the left is the Lionheart and the right is the VIP.. both by Mr. Bulk in Hawaii (lucky dawg.. as i'm listening to my furnace run).. check out the other pictures.. the front view with the edge-on MM is very 'telling' of why i'm developing this light.. I personally want a very bright light i can carry in my pocket.

The lionheart i estimate outputs about 4.5W maybe even 4.75 on a fresh charge.. a little more than 'mild' over drive.. the VIP.. maybe more like 2.5W.. does a mighty fine job with it since it manages to output as much light as my custom CNC123 that is set to 3W.. but the MM will output SEVEN watts... there is a chance i'll de-tune that to SIX at least for the prototypes to try to get a full hour of runtime.. but since two emitters.. a lot more bang for the buck in lumen output.. 

As most will point out knowing anything about reflectors.. the maximum beam intensity will be similar to a VIP on medium.. maybe around 500-600 lux.. but that will be spread wide and far with 100-120lumens of light.. in addition.. i'm hoping to offer a standard package including the 'bighead' which will quintuple the maximum brightness for a fog-cutting 2500lux beam.. which puts it in the class of the big guns without a doubt.. with the added bonus of having a lot more spill light at the same time.. the beam on the test bench lights has been just mind boggling gorgeous.. the test models have been using 2x20IMS reflectors.. and the final product will be 2x 24 custom machined reflectors. 

With the 'bighead' on the MM.. it will be as thick as the VIP just at the head.. and about as tall as the LH.. in any event i hope MM will get along with it's cousins just fine.. i know that i still really like the LH and VIP, although don't hold it against me if i make some minor changes. :-D

ps... yeah that's a tritium vial on my wood model.. chic, huh? 

-awr


----------



## Dr_Joe (Mar 5, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

[ QUOTE ]
*inluxication said:*
[ QUOTE ]
*Dr_Joe said:*
Let's hope Andrew has some patent protection pending now that the cat is out of the bag /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif 

[/ QUOTE ]
Dr_Joe, don't be silly. As I'm sure Andrew well knows, anything said on this forum is already out of the bag. It's on the WWW, indexed by google 

[/ QUOTE ]

You may be right Inlux, I may be silly, but it's one thing to list your thoughts on a rather obscure forum like ours, and entirely another to make a call to a worldwide leader in competitive product development, distribution and sales and say "Hey, look what my buddy is working on... would you like to sell it for him ? (or have it knocked off in China it and beat him to the market) !" Call me paranoid.


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## andrewwynn (Mar 5, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

you both are quite correct.. i learned something from Wayne from electrolumens though.. if you make the best and the cheapest.. nobody can 'outfox' you anyhow. If somebody made what looks like the MM but didn't have the 'core' of the MM.. it would not be a competitive product at any price. the stuff shown on cpf is still just 'teaser' material but enough to let people know the size and shape and what power levels to expect. The real nice stuff is the UI experience and that it will be as far as i know the first production light with dual lux 3s so it can be the first to break the 5W barrier in it's size class. 

I 'just don't see' a 'knock off' factory producing 2x3lux emitter lights for mass consumption.

That said.. it's probably a good thing that the contact at the 'worldwide leader' was cool on follow-up until the MM is ready to buy.. since people hate to find out about a cool thing that is not ready for prime-time and they can purchase. 

re 'indexed buy google'.. that is so very true.. i just did a google on 'vip disassemble'. and it found MY post from like 2 days ago on cpf making a comment about possibly upgrading my VIP light if i can figure out how to disassemble it.


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## kevindick (Mar 5, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

The nexgen of Luxeon's is supposed to output 120 lumens at 700ma from a single die. So your production MMs may be putting out close to 300 at the same overdrive. Coming this summer IIRC.


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## inluxication (Mar 5, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Dr_Joe, Fair point, and aplogies for my dismissive tone.


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## Dr_Joe (Mar 5, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

No sweat /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink2.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy23.gif


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## andrewwynn (Mar 6, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Kevin: MM was deveolped from the ground up with the next-gen die in mind. One of the most important elements of MM is how easy it is to change the emitters. Not as easy as lionheart since it uses stars.. but very easy from the perspective of anybody with soldering skills. 

I have a lot of digits crossed that lumileds will get the next gen emitter out the door before MM gets into production.. 300 lumens sounds good to me. 

-awr


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## The Yeti (Mar 15, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

May I suggest cell phone batteries and cell phone chargers? ie nokia cell phone batteries and nokia cell phone chargers? There is two reasons for this.

First you could probably get aftermarket parts for cheap when building them. 

Second, in coming years, just tell your customers that they need to get model xyz compatible cell phone batteries or chargers, so they won't bother you with their minor stuff. 

------------
A completely different request. Maybe make an alternate input hole, ie 6 volt for an auxiliary battery pack. Then either me or someone else could use say 4 D cells, or 5 1/2 D sticks for extended run times. ( I am thinking EDC + bike light)


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## andrewwynn (Mar 16, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

the batteries will be 'akin to' but not cell-phone batts.. they are too low of capacity and too expensive. I plan to be able to sell the replacement batteries for $10 including postage.. and i'm hoping to have a plug-n-play connection that is similar to the likes of a cordless phone.

My charger is better than nokia chargers and will be built in to the light. (oops.. said phone)

the main charger jack would be able to be used for the 'alternative power source' say if you were bike-riding.. but the charger chip can only output 800mA.. if you had the brightness set higher than what draws 800mA it would slowly drain the battery yet.

I could conceivably make a switch that would let you decide if you want to charge the bat or run from external power.. i will have to explore the electrical and mechanical limitations of such a layout, but it's definitely an interesting idea.. remind me about your post when/if you order your own MM if it gets into the production model because i will give people perks that come up with ideas that go into the final design.


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## Dr_Joe (Mar 16, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

[ QUOTE ]
*andrewwynn said:*

My charger is better than nokia chargers and will be built in to the phone.


[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hahaha.gif It's a phone too ?! I knew you had something up your sleeve. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crackup.gif

How about 2 jacks instead of a switch, 1 for charging, 1 for external power supply (the "Thor" uses this solution, not very elegant, but a jack is still more reliable than a switch not to mention flush)


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## The Yeti (Mar 18, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Or even a brace, like a way to mount it on the bike, where the holder has contact points which in turn cause the light to be charged. Look at the bottom of most cordless phones for an example. Annother option here is to find the most common dc connector, and specify that as the connector so that nearly any power supply will be able to feed the charger in the light.


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## HarryN (Mar 18, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Hi Andrew - just checking - did you get the parts I sent ? My email to you might not have gone through. Let me know when you have my parts ready. Thanks


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## andrewwynn (Mar 19, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

the charging jack on MM will be a common type.. it will likely be smaller than most 6V power plugs but there is no such thing as 'the most common' unfortunately.. there are dozens and it does suck.. i have 4 different devices that COULD use the same exact power brick but the ends are all different... at least the MM does use a fairly normal jack and you can find a replacement power brick w/o difficulty. 

the 'switch' that would let you choose between charging and operating would be inside... you'd pop off the battery case and flip the switch should you want to run the light from an external source.. no guarantee i can get that into the system but it's a definite possibility.. the MM will have provision for attaching to a bike/helmet/belt etc.. so it will be a nice thing to have the option of external continuous power at higher levels than the charging chip will send through.. the main problem is dealing with voltage differences, but i think that the prototype driver (fatman) will deal with a pretty wide range of input voltage, only because of the dual emitter situation. 

The idea of 'contact points' for charging is something i've been exploring as well as non-contact inductive charging like some electric cars and some elec. toothbrushes and shavers use.. where a transformer is split in half.. and one half is inside the device and one half is outside.. it's a brilliant way to keep things water-tight and in the case of the elec. car.. having a 240V electrical connection that is safe enough a kid can use.

harry.. email sent. 

-awr


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## Weylan (Mar 31, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Something else to consider maybe other then a 12V, 6V, AC/DC adapter and solar is if USB adapter could be used. I know... The extremest wants to go out in the field, but since quite a few of us CPF addicted people have to sit by the computer, a USB plug is only inches away. Then while typing the light can be recharged...

I like the idea andrewwynn and thanks for point me here to the thread. I am activly waiting for the vario nano... I was wondering if you considered tail stand? All the protos you posted seem to be ready to keychain. Which is nice, but tail stand is really important to me.


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## andrewwynn (Mar 31, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

the MM will have a standard power jack and will be able to accept any voltage from 4.5 to 6.5V.. be that from a car, plane, train, bike, motorcycle, solar cell or hand-crank. The plan right now is to supply a USB plug with a 120V adapter and 12V adapter.

the nano can tail-stand if you use the charger body... the key-chain end of the longer body comes off. Go check out peak's website to see the details.. it's very clever. 

the MM of course will stand on it's back end.. the clip is actually designed to help the stability and it will have a 1/4-20 thread on the bottom to put into a tripot (will work exceptionally well with those tiny dig-camera type tripods).

-awr


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## Weylan (Apr 1, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

I don't know if you are in the stage of the design, but have a place for a tritinum vial? I was thinking that the vials would be a neat thing to be able to add now or later down the road to be able to see the light in the dark.

I really like the induction idea you had. Being able to seal the light up tight like the Braun toothbrushes that do induction is really nice. Have you seen some of the iductive pads? The charging pads that charge just by puting the light near the pad? Very cool. No contact or seams needed.

The ability to swap out batteries is nice if you use it too much and having a spare around would be fine. I know most people don't have Lion chargers, but I happen to have one.

I am anxiously awaiting the arival of the MM and the vari-nano.


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## andrewwynn (Apr 1, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

tritium is in the works.. haven't started the red-tape to make it legal yet but it's also in the works. Can't say much more detail but i bought 40 tritium vial from orb for use with MM prototypes. If i can't work out the red tape there will at the least be a slot for the end user to add one if they can acquire one. 

I like the induction idea too but not too likely to happen because it really increases the complexity of the inner guts and they are pretty darn simple for now... yes i've seen a few inductive charging units including electric cars that have a 240V 'plug' that is just a round paddle that goes into a cylindrical socket on the car but is completely covered in plastic. 

you will be able to change batteries.. very likely with a pin and socket solution like some cordless phones.. i don't like pressure contacts... you'd charge it by swapping in the first place since the charger is built into the light. (oops i almost said phone again.. somebody caught my slip earlier). 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Ok.. another important update.. this will make numerous people pretty happy.. 

I made the stunning revelation last night while building pcbs for the MM.. um.. duh it uses a BOOST ckt.. and has two series luxes.. meaning: as long as the voltage is less than about 7V.. a group of 4 batts it could be made to work.. there are of course power limitations.. i.e. don't expect to get 7.5W out of (4) AAA alkalines.. but 3+ is possible.. and with NiMH.. you could get on the order of 5-6W.. 

The idea is.. i'm planing to build in the capability that in the off chance you have no charger you can put in some primary cells and have some light.. with the variable output you can just hold back a bit and use the capability of the batteries on-hand.. not meant as the primary power source since they don't have the power capability.. but to have the 'backup' ability.

I will definitely consider a round-two of MM that is 'primary only' with reduced power levels.. especially once the K2s are out.. a 3W MM with the K2 will be formidable. 

I've figured out how and where to put the charger jack and i've added in some more functionality to the input device which i hope i can reveal shortly. it's incredible how hard it is to find parts that can fit into a 9mm tall hole, but things are all coming together!

I hope to order the prototypes within a month or two.. and plan to have main production going by the end of summer.. which guess what.. coincides nicely with the anticipated release of the new K2 emitter from luxeon... at this point it's safe to say that the production MMs will have K2s in them.. x2.. lumileds is saying the K2 can have up to like 135lumens each.. something like that.. so it's quite possible that the first production MMs will be upwards of 200 lumens.. but i have to see what the voltage and power requirements of the K2s will be before claims like that can be made.. fortunately it's in a similar enough package to the Lux3 that the MM will take no modification to fit them. 

I'm working to provide some new teaser photos soon.. i'm trying to hold off 'til the prototype is built to show off what i came up with for the user interface.. still haven't seen anything remotely like it.. this really has been a full-time job of a project for an entire year now, so there is a ton of work and it's finally coming to a head. 

Well that's it for now

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Apr 18, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Sounds fantastic Andrew, I can't wait to see it ! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

PS Let me know if you need any "beta testers" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


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## andrewwynn (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

re: beta testers.. 

I was going to keep this secret longer, but there is a very good chance that i will open up an opportunity for a select few people (5 to 10) to buy in on a prototype unit to offset the tremendous cost of ordering cnc machining of 10-20 parts.. 

The basic idea is that it's expected that I will have to pay about $3000 for the parts to build 10 prototypes.. however the machine costs went up dramatically on 10 units.. while the per-unit cost on 15 units is exactly the same as when i started my calculations for 10... if i sell 10 prototypes at a premium of $100-200 over the price of the final selling units it will pay for a lot of the prototyping costs. There are a couple things planned for the prototypes that will likely not get into the final units, like an extra button (i.e. tactical switch). or alternate mount points since i'm not sure which i like the best.. they will also have a solid copper, gold plated heat sink (some chance that will change to real chrome (vs the nickel plating normally done on aluminum).. also will be a piece of history i believe.

If i have to charge as much as $500 for the prototypes that i'd sell.. i would offer a rebate when the final product ships of $100 toward any awr product like a nano or a MM final... this would be a very fair offer i believe, and i have a couple takers.. but it's about a month off before i would be gearing up to start ordering the parts.

I am trying to source some U bin Lux3s so i can put them in MM proto.. since most likely the MM final will have the K2 emitter which will probably be similar to the U Lux3 in brightness. Not to worry though... if i have to use T bins.. it's only $30 in parts and i can recycle them into a nano if you'd have to have your MM proto upgraded to K2 emitters after the fact.

I will be working on a mod to the main body of MM that might make emitter swaps take literally a couple minutes. It would seem that with the K2 emitter.. they could be mounted to the right platform without any glue. If my suspicions are correct on the design.. the emitter leads can hold the emitter down onto some arctic silver etc.. and all you need is to de-solder and re-solder to swap emitters.. i will keep you posted.

If not.. there is a special design on MM that helps put on the emitters... swapping emitters will be no big deal with MM.. in-fact i can't wait to see the first MM that somebody else mods with 3 or 4 emitters or something fun like that.. it's meant to be modifiable. 

Ok.. back to work.

-awr


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## greg_in_canada (Apr 21, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

I think you scared everyone off with your $500 talk
Andrew /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'd be really tempted if you were talking about protos
for the 2AAA model. But $500 is way out of my league.

I think you have a good idea though. You may need to
have a signup/interest list where people state the maximum
they'd pay for a proto. Then you could map that against
the proto costs for different numbers of bodies and
find the exact number to make.

Greg


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## andrewwynn (Apr 27, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

the actual costs of the prototypes will be on the order of $400+ I'm still looking into creative financing for the prototype order... believe it or not at prototype quantities the button alone is over $21. 

I got some very exciting news just a day or two ago that will open up doors for the 2AAA model.. the beauty of that model is that it'll drive a lux 3 full power unlike a nano which is 1/2 power. 

$500 is out of most people's league. Actually some other exciting news i already mentioned is the capability of MM running on regular batteries.. i will do a test soon to see what kind of power i can get out of alkaline/NIMH, and i will be considering coming out with a non-rechargeable more basic model if the first-run is successful. 

right now it's aiming toward $300 for the deluxe model with a spare battery and the bighead.. and $250 for the base model with one battery and the standard head only.. after the protos are made and i know all the parts involved i can home on on exact prices based on order quantities.

i have a test-bench of the UI and the driver operational and it is stunning to see the lumen output.. it just blows away any small light i have around incl. the groovy, the vip, and LH.. 

I have a brother that is pumped to get his nano, and he was convinced that he'd be happy with just a nano, but yesterday he got to play with the model of the UI (user interface) and said now he needs the MM also. 

I have been 'mad at work' developing the circuits that go into MM now that i have a test of the driver... working out details like how to plug in power, etc..

A major improvement recently in the design.. going wireless... there won't be any wires in the MM.. so no soldering to get things running, it will make it possible to assemble a MM from components in about a minute flat... also opens up the door to instant emitter upgrades in the future.. just swapping out a part.. end user could do it in 1 minute flat no special tools required... it is amazing the 'up front' time it takes in designing to make that happen but payback will make it all worth it.

Oh.. i am developing a 'candle mode' head as well.. i have had one in the works from the beginning.. and i just recently came up with an idea to add in a simple switch accessible from the battery compartment that will change it to 1/2 power mode.. doubling the runtime.


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## greg_in_canada (Apr 27, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Sounds like you have a lot of good things in the works.

I'm a bit confused by the 1/2 power switch. Isn't the MM
a dimmable light? If so I don't see the benefit of a
1/2 power switch. Unless it is like the valet key that
Corvettes had. Cut the engine back to 200 HP (or
something like that).

I've ordered a lot of prototype PCBs in my career so
I know how high prototype prices can be versus production.
And machined parts are even worse, I'd guess.

Greg


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## andrewwynn (Apr 28, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

MM is a dim-able light, but since it is so high power to start with even on 'low' it outputs about 60mA through two emitters.. so i guess you could say the switch is much like the valet key.. it halfs the horsepower.. it's more like hydraulic under drive on a tractor or like the front chain ring on a 10-speed bike. 

on 'low' as it stands i'd expect 15-18 hr runtime.. but with the switch that would be 30-36.. that's a pretty big difference, but more significant is that it wouldn't be so blinding bright using at night, and 'high beam' would still be 500mA x 2 emitters.. and give you about 100 minutes of runtime.. i'd be a lot of people would leave it in 'low gear'...

design input:

I'm working on the power jack.. i'm expecting to build it with the power jack out the side of the heatsink, but with an 8mm hole for the shroud on the plug it's a pretty huge hole compared to the 12.7mm thickness of the MM.. it's designed to be threaded so a screw can be put in and plug the hole for perfect water integrity, but i'm looking into the possibility of putting the power jack on the bottom of the body, however this means that there must be a wire coming up through the body past the batteries, which is an ugly situation when it comes to opening up to change batteries, etc. 

I may make the prototypes this way since there won't be so many, and resort to the more 'logical' but not as pretty solution of the jack in the side of the heat sink for the mass run.. however.. there is one more distinct possibility:

hide the power jack inside... where you'd pull off either the head or the body and plug the power in inside the o-ring seal.. this introduced the problem of unnecessary wear and tear on the o-ring seal and possibly introducing dirt and water into places that would be bad, so from a practical standpoint the side of the head/heatsink is the best plan.. i think i'll get a picture online to show what i mean.

here it is with the screw in-place:


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## Dr_Joe (Apr 28, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Very interesting........
I am still interested in beta-testing Andrew, so I can contribute to this monumental effort. 

I'll keep my eyes open for the details when you decide what they will be.


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## greg_in_canada (Apr 29, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Thanks Andrew. I didn't realize the low end didn't
go super low. So the switch could be handy.

Greg


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## mobile1 (Apr 29, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Andrew
This will be an absolutely mindblowing light. Its good to see that your drive and motivation is still there, even after months of tweaking, redevelopping, improving etc... The hard part is really to go and do it. And I imagine its tough to not get frustrated and do something else.

My opinion is, you have the form factor that is absolutely sexy. This light can go into a women's purse, can even be a fashion item, or get Apple to license it as the iLight or iFlash. Then there is tons of ways to develop new versions while keeping the identity of this light. Kind of what Maglite does - you can instantly recognize them. Yours are the same whether they come in a 2AAA, 4AAA, 8AAA or 2x2AA 5W version. 

You have the drive the knowledge and the business sense to make this light happen. Besides this MM is already so much better then an ARC ever was - so many innovative and usefull features.

I love that you put the customer first. Meaning making an emitter upgrade easy might not be smart from a business sense, but it's a nice gift to future customers who feel like the idea was to build a great light and not to cash in and nickel dime you to death like corporate america does with us every day.

I'll keep a close eye on your progress... Oh and I probably would pay a premium for a titanium version - then having a gold heatsink along with that would be a knock your socks off look.


----------



## Neg2LED (Apr 29, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

how about an all-copper one?

with some sort of super-hard clear finish...

neg


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## Neg2LED (Apr 29, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

BTW iLight is already taken by Griffin Technology - it an ipod accessory /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

neg


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## andrewwynn (May 4, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

the MM is making amazing strides.. i'm close to homing in on a deal for the circuit board.. based on the taskled 'fatman'.. i've nicknamed it 'flatman'... in testing i've been able to get between 6 and 7 1/2W out of it depending on which battery i've used.. and i haven't tested yet to see what happens with alkaline, but i think if i have the hi/low switch incorporated that it will work ok with NIMH or Alkaline batteries... i'm developing the 'hows' of charging right now.. i've decided that for the prototypes at least, the charging jack will go in the base even though it means introducing a wire up through the battery case.

The jack will be USB-mini just like a digital camera.. means you can actually use your dig. camera cable to charge it.. using one of the wall adapters, or USB hub or USB jack (not on a keyboard, etc though.. not enough power). 

I got the idea of the USB jack for power based on my new cellphone the RAZR V3.. man if you haven't seen one go check it out.. the display and the keypad are out of this world. The phone itself is kinda 'big' but it's so thin it makes up for it... and it's STILL about 1mm thicker than MM! (and much wider).


----------



## tkgear (May 4, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Wow!

If this is smaller than the V3, I'm in too!


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## andrewwynn (May 4, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

oh.. much smaller than the RAZR phone, much more power too. I think a great many people are not really understanding the value of a light that is thin as a candybar and outputs 120lumen+ of light, but their time will come. 

It is borderline spooky how many parts are ending up in this light, but i'm designing for ease of assembly to keep the costs down as best as possible.

I also found out recently that the costs curve for the machining of die-cast parts comes out to being economical very early on... in the hundreds, not even in the thousands.. I will not likely use die-cast for the 'first run' but it bodes well for the second run and farther down the road that the prices will really come down. I expect within 15 months or so i will hit the 'holy grail' of this type of lighting... i think it will be quite possible to have a sub $100 light that can output on the order of 100 lumens.

I will be working on what can be pared off.. i.e. a version without built-in charging that runs off NiMH or alkaline batteries.. in any event, gears keep turning and some 'value minded' products are on the way. 

Not the first one.. that one i expect the full run of 300-500 to be all CNC machined and anodized, or chromed... there is some chance that the production will keep the solid copper heat sink and i might clear anodize it as suggested above that might look really nice.. or black powder coat it but sand off the top edges as shown earlier in the black/silver design. 

In any event, while i've been waiting for the nano circuits to be fabricated i've been working on the MM to get the circuit boards designed.. there are 5 so far arg.. good thing i found a cheap source to make them.. 

I designed an 'emitter board' system that has a 'plug and play' emitter board... screwed on so that it literally takes seconds to attach.. no wires.

I had a system that similarly had no wires to attach the charger, but i didn't like the big hole in the side of the heatsink, and water integrity issues that come with it so i moved it to the base.. now there is a wire up the body for charging. 

I will get a picture of the lanyard hole design.. it's gorgeous. 

I'm still considering an option for a heat-sink-mounted clip.. something that would let you clip the light on your belt and aim it forward for hands-free use at night walking.. but that's just a 'pipe dream' still. 

the rear mounted clip does not interfere with tail-standing in-fact it helps it... but is removable and even has a replacement little 'chip' that fills the hole should you decide not to have it on. 

in the center of the bottom is a 1/4-20 threaded hole that will let you mount the light onto a tripod .. any normal photographic tripod.. you can then aim the light and have the tripod hold it for you while you work... this will lead toward options like having a boom/stalk with a magnet holder etc.


----------



## andrewwynn (May 29, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

OK.. i can't take it anymore.. have to spill a couple beans..

Well.. with the advent of some of the new K2 specs being released.. some big news in the MM department.

How is this for a coincidence? ... the MM driver board is designed to output 7 1/2W.. this is just enough to max a pair of J bin emitters at 1000mA. 

Well.. the new K2 emitters which the MM is designed around and to use.. take 2 1/2W for the R and S bin models at full blast.. of 700mA..

This opens the door wide open for the MM to use 3 emitters vs 2.. an idea presented before in this thread, for example giving the possibility of having a center emitter that is an alternate color like red for night mode (like for astronomy).. or blue for hunters for tracking game... 





A new teaser picture.

There are a bunch more here

The more observant of you will notice that the 'bighead' covers up the center emitter... pretty much a moot point.. with the two emitters and the big head are expected to output very close to 4000 lux! (the latest tests with the driver output 3600 lux using 20mm reflectors where the MM has 24mm reflectors).. the lumens on 'high beam' will be reduced, but the output will be MONSTER nonetheless.

People that have looked at the K2 thread i started will notice that the S bin emitters output an average of 100 lumens at 700mA.. while the R bin emitters output an average of 75 lumens at 700mA.. this means that the MiniMighy has gone from an estimated 160lumens to a range of 225 to 300 lumens with the exact same power output.. it will be interesting to see the availability and cost on the K2 emitter of course, but i have high hopes that the S bin will be readily available, and it actually is looking very good that the cost of the emitters will be very reasonable and that it won't change the selling price of the MM. 

Note, that the pictures of the MM i just posted, have some secret details obscured intentionally, but the pictures give a better representation than previously shown for what the final product will look like.

I am interested in getting input for what the final finish should be.. but i'm leaning toward a two-tone silver as shown in the models.. it would be anodized silver/natural like the color of the LionHeart, etc.. but with the high-spots on the heat sink and the clip sanded down to bare aluminum (or copper).. I'm also interested in maybe black with the same treatment.. more likely that i'd use black with copper, but i may have to use copper to sink the heat that 7 1/2W will generate in such a small space. 

More than likely, the original prototypes will be 'black chrome' bodies with gold-plated copper heatsink. 

The 3-emitter design opens a nice little 'floodgate'.. it means that 1 emitter, 2 emitter and 3 emitter models would be able to share the same exact components for everything except the head, which is an inexpensive part to build.. so i will be able to introduce 'base' models that people can upgrade from, and with the 3-emitter design, there is a provision to be able to disable wither the side emitters or the center emitter.. this opens up a whole host of possibilities, not 'endless' but we came up with about 8 or so very useful options almost immediately. 

Examples.. 

white-red for astronomy
white-blue for hunting
uv-white for forensics

Other options that are still 'classified' but will be released when we have done some more testing. 

In any event, wanted to share the latest updates and show off what i've been working on while waiting for the factory to get back to me on the latest nano driver board update.

In addition me and NikolaTesla have been working madly on a really awesome light and we are getting very close to having a few prototypes made.. it's something that any decent modder will be able to duplicate, but also something that we hope to offer in mass-production at some point... as a straight drop-in for mags.. literally 2 minute install. 

One thing that over the whole past 14 months of design on this project that is very difficult to impress on people who have not seen the model is the ludicrously small nature of this light.. most men would be able to completely enclose the light in their hand.. I have some comparison pictures to some known lights, but 'til you see it you won't believe it.. roughly 1 3/4 inch wide seems 'wide' until you see that it's exactly 1/2 inch thin. and being just over 3 1/2 inches long.

Even the 'big head' is a mere 1.0 inch thick at the head.. comparable to the cnc123, the groovy, or the VIP with the standard head... but with the big-head on MM.. it will output at least 3000 lux, more likely close to 4000 lux. 

Some of the very initial goals of the MM: 

extreme power to size ratio.. well the latest calculations put the MM at over ONE HUNDRED LUMEN per cubic inch!

extremely portable: all the other lights that have max power lux 3s are at least 3/4 inch diameter, most at least 1".. neither of which are comfortable in any pocket.. the MM gets lost in almost any pocket.

Multi-level: there are 'at least 5' levels on MiniMighty.. to conserve battery power during the majority of the time you do not need full power, yet having that master blaster available at a moments notice.

Ease of function: with multi-levels comes how to do it.. i was very frustrated with the input device of all small multilevel lights.. the challenge: come up with an absolutely instinctive yet fast and easy to use interface... the real trick.. the space available to put said input device (smaller than a dime).. and keep it water tight.. holy yikes. Well it has been done and the test model is just amazing.. that top secret will be released soon, but possibly not 'til the prototype is made, It is the one thing that has been changed the most since the invention of the design.. i am currently on model 20a of the input device and there is an entirely different input mechanism that is just as useful yet completely different that will likely be released on some future awr creation. 

cost.. well.. i was aiming for $160.. the maximum model will not be available originally at that price, but the original mm was a single lux3 running from alkalines at 3W max for 60-80 lumens.. comparing to an 1800mAH rechargeable light with built-in charger that outputs 225 to 300 lumens.. well.. not fair.. however.. a future version of the MM will be 'stripped down'.. and i'm not going to be happy until i have a 100 lumen light that is less than $100 and it will happen soon enough.

Modularity.. in spades.. can't say 'how' yet but the MM is designed to be able to change the emitters in mere seconds..,. for future upgrades.. or for having different operational regimes. it's designed to be able to change the reflectors in mere seconds, without tools and much faster than any other light i've seen.. i can't wait to release the 'hows' on that one.., it's 'very clever'. 

Battery versatility: initially designed to operate on alkaline or NiMH only.. then progressing to LiON x 4AAA only.. then progressing to LiON flatpack only.. then to LiON flat OR LiON x 4AAA.. then to Alkaline x 4AAA OR NiMH x 4AAA OR LiON flatpack.. (but not LiON x 4AAA).. pointless anyhow.. they are like 4x the price of flat packs. 

Well that's the latest update.. a biggie to be sure... more major updates hopefully just around the corner. 

-awr


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## wquiles (May 29, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Looks very nice. Thanks for releasing some early images for us /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Will


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## diggdug13 (May 29, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

looking good, can't wait to see one in my hand.

doug


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## nethiker (May 29, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Thanks for the update Andrew.

I continue to follow with great interest.

Greg


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## Christoph (May 29, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif


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## x-ray (May 31, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Finger on Paypal trigger /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


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## andrewwynn (Jun 1, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

It's getting closer.. i have a deal fleshed out with george from task led for the power unit, and i have to get that main board designed before i can pull the trigger on ordering the metal, though i'm thinking of ordering some parts piece-meal so i don't have to fork over $5G all at once for the prototypes. 

I just posted an update about MM in the nano thread here it is:

i've also made tremendous progress on the MiniMighty.. believe it or not that dang thing... besides having no doubt at all the most complex part i've EVER seen on a flashlight (the control module-heatsink).. it has about 11-12 machined parts and 5 circuitboards.. and it all fits in less than 3 cubic inches! It took two days of design to figure out how to put a switch the size of two grains of rice into the head so i can disable the appropriate emitter/s... there is only 1/4 inch of space between emitters, and there are emitter leads in there.. i can't wait 'til i can show off the design models, there are some really cool tricks in there.. in-fact most of the really cool stuff is all inside... some really neat tricks to improve performance and efficiency both in the light output and the production of the light itself. 

Fortunately most of the pain of waiting is in the preparation and once the prototypes are made and i can figure out if there are any updates to making them.. the production and assembly is very straight forward ... in -fact there are some monumental improvements in the design to make assembly easy.. so easy that it should take no longer than 1-2 minutes from start to finish to completely assemble a minimighty from it's sub parts.. and it'll take only about 1 minute flat to connect the 3 luxeons.. the beauty of the K2 emitter.. alignment pins! I will have a jig that holds everything in perfect alignment.. i would be shocked if an emitter gets farther out of whack than 1/4mm. 

I've lost track of the time estimate on this design.. way over 2000 hrs, but i'm soo happy with the progress because thing are really getting to the 'dotting the lower case j' part of the job.. it's all about finesse things at this point for the most part. I finally got a sample battery in and it's a beast.. had no problem running 2 Jbin 3's at full power of 1000mA.. i think i even got them up to 1200mA.. and a BLAZING 3000 lux!.. 

I'm hoping to order 20 prototypes and offer 1/2 for sale to CPF members.. that will get a few in some hands of people while i do the 'big sales pitch' to get the bigger 'first run' underway.. I am going to do everything in my power to have the full production run shipping before hunting season, and have a couple aces in my sleeve to try to get the production run started by august. I need to have at least 10 for my big sales pitch to the 'big guns'.. here is my idea:

Take 10-12 minimighty lights to a board room with a bunch of people from the flashlight biz... after instructing everybody in how to in-unison turn them on... hand them out and have them all point the MM up at the ceiling and turn them all on at once.. 

3000-3600 lumens from 10-12 3 cu-inch flashlights will be a mind-blowing experience there can be no doubt at all... it is amazing enough to see the 4-up lux on my test-bench that is outputting 400 lumen and 7500 lux.. (that's 12W though.. not going in the MM).. 

I do have another really fun project upcoming for summer... revisiting the gigasonic.. i have a driver lined up and going to put 14 K2 emitters into a light just like my megasonic.. 35W of power.. the estimates are: 1400 lumen.. 25,000 lux.. and maybe 90 minutes runtime at that level. 

Well off i go, thanks for reading.

-awr


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## Amorphous (Jun 1, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Andrew,

Please design sun glasses with the MiniMighty!! 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/clap.gif

If you can squeeze in a mini prism, one will have an ultimate rainbow maker!!


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## Dr_Joe (Jun 4, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif Andrew, you are amazing !


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## andrewwynn (Jun 6, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Thanks Dr Joe.. it's feed back like that that keeps me going after a 4-day jam session of 20hrs/day designing.. I wanted to get the 'RT-4' design which has become the "MUEB" out of the way before the nano parts come in, and i believe i pulled it off.. 

MEUB stands for 'maglight universal emitter board'... it goes with the MUHS (heat sink).. holds between 1 and 4 emitters.. all perfectly spaced.. it's a 'drop in' to a completely unmodified maglight so anybody can perform the mod.. probably will release it on the world as soon as the nanos are shipped. 

-awr


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## Bimmerboy (Jun 6, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

*with zombie expression, monotone voice, and a little drool*

Please open MUEB and MUHS thread immediately.... must... read... thread...


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## cue003 (Jun 22, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

I would be very interested in this when it becomes available. I hope I don't miss out. Form factor looks very nice indeed.

Curtis


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## andrewwynn (Jun 23, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

you should not have a problem about 'missing out' i'm planning on making them 'til i can hand down the company to my oldest son who doesn't exist yet. :-D

the 'first run' aimed for oct/nov (based on the availability of K2s in quantity).. will be in-part based on demand on CPF once the protos are made and shown off to the world... but aiming for quantity of 300 which i think is a nice amount for 'cpf quantities'.. won't leave me with too many spares or with too many people waiting around for 'round two'. 

as i go to more cost efficient machining the price will come down.. and there will be models with fewer features, so don't blow rent on a MM if you can wait a year and have one that is 'almost as nice' but half the price because of new machining techniques.. however the 'first run' at this stage is planned that all parts will be CNC machined, so they will be really beautiful... future models will have some die-cast or injection molded parts.. if there is demand there will always be a 'premium' model, though. 

-awr


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## The Yeti (Jul 2, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

If the brightness levels are linear, then there is less that you can do, however if you can set the brightness levels to get exponentially brighter, that would be ideal. If I remember right, our eyes see 10 times as much power as twice as bright. To night adapted eyes, even a single small led element is painfully bright.


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## andrewwynn (Jul 3, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

brightness levels are logarithmic (or exponential depending on your frame of reference)... technically i'm using 4dB per step.. more than 'just noticeable' of 3dB... an estimated range of 30lumen to 300 lumen.. with most likely an addition of a 'half power' switch so it can run on alkaline or NiMH batteries at 1/2 power in a pinch (or just double the runtime if you don't need more than 150lumens).

-awr


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## Amorphous (Jul 3, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

4dB, that will correspond to slightly over double (2.512 x)
stepping up at 30, 75, 188, 300 lumen. Cool!!


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## andrewwynn (Jul 3, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

good call, but the dB was on the current.. however it's a similar transition, but has more steps... it's not public knowledge yet how many levels on the MM.. one of the secrets i want to 'spring' on people when the prototypes are operational.. aiming for end of august.

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Jul 6, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif way too cool Andrew /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif !


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## andrewwynn (Jul 10, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

another teaser image:







i wish the detail on the lanyard hole showed up better.. it's really cool.. it takes two additional tool paths besides drilling the hole to take down the knife edge that results from the drilling of a hole.. adds an entire dollar to the production yeesh. 


This is the top side.. you can tell because you can't see the charger jack :-D also the clip is designed to go around to the back side.. you can see the three holes in the clip recess.. two hold the clip.. the other is a 1/4-20 thread that opens up plenty of opportunities.. bike mount.. hard-hat mount.. gooseneck like peak sells.. and my personal favorite.. camera tripod.. including those tiny pocket tripods they sell with digital cameras. 

also.. my initials.. i made that design in 1988.. been waiting a long time before i could use it properly (engraved into metal).. i have another design where it's cut clean through.. that really looks cool. 

last note: this is ridiculously enlarged.. the MM is exactly as thick as an arc aaa light.

ok.. just made a close-up with exaggerated contrast..






oh.. yeah.. shows the usb-mini charger jack.. uses the exact same jack as many digital cameras and high-end cell phones.. my canon dig. camera, my RAZR motorola phone and my MM can all share the same cord.. it's very cool. 

-awr


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## greg_in_canada (Jul 10, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Looking good. Can't wait to see your prototypes.

Greg

(edit: can to can't)


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## andrewwynn (Jul 13, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

ok.. so.. during about 3 hrs of email writing back n forth with my flashlight muse.. i discoverd a minor oversight.. i designed the MM to be able to swap heads literally in a few seconds.. i wouldn't 'rush' it but safe to say in 8 seconds you could swap heads.. since no threads to slow you down and the design of the reflectors is such they can not tip or move to mash into the emitters while putting on the head... you could do it in the dark blindfolded whatver.. 

anyhow.. more than likely i will include the standard and bighead in the standard package.. and i have designed a holder to keep the standby heads (oh yeah also the candle mode head).. clean and dry inside and just easier to manage in general... but it just dawned on me.. coincidentally around dawn.. that that head holder really needs to have a belt clip to make it extremely handy to keep those spare heads nearby so you'll actually be able to use them!

In addition... i've invented but did not yet design... the bigERhead so.. there'd be the smallhead.. the bighead and the bigERhead.. aka the 'bigazzhead'... whereas the 'bighead' covers up the center emitter.. the 'bigerhead' would cover up the side emitters and use the center one.. fewer lumens but much higher lux for that super shooter mode.. 

I think that i'd get a feeler on interest on the bigERhead and make just some percentage of those and sell as an option... possibly still sell the bighead as an option as well so i can have a less expensive base model w/o the bells and whistles like the car power adapter. 

will likely order prototypes in august when some nano dust is finally settling.. i wanted to have the prototypes by laborday but there aren't enough working days for the machine shop to get that to happen.. but i want to time the release of MM to coincide with the bulk distribution of K2 emitters anyhow.. 160 lumen for 7.5W with L3.. or 300 for 7.5W with K2.. i think that's a 'worth waiting for' situation.

-awr


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## diggdug13 (Jul 13, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

ok, so the standard model will come with the heads now. cool.. but what will the premium model (package 3) come with. 


doug


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## andrewwynn (Jul 13, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

bigazzhead.. maybe 12V adapter included.. not sure... i'd like to have a stripped-down model as low price as possible.. but it's def. not cheap to build this light.. has like 14-15 parts.. i'll have to count them up sometime.

-awr


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## Amorphous (Jul 13, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hahaha.gif Bigazzhead, that is neat! We are all waiting for this MiniMighty. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/happy14.gif


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## Dr_Joe (Jul 15, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif too cool ! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif


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## andrewwynn (Jul 19, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

neat update: i designed a cavity into the battery case to house an inductive charging receiver.. i will likely build BOTH into the prototypes and based on how that works out decide which route to take for the first run.. 

I just was doing some timeline estimations and it looks like the protos will likely be ordered in sep.. done in nov.. looks like early 06 when the 'first run' will be shipping.. which will likely time out very well for the K2 emitters' release. Since the light will literally output 80% more light with the K2s.. it'll be worth the wait i believe.. but hoooly cow whooda ever thought it'd take so long to build a light... I was aiming for 12 mo.. that woulda been march/apr. 

That said... it is getting so polished and complete it really should be a 'beat all end all' of pocket lights. I was just showing my brother tonight the final solution for holding the battery case on and he said.. 'dude you don't have to worry about people copying your light.. it'd be too expensive'.. which is kinda the plan. The cpf-run of MM will also likely be the only one that is full cnc... there are like 15 parts... many of which are designed to be die-case or injection molded.. to bring the cost way down.. but i think that the 'first run' guys from CPF will not mind seeing a lower cost copy of their light if it's not the same fit n finish, etc.

-awr


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## karlthev (Jul 19, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

"Yes dear, this light will be my very, Very, VERY last light, I promise"! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Karl


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## andrewwynn (Jul 19, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Well ... there is a remote chance that actually could happen.. been working very hard (about 3000hrs so far) to make the MM the 'beat all end all' pocket light.

with the recent addition of the carry clip for the standby heads, it will be pretty unbeatable for utility say when you are camping/hunting etc. 

I have to design an official method to use as a headlight.. i have a headband used for another light that just uses a clip to hold it.. i think i could modify that pretty easily.. and the whole light with the headband was only $15 so i should be able to source the headband part pretty cheap if i can find out who made it.

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Jul 22, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Ok.. another neat update...

It is semi-official (draft is made.. still need to cross t's and dot the lower-case j's).. but I have a deal in-the-works with George from taskled.com to license the technology used for the fatman driver in the flat light i call the minimighty... the nickname for the driver will be the 'flatman' :-D

I have used almost every driver george has ever released to the public and every one is a work-of-art and have stellar performance.. in some cases.. been able to 'tweak' them to perform in ways above and beyond their design limits.. example... it's really only meant to drive 3 emitters but i've been able to push it to the envelope running 4 emitters in overdrive... i've output over 20W to the emitters, but in my current test model (RT4).. it's 18W at full power... 

I've also hacked the FM driver to deal with voltages over 12V and even taught another cpf'r to do the same..

I've also hacked the FM driver to have low-voltage cutoff.. it's just an amazingly versatile driver, hence the 'fatman the versatile' thread i started a while back. 

When i started working on the MM.. i had hoped i'd be able to incorporate a george driver into the design, but none worked from LiON to 1lux... :-( I was heartbroken :-/

Well when i discovered the AAA LiON.. i quickly did the math in my head and realized there was a simple way to use the FM driver IF i used TWO emitters vs one! holy cow! 6-7W vs 3-4W.. now THAT is cool.. that was back in november or so.. wow, huh? 

Well.. there were a bunch of problems to overcome.. including that my original design had space for a driver that was 8x34mm... and the FM is a 20.5mm circle! In addition there is no built-in undervolt protection with the fatman.

Well.. i got a bunch of fatmen and though i finally smoked a couple of them with over voltage and a really weird fluke of having my power supply clamp the input current and ironically melting the driver... i discovered some really nice hacks to make the driver work for me... however.. no way for a stock model to fit into the MM..

So.. I approached george about a custom driver or licensing the driver to put into the MiniMighty and we reached an equitable agreement that is being worked on right now that will allow me to license the fatman driver technology and include it in the MiniMighty... saves me months of testing to make my own from scratch boost driver and use the technology that is tried and true and really kicks some serious butt.... three cheers for taskled.com and george. 

If you need a driver for a custom light you are building.. go look at http://taskled.com and see if he has one... if you can't find one there.. also check the sandwich shop... wayne does amazing things with drivers i just bought one of his wizard2s.. and can't wait to do some testing with that. 

-awr


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## mobile1 (Jul 23, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Your minimighty will be an amazing light. It's my most anticipated light out there. Don't think there is anything that comes close in terms of size and output. And with George's driver this is just an all around perfect light. Lots of brains behind this light...


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## diggdug13 (Jul 23, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

it just keep getting better and better

doug


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## Archangel (Jul 24, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

A quick question about the bigazzhead. Would adding a diffuser on it be more useful for close range work than the smallhead? (I'm real keen on the third red eye.)

BTW, is that (what was orignally +4AAA) battery adapter still in the cards?

BTW2, will there be some way of us knowing when the battery's about ready to be recharged?


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## brightnorm (Jul 24, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Apologies if this has been covered, but how do you handle heat?

Brightnorm


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## andrewwynn (Jul 24, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

arch... not sure what you mean by that question re: keen on the center red eye.. the small head will be the best close-up light of ever for a pocket light.. a dimmable range of approx. 10-20 lumen to 300 lumen instantly accessable with a single control.. the 'bighead' as it's currently planned would cover the center emitter so if that one is red.. you'd not be able to send a bright read beam very far... which works find.. you'd switch to the smallhead if using red only.. 

The 4AAA is converted to 3AAA.. the 3AAA backup is still in the works.. not sure if it'll be available immediately but i'm working on how i'll solve that problem.... it'll work off of a 3-pack of AAA.. just need to figure out if i'll make a custom holder for 3AAAs or how i'll get that to work.. didn't forget it.. had to lose one bat to get the mechanism that holds the body to the heatsink to work. 

BTW2: well.. the light will stop coming out the front.. (just kidding).. actually.. i'm hoping that i'll get the system working like my RT4 prototype.. when the battery dies.. the light output drops like 90% but it stays running.. probably for hours.. else.. if that doesn't work.. it will probably just start dimming toward the end of battery lift (that was the last bench proto for the driver).. the problem with that model is that you start loosing regulation during the end of the cycle but it's a little more 'natural'.. i have to do some further testing on an o-scope to figure out if how the thing is operating in that mode. 

Hard to say which it'll be.. their is a small chance it would act like my megasonic.. where it just shuts off when the bat dies but i don't like that mode.. would really suck if you are using it as a bike light at the time! even if you cand turn it off and back on low to get more time out of it.. 

So.. one of the two first meentioned modes is most likely. 

brightnorm: the beauty of the MM and one of the primary benefits is that because it is flat it has a whole lot more surface area as heat-sink.. compared to the likes of a similar light that is round.. it has 3x the surface area do to the relative lack of efficient use of surface to volume ratio.. a cylinder is the worst case for a heat sink because it has the smallest surface to volume ratio.. In addition.. there is a LOT more heat-sink mass.. 

This was kinda 'top secret' 'til now but the MM uses solid aluminum reflectors and a solid aluminum head.. specifically to increase the solid metal mass for use as a heat-sink.. 

The basic phsyics of heat control in something like this is such that:

1) time to steady-state temperature is mostly dependent on the mass of aluminum.. the more metal the longer it initially stays cool. 

2) the steady-state temperature is mostly dependent on the surface area of the metal that is in-contact with the ACTUAL heat-sink which is either the air or your hand.

3) the heat capacity of that final sink.. air/hand.. is what really will determine the final steady-state temp of the light.

With the MM.. it's specifically deigned with more mass and more surface area than any light of it's size bar none... it also does have more power than any light of it's size bar none.. so.. it'd likely get pretty warm just like the over powered lights we are used to playing with like the LH etc.. but consider that the LH and especially the LC have less surface area and less heat sink mass.. its' likely to run about as warm as them.. if in testing they get too hot to handle i'd likely turn the max output down just a bit, leaving it up to the end-user to tweak it back up should they desire.. 

The reality is.. that the first level down from 'high' is about 2/3 the power.. etc etc.. and that the VAST majority of the time you'd not have to operate the light at a high enough power level to warrant heat removal anyhow... but.. the MM's design from the get-go was specifically designed around one task:.. how to keep an emitter as cool as possible.. a few sacriffices were made because initially the heat sink was designed completely solid and now it's about 1/2 empty inside to house the driver.. so the steady-state temp will be hit sooner, but i think that it'll be reasonablly cool for most uses. 

-awr


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## Archangel (Jul 24, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

andrew -

I meant the larger-than-bighead. I just wanted to make sure that the smallhead would be better than the bigazzhead with diffuser. And i wasn't talking about a primary cell back-up, but a while back you had mentioned you were thinking about an eight-cell body or four-cell addition for super-long run-times.


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## brightnorm (Jul 24, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Andrew,

I can't imagine the number of "brain-hours" that must have gone into this creation.

Brightnorm


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## OddBall (Jul 25, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

I'm gonna go chain up my wallet.

Andrew, are you taking pre-orders for these ones? I joined in late... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Tim.


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## andrewwynn (Jul 25, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

not taking orders yet for MM.. no need.. if you want to start a 'MM savings'.. budget around $300 to $350 around november and i think you'll be in good shape.. 

the bigazz head only would use the center emitter.. so the smallhead would be more useful by far than a diffuser on the big head.. though if had a white/red/white set of emitters.. than the center being red would not really have much of a point in the bigazzhead. (i'll have to come up with an official name for that.. any ideas)? 

I was trying to find larger LiON cells but w/o much luck.. i'm going to wait 'til i have prototypes before spending much time lokoing into a longer body.. i like the idea of cousre and will be looking into it. 

brightnorm.. about 2300-2500 and counting... actually.. even more if you include my feedback partners.. it's getting very refined.. very little changes in the past few months... i should be able to get the driver designed in august and it'll be ready to order.. i would bet 200 more hours to get that done.

The heatsink is the most complicated part i've ever seen for a flashlight.. thank God for CNC.. the thing looks like a sculpture or a work of art.

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Jul 26, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

[ QUOTE ]
*andrewwynn said:*

though if had a white/red/white set of emitters.. than the center being red would not really have much of a point in the bigazzhead. (i'll have to come up with an official name for that.. any ideas)? 

-awr 

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey Andrew, regarding names, how about "Minimighty" (with the standard head) "Minimighty Magnum" (with the bigger head) and "Minimighty Max" (bigazzhead !)


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## mgk65 (Aug 3, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

andrew:

I had an idea for a holder that would seem to be ideal for the MM.

I was thinking the other day, wouldn't it be cool if the MM were able to be clipped anywhere and adjusted to point where one wants. Initially, I had thought of an application such as clipped to a ball cap.

Anyway, the idea is to have a clip with a small ball and gimbal joint that is attached to the light. This would allow the light to be secured to a stable point, but pointed just about anywhere.

Food for thought.


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## mgk65 (Aug 3, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

I happened to find a couple of interesting ones on the B&H Photo web site:







Clamp

This one is 37.95





Clamp 2 

This one is $14.95


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## andrewwynn (Aug 3, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

Minimighty would work with either of those clips... it looks like they use a standard 1/4-20 thread.. I am working on things for more convienent 'hat clip' concept but dont' have that solved yet.. right now the only included clip is head-down pocket/belt clip.

There is a 1/4-20 clip in the bottom of the light.. i would like to have a method to hook onto the heat-sink so it's closer to the Cg for use cliping to a bike or headlamp hold.. still working on that.

-awr


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## OddBall (Aug 5, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif


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## diggdug13 (Aug 24, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

andrew,
with the delay in the K2, what are you're plans with the LED for this light now? are you going to delay the light until the K2 or are you going to give the opportunity for exceptional LED instead of the K2.


doug


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## andrewwynn (Aug 24, 2005)

*Re: 7w Lux \'Minimighty\' Tasklight Update-Part 2*

the K2 delay just gives me enough time to have the project perfected and a complete round of prototyping done before they are available.. I will make the prototypes with Lux3.. i can check into other brands of emitters but i doubt something will outclass the K2 before they are available.

-awr

ps.. still have plenty of work for the prototypes.. i haven't started designing the driver/charger circuit board yet.. i have done all the parts separate but don't have the merged together into the actual motherboard design for the final light.. have the pcb's started and some are done (design).. but there are 4 circuit boards for each MM.


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## Dr_Joe (Sep 13, 2005)

Any news ?


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## andrewwynn (Sep 13, 2005)

the latest news is that the agreement for licensing the driver technology is signed.. i'm soon to start modeling the driver and get some parts lined up for ordering the prototypes.. hopefully prototypes around the end of november (about 20 of them).. i will be aiming to time the release of the first full run with the release of the K2 emitters.. since i won't be able to run L3s at full power with the driver i'm building.. but the prototypes will work and of course be upgradeable to K2 as soon as they are available. 

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Sep 14, 2005)

:thanks:  Andrew, I can hardly wait !


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## Dr_Joe (Oct 3, 2005)

Anything new ?


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## andrewwynn (Oct 3, 2005)

My #1 fan .. haven't gotten started on the main circuit board yet but i have a while... i'll probably aim to get that going after the nano production.

-awr


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## Emilion (Oct 12, 2005)

Dunno whether this has been discussed..
Optional filter / lantern mod ?


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## andrewwynn (Oct 12, 2005)

i plan to have a 'lantern' head for the light.. and will have multiple emitter options.. like white-red-white so you can turn off the white and only have red for 'night mode'. 

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Oct 19, 2005)

Keep up the good work Andrew !! :wave:


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## Dr_Joe (Nov 20, 2005)

:wave: Anything new ?


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## x-ray (Nov 27, 2005)

Any updates ?


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## andrewwynn (Nov 30, 2005)

too busy with nanos and hotdriver.. well i guess i take that back.. fairly important update.. I have licensed the 'fatman' driver circuit from taskled.com and have started creating the circuitboard for the BAM! which is a precursor for the circuitboard for the driver on the minimighty.. i also am lining up some financial backing to speed up the process. 
-awr


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## x-ray (Dec 1, 2005)

Sounds good 

Only problem is I now want a MiniMighty, BAM & one of those regulated hotwire lights your working on 

Oh well off to ebay to sell a kidney :devil:


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## Lunarmodule (Dec 17, 2005)

I my dream world I wish you would simply clone yourself to get all these exciting projects wrapped up at the same time. Finished yesterday. The MiniMighty is the one that made me take notice of your abilities. Awesome concept. I'll be auctioning my spleen on eBay to compliment x-ray's kidney. Internal organ rebate credit on future Wynnbright purchases? Sure thing!


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## andrewwynn (Dec 23, 2005)

ok.. a neat thing to share. 

I have a quicktime movie that i made a really long time ago but just realized any of the 'secret' stuff is now either out-in-the-open or it's still disguised.. 

http://rouse.com/flash/MM-Movie3a.mov is the URL. 

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Feb 7, 2006)

Anything new ???


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## andrewwynn (Feb 7, 2006)

a couple nice updates.. 

1) K2 pricing is about HALF of what i'd been anticipating, which bodes very well for a project that needs about a THOUSAND of them!

2) the 'flatman' driver is designed, needs one more test before i can order the first production run of boards.. they are going into the BAM! project first.. when the bam's are in production and after done making the nanos (about 2 1/2 months).. i will make the flatman variant for the minimighty. 

3) BAM! is slated for mid-May delivery.. once those are shipping i will hard-target getting minimighty's parts on-order.. it will take about 2 1/2 months from order to delivery.. there is a fair chance that i will order a smaller test run before the full run, so i can refine any glitches i don't want 300-400 copies of! 

If i go straight to production w/o the prototype run, i anticipate august shipipng of minimighty.. if i go with prototype run first it'll probably be july/aug for the prototype and sep/oct for the full run of 300-400 MiniMighty's. 

I really need the 's' bin K2 to make the Minimighty, and so far only U's i've seen available.. so it will be interesting to see when the K2 sbin will actually be available. 

-awr


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## the_beast (Feb 7, 2006)

I have to wait 9 months for one of these?


No fair. Can't you just make me one now? :naughty: 
I've just read through the thread after having only just found out about the MiniMighty. I'm just glad that I didn't find out about this earlier and be stuck waiting for years to finally get one of these...

If you don't mind releasing the info now, what kind of opticalware does the MiniMighty use without the big head? Will it throw at all or is it bare emitters purely for lots of close-up light? I love the idea of a pocketable torch but if I have to carry round a 1-inch head to get any throw out it'll lose some appeal. I might have to resort to carrying a stock minimag alongside this for throw. And you KNOW I'd hate to do that...


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## andrewwynn (Feb 7, 2006)

Tell me about it (9 mo).. i'm going to hit the 2 yr anniversary of the initial design of MM in about a month and a half. There are close to 2500 hours in the design so far and another 300-400 to go.. The thing is that there still is nothing like it out there and the K2 will be a very big help in getting these produced, especially if i can get to mass production (1000s of them). 

The MM will use 11.5mm custom made reflectors, and i've estimated that the lux will be on the order of 1200-1500.. which seems a little bit on the low side for 300 Lumen of output.. but that means it will in addition to having a reasonable amount of throw (good for 30-50').. it will light up and entire room quite nicely. 

I am designing a belt clip that will hold the bighead, and with 5 second head changes it might be a usuable thing to have the bighead (which will get on the order of 4000 lux) handy. 

-awr


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## the_beast (Feb 7, 2006)

have you thought about using optics?

I have seen a datasheet for a 12.9mm width 6 degree optic designed for the K2 that is supposed to put out around 1600 lux. It could be an option for a 'mediumhead' that should give more throw than the slimline head but be much more portable than the bighead.

I'm kinda new to this so I might be wrong, but at 1600 lux per emitter (and you'd probably be able to use all 3 emitters at once) you might get close to the 4000 lux from the bighead while keeping the thickness around 15mm.


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## andrewwynn (Feb 7, 2006)

12.9mm is 0.2mm wider than my entire light. 

yeah i've thought about optics more likely to use an R/O system with a lens in front of a reflector, but i'm more interested in useful light than a spotty beam. I've also considered a mechanism to pull a lens out of view that would enable a switchable spot. 

I might consider a medium head, especially since i could keep all 3 emitters running, the 'big head' only uses the outer two... i will look into that idea. 

-awr


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## the_beast (Feb 7, 2006)

:wow: I'm getting more and more excited about the prospect of owning one of these by the minute.

12.7mm doesn't seem that small - until you realise that it's thinner than an L0P...

Keep up the great work.


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## andrewwynn (Feb 7, 2006)

or 'tll you sit on it! 1/2 inch is thinner than a wallet! you can not comfortably put an AA sized light in your pocket, whereas an AAA thick light you can.. that's why the MM is designed at 1/2 inch thick.. fits in any pocket w/o discomfort. 

I have plans to make a much more affortable version that would be injection molded and most definitely sub $100 price, but that's another year off.. the initial all CNC machined alum. models will be an extra special version to be sure.

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Feb 7, 2006)

:thinking: Retractable optics.....................

How about a pair of lenses on the outer emitters that can be slid out of the way over the center emitter ?
You could electively slide one or both out of the way.


Or maybe just flip up like those clip on sunglasses !


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## Dr_Joe (Mar 20, 2006)

OK, time for my monthly  

Anything new ?


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## andrewwynn (Mar 20, 2006)

things are still slowly progressing. about a month ago i fine-tuned most of the metal design and i'm about 95% done with the initial driver layout, only one part left to test on the bench.. the driver comes out first in the BAM! then i have to just re-work into the shape of the MM motherboard. I would like to have the first production run of MM out at the end of summer. 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Apr 12, 2006)

another major update.

the test bench for the MM driver is the BAM! just two days ago i finished the design for the circuitboard with the addition of a fantastic chip from linear that is used for low-voltage protection.. fantastic little chip.. so one more major step toward reality on the MiniMighty.. which just turned 2 btw.. whoa. 

In other news... it is looking reasonably likely that the minimighty will be the first light made in america with a 'minutes remaining' gas gauge! It will be some pretty serious work ahead to get the circuit and especially the display into the light.. might not be 'til vTwo, but wheels are in-motion to make it a reality. Imagine that... turn on the light and it displays how much time is remaining to the minute.. in addition it will update on the fly as you change brightness levels of course. 

If it's too much work to get the live minutes, there is a chance for earlier versions it will just display a watt-minute output, and you'll have to just have a sense based on which level you are using.. but i will aim to have a level that is exactly 1W so that you can go to that level and read out in minutes. 

Anyhow, that's pretty exciting news i think. 

-awr


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## HarryN (Apr 12, 2006)

andrewwynn said:


> 12.9mm is 0.2mm wider than my entire light.
> 
> yeah i've thought about optics more likely to use an R/O system with a lens in front of a reflector, but i'm more interested in useful light than a spotty beam. I've also considered a mechanism to pull a lens out of view that would enable a switchable spot.
> 
> ...



Hi Andrew - Sounds familiar to my S x S project. So far, I have not been able to break the 1,000 Lux barrier after 2 years of effort with a 12.5mm dia reflector + Lens setup, but it might be possible.


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## andrewwynn (Apr 12, 2006)

My goal is about 1000-1100 lux with the small head.. 3600 lux with the bighead.. the key is LUMEN.. 1000 lux and 300 lumen..i can live with that.. minimight is meant as a fill the room with light, light.. with very small reflectors it will be mostly flood.. with absolutely no artifacts and a nice bit of a brighter spot.. it will light up to 30-40' i suspsect w/o problem.. it will also be considerably thinner than the S x S, though consiterably more volume i think.. 3 cubic inches.. did you ever figure out the volume on the S x S? 

I can get 1100-1200 lux out of an 18mm reflector.. like i mentioned above.. i might make a 'medium' head.. that all three emitters are still operating.. then i can have on the order of 3000 lux but 300 lumen.. that will be a VERY nice amount of light from a light with maybe 3.5 cubic inches. Still the main goal is no bigger head.. the stock head will be no larger than the body.. 12.7mm thickness. 

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Apr 25, 2006)

Keep up the good work Andrew, we're patiently waiting


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## Melchior (Apr 28, 2006)

*Not a new idea...*

I had a very similar idea to this; but HOLY COW have you improved upon it!

This I think is the future of pocket flashlight technology, the light has just about every feature I ever though feasable for such a small light (and a few I never thought of!).

Also does the switch work like this:

3 buttons; but looks like one BIG button.

Pushing the switch IN turns the light ON/OFF.
Puhsing the switch Forwards/North increases light output/same with Back/South.

You could also make it pocket carry safe buy requireing the activiation push to be BOTH UP and IN at the same time.

Too bad 7 segment LEDs don't come in super tiny surface mount packages...
You could cram a LED battery life % display in...

Otherwise it looks very very cool


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## andrewwynn (Apr 29, 2006)

*Re: Not a new idea...*

the control is top secret still.. some of my alternate 20 or so designs are very simlar to what you describe fore/aft operation for brighter/dimmer, etc. 

I"m currently working on a MINUTE display of TIME remaining. 

-awr


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## the_beast (Jun 8, 2006)

It's been a while...


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## andrewwynn (Jun 8, 2006)

yup been too busy with the other projects, but this one has not been forgotten.. i am aiming for fall production. 

-awr


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## andrewwynn (Jun 18, 2006)

ok some major headway recently.. 







it doesn't necessarily look much different but it's a LOT closer to viability. 

I just re-worked the design to incorporate STANDARD reflectors.. a pair of McR20's are in the 'bighead'.. i'm still working with Don to get a custom model made for the 11mm, but things are looking very good.. means.. if a reflector gets damaged.. you can just buy one from the sandwich shop.. 

I am working on a 'bigass' head also.. using the McR27L.. they collect about 20-30% more light than the 20s.. 

rough estimates lately of the three heads:

smallhead.. 1/2 inch thin... about 3.7" long 225-300L.. 1000-1500 lux
bighead.. 1" thin.. just over 4" long.. 150-200L.. 4000-5000 lux
bigasshead.. 1.2" thick.. 4.6" long.. 150-200L.. but 6000-7000 lux. 

I'm working on a belt clip to hold the spare heads.. as many as three.. 'cause i'm aiming to build a 'candle mode' head as well. 

Two years since the invention of MM.. probably 2700 hrs so far into it.. fortunately.. not much big changes in the past 1/2 year 'til this advent of using somebody else's reflectors... that's a huuge monkey off my back! 

I wouldn't expect to see these hit the shelves before late fall, they should start to get underway in maybe 2-3 months.. after BAM! and maybe a couple hotwire gigs are out of the way.. 

Some amazing things just lined up perfect to retrofit the 'totally custom' reflector solution into the using the best of the best that already exist. 

Due to limitations of space constraints.. the bigasshead will probably need a couple visible screws on the front to hold the bezel on.. i'll be aiming for some stainless models with the spanner holes so it's a very clean look. 

The colors are just one possibility.. the prototype phase might be gold plated heatsink with black chrome for the body.. now that the bezel is a flat plate on the front.. it lends itself toward stainless steel or chrome plating.. of course very likely just anodizing for the mass run if i can find alum. strong enough to deal with the pressure of holding on the lenses. 

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Aug 1, 2006)

Looking good Andrew ! I can't wait to put one of these in my pocket.

 
I know it's very late in the game, but have you considered cell phone lithium ion batteries as a power source ? So many of them seem to be the ideal form factor for this light. By using a rectangular (as opposed to a cylindrical cell) you eliminate the triangular dead spaces between cylinders. (Maximizing mah's per cubic mm)
 
I suppose the down side is that you never know when a proprietary battery design is going to be discontinued.


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## andrewwynn (Aug 2, 2006)

the bat. for MM is very much like a cell phone battery, but not so rectangular.. it's actually rounded on the ends.. it's almost exactly the size of 3 x AAA cells next to each other but solid between them. It's a very common LiON cell.. the 103450 so there is not a problem with them going away any time soon!

-awr


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## starship (Aug 24, 2006)

Andrew - this is still the most exciting project that I see on the near horizon! And with every day getting shorter, I hope you are still working to make this pocket MM a reality. I look forward to this great EDC instrument!

Thanks for the outstanding work on this. 

Best regards,
Bob


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## andrewwynn (Aug 24, 2006)

thanks Bob.. well the dream hasn't died, not even close.. in-fact you are correct about every day closer.. i'm getting very close to getting the HDM6 and nanos finished so i can go full-bore into BAM! and shortely after, MiniMighty. My goal right now is to have the first run shipping by the anniversary date of March.. all done and shipping. Since i have a lot of other work in the meantime that's a realistic goal... Thanks for the interest.. if i figure out any way to speed up the launch it will be posted here of course! 

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Sep 17, 2006)

Anything new ?


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## andrewwynn (Sep 17, 2006)

pricing for machining is skyrocketing.. youch! I have to get done with a couple projects and get i think 2 or three underway before MM is back on track.. but the baseline driver is done.. i have to design the motherboard, and figure out how i'll connect the battery.. otherwise the design is mostly done.. i hope to get machining underway before the end of the year.. still a long way off but maybe spring will see the shipping of these gems! 

-awr


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## the_beast (Oct 28, 2006)

I'm still itching to get hold of a minimighty, but I'm wondering, has the arrival of the new CREE LED changed any of the plans for this little pocket rocket? It would seem ideal if a suitable reflector or optic could be found, giving LOTS of light when you need it but still managing to give decent battery life. And on lower levels it'll just run and run on a single charge...


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## andrewwynn (Oct 28, 2006)

i'm planning to have cree capabilities with BAM! and minimighty.. with getting closer to BAM! and 44Mag (the next two things at bat).. the Minimighty should come right on the heels of those to projects.. still means maybe late spring or early summer, so it'll be a while.. still there is nothing out there similar to minimighty, and specifically the total lumen output per volume and thickness of the light (1/2" thin).. MM is 3/4 the size of the motorola RAZR phone as an exact comparison. 

I'm working right now to have reflector solutions for the K2 or the Lux3.. but will plan having optional solution for the CREE and will make some prototyping of them on a driver to figure out which i'd rather use. 

-awr


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## Dr_Joe (Dec 12, 2006)

Any news ? :candle:


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## Dr_Joe (Jan 2, 2007)

Anybody home ????


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## Dr_Joe (Apr 16, 2007)

What happened to my favorite project Andrew ?

  :candle:   :thinking: :mecry: :wave: :shrug: :sigh:


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