# The History and Foundation of CPF



## Lightguy27 (Feb 23, 2008)

Well I have been here for four months but compared to members like Dano who was the original 13th Member here in 2000, I am a baby. I have been interested in the Founding and history of CPF for a while now and seeing that Dano was the 13th member really sparked my interest. I would like someone who has been here since the begining to as best as they can, describe the formation and history of CPF. No event is to little, LED crazes site crashes new owners whatever I want to hear it all!

-Evan


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## Wicho (Feb 23, 2008)

In the beginning someone created the day and night. The night was without light, and without flashaholics; and darkness was on the face of the earth. And the spirit of Surefire was hovering over the face of Fountain Valley, CA. 

Then Surefire said, "let there be light"; and there was high intensity, P60 light. And then Surefire saw the light, that it was good; and we divided the light from the darkness. Flashaholics called the light day, and the darkness time to play. So the evening and the morning were the first day, and then came CPF.

Or something like that.


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## nisshin (Feb 23, 2008)

I've found a few links for you to peruse:
Happy 2nd CPF Anniversary Sasha
When was CPF \"founded\" or started?


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## Sir Lightalot (Feb 23, 2008)

Wicho said:


> In the beginning someone created the day and night. The night was without light, and without flashaholics; and darkness was on the face of the earth. And the spirit of Surefire was hovering over the face of Fountain Valley, CA.
> 
> Then Surefire said, "let there be light"; and there was high intensity, P60 light. And then Surefire saw the light, that it was good; and we divided the light from the darkness. Flashaholics called the light day, and the darkness time to play. So the evening and the morning were the first day, and then came CPF.
> 
> Or something like that.


 LOL!


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## Lightguy27 (Feb 23, 2008)

Wicho said:


> In the beginning someone created the day and night. The night was without light, and without flashaholics; and darkness was on the face of the earth. And the spirit of Surefire was hovering over the face of Fountain Valley, CA.
> 
> Then Surefire said, "let there be light"; and there was high intensity, P60 light. And then Surefire saw the light, that it was good; and we divided the light from the darkness. Flashaholics called the light day, and the darkness time to play. So the evening and the morning were the first day, and then came CPF.
> 
> Or something like that.


 
Funny but Im looking for the real thing.

-Evan


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## Lightguy27 (Feb 23, 2008)

nisshin said:


> I've found a few links for you to peruse:
> Happy 2nd CPF Anniversary Sasha
> When was CPF \"founded\" or started?


 

Wow, just read that second thread. If this other guy David W started CPF how come Sasha is the owner? Especially since she joined two years late to the party!!

-Evan


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## James S (Feb 23, 2008)

Thats a long story  I would let the parties involved speak for themselves but I can fill in the quick history. Sasha took over the day to day maintenance and admin duties, and eventually the financial responsibilities and when he could no longer make the time commitment David made the domain and other such properties hers to go forward with.

I didn't join until 2002, there was already SO much content and theory and technical specs here. I learned more about current regulation and LED"s and power management and so much good stuff! I spent many many sleepless nights reading and re-reading threads on building power supplies and such  Those were good times!


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## dano (Feb 23, 2008)

Back in the day of Usenet, myself, David W (original CPF founder) and a bunch of others started talking lights in the Rec.knives Usenet group. Back then, the popular lights were SF's and a smattering of Streamlights.

David W. left Usenet and started CPF in August of 2000. 

I wonder where he is, now, and what he would think of the current CPF?

From one of the above listed threads:

Brock... reg 8/6/00
dano... reg 8/11/00
The_LED_Museum... reg 8/12/00
Skyline... reg 8/17/00
Size15s... reg 8/29/00

I think me, Al and Craig are the only ones left from the above list of "old timers."

--dan


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## nbp (Feb 23, 2008)

I also am pretty new here and have an interest in CPF history and evolution over the last eight years. Any way we could get some of the long time members to build a Wiki page on topic?????? Then future inquiries could be directed there, and people who have been here for a while can tell all us newbies stories of the good old days. I love stories!


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## Size15's (Feb 23, 2008)

dano said:


> From one of the above listed threads:
> 
> Brock... reg 8/6/00
> dano... reg 8/11/00
> ...


Don't forget Brock!


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## Burgess (Feb 23, 2008)

Wow.


This is JUST the information that i've been looking for.


Thank you to *everbody *who has made CPF such a *great place* to share knowledge, ideas, and opinions.


:twothumbs
_


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## Lightguy27 (Feb 23, 2008)

I agree!! I had always wondered why Sasha who is the head honcho around here joined later than other members. Well this is really cool and I too wonder what Mr. David C.(to whom we ALL owe a great debt of grattitude) would think of the current CPF, Ill bet he never imagined 11,000+ members!! Thank you David and Sasha and everybody who keeps this place up and running.

-Evan


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## tvodrd (Feb 23, 2008)

I was a little late to the Party, but what a Party it has been! Larry


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## Lightguy27 (Feb 23, 2008)

Hey tvodrd, how did you get a title and a supporter badge? I want to buy a custom title but apparently they are only available sometimes, and I delayed getting a badge because I wanted a custom title more but if I can have both...

-Evan


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## Sir Lightalot (Feb 23, 2008)

Lightguy27 said:


> Well this is really cool and I too wonder what Mr. David C.(to whom we ALL owe a great debt of grattitude) would think of the current CPF, Ill bet he never imagined 11,000+ members!! -Evan


actually there are 37,393 members now according to the main forum page.


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## Icebreak (Feb 23, 2008)

First topical post


Discussing what color to use for CPF


One of the first threads on flashlights...links to beamshots still work.


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## Gunner12 (Feb 23, 2008)

I always wondered how this forum came to be.

Great thread to read(maybe make it a stickie somewhere?).

It's amazing how much this forum has shaped the flashlight world and how far we have came.

:goodjob: to all the members who are part of this great place.


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## Sir Lightalot (Feb 23, 2008)

Gunner12 said:


> It's amazing how much this forum has shaped the flashlight world and how far we have came.


yes i wonder how much the world of flashlights has changed because of its existence. A lot of companies come here for advice and suggestions right? so many people would be in the dark without us:candle:


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## srvctec (Feb 23, 2008)

Icebreak said:


> First post
> 
> 
> Discussing what color to use for CPF
> ...



Great find! The first post/thread wasn't even about flashlights!  

I love learning about how places like this started. This is an awesome thread! CPF founders and starting members- keep the info coming!! :twothumbs


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## tvodrd (Feb 23, 2008)

Lightguy27 said:


> Hey tvodrd, how did you get a title and a supporter badge? I want to buy a custom title but apparently they are only available sometimes, and I delayed getting a badge because I wanted a custom title more but if I can have both...
> 
> -Evan



The title *Flashaholic* is postcount-related. The supporter badge is via a PayPal contribution. You can access through your User CP/Control Panel. Larry


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## JimH (Feb 24, 2008)

Wicho said:


> In the beginning someone created the day and night. The night was without light, and without flashaholics; and darkness was on the face of the earth. And the spirit of Surefire was hovering over the face of Fountain Valley, CA.
> 
> Then Surefire said, "let there be light"; and there was high intensity, P60 light. And then Surefire saw the light, that it was good; and we divided the light from the darkness. Flashaholics called the light day, and the darkness time to play. So the evening and the morning were the first day, and then came CPF.
> 
> Or something like that.







. . . . . .



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. . .



. . .



. . .



. . .


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## LG&M (Feb 24, 2008)

Very interesting one question who / what is DONOTDELEAT?


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## stitch_paradox (Feb 24, 2008)

LG&M said:


> Very interesting one question who / what is DONOTDELEAT?



Yes, quite mysterious... he/it has a couple of post and yet it says on his "number of post" is 0. And he has been a member since 1969?? I thought CPF was established at 2000? 

Thanks to Sasha and the old timers for keeping this wonderful site running!


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## dano (Feb 24, 2008)

Size15's said:


> Don't forget Brock!



Oooops...sorry 'bout that!


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## Eye of Unk (Feb 24, 2008)

I remember many years ago when I got po'ed at another egotistical poster, I had hundreds of posts about my mods like the single AAA Brinkman with a 5mm nichia mod, and I spent days deleting all my posts, it apparently got a few people also upset as I was doing some interesting mods and I had a lot of the new and somewhat expensive luxeon emitters, I actually still have over a hundred of them sitting around plus cases of a rare 3 AA Brinkman flashlight that was in demand back then, hardly anyone had DC/DC converters and we were overpumping everything to death. I used another name then but the LED Museum still has I think one of my little mods of the small Brinkman flashlight, I probably sold a thousand of them on the internet and up here in Alaska.


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## srvctec (Feb 24, 2008)

I just did a search to find out who all the first members were in the first year. Believe it or not, there were only 200 members that entire first year (at least that show up in the search). Man, we've come a long way!!


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## Eye of Unk (Feb 24, 2008)

Daniel Ramsey



vbmenu_register("postmenu_168242", true); 
Flashaholic*
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Wasilla, Alaska, \"The Last Frontier\" AMERICA
Posts: 964 





*Re: Arc Flashlights 2002* 
No kidding



Peter should advertise heavily in the parts like the Arctic and Northwest Territories in Canada where its our lifestyle to continue work and play during the long winter months, for those that are not aware the further north a person heads during the winter months the shorter the day is. About 150 miles north of Fairbanks is the Arctic Circle where yes it is dark for months and thousands of people live and work there like those in the oilfields, pilots,dogmushers,hunters and basically anyone. I bet if I was to open a shop in Barrow I could get pretty good business from september-march for LED flashlights, headlamps and even area lighting using LEDs because of their low current draw.



This i think is still not my first post.


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## Eye of Unk (Feb 24, 2008)

I was #386


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## Trashman (Feb 24, 2008)

Icebreak said:


> First post
> 
> 
> Discussing what color to use for CPF
> ...



Ok, now that these old threads have been brought up, I've got a couple of questions. The least important, but perhaps more bugging, is what does "**DONOTDELETE**" have a 0 post count and how did he (she?) join in 1969? The other question is, what the heck is a Surefire 12PM? Let see some photos!


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## dano (Feb 24, 2008)

Trashman said:


> Ok, now that these old threads have been brought up, I've got a couple of questions. The least important, but perhaps more bugging, is what does "**DONOTDELETE**" have a 0 post count and how did he (she?) join in 1969? The other question is, what the heck is a Surefire 12PM? Let see some photos!



The DONOTDELETE is the software's way of putting a placeholder on a post wherein the member who posted may have been deleted, and removed from the board's database.


The 12PM was a bad *** precursor to the M4: It was a four cell straight bodied light with turbohead. That's old school SF...

--dan


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## Monocrom (Feb 24, 2008)

dano said:


> The DONOTDELETE is the software's way of putting a placeholder on a post wherein the member who posted may have been deleted, and removed from the board's database.
> 
> --dan


 
I always thought that **DONOTDELETE** was some sort of [email protected]$$ Admin or User who was granted Admin powers for some reason, but who wanted this place to be less family friendly. And hated the concept of displaying post counts. And the 1969 part was just cause he felt like putting that up there. 

Someone might have mentioned that it was Sasha's husband's account.

The truth is a bit less exciting. But thanks for clearing up the mystery.


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## BigHonu (Feb 24, 2008)

DONOTDELETE covered a few members from back in the day. 

I miss Kogatana and his experiences. 

The commercial aspect of the flashlight industry has taken over and we don't have the commraderie that once dominated these boards. Still, everything must change, and like it or not, CPF has morphed into its current form. 

I've been around for a bit and been witness to some drama here and there, but overall, I'd have to say that the flashlight community is one of the best!


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## Kiessling (Feb 24, 2008)

> The commercial aspect of the flashlight industry has taken over and we don't have the commraderie that once dominated these boards. Still, everything must change, and like it or not, CPF has morphed into its current form.
> 
> I've been around for a bit and been witness to some drama here and there, but overall, I'd have to say that the flashlight community is one of the best!



What he said. Not much more to add.


In the past years our Mistress repeatedly cleaned up the database and removed inactive users with no posts or a very low post count. WHich is why there is the DONOTDELETE "user" who seems to be quite active 

Eye_of_Unk ... I am sure you are aware of our policies regarding second accounts? We'll discuss this and get right back to you on the matter.

bernie


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## jufam44 (Feb 24, 2008)

Very informative thread. How were the current moderators/admins selected, if I may ask?


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## Size15's (Feb 24, 2008)

jufam44 said:


> Very informative thread. How were the current moderators/admins selected, if I may ask?


There was a coin in the bottom of my pint back in November 2001


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## Eye of Unk (Feb 24, 2008)

Sorry I did not know about a policy of changing a user name.

I do not post often here anymore as yes CPF has evolved far and away from when we were just modders, now its just a source of ideas for chinese manufacturers, and is it not becoming just that? we say this idea and bam in a couple of weeks its mass produced.

I still mod, I have some very interesting stuff at my disposal but sorry to say its all become proprietary to my projects. yes it sounds selfish but iIhated losing patents years ago and i will not let it happen again.


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## Icebreak (Feb 24, 2008)

Daniel -

I remember you. Excellent modder. You're not the only one that either quit posting or, alternatively, quit giving key details. Some of your old buddies have taken up residence here where they have separate forums. Wasn't sure if you knew. I remember that era too. You might could get a lamda or a sandwich. Some of you guys figured out that 3 AA DD would work on a Lux I. I got some of the second run sandwiches then a Mr.Bulk LGI. Then a few months later Streamlight, a company I like, came out with a 3 AA Lux I. Heh heh.

A lot of the guys that have come on board since then are very skilled. It's my favorite thing to watch but yes, you gotta sift to find it. One of the finest things that has taken place since "the day" is Sasha splitting all commerce except for the scratch built or modified stuff to another forum. 

BigHonu -

The last time I saw the man of mystery was two Christmases ago. He was supposed to be retiring. I didn't think guys like that were allowed to retire.


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## Lightguy27 (Feb 24, 2008)

Wow, I did'nt think that this thread would bring back the nostalgia of old time CPF. This has been bigger than I thought it would be. Keep posting your experiences guys, this thread is for everyone to use.

-Evan


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## Illum (Feb 24, 2008)

so K-T, Saaby, _[email protected]_, Sigman et al didn't come in until later huh :thinking:
Darell [Join Date: 11-14-2001] [#322]
[email protected] [Join Date: 11-21-2001] [#329]
K-T [Join Date: 03-07-2002] [#503]
Saaby [Join Date: 06-17-2002] [#679]
Sigman [Join Date: 09-25-2002] [#907]


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## Kiessling (Feb 24, 2008)

CPF back then was cozier, smaller, more "home" than it is now, and much less conflict and money. It was more of an adventure, a journey we did together. A search where you could discover new and cool lights and not just consume them in the dozen. We were able to enjoy lights that nowadays wouldn't even get a glance.

I bought LedLensers in the dozens and reviewed them to death. They were all POSs, of course. But so what, it was interesting and exciting nevertheless. Innocent somewhat. Which is now gone.

However, not all was better. CPF was also less performant, and the lights 
were not as good as they are today. And I am not talking the advances in LED technology.
McGizmo was modding Surefires and, sit down, Mini Maglites  ... there were no production runs of custom lights, most custom lights were simple hacks or mods, nothing developped from scratch. Availability of those highly sought-after custom jobs was really low. Almost impossible to get a decent one, at times.

The wake-up call for the custom modders and builders was the first run of a complete custom light ever on CPF ... the McLux.

bernie


EDIT:
Illum .. yes. From 2002 on the influx of new members increased almost daily and CPF grew quickly. Also, moderators and administrators were recruited as the forum grew.
I'd say the first "Golden Age" ended in 2003, but that is very subjective. I was able to experience a short period of it until CPF began to evolve more drastically.


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## BigHonu (Feb 24, 2008)

Icebreak said:


> BigHonu -
> 
> The last time I saw the man of mystery was two Christmases ago. He was supposed to be retiring. I didn't think guys like that were allowed to retire.



Retire? That could never happen, could it?


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## Empath (Feb 24, 2008)

Actually, this was post # 1.


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## MarNav1 (Feb 24, 2008)

Anybody ever hear from Chop again? Was he an "old timer"?


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## Illum (Feb 24, 2008)

Empath said:


> Actually, this was post # 1.



:wow:
kudos to you for finding this out


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## Monocrom (Feb 24, 2008)

Empath said:


> Actually, this was post # 1.


 
Post #4 of the very first topic brought a smile to my face.


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## TorchBoy (Feb 24, 2008)

Well, what d'ya know? Member 2 is one of those **DONOTDELETE** characters. But why does Harry92382 not have any posts, but hasn't been deleted (yet)?


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## geepondy (Feb 24, 2008)

Likewise, he had some good stories, some even involved flashlights. I still wonder what is up with David W. He shared a lot, the pain and heartbreak of his divorce and then later the joy of falling in love again. Quite some time ago, probably at least a year, Sasha had posted it had been more then a year since he logged on.

I too was a relatively early guy who found CPF thru Brock's site.



BigHonu said:


> DONOTDELETE
> I miss Kogatana and his experiences.


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## AlexGT (Feb 24, 2008)

I can't believe its been 7+ years on this forum! (Member #73!) I love the way the flashlight technology has evolved, specially led from lighting up just a few feet, to hundreds of yards and even competing with some incans. 

I sure miss some of the old threads where there was discovery after discovery with no money and R&D involved, It was all just a hobby, but I am thankful that some brave souls have ventured into the technology giving us very good and ingenious products. I will continue to frequent CPF for years to come.


AlexGT


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## Monocrom (Feb 24, 2008)

AlexGT said:


> is the forum working again?


 
If you can read this; it is! :wave:


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## AlexGT (Feb 24, 2008)

LOL! I made a lenghty reply but it got lost to a CPF down message, Thats the reason I was asking. 



Monocrom said:


> If you can read this; it is! :wave:


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## JetskiMark (Feb 25, 2008)

Empath said:


> Actually, this was post # 1.



Interesting, as is this thread. I wonder if some noob will now bump it?

Regards,
Mark


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## Burgess (Feb 25, 2008)

Ha !


I actually TRIED to do that ! 


Wanted to be the Very First CPF'er to request an S-O-S mode.

:devil:

_


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## Greta (Feb 25, 2008)

I met David W. on another bulletin board sometime back in 1999, I think? :thinking: ... It was a political board that David owned and my brother is the one who dragged me into it...  Anyway, David wanted to go off and start this other forum about flashlights so he turned the political forum over to me. I got to know the software (UBB Classic) pretty well and even went on to have my own political forum that was alot less rowdy than the one David had... and my brother was permanently banned... :laughing:

I kept in touch with David. And he eventually convinced me to come check out this little forum that he started about flashlights and asked me if I would help him out with the software seeing as how I seemed to have learned more about it than he had. So that's when I came on board in 2002. I upgraded the software... which hadn't been done in a couple of years and I basically just stayed behind the scenes. The guys back then didn't really care so much to have a chick in their midst. (I think that still holds true to a certain degree).

Then David was making a big move from Alaska to Florida... and he didn't know how long he would be away from the forum. So he asked me to take care of the administrative stuff and "run the place" until he could come get settled and take over again.

I guess that never really happened. It was about then that I ended up taking over most of the financial responsibilities of CPF. The most pivital event in that area was when the domain name expired... and no one could find David to get it renewed. The server company had my contact information because David was no longer a reliable contact. They called me and asked what to do and I told them that I would take care of it. And I did... and have ever since. 
The server bill was about 6 months past due... I paid it. David was in no position to do so. More and more, his personal life had to take priority and the administrative and financial responsibilities became solely mine.

It was about that time, I guess that things really started hopping around here and it became necessary to upgrade software and hosting and accomodate "new" areas that began to require acknowledgement... ie. the B/S/T forums. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I think it was around 2003-2004 that we started to experience our population explosion. And the dealers and manufacturers started joining and wanting a place amongst us. So they were accomodated as well.

I remember back then that many people were telling me that CPF was a gold mine. Or could be. That was true. And David and I knew it. But didn't want to "use" it that way. I think alot of CPF's growth was held back by that... and I'm not saying that as a negative thing. Truly, we did not want the growth... as the intimacy and original purpose of the forums would be lost. But some things just can't be stopped from happening.

Some still seem to think that I am living high on the hog because of CPF and that I care about nothing more than the money I am making off of CPF. The truth couldn't be farther away from that. I have tried very hard to keep up with the growth and demands of CPF without losing it's original intent. I owe at least that to David... and to those of you who have been here since the beginning and hung in through all of the growing pains and changes. But the truth is that CPF does not pay for itself. I have pretty much always worked another job outside of CPF in order to keep up with the ever increasing expenses. Those of you who think this all can be done on a shoestring really have no concept whatsoever of what it takes to keep this baby afloat. Already I'm having to look at buying more RAM because of the increased demands in just the past 6 months. 

Last year I formed an LLC to protect both CPF and myself. Yes, CPF has income... but it also has losses... that have an effect on my personal family finances. Truly, if I didn't have CPF, I wouldn't have to work and would be sitting by my pool every day sipping some foo-foo drink with a little umbrella in it...  Am I looking for a pat on the back for that? Naw. Let's face it... it keeps me from getting cancer in the sun... it keeps me off the streets and out of the malls and gets me out into the workforce world... and I'd truly miss some of the incredibly wonderful people that I've met here over the years. That right there is worth it all!

David hasn't posted since August of 2004 and hasn't logged in since March 2005. He never really officially handed CPF over to me... he just went away and left it to me. The rest, as they say, is history. And I do firmly believe that CPF has, is and will continue to *MAKE* history. What an incredible thing to be a part of! Thank you David... wherever you are...


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## Nitro (Feb 25, 2008)

Sasha said:


> I met David W. on another bulletin board sometime back in 1999, I think? :thinking: ... It was a political board that David owned and my brother is the one who dragged me into it...  Anyway, David wanted to go off and start this other forum about flashlights so he turned the political forum over to me. I got to know the software (UBB Classic) pretty well and even went on to have my own political forum that was alot less rowdy than the one David had... and my brother was permanently banned... :laughing:
> 
> I kept in touch with David. And he eventually convinced me to come check out this little forum that he started about flashlights and asked me if I would help him out with the software seeing as how I seemed to have learned more about it than he had. So that's when I came on board in 2002. I upgraded the software... which hadn't been done in a couple of years and I basically just stayed behind the scenes. The guys back then didn't really care so much to have a chick in their midst. (I think that still holds true to a certain degree).
> 
> ...


 
Hard to believe it's been four years since I joined. Seems like yesterday that I posted in your 2 Year Anniversary thread. It's fun to go back and read old posts. Sorta like looking at old photos. Snapshots in time that bring back part of the past.

Thanks Sasha for keeping our memories alive, and allowing us to make new ones. Here's to another 8 years of CPF. May its future be bright, with plenty of Throw.


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## fieldops (Feb 25, 2008)

this has been a fascinating read. I think it's an excellent thread. sometimes you need to look back on where you've been to see where you might be going. My thanks to Sasha for carrying the ball on this operation. I think many have no real knowledge as to how much effort it has taken. Hopefully this thread will provide a history to those interested. 
This truly is a wonderful place with a great deal to offer. Like anything in life, growing pains can be full of trials and tribulations. I hear some saying CPF is not what it used to be. Well of course it isn't! I'm sure the original members fondly remember a kind of "small family club" atmosphere. It can be painful to have this changed over time. Anything that is truly destined to grow, usually does, and CPF is no exception. Can anyone really say that they truly thought this forum would grow to this level of interest all those years ago. I doubt it.

Well that is the true testament of CPF!

Long Live the CPF forum!!


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## Manzerick (Feb 25, 2008)

Wow!!


Great history post!!


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## TorchBoy (Feb 25, 2008)

Sasha said:


> Already I'm having to look at buying more RAM because of the increased demands in just the past 6 months.


Would it help at all if we didn't include really long quotes completely unnecessarily? (Nitro?  )


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## Robocop (Feb 25, 2008)

I have also enjoyed reading this thread and it is always very nice to think back to more simple times. I remember when we had a handfull of modders and maybe even less dealers involved. It was very easy to find an old thread and even easier to get more personal with replies as there was a more comradery type feeling.

Recently I was looking for a very old post of mine from way back when. It really shocked me to read some of my older posts. It may not be along the lines of this topic however in a way it does deal with older times and history of CPF so I will ask......have any of the older members ever went back and looked at your posts from when you first joined?

I have to say I laughed out loud reading some of the stuff I posted. I was full of questions and asking such things as..."what does low dome mean"....or even "what is a resistor"....and the classic statement "man I just got this Solitaire modded with a 5mm and it is crazy bright"...LOL imagine that. It seems many of us have came a long way since way back when and I have surely enjoyed the ride. It seems also that all of us were "newbies" at one time or another.


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## James S (Feb 25, 2008)

As to were the mods and admins came from, they were recruited as needed by Sasha from among people she thought were already basically doing the job but without any official title. We all had places where we were most active and helped out to squash nastyness and spam. But being made an admin meant you could actually do something about it. I got recruited during one of those software upgrades or dns changeovers or something of years back when I tried to help with the server end of things. Over the years that followed I enjoyed doing that, but we ended up with lots of moderators and too many mods spoil the soup so I'm back in my civies! Plying my trade from the outside. Hardly did anything immediate and urgent for the board in the last couple of years since my son was born anyway, takes too much time 

CPF used to be much more technical I think. We used to discuss driver design and SMT soldering techniques and the like a lot. I learned TONS from those early threads. That was back when the best production LED flashlights had a single dim 5mm led that lasted almost as long as a bulb  Now days we spend a lot more time talking about the various and excellent production lights available. I watched and experimented right along with our great modders while the first luxeons were released and we were learning about power capabilities and thermal management. There are some threads in here somewhere that should probably be reproduced at wikipedia...

I found out about it in 02 from a post on the home automation mailing list that I was on. Someone mentioned it and I clicked the link and didn't sleep for the next 3 nights for reading


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## The_LED_Museum (Feb 25, 2008)

I remember knowing DavidW from Marie Drake Jr. High school in Juneau AK. USA way back in the late-1970s and early-1980s.
I would have *NEVER* imagined him as the creator of a flashlight forum on the internet more than twenty years later...but I'm so very glad he was!
And I applaude you Sasha, for taking the reins when David was no longer able to do so! :thanks:


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## DieselDave (Feb 25, 2008)

A few years ago I never would have thought the board would run as smoothly as it does with this many members. Sasha's leadership and a huge # of members that really care have made CPF a great place for everyone.

DavidW, where ever you are today, thanks for starting the ball rolling.


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## Illum (Feb 25, 2008)

I see this thread was a test, but....in post 2 I guess Craig was mad about something in particular...makes me wonder where the "how many message boarders does it take to change a light bulb" came from 
*This message is about nothing !!!!*

Bernie, I find it kind of interesting theres diversity in moderators/admin
Sigman, Brock, Sasha,... US
Kiessling, K-T,...German
[email protected],... Dutch
Size15s...England


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## Eye of Unk (Feb 26, 2008)

I would say I have retired from CPF, I occasionally lurk around, I still mod or convert LED into specific usages on my vehicles, its like a game where one month a guy has a Line of Fire LED strip under his tailgate and I build something brighter and fancier, Ford comes out with marker lamps on its mirrors and I make my own for my Silverado, and most fun of all is seeing the expensive taillights with built in LEDs shipped from China that everyone is buying but mine are stock but with modded 3157 bulbs using the latest Cree emitters, easy to upgrade instead of having to buy a whole new tailight.

basically I used to build show cars and I still do on my own and its a game trying to be unique long enough before the Chinese get wind of it and mass produce and sell on Ebay.


The future now will be making suitable LED home lighting products, incandescent bulbs will be banned a the compact fluorescents are dangerous with the mercury issues.

Year ago it was flashlights, now the market is ripe for home lighting, cya all on the bright side cause that is where I am going!


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## Monocrom (Feb 26, 2008)

Eye of Unk said:


> The future now will be making suitable LED home lighting products, incandescent bulbs will be banned....


 
You are most likely right. Still, I don't like it when the Government decides which type of lights I can and can't use in my home. (Or, as the Government sees it, which type of lights they "allow" me to use in my own home).

I was born in a nation where Freedom was about as common as hair-gel in a bald man's medicine cabinet.... I don't like seeing the same thing happening in America.

But I guess that's a different topic of discussion altogether.


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## Kiessling (Feb 26, 2008)

Back then, there was a time when you could know every single LED light on the market. Every one. You could even own them all, and you wouldn't be broke afterwards.
Obviously, this is no longer the case


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## cave dave (Feb 26, 2008)

Kiessling said:


> Back then, there was a time when you could know every single LED light on the market. Every one. You could even own them all, and you wouldn't be broke afterwards.
> Obviously, this is no longer the case



I think Craig still tries!  Everybody else has given up though.

Found another history thread:
How Did This All Begin?

PS What was "Eye of Unk" original user name? I bought my first custom LED from him. (Luxeon in a Brinkmann) I think I can safely blame him or Brock for my light addiction problem.
I need to send him a bill for my addiction rehab :devil:


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## cave dave (Feb 26, 2008)

Don't let the old timers pull the rose colored wool over your eyes. Not everything was all peaceful and cheery back in the day. I remember quite a few sagas. 

Their were reasons the Underground was created in 2004.

Still, good times overall. :twothumbs

I would also like to this opportunity to say I've been here longer than those Dang Newbies such as:
Sasha
McGizmo
Empath 
Kiessling
& Darell 

:nana:


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## Nitro (Feb 26, 2008)

cave dave said:


> Not everything was all peaceful and cheery back in the day. I remember quite a few sagas.
> 
> Their were reasons the Underground was created in 2004.


Hmm, if I remember right they created the UG only a short time after I joined. :thinking:


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## geepondy (Feb 26, 2008)

You guys remember the saga of Gonzc flashlights with the CPF "criticism" and consequent rebuttals? I thought it was pretty entertaining reading. Did any CPF members ever actually get their hands on a Goncz flashlight? I recall Mr. Ted Bear offering to do an independent review but I don't know if it ever came to fruition.


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## cy (Feb 26, 2008)

another late comer here... as with many, cpf has become an important part of my life. a second home if you will...

first came to cpf looking for information about the upcoming ARC LS First Run of 100 units. My brother told me about an exiting new light and where to look for more info. 

registered with Peter for one of the ARC LS first run. for some reason I never took delivery. it wasn't until years passed I finally got a hand me down ARC LSH-P given to me. 

still remember reading about Craig getting extremely sick in 2002. everyone of course was concerned and rallying resources to help out.


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## flashfan (Feb 27, 2008)

The good old days at CPF. Yup, I remember some of those. The CPF reaction to Craig's sudden illness was probably CPF's finest moment...at least it was (still is) for me.

There were controversies as well, but I never minded those. It made for some "lively" discussions.


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## Size15's (Feb 27, 2008)

geepondy said:


> You guys remember the saga of Gonzc flashlights with the CPF "criticism" and consequent rebuttals? I thought it was pretty entertaining reading. Did any CPF members ever actually get their hands on a Goncz flashlight? I recall Mr. Ted Bear offering to do an independent review but I don't know if it ever came to fruition.


This thread will have no discussion of Goncz. Too off-topic and not in keeping with the theme of this thread. Thank you.


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## sunspot (Feb 28, 2008)

Icebreak said:


> The last time I saw the man of mystery was two Christmases ago. He was supposed to be retiring. I didn't think guys like that were allowed to retire.


 you actually *met* the man of mystery? How cool was that? I’d of liked to meet him. I’ll bet he’s a real character. I wonder if he still has his hotmail account? I should give him a ring.

I remember when both Sabby and Darell joined. Those were some fun days.

Daniel. I remember you modding the Brinkmans back in the days. You still working in the concrete biz?

How’s Lightlover doing? He was one of the best posters on the board. Very, very witty. When CPF got big, he felt that is was no longer a tight family and said his goodbyes. A sad day it was.
Jahn, I hope you’re well, where ever you are now.:candle:



Robocop said:


> and the classic statement "man I just got this Solitaire modded with a 5mm and it is crazy bright


 I remember when you showed that to me. It was done quite nicely and much brighter than a regular Solitaire



geepondy said:


> You guys remember the saga of Gonzc flashlights with the CPF "criticism" and consequent rebuttals?


 It was quite entertaining as long as Mr. Goncz didn’t have any of your money. That went on for a long time and then Mr. Goncz crawled over to Bladeforums were he got his butt kicked again.

AL, with all due respect, Goncz was involved in the history of CPF, so I don’t see why he should not be mentioned. How about “He who shall not be named” as from the Harry Potter tales?


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## Illum (Feb 28, 2008)

edited


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## Kiessling (Feb 28, 2008)

Anyone interested on Jon Goncz can search CPF, CPFU and BF for all the stuff you'd ever want to read and then some. This thread however shall not be tarnished by that topic. 
Thanx guys 
bernie


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## Illum (Feb 28, 2008)

nice, the coat of arms pic needed to be replaced eh Bernie?


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## sunspot (Feb 28, 2008)

Kiessling said:


> Anyone interested on Jon Goncz can search CPF, CPFU and BF for all the stuff you'd ever want to read and then some. This thread however shall not be tarnished by that topic.
> Thanx guys
> bernie


Bernie, I quite agree with you.

Illum_the_nation. Good luck with your search. Do you need a few days of reading?

I was in no way bargaining with Al. He is a good moderator and a great guy to boot.:twothumbs


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## Seth (Feb 28, 2008)

Kiessling said:


> CPF back then was cozier, smaller, more "home" than it is now, and much less conflict and money. It was more of an adventure, a journey we did together. A search where you could discover new and cool lights and not just consume them in the dozen. We were able to enjoy lights that nowadays wouldn't even get a glance.


+1 on that.

I vaguely remember Brock´s site brought me to CPF, but it could also have been Craig.

I had been a lurker before I registered ( somewhere back in mid-to-late-2000, my join-date and member-# got messed up by an database-update years ago... ), and back then, I was able to read through *all *posts in CPF in 1 hour.

Just imagine that... Being able to read through *all *posts on CPF in 1 hour :nana:

The first years ( and even more the first months ) were a really funny, friendly time, no drama or bad-mouthing at all. I vividly remember flashlights made out of toilet-paper rolls and gaffa-tape... And the first ( AFAIR ) mod that was actually sold to other members: The 1xNichia drop-in for the Surefire E2E.

I guess that there are some lights who are considered "obsolete" now... But they might be considered as "classics" because they still work satisfactory until today... Like CMG infinity ultra´s, ARC AAA´s & LS´s, SF E2E´s, Photon II´s, Streamlight UltraStinger´s, SF 12PM´s and a lot more...

Seth

P.S.: I also miss Kogatana / "dot" a lot


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## Seth (Feb 28, 2008)

flashfan said:


> The good old days at CPF. Yup, I remember some of those. The CPF reaction to Craig's sudden illness was probably CPF's finest moment...at least it was (still is) for me.



Flashfan,

I remember that.

I remember sitting on front of my PC, refreshing the browser every 5 minutes hopeing to get some updates on how Craig is doing.

I remember being down to my knees and saying a prayer to him ( I`m no religious guy at all, being an atheist describes it it well ).

I guess those days are long gone... Being a memory well-hidden in a super-secret part of our heart.

Seth


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## Robocop (Feb 29, 2008)

If you look hard enough one can still see some of the shadows from the old days. I still see much comradery and several classy members willing to coach the new members to better knowing this hobby of ours.

I will never forget Chop who did not know me at all as I was very new at the time and wanting to play with modding a few lights. Without even asking he sent me a few scrap luxeons salvaged from various KL1 mods.....the rest is history for me as I quickly modded every light I got my hands on. Very classy man back in the day and one of the pioneers in this field.

Remember all those slick mods by Lit-Fuse on our Arc LS models? I simply had to have one and still use my Lit-Fuse modded Arc LS. While most of the changes were simply adding a resistor for a current jump and adding a reflector and glass lens the result was a light that still competes with all the modern power houses of today.....another classy member.

I remember early on visiting McGizmos site and simply drooling at his talent and those daring designs and mods. He still has that magic touch and was one of the first to also get my wheels turning on various mods.

Yes my first meeting with a fellow member was with Dana (Sunspot) who also gave me a few 5mm LEDs to play with. I still have a solitaire using one of his blue 5mm LEDs. He also showed me my first view of the timeless ARC AAA and it was worn from years of use but still had that "look" we all know from a true EDC light. Another classy member from the old school days and willing to meet a budding flashaholic to help. 

The growing of this site was bound to happen and we now have hundreds of dealers and products to choose from. Good modders are common and competition is fierce however again if you really look there are many great members still active. With group buys, pre-pays, patents, cheap knock-offs, and even clones there has been drama plenty but again the spirit of the original CPF is still here for us all to see.....I still visit nightly and most likely always will.


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## Illum (Feb 29, 2008)

sunspot said:


> Illum_the_nation. Good luck with your search. Do you need a few days of reading?



well oddly enough most of his threads don't come up on google search. until I know for sure I have a whole day of free time I'm not going underground

the 'bargaining" part was a personal statement, not an accusation but if it hints offense, I'll gladly remove it:thumbsup:


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## sunspot (Feb 29, 2008)

Illum_the_nation said:


> the 'bargaining" part was a personal statement, not an accusation but if it hints offense, I'll gladly remove it:thumbsup:


I did not take any offense nor was my reply a dig at Al. I like the big guy.

Robocop. I gotta see your Wolf-eye lights 

I was already a Surefire fan before I came to CPF but this gang opened my eyes to a bigger world of lights.
I still have my first SF and Arc. The SF will be the home of a Malkoff if I ever get my hands on one


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## Size15's (Feb 29, 2008)

Lets move on and get back to the topic discussing the history and foundation of CPF. :thumbsup:


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## Bright Scouter (Feb 29, 2008)

I know I don't actively participate much on here. I have no technical knowledge to impart. I'm just here for the education, or the beer, one or the other. But I am curious. I remember soon after I joined, buying a SF turbo head head or two from a guy that was in California. I know he was a firefighter. Is he still on here? Does anyone even know whom I am talking about?


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## dano (Feb 29, 2008)

Bright Scouter said:


> I know I don't actively participate much on here. I have no technical knowledge to impart. I'm just here for the education, or the beer, one or the other. But I am curious. I remember soon after I joined, buying a SF turbo head head or two from a guy that was in California. I know he was a firefighter. Is he still on here? Does anyone even know whom I am talking about?



I remember him, but can't think of his name...

I kind of find it interesting that some "oldtimers" are coming out of the shadows for this thread...

-dan


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## Icebreak (Feb 29, 2008)

I remember FC. He was a huge help. He was from PA.

2dogs was from cali.


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## KC2IXE (Feb 29, 2008)

I can remember finding about the Surefire E2 here, my first "real" light. NOT the E2E, the E2


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## rodfran (Mar 1, 2008)

I found the early days on CPF very exciting. The custom mods would sometimes come out "fast and furious". I lurked a long time before I joined. I also enjoyed Brock's site and Craig's site. One of the things that is fun about CPF is the concept of owning a modded flashlight. Many items today are commercially produced. Some of these are of adequate quality. But there is just something special about owning a custom flashlight. Its kind of like owning something that your great grandfather made with his own hands. I just want to tell all of the custom modders on this forum that I highly appreciate all of the time and care that they put into these creations!

I still have all of the custom flashlights that I have purchased from individuals on this forum. I have had very few of them fail. The few that did burn out where repaired by the modder(It gives one a chance to upgrade the leds in an older flashlight!).


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## V8TOYTRUCK (Mar 5, 2008)

Another relatively old timer here....What a great place this has become. Wish I had the time and knowledge to make contributions other than my own personal experiences. I've probably spent thousands of hours on CPF...

The CPF trip to Sequoia with Jeff, PK, Gransee, Sasha, Wayne, McGizmo, Larry, Roger? and a few others were some of the most memorable in my life. I remember how beautiful the caves were when illuminated by HID and LEDs, the delicious salmon and bacon wrapped shrimp, and how awesome PK's prototype toy box and Nightvision were. 


Not to mention the Superlight Shootout with Jeff, Kensihirio? and others where I had the chance to strap on the MEGARAY. 

I remember the days of the first luxeon LED lights. The CMG Reactor and its super puke green tint and weak output. Still in college at the time a KL1 and ARC LS were out of my budget. 

Thank you to all of those that make CPF one of the best places to frequent online.


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## The_LED_Museum (Mar 11, 2008)

Does anybody remember the classic CPF "butt pill" graphic?


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## Greta (Mar 11, 2008)

Hmmm yes... however, I hadn't missed the term "butt pill"... :ironic:


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## Monocrom (Mar 12, 2008)

The_LED_Museum said:


> Does anybody remember the classic CPF "butt pill" graphic?


 
That was before my time.

Got any other cool pics from the Good Old Days?


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## ttran97 (Mar 12, 2008)

What I want to know is, "What happened to the Lumies???"


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## Icebreak (Mar 12, 2008)

Lummie image is a favorite.

Brightnorm brought us this one which was popular:






The graphs below are unverified. IIUC, they are not +/- volume but traffic reach compared to the rest of the web. Though Sasha has posted much more meaningful information, I thought this might be of some interest.











*CPF users post from these countries:

United States 36.5%
South Africa 7.7%
United Kingdom 7.7%
Hong Kong 5.2%
Canada 3.6%
Poland 3.3%
Czech Republic 3.3%
Germany 3.0%
Thailand 2.5%
Australia 1.9%
Spain 1.9%
Taiwan 1.7%
Brazil 1.4%
Venezuela 1.4%
New Zealand 1.1%
Croatia 1.1%
Serbia and Montenegro 1.1%
Singapore 0.8%
Malaysia 0.8%
Malta 0.8%
Slovakia 0.8%
Finland 0.8%
France 0.8%
Netherlands 0.8%
Ireland  0.6%
Other countries 9.1%
*


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## cy (Mar 12, 2008)

now that's some interesting stats!

really surprised to see South Africa post such a high percentage? 
could there be an error? 

proud to say... have shipped to almost every country on list below. 



Icebreak said:


> CPF users post from these countries:
> 
> United States 36.5%
> South Africa 7.7%
> ...


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## Numbers (Mar 12, 2008)

So if my my math is correct member Darryl has about as many posts as the lowest 8 individual countries on the list. WOW!


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## TorchBoy (Mar 12, 2008)

Numbers, that is *brilliant!* Anyone want to confirm it?


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## Burgess (Mar 12, 2008)

Wow !


Fascinating Info. :thumbsup:



Wonder what produced our Big Spike around Christmas ?


Musta' been the up-coming SHOTshow 2008,
SureFire Backup, and
Nitecore Defender Infinity threads.

:tinfoil:
_


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## Icebreak (Mar 13, 2008)

cy -

I wondered about the South Africa rank also. Odd. Just think. At any given time in a given time zone someone might be using a light they got from you.

Burgess -

That sounds like a good guess. At first I thought it might be page hits on generous Christmas specials but that was a tad closer to Christmas IIRC. I seem to recall that at the time of the spike there were a bunch of questionable activities taking place. I think your guess is closer to nailing it.

See that big red spike in the first graph? Hidden in that is a green spike. I think that's when the UG was discussing development of the MP. Very quickly after that you can see the MP taking off and doing just what Sasha intended it to do. For me, the MP is in the top 3 three most significant thingss that improved this site. Maybe 2 years from now some new guys will say, "You mean all that commerce used to be on the discussion board?



Numbers said:


> So if my my math is correct member Darryl has about as many posts as the lowest 8 individual countries on the list. WOW!



:laughing:

Here's a bit of CPF lore/myth/legend about CPF lexicons. Remember when we called it a battery barrel and say DB for a double barrel? Well, the other Darell (One of the smartest people in the world) would remind us to spell his name right. Several of us began accidentally misspelling barrel as barell to his great delight. To solve that problem we just started calling them battery tubes.


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## BigHonu (Mar 13, 2008)

'DB'

Those Energizer Double Barrel lights were fairly popular for modders IIRC.


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## James S (Mar 13, 2008)

While the Alexa graphs are pretty, they dont really mean anything.

http://slashdot.org/articles/07/07/23/152243.shtml

The data is tragically flawed.


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## Icebreak (Mar 13, 2008)

Yes, James, there is debate over how accurate the Alexa ratings are. This could explain South Africa being so high. I prefaced the post with "graphs below are unverified"..."Sasha has posted much more meaningful information"..."*might be of some interest*".

Declaring that the graphs are meaningless would be an overstatement.


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## mspeterson (Mar 13, 2008)

Here is a look at CPF in the early days....

http://web.archive.org/web/20001110154000/www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi

The WaybackMachine has quite a few snapshots of CPF over the years...

http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://candlepowerforums.com


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## flashfan (Mar 13, 2008)

Interesting stats, whether true/verifiable or not. The South Africa thing is really puzzling. My first thought was that Nigerian scammers are checking out CPF, but it does say "post" to CPF, which I presume does _not _include lurking. Also, it is _South_ Africa, so something else must be going on.


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## sunspot (Mar 13, 2008)

mspeterson said:


> WaybackMachine has quite a few snapshots of CPF over the years...


Thanks, I remember those days. Who the hack was "Telephony":thumbsup:? Just kidding.
Did anyone see that "The Cafe" was called "Chit Chat"? Lightlover was the mastermind on the name change.


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## geepondy (Mar 13, 2008)

I recall we had a contest to come up with the CPF logo.


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## tvodrd (Mar 13, 2008)

Icebreak said:


> Lummie image is a favorite.
> 
> Brightnorm brought us this one which was popular:
> 
> ...



Sasha has a tatoo of that first image you posted on her back. I got to inspect it by flashlight at the Cambria get-together. Memories!

Larry


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## Greta (Mar 14, 2008)




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## Radio (Mar 14, 2008)

Amazing! They did an excellent job with that. Let me guess, left upper back?


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## Monocrom (Mar 14, 2008)

Radio said:


> Amazing! They did an excellent job with that....


 
It's beautiful. Is it the same size in real life as in the pic?


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## Icebreak (Mar 14, 2008)

mspeterson -

Thanks for the flashbacks!

Larry -

The Cambria trip must have been a very fine get together.

_______________


- Jeff


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## Greta (Mar 14, 2008)

> Let me guess, left upper back?


 
Nope! 







_*Damn! I've lost alot of weight since then!! WOW!_


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## Manzerick (Mar 14, 2008)

Groovy!!!


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## Illum (Mar 14, 2008)

Icebreak said:


> The Cambria trip must have been a very fine get together.



the 2004 trip?


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## tvodrd (Mar 15, 2008)

The thread is here and the pics start around post #443.

Larry


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## SilverFox (Mar 20, 2008)

I lurked for several months prior to joining CPF. About a month after I joined, DavidW posted this thread.

I started laughing so hard that my wife came over to see what the fuss was all about. I read it, out loud, to her and we both bolted to the bathroom, laughing so hard that we could barely control ourselves.

Tom


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## JetskiMark (Mar 20, 2008)

That was a funny story. Thanks for posting the link.

Regards,
Mark


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## srvctec (Mar 20, 2008)

SilverFox said:


> I lurked for several months prior to joining CPF. About a month after I joined, DavidW posted this thread.
> 
> I started laughing so hard that my wife came over to see what the fuss was all about. I read it, out loud, to her and we both bolted to the bathroom, laughing so hard that we could barely control ourselves.
> 
> Tom



That is an awesome story- I laughed so hard, I'm now wiping the tears from my eyes!!!! :twothumbs


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## fnmag (Mar 20, 2008)

Now that's funny right thar! :twothumbs


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## Darell (Mar 21, 2008)

jufam44 said:


> Very informative thread. How were the current moderators/admins selected, if I may ask?



You may ask. But sadly, we'd then have to kill you.


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## Darell (Mar 21, 2008)

Sasha said:


> The guys back then didn't really care so much to have a chick in their midst. (I think that still holds true to a certain degree).


I'd like to go on record as saying that it doesn't hold true for me! And there is much proof of that sprinkled throughout the fora.... especially in the early days when I was trying to be subtle about hitting on you.


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## Monocrom (Mar 21, 2008)

SilverFox said:


> I lurked for several months prior to joining CPF. About a month after I joined, DavidW posted this thread.
> 
> I started laughing so hard that my wife came over to see what the fuss was all about. I read it, out loud, to her and we both bolted to the bathroom, laughing so hard that we could barely control ourselves.
> 
> Tom


 
I'm in tears, my chest hurts, I'm coughing, and at one time; I was laughing so hard that not a single sound came out of my mouth.... I'm still coughing.

That was freaking great. The part about the incredibly angry spouse at the end, was like the cherry on top. 

Basically, this icon x 1,000,000,000.


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## Darell (Mar 21, 2008)

Numbers said:


> So if my my math is correct member Darryl has about as many posts as the lowest 8 individual countries on the list. WOW!


Now there's a stat I never thought I'd hear! D A R E L L though! *DARE* with two L's.

OK, so anyway... it is probably obvious that I used to post a bit more than I do now. Like orders of magnitude more. I was "Mr. Active" back in my early days. I read every thread every day. Often several times/day. If I was gone for a day, I could catch up in a matter of hours. Of course it is IMPOSSIBLE to catch up on every thread today. Hard enough to keep up on just one forum sometimes. I found CPF (through Brock's site!) just on the cusp of what I'd call early. Certainly in the "good ol' days" portion of the program. Man we really did have some good times. All the regulars knew the others. We all knew where we'd be over the weekend, and where we were going on vacation - and what lights we'd take with us. OT threads were just the norm as there was very little organization of the fora or threads. We were just chatting, and becoming friends, really. We didn't have RULES. None. Except for the golden one. And in the beginning, that really was enough.

Today hardly anybody knows me. It is an exciting day if I post once now... where 30 posts in a day used to be my norm. Certainly I've kept in touch with many of the friends I made in the early days. Neat to see some of the old timers on this thread! And I've made new friends here throughout the years. But I'm certainly not very active any longer. Many reasons for that, and I won't bore you with those reasons here. CPF has been an amazing journey. I've learned more skills and technical information here than from any other online source of any subject. I've met more life-long friends (OK, I'm not dead yet, but a guy can tell these things, ya know?) than I ever imagined possible. Hell, I'm even friends with Al now, and I NEVER thought that would happen.

Kel is far too modest in her account of things. Sometimes I'm amazed that she sticks with it all after some of the crap that is heaped onto her shoulders. You'd be surprised at some of the abuse she takes. Actually I don't know anybody on staff who hasn't taken a doulbe helping of abuse at some point, actually - but the biggest pile of it always falls in Kel's lap. Some members seem to think that the mods and admins and *owner* of the site don't have lives outside of these pages. Some members don't think that we should ever speak as regular members on these pages. But we do, and we do. And things don't always go perfectly... but they do keep going. I used to put countless hours into helping to keep the site running smoothly. Now those hours are put in by others. The language and rules have evolved and grown along with the membership. The active mods and admins are doing an amazing job at keeping up. The hours are long, but at least the pay sucks!

I have increadibly fond memories of the early years of CPF. We truly were all about helping each other figure out flashlights. There was some buying/selling/swapping, and plain *giving* of product. But it was mostly about sharing knowledge without the burden of commerce. We would help each other find the best places to buy things. Now the sellers have come here amongst us. Better in some ways... not so good in others.

CPF is what it is. And I'm honored to have been part of it for so long - even if I am currently not very active publicly.

Great thread, guys. I'm glad I stumbled upon it in one of my rare journeys out here into the wilds.


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## sunspot (Mar 21, 2008)

Quote:
Originally Posted by jufam44 
Very informative thread. How were the current moderators/admins selected, if I may ask?



I can tell you that. Have you noticed the red shoes under some of the Admins name. There is a secret club of fetish, eer, I can’t go in to it. Never mind.


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## KC2IXE (Mar 21, 2008)

sunspot said:


> Quote:
> Originally Posted by jufam44
> Very informative thread. How were the current moderators/admins selected, if I may ask?
> 
> ...



I don't think adminship has anything to do with the red shoes - I remember the red shoe time (well duh, I have red shoes)

It's probably a lot like how you got selected for Admin stuff back on the old Compuserve - and like folks said - If I told you how we did it there, I'd have to kill you


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## Size15's (Mar 21, 2008)

The red shoes tag was given to those who helped purchase them for Kel.


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## Illum (Mar 23, 2008)

I can only speculate what crossed David's mind when he sat up from his bed one day and decided to put the plans of a flashlight forum through its paces


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## Numbers (Mar 23, 2008)

Darell,
My apologies, pulled the trigger too qiuck - without checking for spelling first.
The stat was just so overwhelming to me I got carried away.
Thanks to you and all the other long time posters for the knowledge passed on.


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## Hitthespot (Mar 23, 2008)

Darell said:


> Hell, I'm even friends with Al now, and I NEVER thought that would happen.


 
Poor Al,

LOL

Bill


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## Monocrom (Mar 23, 2008)

Illum_the_nation said:


> I can only speculate what crossed David's mind when he sat up from his bed one day and decided to put the plans of a flashlight forum through its paces


 
He probably thought it would be a neat little forum for a small group of individuals who like lights.


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## Brock (Mar 24, 2008)

What Darell said.

I do remember when David emailed me and said he wanted to start a flashlight forum. Even I thought he was nuts, I though who and the heck would go to a forum with just flashlights, but I thought what the heck, I have a bunch of lights and that was back when I had every LED light that was out at the time.

As Darell mentioned when we started we knew just about everyone else on the board, Dano, Craig, Al, it was quiet at first but snowballed from then on.

I am glad it all happened I can honestly say I have met more friends then I ever thought I would and spent more time with these odd friends from all across the US and beyond (Al). It certainly is a strange thing.

Then my wife and I started having children and that greatly slowed my posting here, we have 4 children now, 1.5 girl, 3 boy, 4.5 girl and 6 boy, so they take up most of my life now.

I spend more time here doing admin work then cruising the forums, not that it's a lot of time but it's something that needs to be done.

I would certainly agree that Kel (Sasha) takes more grief then 99.9% of poster can imagine. I certainly wouldn't have the time or the patience to do what she does, but I am glad she stepped in and started driving right when we needed it, we certainly wouldn't be here without her and I am honored to call her a friend of mine.


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## jinx626 (Mar 25, 2008)

Cant believe DavidW last login was exactly 3 yrs and 1 day ago. Too bad he don't visit more often. Just to see how much CPF grew and to see what an awesome job Sasha is doing. 

Thanks Sasha! And if DavidW ever login again... THANKS!


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## Illum (Mar 25, 2008)

jinx626 said:


> Cant believe DavidW last login was exactly 3 yrs and 1 day ago. Too bad he don't visit more often. Just to see how much CPF grew and to see what an awesome job Sasha is doing.
> 
> Thanks Sasha! And if DavidW ever login again... THANKS!



its because of the progress CPF has made thusfar that picked off David...always wanting more this more that, competing for latest performance rather than being satisfied with having what you have and learning to enjoy it.
_EDITED_


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## srvctec (Mar 25, 2008)

Illum, you might want to edit your post to let anyone clicking on your link that they may be offended by where they are being sent to by that link- it's some pretty vulgar stuff that many may not really want to see. Didn't bother me in the least, although I'm a bit shocked that the owner of the board at that time stooped to that level with that kind of language- it's really quite disappointing he couldn't control himself posting something like that on a public forum.


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## ttran97 (Mar 26, 2008)

This was a happy stroll down memory lane....no need to dig up old negative things...


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## ryanbytes (Mar 26, 2008)

Seth said:


> I remember sitting on front of my PC, refreshing the browser every 5 minutes hopeing to get some updates on how Craig is doing.
> Seth



I remember that too. I remember reading the first post and then refreshing the Seattle fire department site to see when the aid car was dispatched. It all twisted my heart. Does anyone have a link to those posts or were they removed?


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## Monocrom (Mar 26, 2008)

ttran97 said:


> This was a happy stroll down memory lane....no need to dig up old negative things...


 
Ironically, he got upset that this place wasn't nicer? 

Perhaps things were different back then. As they are now, with the exception of the Syderco forums on Spyderco.com, this is as nice as internet forums get..... And I've posted in quite a few different forums.

As for negative things, it wouldn't be an accurate telling of CPF history, without some of those things.


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## TorchBoy (Mar 26, 2008)

I can't even imagine how stressed DavidW must have been to vent like that (frustration alone really doesn't cut it). I do hope that no kids were banned from this place by shocked parents. I think I recall someone saying that he had other commitments that meant he didn't have time for CPF any more. Were those other commitments also causing the stress? oo: Did he get married and have children? That could do it. 

And thanks Sasha and mods for keeping a just-tight-enough rein on things these days.


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## da.gee (Mar 26, 2008)

Wow. That was a bad hair day thread. I think I like the lady with red shoes. She rarely swears at us.


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## The_LED_Museum (Mar 26, 2008)

ryanbytes said:


> I remember that too. I remember reading the first post and then refreshing the Seattle fire department site to see when the aid car was dispatched. It all twisted my heart. Does anyone have a link to those posts or were they removed?


There's the following three threads:

this thread
this thread
this thread
and
this thread. :thumbsup:

In this case, *CPF* could have stood for *C*ompassionate *P*ower *F*amily. :twothumbs


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## The_LED_Museum (Mar 26, 2008)

deleted


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## geepondy (Mar 26, 2008)

Jeff (Mr. Ted Bear) was very instrumental in a lot of the going ons at CPF not to mention organizing a few great spot light shoot-outs. I don't seem to see him post anymore.




The_LED_Museum said:


> There's the following three threads:
> 
> this thread
> this thread
> ...


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## ryanbytes (Mar 26, 2008)

The_LED_Museum said:


> There's the following three threads:
> 
> this thread
> this thread
> ...



Thanks for the links.


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## Illum (Mar 26, 2008)

okay okay..._happy _trip down memory lane

think happy
A time before modding lights are made specifically for higher power, some ideas had their share of creativity...including perishable goods
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/24123


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## RGB_LED (Apr 2, 2008)

Thanks Greta / Sasha and Admins for posting origins of CPF... I have often wondered about CPF's history and how it came about so thanks for filling in the blanks. :goodjob:

Looking at this board, I have to wonder how much of an economic boon it has added on the Flashlight industry and its assorted manufacturers, dealers and retailers in the US and around the world - I would bet that CPF has made a big contribution to many people's livelihoods.

Just one question; I'm trying to find the thread / post on how I can contribute to CPF - can someone please point me to the thread? Thx!


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## Darell (Apr 2, 2008)

RGB_LED said:


> Just one question; I'm trying to find the thread / post on how I can contribute to CPF - can someone please point me to the thread? Thx!



Top center of each page. Blue pill - donations/subscriptions.

Or directly here.


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## RGB_LED (Apr 2, 2008)

Darell said:


> Top center of each page. Blue pill - donations/subscriptions.
> Or directly here.


Thanks Darell, I'll check it out.


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## Unicorn (Apr 3, 2008)

I missed a lot of that. For some reason I'd taken a hiatus from CPF sometime during 2002, and missed that Craig thread, and I'd also missed when Greta took over. When I started posting again, I'd noticed that this new person was running things, and I was like WTF?!? What happened to DavidW. I remember him as being a nice guy, and pretty laid back.

The then Sasha, and the mods of the time seemed a bit more strict in forcing people to obey the rules. I'm thinking that it much have been right after she took control and was trying to get everything settled down.

Edit to add:
I keep forgetting how much of an old timer I actually am. Even if I don't post as often as some. This place had only been up and running for a month before I stumbled across it.
I'm not sure why I haven't been around in a while either. I guess I just got caught up in other things. A shame as this is one of the coolest boards on the internet.


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## Darell (Apr 3, 2008)

Unicorn said:


> The then Sasha, and the mods of the time seemed a bit more strict in forcing people to obey the rules. I'm thinking that it much have been right after she took control and was trying to get everything settled down.


I am compelled to point out that in David W's time we had membership in the hundreds and very few (starting with zero) rules. We now have tens of thousands of members, and with so many hell-bent on pushing the edge of the envelope, rules were required to keep the place sane. I'm the first one to point out that I dislike rules - what I dislike more is the NEED for those rules. And I have no control over that.


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## Gene (Apr 4, 2008)

I always love these "History Of CPF" threads as they fondly remind me of the old days. I was one of the first 100 members here and was alerted to CPF by a friend over on BladeForums back then named Walt Welch who sadly passed away a few years ago. However, the "old days" consisted mostly of talk of Surefires and how to make our MagLites brighter.

I still remember when I received an original ARC LS. I couldn't stop playing with it for months. Forget the ARC AAA, (my brother still has my original ARC AAA I gave him), the LS was a revelation to me! Finally, a truly bright and small LED light! 

I sure wish I still had all those early, (and now highly collectible!), Surefires I sold for a song here in the early days!  An example was an original and new 6C in the plastic box with original sheath that I sold here for $35.00!

I have strayed somewhat from knives, (which was my passion), but have always kept my fascination with lights. I have always loved the willingness to help each other here on CPF and the generosity members have displayed.

Some of my memories include Don, (McGizmo), and I discussing early LED lights in PM's years ago. Man, has that guy come a long ways! Making friends with Tony, (Chop), right after he joined and the absolute generosity he showed. It's so sad but it looks like he's gone now. I also remember when Ray, (this_is_nascar), came aboard and I thought how nice it would be to have as deep of pockets as he did buying all of the latest, greatest lights. However, his pockets were also full of generosity and he has blessed me with it many times! 

Forgive me for omitting so many others who have shared so much knowledge and generosity over the years. Oh yeah, can't forget about Scott, (Milkyspit), who I made friends with years ago and helped me over the years. Another great guy who has come so far over the years but I can't afford his creations anymore!  I still have his original MilkyCandle though. 

CPF is no longer a small place and I can't even begin to keep up with all that goes on here. I have some Cree and Seoul P4 lights and they are great but they will never stir my soul like the old luxeon lights did!


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## Lightguy27 (Apr 6, 2008)

Holy **** guys, this is by far the largest thread I have ever created. And di anybody happen to catch This Thread? Pretty crazy, and sad. But at least Sasha managed to fix this place up right 

-Evan


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## Phaserburn (Apr 6, 2008)

I have been on CPF for 5 years now. I find that incredible! CPF has seen the birth of my daughter, and taken a tremendous ongoing interest in what is going on in my town and backyard. All along the way, I have enjoyed all my considerable time spent with everyone here.

I remember coming here and reading with giddy fascination. I bought an:
*Arc AAA* (still on my wife's keychain)
*Opalec Newbeam* for my MM. (brighter! regulated! runtime! that damn cool little red led to tell you to replace the batts! Aaaaahhh...) You know, the Opalec could STILL be a top product if it was made the same way but with Nichia GS leds. Anyone?

Then, I got an *Everled* for my Mag3D. NOW we're talkin'!! 25 Rockin' Flamin' Blastin' lumens, baby!! And, the color was white! I was in heaven. Little did I realize the disease was taking ahold of my small brain and subverting my already strained faculties.

I'd still like to know why 99% of us are male, though, and what it is that attracts us to such a degree to flashlights. Really, I would.

:grouphug:

Dennis Lan says hello. He'd like to know if a Fenix P3D would meet his lighting needs; I told him the cells might be difficult to source from his present location.


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## Burgess (Apr 7, 2008)

:lolsign:
-


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## Illum (Apr 7, 2008)

Phaserburn said:


> I'd still like to know why 99% of us are male, though, and what it is that attracts us to such a degree to flashlights.



probably the same as Astronomy...I've asked around all the "old timers" and they are all baffled as to why its a "male sport" despite continuing interest here and there, wherever they wind up setting their scopes up at


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## geepondy (Apr 7, 2008)

I never liked the Everled on my Mag3D. White yes, but it just seem to produce the same rings as the incandescent. I stuck it in a stubby Dorcy 4AA with a faceted reflecter and the beam was much better.



Phaserburn said:


> Then, I got an *Everled* for my Mag3D. NOW we're talkin'!! 25 Rockin' Flamin' Blastin' lumens, baby!! And, the color was white! I was in heaven. Little did I realize the disease was taking ahold of my small brain and subverting my already strained faculties.
> 
> I


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## nbp (Apr 8, 2008)

Man, I just can't get enough of this old-timey history of CPF. Really helps make newer members feel more a part of the CPF family to know a little about what happened here in years past. I've even started going waaaaay back and reading the earliest threads (just figured out how to do that) and it's really interesting. 

I think I found the first thread where people started calling themselves "flashaholics", thanks to size15s and steinie way back in thread 100 it seems. Can anybody corroborate that this is the first instance? Seems like a neat thing, seeing as how the term is so widely in use now around here. Hopefully I didnt miss this info in some other post on this thread. Here it is if you wanna look at it. 

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/100


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## sunspot (Apr 8, 2008)

Nbp
Did ya notice the light list that steinie had? They were among the best LED lights at the time. 
Streamlight, Trek, Photon and PAL to name a few.


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## Phaserburn (Apr 8, 2008)

geepondy said:


> I never liked the Everled on my Mag3D. White yes, but it just seem to produce the same rings as the incandescent. I stuck it in a stubby Dorcy 4AA with a faceted reflecter and the beam was much better.


 
Yes, ultimately, I ended up doing the same thing; putting it into a 4AA Dorcy Boss. But before that, I was still young and foolish, giddy with my newfound successes...

:tinfoil:


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## tvodrd (Apr 8, 2008)

This thread is indeed a time machine! I just reread a 5-year old 192-post thread I made a couple posts in for the 2nd time, and the memories!

Larry


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## Nitro (Apr 9, 2008)

tvodrd said:


> This thread is indeed a time machine!


 
Isn't it though?



> I just reread a 5-year old 192-post thread I made a couple posts in for the 2nd time, and the memories!
> Larry


 
I just read a 4-year old 699 post thread I started about Green Lasers. Seems like yesterday.


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## cy (Apr 9, 2008)

I'll visit several forums, but cpf is home... this thread is really driving that point home. it's amazing how much time I've spent on cpf... this community sure has gotten larger. 

keeping track of things is now much harder. besides the much greater number of posts that flys by. now I've got to log on and check three different places (CPF, CPFMP & underground). just to keep track.


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## ygbsm (Apr 9, 2008)

Kiessling said:


> What he said. Not much more to add.
> 
> bernie



+1


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## ygbsm (Apr 9, 2008)

BigHonu said:


> The commercial aspect of the flashlight industry has taken over and we don't have the commraderie that once dominated these boards. Still, everything must change, and like it or not, CPF has morphed into its current form.
> 
> I've been around for a bit and been witness to some drama here and there, but overall, I'd have to say that the flashlight community is one of the best!





Kiessling said:


> What he said. Not much more to add.
> 
> bernie



+1


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## Harrkev (Apr 15, 2008)

I just wanted to chime in here...

I am proud to have been a member for about seven years now. Back when CPF had member numbers, I was #667. I was never a huge poster, but I enjoyed hanging out here.

I remember that my first LED flashlight was a Technology Associates Eternalight. Back then, LED lights were cool & exotic. I also remember getting an Arc AAA (still on my keychain, and this was before the Arc company meltdown), and a Tigerlight. I also was at the first-ever flashoholic get-together at the SHOT show in Orlando (was that in 2002, I forget). It was cool getting to meet the Tigerlight people, David Allen (of Photon fame), Peter Gransee, Henry (of HDS), and many others.

Now, LED lights are under $10 at WalMart. I don't hang out here too much anymore, but I check back in every now and again. I also have kids in private school (big bucks), so not a lot of money to spend on cool stuff.

I also found that I had enough flashlights (*GASP* did he really say that). Yeah, I know. My flashaholic card is hereby revoked, but I have enough lights to suit my purposes. The LEDs have gotten brighter, but I find my old Arc AAA still to be quite useful. I might upgrade to a 1xAAA Fenix soon, though, and I picked up a $25 Energizer 3W light from Target recently, just because the most powerful LED that I owned was 1W.

Well, where was I? Oh, yeah. Get off my lawn, you young whippersnapper!


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