OT: Playing with flashlights!

[sawlight]

Addy might have some fun with this with me, maybe some others, I dunno!
Any way, I bought one of these, Solar Force Pretty cool beam shots in the first post of this thread (if you care) JetBeam RRT-1 VS SolarForce Skyline 1 Plus some fun pics

Well, I want more! Greed, isn't it a miserable mistress! So............ I ordered some parts, heh heh!
I've got this driver on the way, 4xAMC7135 (1.4A) 1 Mode Driver - $3.25 : Illumination Supply, Dedicated to bringing you products of superior Quality and Reliability and this emitter on the way, Cree XM-L, 21.8mm Round MCPCB, T6, 1C tint - $10.00 : Illumination Supply, Dedicated to bringing you products of superior Quality and Reliability

So far none of this really means anything. But as near as I can find, the stock driver in the light is 800ma, and it puts out 200 lumen with an 18650 battery.
With the upgraded driver, and more efficient LED, it should be close to 600 lumens, and if I get really crazy, I can get a 2.8ma driver and push close to 900 lumens!
Yes, I am REALLY bored, can you tell?

 

[Mary Kay]

Speak English!

 

[Adrenalynn]

One of those topics where speaking English isn't gonna happen, MK.

I just bought a 900 lumen tight flooder from DealExtreme for a friend of mine that has a long walk to the car every night across campus, and there's been recent lion sightings. 900 lumens is a LOT of light, although I suspect it's really only moving about 750ish, somewhere in that neighborhood. Even so, it destroys my 220 lumen thrower.

What do you figure the project is going to set you back? I'd like to have something in the 900-1200 lumen range.

 

[EleanorR]

What the he** are we all doing up at these hours? Or are we all having trouble sleeping this week?

 

[Morandir835]

Sleep isn't important Ms. Eleanor, figuring out how to make a redonkulously bright flashlight is.

 

[sawlight]

I got the light used, Addy, for $25 shipped (new they are only $29 plus shipping), the driver is $3.25, the LED is $9.00 then $5 for shipping. So right now, $42.25, I have some Arctic Aluma left over from another project, but that is around $10 plus shipping, unless you want to run to the local Radio Shack, I think it's $13 there.
Not a terrible amount, and since the mode control is built into the tail cap and the driver in the head, I'll still have the 300 levels of brightness to choose from with the ramping control!
Now keep in mind the way the eye perceives light, we have to double the lumens to see double the light. In my case, going from 200 to 600 will make it appear 1 1/2 times as bright, going from 600 to 900 would only appear to be a 50% increase. I'm going with the 600 at 1.4ma hoping to get the runtime. It should be able to run around 1 1/2 hours at that level. If I went up to 2.4-2.8ma it would drop to 1/2 hour or less.

 

[Conard]

Sorry, if I had a flashlight like that I would just have to mod it into a PV
I'd rather vape in the dark.

 

[Adrenalynn]

Sure, agreed - but 50% more is half again as much.

That's really a pretty good price. (And heatsink paste is never a problem here. Although I do hoard the original Arctic Silver. I think I bought out all that was left in the world five or six years ago. There's a tube of Arctic Alumina within arms-reach of me right now, a case of Arctic 5, and a case and a half of Arctic Silver if I turn my chair around and lean hazardously to my left. As far as you having any - I thought we were supposed to "keep it away from children" ?!?!

I actually prefer a single-mode cap when I can get away with it. I tend to want either complete darkness or ZOMG THAT HURTS! amounts of light from a tactical light. For anything else I have a little 5 LED penlight.

 

[keyzygirl]

Oh cool,we gonna play flashlight tag tonight??

 

[sawlight]

We could Kezy, we could!
I've acquired quite the addiction to the silly things! I carry this in my pocket all the time HDS Systems: EDC-Clicky Flashlight, EDC-E1S-HighCri Flashlight one of these on my keychain (and another in the storm shelter) Fenix's homepages one of these on the nightstand Surefire E2W Winelight II pictures from outdoors photos on webshots beside one of these (bored out for 18500's) Reliable & Bright Flashlight - 9P® Originalfrom SureFire a couple of Ultrafire hosts with Lumens Factory drop-in's around the house, three mag D's around the house. This is in my bug out bag https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?products_id=2421 and this is the main light for the storm shelter Lumapower Online :: M3-Transformer, free bonus
I've a few more around that aren't worth mentioning, but I think you get the point!

 

[Adrenalynn]

This is my EDC light. It's nearly as ubiquitous about my person as my knife is. $20.55 - Ultrafire WF-606A 3W Cree Flashlight (2xAA) - Ultrafire Lights

 

[wader2k]

Those beam shots in that thread Saw posted are unreal!!

I didn't think a handheld flashlight could do that.

 

[sawlight]

Nice Addy, it's like an improved mini-mag! I always liked that size light, but hated the stupid bulbs and doing a decent upgrade wasn't worth putting the money into the light!
I've come to love the HDS lights, I started with a Novatac 120p (designed buy the owner/builder of HDS) because the power, runtime and versatility for the size is just unmatched! I can go from next to no light .7 lumens, to a blinding 100 lumens with a few clicks of my thumb.

 

[Adrenalynn]

Yup - it's just like a mini-mag, only infinitely more/better/cleaner light. And even with the Q5, it's still better runtime. Probably similar overall runtime, but the light stays bright until it's done-done.

 

[Adrenalynn]

Those beam shots in that thread Saw posted are unreal!!

I didn't think a handheld flashlight could do that.

Yeah, those are similar to the 900 lumen I bought for my friend. These lights can literally bring you to your knees with direct exposure with reasonably dark-adjusted eyes. They're so bright that shining them on a sheet rock wall 45 feet away, just the reflection will leave you with huge black holes in your vision for many minutes.

 

[sawlight]

Wader, this thing isn't anything compared to some of the other lights out there for throw! Remember, this is just one battery and 200 lumens. Get multiple LEDs driven hard by multiple batteries, or even look at some of HID (high intensity discharge) lights on the market, this is just a toy in comparison!

 

[ValleyGirl]

Sleep isn't important Ms. Eleanor, figuring out how to make a redonkulously bright flashlight is.

LOL...that was funny, Morandir

 

[keyzygirl]

Dang,I dont want to play if your going to blind me.Geeez,forget it.

 

[sawlight]

No Kezy, this isn't for "playing" at all! This is for spotting Coyote's!

 

[Morandir835]

But something's only fun if there's a chance of getting hurt. Like sword fighting in the back yard with real swords and no armour..... I'll play flash tag with blinding lights...