Introducing the SPY 007

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Data

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Hello everybody! These are photos of the final SPY 007 prototype. The 007 design is finally complete and is working flawlessly. I am very excited to announce that it is now ready to go into production.

Aerospace titanium is a wondrous material. I chose it for the 007 design because I wanted a rugged metallic look. The parts are finished on the mill and lathe to have a "machined-industrial" sheen. Only the knob is polished to create the finished knurl look of a high-end wristwatch.

It has been a long road and I have specifically kept this design under wraps until it was finished to my liking. However, from its inception, several CPFers have played a crucial role in the 007 design. I am posting some CAD model renderings along with the photos of the prototype. The CAD renderings portray the design shape in a unique way. These images were all that we had to go on until the finished parts started coming off the machine tools. I want to give a special thanks to all of you that have helped me along this path.

The bottom of every 007 will sport a miniature Picatinny type rail. It is useful for mounting the 007 and for adding attachments to the 007. There will be available, as an accessory, a generic clip/bolt on attachment for the rail. The uses for the rail system on the 007 are many and varied. I will be elaborating more on this new flashlight feature in the days to come.

Internally the 007 is unchanged from the last production run of the 005. The only notable exception to this is the buttery smooth internal dual Teflon bearing in the knob. It is a design that I am very proud of and it has a marvelous tactile feel.

For those of you unfamiliar with the SPY, it is a very powerful light. In fact it is more powerful than the other lights in the group photo below except for the 10W HID. It also has more advanced electronics, is efficient and provides 6 levels of power.

Words do not describe how excited I am right now; it has taken so very long to get here.


Cheers

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Data

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This is not a sign up list. I will post here when the first lights are ready but I will make sure you all know way ahead of time when that will be.

IMG_0649_E-vi[1]s.jpg
photo by cmacclel

The MSRP of the titanium 007 is $1075. However, all CPF members will automatically get a 12% discount making the price $945. This discount will be in effect for all of 2008. If you are not a CPF member, please sign up to get the discount.

The 007 will have a lifetime warranty to the original purchaser of the light. There are a few exceptions due to abuse and leaking batteries. My intention is for the purchaser to enjoy the 007 and appreciate what went into its creation. If you like it, don't hesitate to EDC it, as the SPY is engineered to last. Try to wear it out! Also, as was with the 005 the 007 is intrinsically designed to live through current LED technology and be upgradable to newer emitters (Wayne currently offers an upgrade service for the 005).

If you are new to the SPY or have not read about the STFu converter board that Wayne made for the SPY, please check out this thread. In short, it is everything I asked for and then some.

There are new software features currently being considered for the STFu converter board. The board itself is not changing. Wayne nailed the STFu's hardware design as it is proving to be nearly indestructible (thank you Wayne (dat2zip)). One new feature on the table is thermal protection. The sensor is already in the uP. The code will access it and limit the total heating of the light. This new feature is necessary due to titanium thermal characteristics and how hot the body can get given the SPY's small mass and very high power output. The second feature is a power-limiting feature for dealing with accidental turn on and use by minors. This feature should be user settable. I plan to detail these new features in this thread very soon and look for feedback on them.

A titanium light is an exotic toy. Many of you have asked if there will be an aluminum 007. One of my goals is to produce more lights in aluminum. I make the titanium 007. Almost every part comes from my machine shop. I am attempting to master titanium and it is not clear to me if I will make the future aluminum SPY body parts or have my partner (Keith) do the future aluminum parts (I will probably do the turned parts as they are easy on my lathe). When depends on my partner's shop schedule.

More than anything else the $1075 price reflects the costs of the tools and the hours of machining the body and battery cap. The 007 is a machining mega project requiring my CNC production tools many hours to create. The SPY has precise dimensions due to its intricate battery cap and knob mechanisms. The very things that make the SPY complex are the things that make its function and feel. I am excited about and very proud of the 007. I put everything into it that I can.

I am overwhelmed and humbled by the response the 007 has generated. Thank you all for the very kind and generous comments. And also, another big thanks to many of you that helped me during the design phase to reach this vision. Originally I thought that putting out 20 or 25 of these titanium lights would satisfy the initial demand but I don't know now. To tackle this I am going to release them in small batches. I will strive to keep releasing them in batches for the foreseeable future. It has been three weeks since I started setting up the production fixtures and for the most part everything is ready to go. I have made the production process efficient and I expect it to improve yet. But these machines do not run unattended, each step has to be monitored, if a tool breaks down, the cascading failure can be difficult to right. Also as the tools wear, the tolerances have to be monitored. So due to this I am still unsure as to how much I can assemble the lights while the machines are running. Only time will tell just what the release schedule will be.

The serial number for the 007 will start at 0200 (it is picking up from the 005 run). I do not generally keep track of this number. If you must ask for a specific number, go ahead, but I will not make any promises.

Thank you again, everybody . . . the machines are running.


Cheers
Dave
 
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skalomax

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This is honestly the best looking flashlight I've seen.

I'm getting one for sure.
Let me know how much. :thumbsup:
 
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Groundhog66

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HOLY CRAP, that is BEAUTIFUL. I have got to start saving now, this is definitely a MUST HAVE. If this turns into a list, PLEASE put me on it.


:party:
 

EricMack

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Sign me up!! This looks beautiful, what fantastic work! :faint::thumbsup:
 

lyte~speede

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Looks like I'm 5th in line the night before the concert tickets go on sale with the posters above. But, wait a minute...what if you have to go to the bathroom and don't want to give up your place?? In other words...ETA??

bitchin' execution sir--well done.

Cheers
 

Stan671

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Dave, the SPY 007 is a wonderous work of design and craftsmanship. I knew from the first looks at the CAD drawings that it was going to be a very unique look and feel. When I was lucky enough to hold the actual metal body in my hand, I could tell that it was something special. And these pictures of the entire finished light are just amazing!
 

TranquillityBase

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Holy cow Dave!

That bad boy is SMOKIN'

If you're willing to take full prepay, right now, I'm ready...Just let me know the total.

Awesome!
 

jcompton

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:wow:
Dave this one is amazing!!! Just let me know how much and where to send paypal!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 

white light

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;) WOW,I am in,Where do I send my complete per pay:popcorn:?The name is a perfect match.The machine work alone is awsome and its a flashlight to bat.How can it get any better.I've got a pocket already available for its new home.:thumbsup:
 

outsider

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WOW, great light, very good design!
Crazy idea creating a light with Picatinny type rail.... :thumbsup:

Count me in, please
 

Trashman

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007? Looks more like the Terminator! (...and I'm a VERY big fan of the Terminator (movies - all of them)) Very, very cool.
 

jch79

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YES YES YES YES YES! :rock: :popcorn: :eek:oo:

Awesome work, Dave! :D Very industrial looking, yet sleek and useful! :thumbsup:

:twothumbs WOW! :bow:

:naughty: john
 
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