ahorton
Enlightened
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 715
I have failed.
3 years have passed since I started to become a flashaholic. I always desired lights with throw so the XR-E + aspheric was my first love. In those early days I said to myself
"I will create the brightest and best hand, head and vehicle lights that the world has ever seen! The CPF community will bow down in awe at what my hands have made"
Well it was something like that, even if not quite so grand and blasphemous.
I knew this would mean that a new lens needed to be created, a purpose-built aspheric for LED throwers. So after months of work and many failures my 30mm aspherics were born at tremendous cost.
Oh the plans I had! Single-emitter EDCs, headlamps and of course something to beat the Databank70!
Sadly almost none of this has happened... at least not by my hands.
In the last 2 years, the CPF community has bought almost all of those 30mm lenses and made all sorts of things. You demanded a a whole new batch to be made (smaller by request to fit into more existing hosts) and you've almost taken all of those too!
So now I admit defeat in my initial aim of world domination via aspheric flashlights but I choose to take pride in the work that others have done.
So this is my hall of fame of places for applications of my aspheric lenses. I'm collecting some of my favourites and putting them here in one place for me to admire. Nominations are most welcome, but I'm selfish and I reserve the right to choose what goes in and what doesn't.
For now, I've just put a few entries in that I knew off the top of my head. I'm hoping it will encourage others to show me what they've done with the lenses I sent them. I also thought I'd get this thread started before a few projects (which I've heard about through PMs) appear.
Packhorse leads the way to P60 flashlights.
Seeing the need that I did not, Packhorse bought the lenses and ground them down one by one to fit into a P60 head. Later he would become the primary driving force behind the creation of the 27.2mm lens.
Note also the work Packhorse put into drilling out the existing reflector and building a spacer to raise the XR_E so that the perfect focus could be found by screwing in/out the reflector-spacer.
Saabluster uses the XP-C Q4 to bring the DEFT EDC onto the market
This meant a lot of hard work to get the heatsinking right, but it let him reach whole new levels of throw (levels previously reserved for flashlights 3 times the size). While most of us are content with an XR-E on an MCPCB, Saabluster takes the most difficult route in order to achieve the best.
A while ago I was impressed enough by Saabluster claiming 58K cp with the 27mm lens, but I'm even more impressed with the fact that he managed to bring an affordable product to market with 40K cp.
I think this really is the most usabable thrower in the market today. If you haven't had a look, head over to OMG Lumens and have a look at his products.
EDIT: There is now also the DEFT-EDC LR. Two more letters which are apparently worth an extra 20K cp! That's a killer 60K cp total!
Troutie builds a 7Up XM-L flashlight
The title gives you the stats, but you have to see it to realise that it's not just a hacked together thing on a plate of aluminium. Nor is it a big square thing for cycling or automotive use (with a big fat cable trailing off to a massive lead battery).
It is actually a flashlight.
Of course you have to worry about how bad poor Troutie's eyes must be. The reason he built it was:
"... in my van I need to be able to spot house numbers and names and in winter its not easy in the dark"
3 years have passed since I started to become a flashaholic. I always desired lights with throw so the XR-E + aspheric was my first love. In those early days I said to myself
"I will create the brightest and best hand, head and vehicle lights that the world has ever seen! The CPF community will bow down in awe at what my hands have made"
Well it was something like that, even if not quite so grand and blasphemous.
I knew this would mean that a new lens needed to be created, a purpose-built aspheric for LED throwers. So after months of work and many failures my 30mm aspherics were born at tremendous cost.
Oh the plans I had! Single-emitter EDCs, headlamps and of course something to beat the Databank70!
Sadly almost none of this has happened... at least not by my hands.
In the last 2 years, the CPF community has bought almost all of those 30mm lenses and made all sorts of things. You demanded a a whole new batch to be made (smaller by request to fit into more existing hosts) and you've almost taken all of those too!
So now I admit defeat in my initial aim of world domination via aspheric flashlights but I choose to take pride in the work that others have done.
So this is my hall of fame of places for applications of my aspheric lenses. I'm collecting some of my favourites and putting them here in one place for me to admire. Nominations are most welcome, but I'm selfish and I reserve the right to choose what goes in and what doesn't.
For now, I've just put a few entries in that I knew off the top of my head. I'm hoping it will encourage others to show me what they've done with the lenses I sent them. I also thought I'd get this thread started before a few projects (which I've heard about through PMs) appear.
Ahorton's Hall of Fame
Packhorse leads the way to P60 flashlights.
Seeing the need that I did not, Packhorse bought the lenses and ground them down one by one to fit into a P60 head. Later he would become the primary driving force behind the creation of the 27.2mm lens.
Note also the work Packhorse put into drilling out the existing reflector and building a spacer to raise the XR_E so that the perfect focus could be found by screwing in/out the reflector-spacer.
Packhorse builds the Hexaspherical
An array of 6. Despite lots of talk from myself and others who bought enough lenses, this was the only array to have been brought to life.
Image title by Packhorse: "Why my neighbours hate me"
Ahorton's Headlamp Spike V2
Can I put my own creation in? Of course I can, I'm making the rules.
Not the perfect headlamp design, but it was better than the earlier V1 and I'm not aware of another headlamp with better throw.
Nfetterly uses a beautiful FiveMega host
Not ground breaking, but I think this is the most beautiful application to date. A really neat pocket rocket. I see it and think "That's what I should have done".
Troutie builds a Dual XM-L Aspheric Helmet Light - Spider Eyes
He's a mountain biker with a reputation for making excellent bar and helmet lights. Just google his name and you'll see what I mean.
A while ago he bought a few lenses but I never saw much come of them. Then he turns up with a very special helmet light. Dual XM-Ls behind the aspherics for throw and Dual XP-Gs for flood.
A very powerful helmet light!
He runs the 2 XP-Gs in parallel which are then in series with the two XM-Ls. The whole thing is driven by a H6flex to a maximum current of 3A (something like 25-30W).
The image above is the MK2 and below is the Mk4. Soon there will be a production version so you can have one of these for yourself!An array of 6. Despite lots of talk from myself and others who bought enough lenses, this was the only array to have been brought to life.
Image title by Packhorse: "Why my neighbours hate me"
Ahorton's Headlamp Spike V2
Can I put my own creation in? Of course I can, I'm making the rules.
Not the perfect headlamp design, but it was better than the earlier V1 and I'm not aware of another headlamp with better throw.
Nfetterly uses a beautiful FiveMega host
Not ground breaking, but I think this is the most beautiful application to date. A really neat pocket rocket. I see it and think "That's what I should have done".
Troutie builds a Dual XM-L Aspheric Helmet Light - Spider Eyes
He's a mountain biker with a reputation for making excellent bar and helmet lights. Just google his name and you'll see what I mean.
A while ago he bought a few lenses but I never saw much come of them. Then he turns up with a very special helmet light. Dual XM-Ls behind the aspherics for throw and Dual XP-Gs for flood.
A very powerful helmet light!
He runs the 2 XP-Gs in parallel which are then in series with the two XM-Ls. The whole thing is driven by a H6flex to a maximum current of 3A (something like 25-30W).
Saabluster uses the XP-C Q4 to bring the DEFT EDC onto the market
This meant a lot of hard work to get the heatsinking right, but it let him reach whole new levels of throw (levels previously reserved for flashlights 3 times the size). While most of us are content with an XR-E on an MCPCB, Saabluster takes the most difficult route in order to achieve the best.
A while ago I was impressed enough by Saabluster claiming 58K cp with the 27mm lens, but I'm even more impressed with the fact that he managed to bring an affordable product to market with 40K cp.
I think this really is the most usabable thrower in the market today. If you haven't had a look, head over to OMG Lumens and have a look at his products.
EDIT: There is now also the DEFT-EDC LR. Two more letters which are apparently worth an extra 20K cp! That's a killer 60K cp total!
Troutie builds a 7Up XM-L flashlight
The title gives you the stats, but you have to see it to realise that it's not just a hacked together thing on a plate of aluminium. Nor is it a big square thing for cycling or automotive use (with a big fat cable trailing off to a massive lead battery).
It is actually a flashlight.
Of course you have to worry about how bad poor Troutie's eyes must be. The reason he built it was:
"... in my van I need to be able to spot house numbers and names and in winter its not easy in the dark"
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Hopefully I will be ready to show the light here in the next month or so. Thanks again for making this all possible with your great lenses. :thumbsup:
