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Will The Classic Ti-PD Ever Be Produced Again?

nbp

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
10,970
Location
Wisconsin
We can only hope. :sigh:

Don said he thinks the 3 speed clicky is a better overall configuration. In part I can see where he's coming from. But the functionality of the 2 speed progressive twisty with a momentary feature cannot be argued against. I hope to own a Ti-PD at some point. I love the Twisty version, and think the addition of the piston is really awesome and highly practical. Hard to finance so many gems though!
 

dmdrewitt

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 26, 2006
Messages
1,364
Location
England, UK (Great Britain)
I have EDC'd a Ti PD-s since I got my first one in May 2007. It is an amazing light, and has performed flawlessly for approaching 5 years now.

I particularly like the trit. The ability to locate it at night in a dark room, or my flight bag whilst flying is invaluable.

Dave
 

r-ice

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 3, 2008
Messages
68
I've wondered about thus but since I don't have a pds ill have to ask someone who has one. Do they accidentally turn on as easy as the d10's? lol I'll find out the d10 is on by feeling my pants get warm then hot haha
 
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nbp

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Dec 16, 2007
Messages
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Wisconsin
I suspect they do not turn on by themselves, as the constant on is by twisty action and the button is just momentary. It takes a decent amount to effort to twist it on, more than your pocket would likely afford. My T has not come on accidentally.
 

r-ice

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 3, 2008
Messages
68
I suspect they do not turn on by themselves, as the constant on is by twisty action and the button is just momentary. It takes a decent amount to effort to twist it on, more than your pocket would likely afford. My T has not come on accidentally.

Ahh didn't know that the button is momentary. VERY interesting. =]
 

fyrstormer

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Jul 24, 2009
Messages
6,617
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Maryland, Near DC, USA
There were business-relationship issues between Don and his former supplier of two-mode driver boards, which make it essentially impossible for there to ever be more PD lights.

I definitely think there is a market for them, though; perhaps not the PD part specifically, but at least a progressive-twisty light. Muyshondt doesn't seem to have much trouble selling his progressive-twisty lights.

Actually, I'd be interested to see a McGizmo/Muyshondt collaboration, with Muyshondt providing the boards (with RCR123 compatibility :poke:) and McGizmo providing the casings.
 

nbp

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
10,970
Location
Wisconsin
Now THAT would be a MUST HAVE light for me!! A Don/Enrique collaboration = :drool: My two favorite builders right there.
 

precisionworks

Flashaholic
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
6,623
Location
Benton Illinois
My PD-S was purchased during the last wave, seems like 2008? EDC'd every day since then. Probably shouldn't use a light that now brings $800 on the secondary market except that it is my favorite single cell light. It's the last light I'd ever consider selling.



Image-9853934-152584322-2-Web_0_9fafb3761cfa5d2da4901b5bd6a6f865_1
 

tino_ale

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 20, 2005
Messages
1,646
Location
Paris, France
I had two of these and sold them out when something had to go. I regret not keeping one :shakehead
Rule of thumbs : just don't sell your McGizmo. You will regret it.
 

souptree

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 24, 2005
Messages
1,175
Years ago, I thought it could be produced again. We just needed someone amongst us to step up and offer to purchase 99,900 extra boards with their light. Just think -- you could tile your cabana with them.

Now, it seems like Don has moved on in his thinking as to what is the best interface to match current LEDs with users' needs. That could be the bigger sticking point.

But if someone would like to chime in with an offer to buy the extra boards, maybe we could talk him into it! :nana:
 

McGizmo

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Joined
May 1, 2002
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17,290
Location
Maui
Hi bmstrong and others,

I think I have provided some idea as to my thinking and plans in the recent thread that _JS_ started on the 3S VS PD lights. But I will add some more comments and opinion and observations specific to the PD and following comments made here in this thread.

For starters and to get something off my chest, Nitecore did contact me (actually it was 4Sevens) about the use of the piston drive in a light they planned and at the time they felt they were only going to do one run of lights and likely hit a target of 1000 units to be built. Instead of some form of royalty based on sales they offered and I accepted a one time payment in recognition of my design. To be candid, they didn't have to give me a dime as I have no legal claim to the PD design; no patent filed by me. A bit later I had some e-mail communication with a couple folks at Nitecore along the possibility of doing some design collaboration but nothing ever came of it. It seems later I read where Nitecore has a patented Smart PD of some such. I don't know what that is about nor do I really care. I assume if I ever decide to use the PD design again I will have clear sailing with it but it is an assumption. Just recently it has been brought to my attention that Nitecore has a switch that sure looks like an unimaginative direct copy of my McClickie switch. I've only seen pictures of it but did their specific needs and functionality dictate a design that happens to look like a direct copy of my McClickie or is is just that, a copy? :shrug: :rolleyes: Ironically I designed the McClickie specifically to the geometry and functionality of an "E" series lock out tail cap and retained the ability for lock out. In my present application that ability to lock out is not used and the design allowing for the feature is actually a shortcoming in the present application (read _JS_'s comment about the need to seriously snug down the McClickie switch in the McClickie pak to insure a good ground path). I understand that SF has of late pursued infringement on their IP of a LOTC. :green: I don't know if that includes a clickie version of tail cap as well but I would steer clear in any tail cap design I came up with these days....

But now on to the PD.
As some of you know there have been twisty, PD and clickie paks made to serve as host to the PD style heads and all have their pros and cons but it's cool that the options have been there. The "E" series geometry does not lend itself well (hell if at all!) to either a twisty or PD style pak and I think this is one if the real short comings of the "E" series but it is what it is. But just how important is a twisty or PD style pak, that is really the question I asked myself when I found myself at a fork in the road. In light of the 3S converter and its need for quick off cycling the clickie pak was the quite obvious choice. What may not be so obvious is the merit of a self contained if you will or modular Light Engine and what head to battery pak geometry is best suited for such a light engine. Well the larger diameter of a female thread in the head is the way to go, in my experience and this consideration coupled with a clickie pak choice is what led me to come back to the 'E" series platform when the 3S was in development and why I moved away from the PD platform. That I often get questions as to whether the PD and 3S lights are compatible tells me that some of you don't realize the fundamental differences between the two lights and I am not saying that you need to understand these differences. I sure as heck better though!

At this point I and many of you have investments in this modular system and it has become rather comprehensive over time. I attempt to maintain stock in three versions of McClickie paks (1x123, 2x123 & 2xAA) and I also have heads to keep in stock, namely Mule, SunDrop (original and XR-U), Haiku and Makai (which I will probably let run out). The Haiku was first offered with the XR-E LED and then later on with the XP-G and then even later, the XM-L and Nichia 119. It's nice to have a foundation that is capable of accommodating changes in LED developments. But I wander. I think my point is that the PD does not integrate with that I am now working with and invested in. That is not to say I don't think about it or have abandoned the design idea completely.

The subject question of whether the Classic Ti PD will ever be produced again is easy for me to answer; no. I can't imagine building more TiPD's with Seoul LED's epoxied to aluminum heat sinks behind a reflector and window retained by a threaded bezel ring. I think there are better solutions now. Will I ever come out with a light that uses a PD style battery pak is a question I can't answer beyond "I don't know".

I have only scratched on the surface here with my comments and yet it is still enough to put everybody to sleep I imagine. There is much more in full consideration than I have mentioned and frankly some ideas and thoughts I won't share publicly as it has been proven that there are those who will gladly take ideas of others as their own and with no benefit to the originator.
 

nbp

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
10,970
Location
Wisconsin
Between this thread, and JS's Haiku tribute, some of the best reading I've done on CPF in a while... :)

Ain't that the truth?!

I love this subforum. The reading is excellent and enlightening, the people are friendly and intelligent, and the lights magnificent. I am always pleased when I log in and the bubble next to McGizmo is filled in with blue indicating new posts. I have read every single post made in this subforum for about the past year, including the ones where people just said they sent Don and email for a light (those are exciting as I know new people get to experience the magic) and a heck of a lot of old posts too. Enjoyed all of them. :)
 

fyrstormer

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Jul 24, 2009
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Maryland, Near DC, USA
Don, I own one of SYSMAX's lights that uses a knockoff McClicky switch, and just for the record, it is very slightly different. A real McClicky won't actually fit into an opening designed to house one of SYSMAX's "McClickish" switches -- I tried. The internals do feel very similar, though.

In regards to the Makai, which you said you will probably let run out: I strongly considered buying a Makai at various times, but I kept coming back to the problem that only your light engines will fit in it. That isn't really an issue in your smaller lights, where there are very few fully-modular lights available on the market, but the Makai head is big enough that it competes with existing P60-compatible offerings. To be fair, until recently it was almost impossible to get a full-titanium head to host a P60-compatible drop-in, but in the interest of modularity and cross-compatibility a Ti P60-compatible head is the best approach, I think, due to the large number of existing drop-ins. I've shown off my new Ti P60-compatible lights in the TnC forum on a couple of occasions, and I chose their specific selection of parts because I knew without a doubt I wanted to use your E-series 2x123 Clicky Paks. You make a lot of great stuff; if you ever feel motivated to make a successor to the Makai, I think a Ti P60-compatible head would be a big hit.
 
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