SPY005 Sign Up List

Status
Not open for further replies.

Data

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Messages
3,298
Location
PA, USA
SPY005

spy0104.jpg



Welcome to the SPY005 sign up list thread. If you want to purchase the SPY, please post to this "sign up list" that you want a SPY or send me an email to that effect. Please indicate what country you live in, what logo you prefer and if you would be interested in a black or natural HA III finish.

I am very excited to bring this two cell LED light to CPF! This little every-day-carry light has 6 levels of buck boost regulated power controlled by a silver knob on the "front" of the light. It loads two CR-123 lithium cells, a top bin Lux3, the finest orange peel reflector and a super trick battery cap.

The SPY005's most unique feature, its side-by-side arrangement of two batteries, is made possible by the advanced CNC machined body and battery cap. The machining required to manufacture this light is extensive and it sets the SPY apart from any other light ever offered for sale. With its two primary cells, the SPY has extended run times while providing a considerable level of light.

The side-by-side arrangement of batteries also provides an optimum location for the brightness level control knob. When the user rotates the knob, it clicks from the off position and continues clicking through 6 discrete regulated output levels. The first level is a very low nightlight setting, perfect for a dark room or tent. The middle 4 levels will be the ones used most, and the highest level, intended for intermittent use only, drives the LED at 1000mA providing a very bright combination of fill and throw. Holding the light in the palm of your hand with the knob up or knob down seems natural either way. It soon becomes quite addicting to play with.

The design of this light was significantly influenced from day one by many of the top flashlight modders; dat2zip, McGizmo, DaGunn, Mr Bulk, Andrewwynn, tvodrd, Genseng, JimH, Darell and many others who have provided invaluable input from the forums. I owe you all my sincerest gratitude.


Specifications:
· Batteries: two CR123 primary lithium, run in series
· LED; Luxeon 3 Under 4Vf, premium bins only
· Six regulated light levels, high efficiency buck/boost converter by Wayne Yamaguchi
· Current levels: 1000*, 700, 400, 100, 20, 6mA, * intermittent use only
· Rotary switch is mil-spec'ed and rated for a minimum of 10,000 full cycles
· Reflector is McR-18
· Body made of 6061-T6 aluminum HA III natural finish or black.
· Head made of 2024 aluminum 0.88" in diameter and is chrome plated on outside surface
· Water resistant with o-ring seals at the head, cap and knob
· Overall dimensions: 3.03" x 1.52" x 0.88"
· 1.4% of gross sales will be donated to CPF
· Six month warranty, replacement parts and service will be available for several years


Features:
Wayne and I made it our goal from the very beginning to pack a lot of power into this little light. The converter board is a powerful 1500mA output, very efficient buck boost design that is regulated at all six of its power levels. It is designed to work with primary cells only.

We are investigating and planning to prototype a buck converter that will handle rechargeable batteries. If at all possible we will offer this as an accessory from the Sandwich Shoppe some time next year.

The highest power setting on the SPY is going to be set to around one amp. That is the maximum power a Luxeon III can take before its lifespan is unduly shortened. When you apply close to 5 W of power into this tiny light it will heat up quickly! The top power level is intended for intermittent usage only. This restriction is suggested primarily as a safety precaution because the light will get too hot to hold and its runtime will of course be quite short. When using the lower power settings on this extremely efficient converter the runtimes will prove to be quite long for an EDC light. Its lowest power setting is about 6mA.

The heart of the SPY flashlight and what makes the whole design concept possible is a very high-quality seven-position super micro military spec'ed rotary switch. When you hold this switch in your hand you can hardly believe they were able to make it so small. Grayhill manufactures the switch and to my knowledge there is no substitute available in the marketplace. For the SPY to be as small as it is, the switch had to be so tiny that it actually resides partially inside of the knob on the front of the light. This very special little switch is rated for 10,000 full actuations while carrying its full rated current. Wayne's converter board does not tax the switch and we believe it will last indefinitely.

The guts of the SPY flashlight all come out of the light without any tools. This modularity will make it very easy for upgrades to newer board designs and newer LEDs in the future.

One of the most unique features of the SPY is its battery cap with a hidden latching mechanism. This cap was designed so that the light would be only slightly larger than the two CR-123 cells that the body houses (0.070" wall thickness on body ). I believe the people in our CPF community will really appreciate its design and function. I do feel compelled to give everyone a minor note of caution. The battery cap, though it works quite well and is nearly indestructible, is not as easy to use as a standard screw on battery cap. Taking the cap off is easy; you simply press on the hidden release pin and pull the cap off. Putting the cap on is where some additional dexterity is required. You must hold the cap aligning its holes with the engagement pins protruding from the body. If you get it straight it will go right on and require only a firm push at the end to seat the o-ring right as the latching mechanism engages. Lastly, you should check that the release pin popped all the way out, that pin is the visual verification that the mechanism is fully latched. Please understand I'm not trying to scare anyone. I just want you to realize that the SPY is tiny and some level of dexterity is needed to replace the batteries. You may never see such an intricate micro mechanical device offered to the public in a common retail store because certain people would never take the time to learn to use it.

The two small setscrews in the side of the light are for the lanyard attachment point. The light will be delivered with a very simple and thin digital camera type of lanyard and a set of screws for a small metal lanyard attachment hoop. The lanyard itself has no metal parts and is thin enough to be pushed into your pocket with the light. This kind of lanyard is for your wrist only. There may be a pocket clip and cell phone button adapter available as accessories at a later date.

Changes to style:
The head and the knob of the light are going to be changed! The photograph at the top shows the old head and knob. The new design has not been machined yet but it will look like the CAD rendering below.

spy98.jpg


Delivery Estimate:
In all likelihood delivery of the SPY005 will now be first quarter 2006. Since June of this year Wayne and I have been tracking for a December 2005 delivery but recent events are giving us reason to pause. As everybody here knows I am a CPF newbie and therefore I have little to base a prediction on how many of these lights will be ordered. However, I am prepared to make enough lights for everyone who signs up in this thread. As soon as the signup thread has run for a few days I will make a delivery estimate based on those quantities. We will continue to try for the earliest possible date.

Cost:
The price of the SPY005 is $345.00 plus shipping. I will be accepting several different types of payment - personal check, certified bank check, money order or PayPal. I will be accepting credit cards for payment through Wayne's Sandwich Shoppe. There will be a 3.9% surcharge for using PayPal or credit cards. All international orders will go through the Sandwich Shoppe regardless of whether you want to use a credit card or not. All orders that go through me and are shipped to a Pennsylvania address will have a 6% sales tax surcharge. All orders that go through the Sandwich Shoppe and are shipped to a California address will have an 8.25% sales tax surcharge.

Payment Due:
I am not accepting any payments at this time. If you want to purchase the SPY, please post to this "signup list" that you want a SPY or send me an email to that effect. I will require payment for the light prior to shipment. After the production numbers are set there will be very few extra lights available and I can't promise right now that I will make more of these lights in the future. If you signup for a light and later decide you do not want it, please let us know and we will make that light available to any latecomers.

Logo:
We had a lot of fun with the logo design contest. Many superb logos were submitted. The winner was Low Worm's outline of a crow standing on the SPY letters. The first and second runner-up are also excellent logo designs. The voting showed that many of you do not want any logo on the light. I have decided to make the logo optional and in addition, allow you to pick between the top three logos. This decision is pending our tests on the usability of these three logos. Each logo requires image work and set up time in the laser-engraving tool and therefore I will not be offering any other logos for the SPY005.

lowworm.gif
logo 1
wmpwi.jpg
logo 2
nemul.jpg
logo 3


Thanks:
I appreciate all the support that I received throughout this project and couldn't have gotten to this point without the participation and enthusiasm from so many of you. Thank you everybody.


Sincerely

David Livingston

Cool Fall Inc.
1280 Hedgeline Dr.
Pennsburg, PA 18073
Email: [email protected]
 

Data

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Messages
3,298
Location
PA, USA
banner-ad.gif



Click here for the other CPF SPY005 threads.

edited 6-24-2006

This Video is just for fun.

:popcorn:


edited 6-8-2006

SPY User Manual

Thank you everybody for purchasing one of my SPY flashlights, I am very proud of it. What you have purchased that is truly unique is a complicated flashlight that was precision machined on a vertical machining center. The body itself required 2 hours to machine. If you were to compare that to a more complicated and time consuming part on a flashlight like the Surefire M6 you would find that the spy required an order of magnitude more machining time. This difference is not due to the high-end machines that Surefire uses but rather to the type of machining. Namely turning work verses mill work. You do not typically see VMC machined 3D contoured parts in consumer products because of the cost/time required. It was a labor of love, please enjoy it and please use it.

Water
The SPY is water resistant. It can be used in the rain but later you should take the battery cap off to let it dry out if any water gets inside.

Batteries
The polarity is shown on the PCB and it has built in electronic polarity protection. When you take the battery cover off you can get some o-ring lube on your fingers, please re-lube the o-ring from time to time or the cap will get more difficult to replace. When you press the release pin the springs eject the cap off the back of the light. If you put the cap on without batteries in the light it is difficult to get the cap back off. You will have to pull on it while simultaneously pushing on the release pin.

While the batteries are out of the SPY do NOT turn the knob or it might disengage from the internal micro rotary switch. It is likely that you will not realize this problem has occurred till you go to turn the light on and notice that the knob only turns two clicks. As the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy plainly states, "Don't Panic!" As long as you do not try to force the switch back it will not suffer any ill effects. To fix the problem, simply remove the batteries and wiggle the knob till it disengages from the switch and then turn the knob gently to the full off position. Put in the battery that is adjacent to the knob and while pushing the battery in against the PCB with your finger, wiggle the knob till it re-engages with the switch. Caution; do not push or twist with much force, it will damage the knob. You can now put the light back together.

The light was sized for primary batteries. However many rechargeable battery brands and types do fit. It is up to you to make sure the batteries will fit before you purchase them. There is no low voltage cutoff built into the converter board.

If you notice that power level 6 (high) and power level 5 are at the same brightness then it is time to replace the batteries. Always use two new batteries of the same brand when you replace the old batteries. Lithium primary batteries have been known to explode. Most strong aluminum flashlights with screw on tail caps are really a pipe bomb in disguise. However the battery cap on the SPY is designed to NOT hold back any significant amount of gas pressure. The release pin will deform and the battery cap will release the internal pressure from inside the light without creating a significant kinetic projectile.


Intermittent use only on the high power setting
Do not use the high power setting for more than one to two minutes at a time. If you feel the light starting to get warm, turn it down to level 5.

This topic gets personal and philosophical real easy. I have had many a lengthy conversation with many CPF members about this issue. The reason this issue is so important is if you put the SPY on high power (1000mA to the LED) and leave it there for more than a minute or two it can fry the converter board. I love the high power of the SPY and use it all the time. Do not be afraid to use it, it will not hurt the LED. If you accidentally leave it on too long and fry the board . . . Do Not Panic! We will fix it.

There is a copper heat sink directly connecting the IC to the side of the body in all the production units. But the technological challenge is that the SPY body is so small, thin and light that there is not sufficient mass to absorb, or outer surface area to dissipate, the thermal energy. The converter board does not self regulate to its thermal limit (we are working on this).

Replacing the converter board in the field by the user is not trivial. However I plan to put together a video and instructions for doing it. I know many of you are going to take it apart anyway and this will save you a lot of trouble if you do attempt it. I said no tools were required but that is not true anymore. You will need long nose pliers and a knife. You will also need thermal grease.


Power Levels

The target power levels are (level 1 to level 6):
(8), (35), (100), (250), (500), (1000)

From my memory the actual levels measured were about:
(7-11), (25-45), (50-100),( 225-260), (450,510), (1050-1090)

Level 1 can be set lower but it gets touchy, 8mA was my lowest stable value. However, it can often be set to as low as 1-2mA

I adjusted level 2 depending on what the level 3 reading was. Level 3, 4 and 5 deviations were always similar. That means if level 3 was at the lower end of its range (50mA) then so was level 4 and 5.

Level 6 did not vary much.

For the lights set at 600mA all the power levels are just a little over half of the above levels.


Knob
Do not pull on the knob, it will not come off, I have tried many times with all of my strength and have never gotten one to come off. However, if you pull on it, it may get loose. Flicking the bic is OK. You can spin it on and off all day long. It will not damage the light or switch in any way, so have at it.

This light can come on in your pocket. In my experience I find mine has come on once every few months. It is always one of the lower power levels and does not get warm or consume much of the batteries. Never keep anything in your pocket with the SPY.

Do not let people look into the light and turn it on.

Assembly and Disassembly
In the pictures below of the PCB you can see the IC heat sync sticking up off the board just beside the IC (low black square). It is a copper wire and it is bent during the assembly to touch the side of the body. One of the PCBs has the IC potted with white epoxy.

HV1T8264.JPG


HV1T8267.JPG


HV1T8268.JPG


Please look at the PCB pictures and watch the video of the assembly process before you attempt to take the light apart.

Disassembly
1) use sticky rubber pad to remove the lens ring
2) take lens and reflector and lens o-ring out
3) use sticky rubber pad to remove the head.
4) carefully wipe all the thermal past off the LED heat sync
5) use knife to bend IC heat sync away from the body
6) take batteries out and use long nose pliers to bend PCB retaining wire back away from body
7) configure LED pointing at knob and slide it through the body
8) disassembly of light voids the warranty

Assembly
The video pretty much says it all. I would like to add that the LED heat sync has to be inserted in the body so that the base of the emitter dome is in the same plane as the edge of the body. If it is not the head will not screw down far enough. Be careful that the LED wires are not under the seat in the body that the LED heat sync fits into. If you have trouble, call me.




*** This is a work in progress, if you have any topic you want to see covered in this user manual please let me know and I will add it. ***

<<< end of user manual >>>

edited 6-1-2006

I am now accepting payments for the SPY005.

As you know some payment and shipping details have been covered in my first post at the top of this thread. That first post has never been edited. I did that on purpose so we would have it as a reference. I am going to change a few minor details from that original post so be aware, this post is the definitive guide.


PAYMENT
If you pay me by a personal check, bank check, certified check etc., the cost of the SPY005 is $345.00. A check is the cheapest form of payment and I am quite OK with receiving this form of payment. If you pay me with PayPal, the cost of the SPY005 is $358.00. That covers the 3.9% fee that PayPal charges me when I receive payment from your PayPal account. If you pay me with PayPal, you can pay me with a credit card or funds from your PayPal account balance.

For international buyers that cannot use PayPal (most now can) you can pay for your SPY with a credit card through The Sandwich Shoppe. If you pay with a credit card, the cost of the SPY005 is $358.00. This must be pre arranged with CPF member dat2zip. You can send dat2zip a PM through CPF and he will set it up (he has to make a special line item in The Sandwich Shoppe checkout for you to select).

My address is:
David Livingston
1280 Hedgeline Dr.
Pennsburg, PA 18073

My PayPal email ID is:
[email protected]

Make check out to:
David Livingston

Please, everybody, remember to include your CPF ID, your address and your shipping phone # in all correspondence!!!!! Include it in the PayPal text box too. Each evening I will update the second post in the sign up list to let you know that I received payment.

SHIPPING
You are responsible for the actual shipping and insurance costs. I am going to use the United States Postal Service for all shipping both domestic and international.

Domestic shipping will be via the USPS Priority Mail service. The Priority Mail service with insurance is $11.50. That is calculated by $6.05 for Priority Mail and $5.45 for insurance covering the cost of the SPY. If you have purchased more than one light it does not change the shipping cost, I will put them both in the same box.

International shipping is more complicated. I am going to give you your choice of USPS delivery service and insurance. You can go to www.usps.com and calculate your shipping cost and let me know what you selected when you send me payment. Global Express Mail service is a good way to go for most of you. I highly recommend you select insurance coverage. If you want to talk about the details with me please do not hesitate to send me an email before you send me the payment. Please bear with me, international shipping is quite a big job, there must be a customs form filled out for each shipment and you will have an import tariff to pay. The Priority Mail shipping box is 7" x 7" x 6" and it will weigh 2.0 lb.


WARRENTY
The Spy comes with a six-month warranty. Replacement parts and service will be available for several years. The shipping and insurance cost to return a defective light to me is your responsibility. I will fix and return the light to you.

I said earlier that I would take back natural bodies and exchange them for black if you do not like them (it is not too likely, they came out good). Well, there are no extra black or natural lights, they all sold. Sorry but that offer will not be extended.


TIMING
If after reading this post you have questions please email me before you send me the payment. There is no rush; the lights are not going to be ready till next week anyway. I will be gathering up several boxes to go out at the same time but not all the lights will go out at once. I will get them out as soon as I can and I will keep you all informed. So please be patient.


edited 1-17-2006

The body on the left is black and the one on the right is natural.

HV1T7796.JPG



edited 6-24-2006

the first column indicates how many lights have shipped.
logo "0" is no logo, color "n" is natural, color "b" is black.
signuplist9.gif


edited 12-17-2005

A short video demonstrating battery cap use. Both videos are the same except for file size.

6MB video, good resolution

2MB video, fair resolution




edited 12-04-2005

I am very excited to announce that the new Downboy based converter board prototype is working perfectly. It is an efficient buck converter that Wayne has been developing in parallel to our Wiz2x2 based converter. Its development is ahead of schedule (I have no idea how Wayne managed it so fast). The new board is so superior for use in the SPY that it makes no since for us to continue development on the Wiz converter board, so it has been shelved.

With the Downboy come some exciting new features to the SPY005. First and most importantly, the SPY can now use rechargeable batteries! The caveat is that you must use batteries with over-discharge protection circuitry built into them.

The second new feature is, we have added trim pots to the two lowest power levels. They can be adjusted with a small screwdriver to whatever low current level you prefer. To adjust them you must take the converter board out of the light. The adjustment range is approximately 40mA to very near zero and they can be set independently. These trim pots are the "set once" type and you should not change them more than about 10 or 20 times. After that they tend to self destruct and you would need to replace them.

For two primary cells, the Downboy falls out of regulation near the end of the battery's life and therefore provides an accurate battery level meter. This is due to the fact that with the SPY you can read the battery level, so to speak, by checking the number of upper levels that are at the same brightness!

The new Downboy board also has reverse battery polarity protection and sports PCB masking that clearly labels the resistors that drive each power level. This makes it easier for you modders who feel the need to change the power levels to meet your personal tastes.

Production is coming along nicely and including the new DownBoy board we are now working towards a schedule to ship the lights in Feb 2006.



edited 11-28-2005

Pictures of new head and knob (not plated)

HV1T7694.JPG


HV1T7696.JPG


HV1T7702.JPG


HV1T7704.JPG


HV1T7708.JPG



HV1T7713.JPG



CAD pics of micro lanyard-loop attachment point.
lap1.jpg



lap2.jpg



:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

This is a short video demonstrating the use of the SPY. Many people have asked if it is easy to turn the SPY off and on quickly. Well the answer is yes, it is very fast. In fact it is faster than most other lights I own. What you are about to see in the video is not hard to learn. It only took me a couple days to master it once I thought to try it. Look closely and you will see that I am spinning the switch with my finger from the off position through all the levels to level 6 (hi) in one motion.

Please note that the spy in the video is the latest design but it still has the old smooth chrome knob. It does have the new electronics that do not flash between settings. The video is not particularly good at showing the different light levels on the SPY because there is no way to freeze the exposure on my camcorder. You will, however, be able to see that the top two levels do not differ much. We are changing the levels on the next rev of the board.

The file is large (8MB) and if you would, please right click and select "save to my desktop", so that it is only downloaded once.

SPY on quick


Cheers
Dave

edited 10-28-2005:
I just wanted to make clear that 1.4% of the SPY sales will go to CPF as a sincere thanks to the forum that lets our hobby thrive.

In addition I will be donating a special light to CPF for use in a raffle or auction (Sasha's choice).
 
Last edited:

McGizmo

Flashaholic
Joined
May 1, 2002
Messages
17,290
Location
Maui
I am in for two please. Color and Logo to be decided upon later but open to your descretion and decision.
 

colterbay2005

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 28, 2005
Messages
74
Location
Rochetser, MN
Please sign me up for one HA natural SPY with LOGO 3. I live in AZ but soon to be living in Minnesota. The new head and dial design look awesome.

Daniel.
 
Last edited:

Kiessling

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 26, 2002
Messages
16,140
Location
Old World
One for me.
In black HA.
Logo of your choice as it is, after all, your creation.
I am in Germany (this is in Europe :D )
bernie

:thumbsup: :bow: Really great !!!!
 

MSaxatilus

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 24, 2002
Messages
2,641
Location
New Jersey
David,

Thanks so much for offer this truely unique light. Please put me down for

1xHA Nat, No logo :thanks:

Can't wait till they are ready!

MSax

Edit - Sorry, NJ, USA Here.
 
Last edited:

Data

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Messages
3,298
Location
PA, USA
I grew up in IL, near Champaign Urbana.

We also have a lab, but she is HA III natural. . . no wait, she is Black.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top