Best ideas or innovations *from* CPF?

[Kestrel]

I was wondering if folks could post what they would consider to be the best ideas or innovations that have occurred due to CPF. It could either occur directly from interactions on CPF, or perhaps an idea or implementation that had taken place by an individual off-forum, but has become popular due to postings or threads by CPF members.

My criteria would be either a popular modification/configuration that someone here has thought up & posted about, or simply a very good idea that, while not turning out to be particularly influential among most CPF'ers, is still very ingenious, and could fulfill an important niche or function.

Any links that can be supplied would also be helpful, for those of us who might not be familiar with the specifics.

Here are some of my favorite ideas / innovations that have occured due to CPF:

Using the MN15 incan lamp assembly (originally for the SF M3T) in the SureFire M6, creating an extremely efficient, very usable incan configuration (200+ very white, throwy lumens from the SF TH, with 2.5 hours of runtime) while placing minimal loads on each of the six CR123's, resulting in the highest-possible watt-hours being delivered from each cell. Credit to js.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=142517
​

Using the Malkoff M60 (a two cell LED drop-in) with a single (large-capacity, protected) 3.7v LiIon cell, obtaining near-maximum output, extended runtimes, and a long, graceful decline in output upon cell depletion (instead of a rapid cut-out upon triggering of the cells' protection circuit). Credit to gsnorm.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=227576
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=226590
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=194879 (good Malkoff overview but also has some specific info on the M60 w/1xLiIon)
​

Using the Fenix L0D/LD01 head with the Streamlight MicroStream or Stylus Pro body, resulting in the ability to change modes via the momentary / clickie switch, and being able to attain near-10440 outputs from 2xAAA alkaline/NiMH in the Stylus Pro body. Credit to cbubu.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=179101
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=217658&page=3
​

Using the Malkoff M30 LED drop-in with the SureFire 9P / G3 / C3, obtaining respectable performance (~120 lumens) from 2xAA in a SureFire, a modification that had not been anticipated at SureFire (as far as I know). Credit to Rat6P.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=200592

wow, just when I think I know everything.......I really need to pay more attention.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=231300
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=206638
​

I'm not sure that the following can be directly attributed to work done on CPF, but here's a few other possibilities:

The Mc2CS / Mc2ES tailcap, arguably the best mod ever for the P60-type SureFires after the LED drop-in. (Unfortunately recently discontinued due to IP issues)
http://dmcleish.com/CPF/McE2S/index.html
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=83844
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=212926
​

Rechargeable conversions of the mighty SureFire M6, with earlier work (which pre-dates my arrival here) becoming more refined and subsequently documented by DM51:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=204157


​

My underlying concept for this thread is:

Wow, that's a great idea/combination/configuration, someone should

• produce it that way
• market it that way,

I bet they would sell a bunch. :goodjob:lovecpf
Your nominations? (or corrections)

 

[Illum]

Re: Best ideas or innovations _from_ CPF?

not sure if I'm on the right track but...

Mcgizmo's mule concept
Dafabrica's MC-E surefire-zebra hybrid http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=235917
TranquilityBase's E series at an angle http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=173135
KL6 head on an M6 [Size15s]
TnC's E2C adapters
Fivemega's lamp adapters

 

[Kestrel]

Re: Best ideas or innovations _from_ CPF?

Dafabrica's MC-E surefire-zebra hybrid http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=235917

Holy %$&#, that is so cool! Really thinking outside of the box!:huh:
I can see how that would be very useful.:thumbsup:

 

[Chrontius]

Re: Best ideas or innovations _from_ CPF?

The M6 "Lightsaber" configuration is pretty cool.

The KL4-P7 is such an elegant mod, I suspect Surefire will start making one soon.

There's the Nascar mod. 120 lumens from a E2E for seven minutes, before thermal runaway in the batteries became a real threat and the thermal safety kicked in.

Who invented the ROP, and was it the first hotwire?

Wasn't the first power LED flashlight built by a CPF sponsor?

 

[Oddjob]

I think three of McGizmo's concepts are worth mentioning. First, his Piston drive is IMO a fantastic way to activate a light in many different ways. Second, as Illum mentioned, his mule concept which provides a nice even flood for close lighting. Third, the Lunasol lights which combine flood and throw in a single light and a piston drive to boot.

 

[McGizmo]

I would guess before any or your times here on CPF there were any number of good ideas or innovations *from* CPF. My faulty and suspect memory disqualifies me from any comprehensive list but it would be pretty long and clearly show a foundation for a lot of stuff that is taken for granted today.

I think the one point that is timeless about CPF is simply that ideas and innovations do come up here in the community and they become reality often times to the benefit of the Art.

 

[csshih]

hehe, I'll agree with the McGizmo post..

and how about the DEFT, and 47s Quarks?

 

[Owen]

Well there was this guy who used to post here, and he came up with all kinds of different stuff. It started about 7 years ago, with little clips and rings, and snowballed from there. He gave us reflectors optimized for use with Luxeon emitters when manufacturers were mostly using optics, and continued that work as the technology and emitter types progressed. He gave us what was probably the first P60 "dropin", though it didn't really just drop in.
He gave us the L1's UI for the standard E and C product lines. Gave us numerous upgrades for factory lights, compatible parts and bodies, followed by a proprietary lineup of high quality hosts, reflectored heads and light engines, as finished lights, or as individual parts so even those of us with mediocre skill levels could build our own custom lights. He even gave us step-by-step instructions, advice, and help if asked. He encouraged countless modders and builders through his own example, and the acceptance of his designs, so is probably responsible for most of the makers we see today actually bringing their designs to fruition. More than anything he showed us how possible it was to get more out of our hobby, that we didn't have to be satisfied with what some company offered us, and could indeed have things our way.
He brought us unique switching and circuit ideas, and exquisite custom lights that are almost universally admired and respected.

I would guess before any or your times here on CPF there were any number of good ideas or innovations *from* CPF. My faulty and suspect memory disqualifies me from any comprehensive list but it would be pretty long and clearly show a foundation for a lot of stuff that is taken for granted today.

I think you're too modest.

And I think that guy I was talking about's name was Don.

 

[Illum]

Tri-Lobe reflector concept for CREE LEDs - easy RGB

Inspired by NewBie, created by McGizmo

Who did this?



I found these sitting my CPF folder...I'm guessing someone took an A16 light/laser mount from a weaponlight and somehow got two KL5s to fit:candle:

 

[ElectronGuru]

Re: Best ideas or innovations _from_ CPF?

Who invented the ROP, and was it the first hotwire?

I havn't been around long enough to know for sure, but KevinL keeps popping up in my research. He just came back to CPF:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/member.php?u=5209

 

[Kestrel]

Who invented the ROP, and was it the first hotwire?

I was thinking about this myself, although I haven't been around anywhere near long enough to know more about this. Perfect example though, this has had a huge influence on CPF.

I would guess before any or your times here on CPF there were any number of good ideas or innovations *from* CPF.

Exactly, I was hoping some of the more experienced folks around here would provide an aspect of an earlier viewpoint on things that we all take for granted these days. I'm glad that others here are more than willing to cite your contributions.:thumbsup:

Tri-Lobe reflector concept for CREE LEDs - easy RGB

Inspired by NewBie, created by McGizmo

Awesome, I love that. Especially the recursive links in that thread that demonstrate the exchange of ideas on CPF.

[regarding the RoP] I haven't been around long enough to know for sure, but KevinL keeps popping up in my research.

Wow, this would be great to nail down.

Edit, much later. Yes, this might be it here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=75801

I enjoy hearing of who has come up with some of the greatest ideas on CPF, I really appreciate the depth of knowledge on these forums.

 

[Chrontius]

Tri-Lobe reflector concept for CREE LEDs - easy RGB

Inspired by NewBie, created by McGizmo

Paypal ready, where do I send it?

Seriously, this would make an epic Maglite module.

Who did this?



I found these sitting my CPF folder...I'm guessing someone took an A16 light/laser mount from a weaponlight and somehow got two KL5s to fit:candle:

Great minds don't think alike, but great ideas are pretty universal -- I was planning to try this with a pair of Malkoffs - one M60, and one M60F (later, an M60-MCE) if I ever got the scratch to try it.

 

[McGizmo]

Owen,
You were here before me and I defer to your seniority as well as thank you for your kind words.

You probably remember Lambda and his early contributions. I think for a few years, a big focus and concentration was on the mini-mag mods and Wayne Y. and the sandwich shop certainly figures in heavily? Peter Gransee was the first to harness the high power LED in a production flashlight and catered to CPF directly. How many companies today have obvious focus on CPF as a test market or seemingly at least care and cater to the likes of this community?

I recall working with Wayne Y on a LED module for the Pelican M6 and at one point he was providing the converters and I was doing mods as well as Mr. Bulk. Pelican caught wind of the LED version of their M6 and compensated Wayne and I for our efforts and came out with their own version. Mr. Bulk and others kept pushing the boundaries on lux and throw with mods of mags and some other lights. Many new members came to CPF with the flashaholic bug but not the inclination to mod themselves and a small community of providers came to be.

Hotfoot (Leo) took the driver's seat and brought us the McLux TK which was based on my design and Wayne's converter and one of the first pseudo production lights specifically for CPF.

Doug Speck stepped up to the plate and started offering parts and lights based on ideas contributed by the community. The Firefly based on TVORD's design. Some of the older members probably remember the UBH which was designed to be E-series compatable and host to 2xAA or 3xCR123 ir 2x17500.

These are just a few items that come to my mind and based on my bias and area of awareness. There was a time though where many of us could at least keep track and monitor most of what was going on. We could be familiar with the trees. Today the forest has grown so much that it is too large to see all of the trees, let alone branches. In fairness to those not mentioned, I am confident that I have forgotten about the majority of contributions that should be mentioned.

One of the aspects I would like to take some credit in is that of encouraging others to roll up their sleeves and venture into unknown realms via doing it themselves and cutting some of their own chips. As a goofball with no proper training or professional background and by amateur example, I think I showed some others that they could take a perfectly complete and viable flashlight and hack away. The DIY group is still in a minority but look at the accomplishments and level of quality they are coming up with!! :bow: Beyond mods, we now have entire creations being offered up!

I guess as Owen suggested, on CPF it got to the point where we would not accept no or not available as an answer. We didn't have to remain on the sidelines if we didn't want to.

I didn't pay attention to the hot wire side of things but I know it has its own significant time line.

I question how one can identify the "best" ideas or innovations without having a comprehensive list of the group and that list would be quite daunting in compiling!! The history is probably here in the archives but I don't know how accessible it is or how complete at this point. The irony is that everyone is looking to the future and what is next with little focus or awareness of the history, as it is being written. :shrug: There is a foundation and much of it is now covered over and built upon to a point of being unrecognizable. I think it's pretty big and it is based on ideas and innovations; many of which were born here.

 

[Owen]

'Course you did cost me several thousand dollars, in the whole scheme of things
Yep, Arc, Lambda, even Inretch, there's a few others on the tip of my tongue. You and Wayne were the ones who gave people like me the opportunity to make a working DIY light that was still custom quality(well, aside from my soldering), so that's who I remember the most, and most fondly. Selling off my Alephs is still my greatest regret as far as this hobby is concerned.

 

[Illum]

Seriously, this would make an epic Maglite module.

too bad McGizmo has no intention of putting it into production...or else we'd see it more often

 

[nfetterly]

Simple, BRIGHT, small;

P91 in a 6P with 2 x IMR16340s

Cannot remember who I got the info / idea from. Unfortunately I only have one P91 lamp!

 

[SilentK]

I would say that the 47 quark series would be a good example. Even more so seeing as it has candlepowerforums.com mentioned on the packaging. lovecpf

 

[Illum]

Simple, BRIGHT, small;

P91 in a 6P with 2 x IMR16340s

Cannot remember who I got the info / idea from. Unfortunately I only have one P91 lamp!

very likely mdocod

 

[Chrontius]

Simple, BRIGHT, small;

P91 in a 6P with 2 x IMR16340s

Cannot remember who I got the info / idea from. Unfortunately I only have one P91 lamp!

Seconded. Not sure if it counts since nobody's brought that technology to market in a turnkey fashion, but I was tempted to mention it a little while back.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

The innovators of the truly barn burner incan lights, Gensing with his Aurora Project and Aurora II, and Bwaites and JS with the production USL, the USL run being finished by JS as we speak.

Bill