BLF/TLF FW3A - now available

[euroken]

I love the electronic lock out. It basically turns on low low or just low with double click hold, even when locked out. Four press to unlock takes less then a second.

I actually just leave it on lockout for daily use.

 

[pappajohan]

I love the electronic lock out. It basically turns on low low or just low with double click hold, even when locked out. Four press to unlock takes less then a second.

I actually just leave it on lockout for daily use.

My doesn't do that, earlier version of Anduril I guess? Just goes into low low.

My Emisar D4V2 however does it, love that feature.

To bad the D4 is a bit to fat around the head for my pockets generally....

Is there any way to update the Anduril version on the Fw3a using the same system that's available for the D4V2? Haven't found any pin connections on the light(driver?)

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[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

The oring mod is interesting. On one FW3A and FW3T it stiffens things up and is decent for edc (no lockout). On another it makes the switch very firm and definitely ok for edc without lockout. Go figure.

maybe try making some rings/washers out of different materials. I used a 5/16" wadcutter to make the outer diameter the right size to fit precisely into the rubber switch cap's recess and a 1/8" wadcutter to cut the centre hole to go around the moulded ring in the rubber switch cap's base (the ring intended to retain the now removed knob/nubbin). Doing it this way meant I could try various materials and thicknesses.

There seems to be different versions of the switch arrangement with different tolerances. Remember it was said early on that if you took out the little plastic knob/nubbin the light would no longer switch on (and pictures show these had a black nubbin). Maybe on the very first versions that's the case but with my version, one with a switch retainer ring, if you take out the nubbin (which in mine was a much larger white plastic step shaped piece) the switch still works fine. Yes, without the nubbin the button has to be pressed further inwards and is less "snappy" due to the press being transmitted to the bulbous metal switchpad on the board by the softer moulded-in rubber ring in the underside of the button rather than the hard face of the nubbin but it stilll works fine.

It still works fine for me but (to me) needed more resistance to presses. In looking to "tune" my switch after removing its nubbbin, I tried several things from o rings to flat rubber washers to felt to foam. I settled on a ring I made out of high density 1/16" thick black foam sheet.

Unlike an o ring which is relatively hard and doesn't really compress, the foam compresses as the button's free play is taken up meaning the resistance increases the further you press and then the resistance peaks just as the moulded-in nubbin-less retaining ring triggers the switch pad.

To me this setuup gives the switch a good feel and importantly gives it a decent distance of travel before actuating. I felt that using foam also does away with the possibility of a hard O ring itself pressing too hard on the outer portion of the bulbous metal switch on the board and stress fracturing it, i just wanted the centre ring of the rubber button base to do the actual pressing of the bulb with the foam to take up the slack and make for increased resistance to the press.

The reason I did this modification on the first day of having my new torch is because my switch botton was so sensitive that even brushing my finger over it would activate it, it was like the hair trigger on my target rifle. As well as being vulnerable to accidental presses in use, I found it was way too easy to actuate the switch while slipping the torch into my top shirt pocket and the thing even switched on in my top shirt pocket one time I lay face down on my bed.

Now that it's tuned, the switch has never come on in either shirt or pants pocket and it feels much more robust and much more assured when pressed. Had I not done this I could not have used the torch regularly whether it was in my pocket or not, it was just too sensitive for anythign other than playing with at my office desk.

As I say, try tuning it with different materials you may find there is a combo that suits your switch and makes you much more confident in it.

 

[euroken]

My doesn't do that, earlier version of Anduril I guess? Just goes into low low.

My Emisar D4V2 however does it, love that feature.

To bad the D4 is a bit to fat around the head for my pockets generally....

Is there any way to update the Anduril version on the Fw3a using the same system that's available for the D4V2? Haven't found any pin connections on the light(driver?)

Skickat från min SM-N975F via Tapatalk

yeah, it's my understanding that double click hold low was introduced after the first initial run.

Regardless, very useful in my opinion. On low or low low, it can stay activated for a very long time, even if activated accidentally.

 

[5S8Zh5]

use a Zebralight for EDC instead. I've never had one of them accidentally turn on.

When I edc'd my zebralight it turned on in my pocket now and then. Especially after I squatted down - so I'd know to check.

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

My doesn't do that, earlier version of Anduril I guess? Just goes into low low.

My Emisar D4V2 however does it, love that feature.

Is there any way to update the Anduril version on the Fw3a using the same system that's available for the D4V2? Haven't found any pin connections on the light(driver?)

There is a way. You'd have to check out the "other forum that can't be mentioned here" for instructions and what you need to purchase. They do sell a kit for it. It's complicated, though.

Also, be careful about upgrading the firmware, unless it's been around for awhile and known to be safe. The D4v2 Anduril firmware had a bug in muggle mode that caused it to turn on after 15 minutes and ramp up to max (with no temperature controls) and literally melt down the light. Extremely dangerous!!!

The bug was fixed in a later version of the firmware, but who knows what else might be discovered?

 

[recDNA]

I don't know how responsive lumintop is. Any chance they will make the switch require a more firm press to avoid the needn to lock out. I love the beam profile of my FW1A XPL HI but it really needs to be a little more recessed with a firmer press to activate. If they did that in the titanium model I'd love to try the sst-20

 

[Fireclaw18]

Prototypes of FW3T v2. Originally posted on Faceboook and then BLF.

I really like how Lumintop is pulling out all the stops with different variations of the original FW3A.:twothumbs So far they have produced or have prototyped the following:
- FW3A grey aluminum
- FW3A aluminum other colors (purple, green, blue, bare).
- FW3T stonewashed Ti, polished Ti, and Ti-Cu
- FW1A - slightly longer with reflector and single-emitter. Much throwier.
- FW3A 18350 and 18500 tubes.
- EDC 18 - basically an FW3A with a different body style and a side-switch.
- FW4A - wider head with quad emitter.
- and now the FW3T v2 with a much more stylish and complex looking appearance.

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

I don't know how responsive lumintop is. Any chance they will make the switch require a more firm press to avoid the needn to lock out. I love the beam profile of my FW1A XPL HI but it really needs to be a little more recessed with a firmer press to activate. If they did that in the titanium model I'd love to try the sst-20

They clearly know how a switch CAN be designed to be relatively immune. I now also have their EDC18 and the switch on that has been designed so that it requires a good solid press with plenty of travel and from my short period of testing it there seems almost no chance of that coming on accidently.

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

My FW1A arrived this morning and apart from the much more useful (to me) tighter beam profile I noticed two things that contrast to my FW3A. The knurling is noticeably more grippy on my new FW1a, the light feels a lot more secure in my hands. The second thing is that the switch has a little more resistance and "snappiness" than my FW3A did when I got. It's still not resistant enough to allow pants carry but it is resistant enough that it doesn't come on when I accidently brush it with my fingers when putting the light in my top shirt pocket. I'll probably still do the switch pressure increase mod though.

My new FWA is also a fair bit darker shade of bluey grey than my FW3A, the darker shade is a more pleasing colour I reckon.

I'm not sure if these are production improvements or just indicative of an extreme swing of tolerances.

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

Now that I have an FW1A to go with my FW3A I have been able to make some comparisons in the switching department.

My new FW1A (arrived today) has a much better feeling switch than my FW3A. My FW3A felt like it had a hair trigger and it was easy to switch on just by accidently brushing the metal switch button. The new FW1A did not feel like it had a hair trigger at all. The travel was longer and the click much more positive than on my FW3A when I first got it

This difference made me decide to take the tailcaps apart side by side and see if there were differences.

Both are retaining ring versions. Both have FW3A printed on the board near the spring. Both have V01 on the "hidden" side of the board.

FW3A has a white stepped shape nubbbin, FW1A has black but the same size and design.

Rubber switch caps appear identical.

The difference is in the stainless switch button. The "retaining lip" on the button (ie the lip that stops it coming out of the outside end of the tailcap) from my FW3A is much thicker than the lip on the one from my FW1A. This is the reason why my FW3A felt like it had a hair trigger.

That lip being so thick meant that my FW3A's whole press button assembly (stainless button, rubber cap and nubbin) was sitting further towards the e-switch bulb on the board. So much further, in fact, that it was actually pressing the e-switch down part way from the moment the tailcap was assembled at the factory. This meant it only took a brush with a finger to make the button complete its journey and make the contacts in the e-switch close.

I made up a 12 thou spacer from some brass shim sheet to space the switch board further away from the button and release the pre-load from the e-switch bulb. The spacer needed to be metal so that the underneath ring of the switch board retains contact with the tailcap housing (ie the 2nd current pathway, 1 path thru the inner tube, 1 thru the light body).

Now both my FW3A and FW1A switches feel identical and my FW3A (with foam washer mod now removed and nubbin re-installed) no longer has a hair trigger.

If I hadn't got a second torch to allow me to compare I simply would have continued to think my FW3A's hair trigger was how they were supposed to be rather than it being caused by bad machining tolerances.

 

[pappajohan]

Anybody got a suggestion on a diffuser that preferably is GITD aswell?

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[LRJ88]

Prototypes of FW3T v2. Originally posted on Faceboook and then BLF.

I really like how Lumintop is pulling out all the stops with different variations of the original FW3A.:twothumbs So far they have produced or have prototyped the following:
- FW3A grey aluminum
- FW3A aluminum other colors (purple, green, blue, bare).
- FW3T stonewashed Ti, polished Ti, and Ti-Cu
- FW1A - slightly longer with reflector and single-emitter. Much throwier.
- FW3A 18350 and 18500 tubes.
- EDC 18 - basically an FW3A with a different body style and a side-switch.
- FW4A - wider head with quad emitter.
- and now the FW3T v2 with a much more stylish and complex looking appearance.

I'm hoping that's pretty far from the finished product so far, to me they look like someone mixed an FW3T with 5 other brands to get some kind of Frankenstein's flashlight, taking all the parts they thought looked good and slapped them on there without considering the whole.

 

[WalkIntoTheLight]

I'm hoping that's pretty far from the finished product so far, to me they look like someone mixed an FW3T with 5 other brands to get some kind of Frankenstein's flashlight, taking all the parts they thought looked good and slapped them on there without considering the whole.

Lol. Yeah, they're going to suck the FW3A design dry, and wring as much as they can get out of it, whether it makes sense or not. I'm surprised they're not selling it as a toaster, or remote control, or mouse trap.

 

[jonnyfgroove]

My solution is from BLF. I removed the plastic nubbin from under the switch boot. This was replaced with an oring. 1/16 thickness, 3/16 ID, I believe it's #8. This increases the stiffness of the switch. Feels much better. I also added some no -oxit grease under the boot to make it a bit quieter. I put some kapton tape on the button to prevent grease from getting to the switch.

Thank you for posting this tip about the oring. I did this to mine and it has made a drastic improvement in feel and resistance. I like the light much more now!

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

As part of my little amateur "tuning" process, I tried the O ring mod and agree that it makes the feel of the button near to perfect, changed the press pressure from about 280 grams standard to over 900 grams but with a lovely solid clear click.

Only problem was that on one light I tried it on it allowed for occasional false presses if the button wasn't hit somewhere close to the centre. If I went around the outer part of the button like a clock, tesing at each five minute point there was always at least one spot where a press went click but didn't register with the light. I think it has to do with the fact that the O ring actuates the switch dome by pressing its outer circumference rather than the centre as it would when actuated by the nubbin and some parts of that outer circumference of the dome don't always make proper contact.

The second ligth I tried it on did not have that problem. Varying tolerances at work again no doubt.

 

[LetThereBeLight!]

Prototypes of FW3T v2. Originally posted on Faceboook and then BLF.

I really like how Lumintop is pulling out all the stops with different variations of the original FW3A.:twothumbs So far they have produced or have prototyped the following:
- FW3A grey aluminum
- FW3A aluminum other colors (purple, green, blue, bare).
- FW3T stonewashed Ti, polished Ti, and Ti-Cu
- FW1A - slightly longer with reflector and single-emitter. Much throwier.
- FW3A 18350 and 18500 tubes.
- EDC 18 - basically an FW3A with a different body style and a side-switch.
- FW4A - wider head with quad emitter.
- and now the FW3T v2 with a much more stylish and complex looking appearance.

Why did they leave out the one in hot pink? = j/k

 

[xevious]

Thank you for posting this tip about the oring. I did this to mine and it has made a drastic improvement in feel and resistance. I like the light much more now!

I followed the same solution. I tried the 3/16 o-ring and found it a bit too firm. So I went one step lower. 5/32. That worked out great for me. It's firm, but not overly so, and still won't accidentally activate.

 

[xevious]

Prototypes of FW3T v2. Originally posted on Faceboook and then BLF.

Wow! I love it. Looks super rugged. Dig the clip. Trit slots. I'm definitely going to get one of these, if the price is not too outrageous.

 

[5S8Zh5]

I'd like to see an aux led array. Have been using the four click lock out and the momentary press moonlight mode is fantastic. < This is where the button shines for me.