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Fraz Labs Mechanical Flashlights (formerly QTC Non-Battery Crush)

kerneldrop

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 24, 2021
Messages
2,227
Location
South
@KITROBASKIN does the brass piston look like it would need replacement over time? There are spare pistons on the Fraz website that looks like that. Sans the magnet.

Hoping it would only be the QTC that would need replacing in the long run.

You will be struck by lightning while on your way to cash in a winning Powerball ticket the day after winning your prize for correctly filling out the NCAA bracket for March Madness during the same week you collected your inheritance from a Nigerian prince before you wear out a brass piston in the light.
 

KITROBASKIN

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
5,058
Location
New Mexico, USA
A person might misplace the piston during a tuneup while finding out Publishers Clearinghouse is sending that $10 million.

I have been rotating the piston to even out the wear (fun to experiment) on the QT-L.

One could consider that using a Fraz Labs QTC flashlight is kind of like having a fine musical instrument that should be tuned occasionally. It is understandable that some do not like that but others do not like the idea of an essentially unrepairable switch wearing out, possibly failing at a critical juncture; that electronics can break from serious impact or just plain old inferior components that decide to give up at the worst time.
 

KITROBASKIN

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
5,058
Location
New Mexico, USA
ecmp I did not run the QT-L very long without the QTC (direct drive) but last night we made a brief video to compare the beam quality with a Convoy S2+.

Turns out maybe when the QTC gets older it may allow more current? The Lumenite ll was definitely putting out more lumens than the QT-L until this latest flipping of the QTC.

During video recording I was keeping the flashlights in different coat pockets. Last time I pulled out the QT, it was warm for the first time ever.
 

jon_slider

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 31, 2015
Messages
4,890
great videos, grabbed some screenshots for comparison
KGoNGzH.jpg
 

speckacuda

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 12, 2019
Messages
90
Location
Arkansas
I tried an SFT40 in one and the beam pattern was not compatible

There are only a few emitters that play well with those optics, but y'all have found several that look incredible and really make me want to try to branch out a bit for myself - those 519a's look good, I'm a sucker for anything in the 3500-4000 range!!

Since Lumenite II can fit 18650, 21700, and 26650 batteries, would it be possible to have a longer body and accommodate 26800 batteries as well?

Went through earlier threads and came across pocket clips, lanyard holes, and carry concerns. Lumenite II is also quite thick in the body for lanyards. Can something like below be machined:

We are limited by our current machines and the time it takes to manufacture anything at this moment, so simplicity (and assembly, and shipping) is key for now. Even a lanyard hole would require two more machining operations. We are trying to scale up as quickly as possible, but I'm sure it's been noticed that we don't have drops as often as we did last year - we lost access to the shop we were renting in Jonesboro sometime around September 2022, so we are literally making every part of every light in our garage on our Tormach 770M and a Benchturn 7000 lathe. I know I sound like I'm on repeat, but we are currently doing the best we can with what we have at the moment.

That being said, things should pick up very soon on the machining front!!

Well used QTC. I do not find it to be magnetic but the bearing surface on the engine seems to attract what looks like a magnet in the piston?

Yes, and that's something I've forgotten to mention to those who've gone in search of other QTC - there's a magnet in every single piston we've ever put into every light since the original Qzark. For optimal performance, magnetic "smart rubber" or any other QTC variant is recommended, as this keeps it in place with time. However, any smart rubber pill will work.

@KITROBASKIN does the brass piston look like it would need replacement over time? There are spare pistons on the Fraz website that looks like that. Sans the magnet.

Hoping it would only be the QTC that would need replacing in the long run.

My dad has used the same flashlight since Christmas 2019 with the same QTC pill. Every day since, at least twice a day, he's used it to feed cows for around a hour, turning it on and off multiple times. His piston is virtually the same as it was when I machined the thing, except for the half-circle where the battery tube makes contact. The trench is no deeper than it was after the first week, same with the groove in the battery tube. I'm not saying it's NOT possible to wear one out, but I would love to shake the hand of the person who managed that feat of strength. I do have extra pistons listed on the site for those of use who may have lost one to the vacuum cleaner (or the cat), but the chance of wearing one out would be really slim I believe. The QTC, or 'smart rubber', is something we are trying to search out (a really good one, which is shockingly hard to find) and list on the site - coming soon, I guess?

Also, we dodged the tornado that hit Little Rock on the 31st of March (by a couple miles, hallelujah!!) but things are still crazy here - please be patient on the mail system here if you're sending or expecting a light.
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
820
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Find the model you are interested in on the website and enter your email.

Availability is random. They are a 2 person shop.
To put the quoted passage in perspective, please refer to the post above by kerneldrop (dated 4.08.2023), concerning lightning striking. Your odds of scoring a Fraz light is similar to the probabilities kerneldrop describes concerning brass piston failure rates. The time between posting by Fraz of an announcement of new light availability, and the time when that availability is sold out, is measured in single-digit minutes.

But hey, one can always hope...:ROFLMAO:
 

bigburly912

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 12, 2015
Messages
3,290
Location
Virginia
Hope you all are well! Can’t really navigate anything so just used search to find this thread. I’m missing my frazlabs light more than most I’ve sold. May have to get another soon. Oh well, take care everyone and you two keep pumping out these amazing lights!
 

KITROBASKIN

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 28, 2013
Messages
5,058
Location
New Mexico, USA
We can be so thankful that this dynamic duo does not start escalating the price because of the high demand and low supply.

I am about to switch out the QTC because it will now only output low then goes quickly higher than ever, actually heating the head. Kind of nice to have significantly farther reach but a good navigation setting is not currently possible, even flipping the QTC (but I’m keeping it in case that feature is desired again)
 

speckacuda

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Sep 12, 2019
Messages
90
Location
Arkansas
How does one sign up to purchase one of the QT Gold 18350's? Is there an estimate to their availability?

You mean THESE QT Golds (see photo at the bottom of this post)?! Yes, sign up for a notification because there will be a drop this week!!

Hope you all are well! Can’t really navigate anything so just used search to find this thread. I’m missing my frazlabs light more than most I’ve sold. May have to get another soon. Oh well, take care everyone and you two keep pumping out these amazing lights!

Welcome back, my friend!! Hope all is well on your side of the states.

What's the chance I can get a new emitter from y'all? Or if someone can point me to one I can order from amazon?

Mine is flickering, even on direct drive. Brightness is not good either. I think it overheated.

Send her to us and we'll get you fixed up, Turbo!! I'll send you the address on your PMs.

IMG_20230508_224626.jpg
 
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