MBI #4 - Get Ready to meet Zeus™

[ZzmadzZ]

In for the light too. Ohhh wait. In for all the lights your making now LOLs

 

[invisible_kid]

Snap!

 

[IsaacL]

I'm very intrigued Guy! :thumbsup:

 

[Newguy2012]

Apollo is gonna be a small light that uses 10250? Can't wait for the mysteries to unfold.

 

[gunga]

Sounds interesting... I'm intrigued.

 

[Zandar]

Seriously GUY, This would be funny if it didn't happen with so much regularity. You've gone and done the impossible again haven't you? Now I know who bought up all that Unobtanium that Cataract was just talking about the other day. Were looking at the prototype of the world's first self-recharging battery aren't we? O K, I know it's not a self recharging battery, that would be self-defeating. What were really looking at, is that new magical battery technology that DBCstm was talking about. You know same physical size but packs in 1000 times more energy than a comprable cell will still retaining the "Nuke" capability of very high discharge rate!! Only the best for the tribe!

 

[Random Dan]

This looks very appealing, especially that 16340 body. Will it have a pocket clip though? For me a sturdy pocket clip is a must for a carry light.

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

Intriguing, put me on the list for a couple of whatever it will be, if I'm not already there...
Glad to see things coming to fruition.
-Th8tredude

Thanks th8tredude,

First version will be a part of Zeus/Apollo, then I might make it available as a standalone thing.
on the list

I'm in Guy! Especially this light, amongst all your projects. You already know I'm interested in something Warm... [emoji5]

Thanks A.D.D.i.c.t.,

Very little heat from this circuit, its a total energy miser (efficiency to the extreme).

In for the light too. Ohhh wait. In for all the lights your making now LOLs

Thanks ZzmadzZ

Snap!

crackle.... but no pop
Thanks invisible_kid :thumbsup:

I'm very intrigued Guy! :thumbsup:

Hi IsaacL,

It is a very intriguing thing, somewhat hypnotic.

Apollo is gonna be a small light that uses 10250? Can't wait for the mysteries to unfold.

Hi Newguy2012,
Apollo will be 14500 (li-ion size AA) exclusively for version 1.
Zeus, will be that plus every other size.

Sounds interesting... I'm intrigued.

Thanks gunga,
I know you'll want at least one once you see it in action.

Seriously GUY, This would be funny if it didn't happen with so much regularity. You've gone and done the impossible again haven't you? Now I know who bought up all that Unobtanium that Cataract was just talking about the other day. Were looking at the prototype of the world's first self-recharging battery aren't we? O K, I know it's not a self recharging battery, that would be self-defeating. What were really looking at, is that new magical battery technology that DBCstm was talking about. You know same physical size but packs in 1000 times more energy than a comprable cell will still retaining the "Nuke" capability of very high discharge rate!! Only the best for the tribe!

Hi Zandar,

Thanks for posting.
You are kind of so close, yet in a very indirect way so its going to be hard to imagine how that translates into part of the Apollo/Zeus package until you see it in action, but the Alien-tech is based on doing very magical things with energy.

This looks very appealing, especially that 16340 body. Will it have a pocket clip though? For me a sturdy pocket clip is a must for a carry light.

Hi Random Dan,

Thanks.
Definitely will be a solid titanium pocket clip for the production run.

Tgwnn

 

[Got Lumens?]

Definitely will be a solid titanium pocket clip for the production run.

Tgwnn

Guy,
Hoping for tapped set screwed clip
GL

 

[KDM]

Hope all is well Guy, here's to riding out another storm/typhoon. Looking forward to the new tricks you have up your sleeve.

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

Guy,
Hoping for tapped set screwed clip
GL

All hopes fulfilled.
That exactly

Hope all is well Guy, here's to riding out another storm/typhoon. Looking forward to the new tricks you have up your sleeve.

Thanks KDM,

Typhoon passed, all clear skies ahead

Tgwnn

 

[DBCstm]

Nice to check back in and see Genius at work.

Been busy building some quads with the XP-L, fun, that! And yeah, 10mm drivers are such fun to populate...

Keep up the good work, lovin every minute of it!

 

[gunga]

OKOKOKOKOKOKOK. Let's see some more details on Apollo!

 

[Newguy2012]

What's the ETA for Zeus and Apollo? Dec?

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

Nice to check back in and see Genius at work.

Been busy building some quads with the XP-L, fun, that! And yeah, 10mm drivers are such fun to populate...

Keep up the good work, lovin every minute of it!

Thanks DBC,

Not so sure about the Genius part but most definitely hard at work.

OKOKOKOKOKOKOK. Let's see some more details on Apollo!

Standby gunga,
working on the various specs.
This will be a DD powered light in the first rendition.
Two modes (Just two in version 1 because the modes are implemented via a mechanical switch).
For a clicky only interface, I've personally found more than two modes to be somewhat of a nuisance having to click all the way through them.

The plan is to make the mode output very customizable via a quick swap out of PCB's on the inside of the tail.
Each PCB responsible for the output of one mode.

Fairly compact for a AA size light and extremely powerful.
V1 will also be li-ion (14500 Nukes) only until I have another booster circuit I've been planning completed.

It will also come with the alien-tech and a solid copper MPCB and copper mount for the LED.
Planned optic is TIR.

I'm quite sure this will quickly become a fave EDC for the balance of:
1) Power in a compact size
2) Flexibility
3) AlienTech

I personally love the form factor.

What's the ETA for Zeus and Apollo? Dec?

Hi Newguy2012,

Still a little hard to tell but the Zeus PCB is looking close to ready now.
Waiting on the newest ZeusPCB/Driver to verify functionality (had to add some tweaks to enable firmware programming without needing to resolder things).
Managed to reduce the height of the PCB and it pumps out more power than earlier version tests which is wicked (even with a 1.5VAA).

I've also been working to find an additional machining facility to speed things up and after a few weeks of communicating with several, looks like I might have found just the right one to help speed things up and have them working on samples of various new things right now.

Going to be tight but still a chance of a V1 Apollo before Christmas as most of the parts are confirmed.
Just need to wait to confirm everything fits together & that the two-mode switch can handle the power.

Tgwnn

 

[th8tredude]

Great news Guy! Anxious for some new MBI!


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[Newguy2012]

Two modes (Just two in version 1 because the modes are implemented via a mechanical switch).
For a clicky only interface, I've personally found more than two modes to be somewhat of a nuisance having to click all the way through them.

The plan is to make the mode output very customizable via a quick swap out of PCB's on the inside of the tail.
Each PCB responsible for the output of one mode.

Couldn't you make the mode programable like the HDS lights? Maybe have it like the Fenix light head loosing for the 2nd profile. You're planning to make multiple PCB with different outputs? Isn't that costly? Why not make it like your HF light. Instead of turning to change brightness it's be for selecting profiles. Include 3 simple profile. 1st 2mode 35lumens/Max. 2nd 5modes starts with moonlight. 3rd Signal flashing modes.

 

[the_guy_with_no_name]

Couldn't you make the mode programable like the HDS lights? Maybe have it like the Fenix light head loosing for the 2nd profile. You're planning to make multiple PCB with different outputs? Isn't that costly? Why not make it like your HF light. Instead of turning to change brightness it's be for selecting profiles. Include 3 simple profile. 1st 2mode 35lumens/Max. 2nd 5modes starts with moonlight. 3rd Signal flashing modes.

Hi Newguy2012,

The Zeus PCB has mode selection built into its architecture.
The V1 UI is very unique and changes are not with the head, not with the clicky...
....the roadmap for the Zeus PCB is to do exactly that (and I've already designed a head with that functionality) use the clicky for on/off and a rotary selector on the head to do mode selection
For V1 I've wanted to keep the mechanics to a minimum (as this has to be waterproof/brickproof too) but additional head options will definitely come.

For Apollo, think of the multiple PCB thing as more of a swappable Jumper/PCB, like a nano-SD card that you can easily swap. This works independently of the head and PCB/Drivers.

Making a reasonable quantity of the Jumper PCBs, the cost will be low enough as they are tiny, and have just a single component. My plan is to include a default set (perhaps 5) for custom mode settings and an optional Jumper kit for even more customized output settings.


This is a concept photo of the underside of the tailcap for Apollo...
To give you some bearings, imagine you unscrew the tail from a standard clicky flashlight, and turned it upside down so the clicky switch is pointing towards the ground and you are looking inside the tail.
The gold pin in the center makes contact with the (-) of the battery.

The jumper-pcb just drop into the cavities and sit on top of the green base that says "Mode1, Mode2".
The default mode output will be set and you'll never have to touch it if you don't want to...
But... as 20% of requests are about "I need 80 lumens instead of 120", or "0.1 lumens instead of 5 lumens"..
this option, will make it much easier to let everyone have it their way (no soldering needed) whilst at the same time, having a very simple, no fuss UI.

I often offer customizations where possible and never charge for my time beyond materials costs.
When its one or two a month, these are fun projects to do as a hobby.
When it turns into several a week, it becomes a challenge to get them all done without either enlisting paid help or streamlining the efficiency of implementing the request, or better still, make it so that you can do all those things on your end with no soldering, no tools, no manuals.

Even something as simple as this though, parts have to be made, components matched, sizes confirmed....
and this is just for the tail...
Fortunately, every single product iteration/batch has been an improvement on the previous.

I could easily just keep things as they are for the HF/R series which is now a very very solid tool but a lot of the changes I've been working on are completely under the hood and invisible to a casual observer, yet they help improve the reliability and ease of configuration which is a critically important factor when you are making things in modest sized batches (vs batches of 10K or 100K).

Hope that sheds some light on things and thanks for taking an interest.

Tgwnn

 

[th8tredude]

Well, no wonder it' seen so quiet around here! You have no time to post, let alone sleep! You are simply amazing, Guy! Very much looking forward to all that is to come!


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[Newguy2012]

That's very enlighten. I actually was wondering what if the PCB uses jumper for while. When I think Jumpers I think pins or tiny switches. Both extra require tools and that would hassle for the user, plus it's fragile. Your drop in idea just blew my mind. I even more interested now that you're doing what I've been only dreaming about.