Neither Clickie Nor Twisty, Story about the mini light Spartanian II

[neoseikan]

At 2006, we tried to produce our own flashlights. At that time, cree released 7090 XR-E, and a Taiwanese company Edison annouced KLC8, a cree based LED. With KLC8, we made SPARTANIAN 1. It's a simple clickie: CR123A/16340, High/Low tailcap. Many of you gave us your great advices and support. SPARTANIAN 1.1 fixed some minor bugs, but we can not call it a new product.

Last summer, we started a new project - SPARTANIAN 2. There were many questions:

Should it be a clickie, or a twisty?
How many brightness levels should it have?
Should it be a throw light or a flood light?
Could it have the highest efficiency?​

We set a lab.
In that lab, our fellow engineers discussed every crazy ideas. We hope to make such a light:

Highest Efficiency, and fully regulated.
Many levels, but very easy to get them.
Can do everything a forward clickie can do.
Mini, Smart and Reliable.​

So, we got the first design of SPARTANIAN 2. Some of you may noticed my old posts here. But at that time, we still had many difficulties. We didn't know whether our design is correct or not.

More than 6 versions of SPARTANIAN 2 were made. Each step, was an exciting moment to us.

At first, we produced a driver platform. With it, we can drive the CREE LED at the right current, no matter its forward voltage. It was at the end of 2007. And then, we made the early control ring, but it can not be turned easily.

A few months later, we tried again and again, the control ring was OK.
But there was another problem: How to make the light more reliable. For example, how to protect the battery, how to shut off the light at the right time? We spend a lot of time on it. We got a model of the discharge of batteries, then we modified the program, so that the light could start its low voltage warning at the right time, no matter what level you are using. Another spec was added: If you set the momentary ON at 700mA, while the battery can not drive LED at 700mA, don't need to worry about it. You can still turn the light ON, at the highest available level automatically.

At last, we release the sample version now. Some samples have been sent out. It still need some more beautiful clothes, but you can see its heart clearly.

It's not a clickie, but you can still get momentary ON/OFF, and the brightness level momentary ON is adjustable.
It's not a twisty, but you don't need to click click click click click click click to get the right level.
Just one motion, you can get light, high or low. Another motion, higher, lower, or OFF.
Another motion, you can see how much energy left in your battery.​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNKfAHyrxyo
ON/OFF, +/-, Tactical/Regular
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI4zrn2D3ts
Default Brightness Setting at Any Time.
​

We are going to see more and more reviews on this sample version. I hope these reviews can help you understanding SPARTANIAN 2. We also hope the new concept of SPARTANIAN 2 can be known by you. As flashaholics, our dream is to share our best idea with you.

Reviews by:
​

• ernsanada
• karlthev
• Selfbuilt
• Mev
  

Any news will be added in the first post.

Pre-Order going ON

Spartanian II Color Sample

 

[Metatron]

been watching this one for a while, feel free to send me one, i'll put it thru its paces no probs:thumbsup:

 

[konfusius]

Very nice idea! I can't wait to see more of this light! :thumbsup:

 

[04orgZx6r]

been watching this one for a while, feel free to send me one, i'll put it thru its paces no probs:thumbsup:

+1, I have a couple of very nice cameras!:twothumbs

 

[gunga]

I'd be into reviewing this if you have more available...

 

[Fallingwater]

I can't wait to get my review sample.

 

[neoseikan]

Hi. Fallingwater
I am working on your sample light, but for the OLYMPIC, I can not drive to meet our engineers, so I have to wait 2 more days.
And gunga. Thank you!
I hope we can get enough samples, but we don't have enough left now. Very sorry.

I can't wait to get my review sample.

 

[Kurapica]

I agree with you, neoseikan, one of my best partners .

To start a new design is very difficult and with a lot of risk you cannot see. The first time I met neoseikan last summer, I was a general electic engineer and taking my master degree at PKU. At that time we just had a very simple idea which was to make a better circuit for Spartanian I, whose circuit was a bit out of time. But when we talked over the beginning idea with several of my partners, we made the plan crazy.

Everyone of us did not see how much difficult would be on the way. The first protocol driving board was done in two months, and it can drive any single LED at a proper current, stable and efficient, and we optimistically thought we could release a sample at new year. When we were going to make a sample, we met bigger problems.

During the past half of year, we changed or improved our design for many times. For example, replace reed switchs to hall sensor, change the material of positive contactor, add a nearly-no-loss reverse battery protection circuit and bearings to the circlet and so on. At the same time we produced half a dozen of samples to determine what aspect should be kept, what should be improved and what should be discarded. Now we are proudly to announce our first Release Candicate version. The finish is called Zebra, because during the modification step, some parts are badly damaged and we have only black rings and golden heads available.

Now we are doing some final fixes and improvements and planning RC2 if necessary or just make the final version. The final mass quantity producing steps are also being planned.

What I have to say is Thank You All for accepting the new ideas of Spartanian 2 so nicely and you deserve these ideas.

 

[Fallingwater]

Hi. Fallingwater
I am working on your sample light, but for the OLYMPIC, I can not drive to meet our engineers, so I have to wait 2 more days.

No problem
It wasn't an invitation to hurry up, it was just a generic statement caused by the pictures. As in "wow, cool, can't wait to have it".

 

[AardvarkSagus]

I'm a little confused by the UI still but it looks like a very well thought out little light. I like the design a lot with the Zebra striping. I'll be watching this one further.

[shameless plug]
This light definitely looks to have some very interesting qualities. I'd love to put it into my newly started flashlight testing blog. I'm trying to focus on usability more than specs to try and give a different angle to flashlight reviews [/shameless plug]

 

[orcinus]

I'm a little confused by the UI still but it looks like a very well thought out little light.

It's simple, really... Unless i've misunderstood something, it goes like this:
(TL = twist left; TR = twist right)

FROM OFF

TL = momentary mode 1
TR = momentary mode 2
TL and hold = turn on in mode 1
TR and hold = turn on in mode 2

WHEN ON

TL = decrease brightness
TR = increase brightness
TL and hold = battery check
TR and hold = switch off

PROGRAMMING

- switch on in mode you wish to program
- dial the output by TL and TR to wanted level
- unscrew then rescrew the battery cap
- that's it!

 

[neoseikan]

Exactly right.

It's simple, really... Unless i've misunderstood something, it goes like this:
(TL = twist left; TR = twist right)

FROM OFF

TL = momentary mode 1
TR = momentary mode 2
TL and hold = turn on in mode 1
TR and hold = turn on in mode 2

WHEN ON

TL = ramp down
TR = ramp up
TL and hold = battery check
TR and hold = switch off

PROGRAMMING

- switch on in mode you wish to program
- dial the output by TL and TR to wanted level
- unscrew then rescrew the battery cap
- that's it!

 

[HKJ]

Reading about the interface it sound like it has a microprocessor that is always on.

How much standby power does it use?

Anyway it sounds like a really nice interface.

 

[AardvarkSagus]

Exactly right.

Well, that actually clears things up quite a bit. Much simpler than I originally thought.

 

[Kurapica]

Reading about the interface it sound like it has a microprocessor that is always on.

How much standby power does it use?

Anyway it sounds like a really nice interface.

Actually measured about 20uA, not fully optimized yet. The final version will have a lower stanby current cosumed but 20uA is enough low in my opinion. Also, you can loosen the tail cap to completely shutdown the flashlight

 

[HKJ]

Actually measured about 20uA, not fully optimized yet. The final version will have a lower stanby current cosumed but 20uA is enough low in my opinion. Also, you can loosen the tail cap to completely shutdown the flashlight

20uA is acceptable by me, it is about 8 years on a CR123 battery.

 

[LED-holic]

The UI sounds quite interesting. A bit like the SPY 005 / 007 lights.

 

[kaichu dento]

It's simple, really... Unless i've misunderstood something, it goes like this:
(TL = twist left; TR = twist right)

FROM OFF

TL = momentary mode 1
TR = momentary mode 2
TL and hold = turn on in mode 1
TR and hold = turn on in mode 2

WHEN ON

TL = decrease brightness
TR = increase brightness
TL and hold = battery check
TR and hold = switch off

PROGRAMMING

- switch on in mode you wish to program
- dial the output by TL and TR to wanted level
- unscrew then rescrew the battery cap
- that's it!

Very like Orcinus to make such an easily understood instruction set. You need to be getting paid by the flashlight makers for helping make up their user manuals!

 

[neoseikan]

Orcinus made a great manual.

TL and hold = turn on in mode 1 (About 6 seconds)
TR and hold = turn on in mode 2 (About 1.5 seconds)

You may find the L and R time are different.

Why?

The answer is: You can use TL mainly for momentary ON. In most condition, you can use it as a common tactical light. If you hold it more than 6 seconds, I think constant ON is what you need. While TR is a fast access to constant ON.

For people who mainly use their left hand, we can also offer left-hand version.

We also added other interesting specs for S2.

For example, one can insert an 16340 battery in it, at the wrong direction, as long as you want, nothing will happen.
He can also use an low voltage battery, such as 3.3V. See how S2's low voltage protection works.

Very like Orcinus to make such an easily understood instruction set. You need to be getting paid by the flashlight makers for helping make up their user manuals!

 

[Sabrewolf]

I am Very interested in this!
You wouldnt by chance have a Price range on it?
I have considered the Ra Clicky, and this may be
another one to add to my collection of unique lights

Can't wait to see what happens in the near (hopeful) future
:twothumbs