Spy Questions

[Data]

I set up some of the lights with a click and others with a smooth silent feel. There are two camps out there on this issue and the verdict is still out. I myself prefer the clicky sound like Dad's light probably has.

The mechanics of it are effected by the slot width in the switch and the corresponding width of the blade in the knob. It is also effected by the knob adjustment nut. You can not change the slot in the switch but the blade width can be modified. Few of the lights have a truly quiet knob because that requires very tight tolerances in several areas. Without voiding the warranty you can not change it yourself.

The knob adjustment nut pulls the knob tight against the o-ring. If it is loose the knob has a free turning feel but it is not as water tight. I carefully set them all to be water resistant because that yields the best compromise to feel. However, if water gets past the o-ring it still does not go anywhere because the Teflon bushing and grease in the bearing stop it there. You can't have water getting inside the SPY or it will need to be opened and dried out. It is OK in the rain but don't put it through the machine wash cycle.

Cheers
Dave

 

[:)>]

Dave,

Thank you for the answers. On a side note, the Spy 007 is the only light that I own that truly impresses non-flashaholics. The overwhelming response that I have received is from people saying that it is the finest of all the lights that I have showed them (I have showed all of them off BTW).

Can I send mine in for a switch change to the clicky knob?

 

[Data]

Normally this is a time consuming thing to rework. And I do not have complete freedom to change all the tolerances in the light. Also, one persons idea of right is not easy to ascertain in a conversation. However, send me an email and we can talk about it. Please note this is not covered under the warranty.

 

[chipwillis]

3 of mine have the click and 2 have the silent feel. I like each of them. The silent one's just seem to have a tighter feel (IMO).

 

[:)>]

Normally this is a time consuming thing to rework. And I do not have complete freedom to change all the tolerances in the light. Also, one persons idea of right is not easy to ascertain in a conversation. However, send me an email and we can talk about it. Please note this is not covered under the warranty.

Will do. I wouldn't dream of asking for this service to be performed under warranty.

 

[tino_ale]

Here goes the resale value on mine but I use the tip of my Sebbie to open up the battery case.

If I had a lathe (that one again...) I would machine a small titanium pendant (comparable in size to tritium pendants seen on CPF) with a Delrin removable tip on order to open the SPY. Heck it could even feature a tritium vial in the titanium part too! It'd be attached to my keys, or directly to my spy lanyard.

If anyone was willing to offer these for a $20 or less I'd be totally sold.

 

[hamheart]

me to, but i would be willing to pay 40 considering it would be titanium.

 

[Flea Bag]

Hi Guys,

Just got the Spy007 a few days ago and it's really nice!

Want to ask though if some kind of thermal protection made it into the final version of the 007. It seems to be mentioned here but that was some time ago during initial production/design. Worried about my Spy being accidentally activated into 1250mA level in bag or pocket without me knowing and cooking the LED/board. I don't like using the lock-out feature and even with one o-ring removed, I'd rather be safe than sorry. I don't dare change level 6 to 1250 yet for this reason and keep it on 1000 instead.

Before purchasing the Spy, I also mis-read about the strobe and thought it could be programmed into one of the regular levels. My mistake. Any chance of this being offered in future firmware upgrades though? I use strobe or some kind of momentary-on to signal friends/family to find me in crowded situations every now and then.

 

[Data]

Flea,

The STFu is thermally protected. However, the 1250 setting is intended for intermittent use because the light can get very hot especially if the light is in your pocket. The thermal protection only kicks in to save the STFu, it does not directly concern itself with the emitter temp. Use the lock out feature just to be safe. The spy has a very high density of power to weight especially if you consider its surface area. Play on the safe side! :candle:

As for plans to put the strobe on one of the power levels, I will give it some consideration. Do you use the strobe?


Cheers
Dave

 

[Flea Bag]

I personally use a series of momentary flashes or a strobe feature (if it's available) quite often. An average of perhaps two to three times a week to signal 'goodbye' or 'I'm here' to close friends or family.

Anyone else would like a strobe to be inserted into one of the brightness levels? Please show your interest guys! Hope I'm not alone. :candle:

 

[Flea Bag]

:bump: No one else has uses for a quick access strobe on the Spy?

 

[FrogmanM]

I wouldn't say no to having a slot used for a strobe mode. Personally I keep thinking, "hey maybe I should change the levels around" Yet Dave's preset levels are fine as it is. I would have a hard time getting rid of even one of these slots for a strobe mode.

Mayo

 

[Flea Bag]

Good point Mayo. I'm still experimenting with the Spy007 myself, having only owned the light for around a week and I admit that the factory default levels are very well selected. They're all spaced very evenly and to me, this means that brightnesss selection becomes a smooth and 'natural' process. I simply adjust the brightness up to the level I want and get on with the task with no thought or temptation to count what level I'm actually using.

*** Start of long and boring section that is perhaps of some use to non-owners as a mini review of the Spy's settings.***

However, I've started to need a lower level 1. I've lowered it to be dimmer for dark-adjusted eyes. Level 2 then took a similar brightness to the original level 1 and the same for level 3 taking something similar brightness to original level 2. I consider this new level 3 to be my dimmer-primary setting. Level 4, 5 and 6 remain at factory settings though. 4 is bright enough for almost everything including ceiling bounce while 6 is a nice max. I consider level 4 to be my brighter-primary setting because it's quite bright while putting out only a little heat even when left unattended in a warm environment.

One example is how my bathroom light recently started flickering and it's quite irritating. While waiting for it to be fixed, I used the Spy on level 4 for ceiling bounce and had a nice non-flicker shower. After 20 minutes of being used in that moist and warm environment with no human contact to channel heat away, the Spy remained only warm.

(Hang on, I'm going somewhere with these long statements!) The downside of my custom settings though is that it's not so 'natural' anymore. Because the brightness levels are no longer so evenly spaced, I often find myself being more conscious of what level I've actually selected. Often, I will test to see if I'm using my 'optimum' level 4 or whether I'm using level 5 which produces more heat without being usefully brighter.

So, it's a compromise choosing between the default settings or my custom ones. The 'naturalness' of the default settings results in a low that's a bit too bright for dark-adjusted eyes. Meanwhile, my custom settings seem less natural and take up more mental space especially if I'm after level 4.

So... If there were to be a strobe setting inserted into one of the Spy's six positions, I'll probably have the strobe inserted at level 5. This allows more 'natural' selection of level 4 without me having to test what level I'm on. Level 3 is usually too dim for me to accidentally mistake it for level 4 while level 5 should strobe if I select it accidentally.

However, it seems that since the time of the 007 being released, not many owners seem to be expressing interest in a strobe being available in one of the settings.

If I could make level 5 into a 'fully off' position, I wouldn't mind making my own 'manual' strobe/blinking function. I could just quickly switch between level 4 and 5 or between 5 and 6 to get the desired signalling effect but unfortunately, there's a significant minimum current limit placed on level 5 so no go for me on that.

 

[Archangel]

Since you'd be willing to swap between levels, simply un/covering the bezel with your thumb would suffice. That's what i do when i'm in situations where a strong blink would be useful, but i don't fine myself in them as often as you.

 

[Flea Bag]

Since you'd be willing to swap between levels, simply un/covering the bezel with your thumb would suffice. That's what i do when i'm in situations where a strong blink would be useful, but i don't fine myself in them as often as you.

I have to admit. I've been so used to carrying larger lights with bigger heads that I never considered signalling using my fingers as 'blinkers'!

I'm guessing from the responses here that no one really wants to have an instant access strobe on their 007 then.

 

[Archangel]

I think having it would be useful; it really comes down to cost.

 

[Rudi]

I would not welcome a strobe if it takes the place of one of the current settings -- only if it could optionally be substituted to satisfy the few that really want it.

 

[Morelite]

I would not welcome a strobe if it takes the place of one of the current settings -- only if it could optionally be substituted to satisfy the few that really want it.

+1

 

[Flea Bag]

I would not welcome a strobe if it takes the place of one of the current settings -- only if it could optionally be substituted to satisfy the few that really want it.

Yes I'm only hoping for the strobe to be available as an option -allowing the user to select whether he or she wants the strobe and allowing the user to select which switch position to locate the strobe.

 

[DaFABRICATA]

Few questions here..

1. What reflector is used with the LUX III 005?

2. I watched the you tube video on assembly of the 005. Doing an emitter swap seems pretty straight forward. Is it?

3. The warrantee only applys to the original purchaser correct?

4. I have not recieved the light yet, but how much is the upgrade if I have the DB converter and how do I go about having it done? Is the entire board replaced with the STFu or is it a software(?) upgrade?

Any help would be great....I have a feeling the LUX III just isn't gonna cut it anymore.

Thanks