Why no new itp Polestar/TK40?

[joe1512]

The Fenix TK40 and itp Polestar A6 are the only high powered (500+ lumens) flashlights that I know of that use AA batteries. This greatly increases their market appeal as buying potentially unsafe specialty batteries that you can't even get in the US is a major hurdle for non flashoholics. Many flashies that want to give a gift will opt for a CR123 or 2x AA smaller EDC type light for this reason I suspect.

As evidence, I note that both lights are widely available at many sites including Amazon, moreso than most other 500+ lumen lights.


We have seen some nice technological advancements with the P7 and SST-50. So the obvious question is: Why are there no updated versions of the TK40/A6, or new lights that use AAs and an SST-50 emitter?

I am not sure about efficiency gains, but the SST-50 would certainly have a nicer beam profile. Many other lights have taken advantage of the P7/SST, so I have to assume there is enough of an improvement to warrant other companies production of new/updated lights. Why not these two?
Is it because the MC-E is "good enough", and that a redesign for the SST-50 just wouldn't be worth the gain? Or is it because they still sell enough volume that updating wouldn't be worthwhile.
You'd think a competitor like XTAR or the like would want to jump in and create an updated alternative. Or even *Fire on DX might make their own cheaper TK40 variant.

Personally I'd like to get my dad an A6 Polestar for fathers day, but I balk a bit that it uses an old emitter and yet is still the full 80 bucks.
Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[jirik_cz]

Both TK40 and A6 have pretty nice beams without artefacts. So there is no reason to use SST-50 for better beam imho.

According to my measurements, the top bin SST-50 has 9-17% less lumens than MC-E M-bin in the same host, both driven with the same current. So the lumens would actually drop with SST-50.

 

[Locoboy5150]

Fenix is coming out with the TK45 which, according to a video filmed at their SHOT Show booth on Youtube starring one of their representatives, was designed from input on the TK40. Thus, the TK45 is sort of an improvement on the TK40. We'll see after some CPF reviews though if it actually is better than the TK40 or not.

I agree with what you said about the powerful flashlight that uses AA format though. Simply put, it is what really brought me into this hobby and attracted me as a customer to Fenix products via the TK40 and it's AA power source. Fenix saw an unserved portion of the flashlight market and thus they now have a nice niche almost all to themselves, thanks to the success of the TK40. They also have a new loyal customer in myself as well.

Other flashlight companies could have filled that need for guys like me, but they didn't bother so...oh well!

 

[collo]

...You'd think a competitor like XTAR or the like would want to jump in and create an updated alternative. Or even *Fire on DX might make their own cheaper TK40 variant....

Spotted this TK40 look-a-like from KD a while back.

500 lumens, buck-only driver, appears to be 8*series connection.

Could form the basis of a modded light for someone who doesn't want to butcher the more expensive TK40