A beginner trying to get his feet wet.

So I am a beginner when it comes to flashlights.
Up until this point I have bought any flashlight which makes me go WOOO.

My question tonight is, "How do I begin?", espcially with drop-ins.
Does anyone have any information on how I can go about making one?
Are there threads on here or people that can help.

In my early years I studied Avionics engineering so I know my way around electronics.. But.. like anything..

You need to learn where to start from.... And at the moment I have no idea.

If anyone could help point me in the right direction, I would greatly appreciate it.

Eg. Do people make up their own PCB boards and go to local shops and buy their own resistors and diodes? Or... Do they normally buy a reference board from somewhere and solder in the LED?

lots of great imfo here, just look around, soldering the tiny components in a flashlight is very hard, im pretty good at most things and have failed horribly trying.

for the cost of parts and shipping and time and effort and tools needed, i have decided its easier just to buy a used light / drop-in complete.

buy a cheap led flashlight, take it completely apart and try and solder it back together

Reverse engineering!! I might try that.

I'd suggest you use the search word "beamshots" on this forum, and read through a few of the threads you'll find. It's helpful to see the different tints and tradeoffs between throw and spill. It may help you narrow down what you like the most. Then, frequent the marketplace (CPFMP) for new or used bargains!