If you could design a led flashlight.

luceat lux vestra

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What would it look like?
Now it has to be a mass production capable design. And with current technology.
What would you really like in your own personal design?:nana:
 

JacobJones

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Something I'm building right now. 1D Maglite with 139mm aspherical lense and a rather overdriven Cree XR-E R2 powered by 1 NiMH D cell or 1, 2 or 3 NiMH AA's. 900 yards plus (very modest estimate), the deft was very popular so this would follow on from where the AA deft left off. I do also have a plan for water cooling that could potentially allow me to overdrive the led enough to reach 1,000,000 candlepower. Due to cost and size i'm not going to do it though, I want it powered by AA's and they wouldn't have the juice to power the cooling system.
 

leon2245

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If you could design an LED flashlight

I'd push it to the limit: 1xAA, single mediumish mode, loosen/tighten head for on/off, tailstands, 3-4" x .75"

Basically an AA Solitaire, although an AA E05 or AA Titan would also be acceptable.
 

Amix

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I'd find a way to build my flashlight into my phone.

It'd be pretty cool if the flash on an iPhone could deliver 3,000 lumens with 1 mile throw.
 

alpg88

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no drop ins, no stars, copper pill with led reflown on it, 2 mode driver, hi\lo. tir optic.
 

Derek Dean

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My perfect light is very close to already being in existence. Just give me a NovaTac 120P (or current HDS clicky) with it's nearly perfect UI, but with a neutral, high CRI XM-L LED (and a reflector designed specifically for that LED), 18650/2xCR123 capability, and a good, solid pocket clip (NOT CLIP ON).

Then drive the LED hard enough to allow brief bursts of 600 lumens OTF, but still give me a nice low low moonlight mode.

Now, was that so hard?
 

run4jc

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McGizmo Haiku body and clicky switch - Lunasol 20 style reflector/LED array but with 3 warm LEDs and a Neutral XML center emitter. Modes? Click 1 - flood - Click 2 - low (5 lumen or so) with flood - click 3 - 1.5 or so A driving the XML (no flood). Oh, and memory for the last mode used.

A "Haikusol" or "Lunaku"...lovecpf
 
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TyJo

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My perfect light is very close to already being in existence. Just give me a NovaTac 120P (or current HDS clicky) with it's nearly perfect UI, but with a neutral, high CRI XM-L LED (and a reflector designed specifically for that LED), 18650/2xCR123 capability, and a good, solid pocket clip (NOT CLIP ON).

Then drive the LED hard enough to allow brief bursts of 600 lumens OTF, but still give me a nice low low moonlight mode.

Now, was that so hard?
I'll have one of those, with HDS customer service/build quality of course.
 

CheepSteal

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My perfect light isn't too far fetched but for some reason noone wants to manufacture XPG/XML optics or a two mode tailcaps for Surefires.

Surefire Z2 Combatlight bored for 18650.
Malkoff-quality (brass and potting etc.) XP-G or XM-L in neutral/high CRI with OPTIC for throw and also a never-ending spill to cut tunnel vision.
Two mode tailcap similar to Elzetta high/low tailcap, but with the option to swap out different resistors by the user to determine how low you want your low mode.
A bonus would be if all components were individually waterproof ala Elzetta's waterproof demonstration (disassembles light underwater and reassembles and still works!)

As long as the components are built solid as heck, that'd be my EDC forever. Love my freakin' Z2, I just wish it had a low mode!!!
 

liquidsix

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Aug 23, 2005
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I like some of the existing lights so I could really only redesign my favourites:

Flashlight 1: Take a sunwayman m10r/m10a and give it an electronic switch, knurling, a decent pocket clip, more emitter options to choose from at purchase time (warm, neutral, cool), and replace the strobe with either a lower low, or another mode between low and medium

Flashlight 2: Take any form of quark tactical and give it an electronic switch, a 40-60 lumen mode for at least 5 hour runtime on single AA (should be possible if sunwayman can do it), and again: more emitter options to choose from at purchase time. No limited runs!

Flashlight 3: A preon revo SS that starts in medium, and has less finicky mode switching.
 

whiteoakjoe

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I would like a MagCharger or Streamlight Stinger style light, with NiMH battery and smart cradle charger. Put a neutral XM-L in it, and give me three levels of light, say 500lm-100lm-10lm. I could plug it in and never have to think about it untill it was needed, and it would alway have a full charge. With this size head an OP reflector would give an XM-L a nice ballanced throw. An eneloop type NiMH battery would work for years, and in this size a NiMH would have crazy runtimes. Just the light to have when you head out of the house at night.
I would also love to have a 4xAA light like the Fenix LD40 or Jetbeam PA40 with side buttons like the TK41 a power button and a mode button. I would like it better if there was no battery carrier and you just dropped the batteries in from the top when you removed the head. Again with three output levels and a neutral XM-L.
 

lightseeker2009

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Jul 29, 2009
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My ideal flashlight would be a single 26650 powered, 3X XM-L, constantly variable UI light. It must be able to tailstand. It must have a built-in voltmeter. Thats all, not too much to ask. I'm sure it will happen one day.
 

Animalmother

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Apr 7, 2011
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Take my P100A2, size it in half so it can use 1AA. Then, use Zebralight magic to get the Most out of that XP-E R2/P100A2 SMO on a single AA so I'd have a sorta of pocket thrower.
 

Sub_Umbra

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I'd like a tight 5w recoil light designed like an undershot satellite dish. Much more light would get out than a regular recoil light and the heat sink could be much bigger because, like the transducers on a Direct TV dish, the LED and heat sink aren't in the the way of the beam.
 

Federal LG

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What would it look like?
Now it has to be a mass production capable design. And with current technology.
What would you really like in your own personal design?:nana:

Mine would be a Surefire E1L Outdoorsman with 150 "SF lumens" in high mode, with 4 hours of runtime!

Low mode is fine... it would be the same as it is now. Design, color, HA, TIR would be just the same!
 

sunfire

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Oct 30, 2009
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Right now I need an AAA light to replace my "battery eaters" keychain lights.

-Moonlight, red led, red body.
 
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Illuminat3

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Oct 10, 2011
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A single diameter 18650 form factor with exchangeable front bezel. Single warm-tint XM-L(or any other future efficient led). A infinitely variable output adjustment ring. The ability to charge in a charging dock. Figure out a way to make it focusable(so we don,t have to choose between two lights!?). Battery indicator LED's. Metal forward-clicky switch(Nitecore look..). NO sos-mode..I call it U.I. pollution.
The ability to get it in a different finish. At least olive-drab..which is rarely an option nowadays.

Although some lights do come close.

If only i could.......:thinking:
 
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