Modding the Tri-v

nwk00

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Jul 19, 2010
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Have thought about the Tri-V for a long time but have never crossed the border because it looked like it could do much more. So I kept waiting for an upgrade or the modding community to come up with something else. The appearance of the body is sexy as hell(big big kudos to the designer) but I just wish the other two lights are something of a different nature to increase its versatility like a green laser pointer and black light.

For the outsider of the flashlight community(like yours truly), the appearance of the Tri-V really strikes me more like a multi purpose tool. It would be more accessible to Joe public and I would really like to impress my little nieces and nephews.

If anyone is willing to undertake it I would be the first in line!


thanks

Weekeat
 

Obijuan Kenobe

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I don't understand the fascination nor the 'many' proposed uses for a green laser...or a black light for that matter.

The three emitters are arranged essentially for near, medium, and long range lighting tasks. That is not an entire ridiculous concept for a flashlight.

If there is anything I don't understand about the light, it's why the tints are not selected to blend perfectly between at least the flood and reflector. The first version of the Tri V might be cool because of the three different LEDs, but the mismatched tone makes combining them less impressive. The fact that this is not being address in the default V2 is strange to me.

But a green laser or a black light...I don't see it at all.

obi
 

badtziscool

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Oct 13, 2006
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I guess it really depends on what you expect out of a tool. The expectations out of a tri-v (to me at least) makes perfect sense: a flood that is warm so it's easy on the eyes when doing close up inspections, a neutral reflector for medium distances, and a cool aspheric with a small die led that provides no spill and allows for maximum throw. To me, it doesn't make a lot of sense to combine any of these together since it wouldn't provide optimum conditions for it's intended use. If you want throw, then there shouldn't be any light around you so that your eyes can dilate as much as possible to pick up as much detail from a distance as you can. If you want close up light, then a warm nondirectional light is better as it's easier on the eyes and won't make them fatigue as quickly. The fact that you have the option to combine any of these modes together is just a fun bonus that makes the tri-v that much more impressive.

Now, if your expectation of the tri-v is to just simply impress and to play with, then yes I would say put in a UV emitter and a green laser. I would play with that long after the campfire has burnt out. And of course, for a few people, that would have a very practical purpose but those would be few and far in between.
 

Light11

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Nov 27, 2009
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its interesting how we all have different perspectives and needs ,the fact that my Tri-V has 3 different tints is what i love the most about it.

If there is anything I don't understand about the light, it's why the tints are not selected to blend perfectly between at least the flood and reflector. The first version of the Tri V might be cool because of the three different LEDs, but the mismatched tone makes combining them less impressive. The fact that this is not being address in the default V2 is strange to me.

But a green laser or a black light...I don't see it at all.

obi
 

Obijuan Kenobe

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I imagine that a well-matched tint TriV would be able to light up everything from here to there and back again.

You can see the potential in the shots where all three emitters are on. The foreground is warm. The way forward is cooler, and the hot spot throws forever. Seems a perfect combination when you want it, and it would work out even better in my imagination if the tints were matched...say all 'neutral around 5000K'.

Just my two cents. I cannot afford a TriV at the moment, and I am afraid I am not willing to liquidate what I have already collected to try and amass the necessary fun money. But it is a wonderful concept without one slot being occupied by an emitter that no one uses except when setting Norland or playing at CSI.

obi
 

RIDE

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To each their own...that's for sure. But for me, the Tri-V is darn near perfect. I have one of the first V-1s....and not only is it an engineering marvel, but it's one of, if not THE most stunningly designed custom flashlight to date.

I will admit that it's appearance is what drew me in, but now that I have owned mine for as long as I have, I find it to be the most useful flashlight I have ever owned...and I've owned many. I have let quite a few come and go since I aquired my Tri-V...thinking that maybe my jack-of-all-trades light was not a master of one thing. But time and time again, I find those others gathering dust, while my Tri-V gets all the pocket time.

There is no way that Dave could have made everyone happy. But he made something he thought would be the most multi-purpose light going, and in the process made many of us happy. I wouldn't change mine...or trade it for anything.

RIDE
 

fyrstormer

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I think the tints DO blend perfectly together. LEDs focused by reflectors always have a cooler tint towards the edges of the beam, and the warm tint of the unfocused MC-E compensates for that.

Regarding the original topic, though...if there were ever a light that was safe to leave well enough alone, the Tri-V is it. It's already about as flexible as any portable lighting unit could conceivably be. No, it doesn't have a laser or a UV light, and yes, I suppose those could be added, but at that point you're adding features that are only useful in very specific and unusual circumstances. Better to have those features in separate housings so they don't have to be carried everywhere when they're only rarely needed.
 

Midnight Run

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Dec 1, 2011
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Paris, France.
Agreed!

If/when I do get my hands on a Tri-V, the last thing I want to do is alter its perfectly well thought out structure and UI.
 

derangboy

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Dec 29, 2009
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Alberta
Wow, no love for changing up the Tri-V! I have to say I agree with the general feeling here though. I would not want to have a laser or UV light on my Tri-V given the amount of power it is capable of putting out.
 

fyrstormer

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Anyone who's read the saga of Data building the Tri-V ought to be able to appreciate why owners might not want to crack them open and start digging around in them. It took months to build...how many are there...50 lights? And that was with a CNC robot doing all the tedious work and the driver boards delivered to him fully-assembled.
 

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

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Aug 18, 2009
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I've swapped the reflector in my Tri-V for a neutral XP-G, but let me tell you it was not a mod for the faint of heart. I needed a little bit of guidance from Dave to get the lens back in place. The precision of these builds leaves zero room for error and the cost of failure means your light will be back at Dave's shop for 1-2 months and you'll probably be another $3-500 out of pocket.
 

tanasit

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May 5, 2006
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I wrote the review of the Tri-V for the far east forum and called it "flashlight of the decade" without any hesitation. I own 2 pieces and plan to donate one to the flashlight museum being under construction now. At first I was a little surprised to see someone want to modify the Tri-V. Many gave reasonable opinions but I wouldn't add the green laser or the black light which will make it look like a toy flashlight in my opinion. Now for some reasons if Dave gave the options of having the laser and UV with the same price, I wouldn't choose them over the LED either. However, I may be okay with the built-in laser if the overall look doesn't change much..
 

mfj20th

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Mar 29, 2020
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I just picked up a Tri-V, ver. 3...Cant imagine modding this well thought out gem....Especially with all of the custom m programming that can be done.
 

Zandar

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May 23, 2012
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Welcome to the Cool Fall club. There is a registry for these lights.
 
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