Designing an LED flashlight for Kickstarter

Status
Not open for further replies.

jashhash

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 12, 2004
Messages
466
Location
Phillips Ranch
Re-Launched Firefly Flashlight Today on Kickstarter

Updated 11/23/15
The project will be relaunched today you can find it on Kickstarter here: http://kck.st/1lETDBt


Introducing the Firefly:



Stainless Pins Option


Ice Blue Trits


Featuring a milled titanium clip.





Specs:
20mm Dia 97mm long.
The switching order will be: Firefly > low > med > turbo
You will have a choice between 2 different LEDs:
*4000K Nichia 219B with 90CRI for those who want the best light quality
*6500K CREE XM-L2 U3 bin for those who want the most light quantity

Performance specs with the Nichia 219B:
450lm turbo, 105lm med, 15lm low, 1lm firefly (When using 14500 Lithium Ion cells)
276m turbo, 76lm med, 10lm low, 1lm firefly (When using NiMh or Alkaline cells)
Battery life on high = 25 min
Battery life on med = 3 hrs
Battery life on low = 15 hrs
Battery life on firefly mode = 240 hrs

Performance specs with the CREE XM-L2
650lm turbo, 130lm med, 25lm low, 1lm firefly (When using 14500 Lithium Ion cells)
450m turbo, 85lm med, 17lm low, 1lm firefly (When using NiMh or Alkaline cells)
Battery life on high = 25 min
Battery life on med = 3 hrs
Battery life on low = 15 hrs
Battery life on firefly mode = 240 hrs


Custom made shallow smooth aluminum reflector designed to increase side spill of the beam
Will have an internal copper heat sink with the LED slug directly soldered to it (see photo)
Runs off a single AA size battery (Alkaline, NiMh, or Li-Ion)
Has a built in protection circuit to run unprotected Li-Ion cells
Reverse clicky switch (you can press the switch lightly to change between 4 modes)
The premium model will be available with 8pc 2.5mm X 10mm tritium vials
 
Last edited:

KuanR

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 20, 2012
Messages
1,823
Location
Macau S.A.R.
That looks good. The ui could use some improvements though. The high and medium are way too close, and the low is not really a low for a AA powered light.

If you get better level separation and a more advanced ui I would definitely back this
 

rwhitebbq

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 21, 2015
Messages
30
To add, with a name like firefly, you may want to include a FF mode. For the standard model, what do you think differentiates it from others in this price range?
 

Eagles1181

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
179
Location
Texas
I would move your low up to around 100 lumen and then and an extra low in the 10 lumen range. Otherwise looks good.

Eagle
 

WalkIntoTheLight

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
3,967
Location
Canada
The light certainly looks nice. I love that it's a warm white high CRI LED. :thumbsup:

I'll echo other's comments about the low not being low-enough, and support for a moonlight (or firefly!) mode would be good. Something like 0.5, 10, 100, 750 lumens would be nice mode spacing. I presume that you're not going to get 750 lumens on a AA NiMH or alkaline cell, though.
 

RWT1405

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 2, 2007
Messages
1,267
Location
PA
To make me interested in an AA light, I did totally different lm outputs (as many have already stated). For me (in an AA light), I would look for something much lower, perhaps, 5 lm, 25 lm, and 125 lm. For me, an AA light is a "back up" light, or for the very few times when I can't carry anything else, so I value run time, over "stupid bright" for a few seconds. I get a kick out of people that now "need" 1000 lm for "general use". I can remember when a good 25 lm was about all we had, and it worked fine for most of what was needed. But I guess it depends on what you want it for, a "toy", or a EDC work light.

BTW, I could handle WalkIntoTheLight's suggestion, without the 750 lm mode, but I still think 5, 25, 125 would be perfect (perhaps adding 1 lm, if you wanted 4 settings).
 

hiuintahs

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Messages
1,840
Location
Utah
To make me interested in an AA light, I did totally different lm outputs (as many have already stated). For me (in an AA light), I would look for something much lower, perhaps, 5 lm, 25 lm, and 125 lm. For me, an AA light is a "back up" light, or for the very few times when I can't carry anything else, so I value run time, over "stupid bright" for a few seconds......

Agree, the levels need to be lowered for longer run time.......specifically since this is an AA light.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
3,967
Location
Canada
Agree, the levels need to be lowered for longer run time.......specifically since this is an AA light.

It needs to have lower levels, yes, but I don't mind a 750 lumen turbo level, even if it's limited to a minute or less. Sometimes you just want a wall of light for a short burst.

I think if he wants this light to stand out from the crowd of other AA lights that already exist, it should have something extra to offer. 750 lumens would do it. The Zebralight SC5 puts out 500 lumens on a AA NiMH cell. I don't know if he's planning to beat that on a AA, probably not, but it's still impressive on a 14500.
 

holygeez03

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
778
Is it feasible to get something like Chuck said when using AA... with a ~750lm "turbo mode" when using a 14500... that would satisfy the practical users with AA and the pocket-rocket users that can pop in a 14500... without requiring a fancy programmable UI.
 

moshow9

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 10, 2010
Messages
2,222
Location
El Paso
Yes, I'd be in with this set of levels, or close to it. Maybe with a real sub lumen firefly mode.
Looks nice.
I will echo agreement with these levels and as Mike states a firefly mode would work too. Nice choice on the emitter! :)
 

seasam

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 13, 2014
Messages
194
looks like a cool concept but I imagine it would get pretty hot pretty fast at 750lm :duh2:
 
Last edited:

nfetterly

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
3,764
Location
Cincinnati area, but lots of travel
Echo, echo, echo.....

Low, medium, high (turbo? - okay I have other (modded) AA lights that do ridiculous lumens, I like the 1, 40, 150, 400 but could live without the 1) with a lower low. No memory. For me - flashlight should start low & go up, much easier to use at a lower level if it's going up. Starting at high is good for tactical, but it's a AA powered light....

Firefly has been used as a flashlight name - but I don't think that's a huge deal.

I would be interested in the top end one (ti, coated, trits...)
 
Last edited:

holygeez03

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
778
What about some sort of clip? I would prefer one that is "deep carry" and is easily removable without making the light look like it's missing... kinda like the one on my old Quark.

Momentary clicky would also be nice... How will the modes cycle?

I might be interested in a S/S or Titanium version if the final specs are acceptable.
 

jashhash

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 12, 2004
Messages
466
Location
Phillips Ranch
Thanks everyone for their input. I will add a pocket clip to the design as a stretch goal, but for now I'm going to have the settings adjusted on the circuit board per your recommendation:

750Lm on high = 20 min (this is the 2nd mode)
150Lm on med = 3 hrs (this is the starting mode)
25Lm on low = 15 hrs (this is the 3rd mode)
1lm on firefly mode = 2 weeks (this is the 4th mode)
 

Amelia

Enlightened
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Messages
677
Thanks everyone for their input. I will add a pocket clip to the design as a stretch goal, but for now I'm going to have the settings adjusted on the circuit board per your recommendation:

750Lm on high = 20 min (this is the 2nd mode)
150Lm on med = 3 hrs (this is the starting mode)
25Lm on low = 15 hrs (this is the 3rd mode)
1lm on firefly mode = 2 weeks (this is the 4th mode)

Nice modes and spacing!
I like that a lot... definitely in for a SS model.
I'd pay extra for ML -> L -> M -> H sequence though.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top