new light on the horizon?

tab665

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i noticed on the Prometheus FB page that Jason has been working on a new 18350 light. is there any info about this? what LED, reflector or optic, icarus driver? it looks like there might be multiple body styles in the works.
 

mgk65

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If you follow him on Instagram, he has some pictures too, but no details. Probably going to be named Delta.
 

tab665

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If you follow him on Instagram, he has some pictures too, but no details. Probably going to be named Delta.
i just checked out the photos on there....looks like a triple. i feel like the triple EDC market is a little over saturated as it is. still excited to hear more though.
 

tech25

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Seems like a triple with the Icarus driver and the new metal button. He made a bunch of beautiful designs but that might have been just for the gathering for a different forum.
 

nbp

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18350 triple would have my attention - that is my preferred size of light. I loved my Alpha, but it was too large to be carried often, so off it went. I'd be interested to see what he creates in a smaller EDC format.
 

tab665

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18350 triple would have my attention - that is my preferred size of light. I loved my Alpha, but it was too large to be carried often, so off it went. I'd be interested to see what he creates in a smaller EDC format.
not sure if you ever used the 18350 body on an alpha or not, but its more of a 18500 sized light than anything. the smaller head should help. FYI ive EDC'ed a 18350 copper alpha for years now, weighs a ton, but i actually find the longer length better for my hands.
 

nbp

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No, I never did have a chance to try one of those shorty bodies. You're right though, even the heads on the Alpha were pretty long. It might have been pocketable for me though. I carry a BOSS 70 pretty often and that doesn't bother me, but it's a lot smaller than the Alpha was considering they use the same cell.
 

InvisibleFrodo

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Part of what made the Alphas head so long is that instead of having a separate heatsink, the mcpcb is mounted right up against a solid "wall" of material with two little holes for the power wires to pass through that's pretty thick. Then press fit into the backside of that wall is the sleeve that holds the driver. That sleeve is meant as a stand-off to physically separate the driver from the heat of the LED.

Thermally it works great. But the end result is quite a large and long head with a rather large space between the driver and the LED board.
 

Got Lumens?

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The USN Gathering.
Vegas.
See You There?

4l6gPfHhK1j-zAKRmXUbM3a5j0vwU-6sLHOXlueWk8VbGmYewD9P8iZYGbz8u_-SlaNyi-sZcPcESowkyGcuRx8b6BzoJf7945jsP27h3HFp5LDkFBfb-qQxa1g0q4mboPJYcl1yJ8dPvhew9u9Z7A9rdSmqi3LfrdUKop8=s0-d-e1-ft


Come visit us.

We'll be holding down a booth at the upcoming Usual Suspects Network Gathering
in Vegas later this month, and we hope to see you there.

Why?

Because we'll be properly unveiling the new Delta Flashlight and making a
handful of them available for sale. We'll also likely hold an auction on some Timascus
one-offs and even possibly a raffle. You could own a Delta for $1. If you're lucky.
Which apparently many people get in Vegas.

We'll also be showcasing a metal tailcap button, some Blue Label lights, and maybe
one or two other surprises.

Visit the USN for more info and to register to attend.
Seriously hope to see some of you there.


#ShopScenes




I've been on a little streak posting some shop shots and vids on the IG.
Here's a little clip of a magnetic finisher hack I attempted.
I'd say it's slightly more effective (safer) than the 5-gallon bucket welding table.



WATCH THE CLIP



I'm No Expert:
The Review Episode






Reviews can make or break a small business, so we did a little
exploration on the topic to look at what makes a good review,
how to avoid getting influenced by bad ones,
and the greatest fake review scam we've ever come across.



LISTEN NOW




 

tab665

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so... after the gathering the delta will be officially released or they will only be for sale at the show? going to be a long 3-4 weeks. also, didn't realize hirsch had closed shop and jason is now doing all the ready made lights in house. when did that go down?
 

archer6817j

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I agree on the over saturation, but that's part of what motivated me to finally get this light done. I've been thinking about it for several years, but haven't had the time to dedicate. I realized I wanted to get it out there before the moment passed :)

I've also seen a lot of dubious engineering decisions in this category. Don't worry, this is normal, but like the Alpha, I think there is room for a well engineered tool. Good flashlight engineering is about understanding heat: how it's generated, how it moves, and what to do with it. A designer may not care and just go for more horsepower. Okay, but I'm not the kind of person to put a dragster in my pocket...or someone else's. The Detla is a balanced performer for real life and real use, not for shooting UFOs out of the sky ;)

For me the main technical advantage of (specifically) a triple revolves around very compact optics. Since it has such a short overall height I can trade that space savings for thermal mass, which is a significant limitation on a small light And the reason the Alpha has a large head...lots of thermal mass...meaning you can actually use the light on full power. The Delta is longer than most 18350 lights. Some of this is ergonomics and some is engineering. Just because you "can" make a light smaller (or brighter) doesn't mean you "should." The Delta is still too small to absorb 3.4A of heat for more than a few minutes, but the 70% high mode on the Icarus driver handles this nicely. There is almost no reason to run the Delta (or any other 1K+ lumen light) on full power...unless you hate batteries ;)

Thermal performance is another reason the copper pill is exposed, rather than housed within the light. Heat can escape to the environment (or your hand) without going through another thermal barrier. This also allows us to use 6/4 titanium without the significant thermal penalty of that material. CP2 titanium has 4X the heat conduction of 6/4, and that's why I use it on the Alpha.

I'm also going to be using graphite thermal pads, which AFAIK is an industry #first. So far (based on empirical measurements) graphite seems to make a significant improvement in lumen maintenance from turn on up to 30 seconds. This is bordering on "looks good on paper but doesn't matter in real life" but that will continue to be assessed.

The Delta is compact, but should still have excellent thermal performance for the reasons listed above. My goal is to always make usable lights. I make tools, not toys.
 

InvisibleFrodo

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I'm actually shocked to hear you saying that you're using 6/4 titanium as the standard material for these lights, Jason.
There goes probably any chance these will cost less than or the same as a ready made... Any chance for a run of aluminum lights for those of us who would hope for a lighter light with even better thermal properties?
 

archer6817j

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I'm actually shocked to hear you saying that you're using 6/4 titanium as the standard material for these lights, Jason.
There goes probably any chance these will cost less than or the same as a ready made... Any chance for a run of aluminum lights for those of us who would hope for a lighter light with even better thermal properties?

These will be available in a variety of materials :)
 

Got Lumens?

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so... after the gathering the delta will be officially released or they will only be for sale at the show? going to be a long 3-4 weeks. also, didn't realize hirsch had closed shop and jason is now doing all the ready made lights in house. when did that go down?
Yes unfortunately Hirsch decided to close shop unexpectedly over six months ago :(, without any advance notice.

No worries, Jason now has hired Hirsch's 30+year Lead Machinist Gilbert onboard and Hirch's veteran Office manager Joy with decades of knowledge and experience in the metal crafting industry after hearing Hirsch was closing shop last year. :) A blessing in disguise. So glad it worked out the way it has. :)

A positive difference being the man responsible for machining the production Alpha Ready Made's and the first Titanium Alpha at the former Hirsch is now part of Jason's Prometheus team! We should all express our appreciation for Jason's desire to make the best possible tools for everyone using the best procedures and people to get there.
 

tab665

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ive decided im going to keep milking for more information... will the body and heads be compatible with the alpha line?
 

Got Lumens?

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ive decided im going to keep milking for more information... will the body and heads be compatible with the alpha line?
I can say the that the tail switches will be designed like the alpha. The Delta features the "original" metal tailcap button based on the original Alpha design.

I expect more details will be available soon.
 

tab665

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I make tools, not toys.
thanks for the reply, but.... you DO make a spinning top. all kidding aside, ive been waiting for a new flashlight design from you. it never even crossed my mind that these new lights were in titanium since EN plating has been your go-to for years. feel free to send me a sample!
 
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Got Lumens?

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thanks for the reply, but.... you DO make a spinning top. all kidding aside, ive been waiting for a new model from you. it never even crossed my mind that these were in titanium since EN plating has been your go-to for years. feel free to send me a sample!
This will be added to the Promethean list of the future samplings! :D.
I think You meant Tungsten, No? If not, a Titanium/Brass Prometheus Top would be slick ;).

Edit, I just thought of something that may or may not work.
How about a Titanium ball top point? It would probably wear and leave marks???

I'm hoping we see a Titanium Delta in the near future.
 
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InvisibleFrodo

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This will be added to the Promethean list of the future samplings! :D.
I think You meant Tungsten, No? If not, a Titanium/Brass would be slick ;).

Edit, I just thought of something that may or may not work.
How about a Titanium ball top point? It would probably wear and leave marks???

I'm hoping we see a Titanium Delta in the near future.

What? If I'm not mistaken, the Delta was announced in titanium, but I am also secretly hoping for an EN aluminum version to play with my Alphas.

In my opinion, Jason does things the right way. 6061 instead of 7075. 7075 sounds flashy on paper in some ways. But for engineering a flashlight, it's actually a step in the wrong direction in my opinion. CP2 is worse in some ways. 6/4 is even worse. Going brass or copper is like a step sideways from the 6061 in my opinion, not necessarily better or worse, just different. Brass and copper have much better thermal and electrical properties, but at a substantial weight penalty. Blending the two is the best way to achieve the ideal results in my opinion. You put the copper where it's closest to the heat source, where its properties are most useful. Then the other 90% of the light is aluminum, and you have a lightweight light with excellent thermal properties.

I always wanted an Alpha with a copper head and an EN aluminum body. I call it the "Copperhead", like the snake.

Although I've been slowly bugging Dave at Cool Fall to make a Spy light the uses a traditional reflector and a mule combo. Like a Tri-V but without the big aspheric. I call it the "Double Agent", because it's a Spy, and it's two lights in one.

Yeah I'm a dork. I'd sell my soul to work in Jason's shop.
 
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