ALLWAYS-ON Freelight - Now with pen clip!

Hi,

I received my freelight yesterday. I missed the original group buy, but Jolly Roger sourced one for me and sent it to me in Ireland (Thanks!). I read earlier comments in these pages about the lack of an always-on facility. That got me thinking ...

Here's all you need to get that elusive allways-on feature. Note: Sourcing supplies of that exotic black-clip thing may be difficult!



The next step is to coat the inner surface of the clip with selotape (or similar) and then S-T-R-E-T-C-H the clip until it looks like this:

The tape will reduce any tendancy to scratch the FreeLight when it's in use. Stretching the clip is very important - you don't want it to crack the solar panel!


To use this combination, just apply the clip to the light! My clip fits neatly into the recess where the blue switch is.



As fitted, the clip does not touch the solar panel! This shot is a little fuzzy, but it illustrates the point:


And there's more!. In action, the clip can also be used as a stand:

The clip can also be used to turn the freelight into a headlight:

and can even be used to protect the LED when not in use:



Any CPF members who want me to do this mod, just send me $50 + $92 for shipping via paypal to [email protected] Note: This very special price includes a free freelight

P.S. Just in case Darell, don't consider this a mod and shift it to the to the Homemade and Modified LED lights area !!!

moderator response: I'm thinking that there's no worry that anybody will confuse this with a real modification. < there was a big smiley here, but I was told that the "maximum number of images" has been exceeded, so had to remove it >. Thanks for the grins.

Will you accept a check?

The picture of the headlight reminds me of the picture of the "universal cellphone handsfree kit" that was circulating via email (a picture of a guy with a phone rubber banded to his head) )

cute borg imatation!

What can I say...it`s amazing!

HAHAHAHA! Funny Alan, very funny....

What are all those smileys about? I was being serious! $142 is a good price for this mod. I hope nobody thought that my special "switch" is just an ordinary paper clip - as seen in your office's stationary cupboard! It is made of exotic .... Ok, I give up - I'll have to think of something else to qualify me for entry into the CPF modder hall of fame. Maybe this tent light:



Enough! On a more serious note, I did side by side comparisons between the Freelight, my Photon P3 (Newish batteries) and my ARC LE (Also newish batteries). I'd say the output of the Freelight sits between the low and middle levels of the P3. My ARC LE is midway between the middle and high levels of my P3. The light from the Freelight is also more "brown" than the distinctly blue-tinged light from my white P3.

Someone ought to send this link to every manufacturer of LED lights. JUST MAYBE, someone would get the hint about the "ever elusive always on" feature.

That's a really great idea! I was trying to think of something that had jaws big enough to go around the light, but smooth so it doesn't scratch it. Well, you were the clever one who thought of it first, so I guess you get the patent rights.....well, maybe bragging rights anyway.

I bought a Freelight because of its unique solar panel design, but normally I find flashlights without an "always on" switch to be rather annoying.

Aw shucks machspass - stop it or you'll give me a swelled head!

I read in some other freelight post that somebody was thinking of modifying something like a pen clip to swivel from the loop at the end of the light so that it could operate in a similar manner to that on the Q4 mini task light by CMG:

Has anybody tried this?

Hi again,

As nobody took me up on my last challenge (just where did all you freelighters go to?), I decided to give it a go myself.

What you need:
I used one cheap pen - the type with a removable flat clip. Other tools included a small nut (small enough to fit into the lanyard hole at the base of the freelight) and bolt, a drill with a bit a fraction bigger than the bolt, a metal cutter, a file and a plastic plug to be inserted into the lanyard hole that the bolt goes into.

What you do
o Remove the clip from the pen.
o Carefully cut it to length
o Carefully drill a hole at the end
o Insert the plastic plug into the hole
o Put the bolt into the hole in the clip.
o Thread the bolt into the plastic plug
o Attach nut at other end
o Swivel clip to enable light

Some Photos
o Here is the nut-side of the setup (White plastic plug just visible):

o Here is the business-side. Light in off position:

o Here is the light in the ON position:

Honestly - it is on. My flash washed out the light!

What went wrong
o Well, first my freelight suffered a little. This was actually my second attempt, my first resulted in some "cosmetic" damage to the lanyard hole area:

o Then in my efforts to get the (first) clip working, I cut it too short! Dooh!
o When cutting the first clip, as well as cutting it too short, I also cut my finger:
<PICTURE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THIS FORUM> (Self moderated)
o The blood dripped from my finger onto a new pair on Chinos I wa wearing:
<PICTURE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THIS FORUM> (Self moderated). The blood stains will not come out, so these will have to go in the bin!
o Because of the rubber covering on the Freelight's switch, the clip does not cleanly actuate the switch each time. Try it yourself, switch it on using your nail, then try the flat of your finger. You only get a tactile click when you use your nail. The solution would be to have an edge in contact with the switch.

Any thing else
No! This mod has cost me too much all ready. I am now handing over the "baton" to somebody else. Any real modders out there? Or have you all got too lazy by eating those chocolates that Remuen gave you?

Well, after Alans' challenge, I just couldn't sit back. So I put on my modding cap, and after whole minutes of careful design, came up with the following stylish yet practical concepts.

For my first mod, I utilised the following parts..

and came up with this:


Realising I was onto something here, but knowing that the exacting CPF requirements for durability, robustness, and versatility, I moved onto the following components..

which came together as this:


The myriad uses for these mods are left as an exercise for the reader.

Since Alan has offered his mod for sale at very reasonable rates, I will offer mine as well. Due to the obvious quality of the components used, I can't keep my price as low as Alan.
Price for the mod is $75 + $120 shipping (hey, this is Japan, ya know..), paypal to [email protected].



Graham

Disclaimer: My 'mod' is in no way an attempt to belittle Alans' mods - his are useful ideas that actually work. Mine are, well, the less said the better..

Graham said: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> Disclaimer: My 'mod' is in no way an attempt to belittle Alans' mods - his are useful ideas that actually work. Mine are, well, the less said the better.. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't be so hard on yourself! That G-clamp and pliers would be a very handy addition to anybody's EDC kit! AND - like my mods - yours are also fully reversable! (Well, except for all the missing lumps of covering on my Freelight, that is

)

By the way, does anybody else find their freelight a little big as an EDC:

Nicely done. Yet another use for the amazingly versatile Freelight - a surfboard..

I'm not sure anyone will be able to do better than your black clip mod. You've set the bar too high for the rest of us here..

Oh yeah - I forgot to mention my Universal Mounting Kit..



Graham

Graham said: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> Yet another use for the amazingly versatile Freelight - a surfboard.. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, that's true. The problem with my new clip design is that it has to be removed before you go surfing - it get's in the way of your legs:


Having said that, the spring tension in the switch makes it very hard to operate the light without it when surfing at night. I've tried it a few times but I keep falling off.

Hey Alan, if you still really want to use it for an EDC, maybe you could find a way to add some wheels to it so you could pull it behind you when you go places.

I bet it would be a great conversation starter while waiting for the bus! HEE HEE!

Oh, you mean like this:


Darell: The way this thread is going, it's hard to figure where it should live - "The Cafe", "LED, Electroluminescent and Lasers" or maybe "Homemade and Modified lights"

This thread has gotten out of hand!

Man, you guys crack me up....

arab,
about the chinos - have you ever tried *New Ariel with Biologically Modified Bits*, very useful for a modders laundry needs ?

It should be sold over there, or I could send you a sample. (Umm, white powder in the post - naah)

lightlover

Graham's got a good try going there... but ou guys need to get some more manly clamps. I figure to do this right, you'll need to be able to stack about 20 of these Freelights for the "free fake luxeon" look. Here's the only clamp that was small enough to fit on my desk. I can do the 60" pipe clamp next if this doesn't seem like enough capacity.

Manly clamp:


Sissy clamp:


As usual, shipping will be a *****. But worth it, I think. That clamp in the shot only weighs about six pounds. The pipe clamp is closer to 20.