Flashlight News: Phreaky Briefing Issue 38
Welcome to the latest Phreaky Briefing Issue! We provide Phreaks like yourself with all of the latest flashlight news and information. No more keeping track of 3 forums, 2 Facebook groups, and every manufacturer on Instagram, we do the work for you! We won’t spam and will keep hawking wares to a minimum. If you aren’t into flashlight news just click here to skip to the PhotonPhreaks updates, otherwise; Let’s get on to the news!
You may have noticed this Flashlight News Briefing is formatted differently than previous briefing. As part of our continuous effort to improve, we noticed most readers are on mobile, so we are optimizing for that. There’s also a Table of Contents that you can click to expand and help you navigate.
Table of Contents
High End / Custom Flashlight News
Barrel Flashlight Co
Barrel had a MOD 10-1 Milled TAD Edition restock recently. This is the first Barrel which has a full aluminum construction!
Bright Design
Bright Liang is releasing “Flash Pods” which are made for the MTAK knuck. The Flash Pod fits into the hole of the knuck, allowing the knuck to be used or carried as a flashlight in non permissive environments .
Copper and Current
Mike released a few 15VP v5 flashlight drivers for sale! They sold out super quick, more will be coming.
Dapper Design
Dapper Design has produced (and promptly sold out of) the TL Micro, a touch-sensor keychain flashlight. Despite flashlights not being their main sales, they produced something that’s interesting – a 4000K High CRI light, which uses a Nichia 219c emitter.
Easy Street Carry x Okluma
Easy Street Carry is making a pocket clip adapter which allows the use of an “over under” Hinderer style pocket clip on items which have a “side by side” hole pattern. It’s a clever accessory, which expands potential clip selection for your prized items! – and this is actually a revision, so it’ll be even better than before!
Focus Works x Skelton Bladeworks
Focus Works Cylon presale has launched today. Developed in collaboration with Skelton Bladeworks The Cylon is a torch, we’ve been following for a while, it’s exciting to see it brought into fruition.
Focus Works has made some progress on the Dreadnaught – this time in the form of a very complicated (sic) copper pill!
Gyorgy Kemenes x Okluma
Gyorgy Kemenes made two incredible things. First is a pill which fits into the Okluma DC1 and is made for the Lux-RC 371/372 drivers. While this pill is “standard” (in that it will likely fit many lights, including the many “customs” on this platform), it still exceptional, offering a level of design rivaled only by its execution.
To go with the pill, Gyorgy designed a special pill removal tool, too. These were a one-off project done for a friend and unlikely to be offered for sale.
kennedyvapor
kennedyvapor is turning a vape into a flashlight! This is a 1200 lumen, 18650 tail clicky light. Details are slim at the moment, but at the least we know it’s a single emitter light with a reflector.
Adventure Sports Flashlight / Lumencraft
Matt Smith, owner of Adventure Sports Flashlight, is launching “Lumencraft.” This was previously a popular specialized brand, which went out of usage. Matt now has all the rights to the name, but looks like the Gatlight will not be reproduced.
Menton Boss
Menton Boss has teased an “x-ray” image of the 18350 light that’s been in the works for “almost two years now.” The light will be a triple, and have a mechanical tail switch. More details are scarce at the moment.
Mr. Tube
Mr. Tube (aka Phongtep) has made a wooden (sleeved) 18350 light. Despite the short stature, it’s still a McClicky light!
Mr. Tube is also working now on smaller lights, like this brass clicky. The work features dimples like some newer Sinner lights or classic Photon Fanatic lights, but in a different format.
HDS x PhotonPhreaks
The first run of the HDSRB Project has been completed and delivered, receiving rave reviews and official endorsement from HDS! The HDSRB Project is a PhotonPhreaks project to create a throw attachment for any ACME threaded HDS Systems flashlight. The second pre-sale is currently open, you can place a deposit to reserve yours here
Rod Venyes
Rod Venyes is making a clever keychain holder for the tiny 10810 cells used in such lights like the Lumintop GT Nano.
Sever EDC x Olight
sever_edc is making “edc knucks” that seem to fit over some popular sized flashlights- in this case, the Olight i5T EOS.
Tom Harlow x Convoy
Tom Harlow is working on making a 16mm Hex-Mule MCPCB. The goal is to put these in “basic Convoys” to start with.
Super Strike
Mike Barnes of Super Strike is releasing a unique light developed for firefighters, designed to hang off their lapels. Featuring 1,200 lumens and 50o meters of throw made possible by the cardiotropic optic, it appears to be a wonderfully designed specialty task light, something we rarely see from small business.
There will also be an Outdoorsman and even a cell phone attachment version called the Just-in-Case that also acts as a backup battery for your phone. Enter your information in the Contact-Us form to request notifications of launch.
Flashlight News Intermission
Alright, that was a lot of info. Before we continue with the flashlight news, take a deep breath and a bathroom break, self care is important.
If you’re having trouble finding the right flashlight for you, check out Parametrek. It’s the most detailed flashlight search engine that I’ve found and they help make the Phreaky Briefing a reality.
Production Flashlight News
Acebeam
Acebeam introduces some interesting blue camo patterns for their lights.
Amutorch
Amutorch celebrates Women’s Day, with a pink flashlight, uncommon in our world. They were offering a free charger and cell with the purchase of an E3S.
Astrolux
Astrolux is hitting the keychain niche, with some acrylic RovyVon-style keychain lights. These Astrolux K2’s offer various side-lights, too.
Atibal Illumination
The Atibal Illumination Ai-1 Light Head works with 18350 or 18650 bodies, which are already available. This LEP fits onto SureFire M600DF Light bodies, and throws over 880 meters!
Cree
Looks like Cree is working on something similar to the Osram Flat White emitters. The Cree XP-P, which has a 1mm squared emitting area. Throw is rated to “incredible.”
As a side note, SMART Holdings‘ acquisition of CREE’s LED division was completed effective 3/1/21
Convoy
Convoy will be offering short tubes for the C8, along with some new colors! Those should be happening this month.
Fenix
The Fenix HP16R headlamp offers a versatile battery (4xAA or a liion pack), multiple emitters, and a nice balanced wearing setup. Should have good throw, too!
JETBeam
JETBeam IM Guardian has red and green LEDs, and appears to lose the rotary ring of the other similar JETBeam lights.
Lumintop
Lumintop expands the EDC18 lineup with a raw aluminum version. Both Cree and Nichia will be offered.
More news from the world of glow, this time from Lumintop. They’ve managed to mix glow colors in a single piece, and are offering triple glow gaskets in various colors.
First we had brass and copper GT Nanos, now Lumintop is offering brass and copper GT Micros! Lumintop stresses that it is only compatible with batteries under 5A max discharge, any higher will fry the LED.
Maxtoch
The Maxtoch Xsword L2K is a new LEP on the market, which reaches 2700 meters of throw!
Nitecore
Nitecore P30i is a 2000 lumen light with over 1000m of throw!
NKON
NKON explains why the price of their li-ion cells is going up.
NKON also helped us to see which 21700 cells are currently the best!
Olight
Olight has been giving out free flashlights and shipping Obulbs with each purchase of the Warrior Mini, to support the people in Texas who went through an unprecedented Winter storm.
Olight also announced a St Paddy’s flash sale that is featuring a number of very exciting products, including:
- Olight Baton III featuring a revolutionary wireless charging case à la Apple Airpods (full writeup and review coming soon)
- Olight Maurader 2 in Orange
- Olight Perun in a Purple Gradient finish
- Olight i3T Brass
- Olight Obulb in Orange
Streamlight
Streamlight has released the Protac 90X USB and the Protac 90X, which both support 18650 cells, and have a right angle design.
Thrunite
Thrunite has updated the ultra popular Catapult V6. Now this light is offered with a Luminus SST70. The throw is great (around 700m) and the output is also fantastic (around 2800 lumens).
Also news from Thrunite – when asked about the TN42 (another venerable light by Thrunite), Thrunite responded that the TN42 “will be discontinued, there will be a new version to replace the old one.” We couldn’t be more excited.
Weltool
The Weltool T10-HR “Live Yama” is a LED thrower available in colors: red or green. Both throw very well, and will be very suited to hunting uses.
Wuben
Wuben has released the F5, a light that is useful as a fill light, for camping, etc. It has ramping, can be used as a powerbank…. So many features!
In other news from Wuben, there’s the H3, a headlamp which offers white (main) and also red and blue emitters. Not only that, but it also can be flipped in an unusual way for headlamps. Most importantly, it’s available in orange!
Congratulations on completing another Phreaky Briefing! Consider yourself up to date on all the latest flashlight news!
What’s New with PhotonPhreaks
Here’s a quick rundown of the latest happenings:
- We dropped the Phandolorian Embroidered patch with a glow in the dark element (the triple headlamp) and it’s been a great success! There’s only 3 pieces left in stock at the time of this posting
- HDSRB Run #2 Preorders are now open, reserve yours this week!
- Olight love you Phreaks so much (don’t ask me why) they decided to give you an exclusive code! PhotonPhreak will give you 10% off all items other than the X9R. No idea if it will work during flash sales, doesn’t hurt to try.
- In an effort to address the recent chatter about exploding olights and flashlight explosions, we posted an article explaining what’s to blame and how to prevent it from happening to you
- PhotonPhreaks is all about serving the flashlight community and helping everyone learn, we kicked off a new educational (illumicational?) series on the basics of modding, starting with the very first article on how to change your flashlight’s beam.
- There’s an all new product in production, it’s not PATENTED but we think it MATters ?
- Keep an on the site, there’s going to be a new magnet dropping this week, along with a surprise promotion for fun.
As always,
Spread the Light!
Simon
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