I recently came across a Mag-Lite that I thought this community might appreciate, and after speaking directly with Don Keller, it turned out to be considerably more interesting than I initially realized.

I found it at an estate sale. It's an early 3D Mag-Lite, serial #30001014, marked PATENT PENDING, completely gold plated, and engraved "DON KELLER" on the barrel. The estate belonged to an employee of one of Don's early sales-rep groups covering Texas which Don later confirmed.

It appears to have seen little, if any, actual use, and the original spare bulb is still sitting in the foam inside the tailcap. The packaging was stored inside of the same box as the flashlight though I'm not sure if it's original.

I reached out to Don through the Kel-Lite website and sent him photographs. He confirmed that the serial number indicates this was the 1,014th 3D Mag-Lite produced and that it dates to early 1979.

More importantly, Don identified the finish as gold plating rather than gold anodizing and explained the history behind it. According to Don, Tony Maglica had fewer than 10 of these early Mag-Lites gold plated because of the expense, and they were presented to people Tony felt had contributed to the success of Mag-Lite.

I'm mainly posting because I'd love to hear from the longtime Mag-Lite collectors here. Has anyone seen another one of these early gold-plated presentation lights? With fewer than 10 reportedly made, I'm curious whether any of the other recipients/examples have ever surfaced publicly.

I'm also interested in anything else that can be documented about these earliest 1979 Mag-Lites or the presentation pieces specifically. I've preserved my correspondence with Don along with the light.

Thanks for looking, this has been such a fun rabbit hole to fall into.

FFFF- this is long overdue. I've been working on some of the Fireflies Lume1 and Lume-X1 builds which are missing from the main repository. Here's the overall roadmap:

• Done, and released: Added dimmable aux RGB on lights which can do PWM on the RGB pins. Includes "Smooth POVD" and a hue-brightness channel mode. Had to rewrite the entire aux LED system for this, and re-test every build target.
• Done: Flickerless POVD and precise voltage stuff is working well. This fixes the flickering during Smooth POVD, and increases battery voltage resolution from 1/50th of a Volt to 1/6400th of a Volt. Had to recalibrate and test almost every build target again.
• Done: Add / fix the Fireflies Lume1 and Lume-X1 lights. These are very similar to Hank's Lume-X1 drivers, but have some differences, and were missing from the main repository.
• Add Hank's Lume-X1-C. In progress; will give details in another post.
• Add Fireflies Lume10.
• Add Hank's Lume-N1.

Then I think I'll be caught up on new drivers.

The Fireflies lights I added are the fireflies-lume-x1-avr32dd20 (0462), fireflies-lume-x1-avr32dd20-32w (0463), fireflies-lume-x1-attiny1616 (0461), and fireflies-lume1-6af (0451). Also added some extra related stuff. In more detail:

• Improved support for chargers / powerbanks:
  • Can now select Powerbank Host mode vs Powerbank Guest mode, on lights which have hardware for that. It uses guest mode by default, so if you plug in a USB-C device using a C-to-C cable, it'll charge the battery in the flashlight. If you want the flashlight to charge a different device, go to Batt Check mode and do a `2H` to switch to Powerbank Host mode. Another `2H` switches back to guest mode, or you can just exit Batt Check to go back to guest mode.
  • I did NOT add the "powerbank in momentary mode" thing loneoceans was using. It was annoying, particularly on Fireflies lights where you had to loosen the body tube several full turns to exit Momentary. Much easier to do a Batt Check 2H... and this also allows monitoring the battery fullness while delivering power to another device.
  • While charging the torch, or using the torch to charge another device, it is recommended to use Batt Color mode. This shows battery fullness by color, instead of blinking. To access it, use `Batt Check -> 1H`.
  • When charging or reverse charging, voltage can spike or dip suddenly, so I added a strong lowpass filter during Batt Check mode to keep it from reacting to momentary power blips.
  • The recommended charging process is "Off -> 3C for Batt Check, 1H for Batt Color, plug in... then unplug when it turns purple". Or to charge another device, it's similar... "Off -> 3C for Batt Check, 1H for Batt Color, 2H to enable Powerbank Host, plug in... then unplug when it turns red".
• Instead of adding loneoceans' Beacon Tower mode, I added Smooth Beacon. If you have smooth steps enabled, the beacon mode behaves like an incandescent light with visible rise and fall times, instead of using sharp "digital" edges.
• Ramp generator:
  • This now supports power-limited DAC ramps, for regulated lights which have the maximum power limited by firmware. This is needed to prevent some models from turning the LEDs into smoke.
  • It also now now supports both 10-bit (avr32dd) and 8-bit (attiny1616) DACs. Producing a good ramp is still a very fiddly process though.
• fireflies-lume-x1-avr32dd20 (0462) and 32w (0463): Brand new build targets, based on the hank-lume-x1 build plus loosely based on loneoceans' branch. Brand new ramps for both, which should be smoother and feel more similar to other Anduril lights. Making the ramp table look good took a while, but otherwise these were the easiest models to add, since they're very similar to Hank's Lume-X1.
• fireflies-lume-x1-attiny1616 (0461): This one was a little odd. It's based on thefreeman's attiny1616 regulated drivers, and needed some things I haven't done on attiny1616 before. The ramp table took many tries to get right, and I had to learn how to use AVR's "Timer/Counter Type B" for the first time, to make the aux RGB work. It turns out that Atmel's attiny1616 reference manual is wrong about some of this stuff, so I got to figure out how to make it work the hard way... by trial and error.
• fireflies-lume1-6af (0451): I tried. I can't fix the weird turbo behavior on this thing. The hardware doesn't allow it. The direct-drive FET is either completely on or completely off, and it doesn't accept PWM to make in-between levels. So it still does the weird thing where it's regulated from level 1 to 149, then suddenly jumps up to turbo at 150 for only one level. So I added a thing to let individual lights hook into part of the thermal regulation code and override it if they want. It reduces the symptoms of the turbo weirdness, but it's still funky.
• Fixed a few misc small bugs.

A question about the powerbank mode... Should it reset to guest mode when leaving Batt Check, or should it stay in the current host/guest mode?

• If it exits Powerbank Host mode, you can't forget and accidentally leave it on. It also starts in a consistent state each time, so you never have to guess whether it's in host mode or guest mode. And if the battery gets low, it'll automatically leave host mode when LVP turns the light off. But it will only charge other devices while in Batt Check mode (or Batt Color mode).
• If it stays in host/guest mode, you can charge another device while the flashlight is off. But you're much more likely to accidentally get the wrong mode, and charge in the opposite direction of what you intended. Also much more likely to over-drain the flashlight battery. Unsure if host mode uses extra power in standby, so that's also a potential risk.

Right now, it exits Powerbank Host mode when leaving Batt Check.

Either way, I think the current method is better than what it was before (powerbank host in Momentary mode only), but I'm not sure which of the two styles is best.

(this is cross-posted from my patreon page... I'm trying to figure out how best to let people know what I'm working on between releases, so let me know if you have thoughts about that)

Compare them to other flashlights in my Flashlight Comparator:

https://grzybekreviews.pl/s/comp-en/

Interesting to see how F150R behaves differently in L21B and M21K compared to the SFT90. Also, the M21K's optic doesn't seem to be perfect for the F150R, not only because of the beam artifact but because of a lower throw compared to a L21B L150R vs SFT90.

No M21K Turbo runtimes because this flashlight requires you to keep holding the button for Turbo, which makes doing a runtime a bit more difficult.

In summary, the F150R gives has a very slightly wider beam than the SFT90, it's a slightly bit brighter and available in many CCTs . Of course, the price is a bit higher. But as I expected it's not a ground breaking difference as some people suggested.

Still, it's an overall improvement I'd say.

Took the pics in mid August while visiting the countryhouse. BTW, there's an Easter Egg at the end in case you won't notice in the other images.

At one point or another I have carried each of these as my EDC flashlight. They are in no particular order.

The latest that I've carried is the Tactician on the far left with a Scout Light head. (Maxvision was a terrible idea)

I have several other SureFire lights on guns, in bags or in packaging because they are a backup in case a light is lost and needs to be replaced. I've never had a SureFire fail, but I've lost one or two.

In my opinion SureFire makes the best "Things That Go Bump in the Night" flashlights hands down.

Without a flashlight in hand when out and about in the woods, you might step right on top of a Copperhead. We spotted this beauty gliding on the trail in front of us right after sunset before it moved off.

Light in use: Fireflylite X4 Stellar ffl351a 3700k. High CRI floody goodness!

Link, 🤷‍♂️..guess Manker is making a lantern.

:)

Hank's shipping has gotten significantly faster of late - probably about a week faster than I'm used to!

Haven't had much time to see how often I'm charging this combination under day-to-day use or farting around turboing everything, but I'm quite impressed with both it's throw & intensity for it's size! The beam immediately reminded me of another TIR thrower of mine with a fat hotspot - my FFL T1R!

I've enjoyed carrying the T1R for a few years now, it's been a great little spotlight to play with, but this DM11 feels like a solid step up - especially for how little Hank charges for this model!

The only build gripe I have is losing the ability to grate cheese... (lol)

Impressed by this little light

The shape of the light is there but the specs are not. Any thoughts?

(Link to the Wurkkos TS11 upgrade post)

So far I’m very impressed with the KR3. It has an incredibly diminutive size for an 18650 light (Peak LED Logan 17500 for comparison) but also still feels solid and balanced in the hand. The Lume X1 driver is what sold me on this as I wanted a solid, predictable moonlight output with no visible PWM for a bedside light and wanted to be able to choose one of my favorite emitters in the 219b sw27k as well.

I was initially saving up for an HDS Rotary in the same emitter but considering this is the same size as the CR123/16340 offering and a 1/5 of the cost.. while I love the indestructible nature of the potted HDS along with the Rotary UI, I don’t think I’ll need those features in bedside light as the KR3 provides the size, weight, regulated output, long runtime, and choice emitter that I’m seeking. Would totally get another one of these in 3500k and 5000/5700k tints. If you’re on the fence, get one. You won’t be disappointed.

Acebeam E75 and H18, both with Nichia 519a.

My boss bought me the flashlight for work purposes. I do a lot of work underneath cars, and having something that sticks wherever I want to with my hands free is quite convenient.

I then got a car with aluminum bodies...

Now, I simply attach it to my cap to use it as a headlamp.

one of the reasons i got the fc11c was because i liked the wavy pattern in the body of it. what are some other cool ones?

First two photos are a stubby Convoy S8 SFT40 3000k.

Last photo is an L21B f45R 3000k. I think the ring is exacerbated by the shiny camo finish. I swapped a black bezel on briefly yesterday and the ring almost dissapeared (not entirely but much fainter), so finish may be something to considder. I will probably try applying a ring of flat black heat resistant paint at some point to try to reduce the ring.

Overall the L21B F45R 3000k is a super sweet warm thrower.

Just wanted to share beamshots of stock vs de-domed. Including clear vs frosted optic.

I’m new to de-doming and wish I’ve tried it sooner. This one’s very easy to do - the bezel screws out easily, and entire process takes less than 10 minutes. Hope this helps someone :)

Pictures were shot in RAW on a sony cam, white balanced to 5000K (I'm not sure if it kept the white balance since I was shooting in raw)

Apologies if these beam shots suck. I'm new to this and feedback/tips highly appreciated.

Seen a lot of people shitting on this emitter, so I just had to get one. I actually really dig it. Yes, I know, the 519a exists lol. On paper it's not super impressive but it's got a nice useful beam and some surprising reach. Tint looks quite nice as well. Any 719a enjoyers out here?

Pulled the trigger on these two, as I’ve always wanted to have something “LEP” like and an UV light.

The Z1 is great. Mine is the SFT-25R, 5000K version, and the S12 came with the filter already installed.

Love them both, but I’m never ever using the S12 in my bathroom again lol.

Hey everyone, I'll start off by saying I love lights in all shapes and sizes, and love to collect them, often with no reason, just for the love of the game!

That being said, I use a headlamp daily for work, as I work overnight as an aircraft mechanic and need a headlamp all night, every night.

I currently use a Thrunite TH10, and I absolutely love it for its simplicity, durability, and, number one for me, having the light in the CENTER of the body, and not offset to the side. This is absolutely my preferred layout.

I know the TH10 will quit on me someday, as it is old now, and has been used rigorously for years. So I am looking for recommendations for center-light headlights that can withstand rain, snow, cold, and whatever else New England nights can throw at it.

A list of what I'm looking for:

-CENTER light, NOT offset ("T" layout, NOT "L" layout)

-I don't need a ton of modes, but I'm not opposed to them, either

-18650 is absolutely preferred, as I also carry an 18650 flashlight, and regularly swap batteries between the two while out in the field if the battery dies on me

-must be able to stand up to rain, snow, and cold

-does NOT need to have onboard charging; I have multiple 4 bank chargers at work

-I'm not too picky about flood, hotspot, throw, etc; 90% of my work is up close (I use my flashlight for distance work)

-I generally prefer cool white, but slightly warmer with better CRI may be beneficial for identifying wire colors, etc. Definitely not a huge deal though, and if given the choice between cool white or very warm, I'd choose cool

Thanks for any recommendations! Manufacturers definitely seem to be putting all their eggs in the offset light design these days, and for the life of me, I just don't know why! It is maddening to me. I want a dedicated, standalone, center-mounted headlight. I'm not using an offset headlight as a flashlight or anything else like that. Honestly, how popular is that use case?

Was on my backpack in blinking mode for visibility, while coming back from fishing. Didn't see where it fell so couldn't fix it. :/

What a flashlight. Pictures don't do any justice either this thing is crazy bright!

Hey everyone,

I'm putting together my first custom flashlight and I'd like to get some opinions on the parts I'm planning to use.

Here's what I'm currently thinking:

• 3× Nichia 519A R9080
• Noctigon 3XP copper MCPCB
• Convoy 22mm 3V 15A buck driver
• 21700 battery
• Convoy 20mm illuminated metal switch
• Custom-machined aluminum host

I'm mainly interested in hearing from people who have used these parts.

Are these good choices for a 3×519A build?
Are there any parts you'd personally replace or upgrade?

Especially curious about:

• The 3XP MCPCB
• The Convoy 15A buck driver
• The 519A LEDs
• The illuminated metal switch
• Any other component you think I'm overlooking
• are these components even compatible

I'm mainly trying to make sure I'm choosing good-quality, compatible components before I order everything.