Details: Mechanical Strength

Hi Everyone,

Happy New Year! I thought I'd start of 2012 by getting into some nitty-gritty details on the Alpha. People often ask me why my lights are different. I usually answer with the question, "how much time do you have?"

Some of you have probably seen the video of my impact testing, but I took some stills to show the damage and explain why the Alpha can stand up to the abuse that you see in the video. This is the actual light and it's still 100% functional. It just looks ugly.

"Busted" but not broken

One thing that sets my lights apart is attention to every possible detail. Any design can (and should) be improved and I'm not claiming perfection, but I pay attention to things a lot of people don't. So, here is the first of several mini-segments on the details that you can see......and some that are buried inside...most of which you will probably never notice :)

Read on after the jump for the rest of the details.

I'm not often impressed with my own work, but impact testing the light exceeded even my own expectations. This thing got punished every which way and just wouldn't stop working. As you see in the video, the switch eventually broke, but you can replace it in less than a minute...without tools.

Ouch right? 

After massive gravity induced beatings and being repeatedly run over by a car, once in the video and many many times by my off-screen SUV, the threads are still perfectly smooth. Why? The threads on the head of the light are not damaged is because of the tapered shape of the head. This is an engineering decision, not a styling decision.

Simple geometry prevents damage

When the light lays flat on the ground it's nearly impossible to apply direct pressure to the tapered area...and the threads underneath. In this instance, geometry protects the light from damage. If your kids are wondering why they should take math, you can forward them this post :)

Most manufacturers opt for a "hollow" head instead of a solid one

Another feature of the Alpha is the solid, one-piece head. Most light heads are hollow all the way through, but the Alpha has a solid band of material that both dissipates heat and provides incredible strength. This means the entire head is used to transfer heat away from the LED instead of the tiny "pill" that most manufacturers rely on. It's also easier to manufacture and assemble a hollow head but I'm going for "as good as humanly possible" not "easier." 

Overbuilt: sometimes too much is just enough

Two things keep the tail from crushing: geometry (again) and the pure mechanical strength of the material. Accurate thread fit keeps the components from shifting against each other and allowing movement that could lead to failure. A lot of flashlights have "fancy" sculpted tailcaps...the the Alpha's perfectly round profile and beefy lip means there is no opportunity for uneven pressure that will allow the tailcap to deform and damage the switch or prevent access to the tailcap button.

Stay tuned for the next edition where we'll take a look inside the light and see what makes it tick.