This is undoubtedly the most special package I have ever received. It was only possible thanks to a friend and Hank himself.
I had a few SW45K bare LEDs that I wanted to give the best possible host, something that would truly do them justice and actually get used. I previously tried to mod a D4K, but due to a lack of proper tools and, admittedly, some skill, I ended up butchering it and essentially ruined four LEDs. Compared to the D4K, the D3AA is much easier to work with, at least for me. So I felt like I might succeed if I tried again. But I did not want to risk experimenting with these rare emitters that I care about so much.
A few weeks ago, I had this idea: what if I could send the emitters to Hank and have him build a couple of lights? At the time, it felt like a completely absurd idea. But since I have a friend living in China, reaching Hank was at least a possibility. So I asked him if it was feasible and whether it would not be too much trouble. He simply said, "sure." I was honestly surprised at how easy that was.
Long story short, after a lot of waiting, coordination between a few people, and Hank being incredibly generous, I now have three D3AA lights with my SW45K emitters. It genuinely feels like a dream come true.
I do not know if many others would go through this much effort just to accommodate a customer, especially when it would have been so easy to say no. I have immense respect for Hank. Huge thanks to my friend and everyone involved who helped make this happen. Once again, thanks to Hank for being so incredibly cool.
by sazzadrume
