Acronyms and Terminology

[Lunal_Tic]

Battery Related
CR123 – lithium primary battery, 3V, commonly used in cameras as well as flashlights, 10 year shelf life (also: 123, SF123)
CR2 – small 3V lithium primary battery
CR2016 – very thin coin cell lithium battery about the size of a U.S. quarter. 3V Used in Photon micro lights and other keychain lights. Generally two pieces used per light.
CR2025- thicker version of above often used as backup battery in PDAs
CR2032 – thickest version of above
Eneloop – Sanyo NiMH that has a longer shelf life(holds charge longer when not in use) than standard NiMH batteries. They come pre-charged.
Li-ion - Lithium Ion battery, rechargeable lithium battery 3.7V used in laptops, cell phones and some flashlights. (The numbers in the following chart are in the format xxXX0 where the xx is the diameter in millimeters and the XX is the length in millimeters and the last ' 0 ' stands for cylindrical cell. So an 18650 would be 18mm by 65mm cylindrical cell.)
Size chart:
Generic# (old/new) (approx size)
18650 = Pila 168A / 600P (2CR123 x fat diameter)
17670 = Pila 168S / 600S (2CR123 x Surefire diameter)
18500 = Pila 150A / 300P (1.5xCR123 x fat diameter)
17500 = Pila 150S / 300S (1.5xCR123 x Surefire diameter)
14500 = AA
16340 = CR123
10280 = N cell
10440 = AAA
14250 = 1/2 AA
15266 = CR2

LR91 – lithium primary AA sized battery, lighter than an equivalent sized battery and holds up better under temperature variation.
Nicd/NiCAD - Nickel Cadmium, an older but still popular type of rechargeable battery.
NiMH - Nickel Metal Hydride, a common type of rechargeable battery. Very popular currently.
Primaries - Non-rechargeable batteries. e.g. Alkaline: AAA, AA, C, D, 9V; Lithium: CR123, CR2, CR2016 etc.
R123 – a Li ion rechargeable version of the CR123; 3.7V, is not a straight substitute for CR123 cells because of the increased voltage.

Firearm Related
.22 NAA = North American Arms
.45 ACP = Automatic Colt Pistol
.45 GAP = Glock Automatic Pistol
CCW = Concealed Carry Weapon
IWB = inside waist belt
S & W = Smith & Wesson

Flashlight Related
Beamshot - a picture of the beam of a flashlight, usually on a white wall, or outside
Bin Coding - a method of describing the specifications of an LED in a short and simple manor. The code consist of 4 parts: The flux rating, tint, Vf (forward voltage), and color. Sometimes the color code will be left off. Leaving just a 3 part code. e.g. TWOH; where T is flux rating, WO is tint, and H is Vf. The following charts are for Luxeon LEDs:
Please look here for the most recent updates: Bin Coding: Color, Flux, Vf Charts (LuxeonI-III- V-Rebel, XR-E, SSC P4, Ostar)
CCFL - Cold-Cathode Fluorescent
cd - candela - a measurement of light intensity
CFL - Compact Fluorescent
Clickie – button switch that “clicks” to activate the light
corona - the area of transition between a beam's central hotspot and the area of spill. The corona becomes more prominent as the reflector surface is made rougher or more heavily textured, and also as the distance of the light emitting surface from the reflector focal point increases.
CPF – CandlePower Forums
Cree - maker of high output LED's, competitor of Lumileds and Seoul Semiconductor, maker of the XRE LED
Direct Drive - (for LED lights) The LED is driven directly by the batteries, there is no circuit but usually only a resistor that limits the current going to the LED. The light output starts to decline almost immediately after it is turned on, similar to a normal incandecent light though it lasts for much longer. (See link for more detailed explanation)
DIY – do it yourself
fc - footcandle - The unit is defined as the amount of illumination the inside surface an imaginary 1-foot radius sphere would be receiving if there were a uniform point source of one candela in the exact center of the sphere. Alternatively, it can be defined as the illuminance on a 1-square foot surface of which there is a uniformly distributed flux of one lumen. This can be thought of as the amount of light that actually falls on a given surface. The foot-candle is equal to one lumen per square foot. (Wikipedia)
FF - FireFly - a limited run single CR123 Luxeon LED light made by Doug Speck (Dspeck on CPF) also FF2 and FF3
GID - Glow in Dark
GITD - Glow In The Dark
HA - Hard Anodized
HA-III - Hard anodize type 3
HID - High-Intensity Discharge
HOLA - high output lamp assembly (SF P61, 91 Etc)
hotspot - The central and most intense portion of a flashlight beam. Intensity of a hotspot is governed by surface brightness of the light emitter, and the shape, depth, diameter, smoothness and reflective efficiency of the reflector surface. The more intense the hotspot, the greater the flashlight's throw.
ID – identification
ID – inside diameter
Incan - Incandescent
LA - lamp assembly
LED - light emitting diode
LOP - Light Orange Peel - used to describe a type of texture on a reflector
LOLA - Low output lamp assembly (SF P60, 90 Etc)
LOTC - Lock Out Tail Cap
Lumen - a measurement of light output
Lux - short for Luxeon LED (also Lux I, Lux III, Lux 3, Lux V for different versions of this LED. Often erroneously referred to as 1W, 3W and 5W LEDS)
Lux - The metric unit of measure for illuminance of a surface. One lux is equal to one lumen per square meter. One lux equals 0.0929 footcandles.
Luxeon - high output LED made by LumiLEDs. see Bin Code for explanation of flux, tint, etc.
Normal clickie switch - first press of the button and the light comes on, allows you to "flash" or blink the light from the beginning off position; keep pushing and the light clicks to constant on.
OD - Olive Drab
OD – outside diameter
Pelican – maker of waterproof cases and flashlights
Pila – flashlights and Li-ion rechargeable batteries (mfg)
PT - Princeton Tec (mfg)
Regulated - (LED light regulation) their is a circuit in the light that provides the LED with a constant level of current until the battery is unable to maintain that output then light output drops off dramatically. (See link for more detailed explanation)
Reverse clickie switch - light does not turn on until the first click then pressing the button slightly allows you to "flash" or blink the light.
ROP - Roar of the Pelican, generally refers to modified Maglites using, among other things, a Pelican bulb.
Runtime - a measurement of how long a flashlight will last one a set of batteries, often measured to 50% of the initial output but not always.
sammie - LED module/LED sandwich often the heart of MiniMag mods and more. The name might have originated here: Sandwich Shoppe and CPF
SF – Surefire
SL - Streamlight
spill - the area of a flashlight beam outside of the hotspot and corona. Light intensity in the spill area is typically low and even, and comes directly from the light emitting surface with little or no contribution from the reflector.
SSC - Seoul Semiconductor maker of high output LEDs competitor of Cree and Lumileds
Streamlight- flashlight (mfg)
Surefire - flashlight (mfg)
Throw - the ability of a flashlight to place light onto a distant defined area of surface, i.e how well the light is collimated. The throw of a light source of fixed power will be defined by the surface brightness of the light emitter, and the shape, diameter, depth, smoothness, and reflective efficiency of the reflector surface.
TK – turnkey, something pre-built and ready to use. Not a DIY kit.
TL - Streamlight Task Light flashlight
TL – Tiger Light (mfg)
TT - Streamlight Twin Task flashlight
UCL - ultra clear lens
UI - User Interface
UKE - Underwater Kinetics (mfg)

CPF Flashlight Related FAQs/info - Additional flashlight related thread links and FAQs on CandlePower Forums.


Flashlight Manufacturers and models
Fenix
L0P - 1 x AAA light
L1P - 1 x AA light

Pila
GL2 -
GL3 -
GL4 -

Surefire
Incan:
E1E – 1xCR123
E2E – 2xCR123
E2D – 2xCR123 strike bezel
G2 – 2xCR123 Nitrolon
C2 - 2xCR123
6P – 2xCR123
G2Z – 2xCR123 same as Z2 but Nitrolon
Z2 – 2xCR123
A2 – 2xCR123 LED+Incan
M2 – 2xCR123 shock isolated
C3 – 3xCR123
9P – 3xCR123
M3 – 3xCR123 shock isolated
M3T – 3xCR123 shock isolated turbo head
M4 – 4xCR123
M6 – 6xCR123 but actually is a 9V light

LED:
E1L – 1xCR123 Lux III
L1 – 1xCR123 hi/lo
L4 – 2xCR123 Lux V
E2L – 2xCR123 Lux III
L2 – 2xCR123 Lux V hi/lo
L5 – 2xCR123 Lux V
L6 – 3xCR123 Lux V
L7 – rechargeable Lux V
U2 – 2xCR123 Lux V six power levels

Rechargeable:
8AX –
8NX – Nitrolon
9AN –
10X – hi/lo Nitrolon

Forum
AFAIK – as far as I know
BBS - Be Back Soon
BRB - Be Right Back
BST - Buy, Sell, Trade
BTT - bump to top
BTTT - back to the top
BTW - by the way
Bump - to add a post to a thread to make it show up as recently edited and be "bumped" to the top of the forum index
FAQ - frequently asked questions
FS - For Sale
FT - For Trade
FWIW - for what it's worth
GM - Grammar Marm (scríbhneoir/Karen) corrector of all things written
IIRC - if I recall (remember) correctly
IMHO - in my humble opinion
IMO - in my opinion
j/k - just kidding (joking)
LOL - laughing out loud
NP - no problem
OP - original poster; the person who started a thread
OT - off topic
PM - private message
Post - a single entry in a thread created by a forum member
RL - real life
ROFL - rolling on the floor laughing
RW - real world
SPF - sold pending funds
SWMBO - "she who must be obeyed"
Thread - a compilation of individual posts on a certain topic
TIA - thanks in advance
TMI - too much information
Ty - Thank you
vbg - very big grin
WTB - Want to Buy
WTS - Want to Sell
WTT/WTTF - Want to Trade (for)
YMMV - your mileage may vary

Knife Related
Blade Shapes
Clip Point - a drop point with a cut-out at the tip resulting in a sharper point, e.g. bowie, Buck 110
Dagger - a blade made for piercing usually having two sharp edges that comes to a very thin point.
Drop point - traditional blade type with sloped spine and/or sloped edge
Hawkbill: Blade with a downward curving tip, like a claw.
Rescue: Blade with a totally blunted tip, designed to cut seatbelts or clothing in an emergency situation without harming a victim.
Reverse S: Blade with two curves which make a backward "S"
Sheepsfoot - a blade with a straight edge and a curved spine that meets the edge so that there is no point.
Tanto - blade type with two straight front edges, chisel point, traditional Japanese sword blade style
Wharncliffe - blade type with one straight front edge and arched back
Carry Positions
IBL: Inside belt loop
IWB: Inside waist band
LB: Left back pocket
LF: Left front pocket
RB: Right back pocket
RF: Right front pocket
SOB: Small of back
Edges
CE: Combination edge
PE: Plain edge
SE: Serrated edge
Knife locking mechanisms
Slipjoint: A knife with no locking mechanism; the blade is held in position either by friction or a small spring. To fold the knife, pressure is placed on the back (spine) of the blade (e.g., most SAKs).
Lockback: The knife has a sprung bar running across the back of the frame. When the blade is deployed, this bar presses on a flat area of the blade pivot, preventing closing. To close the blade, pressure is placed on the other end of the bar, raising it (e.g., buck 110).
Linerlock: A section of one of the liners of the knife is shaped so that when the knife is opened, it springs out into the frame, preventing the knife from closing. To close the knife, the liner must be pushed back to the side.
LAWKS and AutoLAWKS: A modification of the linerlock, where a separate device prevents the liner from being moved without the second lock being de-activated first. AutoLAWKS - a variant where the device engages automatically; conventional LAWKS - has to be engaged by the user.
Framelock: Similar to the linerlock; however, instead of a liner moving across, the frame of the knife has the cutout required; considered stronger as it usually uses more metal than a linerlock.
AXIS® Lock: "A patented Benchmade exclusive, 100-percent ambidextrous design; a small, hardened steel bar rides forward and back in a slot machined into both steel liners. The bar extends to both sides of the knife, spanning the liners and positioned over the rear of the blade. It engages a ramped, tang portion of the knife blade when it is opened. Two omega style springs, one on each liner, give the locking bar its inertia to engage the knife tang, and as a result, the tang is wedged solidly between a sizable stop pin and the AXIS bar itself." Benchmade site - locking mechanisms
Ball Bearing Lock: "A compressive lock wedging a stainless steel ball bearing between a fixed anvil and the blade tang. The ball is also utilized to detent the blade into the closed position." Spyderco Glossary
Handle Materials
CF: Carbon fiber
FRN: Fiberglass Reinforced Nylon
G-10: Woven fiberglass in an epoxy. Very strong
Micarta: Layers of fabric in phenolic resin
SS: Stainless steel
Other Knife
AO - assisted opening
BM – Benchmade
DA - double action, auto open and auto close (e.g. MT UTX70)
Flipper - a protrusion on the spine of the blade that allows the knife blade to be deployed with a simple push of the index finger.
HAK - HideAway Knife
LM - Leatherman
MOP - mother of pearl
MT - Microtech
NKP - non-knife person
OAL - overall length
OTF - out the front (e.g. MT UTX70)
SAK - Swiss Army Knife
Steel Chart
Wave – blade spine shape that catches the top of the pocket and opens the blade as it is drawn





Other
Addy - address
BG - Bad Guy
BOB - Bail-out Bag (or Bug-out Bag), an emergency bag
BOE - Bag of Evil, bag containing gear, guns, & knives
CC – credit card
CONUS - Continental U.S.
EDC - Every Day Carry
EOTW - end of the world
EOTWAWKI - end of the world as we know it
FAK - First Aid Kit
FF or F&F - fit and finish
FMA - Filipino Martial Arts
Fob - A short bit of cord or braided lanyard connected to a knife, flashlight, or other tool that goes in your pocket. Often the fob part will be left hanging out of the pocket to facilitate the retrieval of the item to which it is attached.
GF - girl friend
Group Buy - an organized purchase in bulk by one person for distribution among paying participants
GTG - Good to Go
IHA - I hate acronyms
KISS - Keep it super simple.
LEO - law enforcement officer
LCF - Look cool factor
LSI - life sometimes intervenes
MSDS - Material Safety Data Sheet
Murse - man purse
NIB - New in Box
OCD - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
OOTB - out of the box
OTB - outside the box (as in thinking outside the box)
OTOH - on the other hand
OTT - over the top
Passaround - a coordinated hand off of a product from person to person, for personal evaluation purposes; normally you just pay the shipping to the next person on the list and the product gets handed off until it reaches its owner in the end
POV - personally owned vehicle, or point of view
PP – Paypal
PSK - personal survival kit
QFT - QUOTED FOR TRUTH - Used on internet forums when quoting someone with similar views as yours.
RFQ - request for quote
Sap- a bludgeon with a short, flexible shaft or strap, used as a hand weapon also sometimes used interchangeably with the term "blackjack."
SAR - Search and Rescue
SASE - self addressed stamped envelope
SD - Self-Defense
SO - significant other
SRB - Side Release Buckle
Ti - Titanium
TiG - Titaniacs Guild
TKD - Tae Kwon Do
TANSTAAFL- there ain't no such thing as a free lunch (also TNSTAAFL - There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch; TINSTAAFL- there is no such thing as a free lunch)
TSA - Transportation Security Administration
UPS - United Parcel Service
USPS - U.S. Postal Service
WTH - what the heck


Sources:
http://www.wiki.tjtech.org/index.php/Terminology
http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/acronyms.htm
manufacturers’ websites
small portions of my brain
and the EDCF community

[Lunal_Tic]

<reserved>

[Lunal_Tic]

This is a work in progress.* Please post any additions, ideas, or corrections here and I will update the first post as needed.

Also please understand that not everything will make the cut. Some items will be more appropriate than others. Some items may end up being deleted from the current list.

Consider as well that we have a family and work friendly place here and off color acronyms/terms, while common elsewhere, will not be included.

Thanks for your help and understanding,
-LT

[Deaths Head]

SD - Self-Defense
BG - Bad Guy
FMA - Filipino Martial Arts
Ti - Titanium
TiG - Titaniacs Guild

[LowWorm]

CONUS - Continental U.S.
USPS - U.S. Postal Service

FAK - First Aid Kit
BOB - Bail-out Bag (or Bug-out Bag), an emergency bag

Tanto - blade type with two straight front edges
Wharncliffe - blade type with one straight front edge and arched back
Drop point - traditional blade type with sloped spine and/or sloped edge

[greenLED]

Nice job!

[Deaths Head]

Don't forget the Steel Chart and the rest of the blade shapes.

[ToolFool]

Wow! Thanks Lunal Tic! That's some helpful info! Great reference!

[Deaths Head]

SAK - Swiss Army Knife
LM - Leatherman

Keep up the good work Pinky.

[Lunal_Tic]

SAK - Swiss Army Knife
LM - Leatherman

Keep up the good work Pinky.

DH,
SAK is under Knives, I'll put LM there too. What's with "Pinky"? Thought that was greenLED's nic.

-LT