Q8, PMS SEND TO THOSE WITH ISSUES BLF soda can light

Sure seems to me that Justin (Old Lumens) had tested the Teflon wires on a big triple build and found they carried more current. There’s a pita to work with for sure, even stripping the Teflon off is a chore before you start soldering. Tough stuff, but such thick stout wires they can rip pads off a driver if you aren’t careful. I’ve had this Teflon wire for a couple of years, very seldom use it due to the stiffness. Not sure if it’s quality wire or not. The wire inside the Teflon is pre tinned, seems like each individual wire is silver coated, they’re not all soldered together. Seems odd to me.

Be nice to have a purpose built driver like the Q8 for the multiple emitters, I’m cramming triple wires on a single pad!

I had to inset the switch assembly deeper to facilitate button presses and the internal threads are shy of allowing the retaining ring to seat on the pcb the switch is on so I just picked up something to make it work, turns out to be a threaded piece of Titanium I’m using for that spacer. Probably losing a bit there, need to either re-cut the threads or make a copper spacer for maximum current path. That would matter on the lumens test, not at all on the amperage test as I’m doing that with the tail cap off.

With the reflector filed I might have room for 18ga leads, but then I’d have to drill the copper again for clearance for larger wires. Emitter mcpcb’s are glued in with Arctic Silver, so that’d get risky. Always something. Build a light from scratch then start modding it for mo powah! Hahahahahahaha

Copper, love it and hate it. Replaced the Ti spacer with copper and am up to 9860 lumens. That’s the love part. Had a spacer finished and was parting it off when it, at the last possible second, flipped over and jammed into the parting tool bending it up like a smashed pretzel and shutting the 1 HP motor down solid. UGH! Started over. What else can ya do, right?

Anyway, the 20700B isn’t a top discharge cell so it’ll be interesting to see, like Tom has found in testing the Q8, just what cell works best. For those that don’t have a lot of lights to play with, it can be crazy finding the top performing cell… sometimes it’s not the one you expect!

Edit: With freshly charged 20700B cells I’m now seeing 10,448 lumens from the 3 XHP-50.2’s. That’s 10,005 lumens at 30 seconds. Doing something right somewhere.

:open_mouth: … Tom E, is that the first endorsement of the “Send Teacher to China” campaign I am waging? :open_mouth: …. :+1: … :stuck_out_tongue:

“Smoke Test”………… I like that…. metaphor or not. As well as everything else you stated. :+1:

The Miller, I pretty much agree with everything you say here except some of the Cometa statements.

I think the Cometa was a “bait and switch” for sure. It still, as of this writing; says in the OP of the first Cometa offering thread it was to be a “JAX Z1 host”. Here are a few lines about that copied and pasted below.

  • Original message:
    Hello to everyone, i am Cyberescudo a member of CPFItalia Forum.
    In collaboration with Banggood we have created a custom flashlight on Jax Z1 host with many upgrades including the FET + 7135 driver designed by BLF members.
    The name of the flashlight will be COMETA (the italian traslation of comet )

But, no use arguing about that and the how and why of it.

I call it tomāto, you call it tomăto. :wink:

Either way the outcome was the same, a sad disaster of a fiasco.

And the saddest thing of it all, “to me”; was this ‘Cyberescudo’ person crawling in a hole & disappearing. Mistakes happen, but the disappearing act was deliberate… for whatever reason.

Which brings us to present time………. :slight_smile:

To date, it is impressive how “you and the Team” have handled this Q8 project. That is the bottom line for me.

Yes, even on the tightest run ship or manufacturing floor there will be some “lemons”. That cannot be helped no matter how tight the standards are… it is just the way it is. That is a given, whether it be lights, cars, dishes, do-nuts, or the space shuttle. Things can and do go wrong at times.

Personally, I think you & the team have done & are doing everything possible to keep manufacturing problems with this light to a minimum. But as has been stated aptly previously, there is just so much that can be done short of actually being there in person to see and check the production. That, in reality is not really an option. (unless of course you endorse the “Send ’teacher’ to China” campaign, as hopefully Tom E has. :wink: … )

Aside from that, you all are doing all you can do to make this a success. :+1:
If it were to go bad, which I doubt & can’t even imagine; it goes without saying it would be none of yours fault.
It would just be the breaks of the game……. simple as that.
Life would continue………… :slight_smile:

I don’t see that happening, partly because of the things you stated above and then being able to see the way this whole Q8 project has been handled from the start. You all have been on top of it in a steady and methodical manner. No rushing, no taking shortcuts, no nothing except focusing on the task. :+1:

I personally hope at least one other set of eyes trained in manufacturing examines the final Prototype. I just think two or three sets of eyes might spot something undetected. I have seen it happen to many times in other fields & instances. Something missed by one but all to obvious to another. Which is not to say that the first person missed something, not at all, But everyone looks differently at things and something may stand out to one that did not to another.

BUT, that is simply my opinion. Whatever is decided works for me. :+1: … :slight_smile:

Thanks again to you & the team for the manner in which this has been & is being handled. :slight_smile:

Tried a pair of Sony VTC6 in the DBC-05 Triple, they give 21.12A on a rested pair at 4.13V. That’s good for 11, 696 lumens from the 3 XHP-50.2’s. I’ll see if I can get my hands on a pair of VTC5A’s…

The C6’s are some serious 18650’s to be sure.

The 50.2’s, adjusted in respect to the reflector, are showing just a hint of a spot in the center, with the cross radiating out from center on all 3 as situated. Probably more to do with this reflector than anything, but I’d say they’re capable and it may well be interesting to see what 4 of em would do in the Q8.

Here's the pics of the VTC5A test:

Updated:

Careful there young man- a lost workpiece is how I killed the mainshaft my hobby lathe :frowning: A 1/4 horse motor and loose belt drive was still powerful enough to cause damage, especially to my ego.

I think we’re on the right path with the Q8, and if anything were to be added at this point a full up/down ramping test might be asked for and gotten. Since they’re 100% testing anyway that’s only a few seconds more per light, right? Even when multiplied by 1000+ pieces it doesn’t seem unreasonable and it should go a long way to eliminating any possible DOA’s which will be very helpful on both ends of the deal.

Can’t compare this to other GB’s, the approach is entirely different because of the issues some of those had which have been analyzed and protected against much better here. That which can be done within reason is being done. The only thing I can see which could make a significant improvement is if there were someone who could bridge the language barrier better for us, but given electronic and engineering terminology that is a hope which will likely go unanswered.

Keep up the excellent work folks :smiley:
Phil

I saw a place listing on a new Wuben light at Amazon that says Every light is 100% tested before being shipped. So maybe the idea is catching on. :wink:

Young, not so much, careful, well I thought I was! 1HP, jammed to an immediate stop! Left hand went immediately for the kill switch. On another occasion, the entire head came out of the chuck when boring the driver bay deeper with the 7/32” holes for wires already in place in the thick chunk of copper, making for an interrupted cut on the boring tool. Left hand went for the kill switch, right hand went for the flying head… caught the head before it could hit concrete but missed the kill switch which didn’t really matter at that point as it was spinning freely. Big WHEW! on the catch and save! lol

Have to agree that a Mandarin speaking BLF’er that had the time and inclination to act as go between would be an ideal situation, but everything else is being handled as well as possible from what I can see. Other group buys have pretty much been on existing lights, this is ground breaking in the creation of a new species. :slight_smile: And the power level is also head and shoulders above what’s been accomplished before, another level to the new species chain. Gotta love it!

I totally agree Phil… :+1:
That is why I am waging the “Send ’teacher’ to China” campaign.
A totally selfless endeavor (for the most part… :wink: … ) on my behalf to be present as a liaison at TF in China when these are produced. To insure, my very own feet on the ground there; that all goes as smooth as a baby’s butt with the Q8 production.

I even have a Passport, engineering drawing skills, blueprint skills - both drawing & reading, some machining knowledge & experience, and I am very fluent in using pictures - drawings - facial expressions - sign language - grunts & other guttural sounds to communicate.

And the best of all………… I know Kung Fu, as well as a few other Chinese words.

What more could we ask for I’d be a natural……….:wink:

So come on man…… get behind this “selfless” campaign of mine and support it.
.
:wink:

Hahahahaha, Teacher, you probably know General Tsao and his chicken army too! :slight_smile: We could end up with little packets of soy sauce and concentrated chili pepper oil in the square to-go box our lights come in… :stuck_out_tongue:

No sir, I would throw all the “concentrated chili pepper oil” in the trash immediately and eat the food with the soy sauce on it. :wink:

Nothing but Prime, Pristine, & Working Q8’s…. along with English instructions and appropriate spare parts bag would be shipped to your door. :wink:

Dangit! Now I’m hungry! :stuck_out_tongue:
<—- heading for Dynasty to hit the buffet for all-you-can-eat General Tsao’s chicken. :smiley:

I am too, I think I am gonna hit the buffet here in a bit…… in preparation ya’ know. :wink:

I want this really bad. Great project! Any estimate date for release? Also consider a zoomable version if possible :slight_smile:

Let’s see how proto V2 is first :wink:

Great fun getting a Uniquefire 1504 lens and a srk to play a bit
Not really a beam pattern to aim for though :slight_smile:

Captain Morgan and I have been telling tales all afternoon, so let me pontificate.

The average guy doesn’t have a clue about flashlights… especially if they grew up thinking Dads trusty 2D Maglite was “really bright”. I love whipping out my EagleTac D25C to one of my unsuspecting “gear guy” buddies and throwing down 700lm from a torch the size of a Chapstick. Bewilderment followed by disgust followed by envy followed by, “Where can I get one?”

I’ve got some other lights that have some “wow” factor, but I don’t think I’m really ready for sparking up 6000lm. My brain just isn’t able to get there. It’ll be like learning that I’m strong with the Force… that some Heavenly power to bring illumination to the depths of the Universe resides under my thumb… even Jesus took some time to find his groove.

And I have a feeling that when I’m not gonna be able to own just one… and that when I reveal the pricepoint to my before-mentioned “gear guy” friends, we will test the limits of the Chinese postal system.

Profound thanks to all who are making this happen, take as long as is needed to get it right… but remember that I’m freaking dying out here right now without one.

Sam, you an the Cap’n just carry on with the pontification while these lights are being perfected, once you see it you won’t believe it anyway. I mean, when level 3 or 4 lights up the room with ceiling bounce you’re gonna be trippin. When level 5 and 6 blow forceful illumination you’ll be drooling yourself, but when you finally reach Turbo you’ll hear the Nirvana Choir kick in with the Angelic rythm’s that will certify you a complete and total flashaholic to the core.

Yes, I know, default is ramping, but you’ll be tempted to ease into it and creep your way up to Turbo, when all along it’s a quick double tap away from off… once you experience it and learn the rythm of it, you’ll delight in showing your buds the low mode then blasting them with an eye searing Turbo and hearing their quick intake of breath as they too delve into the depths of flashaholism.

Just remember, bear it and share it my friend, bear it and share it. :wink: Welcome aboard! :smiley:

Oh yeah, for the record Sam, the little EagTac D25C is capable of 1300 lumens like the Titanium version I just modded for my buddy. :wink:

I could loan him my watch to take with him. First impressions are everything

Heck yeah, that’ll work. :+1:
The “campaign” is gaining momentum. …… :wink:

Slight tangent here but since the eagletac d25c was mentioned, I now need to buy it. Which one are y’all referring to? I see a couple, one titanium version and one clicky? Can anyone point me the right direction? Thanks, and thanks for making me a poorer man.