Weird and frustrating I have to admit. I decided to get the insurance for $2 and I wonder if that had anything to do with it. Oh well…I’ve waited for over a year so another month or so it’s that big a deal.
I hate to interrupt the incredibly exciting march of the Lemmings to the shipping providers tracking information (I have 2 on order; they will be here when the are), but I have a suggestion about making a lantern attachment for the Q8. I actually started on the Q8 forum after what appeared to be a failed BLF project to make a lantern. That is what I really want. I just posted the following in the thread on the lantern project.
I was very happy when this project was initially proposed. I really wanted emergency lights with a long run time. Then it seemed it was a dead project, or might be transformed as an adapter for the then new Q8.
Then it just seemed to die so I stopped looking. I was surprised to see a reference in the Q8 thread and came here to look.
It would still, in my mind, be an excellent addition to the Q8. The Q8 has a very complete design for brightness, decent LEDs, and a good price. It appears to be well made. Color of LEDs can be change by the skilled. Or just live with the supplied color temp and CRI. There could be later bare board replacements available for different LEDs. To deal with the top heavy configuration of a Q8 on top, put 3 legs (preferably folding or easily removable) on the lamp base. No electronics or wiring in the lamp. And you get down pointing LEDs and everything else you need for a lantern. To hang it, maybe some lines to the legs or somewhere on the reflector/deflector.
I have always felt that the lantern should have a wide range of available brightness (the Q8 is superb on this point). I completely disagree with the idea I have seen on a sampling of pages here that I just did, that the light should be rechargeable. For a camping light; maybe, maybe not. For an emergency light, definitely not. It is a much better strategy to have spare sets of charged batteries. Even for camping. Recharging from a USB recharger pack takes too long. And it is inefficient. For the normal USB output it first goes through an inverter. When the light goes out, presumably you will notice it, and after you manage to locate the light in the dark, you would need to let it charge for hours. Perhaps if you found your way back to your tent in the dark, you could keep the charger where you can easily find it. If you want to recharge from your car; get a charger that works on your 12VDC. They don’t cost anymore than the little pack of USB chargers. Then you have a spare set of batteries. Instant restoration of light. I believe internal recharge rather than changing cells is a poor solution in most any case. And it uses up available internal space, adds cost (parts), and complexity to the light.
I would suggest the idea of taking the relevant parts and adapting them to the Q8 would have serious merit. It would be best to make it attach to the front of the Q8. A much less practical and usable approach would be as a replacement head end. But that would lose most of the really great technology of the Q8.
Guys… I don’t know if this will help you sort things out a little… but it might.
Below are three that I ordered. It shows the time of each order.
When I finished the last order…. , PreOrders were at 226.
………………
Q8 Date & Time Order Placed
Order Date: 2017-09-07 11:53:59
Order Date: 2017-09-07 11:59:17
Order Date: 2017-09-07 12:04:30
…………………….
Maybe you can compare your order times & it ’might’ give you an estimate of where you stand.
Remember also, IIRC; all PM’s were not sent at the same time. I ‘think’ I remember it being said they were being sent in groups of 10… starting at the top of the list & going down 10 by 10. That takes a bit of time.
So, ’IF’ that is how it was done…… even though you ordered quickly after receiving your PM, depending on where you were on the list there might have been a thousand people who had already received their PM before you.
Just a thought & the key word is……. ’IF’ . 
….
EDIT: Central time also for above.
Add to teacher list
Order Date: 2017-09-07 13:14:56. (Preorder #412), shipped
Time= central
Order Placed Date: 2017-09-08 00:44:25
Expected Shipping Date: 2017-10-08 00:44:25 :cry:
Cheers David
Edit:- Just noticed that the order date and shipping date are 1 month apart, EXACT to the second, makes me think it is just a fixed time and not accurate :person_facepalming:
Teaser pic:
Nope! That’s not it! Come back Friday 
I am 100% on board with the lantern idea as I was also following the lantern project, but eventually most of that anticipation got funneled here. There will be plenty of Q8 inspired modifications popping up such as the dual-led board, new boost driver designs, whatever else you can think of. Within the first week of having it I’ll probably have shoved most translucent containers in my house on top of it for use as a diffuser.
Mine was exactly a month apart too but 9/7/2017 and 10/7/2017. However their response to my email said that it wouldn’t be in stock until 10/17.
Well its my birthday on 27/10, we will see if I get it as a present to myself :sunglasses:
Cheers David
I think you are exactly right David.
The people at BG answering inquires are most likely giving “stock, scripted, general answers”. I mean look… TomE shared how his specefic question about expedited shipping had not been answered yet. And the person he asked was familiar with the Q8 project.
No way the average CS person is gonna know any specefics at all… that’s just how it is.
As far as I know from reading all this thread… at this point no one knows for sure if BG or TF is actually ‘hands on’ doing the shipping. .
I am betting that real soon there will be another large batch shipped out to people on the Q8 list. And so on untill all of those orders are filled.
I don’t think that will be 5 or six weeks either. I think it will be much quicker.
That is my prediction… only time will tell if it is correct or not.
after the first 500 that have shipped is the next batch october 10th?
“Probably” … Not. …
BUT…… no one can say / has said with 100% accuracy.
BUT… ’most likely’ , it will be much sooner than that for the people on the Q8 list.
Don’t forget… the code we were PM’d is good for 20 days from receipt of 1st round PM’s.
Loctite
A tripod mount is never meant to withstand bumping around like on a bicycle. You could get away with it or not, I would not trust on it (Loctite will not prevent the threads to break out). I would go for a mount that wraps around the light.
It ought to be sooner if people have orders changing to shipped we will see it here no doubt
The first batch was finished on Sept 7 and TF said they were going to do at least 3 batches in a row. Each batch takes 1 week (I think). So the early part of batch 2 might have already started shipping. They may be starting on batch 3 in the next couple days. I would guess that all 1400 would be finished and shipped within the next 9 to 12 days assuming no delays and they can maintain making 500 a week.
I think the Miller might know in more detail, but this is what I remember from past thread posts.
I just got confirmation all open orders will be shipped this month (late, but before October ;) )
:beer: :)
about the time gap between batches:
i guess that the manufacturer gets the parts for final assembly also from other companies.
and our price would be significant higher when every supplier would send the ordered ammount of LEDs / boards / srings / lenses / whatever in small packs of 50-100 just to have some lights go out constantly...
that would multiply logistics extremely!
please stay calm, relax and look forward for the parcel to arrive!
there is no contest who gets the first, no price for the first review ;)
its just in your head - do not spoil your fun with trcking # and shipping times :)
I’m guessing these recent order changes from back ordered to shipped are lights from the early part of batch 2. Don’t you think?
Maybe, my second is still not shipped, and tracking of the first (placed order hours before anybody else so it literally is the first order) is a no show on 17track and such. Yeah the tension and all the posting made me look again…sigh
Pre orders now at 1408
when the stock arrives the system looks to the open orders one after one according to the time it was placed into the system.
THEN it sees how it will be shipped (slow boat or plane)
you cannot jump the queue by paying extra, that would not be fair...