I am so happy that this project got some traction. I have an off grid hut…and some solar panels. I know you all will like this flashlight when all electricy is off and the zombies are chasing you….
Thank me later when the zombies are here.
I used a Lux sphere to test various LEDs and driver set ups when i built it. From my tests then to your claims above my measurements are quite accurate. I posted above: ” 1000mA range. (1050mA (or three 7135 chips) produces around 460 ~ 500 lumens” were not talking single-lumen accuracy here, just averaged tests. I did my tests in the sphere with the bare LED, not a diffuser. This lantern prototype don’t really have a diffuser, just a clear main globe and a lightly frosted inner globe. Not a completely opaque diffuser as in many lanterns sense.
I used my solar 40-watt folding panel to power BT-C3100 charger to charge 18650s each day this past summer on my trip to the wilderness. It is possible with a built in charger for the lanterns cells, & using a 20-watt or higher panel?USB charger, it is possible to sustain this lantern indefinitely with charges to power it for several hours every night.
Update: currently testing to shoe-horn in a TP4056 based charger module in the lantern prototype, to see if indefinite sustainability is possible with running the lantern on high every night for 4 hours, then charging the next day using a Poweradd 40-watt folding solar panel multi-charger with a 2 amp USB charge output)
This sounds really promising. I’m not normally a built-in charging sorta guy, but I can see the benefit here. I don’t ever go off the grid, but dang if I don’t dream about it sometimes. Maybe one day… 
If this all works out I’d like a link to that solar panel please.
I asked this before but it was at a time when this thread wasn’t getting much attention: could a lantern like this be a good application for a light pipe? “Candy cane” shaped pipes would make it possible to mount the LEDs in an area with more thermal mass while still emitting downward, right? My understanding of light pipes is that they work on the same principle as TIR optics, but I’d be the first to admit I don’t know much more about TIR than you’d learn in a basic physics class.
Im interested… 
The charger panel i have is the Poweradd SP20140W i bought from Amazon last year: https://www.ipoweradd.com/products/poweradd-40w-usb-port-dc-output-foldable-solar-battery-charger
I have used this solar charger with great results. It has charged (and even sustained running power while running) my small ASUS netbook, and charged a phone at the same time while in remote wilderness areas. I also built a custom adjustable voltage regulator box to use with it, and it powers my Opus BT-C3100 charger with no issues. There are many good solar chargers out there, ust make sure you do your research and read customer feedback on them.
I do have several different solar chargers and portable off-grid power systems, The photo below shows 6 of them. (the Poweradd 40-watt is the one on the blue chair to the right.)
I’m still very interested.
I´m interested too!
Interested
I am in … Currently using my Q8 with Thrunite Catapult diffuser and various removable snap on silicone molded mods.
Keep up the good work.
This. I don’t want multi-purpose, jack of all trades master of none finicky contraptions with loose bits that you can’t find or get lost.
Convoy should make this. Very good value for money and generally high quality.
That is the plan. to build a simple, reliable, low cost compact lantern that will do what a lantern is supposed to do, ( which what is lacking at the moment in the lantern industry from any store-bought & most online bought LED lanterns.
Exactly. That’s what I want
I’m back from a long hiatus away from BLF. I saw this thread when I checked in now and then. Here’s a simplistic idea that I’d like some feedback on.
My simple idea is to re-purpose a commercial household LED light bulb and replace the AC power supply with a DC power supply. The ideal bulb should already have good CRI and beam profile for lighting a room or 360-degree open space.
What do you guys and gals think?
Durability during transport would be an problem. It’s not rugged enough and maybe wouldn’t weatherproof.
Also power source would be a problem, since this would cause three components to use (powerbank, cable and lantern/bulb).
A dedicated lantern makes sense for outdoor use.
For indor use an DC bulb could be an option.
I already did that modification with a Coleman florescent lantern, and modded a 11-watt 120 volt bulb to run on its 12 volt DC power.
Do you have a build post?