[PART 1] Official BLF GT Group Buy thread. Group buy officially closed! Lights shipping.

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Did you post your first post here asking to be added to the list?

That is Matt (Vestureofblood on this forum), he tested the prototype light which had “giggles” written on it and it also had a cooler temp led in it.

The fact is, the camera CAN lie. The real proof is measuring the output with a meter than is not influenced by color temperature. Both lights are putting out about 2,500 lumen. Both have the same throw measurements.

A neutral white led was desired earlier in the product development (like 4500k to 5000k), but there was not enough stock available once production was about to begin. So the decision was made to go a bit warmer to a 4000k color temp where we knew we could get all high bin, high quality leds in the quantity that was needed.

I just searched the paid list and didn’t see your name on it

I’ll PM you… confused…

Both of my GT’s tested at the emitter on Turbo were what they were supposed to be 2.50amps.

1.99 amps on High…

’A neutral white led was desired earlier in the product development (like 4500k to 5000k), but there was not enough stock available once production was about to begin.’

…really wish I’d known this prior to ordering… :frowning:

…something tells me I won’t be alone in this either…

Yup :slight_smile:

As difficult as this thread is to follow, this has been known for some time. You probably won’t be alone, and I was skeptical until I had my production unit in hand. But it is glorious. Don’t judge it until you try it.

Spartan16, do you have more than one BLF account?

I ask because your first post with this account is from about an hour ago.

Y’know… I’m lost on that as well… just been chatting to Pulsar about that very thing… I am on the list - all paid up… got the email to my personal email account telling me it was time to place the order in December…

You been chekin’ me out or something…??? :wink:

I guess Neal swapped the shipping on his own. I know TA suggested that all US orders be set the DHL by default, but I don’t think they actually did it. I think they left it up the customer.

I’m sorry to be blunt, but I hear the lack of experience speaking. There’s a significant improvement visible right there. And for the yellow you think is inferior, there is none of that. The 4000 K color temperature is pretty close to ideal on a long range thrower, when it’s going to be used outdoors and not in a lab. White balance makes 4000 K appear sort of yellow on camera - when directly compared to an impractically blue cool white.

While 4500 K would probably been the preferred choice for most and arguably the best one, I’m glad it turned out this way and not with a, say, 5000 K emitter. Amateurs would be glad to have a more visible beam in the atmosphere, but it would be less than ideal for IRL performance.

Exactly. The “beam ray” is wasted light. That’s why warmer is better in throwers if it does not sacrifice too much. This is pretty much basic curriculum.

Then allow me to be blunt back…

Numbers are not what matter. Perceptions matter. Perceptions make purchases - not numbers.
For the past few years we’ve seen great leaps in technology… XML, XP’s, XP-G2’s, XHP’s… and whenever a new production is compared with a previous led/flashlight, the improvement is almost always a ‘whiter and brighter’ beam and light-up of target.

Cheap Fl’s have the hallmark blue-tint white lights which we all know are crude attempts to make something brighter… agreed, in that context cooler is not helpful when you’re at the 6500 - 7500 mark.
But I say again… the video speaks volumes and there is a CLEAR difference between the two flashlights… and if the guy had not labelled the screen with which version he was operating… I would put money on it, that many folk would have presumed from the difference in performance that the order he operated them in (original first, new model second) was the OPPOSITE way around.
Try it yourself… just watch the clip from 03:16 and try not too take notice of the labels telling you which one he’s shining… and ask yourself HONESTLY… which one would you presume to be the newer version…??

Go to 03;16 to save time

Yeah BUT… check this video out at 12:30… the beam was hitting stuff like miles away… with a lovely bright white beam and clear target light-up…

Go to 12:30

Yes, this was through M4DM4X - I can forward more details via PM if needed. Not panicking, just slightly anxious with the prospect of seeing this monster at some point.

Explained once:

Explained twice:

Then, after that you write:

Are you even reading what people are typing when they respond to you? No one is disagreeing that the pre-production light had a more visible beam. They are saying the beam isn’t the purpose of the light.

Like others have said, the neutral tint beam is brighter at lighting stuff up in real life, hands down, no question.

The cool white beam is brighter in the air due to the scattering of the blue wavelengths in the air (the same reason the sky is blue).

You do NOT want to see the beam, all that light you see in the beam, is light not making it to your target down range.

The camera sees the beam of the CW better but that is only the camera. In real life you will see what you are aiming at better with the neutral white tint.

For example I had an L6 and S70, the L6 was NW and the S70 was CW.

I tested them both side by side on the meter, the S70 had more throw and more lumens with the meter readings. I fully expected it to throw better in the real world.

I was shocked when I tested it with 7 other people and the exact opposite was true. Everyone 100% agreed that the L6 was better and threw the beam further with better clarity and contrast.

We were shining it across a Creek and the S70 could just make out the shoreline. The L6 on the other hand could see the frogs jumping into the water the difference was so extreme.

You are welcome to change out the emitter or sell the light if you desire but please don’t go spreading false information.

You have had a half dozen people explain this to you at this point, most of them with many years of experience and hundreds of builds with high end flashlights.

Rah_BE… yes I am reading what people are saying - very carefully - thankyou for asking…

What I’m saying is that ‘whiter and brighter’ has been the trend in recent years… one which whenever I’ve had a newer more powerful flashlight, the improvement has been (literally) clear.
Suddenly… the afore-mentioned video seems to show a reduction in the APPARENT brightness and clarity - yes I know the numbers add up, but the perception doesn’t.
If I had wanted a yellow warm beam I’d have used my 1980’s MAGLITE…!!

This is true ^
The reason so many manufacturers only use cool white these days is because it does appear brighter, to the eye and on camera.
A typical layperson is far more likely to pick the cool white, especially if they like the way the beam looks in the sky.
.
.
For something like the GT, very few people are using it to actually illuminate something at 3km as part of their job, most people are buying it for fun and “wow” factor of the beam.
A extra few lumens on the target is most likely not what most people are concerned about.

For this reason, almost two years ago we chose neutral while for the LED.
Not sure who made the decision (without consulting anyone else) to swap it for 4000k which is extremely warm, especially for cree LEDs which often have a yellow/green tint at those colour temperatures.
Neutral white would have been ~5700k.

I suggest that anyone who wants that impressive super bright beam swap their LED out for a 5700-6500k, or simply return/sell the light.