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

[JasonWW]

@Yokiamy

I did not receive my light,
i did not receive a shipping notice,
I did not choose DHL

Sorry, I thought you said you got a tracking info or shipping notice. No worries, though. I removed you. This is just a general list to see how Neal is shipping things.

[JasonWW]

@DB Custom

I too saw greatly reduced lux numbers in my normal 5M tests. I set up and did a 15M test and got 1.2375Mcd. But that figures out to 1.38Miles and then I did the beam shots that showed light hitting the water tower at 1.9 miles.

The ANSI-FL1 standards measure the distance out until the light gets to 0.25 lux. This would be equivalent to moonlight on a full moon with a clear sky. So I’m guessing your water tower was being hit by less than 0.25 lux.

In theory, each individual photon travels out to infinity unless stopped by some object. It’s just radiation after all. All those billions/trillions of photons eventually spread out over distance.

[JasonWW]

@Texas_Ace

The latest report is that ~500 lights have shipped. So another 2-3 weeks till the next round of PM’s go out is a reasonable estimate.

Okay, so late January/early Feb?

Everyone is probably moaning, awwww. Lol

[Turningbluechips]

New photos of the GT handle prototype here.

BLF GT custom handle bracket kit. (DBCustom approved. Post #121)

We have a proto. Some changes will be made as far as some more rounding of corners and tweaking here and there for a slightly sleeker look. The handle was also intended to be .750” stock but I only had .625” on hand. The production version would be anodized black and I have an idea to add some grip as well. The ergonomics work for me but could be tweaked as I let others with different sized hands check it out. The switch is easily reached with my thumb. Edit: My intention is for this batch to…

[Nicolicous]

@Lexel

I am on list but got no mail for payment details so far is this normal?

I was the same and worried.

Just ignore it and it will turn up soon

[JasonWW]

This is the latest “rough” list of people from the 3rd shipment who have either got tracking notices or received their light. These are all international orders and only DHL as far as I have seen.

(These are paid list numbers, not sign up numbers)

Bruno28 #12
TorinoFermic #42
Sciencetists #53
cypher1024 #57
FMC #78
Sirius9 #79
Itsme #96
Hunter1 #129
Bo4ka #144
Flasky #149
Hardware #174
Yoflash #178
Alux #180
Warzi1975 #181
DooMMasteR #193
Jaza #202
bibihang #244
piotrek966 #266
Specialk #292
D10ten #310
MACS0647 #315
Nicolicous #380
Lipfit2000 #437
Bking #515
CCl3NO2 #561
Tdh66 #595
Asmartik #599
Bobtb #637

I also updated post #1 with the latest shipping news.

[BVH]

Enderman or another reflector designer, what is the designed beam angle on the GT reflector?

[specialk]

I just got home from DHL pickup depot with my GT.

[flybird]

Has Registered mail been shipped out so far ?
If I had known DHL is their first priority for shipment regardless of region , I would have chosen DHL over Registered mail at the beginning.

Everyday reading the post of people got their light and some even got 2 lights .
What a shame, I am disappoint that they don’t treat the first 555 customers who paid deposit as first priority.

[species8472]

Is there a reason the reflector has to be made from aluminum? If the surface has a reflective coating put on it then the underlining material shouldn't matter as long as it had the right requirements for things like durability and thermal stability. What I am thinking about are polymers and resins. They are relatively easy to machine or mold and can produce a very smooth finish ready for the final coating. Plus, they are not usually an expensive material.

[DoNkEyConN]

@species8472

Is there a reason the reflector has to be made from aluminum? If the surface has a reflective coating put on it then the underlining material shouldn’t matter as long as it had the right requirements for things like durability and thermal stability. What I am thinking about are polymers and resins. They are relatively easy to machine or mold and can produce a very smooth finish ready for the final coating. Plus, they are not usually an expensive material.

I honestly have no idea, but I would think that if there was a cheaper or more effective material to use, it would be used.
this is not the teams first rodeo and especially with lumintop producing these lights, you can be pretty sure they made the right choice.

[species8472]

@DoNkEyConN

@species8472

Is there a reason the reflector has to be made from aluminum? If the surface has a reflective coating put on it then the underlining material shouldn't matter as long as it had the right requirements for things like durability and thermal stability. What I am thinking about are polymers and resins. They are relatively easy to machine or mold and can produce a very smooth finish ready for the final coating. Plus, they are not usually an expensive material.

I honestly have no idea, but I would think that if there was a cheaper or more effective material to use, it would be used. this is not the teams first rodeo and especially with lumintop producing these lights, you can be pretty sure they made the right choice.

I am not doubting or questioning them in the least. Sorry if it sounded that way. I just would like to know why it is always aluminum. What I put out there was so someone would know what I was comparing it to. It was just something I was wondering about and this is the place that has answers.

[JasonWW]

@flybird

Has Registered mail been shipped out so far ?
If I had known DHL is their first priority for shipment regardless of region , I would have chosen DHL over Registered mail at the beginning.

Everyday reading the post of people got their light and some even got 2 lights .
What a shame, I am disappoint that they don’t treat the first 555 customers who paid deposit as first priority.

I think you will have to be content with being in the first 850 to receive their light as well as getting it $40 cheaper than anyone else on the group buy list.

[Mr_McLumen]

I would imagine if cost wasn’t an issue they could be made out of silver. Nothing shines like polished silver. Of course over time the silver would start tarnishing.Sigh

[teacher]

@species8472

@DoNkEyConN

@species8472

Is there a reason the reflector has to be made from aluminum? If the surface has a reflective coating put on it then the underlining material shouldn’t matter as long as it had the right requirements for things like durability and thermal stability. What I am thinking about are polymers and resins. They are relatively easy to machine or mold and can produce a very smooth finish ready for the final coating. Plus, they are not usually an expensive material.

I honestly have no idea, but I would think that if there was a cheaper or more effective material to use, it would be used. this is not the teams first rodeo and especially with lumintop producing these lights, you can be pretty sure they made the right choice.

I am not doubting or questioning them in the least. Sorry if it sounded that way. I just would like to know why it is always aluminum. What I put out there was so someone would know what I was comparing it to. It was just something I was wondering about and this is the place that has answers.

That is an interesting question species8472. :+1:
I’d like to know that also. And like you, my interest has nothing at all to do with the GT either. .

[BrianK]

@species8472

@DoNkEyConN

@species8472

Is there a reason the reflector has to be made from aluminum? If the surface has a reflective coating put on it then the underlining material shouldn’t matter as long as it had the right requirements for things like durability and thermal stability. What I am thinking about are polymers and resins. They are relatively easy to machine or mold and can produce a very smooth finish ready for the final coating. Plus, they are not usually an expensive material.

I honestly have no idea, but I would think that if there was a cheaper or more effective material to use, it would be used. this is not the teams first rodeo and especially with lumintop producing these lights, you can be pretty sure they made the right choice.

I am not doubting or questioning them in the least. Sorry if it sounded that way. I just would like to know why it is always aluminum. What I put out there was so someone would know what I was comparing it to. It was just something I was wondering about and this is the place that has answers.

Molds are extremely expensive to make and would have taken far longer to come to market. While the material it’s made out of is inexpensive and the polymer in the mold is also inexpensive, the mold itself needs to be paid for. The lights would have cost far more if the reflectors had been molded. It’s just economics. It woudn’t have saved money. Lumintop did it correctly IMO.

[teacher]

@JasonWW

@flybird

Has Registered mail been shipped out so far ?
If I had known DHL is their first priority for shipment regardless of region , I would have chosen DHL over Registered mail at the beginning.

Everyday reading the post of people got their light and some even got 2 lights .
What a shame, I am disappoint that they don’t treat the first 555 customers who paid deposit as first priority.

I think you will have to be content with being in the first 850 to receive their light as well as getting it $40 cheaper than anyone else on the group buy list.

Well said Jason…… we got a heck of a deal on this Bad Boy!!
It is an amazing light!! Paying a measly $15 dollar ‘deposite’ for the privileged of getting one at the ‘first 555’ price was well worth it!!!

We were not paying a deposite for ‘preferred shipping order’.
We were paying a deposite for ‘preferred price’. :+1:

[arficus]

I’d fathom a guess that contributing factors for using aluminum include:
Easily machined;
decent thermal conductivity;
low cost.

I have a limited knowledge of such things, but off the cuff can’t think of any metal that combines these three elements as well as aluminum.

[teacher]

/\\\ Good points arficus……. :+1:

[drood]

@Mr McLumen

I would imagine if cost wasn’t an issue they could be made out of silver. Nothing shines like polished silver. Of course over time the silver would start tarnishing.Sigh

Aluminum itself has a reflectivity of about 89, silver about 91, multilayer aluminum up to 97%. .This is achieved lots of layers - typically several tens to hundreds. Silver reflects “selectively”, its reflection depends on wavelength.