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

I do not have time to play and I’m too old for it :slight_smile:

The first three people I gave the Q8 to play with ended pretty fast in configuration.

Since I have a standard introduction to the Q8, there were no more problems in handling the lamp.

I think it is not intuitive, more easy to get. But you can end up pretty fast in config/blinking if you only play arround.

Quick introduction for newbies or relatives:

- Don’t hold the button down for longer than 8 seconds! The lamp will enter configuration and starts wild blinking. Don’t push a button or you change things. In case handle it to a pro or search for reset in the cheat sheet.

- Don’t look in the working end!

- One click on, one click off.

  • Push the button and keep it holding for ramping. Rember to release within 8 seconds.

You never should have bought this light. It sounds like you would be better served with a 4xAA light, of which there are several nice ones. You’ll only get 1000 lumens from them, but that is more than enough for almost every purpose.

I suggest removing the batteries from your Q8 and never use it again. It can be very dangerous if not properly handled, including doing things such as installing batteries the wrong way around, or accidentally turning it on high when it’s close to something flammable.

The Q8 is meant for flashaholics, and people with prior experience with 18650 lights. A “random civilian” should not use this light. It’s safe if used with common sense, but that is often shown to be lacking.

Since Banggood sells this light to everybody it actually should have a safe mode for “random civilians”.
With a pass code protected configuration menu this could easily be achieved.

This is a very nice AA Light. It takes 4 x AA. I use Eneloops in mine & love it!!

Nitecore EA45S Cree XP-L HI V3 LED Flashlight - 1000 lumen

Okay, I have one answer to your comment:

Do you think that has a “safe mode for random civilians”?

That would be a definite no……… :wink:

Hey WalkIntoTheLight,

C’mon, a cattle prod? A cattle prod is just like your typical flashlight within reasonable public consumer expectations of what a typical flashlight does? Most flashlights typically don’t shock the living sh*t out of you even if you “mishandle” one, right? Or can kill you if you have a pace maker, right?

Would you leave a cattle prod just laying about your home around people that don’t realize what it can do? Do you really think a live cattle prod and a live Q8 on a kitchen table unsupervised around kids is a valid argument for debateable comparison here?

Whatever Banggood does or doesn’t do when they sell cattle prods is one thing. Reasonably expecting Banggood warning the public about flashlights to the extent that a cattle prod warrants is another thing. I don’t know but maybe there’s no legal requirement to warn about anything that Banggood sells within China’s consumer protection laws for items of this nature. Basically what I’m saying is that if you buy a cattle prod Banggood has a reasonable expectation that you already really know what you’re dealing with there.

Now if you’re talking about a new just hit the general consumer market high power laser that goes for only $5, will burn a hole through drywall, and looks like a flashlight, yeah I’d think Banggood would have some extra responsibility to make an extra effort to warn their unsuspecting customers random or not of this new product’s untypical hazards. I would hope so.

The point from previous comments that from Banggood’s perspective a Q8 should warrant a big deal warning OTOH doesn’t fly either so your point is well taken but the comparison to a cattle prod here is where I lose the argument’s valid connection.

I’d really like to see drivers designed to use the little DIP switches.
4 or 8 switches on a small board gives the option of a whole lot (2 to the power _) of settings.

Unfortunately not. If you want to configure unrelated configuration options (like strobe yes/no, ramping yes/no, number of modes and so on), you need at least 1 switch per option. But actually you could use a single switch to allow/forbid configuration via UI.
Still the easiest way without hardware modification is using a passphrase to protect configuration. In my momentary firmware I lock advanced configuration options with a simple 3 digit passcode: for instance “click-pause-click-click-pause-click-click-click” if the pre-configured passphrase is 123.

Has anyone seen them on sale recently?

My point is that if you’re buying from China, don’t expect the same consumer safety standards/warnings that you get in North America or Europe. Do your own research to determine how to safely use whatever you buy overseas, whether it be a cattle prod or a high-power flashlight.

Just got my Q8. Are there any sensible mods for it?

There is a modding thread for the Q8

OK, maybe I won’t be quiet.

I can not understand the posts denigrating anyone that needs to pick up a Q8 in their hands, wanting light, and gets caught in a button push hell. Any random person needs to be able to use the Q8 without a manual (as in using a candle or match to read the instructions for operating the flashlight). Yes there are many esoteric functions, but who the hell cares when the power is out and you have no light source.

The Q8 is a great (apparently an almost erotic device for many members) flashlight. As I mentioned somewhere - it is the light I wanted; no matter what you think! It does what I want. And insulting posts about me getting a $3 light is petty and quite annoying. You are nowhere near as clever as you think.

Everyone sending my views to purgatory, and ridicule them on the way down, have a very limited and shallow understanding of Human Behavior. But they are persistent.

Pretty much all of the negative responses to my thoughts have involved - If they just RTFM, and trained, and acquired long term memory (potentially years), and were provided with a training program that included monthly emergency exercises for random neighbors and passer-bys, with training on the light, then it is one hell of an emergency light source. NO - it is a flashlight!!

The vitriol is predominantly directed to people too stupid to use the light (that includes me); these users are clearly sub-human. And perhaps should be required to get a flashlight operating license.

To everyone saying they have all these Q8 users that had no problem; Yeah, but I had a 4 out of 4 failure (including me). Work the statistics. Review your conditions. Many may dismiss (well more that just dismiss) this issue.

Regardless of your (mostly) individual opinion; this light is NOT intuitive NOR is it configured to allow a wandering stranger to pick it up and find that it is a intuitive flashlight. Or understanding what is happening.When your house has collapsed from an earthquake (mud slide, etc) wandering strangers have some potential of being useful. As do the owners of the house.

I (after considerable initial research) bought (ordered) these as emergency lighting. That includes adding a satisfactory diffuser for long term emergency room lighting. We have rather a lot of power outages.

The part consistently disregarded by some forum members, is that my targeted use is EMERGENCY. I get that this is not necessarily the project objective; perhaps the hive mind who will think that “who, there is a flashlight, I am saved” is the most important customer base. But there should still be room for a household, with neighbors, to allow people to pick up the light and not get surprised by unexpected results from pushing the button that they can not resolve.

This light is available on the open market. At a good price point. Any purchaser, other than one of us, may foolishly believe it is just a flashlight. There are probably more of them out there than there are of us. At least if the manufacturer is able to sell any quantity of the Q8s. Get out of the restricted view of a bunch of flashlight fanatics and think about all the rest of the human race.

Let us assume for the moment, that this is an emergency light. In an emergency, many possible people will pick up the light and try to use it. This can not be pre-trained. This could be an automobile accident (particularly a passenger), forest fire, earthquake, etc. We have them all.

If someone picking up the Q8 gets into a confusing mode because they believed it is a regular old flashlight; and could not see how to get out of that mode. That is just not acceptable.

I suggest again; there needs to be a mode that just gives basic alternatives with minimal confusion (learning curve). There would need a way into the full native Q8 interface.

I found a review with two nice UI-Diagramms for the Q8.
Maybe they are better to understand.
They are nicer looking :slight_smile:

[Review] Thorfire BLF Q8 ... 5K lumen designed by FLASHAHOLICS! | Candle Power Flashlight Forum!

Maybe it’s been posted but I missed it. Do we have a pretty good idea what the internal temp of the Q8 is at the default 3 minute step-down mark when at max illumination? My point being—should I delve into the UI to change to the temp-actuated step-down or is it reasonably safe as is? I’ve run it up to the step-down and it was …….pretty warm but wouldn’t have burned my skin by any means. Just wondering.

Opinions vary on what is and isn’t acceptable.

No one is going to change a finished product. So your words are falling on deaf ears.

I’m surprised you haven’t sold the Q8’s and bought something different.

It depends on what batteries are being used and their state of charge. I believe the three minute timer was set up as a worst-case scenario. Such as when you’re using very high drain cells like 30Q or VTC5, etc… and they are fully charged.

If the default thermal protection isn’t causing you any problems, you can leave it stock if you want. If your using a lower drain cell like a 35E or Panasonic B or any type of protected cell and you want the turbo time to be longer because it’s not generating as much heat, then you can go in and adjust the settings.

I did a video on it.
.

Amen to that!! If the light is not what someone wants… they should buy something that is. There are plenty of choices out there.

The description details the operation of the light very well. It should be obvious to anyone buying a Q8 exactly what they are getting.

The Q8 does what it was designed to do and does it well.
If someone does not like it, that is no problem; just don’t use or buy it.
BUT… quit trying to ride a dead horse.

This has got to the point it is comical. :smiley: