*BLF LT1 Lantern Project) (updated Nov,17,2020)

New additions added since 3/3.

1284 DavidRZ
1285 DavidRZ
1286 swiftblade13
1287 ActiveAl
1288 SwissFlashy
1289 patchythepirate
1290 Gerrh
1291 Gerrh
1292 Pwsmith
1293 adamchan
1294 Philip porter
1295 Espresso

OP updated! Thanks :slight_smile:

Coscarā€¦until you have something to compare, you have nothing to compare.

Interested in two please.

The Zanflare T1 is a good lantern but this is comparing apples with pears. The Zanflare T1 is a small compact lantern with low cri, low output (like 100lm sustainable) and is almost entirely made out of pastik which leads to serious overheating issues.
Our LT1 ist much bigger, brighter with a higher cri and made out of metal, of course itā€™s going to cost more.

And it has a genuine ToyKeeper user interface! :slight_smile:

I think I was clear I was not comparing the two lanterns. Maybe you also missed my ā€œkiddin asideā€ comment because Den did not include my full post when he quoted me. The only comparison I made(besides the ā€˜kiddin asideā€™ comment)was the Zanflare was available and the LT1 was not and the T1 would be a good alternative until the LT1 was available. Apparently, no one understood my statement and my sense of humor was not appreciated. I did apologize

Again, I was not comparing the 2 lanterns. Please read what I actually said. Did your T1 overheat? Do you have one? None of the 4 that I have have had any problems nor have I heard of anyone besides Den that experienced anything that would actually cause a problem unless the unit or battery is defective. I think the general consensus was Denā€™s results in the ā€œDANGERā€ thread were the exception and not the rule.

No need to understate what this is, it is a game changer. It will wipe the floor with every existing lantern in just about every metric possible. This is not just a cool new light with an interesting reflector setup. This thing is AWESOME. I feel very fortunate that there are people willing to jump the hoops to make this happen. I genuinely think this is a pretty revolutionary thing in the flashlight world, dare I say one of the most significant modern lights to be produced. At least itā€™s taking steps nobody has taken in decadesā€¦ā€¦

:+1:

Sign me up for one please

Iā€™m in for one. Please add me to the list.

Interested in one, thanks.

I canā€™t stress enough how important it is that this be a solid build that can withstand shock (repeated drops from a high distance). I go camping with my kids a lot, and use lanterns in areas where I may put it on a lantern or somewhere where it may fall to the floor/ground. I havenā€™t read through every page, but hopefully testing for drops is on the list.

Iā€™ve been excited for this project since the first post years ago and canā€™t wait to see the finished product. A big thanks to everyone involved!

Again, with the extraordinary expectationsā€¦.

I would love to see any modern lantern have such drop ratings. To see it under $100 would make me need to change pants. We are setting a lot of firsts with this light, I think the best wisdom to your concerns is ā€œtake better care of it.ā€

Granted, I bet this will hold up better than most lanterns on the market, especially given the smaller comparative size of the most fragile bits, but cā€™mon guys. Letā€™s all re-calibrate our expectations here, we seem to be getting some very anomalous readingsā€¦ā€¦

I am interested in one as well. Please add me to the list. Thank you.

Where did I say anything about extraordinary and extensive drop tests? It should survive pretty much unlimited drops from a table, and it would be nice to see it survive from a 6ft ladder. I guess ā€œhighā€ was a bit nebulous on my part. Just pointing out that this lantern will be used in plenty of jarring circumstances as youā€™d expect from an outdoor product that doesnā€™t just reside in a pocket or someoneā€™s hand.

Interested

If anybody does not have anything positive or constructive to this post, just SHUT THE F.CUK UP. Thanks @DBSAR for trying to get this project on rails. I have been waiting for a long time and hope it has a positive ending.

> (repeated drops from a high distance).

Thatā€™s a pretty big ask for any electronic device. These arenā€™t going to be potted internals AFAIK, a light that could be labeled as able to ā€œstand repeated dropsā€ from any distance would almost certainly need to be potted. Especially with kids involved. Plus, the lens/ whatever is a natural weak point of any lantern, so expecting it to be as durable as say a regular Fenix light, just isnā€™t realistic.

I think jumping in, admitting to not having read anything, and then demanding something that is a tad ridiculous, is a bit distasteful. Similarly, so is demanding that this be at an incredibly low price point.

Expecting any lantern to be as drop safe as you are actually suggesting is quite a big task, and not really the name of this game. That being said, Iā€™m sure it will hold up to all sorts of bumps and bruises, in fact better than I bet most lanterns that currently exist. But I do not plan to be dropping this thing onto ground repeatedly and I think that is the most logical route for preservation of an item like this is to not treat it like something from Surefire.

About drop-proofness: I think that this design can withstand being dropped quite well if:

  1. thick tough polycarbonate is used for the light cup,
  2. and/or a metal tube is used around the center screw clamped between top and body that prevents bending forces transferred to the light cup plus making the construction more stiff overall.

If the construction is made without metal tube and with a thinner and/or PMMA light cup, the construction is less tough, but should still be pretty durable.