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

interested for one

I like the path this lantern is taking, the only thing that worries me is the white diffuser material. Having owned 10+ led lanterns I know this is something that is really difficult to get done right.

Not only the type of material is important, but the thickness, outer and inner finish, transparency, tint/CRI retention, abrasion resistance, it all comes to play.

One of the best diffusers I have seen is from my core 100lm 3xaa lantern, also available at Walmart as their own brand: even light distribution, high transmittance, and almost no tint change with or without the diffuser. Even though it is just 100 lumens it feels like all of the light produced shines through the diffuser. If you look at it while off, it doesn’t look white but grey-ish.

My nitecore LR10 produces a greenish tint and it doesn’t appear to be like being produced from the emitters, the same yellowing effect that silicone diffusers have. Some cheap lanterns have the material made so thick it practically blocks half the output, while the diffuser itself it blindingly bright. (Light doesn’t shine through).

This is the sort of thing that are difficult to be determined though pictures, but IMO ideally the perfect diffuser should be clear, high transparency, with decent abrasion resistance polycarbonate material, with the correct frosting on one side. Not just some semi translucid white plastic.

OK, now I want two!!

I agree that the diffuser material should be high transmittance and no tint/CCT change. A thick white plastic diffuser most likely fails in both regards. Is there a way to check this property of the lantern?

is this emitter just for the prototypes?

If these are 90CRI, then they are both for the prototype and final build.

That will be a part of my tests when i receive the test unit. I have tested many different levels of frosting & types of shades with both the build prototypes i designed, and found that a lighter (roughly 20 ~ 30%) frosting worked the best for not changing the tint or blocking actual LED lumens. While the less frosting will allow you to partially see the LED emitters more, it lets the best balance of lumens through along with still smoothing out the hard-lighting & glare adequately. (the V2 of the prototype i built shows roughly the translucence of the shade, ( in the OP)

As BlueSwordM mentioned its for the production models too.

Can you put me down for a second lantern please? (Already on for one at #1260).

I don’t need a lantern, i don’t use lanterns, and the lanterns my friends have are glarey little buggers that give me a headache whenever i try to use them to actually see anything. I also don’t do multi-cell li-ion lights, and am trying not to purchase any more 18650 lights (FW3A excepted) in favour of the 21700 lights that are hopefully on the horizon. I also try not to wax too lyrically about anything.

But i followed this thread for a while out of curiosity, and the detail and care that went into trying to get the beam profile right really hit home with me and i knew at that point i would be buying one, not just to own but to support the project and show respect for the work that has gone into this project. And the process has been a joy to follow with all the decisions having a satisfying ‘correctness’ about them. The fact that Lexel and TK are handling the electronics is just icing on the cake.

To have this level of competency in any product is a rare thing and is something i want to recognise, so thank you DBSAR, and all involved.

And now i feel i should buy two, couldn’t tell you why, certainly not for any practical reason, but i know somehow it’s justified.

All imho of course :smiley:

Please put me on the list for two.

I just found out that while I’m having opinions on the BLF Lantern every now and then, I’m not even on the list.

So please put me down for one, if only for justifying having opinions. :slight_smile:

Funny, but I actually stopped reading the FW3A thread a while back, and don’t even know now what’s going on with it, because I found myself having too many opinions and not willing to get on the list. I am, however, on the list for this lantern. :wink:

Personally, I like the clean & smooth look of the top cap as is. The top cap will be more exposed to rain, debris, dust, & dirt; IMO it will be much easier to clean if it is smooth.

/\ Truth

One for me too please.

Very interested

Here are the additions from 4/15 through 4/21.

1359 Uselesshippy
1360 akoposilester
1361 akoposilester
1362 akoposilester
1363 akoposilester
1364 akoposilester
1365 Geoduck
1366 trailhunter
1367 cabfrank
1368 saypat
1369 BillyBobJoe
1370 Mf1
1371 Relampago
1372 EcuBebge
1373 2Grumpy
1374 2Grumpy
1375 mkett39
1376 Marc E
1377 middle age man
1378 middle age man
1379 djozz
1380 cloggy
1381 nobody

My thoughts are no, why muddy the waters with another list to keep up with.

No malice or anything, but if someone there wants one let them come here. That keeps it simpler to my way of thinking. :slight_smile:

No, just don’t.

They don’t deserve it. They’re never nice with us, so why should we be nice with them?

I mean, we are open and all, but we can circumvent our own philosophy just to punish them.

Hopefully, people can see my sarcasm.

My mind tells me not to post anything there, but my heart tells me to.

So basically, post a thread about it on CPF. Anybody can benefit from this light.

Good points :+1: