Iâve suspected for quite a while that 600 was probably too high. Itâs pretty common for amc7135-based drivers to get around 100 lm/W when using medium-CRI LEDs like XP-L HI, and this efficiency goes down when using high-CRI LEDs.
If I understand correctly, my prototype was made before the correct LEDs were sourced, and it probably gets near that common 100 lm/W level. Using some quick napkin math, this would make itâŠ
350 mA * 5 * 3.6 V * 95 lm/W = 598 lm
⊠which is pretty close to the estimated value of 600 lm.
But with high-CRI LEDs it should be lower. Letâs say 75 lm/WâŠ
350 mA * 5 * 3.6 V * 75 lm/W = 472 lm
⊠and thatâs pretty close to maukkaâs measurement of 463 lm.
I think the output was going to be increased by using a somewhat less-opaque diffuser, but for some reason the factory went with a diffuser which was more white and less clear. So the beam is really smooth, but it reduces the total output a bit.
Efficiency could be increased by using a boost or buck driver instead of a linear driver, but that wasnât within the scope of the project. Itâs mostly just an idea for next time, if there is a next time.
Could someone point me to the driver schematic please ? I am sure i have seen it somewhere (but maybe that wasn't the latest version) but can't find it anymore
Probably, depends on the inductor used.
I think only the âopen typeâ can be glued or potted to stop coil wine. The âboxâ oneâs probably not.
However itâs worth a try ;).
Just received my lantern! Ordered from amazon.de on november 16 and shipped november 30 according to the tracking details.
Heavier than expected but thatâs not a problem for me.
Look and feel is great! Really happy with it. Probably not going to use it in a real camping situation but you will never know :).
The light is nice warm on the warm side, a bit too cold on the cold side. it looks more like 6000K than 5000K to me.
I think I will solder the bridge for all the AMCâs to increase brightness.
No harm in doing that, but just a reminder its easy to make the connection with the pencil trick, and even easier to remove the connection if you wish.
Iâm not trying to speak for Sofirn, but I think we need to let people know that the group buy is for Black LT1âs only and was never truly intended to be for colored versions. Sofirn can do whatever it wants and it doesnât hurt to ask (once), but there seem to be many people who joined the group buy, but who now want to save their code for the colored versions.
At present, Sofirn has NO IDEA when it will be able to get colored production LT1âs, so please consider your GB codes limited to the Black version.
There will undoubtedly be tons of discount codes on future colored LT1âs when they become available. You donât have to use your discount codes now, but you might not be able to save them for a future product that has no timeline. Even though Sofirn intended to offer colored lanterns to the Group Buy list, they announced that their anodizing company was unable to fulfil these requests for now.
DBSAR had asked Sofirn about offering a bare metal option instead, but weâve heard nothing further about that option in this thread.
I suspect that most that were on the list for just one LT1 have conceded the fact that Sofrin will not offer the âcolor optionâ anytime soon and have gone ahead and ordered a black one, however I think many that are on the list for more than one, after ordering one will hold off ordering additional multiple black ones thinking the color option will be available eventually. I understood from what I was told in a message from SofrinâŠâŠâŠ. if we are willing to wait, that our place on the list would be honored and new codes will be sent out WHEN the colors are available, which I feel is inevitable because of the demand âŠâŠ.
whether they keep their âwordâ and stick to this game plan is another matter. It is also possible that Sofrin might simply want to sell all the black ones before moving to selling âonly colorsââŠâŠ its hard to say for sure when money is involved.
I have some magnetic trays from Harbor Freight that might be useful as a shade or a base.
The magnet is a doughnut shape in the center so a >1/4â hole could be drilled to allow a thumbscrew to hold it to the tray.
Something sneaky could be worked out to make it stay on the top as a shade.
Alternatively, you could pull the driver and use an SOIC8 clip directly on the MCU. I havenât tried to put my programming keys together yet, but Iâm anticipating some frustration when the time comes.
Mine is due to be delivered today, so for people in the UK that means delivery should take roughly 3 weeks. In my case itâs been 20 days since I ordered the LT1 on 26/11.
Its a useful reference but its pretty random still depending on when/where you ordered - was that eBay, Amazon, Aliexpress?
I ordered 11/11 from Ali because at the time I donât think I had my code yet on PM and it was the same as the group buy price with offers and codes, mine is still floating out there somewhere, the tracking did not work for over 2 weeks (not recognized) so there may have been just a problem or it may have been a âbit slowââą to ship despite being assigned a tracking number.
Suspect be another week or two yet because usually its 3 weeks once the tracking shows signs of anything on 17track etc.
