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

No attack intended but please skip the frills. Once we go to “real” emitters, (built in) solar panels just cant keep up.
Crank winding - same argument (do you know how much cranking you need to do to charge 4x2600 mah cells?)
and as for built in charging please remember the ACEBEAM debacle.
If we are on an extended trip such that packing 1-4 extra cells is an issue then we can plan on packing a separate solar panel and bring a proper charger (check out GoalZero et al)

KISS!!! If we want a power bank or a power source for our cell phone (how much are we really gong to talk on a remote trip?) See GOALZERO and others of there ilk for solutions.

.02 lumens

Reducing the glare is one of the key goals on this build project, along with compactness, and run times balanced with output.

What about PWM, do you intend to avoid flicker or are you not worried about this aspect? For me it would be an absolute deal breaker regardless of anything else although I do realise it’s not that important for the majority of people.

I’d be interested in a lantern that uses 18650s and runs a long time on the lower modes.

^This. Times a hundred.

…edit…
but not 100 lights, i couldn’t afford that

I almost bought this lantern during Fast Tech’s CNY discount
But that will have to wait.

I am willing to get in on this.

The plan is for this lantern to be newly produced, not buying SRK and scavenging it for the battery carrier. Of course there has to be enough interest and have hundreds of reservations before this can happen.

Interested. I’ve been wanting a ~3000 lumen lantern. :smiley:

PWM will be avoided with the use of a Q-Lite Rev. Nanjq 105C driver as the base driver. these have no PWM in any modes. :slight_smile:

Using linear driver with XM-L/XP-L at 0.7A is very bad idea.
You will have 3.0-3.1v voltage drop through led and 0.7-1.0v voltage drop through 7135s. This means 2.1W to led, 0.5-0.7W to driver heat. Driver efficiency lower than 80%.

Interested depending on the final specs. I’m looking for a good lantern for a while now, so I’m curious about this project. For me a lantern requiring 18650 batteries would be first preference.
Thanks, DBSAR, for sharing this exciting idea.

If it uses 18650 I would be in on this.

I’m interested if the price is kept reasonably low.

Anxiously waiting to see more of this prototype.

-Garry

I have thought about building a lantern before, and in my design I was not planning a driver at all, it had a rotary switch with several postions,for every position another resistor was switched in series of the led, to get the modes.

I post this just to be aware that this option exists, not because I think it is a better idea.

You could use an encoder switch w/knob to flip between modes forwards & backwards. You still need to process with a micro, and because of the pins required, could put it in the 14 pin variety.

Here is the switch I used in last years BLF contest, it is one of the smallest ones out there: http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en/sensors-transducers/encoders/1966131?k=PEC09%20Series

Also very interested.

i have modded many of my smaller lanterns in that way using resistors for the modes and multi-positions switches, but all were on D, C, AA or AAA lanterns. in this case for 18650 LiIon cells i prefer to have the low-battery voltage safety feature of the 105 driver in case non-protected cells are used.

Interested

Interested, as well.

I’m interested, maybe even for several units. 18650 batteries, aluminum body and parallel configuration is a must for me. Would you willing to consider a micro USB built in charger?