You can put me down for one.
Many thanks for the response.
I’ve visited this site before and shared some of the wisdom with friends, just never posted.
This project is exactly what I’m after right now, I couldn’t resist! - Brilliant concept, perfect timing.
Please count me in as well!! Super exciting!
Please Sign me up for one. Many Thanks.
OP updated
geo1952 PM processed
Yay, I have welcomed you in your SRK mod thread, but still very cool another frst/second post for the Q8!
I've been busy the last couple of days updating my BLF Q8 prototype, well, it's actually a Securitylng 4X SRK cheap clone bought off of Amazon. I wanted to build it into something close to what we envision the BLF Q8 will be. Where it lacks is the overall quality of the host, but the internals are close.
These are the basic parts:
The LED's are XM-L2 U3 3D (top bin NW) I reflowed on 16 mm Noctigons. The copper disc was bought on Etsy at the Bopper's store here, courtesy of Old-Lumens tip on the seller - great prices, great service. The disc is 1.75" x 18 gauge (about 1.08 mm thick). The width was good as-is, but I sanded down the top surface to 2000 GRIT to get it flatter and smooth. The bottom was lightly sanded to get a flat surface on the outer edge where it sits on a shelf in the light.
I replaced the stock LED centering pieces with ones I had (for a 7.5 mm opening), bought off of AliExpress here - new ones on left, stock ones on right:
I'm thinking the replacements will get more lumens output with less material blocking output - I've measured differences in the past with this same type of change.
The copper disc has no easy way of getting a good thermal transfer mount, so I used the ALUM FAST Stick for securing it (pretty sure KawiBoy1428 recommended it), and hopefully getting a decent thermal transfer to the host.The "stick" is aluminum based, and the cylindrical shape is moldable, like clay, with a different center material. So you cut off a section, then knead it together which mixes it, kind of like 2 part epoxy, then you got just a couple minutes to apply it before it starts setting.
I molded it in there by hand (fingers), after mixing the two parts in the stick, then rolling it in a string like shape. Driver side:
Reflector side:
Here is everything wired up:
Reflector w/kapton tape to prevent shorts (forgot to cut out a hole for the screw initially 
) :
This is the BLF Q8 V1 board using 22 AWG wires:
In addition, not shown, I have a UCLp lens in there, the tailcap springs are bypassed, and the traces on the tailcap PCB are bypassed.
On max output on 4 Samsung 30Q Button Top cells at 4.20v, I measured 16A a the tail using a clamp meter, and:
lumens: 5,531 @start, 5,447 @30 secs, throw: 52 kcd (456 meters)
Also, setting moon mode to a PWM value of 2, I measured 0.1 lumens for moon mode.
Lumens were measured in my home made, but pretty well calibrated, PVC pipe light box, same as a few other members use. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the 0.1 lumens measurement, but it's really, really low for sure.
Of course it could be debated how well this will compare or not compare with the eventual BLF Q8, and in some ways, the BLF Q8 will be better (heavier gauge LED wires, better thermally), but this hand modded prototype has a few advantages as well (UCLp lens, bypass wires, etc.). I believe the XM-L2 U3 3D are probably the same LED phosphor as the XPL V6 3D,so think the outputs would compare closely.
The light's head gets freak'n hot in 90 seconds, as one would expect - there's really not a lot of metal there, and the finning is so-so. The BLF Q8 should be better thermally for sure.
Narsil Updates
Been bizy with this as well this evening. A few bug fixes, and a couple of functional changes:
- Bug: strange behavior on power fluctuations during power-up (settings get corrupted, etc.) -- possible fix implemented, unable to repeat the bad behavior so far
- Bug: in mode sets, press&hold can engage config settings, and strobe inadvertently (reproducible) -- fixed this
- Bug: in ramping, indicator LED is left on when click on to moon mode (moon is last level) -- fixed this
- add a flicker (quick blink) when reaching max or lowest on ramping so you can tell when you reached the limit
- reverse the ramping direction on next click&hold, constantly toggles (can be enabled or disabled via a compile switch)
Thanks to electricjelly for testing and reporting on most of these, and also having some great ideas and suggestions, many of which I haven't gotten to.... yet 
@Tom E thanks for the tip on copper disks! Just ordered some. This will save me a lot of filing.
Nice clean job on the mod!
i can´t wait
Wauwie!
What a nice build.
Looks awesome.
Can you link those gaskets?
And nice additions to Narsil!
Little flickers at the ends.
Ramping down from each level, cool!
What does “reverse the ramping direction on next click&hold, constantly toggles (can be enabled or disabled via a compile switch)” mean… compile switch?
That’s awesome, Tom.
After a little time using ramping in my new SRK build, that is the one thing I thought was missing.
That light takes after you Tom, Its fully sick mate (hope that translates to other countries).
Led centering pieces here: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/9MM-Insulation-Spacer-for-led-CREE-XM-L/612059375.html?spm=2114.13010608.0.114.3rYJmz. I ordered a couple other sizes from them too back in 2013. I think they said they would make custom sizes, not sure though.
By reverse the ramping direction I mean if your last press&hold went from lo to hi, the next press&hold will go hi to lo, etc. This is how lumodrv works. By compile switch, I means "compile time switch", so you could compile Narsil to work with this reversing or not. If not, it will default to go lo to hi, as it did previously. When you reach the max lo or max hi levels, it still behaves the same, and reverse automatically on the next press&hold.
Thanks I put some gaskets in my shopping cart.
Ah so the ramping down is to be set before flashing and not via a menu setting.
Oh boy I see a learning experience coming with flashing, nice!
Well, if you like the default behavior, no reason to change. I'll probably default it to reverse direction - seems preferable by most. I'm not sure yet - it's more powerful to tweak a desired level for sure. Might have to make a minor change - I don't like if you pick the light up, one click to use the last level, then click&hold is unpredictable - could go up, could go down - all depends on your last ramping action. I could reset it to lo->hi after the light is clicked off.
Yes! That detail had not even entered my mind, you’re right a reset when it is turned off makes a lot of sense and will make operation uniform and logical.
Wow, nice work Tom E! Narsil is really coming along nicely!
How about instead of a flicker when ramping reaches the upper limit, the light simply stops at maximum output?
Hold the switch to ramp to maximum output and stop—even if the user continues to hold the switch. Release and hold the switch to ramp to minimum, with another pause.
Thanks for all your hard work, and for your updates that keep us excited! 
Yes, that's exactly what happened before, and still does now - it stops at the limit even if you keep holding. The problem is it's hard to tell it stopped and you reached the limit - when you get to high lumens, the difference between 95% or 98% and full max is really hard to see. The flicker/blink tells you you are there. Even in the videos I did, I kept stopping before max was reached - inside it's tough, outside would be even harder. Others that have used ramping have said the same thing and requested to add the flicker/blink. Lumodrv for example does the same thing, though I haven't seen it operate myself.
The flicker I implemented is very slight, hardly noticeable: it's 6 msecs of being OFF - should be subtle, chances are it shouldn't be bothersome - least I'm hoping 
Got it, thanks for the explanation! :+1:
Or perhaps reset it after a few seconds? It will be nearly as unpredictable if you haven’t adjusted the light for several minutes.
true - hhmmmmm (rubbing my beard ). That sounds good actually! K, little more tweak'n.