BLF LT1 Lantern, Whining, Ranting about USB C port issues go here.

We all know about the issue. For now it is what it is.

For anyone with a problem about the charging options if you do not like the way it is now just do not order the Lantern.

People going on and on about things like this will make others stop following this Forum.

They’ll be corrected when the orange one hits the market. That’s when I’m jumping on it

Would anyone be able to post a summary of the problem and workaround? I searched the main 300+ page thread and saw some references to the issues, but nothing specific. That would definitely help those of us who haven’t been following this. Thanks!

What I have a hard time with is the ongoing harping over it when Sofirn has said that they are going to add it to the LT after it has been completely tested. The ones already completed are not going the have the change retrofitted but at some point it will be in newly manufactured ones.

If someone must have the USB-C fix then don’t buy the lantern, wait until it’s in production, or find another lantern that has it and all the other features in the LT.

In my opinion Sofirn has been very responsive to making changes, and it’s not as if a changed can be implement in just a day because people feel it has to be.

Charging 2A is more than enough, thats 500 mA per cell. i use laptop pulls with my LT, so i’m more than happy.

Actually, that is the main reason i just use an 1,5A charger with my phone as well, i never use the USB-C PD charger with it (it delivers 3A !) It will charge my phone very rapid, as well as the rapid deterioration of the battery.

The problem, for some, is when a genuine USB-C source is used that uses the correct USB-C protocol, the lantern will not charge because the charger does not get the correct feedback from the lantern. The simplest solution for that is adding two resistors on the lantern driver, apparently a USB-C charger then measures a correct resistance and starts charging.

For others it is no problem because if you have any USB-A source and use a USB-A to USB-C cable (one is included with the lantern), the charging works, because USB-A does not need feedback from the device to start charging. Most of us have multiple USB-A chargers around.

An argument for correct USB-C compatibility is that although now it only a problem for a few, maybe somewhere in the future dumb chargers may become obsolete and then we can not charge our lantern anymore from any source and need to keep a dedicated (USB-A) charger around especially for the lantern.

For perspective, quite a few flashlights from various brands are around now that have a USB-C type port and none use the correct USB-C protocol, they all assume that you use a dumb charger.

USB-C power bricks don’t provide any power unless they see a special resistance pattern from the powered device.

A power consuming device tells the power source to provide basic USB power when USB-C lines CC1 and/or CC2 are connected to ground through a 5.1k Ohm resistor. (if you connect both lines, each one needs it’s own resistor)

There are two workrounds, not including using a USB-A power source.
1- Use a C to A adapter, and plug the lantern’s A to C cable into that.
2- Open the lantern and remove the driver board. Attach a 5.1k Ohm resistor between ground and one or both CC1/CC2 lines on the back of the lantern’s USB port. If you connect both, you must use one resistor for each line, You cannot piggyback both CC1 and CC2 onto one resistor and expect it to work.

Note: I’ve seen some references to the Raspberry Pi 4 folks only connecting one of the CC lines and that being enough to get power from a USB-C power source. The ‘proper’ answer seems to be using two resistors and connecting both lines. I can’t tell you if one line will work with your cable and power brick, which single line will or will not work, or if it will only work with one side of the USB-C cable up, or if it will turn your lantern into an invisible pink unicorn.

This is purely a DIY, proceed at your own risk situation.

I have plenty of resistors on hand. I’ll probably post pics of what did (or did not) work for me once I get a lantern to work on. Odds are someone else will beat me to it though.

So to be clear, the USB-C issue isn’t a potentially hazardous/destructive one like in some other recent USB-C lights? Just that it won’t charge with a C-to-C cable?

Exactly.

Is this just for the first batch of lights?

At least the first two. We don’t know when LT1’s with this fixed will be released.

The main issue here is people thought the USB-C port was chosen for wide compatibility hence they expected it to be correctly integrated.

Wrong….

The USB-C port was chosen over the Micro USB for DURABILITY and reversible plugging, and the only thing that’s changed is that now instead of using a micro usb cable to charge, you’d have to use a USB A to C cable to charge.

I use a type-c to type-c in my car to charge the phone but i have tons of type-A (the fat end) to type c in the house so this would not have been an issue.
I suppose i can see some the issue in a one wire only setting. i have a type c powerbank and in order to charge my type-c items fast i use a type c to type c cable so it uses power delivery (pd) to negotiate a high charge rate. Sometimes i go camping and only take that cable so i can charge, phones, laptop, gopro etc so maybe in that very specific scenario i would not be able to charge. But if they are fixing it anyway im super happy.

A non-protocol compliant USB-C port turned me into a newt!

Finally! A place I can come and vent about how this lantern doesn’t provide all the features that are included in the USB C spec. I’m mostly upset that MHL, Display port, and HDMI aren’t implemented correctly… I wanted to hook this sucker up to a projector! Forget about storing photos on it as well, it doesn’t appear that they managed to get that working.

It seems that if I use the included cable it will only work with most of the USB ports in my home, car, and office.

I have a bunch of USB-C devices and don’t even have a C-to-C cord yet lol. All of them have included C-to-A cables, so I wonder how many consumer devices are actually following the standard?

C is becoming very common in the US and the more sturdy connectors that aren’t uni-directional are a HUGE benefit and easily reason enough to not have micro-USB the way I see it.

LOL, thanks for the uplift:-)

Thanks, f0xx that was great!!!

Thanks for all of the info! Unfortunate that they implemented USB-C charging incorrectly, but honestly most devices implement it incorrectly so I think most people are used to that!