Exactly. People need to know the progress. For a thread approaching to 10K replies. Streamline the ordering is the current phase of business.
(For buyers from Canada) Tried my code on Amazon.com first, ‘invalid’. But it worked on Amazon.ca, how nice!
Fair enough. If there’s no status updates for a week, then by all means post your position in the list and the fact that you have received the code. No need to spam them more often than that.
or maybe a separate thread for those who just “need to know the progress”? This existing thread titled, BLF Lantern Purchase/Followup Information, seems like a good candidate to me.
Are there any updates in the firmware between batch 1 and batch 2?
ToyKeeper is working on a new build she hopes will be in batch 3..
I have been helping her with testing and found some early issues, the latest build seems very stable.
Only noticable change presently IIRC is the addition of the SOS function in the blinkies
Looks like this:
is there anything we could do to prevent the battery potmeter issue? Like using epoxy on the pot to protect it or smt like that?
You’re talking about the battery hitting the trim pot?
That’s easy.
Don’t use standard flat top batteries.
Use button top batteries only.
Could it just be removed with a pair of pliers, or a metal saw? I seem to remember someone mentioning a similar surgical procedure a few weeks ago.
I am on the list for numbers 45, 213, 879, 880. I’ve only recieved one code for one light from the first batch. Should I keep waiting for another code to be sent to me?
yes. I only have flat tops and didn’t plan on ordering new batteries for this light :S Guess I’ll just have to be careful Could it be that the design flaw is fixed in the unit sofirn is sending out now in batch 2?
NOT a design flaw.
Running standard flat top batteries in any light that has a circular positive contact (LT1, SP36, Q8, SF34, etc) is inherently unsafe.
Do some googling about 18650 construction and you’ll see that the case (negative contact) is right next to the positive contact. Imaging a piece of metal scraping across the top of the battery. The only thing keeping the battery from shorting across the circular positive contact is a little bit of insulation. Insulation that is being rubbed and compressed as you tighten down the battery carrier.
Just put a solder blob on your flattops, it’s super easy. That’s what I did with my 30q’s, works perfectly and no danger to the pot.
They could have designed so it wasn’t a issue so I’ll still call it a design flaw. I guess it’s a design flaw that won’t be fixed then…
The light is designed for use with button top cells.
Just because one type of flat top cells can be used, more or less, depending on how lucky the user is, does not mean there is a design flaw. The design is for button tops. Use anything else at your own peril. The user manual specifies button top.
There are a couple of good reasons (simple, very robust, easy in use) to use such a contact ring for batt+ over more complicated designs that make flattops work, and thus many flashlights use such a ring. “Repairing” this “design flaw” may create more trouble than it solves. Therefore personally I call it it a (very good) design decision instead of a flaw.
There are many ways to Rome. I wouldn’t call a design leaving out so many batteries a good one even if it works good with button tops… Don’t get me wrong… The light seems great but that part was a huge bummer to me. Especially when it’s so easy to make lights that work with both kinds. I’m just hoping they fix this issue for a later version. Looking forward to getting this even if I have to mod some batteries to make it work properly.
Battery contact rings are a design flaw in kind of the same way that shoelaces are a design flaw. It requires a little bit of care because, if operated incorrectly, people can trip over it. There are plenty of ways to design shoes so that they don’t need laces, but those ways aren’t unambiguously better — they all involve tradeoffs.
There are even companies which started out with other designs and then upgraded to a contact ring to avoid the problems inherent in the other designs. It’s a pretty attractive solution with some nice benefits and only minimal downsides.
Multicell lights that work with flattops are always more complicated, either a battery carrier must be used, or an extra rotating disk in the tail, or a loose battery cap (like the newest Convoy). More parts means that more can fail. This ring design is cheap, has very low resistance and never fails. You are a solder blob away from any flat top battery to work in this light.
Some ways to Rome are better 
The car that can use all the ways to Rome is best if the roads for button tops are closed 
A light like this is neat for emergency use with whatever cell I got lying around. When it’s only accepting one kind it’s a limit. In 2019 we manage to design something that works with both kinds. It’s not that complex c’mon. It’s a great light like I said but why isn’t it allowed to call this design issue out? Clearly something running all kinds of 18650 would be better and if it’s done right it’s just as reliable as this solution.
yes, more codes will be sent our for those wanting more than one light. At the moment they are giving 1 code per person on the list of 3000, so everyone can get a at least 1 light, then they will go over the list from the start again, to send out more codes to those on the list for more than one.