My Q8 5.1 boards should be arriving today, and should have all the parts to build up all 3. More Attiny85's and SIR800DP FET's came in yesterday from MtnE.
i am interested in the driver, but am unable to programm a icu :(
The new v5.1 driver arrived:
It all looks good - can't see any issues. I'll "buzz" it out to check all pads then reflow a couple to test.
Looks nice to me.
Yea, I like this layout. Plenty of thru holes, and paths seem efficiently placed. Nice job on this PD68!
BLF 8Q 
What is the purpose of the through holes? I’ve noticed numerous drivers with what appears to me through holes in random places.
They are plated with copper. It is what takes power/signal from one side of the pcb to the other side.
Well I have the hardware for that (USB board/cable/clip) and Tom has send me the name of software I need to do the flashing.
But if there is a member in Europe who wants a Q8 driver and can assemble it we have 3 people and shipping within EU should not be so bad.
Thanks pd. I learnt something today. 
Please count me in for one, I was saved from buying the SR from GB
Ps :that board looks absolutely stunning!
I’m in! Well, I was from the very beginning, but haven’t posted until now.
There are few suggestions I’d like to make.
What about indicator led? Tom really likes these and Narsil supports them. v5.1 driver has pin to spare for this purpose? Since switch is planed to be stainless (opaque), maybe something similar to S2+ tail switch can be done (transparent ring around switch). Or just light pipe next to it. If adding indicator is not possible for any reason, please consider switch letting light through. It would allow people to add leds without drilling body, I would do it as soon as I got the light.
How is switch going to be mounted? Milled slot for switch pcb would be nice from modding and maintenance perspective and it would allow for custom pcb with led, in case indicator doesn’t make it.
I don’t know how far gone is mcpcb design, is it possible to add thermistor pad? v5.1/Narsil might not support it, but some driver some day will. 45 degrees rotated XHP pads on XP-L mcpcb sound great, too.
Indicating switch was cancelled due to costs reasons. Pads are on the current driver board do if Thorfire is going to use the same design mod it in!
Yes the idea is a small PCB with e switch.
Idk what a thermisistor is…?
It’s resistor that changes resistance based on temperature, i.e. temperature sensor, sometimes refered as NTC. Some Noctigons have pads for it, and I have seen them on latest 7-up Cutter. If it doesn’t interfere with current trace routing, this change should be easy and is free.
If indicator is ditched, please see if there is any way to let light through. Though I can’t see it being cost issue besides changes in head/switch design. If switch is on pcb, additional led pad is practicaly free, another cm of wire and smd led come close to it.
Tom is working on thermal regulation and surely will chime in on this 
See those pads top right corner?
the LED + - are for a indicator LED (mod in another switch pcb and switch and it will work)
the little pads above it are for directly putting an indicator LED on the driver. Opening up the housing for a light tunnel is a mod.
And yes changing switch/switch pcb to new parts is adding costs and we are now looking at very little profit for the first groupbuy Q8s for Thorfire, it is actually a lot we ask for.
Yeah, I see pads now. I guess I’m in for some drilling. 
Looking formward to Tom’s input, thanks! If anything else comes on my mind, I will share.
I’m drawing a new ledboard one of these days (very analog, by hand, sorry about the ancient technology), so I can add thermistor pads. I’m not into the wiring of them though, I understand that they should be close to the leds, but I need to know from where to where they need to go? Or do the thermistors have their own connection pads that go to the driver with two small wires?
Thermistor is to be connected to driver with two wires, like you said (example). I think soldering to mcpcb is just convinient way to mount it, and ambient(?) temperature there is much more representative of how hot the light is than readings from mcu’s internal temp sensor. With current driver/firmware situation, and Attiny85 out of pins, ntc is useless, but I believe it’s necesary on mcpcb for proper PID thermal management in future. Since SRK-sized DTP boards can’t really be bought, future-proofing stock one seems wise, especialy if mcpcb design is not completed and production cost would remain the same.
Just my opinion they should be fine with just a little profit on the group buy. After its over they can charge whatever they want for the next 10 years. 20 years make changes and make new models etc. And they get a light that’s better then there team of designers could come up with. The best minds are here on blf. Which they get designed free for them as well. How much would they pay a team of designers for a light like this? The little to breaking even on our run I see as payment for the months of work blf team of designers has put in. Any changes that can be made and still keep it $40 and a better light should be made. They can raise it to $70-80 afterwards for a 5k lumen light and it will sell. The s70 at 3k is $70 I wouldn’t be surprised if they ask for $100 for a 5k lumen light. These builds should be little profit for us designing and see issues they can’t see. Theyre getting probably thr best ligjt they have up until the point and get to keep the rights to it for free so i dont feel any sympthary if theres .01 cents per ligjt profit on our run of them. And they make their money from the general public on amazob and other forum. Tom and others would probay charge thousands in labor each with all that’s put into this light. Giving us this light at cost is the way of payment and thanks for this light kind of thing
Yes speed4goal that is kind of what I am thinking too
The rough calculations we have made show very little profit and he R&D, selling of first (larger) amount, good will and positive standing here on BLF is the major profit/benefit for Thorfire in this.
To be honest they didn’t want to do it earlier on, saying it could not be done for this price. We stressed these not directly monetary benefits and they accepted it and continued the project with us. So we are all on the same page here