Talk about future projects and donation topic

I may have come off a bit harsh, I am sorry for that. I like what you are doing and support your work, which is why I pushed the GT project and want to see all of these projects succeed.

This is also why I don’t want to see a year+ of time spent on a light that makes no logical sense when that time and effort could be spent on a better and more usable light. I want to see more lights come into production that can truly push things forward such as the Q8 and GT.

For the record, I said that the TA buck costs $25 to make and it was the closest thing we had to what the GT needed. I knew the cost could be reduced due to only needing about 1/4 the current the TA buck was designed for but every time I talked to DEL about it he said he didn’t want to get involved with a buck driver.

Thus the only option for such a driver was the TA buck, which DOES cost $25 (more if you only build 1).

I also edited my post after rereading it but after you had started typing your apparently. My post was a bit harsh.

I am a logical guy, I will always look to the most logical option to a goal. Using 14500’s is not logical when other options are considered. There are tons of negatives but only 1 possible positive, it could be 15mm shorter, in a light that is too large and heavy to be a fingertip light and then falls into that awkward middle ground between handheld and fingertip / pocket light.

Larger cells on the other hand offer tons of benefits and make much more logical sense. I simply wanted to point out the logical side of such a light so that people could know what they are getting into.

I agree with David that lack of comfort holding it is not enough reason to not want the Q4 as short as possible. Many lights are very short and I like them for their compactness and I still find them comfortable to hold. The SWM D40A and the Crelant V4A are 12cm, the shorter Manker MK41 is 10.5cm, but because of the short quad reflector and if we do not use a battery carrier, we can make the Q4 as short as 8cm. Mind that that is a full cm shorter than the newest DQG tiny 26650! When also squaring off the middle section of the battery tube, we have an ultra-compact 4xAA light that makes the most of the advantage that AA-size is shorter than 18650-size.

I said “really” see. Sure there are always fringe cases. :wink:

I agree, my wording was a bit strong. Although all of the facts about the batteries, are just that, facts. Not opinion.

The only opinion is that the shortest it should be is ~110m. That is indeed my opinion, although that is an opinion that would be backed up by most market research consultants as seen by the fact there are very few lights shorter then that.

I will bow out now, I only wanted to bring attention to the logical side of using larger cells over 14500’s. I have done that and there is no need to continue doing it. People can make up their own mind.

My opinion is that the time, effort and resources would be better spent on something besides this. This is one of those things you make when you run out of things to make IMHO.

The 4P AA 14500 Q4 is a really nice follow up with Thorfire IMHO
They do the Q8
We take the TK4A tube, tail and switch, scale down the head of the Q8, design driver and build on the trust there is now.
AA lights are very useful, in the car for example here I measured –12°C to 60°C, no way I want a li ion cell in that.
The 14500 is just added bonus for Mac brightness and so we can develop a driver that paves the way for some sweet Bistro / Narsil SK68 or whatever AA or 14500 light
Complex firmware on a AA would be my prime goal for the Q4 so to say.
That is why our normal 2,7-4,2V input are less interesting here, making it work on 0,9-1,6 AND 2,7-4,2V that is the challenge and a mighty big one I’d say.

4xAA is 4.8V nominal, versus 3.7V for li-ion. You can not burn that off with a lineair/direct driver. It will need a buck driver, and it needs to deliver at least 6A to the emitters if you want an output that is remotely impressive with a floody quad set-up (2400 lumen). Quite a challenge that is!

The TK4A looks like a good start but I don’t like the ears at the bottom, it adds unneccessary length, in my opinion of course.

The Miller is talking about a 4P. Not 4S
So only 1.2v… I can not believe in 4P AA.

No no not series, parallel
Consider the Q4 the ultimate muggle light and hopefully opening doora to sweet AA yet complex cool firmware running flashlight mods on SK68, Kronos X5, etc lights.
And indeed modded TK4A mini soda can lights needing only 1 AA instead of 4.
The 14500 is neat for those qanrinf max output but 1* AA with Narsil/Bistro is a goal.

You need about 3v (I hope you are not thinking about a xhp in this configuration) for one led and about 6amps for 4 LEDs to get the 2400lm out of it
ONE AA???
Poor small eneloop. :confounded: after 10 minutes dead :smiling_imp:

OK im in!

This thread will get 100 or 10000 posts… I have time

HKJ has tested Eneloop AA up to 10A current. If it takes 2.5X to convert AA to LED running voltage, you’d need 14A input to get 6A output. One cell probably couldn’t handle that, but two might, three sure would, and four would be gravy! The real challenge will be finding a boost driver capable of 1xAA input to ~3V 6A output. I don’t know that any have even been attempted, but that driver has actually been desired around here for a while.

This! :slight_smile:

Here is one.

fund news:

Change:
From:
4 only for progress in projects that are meant to lead to a real flashlight for all to buy.
To:
4a primarily for progress in projects that are meant to lead to a real flashlight for all to buy.
4b the funds are growing so fast, a part also for support of driver developers for down the road these projects can be used in BLF specials

Reason, we do not know what will be used in BLF specials and even Narsil and Bistro started smaller.
Though all developers that are doing their work open source seem happy in doing so, financial rewards or a little donation are no motivations for them. The big projects can get so much attention it seems nice to give others a small token of BLF appreciation making them able to do a Oshpark order or use it for tools or something, knowing they are seen and speeding things up as among others the Kronos projects and Q8 have sped things up too.

A quote from the Q8 topic:

NEW FUNDS SPENDING
A round of BLF tech developer support, as token of appreciation and hopefully speed tech development up even more.
$30.30 (received $30) Toykeeper for example: trunk : Code : Flashlight Firmware Repository
$30.30 (received $30) Tom E for example: Q8, PMS SEND TO THOSE WITH ISSUES BLF soda can light - #2 by The_Miller
$30.30 (received $30) DavidEF for example : Another little driver that won't be much use to most of you guys
$30.30 (received $30) Texas_Ace for example: Texas Avenger "TA" Driver series - Triple channel + Bistro or Narsil + Clicky or E-switch - The Ultimate open source driver!
$30.15 (received $30) Mike C for example: Mike C drivers: v8 series, ATtiny1634 based.
(More tech developers were contacted, not all reacted, not all accepted, so the token of BF appreciation was bigger for these 5.)

Thanks for the donation. I’ll use it to build a couple of drivers for a GAW when I’m finally satisfied with the design.

:+1: thank you for creating BLF tech.
You guys are the core why manufacturers take us serious as a group with real information and input and not just a forum of consumers.
It is the likes of you that are making it possible for people like me to dare ask manufacturers to look at an idea and thus making BLF specials possible, not to mention the coolness of what gets done with super firmware, lighted tailcaps and what not :slight_smile:
So thank you again!
Pretty cool you wanna do a GAW! do people who donated to the funds and enter an extra chance?

Nice Mike. You receive a donation for work carried out that you will do more work and donate it away. :slight_smile:

That’s not a bad idea at all. I’ll figure something out.

It’s actually The Miller’s idea. I tried to decline the donation but was talked out of it. Doing a GAW was the perfect solution :slight_smile:

So Miller talked you into giving your donation away. I’ll have a few words with him for you and give him a good piece of my mind. He wont be doing that again. :stuck_out_tongue: