Can anyone step up for an AA/2AA only BLF budget flashlight?

High CRI? Sensible modes? Configurability? Ability to use 1xAA, 2xAA, maybe even 3xAA? Nice firmware like Biscotti?

All in one light.

Remember, the BLF-348 was based on the existing Singfire-348, which is a tiny part of the crowded 1xAAA market segment. The only difference was an LED upgrade for high CRI, yet the BLF-348 sold like hot cakes in four separate group buys.

I’d prefer single AA/14500 with true moon, balanced beam and nice u.i. (Narsil, guppydrv, Bistro…)
Lighted tailcap would be nice, but maybe too complicated and expensive…?

We have the Utorch UT01 that has great output and a very bearable user interface, and the Manker E03h with great output and bearable user interface. I think those two are the starting point for a BLF AA-light: at least 250 lumen on an Eneloop and a Narsil-type UI.
I have not seen expertise yet on BLF for designing a boost driver with that output, so I’m still of the opinion that Manker should be the partner in this light (=also the maker of the Utorch driver), also because they seem to have a good source for high CRI Nichia leds.

I’d like to see a light made to hold three 1.2v AA cells side-by-side in series — or a single lithium-ion cell.

I have several Frankensteined 3AA lights (made by Lego-ing together parts that happen to thread together from a SK68 and reversed battery tubes from a “3W Police” 2xAA lights.)
It’s handy as a loaner because it’s bulky and hard for people to lose or forget about in their pocket and walk away with.
But clunky.

I definitely would think a 2aa light is more needed. At least that’s my opinion. Think about how many 1aa flashlights there are compared to 2aa. The 2aa flashlight would be great as a possible edc, camping, hunting, hiking and general purpose flashligh. It’ll give us better run times than a single aa light and that’s more important to me than crazy high lumens.
2xAA
High cri or neutral white
Simple UI, no strobe, 3-4 modes
Orange peel reflector

It’ll be TACTICAL™.

Re: 1×AA vs 2×AA…

Why not design for both? Default might be a shorty tube for a 1×AA light, but with an extension tube (like the Convoy L2, Solarforce L2M, etc.) to take 2×AA, or an optional “longy” tube for 2×AA instead of an extension.

More machining, etc, but…

Ya know, what I’d like would be interchangeable battery tubes.

The way camera lenses can be swapped around across brands with thin little adapters.

The pathbreaking Arc LS flashlight head could take battery tubes of multiple sizes and twisty or clicky-tailswitch

I don’t feel like Manker has any interest in working with BLF after leaving Banggood the way they did and vowing not to discount their lights at all. I think Sofirn, though not the same quality as Manker, might be good to work with especially considering their prices. They have a very capable AA boost driver in the SP10A which I reviewed, with no visible PWM and decent output on NiMH and 14500 (claimed at 270/500 respectively). They have an updated SP10B (Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com) that might be getting some further UI improvements as well. But with Narsil & assorted temp (3000-5700K 90+ CRI) Nichia LED options, it can be taken to another level altogether…and charging port would be nice also. :slight_smile:

Sofirn is also coming out with some thoughtful UIs and has been interested in what we have to say about driver design.

I wonder if they’d be interested in a side-by-side 2xAA 2-optic/2-LED form factor.

On the other hand — with 3D printing becoming so widely available, could we come up with our own host design?

If I am not mistaken it was mor then just a led change, the switch was different too, to give a better feel.

So much choice in this segment.
Though I would love to get the Q4 and Q2 rolling at some point, where the driver is big so would allow first playtime with cool BLF firmware, thus a scale down means nice mod path for the many lights that hold a AA sized cell.

But we need to have moved over to a new MCU, these are both smaller and have more pins, which is the challenge, flashing requires a different way to connect and software to be able to flash, hence there is nothing going on for a Q4 or Q2 at the moment, yet I hope TK agrees with me and wants to use the BLF lantern as a platform to get into new MCU realms after that lots of novice lights can come out, we need a first to move onwards.

Besides it would be strange if no cool AA light can be mafenor found with the vast amount available now.
Heck a SK68 with 219B would cost ~$7 in parts, nice tint and a UI that is acceptable for that price IMHO.

Miller, a demand that narrows down the available AA-lights enormously is output of the boost driver. I have complete faith that a great MCU and great user interface can be BLF-generated, it is existing expertise, but boost electronics than can squeeze 300+ lumen out of a single Eneloop (which for me is the number 1 requirement for a :cool: BLF-AA light) is yet to be developed and may require a company that knows the trick.

I might add optimize the reflector for 2 LEDs, simple but effective driver… I would still prefer dual voltage setup, run the cells in parallel instead of series…
Rough sketch…

Offering it all, a 1AA, 2AA and 14500 capabilities isn’t a big deal.

I like this list you did……
2xAA
High cri or neutral white
Simple UI, no strobe, 3-4 modes
Orange peel reflector

TL

> optimize the reflector for 2 LEDs

Or make provision for swappable Carclo optics
I find the wide elliptical very handy myself.

But click on “beam type” to see the range of choices.

You could have 2 different optics, use either or both

i like the blue …i’ll take two

I’m a big fan of this type of light …maybe a selling point would be to add a bolt hole on the bottom and sell it as a possible bike light .
maybe a a nice hardwood … or bamboo?

I think without much trouble, we could give a choice of a reflector or a Carclo. I’ll have to look at the depth of each and see where it ends up. Nice idea!! TL

I think he meant two LEDs and two optics. So you could have both a floody one and a narrow spot and use either one, or both, as needed. I like that idea. Control over the beam compensates a little for the limited power of an AA light.

Thanks! I missed that I guess. The word “Swappable” made me thing a change out situation. !! TL

> meant two LEDs and two optics.

yeah, two, swappable because Carclo makes such a wide variety of optics and they are inexpensive.