*BLF LT1 Lantern Project) (updated Nov,17,2020)

Thank you for the expertise & help on this! - I have removed the FET from the Q8, and piggy-backed on a 105C driver board, (stripped of all its components except for three AMC7135 regulators, and remote wired them in to the Q8 driver, so now after testing the maximum amp draw is 1.05 amps on maximum mode. The V2 lantern prototype is now alive & running. :slight_smile:

photo below showing the piggy-backed 105C board with three 7135s in place of the FET.

Driver wired back into the light, ( i encased the 105C 7135 carrier in a shrink tube casing for insulation)

UPDATES, May,8,2018

- The V2 BLF Lantern prototype is now up & running! First tests are underway, (with measurements, comparisons to the V1 and other lanterns, etc.)

- I have yet to still install the TP4056 charger board & plug port, and wire than into the Q8 driver so it can be charged up via Solar panels, wall plug, or vehicle port like the V1 has. I may also change the green switch boot LEDs to a amber or orange LEDs, so that can serve better as a nightlight/firefly option when the lantern is off. SO far, the V2 seems to be slightly brighter on high mode (using the 5-mode group of the Q8 driver, & on high its drawing 1.05 amps from the four 18650 cells, which will give this lantern a run time average of 15 + hours , at around 600 ~ 650 lumens on high mode, using four 3500 mah cells from previous testing at that amp range in the V1 lantern & other modded lanterns i have.
Right now, the V2 has two 3000K XP-L 7A emitters, which gives it a more incandescent light similar to a regular filament light bulb, close to that of a 50 watt incan on high. ( the V1 currently has a single 4000K XP-L emitter.

( photos coming soon showing the smoother & more even light emittance of the V2 over the V1 with the new frosted main single globe/lens & dual emitters.)

- A new basic blueprint & design drawing is under way as well, which will need to be created as a finalized CAD for Thorfire to have the base to work from towards a production version. As for the final driver design & workings to add the charger option, that will require the help of those knowledgeable in that field, as ToyKeeper has worked on adding the Candle-mode and sunset mode for the lantern.

Below Showing the BLF Lantern V2 (on the left in the photo) giving first light, (on the Low mode) along side the V1 lantern on low mode.

Below you can see the warmer tint 3000K of the two XP-L emitters of the V2 on the left, , versus the 4000K single XP-L in the V1 on the right.

Below you can see the new V2 prototype is slightly shorter & more compact than the V1 version. (also the V2 has a new lanyard design where the paracord stays outside the lantern head, making it more sealed.
The actual Lantern blueprint will have some of the body fins removed to slim it down and lighten its weight, ( as all the fins are no longer needed to cool that mid-section area like it does in the Q8 flashlight does, also the head will have some fins added to help with cooling the LEDs.

Looks awesome, DBSAR! One step closer! :slight_smile:

On a related note, the hardware should be able to do 1.4 A, but Narsil expects a FET so it turns off the 1x7135 channel on the highest mode. So the resulting power is 1.05 A instead.

This can, of course, be fixed in firmware. But as is, the highest power would actually be one step short of the highest smooth ramp level. If you put it in smooth ramp mode and ramp up, it should get brighter until the very end of the ramp, when it suddenly steps down a bit.

Can i buy two if the price is great?

That is exactly what i measured, was 1.05 amps on maximum mode, but i discovered something as its running now to test heat, i discovered it “steps down” from the highest mode to the next lower mode after 5 minutes, ( when its using the modes-groups) Is this something that was programmed in the Narsil firmware? if it is, can it be disabled? I am thinking of adding a fourth 7135 to the remote board to increase maximum output a little more to test, but need to get around the step-down issue on the Q8 driver first.

I can add you to the interest list for two.

Yes, Narsil has a timed step-down by default. You can turn that off though. It’s… er, in the manual somewhere. I can never remember the config mode usage without the manual in front of me.

I just been reading through the manual & found out how to disable the step down. Now it stays on all modes. :slight_smile:

Look good. Thanks.

Hi dbsar, as said on post number 116 I am still interested in 2 laterns. Pls put me down on the Interest list.
by the way, I am very happy to see that progress in your latern project. Thank you for your time and work!

DBSAR, please count me in for one please.

The lantern looks great and I certainly appreciate all the work you and the team have put in it. :+1:

I really like this idea.

I love that idea. I really hate finding the on/off button in the dark. That’s why I usually put a glow in dark sticker next to it on my lantern/lights, but the glow doesn’t lasted too long.

Add me to the list as interested in a second lantern please.

Please add me to the list. I don’t have much time to be around here these days but I can’t miss this!

Excellent! I hope the firmware is changed to use all 7135’s on the highest mode, rather than leaving off the +1 channel like it does for the FET currently. For just three or four 7135’s (or even five, if another is added to the slave board too) I don’t think any fins are needed at all for the LEDs to stay cool. After all, with 5x 7135 on max, it’s only about 5.3w to 2x XP-L HD. Five watts won’t heat up much, will it? If fins are added, I think it would look better to have them arranged radially on the top heatsink.

The Q8 host already does have the lighted button. DBSAR would just be switching it from the stock green LEDs to amber or orange for better use as a firefly or night-light, rather than just an indicator/locator light. On my Q8, the green is very bright and easy to find, so even if the amber/orange turns out to be less bright, it will still be plenty. :wink:

It’s also the sleep effect of amber/yellow light, (it does help with falling asleep as yellow/amber light help the Circadian rhythm for sleeping, and blue light is the opposite & makes sleep more difficult.

Its likely the production driver for the lantern will have a different trace pattern to use four AMC7135, ( with a 5th & 6th likely left open for those who want to mod it more) and hopefully a new firmware can be developed for the lantern that runs with those, and some added special modes.