if we could even raise enough funds to have Lexel build the driver prototype to send to Toykeeper to do the Firmware test on would probably give is some idea & starting point to establish what is planned for the BLF LT1 lantern project. I would pay for it myself but in a situation where my financial stability is in the red zone.
BlueSwordM sent me a small donation out of his appreciation for what myself and the lantern team are doing, & i will donate that to Lexel to build the driver when he gets back to me on the cost of it.
There used to be the BLF project donation fund (link), and there must still be a few hundred dollar leftover. But it was run by The Miller who has not been seen for 5 months now. But as far as I know him, the fund will still be there alright, if only we can contact him about this. I will write him an email.
To be clear, the money thing came up because of a comment that software doesn’t take much time or effort. It was not a request for money, just a way to quantify effort.
As for the lantern, I already have most of the code written for it… I just haven’t tested it on actual lantern hardware yet. The tint ramping thing works as far as I can tell, though.
So that money was never spent on you either? It sounds like BLF-fundraising does not work very well, does it? At least it makes members organising it disappear. :person_facepalming:
I am not sure why they need Eagle files, the Gerber files and BOM can be given to an PCB factory to make the boards
I can mail you also an excel table with the component positioning for assembly that may help,
but a good fab can easily extract the nessesary positions with their programs from Gerber files and a worker checking that
or going the most easy way, let produce a fab from Gerber the board with solder paste stencil and a warker manually equip the prototype with solder paste and parts for reflow
I don’t know much how the programs work for those types of files, but i remember Barry mentioning that they needed .pcb files instead of .gbr, ( as you said its two different programs Eagle & Gerber)
I created a BLF account just to show my interest and for being put in the list.
I am also very interested in the USB charging mod. Does anyone know of any similar mod for the regular BLF Q8? I’m not skilled to do it myself, or solder/unsolder anything, but would happily throw my money if a USB-capable tube was available. Alternatively, what would be even better, would be a way to charge batteries without removing them from the holder. Not sure if this exist or is doable. I have a MF04 and a BLF Q8, these are my first multiple-18650 flashlights, and easily recharging just by unscrewing them to get the holders and connecting them be very convenient.
Barry sent me a couple of the first images of the BLF LT1 lantern design their engineers did based from the drawings & info i sent them. It looks really good & very close to the design perimeters i sent them.