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

Ditto. I’m just a lurker, so I don’t figure my opinion counts for much, but I’m happy to wait my turn. I’ll have years and years to enjoy this light once I have it, so what’s another month or two?

The easiest methods are:

  • Factory reset (default tint is 50% or ~4000K).
  • Or turn the light down to moon level before changing the tint. The tint resolution is very low at that level, so it’s easy to see when it crosses a boundary like 50%.

No need to remove it. If the user configures a lower ceiling, the true maximum will still be available as a “turbo” mode. By default though, the ceiling is set to maximum so it doesn’t have an additional turbo above that.

The default floor for smooth ramp is level 1 of the 150 total steps.

If I understand correctly, there were too many cooks in the kitchen, or coordination was difficult due to time zones, or something like that… so they decided to do it on their own instead. We probably just had too many people in the private thread where the process was being worked out.

Ever tried to get an international project done on an entirely volunteer basis?

Some parts will be messy. And that’s okay. So far it looks like things are turning out pretty well, with only minor details not completely sorted out before the first batch.

It’s pretty common for generic manuals to be written for an entire product line, without going into detail about what is different about each one. That’s basically where things started… just a normal average manual. But people wanted to make it better, and they did. You were a part of that, and it’s very much appreciated. You helped improve it from average to uncommonly good. Thanks! :slight_smile:

Translations are almost always difficult and incomplete or inaccurate, even with extensive tools to help, like an i18n library and a string translation database. This project didn’t have those tools, but has done pretty well regardless.

It’s a moving target, a rolling stone. The firmware runs on dozens of different lights and changes over time as development continues. However, the lantern has been classified as a “stable” build target for months, so it was ready a long time ago. Everything since than has simply been upgrades.

For example, people wanted some light painting features on the FW3A, so I added it. And now, woot, the lantern has light-painting functions. It’s kind of silly, but it’s there. A couple lights were having physical difficulties with stuck buttons, and I added some extra safety features related to that. So now the lantern has stuck-button protection. Etcetera. It’ll keep getting updates over time, because that is the nature of software.

It works with the HQ Universal ProgKey pogo pin adapter, and it might also work with a standard SOIC8 clip. The clip method remains to be seen though, since the wiring inside changed since the last prototype I saw, and I’m not sure if the wires are still long enough to pop the driver out that far.

The Q8’s driver was easy to reflash with a SOIC8 clip and a small screwdriver… no soldering required. And the lantern is based on the Q8. But we probably won’t know until production units arrive if the wires are long enough for that. Regardless, the HQ ProgKey is far more convenient aside from having to build the key first.

One more for me please.
So total of two (2).

Thanks

Yeah….probably should have coordinated differently. It’s also difficult to do things via a chat. If it had been a face-to-face meeting everything could have been resolved in 30 minutes. The problem now is how are they going to keep track of the additions? It would have been no problem for me since everything is in a database and I flagged the exported rows when assigning them a code. Since they are doing everything manually it has to be…………hard.

I had the scripts all written and tested and was ready to fire off the PM’s when Sofirn said they would manually send then out. As TK said……OUCH!

That all sounds like a reasonable explanation to me. To be clear, I wasn’t suggesting that they didn’t trust you or anyone in particular, just the process of sending out codes in an automated way. I wish it had gone differently for the reasons you’ve mentioned, and I appreciate all the work you (and of the whole LT1 team) have continually done on this project. I think I would have gone crazy with all the “with batteries!” and “why am I not on the list?!?” posts.

Sofirn is doing it the hard way and I feel for whoever is responsible to send these out and track them. I think it’ll all work out in the end, but it feels like I’ve got a bit of a wait until they get to me. I’ll just have to keep practicing my patience until I get good at it.

I was hoping for a color like

Let me know when you get that one figured out, I would love some tips myself.

I’d like to join the list for a lantern if I still can.

will where they are on the list be published periodically or not? I’m in the 1300s and I believe someone said it would be a few weeks Zzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Put me down for 2 more please

Glad to see it’s finally happening! Thank you to everyone involved for your hard work.

Not sure how that will be published. I was going to put a column into the files I periodically push to the cloud with who had been sent a code but then again I had everything stored in a database.

:+1: Well said TK. There will be always those few who will never understand that these projects are done entirely free, & on a volunteer basis by a group of people who share common interests in the hobby and topic, and the work is done across only the internet form around the world, through here on BudgetLightForums, with time barriers, language barriers, communication barriers, and more. For anyone to expect things to be perfect is crazy, but i feel we all did a great job of getting it rolling regardless of the hiccups, glitches, and delays, at least its finally rolling into production for everyone, even after 3+ years from the start, which makes me happy no matter what.

In for one, thank you!

I’d like to be on the list for another 4pcs

I’m already down for 6pcs but have family that will be wanting them

  1. here, just ordered w/cells…didn’t have time yesterday, delivery date showing Nov 7 earliest…lol.

I tried the eBay route and the bid was not accepted. Showed in stock, offered $49.99 and gave my name and number. Oh well I’m no hurry anyway.

Well spoken DBSAR! :THUMBS-UP:

I have joined the team very late in the process when Sofirn asked me to do something about the LT1 manual, mainly its translation into German. I must admit that when I asked for help on the content-wise parts I did not expect so many helpful people here who immediately jumped in and spent most of their spare time to get everything right and even to tie up the last loose ends that were still found once we thought we were finished, e.g. discovering that STEPPED RAMP is the default mode. We wouldn't be where we are now without this great help, so stereodude, also to you many thanks for your help once again.

I have kindly asked Sofirn to put some more attention to the whole process of making the manual, especially with regard to the schedule of launching new lights on the market. I volunteered to also help them with future manuals and I would be happy to be on board again with the next BLF collaboration.

Happy weekend to everyone! :-)

Cheers, Thomas

I’m kind of confused. Should I be making an offer on ebay, buying on GB, aliexpress, or waiting for a PM with a unique code? I’m number 1965 if that matters…?

Thanks

Is it too late to join in on the GB? I’d like one and an Amazon link would be great. :+1:

FYI- I’m around #300 and haven’t heard anything.