This light gave me idea. It has 2 side lights. What if that was extended all around the head? What if we made it LT1-style, with emitters at the top?
Maybe we could make LT-1 style optics around the driver space? Instead of a long screw holding the head make a short tube. Driver compartment tube. LEDs are still at the top. Use not 8 high-power but many mid-power LEDs to counter the fact that they’l be placed very close to the cover.
In front add a regular optics and LED, so it’s not just a lantern but a flashlight as well.
Tube gives little space for the driver…unless you make a flex PCB (not very expensive now) and fold it inside.
Yeah baby, someone has similar ideas to mine:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/32760825307.html
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I have one like that atm, its very finicky, flickers a lot, and has some design issues. (added to the radiation-blue tint and built in charger that charged a cell to 4.32 volts.
I would vote for a head with a reflector + a ring of (mid power) leds around it.
I have one like that atm, its very finicky, flickers a lot, and has some design issues. (added to the radiation-blue tint and built in charger that charged a cell to 4.32 volts.
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Bad implementation does not invalidate a good idea. 
I know, its just the quality of most lights of that style on the market need some major modifications or don’t work well at all.
I would support 21700…… because it means I can use 18650 protected cells! For those of us who only use protected cells, many 18650 lights are not useable…… FW3…. EDC18……etc but 21700 lights can all take a 69mm keeppower!
Would it be feasible to make it accept 2 CR123s in an emergency? It’d be nice to have a fall-back to those if one is out camping and the rechargeable battery dies. I already take a couple CR123s in a waterproof case for some other lights I have (that are currently running rechargeables) for “just in case”.
Also, I’d vote for more than just 1 LED (2-4?) in order to drive them at lower currents for more lumens. A few extra dollars up front for something that can run longer and cooler at a given brightness (vs a single LED) would be good. Either way, I’m excited to see this project.
Edited to add: I was thinking 21700 or 26650 size instead of 18650 which is why I thought of more than 1 LED.
21700 is the goal with the ability to use 18650’s with a sleeve. as a lantern, it will pull less amps than a high-powered flashlight with a turbo that only runs for a minute or less, as lanterns run continuously for hours on end, meaning it will likely have a low-volt protection like the full size LT1, and being a low-amp draw it can run nearly any type of 18650 from old weak laptop pulls up to a 5000 mAh 21700.
The thoughts of having the tube made just large enough diameter to handle a 3-AAA carrier has been thought about, in that case which would add that extra battery versatility of even fitting a basic 3-AAA series carrier in it for that additional option in emergencies to use alkaline or Eneloops. (but not to charge them)
That’s a good idea DBSAR, a 3xAAA carrier would be a good backup.
I discovered if the inside of the battery tube of the Fireflies PL47 21700 light was just barely half a mm larger, a 3-AAA plastic carrier from any cheap 3-AAA flashlight fits it and works with additional longer springs.
I like this idea, but I also dislike it. Flexibility is always a good thing, but what would be the result of someone having this carrier installed and accidentally / ignorantly plugging up the charge cable? Cooked NiMH or popped alkalines?
I’m sure it would be possible to design a mechanism that would prevent that, but it would complicate things.
…. a keyway, a switch that is activated when the 3xaa carrier is inserted……. everything and anything is possible. Is it worth the effort?
indeed that is a concern.
good points. Something to disable charging with a 3-AAA carrier in it.
Those carriers have a pogo-stick nipple to make contact, no?
Make a small center contact for power, and a concentric ring around it for charging. Should make contact with flat-tops, but not with the carrier.
good idea :+1:
Put me on the list for three. (When the list is started)
Would it be possible to add red LED’s operated as a separate mode in Anduril? Perfect for keeping bugs away when camping or fishing. Perhaps deep red XP-E? They are relatively cheap.
That would work, you could do a similar circuit to the yellow work lamps that take 18650 and AA, they have a series of diodes to prevent charging of the AA.
Big Clive has done a tear down and circuit
That way the LT micro could be a power bank too.