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

So does this mean that this new LT1 version cannot be programmed with any Anduril updates?
Btw, can the LT1 original be updated to Anduril 2.0? I understand the power bank feature wouldn’t work…

Has anyone opened up the new version to confirm there are no further changes internally? I would hate to get the new one and not be able to install the Sunlike MCPCB for example.

I’m curious about the output of the “new” LT1. Can anyone confirm if the 7x 7135 are factory enabled and can it maintain full brightness throughout the entire runtime without having to step down due to heat?

Sorry & my appologies to everyone, things have been a bumpy road getting settled in the new house and trying to get back on track. I will be doing my best to get back into working on the LT1-Mini, a 21700 LT1-HD, (or LT2 model) and possibly a LT1-AA variant as Barry mentioned. Bear with me, its been a rough past couple years with the pandemic, big move, life changes, etc.

This shouldn’t be an issue since the updated LT1 still has two channels. I’m not sure what has been going on lately with BelMor, I hope everything is alright with him he is still on track to delivering our boards.

It seems to be a bit confusing as to what Sofirn is actually selling when you buy a LT1.
There seems to be 3 or 4 different versions on sale at the different outlets. ie Sofirm, Amazon & Aliexpress official Store…

Absolutely right and this new version with out any name change causing further confusion.

I’m quite bothered by the unilateral “updates” by Sofirn considering this was a community light. Altering the flashing pads in that manner is just a dick move, but changing the default 7135 configuration from 3x7135 to 7x3135 while removing the ability to alter it is quite significant and DBSAR should have been consulted.

Ahh, but we had some fun, and knew it wouldn’t last forever. Canny Chinese eh? :face_with_monocle:

As far as i know our development team was unaware that modification was done or discussed before hand.

How long does a development team have any control over what a manufacturer decides to do with a project?

So …… has the name changed to Sofrin LT-1 :person_facepalming: :beer: :beer:

Only change I’ve noticed is that the new one is described with a Q8, whereas the old one does not have that descriptor. That may be how they are going to morph the name over time. As far as the unit, looks identical to the original. Will know more when it is delivered.

I asked Barry about the relocation of the flashing pads on the new driver. He said he did not know. Maybe it was an engineer‘s decision to align the circuitry on the business side of the driver as efficiently as possible? I keep asking them to provide us a flashing adapter but I do not expect this to happen anytime soon, especially without a standard pin layout.

I was told the new version will have all 7135 chips enabled for maximum brightness. There is no thermal regulation in LT1 but I do not expect this to become a problem as long as ambient temperatures are in a reasonable area. Maybe the top of the lantern will become a bit warmer than usual.

For the duration defined in the contract.

I don’t think there is any real recourse here. We have to hope that Sofirn understands why aspects of the light were designed the way they are and keeps them that way.

It’s great to see an update from you…and the possibility of other interesting variants!

But most importantly, I hope things are genuinely settling down for you finally.

New to BLF, flashlights and lanterns. I thought I ordered the newest powerbank version from the sofirn website. Did I end up with the right thing?

What the… Another version?! What are they doing?! At least it makes more sense than the previous version.

What in the world? There will soon be more LT1 variations than FW3A variations.

We had the original, the one that supports type C-C, the new one with screwed up pads and powerbank out, and now this one with pads but without the POT.

I’ve also seen this one which implemented a red channel but was never made, I assume due to them lacking the code

Unfortunately this is most likely an in-house (á’la Sofirn) variant of the classic version (i.e. no powerbank feature).
The only other place I’ve seen this design is an Aliexpress feedback entry from a Moldovan guy here from 05 Jul 2021 12:17.
And as you can see from both the product description and price of that Aliexpress listing, it is pretty clear that it is referring to the classic version.

I have the power-bank-equipped variant and its driver looks like the one in the orange lantern here.
Of course, in theory, yours could be just another layout design around the same components, but it is unlikely, as the bottom layer of your driver PCB is rather suspiciously missing the very distinctive, rectangular grid-pattern of the thermal vias of the thermal pad of the powerbank controller IC. (The central, copper-colored rectangle with holes in the new, PB-equipped driver). Which indicates yours does not have such an IC. (Or if it does, they completely screwed up its thermal design :slight_smile: )

If you want to approach the question from a more practical angle, I can recommend three things:

  • If you have batteries and a Type-C to Type-C cable and a suitable USB device to be charged, then just plug them together and see what happens :slight_smile:
  • If you don’t have all of the above, only the batteries and A-to-C cable, then start charging the lantern, and watch the indicator LEDs. The TP5100 charger IC of the old design lights up the charging LED constantly. On the other hand, the IP5310 power-bank controller blinks it at 0.5Hz. I am intentionally not writing about LED colors, because there is no way for me to know what color LEDs Sofirn was using for what purpose in your case. Long story short: if your charging LED blinks, you probably have the PB feature, if it is constantly lit, you probably don’t.
  • Unscrew the driver, take some pictures of its top side with all components markings visible, and send it here. If you do that, I’ll be able to tell you if you have the BP feature or not with absolute certainty. Hope it helps!

Thanks for the feedback, Lux.
FWIW, in my opinion, the whole programming-pad-layout thing is being blown way out of proportion… I mean come on guys, if anyone is nerdy enough (like me, for instance) to want to reflash the FW of a lighting apparatus, and know how to flash MCU FW in general, I think it’s safe to assume they also know their way around bench tools, soldering equipment, etc. and they can make their own programming fixture, or temporarily just jerry-rig the wires directly to the pads or the MCU pins. It’s an inconvenience, sure. But it is hardly the end of the world…