** BLF LT1M-Mini Project - The little Lantern! ( PM's sent today June 21, 2022)**

No longer interested sorry. I might get the LT1S.

I’ve been shadowing this thread for a while. Though I’d be interested and would likely purchase a mini, I already have an IF25A (my favorite Sofirn light). JMO, but I think focusing on the lampshade/diffuser as a retrofit item for that model would have gotten more traction and been easier to accomplish than designing/tooling/manufacturing another whole light from the ground up. I can appreciate the time and effort put into this project, but after almost two years, it seems to have withered on the vine. Hope I’m wrong for those invested.

Additions to the interest list since post number 1307

Post# / Added / User Name
1309 / 12/12/2021 / LydiaLightsUp

Well said. I agree. An IF25(A) with two channels, Anduril, and a simple diffusers that threads on instead of the bezel would have been an instant buy for me. I’m looking forward to when LT1 Mini is hopefully released, but I would have preferred to be able to buy that a year ago.

Interested

Additions to the interest list since post number 1309

Post# / Added / User Name
1314 / 12/26/2021 / d00rkn0b042

I’m interested in 1.

Interested

Additions to the interest list since post number 1314

Post# / Added / User Name
1316 / 01/07/2022 / Eraursls1984
1317 / 01/09/2022 / Helmut.A

I would like to sign up for two lanterns. Thanks

Interested

I would like to sign up for three lantern please.
Thanks,
Ram Sidi

Looks like we are making steady progress on LT1 Mini…Add 2 for me.

Hopefully Barry will get back to us after Chinese New Year. They were working on the trial production so ideally that will be or has been completed

Add me in for 2 as well.

Suggestion for the BLT1 mini. After using the BLT1 for a while now, I found that the USB C connection is too narrow (the aluminum space is very narrow) therefore most usb cables cannot fit in, which results, IMO, in a very limited ability to actually use the BLT1 as a powder bank. I don’t know what is going to be the design for the BLT 1 mini but I suggest making the USB slot wide enough to accommodate any cable size.

That’s unlikely to change unless Sofirn adds a third, new port cover design to their parts bin. The LT1, LT1S and SP33S employ the larger, flatter cover, and the rest of the models the smaller one with more rounded contour.

They determine the dimensions of the port aperture in the designs, so if it is to be made larger, so would the cover. An alternative might be to change the orientation of the port within the existing dimensions of the cavity, but that would also entail changes to the internal driver components.

I see the issue. Maybe a simple solution is to provide with the lantern a USB C to USB female cable that fits the port. That way you can connect any regular USB cable to use with the device. Just a thought (I believe most people will be willing to pay extra couple of bucks for such a cable to effectively use the lantern as a power bank when need be).

It’s a shame that the designers didn’t consult, or seemingly, take into account the USB-C spec when they drafted the dimensions of the ports, at least for the larger one.

It specifies a maximum 12.35mm width / 6.5mm height for cable overmold dimensions.

I measure ~12mm width on my LT1, so a minor increase could have accommodated any spec-compliant cable, at least in theory.

But, there are no doubt plenty of cables that aren’t compliant, and the flashlight makers themselves have done a notably poor job of properly implementing USB-C ports on their products, by ignoring the need for termination pull-up resistors to identify their C-connections as downstream ports. Or, a battery charger maker employing a non-compliant proprietary power protocol on their products with USB-C power inputs, and not the standard protocol synonymous with the spec.

However, Sofirn does deserve credit for doing a better than average job with the covers, which aren’t as fussy, or flimsy as some out there, just a bit too small.

:slight_smile:
I wouldn’t go that far to say a shame. As you said, it’s a good product, I enjoy it very much and will buy it again for sure. Just trying to see if there is a way to improve it. I truly think providing a cable (something like the one that comes with the ThruNite TS2) will solve the problem.