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

interested , price the deciding factor.

Im very interested.

I’m glad your heading up the design. I’ve always been a fan of your work and I’m sure whatever you come up with will be very well thought out.

So far I like things you mentioned in your first post.
1-4 x 18650’s in parallel srk body
Warm hi cri
Down firing

Suggestions that sound good and may be doable but I’m not sure will be needed and may add too much complexity
Separate red led
Usb power out port
Micro usb built in charging

UPDATES in the OP. Feb,21,2016 :slight_smile:

Funny but true story …Sad that people think high high and higher come without cost . for years I’ve run two convoy s2 xml5c 2100’s with diffuser film on medium over our off-grid poker table … only to see someone has decided to kick them up to high because two mediums are not as good as two highs . money for nothin’ and your chicks are free …"lumens "

Like the idea /hate the host

Looking great so far! I especially like the countersunk & chamfered switch.
Keep it up!

I should warn you… At least for me, this may be progressing from “interested depending on price” to “hurry up and take my money”. :wink:

Any chance this will be ready for this summer’s camping season? :cool:

That would depend on how fast Krono can negotiate a deal with a manufacturer ( if possible) to build them once i get the prototype done and tested.

Adding some thoughts-

Cost is the deciding factor for me no matter the appearance or extras built in. Given how little I’ll use it I simply can’t justify a high cost. That’s why I don’t own a M43 and probably never will :frowning:

Perhaps extras like a charging board or holders for primary cells could be offered separately or as a build option so that more folks will want one of these. I know that you don’t get what you don’t pay for but let’s keep the “Budget” part of BLF going strong!

Phil

Have you check this out ?
its a water activated Lantern , What you think?

Water Activated Led lantern

The tech behind it is solid, tested on a large scale in Norway if I remember correctly and also in the Netherlands (there is a 32KM long dyk with fresh water on one side and salt on the other. Waste product is semi salt water, well that occurs on all places a river flows in the sea.
Very nice to see this on a small scale, think I am going to back this.

It’s a great idea for sure. I can’t tell you how many times I have looked for a really good lantern that runs off of 18650’s. Of course I make my own, but I really can’t keep up with the demand for the ones I make right now. Using a SRK for the base is a brilliant idea. I can’t say for sure if I’ll be in or not right now. But it sounds very promising.

I have seen that lantern with water/sodium cell, its an interesting idea though it will not likely have a long run time or expect it to have a very bright light output. we will have to see one it does come avaliable. it still used “consumables” though, in the form of the metal anode (rod) and water + salt, instead of batteries. ( also it will require maintenance like cleaning & drying the cell periodically, along with draining & clean when storing the lantern.
great concept for long term off-grid or back country use, but will have to wait it see how it really performs when its available.

Definitely interested if in the $20 to 30 range. For sake of size and weight, suggest 3 cells or even 2. Maybe have an extender for extra cells if not too complicated with the batteries in parallel (I have no idea). Whatever you do, please keep the batteries in parallel (and also keep the low voltage detection).

Den, I’d also like to suggest another project for you and your learned colleagues here. I’m also interested in an ultra-cheap down firing diffuser adapter thingy to create a lantern from a standard flashlight. I’m sure you’ve made things like this for yourself but I haven’t seen anything like this for sale. I’m not suggesting this as a substitute for your original idea — I like the idea of a dedicated lantern that is optimised for such. It would however be great to have a bunch of these adapter thingys around the house for emergency use or whatever.

What about the Solarforce lantern adapter That interest you? BLF review here.

-Garry

Already did that one :slight_smile:

After a few dozen different designs i tested for basic flashlight diffusers, ( including factory built diffuser covers, hoods, etc.) The one that seems to work the best is the ones i have built below. (this sample is a small unit to fit my Roche, Convoy, Olight S15, etc.) The principle of this design is the reflect as much light downward at the same time allowing a diffused flood beam to be directed upward, while reducing the eye-level “glare” as low as possible, in this case this diffuser below almost has no glare at all. (that can even be seen in all the photos of the lantern head below where there is even no camera lens flare.)

The first photo shows the Lantern-Head used on my warm white 3000K Roche F6, on low mode. I placed it against a white wall to show the beam emitting pattern, where it emits more light up and down at the same time, while reducing the “side glare” that is a big fault of 90 % of the factory lanterns on the market. (second inset photo shows the light output in all directions at the levels i designed this lantern head to do.)
The next photo below shows the lantern head close up, ( its built from a simple acrylic bottle with a white frosted top, and a section of ball-point pen tubing in the center as a “light carrier”.
The inset photo to the lower right shows the Roche on medium mode using the Lantern Head, here you can see how even it directs the light where its needed most. The floor areas are illuminated very evenly along with the ceiling area, while the side glare at eye level is almost non existent. I have used these Lantern Heads out on camping trips, and they work great out doors too with low glare and illuminating everything where the light is needed most.

This will be the principle design of this BLF lantern project of this topic, but in reverse. (also will be much more powerful.)

Im interested, depending on the price. Do you have any rough idea?

have no idea yet, that will depend on the manufacturers and what Kronos can work out with them once the prototype is a go.

I like the idea of a bright, efficient. Warm color led. High cri
But it needs to be able to actually go camping with. It needs to be sturdy, wind rain, who knows it could get tipped. Or fall off tree branch.
When I camp I load a military large pack up and hop on my dirt bike.
All of this is difficult to make happen, especially at an affordable price.
But if you can swing it, I am interested.

Puh, thats great, need it in summertime this year, or next year, or…
Thank you!
Ahm yes, im in for one or two, depends on size and extras. Maybe one fully equipped - charger, power, mirror,… and one with the basics you told in the beginning :smiling_face:

I’m interested.

Updates coming soon, been overloaded with work the last week)