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

[DBSAR]

@tatasal

Pardon my naivete, but to those who already received their LT1, does it come standard with a usb-A to usb-C cable as charging cable? I assumed it does, but can’t be sure now.

Edit: BLF member dta who already received his LT1 just confirmed with me that it does come with a usb-A to C charging cable as standard.

In short, to re-wrap the concerns of some members, their LT1 will not charge when certain types/brands of type-C to type-C cables are used.

Yep, it comes with a cable. (A to C)

[DBSAR]

@Lux-Perpetua

Maybe I get to include this information into the manual (not knowing yet where to find any room for it except for adding another page to the manual). Anyway, I hope this information is easy to understand.

good idea to add :+1:

[DBSAR]

@joechina

Do we have the pinout for the C-connector?

Assuming the dot is pin1 it should be p5 or p6 for the 5k1.

Someone like to try?

Kinda like this

And it looks like there is a solder brige on A8 to A9? Is this intentional?

I would try it myself, (using wire-lead 1/8 watt 5100 ohm resistors,) but i don’t have a USBC charger or C-to-C cord with any of my other devices to test it on. :partying_face:

[P33]

Too bad there is this fundamental flaw with the charging. It’s crazy how almost no one can implement USB C charging properly.
Personally I stopped buying anything with microUSB over a year ago and can’t see a reason to as microUSB cables, connectors are much less durable. Not using miniUSB either, for exactly same reason.

[amishbill]

@DBSAR

…

I would try it myself, (using wire-lead 1/8 watt 5100 ohm resistors,) but i don’t have a USBC charger or C-to-C cord with any of my other devices to test it on. :partying_face:

And I have plenty of USB-C laptop power bricks, but no lantern.
And no proper solder station, but I know I can fix that :+1:

[amishbill]

@P33

Too bad there is this fundamental flaw with the charging. It’s crazy how almost no one can implement USB C charging properly.
Personally I stopped buying anything with microUSB over a year ago and can’t see a reason to as microUSB cables, connectors are much less durable. Not using miniUSB either, for exactly same reason.

So far, this ‘challenge’ spans manufacturers from Astrolux to Olight. (Does anyone have a USB-C charging Zebralight and a proper USB-C power source? Please test and report your results HERE )

I think, at it’s root, people putting these together start out thinking it’s a straight 1 for 1 swap.

[joechina]

@Lux-Perpetua

Maybe I get to include this information into the manual (not knowing yet where to find any room for it except for adding another page to the manual). Anyway, I hope this information is easy to understand.

Du hast massenhaft Platz:
(entschuldige bitte den rauen Ton, keine Zeit)

- Die Credits am Schluss.
Schreib das als einzigen Satz mit:
DBSAR = Originalkonzept, Design, Prototypen, Feldtests, ToyKeeper (das K groß) = Firmware & Softwareentwicklung, Lexcel = …
Designzuarbeiten rausschmeißen, aber bei Phlog. lassen.

- Ich hab in der Anleitung viel Unwichtiges drin was man bei Platzproblemen löschen kann

- bei den Links ab YouTube Video: Löschen

- Bei Verwendung den Absatz mit “Weiterhin können Sie …” löschen

- Hersteller ersetzen mit Hergestellt in China. Das dafür unten streichen

- wenn Du zusätzlich an der Formatierung für die Abstände der Absätze zueinander drehst hast Du 1,5 Spalten Luft

- auf zwei Spalten kommst Du wenn Du die erste Spalte vom Logo bis zum Produktbild auf die halbe Höhe bringst. Darunter würde ich die Credits vom Ende verschieben.

• Was noch fehlt sind CE Zeichen Rohs recycle und der Abfalleimer. Die sollten soviel ich weiß in die Anleitung. Manchmal beschwert sich der Zoll. YMMV

- die Zeile
“Damage by battery leakage voids warrenty”
“ Schäden durch …”
würd ich löschen. Das sind 18650er keine AAs

- Was fehlt ist Text zum Reset, Beschreibung des Potis und der Lötbrücken. Hat die Lampe das programmable power on level? Momentary Strobe Modes?
Aber ich würde eher noch ein A4 Blatt als Technical Note nachschieben für den ganzen Klimbim der fehlt.

- Bei den max 600lm weiß ich nicht ob die passen. Djozz kommt auf weniger CW 550, WW 450. Würde mir als Käufer weniger gefallen. 500 lm fände ich passend

- druckt Sofirn die Anleitung in Farbe? Und in welcher Größe?

Joe

[MtnDon (Don Miller)]

I find it sorta funny that in all this discussion about the USB-C port incompatibilty with a few cords that there has been no mention of the iPhone users who have lightning cords. So there’s a whole bunch of people who need extra cords anyhow.

[Th558]

So there’s extra connectors in a USB C cable which won’t let it charge? Is there a know reason for this and can it be fixed?

[SammysHP]

It was all described and discussed above. Many/most USB-C chargers do not provide power until asked – and the LT1 does not ask for power. That’s all.

[Lexel]

@Lux-Perpetua

Maybe I get to include this information into the manual (not knowing yet where to find any room for it except for adding another page to the manual). Anyway, I hope this information is easy to understand.

This is the used USB-C socket

1811131834_Jing-Extension-of-the-Electronic-Co-C168688_C168688.pdf

Pin 3 and 9 are the CC2 and CC1 lines

[Watermanchris]

@JoeRodge

@Watermanchris

@JoeRodge

am I missing something? is everyone got an invite but me? I was in line for two and I haven’t got any invites

Only 500 were released. What number(s) are you on the list? If you’re past 600 or so, you wouldn’t have received your PM yet.

how come peoe are in the 1200s getting it?

When the LT1 was first released, they were sold through Ebay and people could submit an offer for the group buy price including their username to get the group buy price. They (Sofirn) subsequently terminated this distribution method because people were able to “game” the system. I’m sure Sofirn will make sure that everyone on the list receives a lantern. Sofirn has been very good to the BLF community and visa versa and I’m sure this case will proceed in a similar manner.

[theguy]

cool bro

[SIGShooter]

@Watermanchris

@JoeRodge

@Watermanchris

@JoeRodge

am I missing something? is everyone got an invite but me? I was in line for two and I haven’t got any invites

Only 500 were released. What number(s) are you on the list? If you’re past 600 or so, you wouldn’t have received your PM yet.

how come peoe are in the 1200s getting it?

When the LT1 was first released, they were sold through Ebay and people could submit an offer for the group buy price including their username to get the group buy price. They (Sofirn) subsequently terminated this distribution method because people were able to “game” the system. I’m sure Sofirn will make sure that everyone on the list receives a lantern. Sofirn has been very good to the BLF community and visa versa and I’m sure this case will proceed in a similar manner.

Sofirn has stated that everyone on the list will get all their LTs at the group price. They have been very responsive in fixing any issues that have arisen (correct pads are being bridged, changing them to be in parallel rather than series, working to resolve the USB-C charging issue, etc). I haven’t seen anything that has risen to even annoyance level in my thinking but obviously some may feel otherwise.

These changes will be rolled into future production so if anyone feels that they need to have them then it’s better to wait a bit longer

[BFLAlias]

A buddy of mine got his LT1 and I was lucky enough to play with it. It is hands down the most feature complete, best overall lantern I’ve seen. Great work DBSAR, ToyKeeper, Sofrin, and everyone else involved! I can’t wait to get mine.

[Jinx]

@amishbill

@Jinx

…

@Phlogiston

Again, the LT1 does not need full USB-C Power Delivery support, because its absolute maximum power draw is 7.5W (5V at 1.5A, for example) and that’s covered by Basic USB.

Where have you got that figure? Maximum power draw is potentially over double that.

The charging circuit in the LT1 was intentionally designed to have two possible charge rates. 0.75A, and 1.5A. The intent is for it to charge from whatever source you have, from low power intermittent solar to a wall wart charger, and to maximize the longevity of the overall system. Allowing it to charge at too high a rate is bad when there is no way for the charge circuit to tell if you have 4 30Q batteries installed, or a single low current cell.

Back to the design philosophy… While it might be the spiffiest lantern around, at it’s root, this is designed to be a survival lantern. If you’ve just gone through a natural disaster and all you have is one questionable battery, do you want to risk your lantern cooking it to death?

Sorry, what? The guy stated maximum power draw, not maximum charge current, I have no idea what this has to do with single cells or multiple low impedance ones?

The lantern is capable of illuminating from USB, if the lantern is on and charging at full rate then ultimate demand on USB could be much higher than the quoted 7.5w, it’s not an issue as the USB will limit output and may not charge cells whilst lit but this is a limitation to be aware of.

[Jinx]

@MtnDon

I find it sorta funny that in all this discussion about the USB-C port incompatibilty with a few cords that there has been no mention of the iPhone users who have lightning cords. So there’s a whole bunch of people who need extra cords anyhow.

The iPhone is USB C going forward, the iPad and the MacBook are already using it for some time.

[amishbill]

@Jinx

@MtnDon

I find it sorta funny that in all this discussion about the USB-C port incompatibilty with a few cords that there has been no mention of the iPhone users who have lightning cords. So there’s a whole bunch of people who need extra cords anyhow.

The iPhone is USB C going forward, the iPad and the MacBook are already using it for some time.

I’ve only been waiting for this for… when did they sign on with the USB-C Consortium and ditch the dock connector?

[Jinx]

@amishbill

@Jinx

@MtnDon

I find it sorta funny that in all this discussion about the USB-C port incompatibilty with a few cords that there has been no mention of the iPhone users who have lightning cords. So there’s a whole bunch of people who need extra cords anyhow.

The iPhone is USB C going forward, the iPad and the MacBook are already using it for some time.

I’ve only been waiting for this for… when did they sign on with the USB-C Consortium and ditch the dock connector?

The 11 pro ships now with USB C charger. The 30 pin dock ended in 2012, it has been USB A chargers until the new pro.

[amishbill]

@Jinx

@amishbill

@Jinx

…

@Phlogiston

Again, the LT1 does not need full USB-C Power Delivery support, because its absolute maximum power draw is 7.5W (5V at 1.5A, for example) and that’s covered by Basic USB.

Where have you got that figure? Maximum power draw is potentially over double that.

The charging circuit in the LT1 was intentionally designed to have two possible charge rates. 0.75A, and 1.5A. The intent is for it to charge from whatever source you have, from low power intermittent solar to a wall wart charger, and to maximize the longevity of the overall system. Allowing it to charge at too high a rate is bad when there is no way for the charge circuit to tell if you have 4 30Q batteries installed, or a single low current cell.

Back to the design philosophy… While it might be the spiffiest lantern around, at it’s root, this is designed to be a survival lantern. If you’ve just gone through a natural disaster and all you have is one questionable battery, do you want to risk your lantern cooking it to death?

Sorry, what? The guy stated maximum power draw, not maximum charge current, I have no idea what this has to do with single cells or multiple low impedance ones?

The lantern is capable of illuminating from USB, if the lantern is on and charging at full rate then ultimate demand on USB could be much higher than the quoted 7.5w, it’s not an issue as the USB will limit output and may not charge cells whilst lit but this is a limitation to be aware of.

The capabilities and capacities of the charging port are appropriate for the intended charge rates.

The fact that the lantern can operate at all on power supplied through the USB charging port is a happy accident.