If the lantern has charging built in will it automatically restart if the voltage drops or is cut-off? I’m thinking about when the charging source is a solar panel where the voltage to the charger is unpredictable.
I can’t personally ever see using it as a powerbank or even charging the batteries in it but that’s neither here or there :confounded:
If done properly and designed into the body from the start, the shield/reflector could be very inexpensive, functional, stow out of the way on the light when not in use if the grooves are machined into the light on initial design.
They could be adjustable/rotational and expandable over several degrees, removable, and snap on and off of the lens or stow on the handle portion of the light and would never be noticed or lost when not in use. Using the tripod mount after the fact would not allow for any of these conveniences.
Grooves machined into the head and handle would allow the shield(s) to be made of any material, even aluminum or plastic since they would be designed from the factory to snap into and out of the grooves and be moved up for usage around the diffuser lens or moved back down to the handle for storage. This would eliminate the need for the additional parts/screws etc. and expense of magnets or steel liners to be mounted.
An added benefit of this shield feature would be that if you were walking around with the thing looking for something or on the move at all, it wouldn’t blind you and it would aim more light where you needed it everywhere but into your eyeballs.
To add my vote on the power bank feature even if it cost a few dollars more. I would absolutely use it as a charger if for my phone even if I had no service which is very rare these days. I always carry a power bank and this would likely allow me to not have to lug it along if the lantern could double duty.
Silvered one side plastic would be good.
Ability to snap into a channel would be handy. But could you easily insert and remove individual shields? Maybe a flexible plastic that could flex to be snapped in and out as you say. With storage to protect the reflective surface. But I don’t see that being easy to use.
I am not sure how the guy building the lantern will be into changing to include some more machining in the materials as designed. I have been trying to think up something that can be an add-on. Maybe a simple mod kit. How many people will want the shields?
Regarding magnets. I was thinking about the strips of mildly magnetic tape that is readily available. I believe you can get strips of opposing polarity. So you would not need a ferrous metal shield. A box with some strips of magnetic tape and a few bare shields with one reflective side. Or just a small sheet to be cut to size by the kit buyer. And the tape does not exert a huge amount of field strength so it is easy to pull apart. And anyone could DIY with their own parts.
Maybe some of the guys here can bat the idea around a bit.
Maybe we could just use the tripod mount since it’s already part of the design? That just seems way to easy though.
I will be building a reflector for testing & will use that threaded mount that is already on the body of the lantern for that reason. its the most practical & secure way to hold a reflector & other possible accessories. (including a wall hanger)
If you would like to consider a simple ‘what you have available’ solution and having to ‘Macgyver’ the problem. There are always ‘beer cans’ 
available that can easily be cut with a pair of swiss army knife scissors. It looks as though a beer can is about the same size as the lantern and if the ends are cut off a can and then +/- cut enough out lengthwise to still allow the can to grab and hold on to the lantern. You could easily adjust the amount and direction and the inside of the can’s surface is naturally reflective……. or if your really want to improvise, maybe just a simple piece of aluminum foil, folded several times on the top and bottom to hold the shape. That would be Light/Easy to Carry/Form on the fly 
The BQ25895 mentioned earlier would allow that, it supports high voltage adapters up to 14V. It would also allow charging directly from solar panels I believe (don’t quote me on that though).
in for 1
I’m already in for one but would be interested in purchasing 2 so add my name to the list again!
The Xiaomi Philips Zhirui bedside lamp also has USB-C.
https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/52389
https://www.gearbest.com/night-lights/pp_009659205361.html?lkid=15009142
Has the concept of using Nichia E21A high-cri R9080 LEDs been discussed yet? They have even higher light quality compared to the Samsungs and would allow for a greater range of CCTs, from 2000K all the way up to 6500K.
I don’t have any of those to test. ( only the Samsung LH351 series, Nichia 219 series, and Cree XP-L series i have tested for lantern use.
There’s more to USB than smartphones. Devices are still being designed and sold with mini USB. Yes, in 2018, by major companies, and by the millions. Cables will be around for a long, long time, whether you like it or not.
Devices are still being designed and sold with micro* USB
Fixed it
I do mean mini USB, not micro. So to think that micro USB will vanish in a few years when mini is still around… well, let’s just say I won’t loose any sleep over it if the lantern does use a micro USB port.
Weird… i know Micro usb will be there for at least the next decade but i thought mini usb was dead
I think this is true, but not in the US. It’s nearly impossible to find a USB Mini cable in a brick and mortar store around here. I would think within 5 years Micro USB will be the same.
FWIW - In 5years it will probably be hard to find a brick and mortar store 
We’re a lot further from that than 5 years. Online sales only account for about 15% of sales (in the US).
interest list number 941 for wapd2
mlodyulek, added your second at number 942 on the interest list