We're about to tie up the last loose ends now, i.e. updating the part of operating the LT1 with USB-C cable and without batteries. Den and Lexel will be so kind to provide additional information. Furthermore, the credits will probably be moved to the very end of the manual (for reasons of gaining more room for additional text on page 1, among others).
Any additional explanation is helpful and reasonable. However, the manual is quite extensive already and I don't know where's the best place to put that information to, maybe under "FAQs". Anyway, it's not up to me to make that decision. Who is charge by the way? The entire BLF collective? Since we're not Borg there's a risk we end up fighting about pros and cons. :-D
Users will skip any definitions and go straight to the button press instructions. As will any of us after a few years when we won’t remember any details.
Instructions like CLICK, HOLD will simply be understood as just that - click & hold (instead of 2 clicks, the second being held). Hold is universally read as a separate action.
Having said that, this minor documentation issue could be resolved by inserting another click into the instructions.
It’s just words really - all the hard work has already been done by ToyKeeper.
That content is already in the manual you formatted in the quick start section, just pointing it out to those that were discussing the topic. NO additional work required.
As a layman/noob, I don’t understand 99.9% of what you guys are talking about, but I do know that you guys are making a fantastic product worth every penny and it will be a success. I do understand the manual though
There a a few solar panel deals or various outputs here in Fin17’s Banggood deals page and I believe the one Geronimo ordered is the 60W one in that post. I ordered the 30W for camping, backpacking as I already have a 7 panel fold out 120W and a large fold out double 160W panel set. I love recharging all my batteries for no further cost thanks to Ra
I don’t think that 60W panel is a very good one to use. It’s rated for 18V at 2.21A. 18V is absolute maximum for the charge controller in the LT1. If that 18V is a working voltage, not max no load voltage you could exceed 18V with a light load and damage the charge controller in the LT1. I guess you could use the 5V 2A USB output, but then you’re going to have more efficiency losses.
I have been looking at the ECEEN panel DBSAR referenced on the first page of this thread. I was just curious if there might be a better option with discounts available. I want a quality panel but I’m never opposed to finding a good deal on good products.
DBSAR has a number of posts about solar panels and testing, but THIS ONE has a couple of videos of them working on a cloudy day, including his 40-watt PowerAdd panel.
I don’t see an issue with using 60-watt panel and converting the output to 5V USB. The efficiency is not a problem when you’ve got 60 watts of potential output. However, the Banggood 60-w panel doesn’t appear to be 60 watts by my count.
5V * 2A = 10W
18V * 2.21A = 40W
The only way that this could even reach 50 watts is if both output were simultaneously maxxed. I would not purchase the 60w panel until I checked youtube or elsewhere for some real-world testing. Reasonable coupon prices seem commonly available even just from the sales folks on BLF (M4D M4X, freeme, Fin17). I would prefer a standard 12V output, but 18V may be able to charge laptops directly. Someone more familiar with the LT1 charging circuit might tell us if 18V is risky.
There are lower cost options indeed, even higher wattage outputs. for quality & performance for the size the Eceen 10W model is perfect for the LT1, but if you want to charge two lanterns at the same time, then there are a few good 30W+ panels available.
18V is the absolute maximum listed in the datasheet for the chip. In IC terms that means stay away. It doesn’t really mean that 17.9V is cool for long term use either.
