argolite: bugsy was saying that the components themselves could not be bought for $5 unless bought in some very large quantities.
jack: Neither wight’s driver, nor Richard’s driver (Mountain Electronics) are open source. They own the rights to those drivers. They have shared the specs for anyone who wants to build their own, but that doesn’t automatically transfer to some company making them to sell. That requires a separate permission. You would have to get that from Richard for his driver, or wight for his driver, which is the one we’re using in this light.
djozz: Whether you like it or not, this is wight’s driver, and nobody has permission to make it for sale to the general public. Richard’s driver is the same way. It is Richard’s and he would have to approve anybody producing them to sell.
You guys are beating not only a dead horse, but one that is dead, buried, rotted, and returned to earth. If you are serious about wanting either wight’s or Richard’s driver to be made and sold globally, you are barking up the wrong tree here. Get in touch with wight or Richard directly and make it happen. Nobody else can (legally) help you.
The driver is open source for personal use only. The UI can be used by anyone for anything. We have been through this over and over. This driver will not be mass produced.
...which is very pityful for flashlight lovers all over the world. This will have its legal, historic and personal reasons (IMO not every given reason is reasonable as I stated above), but at least it remains a missed opportunity for the flashoholic community.
edit: the driver and UI being open source means nothing to the majority of folks: it involves buying components that are hard to get outside the USA, skills and equipment that they do not have (reflowing, flashing MCU) and lots of time. Compared to installing a ready made driver, that is a huge effort and only few get to that level.
I understand about "outside of US" but there are people other than here that are doing just that and rather than ask me to forego my principles these people that want this driver should ask for help from those instead of demanding the driver be available for $5 with free shipping!
And most of the BLF’s various available drivers are derivatives of each other like the BLF17DD & commercial FET drivers like the East-92 with know features & known well tested components, that someone with eagle skills can make.
So it is absolutely possible to do an open source BLF driver with the same components & features, that could be produced commercially if someone with eagle skill want to put in the work & donate an open source driver to the cause.
@bugsy36, it is also a community thing, that many here would like an affordable driver based on the BLF’s budget minded community’s collected experience. That these drivers are the fruits of. They weren’t developed from nothing by Richard & wight.
Pfft, so do all the work again while it is already done and the driver could be readily available?
Bugsy, I do not ask from you or anyone to forego their principles, whatever they are, and I do not ask from you to make the driver happen. I ask for someone else to do this, and do it in a proper way, abide the legal permissions, and if needed (and also if not strictly needed) ask the people who were involved in the development if they agree etc.
(and I really do not see well why this should be as upsetting as I sense it to be)
I understand why bugsy36 don’t want to discuss it personally anymore because he has already stated his position, but it has to OK for other to discuss the topic, it would be a sad day when we have taboo subject about flashlights here…….
Samsung 30Q, no doubt, the latest, greatest cell of choice for any single cell DD light. I shouldn't even be saying this - they will sell out faster than a pork chop on a stick . See the OP here: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/31339.
I think mainly it’s just that this is bugsy’s thread, and a lot of people are/were looking to him or one of the other A6-SE team-members to get the driver available from banggood as a sort-of extension of this GB. He has had to state, re-state, explain, and re-explain his unwillingness to do that so many times, it is bordering on ridiculous. If you re-read the first few pages of this thread, you’ll see that I was one of the antagonists early on.
I don’t think there’s anything morally wrong with talking about it, requesting it, etc. But, some people up till recently still hadn’t got the idea that this is not the proper most effective channel for actually getting it done. The two possible drivers are wight’s, which was used in this GB light, and Richard’s, which is functionally the same, and already sold on his site. The most effective way of getting the ball rolling will be to start talking to one of those guys. As for the general discussion about it, I’m certain bugsy really won’t mind at all if you want to discuss this topic till the cows come home… in a new thread!
. See the OP here: 
