(update in reply to SB in reply # 18) - BLF has been a family to me when it comes to Flashlight (and LED lantern) interest for the last decade and half, a good part of my life. -I have enjoyed this community as a big part of my life for so many years, and thank you all who supported me, and worked with me on the BLF-LT1 lantern project, Lexel, Toykeeper, all the other awesome team members… with Barry & Sofirn… While i feel Sofirn has now moved on to build their new versions of lanterns from what we did here at BLF, on our team who brought the LT1 BLF lantern to life, out of dedication because of our passion, with no financial gain, proves that we are a dedicated family of Flashlight family. My health has caused me to step back, but i always tried my best to be a part of the BLF community for so many years. I spent hundreds of hours working with the team to develop the LT1 for all of us. and to my mind i hope it was a success. My health is declining, but regardless i will try to stay active as long as i an here, but mostly just in the background for now. I have dreamed of developing the next-generation of BLF-LT-series lanterns, including the LT1-21700, LT2, LT1-Mini-2, and on paper a revolutionary LT3 self-charging BLF lantern. I want to say I’m sorry to everyone who were looking forward to these new advanced versions of the BLF-LT series of lanterns, but after i felt that Barry & Sofirn when in their own direction to build a LT1S LT1Short on their own) i felt Barry & Sofirn moved foreword to capitalize on what we worked so hard on, (typical…) Sorry to say, due their quest to capitalize on what us small engineers & enthusiasts worked on, I will no longer share what i have spent so many years & time to develop the next generation, efficient, LED lantern LT series here, or anywhere, because i feel the large names like Sofirn, will try to capitalize on the technology for their gain. I will continue to build the perfect BLF-LTX lantern, but will do it alone now, as am no longer able to communicate with Sofirn… and the new BLF forum has been to difficult for me to navigate. It’s been a good, enjoyable time here with you all, BLF has been a part of my life for so long. A special thanks go out to SB, the creator & owner of the Budget Light forums, SB has been so much a father to us all, putting up with us, and our shenanigans. Thank you so much SB, & thank you to to the great dedicated budget Light Forums family we all have created here! - - - If any member wishes to talk to me or keep in touch, call me at 1-709-636-4120, ask for Dennis or DBSAR… I will make time to talk to any of you all, any time, any day… sincerely, Dennis / DBSAR / DBSARlight.
Thank you for all that you have done, and continue to do, DBSAR!
I know that the new BLF forum format has a high learning curve compared to traditional forum softwares, so I understand your frustration.
It’s a shame that your relationship with Sofirn went sour.
Maybe you will be able to work on new lanterns with a different flashlight manufacturer?
I appreciate your posts on BLF, and I will miss your presence.
I hope that you pop into BLF at least every once in a while, but you have to do what’s right for you.
I’m sorry to see you go Dennis. You created A LOT for BLF and I enjoyed working with you.
Best wishes to you and hopefully your health will improve!!
best wishes, take good care of yourself
Warm (2700k) regards.
Hey there Dennis, thanks a lot for writing. I’m sure I speak for everyone in voicing our sincere thanks and admiration for all of your contributions of time and knowledge to our hobby. I understand and respect your decision regarding your development efforts, and I wish you all the best for your health struggles. I just hope that you can still hang out with us as a friend whenever time and health permits, even it’s just to participate in an off-topic thread or give your opinion on a topic. And if I can do anything to personally help you learn the ropes of the new forum software I would be happy to do so. Again, best wishes, and hope to see you around!
Take care. Have fun however you can. You have been a great developer.
Thanks for all you’ve shared! I hope your path will be long and enjoyable, even if the path leads you away from here.
As an aside, I added some cool new stuff to the original LT1 firmware recently, in case you’re ever in the mood to try an update. It’s mostly cosmetic, but I found a way to make the lows lower with finer control over the tint, and it fades on and off instead of jumping suddenly to the memorized level.
If you’ve got the original firmware version though, quite a bit has changed since then. So if you update from Anduril 1 to 2, I’d set aside some time to look through the manual to find out about all the changes.
But that’s all just an optional thing to fill time in case you find yourself bored some evening and feel like a bit of tinkering.
Thank you for being an inspiration for all of us. Stay healthy @DBSAR
Thank you for all your time and efforts here DBSAR.
Just to let you know we appreciate your valuable input and insights on this forum. You have been a great source of knowledge and inspiration for many of our members. I wish you good health and happiness in everything you do.
Freeme
You are a legend of this forum.
A bit sad to read it but I fully respect your decision and keep fingers crossed for the best possible scenario with your health.
And thank you for all the input. It’s so good to learn from the best.
Take care of you
gratitude for being here for us
Thanks
Regards Xandre
tanks for all you have done. I love my LT1 and so do my parents whom I gifted one. I would say you did quite a lot to bring lanterns back into the “enthusiast” market, moving them from low CRI shitty plastic things to real lighting tools.
thanks!
Thanks comrade. I never posted but was a lurker during those days of development of the LT1. Appreciate all you do and did, and wish you luck and health.
It’s a shame that it turned out like this. But somehow it seems to be the way of things: small companies like to pick up information from enthusiasts/experts, grow slowly, bring more and more products onto the market, and once they reach a certain size, they no longer need the help of the experts and are ignored from then on or contact is broken off. In the beginning, the knowledge is gladly taken (at best, with no cost at all, maybe some ‘giveaways’ or ‘coupon codes’, if any) until the company is big enough…
This is btw the main reason why I am very sparse with information how exactly I do things like measurements or mods. And that is also the reason why I will never publish the existing process descriptions or detailed information about my LED tests. Certainly a pity for the community somewhere, but in the end the community gets something (the test results)
I wish you all the best and that you get well again as soon as possible!
Hi Dennis, sorry to see you go. But maybe you can occasionally spare a bit of time to take a peek over the fence, so to speak.
You have sunk an awful lot of time and effort in one of the best lights that BLF & Co ever have fathered. Better said, one of the best lanterns ever made. I imagine it is difficult to share your thoughts with everyone and come to the conclusion that not everyone has the same next step in mind as you do.
At some point it was perhaps unavoidable to cooperate with commercial partners if you want your brainchild to become more than a one-off. At that same point you will loose a piece of autonomy if your baby becomes a household name (at least in the flashlight communities).
And for the rest of them: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” (Oscar Wilde)
Personally I suspect that some time from now you will surprise us with a new light you have developed in your secret laboratory. After all, the urge to move forward is one of the things that will keep us alive.
Thank you SB. I appreciate all the warm replies. I should have re-phrased it as not a permanent good-bye, but more of an " Hiatus" for awhile. I know i have not been very active the last couple years, due to life’s struggles. But i will still be looking in here from time to time, to say hello, and maybe some day will return to more active status. - Dennis
Thanks a lot Dennis, we’ll leave the light on for you!
It is easy to forget all the people, the work, and hours it takes to create something so unique and special that it becomes a ubiquitous staple in a community like the LT1-BLF. It has provided me light and enjoyment for many, many hours. It’s one of the first Anduril lights I ever got and it opened up a whole new world of cool things to learn and be useful at the same time. So thanks Dennis. And thanks to all of the other wonderful member of BLF who post experiments, ideas, and knowledge to stretch our brains and look at lights in a different way.