:+1: Awesome thanks.
Yeah I realised after I wrote what I did it’d come across wrong.
We got a good deal ordering early.
We got a better deal ordering it in the first batch.
BUT it kinda sucks that people who paid weeks after get their lights shipped sooner.
As stated I dont care how long it takes. I am shocked it is happening this soon. I think it is just the British queuing nature that is deeply embedded in the way I am that means that those who pay first come first in my mind and I struggle to comprehend how places can just go around this.
Sure, pay for priority handling you should move to the front of the queue etc.
Thanks, man. I went back and deleted my email from my original post.
I got a text this morning that I’ll be getting mine on Jan 8th
If the German customs want’s to see paypment I am sure they take customs duty of the whole payed money. I payed the donation together with paying the GT.
LATEST NEWS:
USA orders with batteries seem to be shipping right now. Notifications are showing up.
It seems the first shipment went out by region instead of the exact order in which we paid for cost reasons.
Initial quality has been fantastic. A handful of people have gotten opaque black switch covers instead of translucent black. Replacement switch covers are being sent on a case by case basis.
The first shipment of lights (168 total) shipped on Dec 23. This was a pallet going to the USA from the first 576th person on the paid list that did not include batteries. Tracking numbers went out on Dec 27 and lights started arriving to customers on Dec 29th. DHL shipping was very fast.
There should be a European order going out soon.
The next group to purchase lights (#1040 and up on the list or who signed up after 10/23/17) will get their emails mid January instead of early January in order to let Neal get caught up with current orders.
BLF GT official support thread
Nvanlaar’s links.
The Millers Original Group Buy List ending on Nov 11 and #1213
Coyotehawk’s Continuation of the Group Buy List, starting Nov 11 and #1214 - Updated Dec 27
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Neal’s Paid/Shipping List for first 555 - Updated Dec 15
Neal’s Paid/Shipping List for #556 to #1038 - Updated Dec 10 or 12.
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M4D M4X: For all people who want to let us know the value that should be declared on the parcels:
please take the BLF GT customs declaration survey.
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M4D M4X: You can buy 8 of the button top Samsung 35E batteries (seem ideal, high mAh and good amps) for $40 when you buy your GT. No sign up required for these.
Battery details are here.
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Video of Drop Test
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It would be helpful if those who post getting their shipping notification could also post their number on the list, shipping method DHL or Registered, No batteries or Batteries and Country. It kind of gives us who have not gotten notification a general idea of where we might be at in the Que.
Maybe something like:
Got my shipping notification
xxxx (number on list)
DHL
Batteries
USA
Same will happen in finland.
I just read post #5 and the link to the math forum. If I understand right, design of the reflector consists of deciding a constraint then putting the numbers corresponding to a parabola into a format the manufacturer can use.
I am curious about the constraint we chose which is 120mm inside diameter at the opening of the reflector, the round window all our photons will use to enter the universe from our blf GT throwers.
Why did we pick 120 mm?
Also, why do candellas come at a cost of lumens? Is that the nature of light or the nature of light sources needing to be bigger to make lumens whereas candella are produced better by making the light source as small as possible?
I realize I am asking a lot to just put those questions put like that. Of you have a chance to answer, that would be extremely gracious of you and I will be your slave for the rest of our lives(we’ll, one of my kids can be your slave, I am sure they won’t mind)
Thank you for that giorgoskok. Yes, NC U.S.
+1
This is due to material expanding/contracting when exposed to temperature differences. Aluminium (other metals also) contracts when subjected to low temperature, expands when heating.
To avoid lense cracking sound lens has to be a bit smaller than mounting “hole”, there has to be enough space to allow for lens expanding (yes, glass also expands/contracts) also, lens has to be encapsulated with O-rings, bezel has to have rubber O-ring pushing up to the glass and from the reflector side there also has to be rubber O-ring.
One of this 3 things is not done properly, either lens doesn’t have enough space to “breathe”, or one of the O-rings is missing and lens is in direct contact with aluminium.
Any of this thing can over time lead to actual cracking of the lens most often in form of lense corner chipping.
Maybe take care of shipping first round, first, this would make happy a lot of people that trusted in this project from the beginning (it was a long time ago).
Just saying.
I picked 120mm as I felt it was the largest size reflector that would still be practical to hold in a “normal flashlight” form factor. and seeing it in person, I think I guessed right. Much larger would quickly become almost unusable.
For a larger design a lantern style light would be needed, which is another project then what we were doing here.
Far as getting high CD numbers vs lumens. It generally needs a larger LED die to get more lumens but a larger die means that the light will be less focused and thus have lower CD. Just the nature of the beast.
We selected the XHP35 HI as the stock LED as it gives the best combo of Lumens and throw that is currently available. You could increase throw with something like a flat black but at the cost of about 1/3 the lumens. On the other hand you can increase the lumens to around 7000 with an XHP70.2 but cut the CD in half.
It is all a trade off.
Thats what I meant, the first round of PM’s, second round of shipments. AKA, the second pallet of DHL shipments.
You were actually the 617th to pay. I’m guessing there were fewer people in the US to order batteries with their light than those who ordered without batteries so Neal has to go higher up the paid list to fill the pallet.
We don’t have a way to confirm this. Neal’s last list of paid lights only went up to Dec 12 (I think). Not everyone got an email from Neal to confirm their phone number. As long as your payment went through then I’m sure your light will get sent.
Nitro is not on the paid lists yet his light has shipped.
Not sure if it’s been posted but one list I saw had mine highlighted in green? What does that mean? I am #374 paid with batteries registered in USA. Still trying to wait patiently 
Just called dhl and they confirmed that my package was never picked up. I was 109 on the list and around 100 on the paid list. 1 light no batteries and dhl. Should I get ahold of Neal?
I don’t think it came out wrong and o don’t think it’s an unfair reaction. Nor do I think the team members take it personally. Everyone here who pays any attention knows it is completely out of their hands and they just pass on the information they are given.
The process is annoying, particularly so for me because im in 2 Kickstarter projects that are proceeding the same way only shipping is being spread over 6 months and a 3rd where the maker decided they can’t sell to the US. So as a buyer 8 months later i have to decide do i want the product i paid for shipped to a friend in the EU and then pay to have if sent to me or my money back 
I looked at Neal’s very first paid list and there was no highlighted color on your name. He said that the yellow highlights are people he needed to update the info on, but he didn’t say what the green highlights are for.