[PART 1] Official BLF GT Group Buy thread. Group buy officially closed! Lights shipping.

Tom_E · 2017-05-24T16:11:47.000Z

I'l double check with my Spec OPS source. He's been out in San Diego at the Seals facility least a couple of times in support of the equipment we have out there. He heard it from them, and another Seal in the Washington DC area. Since it went through just one guy to me who heard it direct from a Seal, I kind of figured it's pretty reliable.

Of course this could have 2-3 years ago, and lots of things could have changed. I'm curious myself, but again, everyone can have their own opinion. I do know Maxtoch sells mostly to hunters, law enforcement and military, so interesting they not only support strobe modes, but dedicated a button to it on one of their newest model. I also know they have a history or listening to us and making changes directly from customer input. They were one of the first to sell a true dedomed thrower on a large scale, and this was from us directly.

Texas_Ace · 2017-05-24T16:27:05.000Z

Top level spec ops guys all train a bit different and have different gear. I have no doubt that there are situations where a strobe would be used. Remember though that once again, those are teams of guys, just like the study in Europe.

I should have been more clear, I have never heard of anyone being trained to use a normal flashlight strobe when alone.

I mean common sense says that if strobes even worked 25% as good as people describe you would see Cops using them daily. It would make their life so much easier and safer.

DEL · 2017-05-24T17:28:07.000Z

Tom E:

As far as I know, don’t think DEL tested it yet on the prototype GT driver, but think’n it should work fine. If it can handle the smooth ramping well, as he says it does, it should handle this frequency of a strobe.

Strobe works fine, Police strobe as well, I just try to avoid them . NarsilM is now patched for full functionality in the GT.

The only real difference, from the MCU perspective, is that the two control channels are not additive, they multiply instead. This affects the ramping tables, mode-set definitions and brightness definitions for things like moon-mode, blinks and strobes.

itsonlyme · 2017-05-24T18:17:54.000Z

On regards to disorientation, remove the remote phosphor from an led and switch it on. It is extremely disorientating with no strobe so with a strobe, this would be very very effective.
Just the reflection from a surface is enough, I wouldn’t like to get it shone directly in my eyes

DEL · 2017-05-25T00:38:30.000Z

Right on for the 18 Hz strobe Tom. This is NarsilM on the GT, LED current in yellow, MCU pin 5 in blue:

Tricky to get clean traces on a SM circuit without $$$ equipment, but this should give an idea of what we have.

Turn-on transient, 0 to 2.5 A, nice and smooth, no glitches:

Ditto for turn-off:

Zoom in on LED ripple current at 2.5 A. We are at about 30 mA (1.2%), the hairs on top of that can be ignored, that is EMI picked up by the scope:

PWMing to get output lower than 20%:

This is what the switching node is up to (this is the junction of the FET, inductor and recirculating diode - the heart of the buck convertor):

And just for fun, related to above discussion, police strobe:

DEL · 2017-05-25T00:57:35.000Z

Narsil ramp to 2.5 A, blink to indicate 100%, then ramp back down to 0.
The ramp programmed at the moment is a cube-root curve, similar to TK’s firmware. (The noisy part below 20% is where the PWM kicks in.)

Ramp table:

kaybi · 2017-05-25T01:25:57.000Z

Great work with the firmware, DEL.

How low can the output go? I don’t find super low moonlights very important in this kind of light, but I’m curious.

Thanks for all the work you are putting into this.

DEL · 2017-05-25T01:49:29.000Z

With the analog dimming set to 20% the light starts to turn on with PWM dimming at 2/255. I measured 0.44 mA with that setting, which is pretty low.

Edit: Firmware is all Tom’s labor of love. I just tweaked some settings to fit the hardware.

MRsDNF · 2017-05-25T02:39:07.000Z

+1 on the thanks for all the work your putting in DEL.

Some of the waves look like they would be a surfers dream.

The_Miller · 2017-05-25T06:10:52.000Z

Nice work DEL, despite not grasping all the scoping stuff it sure looks great even for me

Theodore41 · 2017-05-25T06:36:33.000Z

Tom E:

nodoubt:

Theodore41:

…and how much is the blinking frequency of the strobe mode?

good question, hope its not like the pathetic one on my tn42 the strobe on that thing is utter junk my lil thorfire c8 has a more potent strobe no idea what those dummys were thinking, cutting the power back over half, and making it blink 5000 times per second

Narsil for the Q8 (last released) was 16 Hz, but in the new version we are going forward with, I up’ed it to 18 Hz. I believe 18 Hz was derived from studies done at a police training facility - in Europe, I believe a thorough post/thread on CPF covers it - I read it a while back. Believe me - at 18 Hz it is very intense. It’s the first time I can feel the effect of a strobe. It’s one of those things that can un-nerve you, like, pleeeeease, shut that thing OFF.

As far as I know, don’t think DEL tested it yet on the prototype GT driver, but think’n it should work fine. If it can handle the smooth ramping well, as he says it does, it should handle this frequency of a strobe.

Thank you very much Tom,it is what I wanted exactly.

Tom_E · 2017-05-25T12:12:22.000Z

Wow DEL - those measurements leave no doubt, for sure. The police strobe is cool, then PWM is shown clearly, and the ramping,and plotted! Wow!! I'll have to show that post to my EE buddy here. Of course they do this kind of stuff all the time, but our scopes, analyzers and stuff are somewhat dated.

Texas_Ace · 2017-05-25T12:34:43.000Z

Very nice and stable driver there, should work very well indeed!

DEL · 2017-05-25T12:36:26.000Z

That smooth turn-on bites us just a little when we want to strobe or PWM. You may want to stretch the strobe on-time a little, for example.

But that is the compromise for getting nice constant current control.

At work you probably have pro-grade stuff. Some of the old gear is hard to beat.

The_Miller · 2017-05-25T21:10:49.000Z

THANKS MR.SCOTT!
List in correct order taken the more then one people into acount updated in post 2!

Eggun · 2017-05-26T06:25:16.000Z

Damn $111… , im sure its gonna be worth it for a super thrower . i better start saving .

jimmy23 · 2017-05-26T14:01:01.000Z

Add me to the list for one please.

KawiBoy1428 · 2017-05-26T14:43:21.000Z

Eggun:

Damn $111… , im sure its gonna be worth it for a super thrower . i better start saving .

Yeah but for $111.00 you sure are getting a heck of a deal! I own 4 of the Lumitop SD75’s XHP70 lights, that I have modded. I think it is the biggest or one of biggest light’s Lumintop makes, and I have had many go through my hands, and IMHO, Lumintop quality is excellent, first class, best in class. Sure the driver was nothing to be excited about 5-6amps stock, crummy UI, hold to turn on, hold to shut down, but the quality, is Aces!

The Lumintop quality is right up the with the Thrunite TN42, I don’t think the miller and the boy’s couldn’t have done any better, great job getting Lumintop onboard Guy’s!!!

Personally I’m very excited for this, it’s going to be Amazing!! :+1:

kevinfc · 2017-05-26T15:06:10.000Z

Please add me to the list

Bo4ka · 2017-05-26T21:40:00.000Z

Me too please.