Q8, PMS SEND TO THOSE WITH ISSUES BLF soda can light

BLF Special Edition Products
15562

I didn't get much help in testing it, but I'm pretty confident now in the new v1.2 version of NarsilM. Not as much features in it as I would like to have done, but it seems pretty solid. I pre-built a few common configurations including the Q8, so you can find the google share folder here with the source code and HEX files. Docs are not updated yet:

NarsilM V1.2 Summary of Changes From Stock Q8:

drive.google.com - NarslM v1.2

Features:

  • added momentary/tactical mode via 5X clicks in ramping mode (full turbo only when switch is held down) - only active til a power reset. It's only accessible from ramping mode, not Mode Set operation. It's very responsive, can handle high speed repetitive fast clicks, can be used to do Morse Code or manually controlled strobes
  • operation change: make click&hold in MODES or STROBES wrap from 1st mode to last. This should make it easier to get quickly to beacon modes, for example
  • if strobes are disabled, a 2X click from 2X turbo should restore the previous level you were at

Bug Fixes:

  • in LVP switch LED control: the LED sometimes is left on after an LVP drop, and is not blinking the way it should be. The "bug" is that I'm trying to control the switch LEDs from multiple places so it's getting turned off quickly after turned on, and left on when it should be left off. It's a timing thing, so has sort of a random pattern - sometimes left on, sometimes left off. The 8 sec LVP blink need to be qualified better, and should not be calling Setlevel() as is because it wants to control the LED
  • 4X clicks in modes operation engages lockout - not supposed to, fixed this so it no longer does
  • temp stepdown should not happen right away from turn ON. Delay it by 15 seconds.
  • for temperature stepdown, in moon mode, a temp stepdown is actually done because moon mode is marked as special level 255, which is considered as a high level of output instead of very low. The stepdown results in the light switching much brighter. This should only happen if the temperature threshold is set to a low temp, or the light is still hot and not cooled down when moon mode is chosen. It can also result in an immediate jump to the stepdown level as soon as the light is turned on in moon mode. Might appear as a bright flash when ramping first starts.

Unrelated to the Q8 build version:

  • full BLF GT buck driver support
  • capability of setting max ramping to less than full max FET (Hi mode), while the 2X click still goes to full FET turbo. This is being used for the GT buck driver configuration
  • added more compile switches, little better custom configuration of the source in header files

15563

Thanks mate. I loved the five presses for momentary on. :+1:

15564

Just posted the Summary of Changes post above as a PDF in that NarsilM v1.2 folder, so easily accessible.

15565

3 x Q8s delivered. All good.
1 was missing o-ring from battery tube, but the spares took care of that.
Fantastic job guys really well done, many thanks.
Great replacement for my aged Skyray on the bike.
PWM looks ok for most video use too.

BLF Q8 vs Skyray King

15566

Thank you team for a FANTASTIC flashlight!

  • Mine arrived in NJ today. It has a tiny scrape close to the bezel. Nicely greased, the leds are perfectly centered, and it otherwise looks flawless to me.
  • It isn’t dark yet, but I’m already impressed at how the flashlight can battle with sunlight when on turbo.
  • I think the firmware design is fantastic. I’m still going to learn the different settings - but it took me about 5 seconds to learn ramping, memory, starting with moon or turbo. I don’t think it could be simpler or better.
  • It is smaller than I thought. Quite a nice size. Definitely not light, but I didn’t think I was getting a backpacking light. Uh… unless I was afraid of the dark in which case this would suit the need. :slight_smile:

Again, thanks team.

Question about modding: with spring bypass and other mods - I could increase the lumens. Would that draw more current and drain the batteries quicker? Or is the flashlight just wasting energy right now trying to overcome the resistance in different places - and therefore the batteries will drain about the same after the mods? And is the answer different on turbo mode vs a lower mode? And will the ramping modes start and end slightly higher because of the mods, or only turbo is impacted?

My apologies if this has been explained already, I’ve tried to keep up on the thread but may have missed it.

15567

This is such a cool video, we aimed for a good SRK like light, and you show BAM so much better!
Thanks, subbed and liked!
(heheh sub nr 999 I bet you will be getting more when people see this :slight_smile: )

Good questions, really like to know this as well, might justify a little modding after all :slight_smile:

15568

Assuming identical LEDs more output (work) always requires more “juice”. There is no free lunch in the real world. It also has diminishing returns if I understand it correctly. 2x more current does not = 2x more output since the LEDs are being overdriven.

The mods I’ve seen don’t increase efficiency of the LEDs only allow more Juice to flow and that juice comes from the cells.

That’s one of the reasons why I won’t bypass my springs (about all I can do in the way of mod’s). The light is bright enough as it is. But I understand the desire for max’ output.

Heck, for the past week or so I’ve been staying within the 1 blink of the switch LEDs (not overdriven) and the light is plenty bright and extremely efficient. Once the switch light blinks 2x the FET is being used and the efficiency starts to drop. Of course output also increases.

If I’m incorrect on this could someone with more knowledge correct me please?

15569

Long time lurker here. Received my first Q8 from the second batch and have been nothing but impressed with it. Have been showing it off to others and subsequently have placed two additional orders for people. Just wanting to say that this light has been amazing, and I’m beyond blown away with it for the price and quality of the light I got.

15570

Yes, agree with BrianK. What we are doing with bypasses is reducing resistance, so what the resistance really does is drop voltage, so when you add the bypass wires, the voltage increases from the batteries to the driver, and therefore it can draw more amps, draining the batteries faster. So there's nothing really wasted or converting to heat in respect to the resistance. So I'd say roughly, you may go from 18A draw to 24A draw and get a 20% boost, so 33% boost in amps gets a 20% boost in output. This is just an educated guess, but I think the ratios and values are close to real world.

It's a classic tradeoff of output vs. runtime. The good thing is we are using high bin LEDs mounted on a big copper Direct Thermal Pad (DTP) LED board, so we have a pretty good efficient setup for lumens per watt and heat dissipation, and a good thermal path maintains that efficiency.

Most of us, myself included, have been kind of shocked how well this light performs, but all the little things we insisted on in the design and manufacturing all added up.

If you are into modding you will find doing one or two things helps, but doesn't quite get you there. Reason being as soon as you improve on the worse bottleneck, you discover the next bottleneck, and so on and so on. So, you wind up changing everything in the circuit to achieve the maximum output. Changing just the driver or just the LED's wont' help much - you gotta do both, and that's true with every component.

15571

Thanks Tom, I thought I was correct, but this stuff is new to me.

The design team did an excellent job! Even as far as factory defaults.

15572

Here is a table:

There is a bit of confusion when you read in the forum about Narsil and its version numbers, because they are not straight and there was a name change to NarsilM.

Narsil / NarsilM Timeline
2016-07 Narsil v1.12
2016-09 Narsil v1.1 (because only two digits blink out)
2016-09 Narsil v1.2
2016-10 fork to Narsil Triple
2017-04 Narsil v1.3
2017-05 NarsilM v1.0 (Narsil Multi, combines Narsil 1.3 and Narsil Triple) It is used in the BLF Q8 and the Q8 uses only two channels.
2017-08 NarsilM v1.1 for the BLF GT prototype (with Buck driver support merging) also another config: GTBug
2017-10 NarsilM v1.2 config: 2C1S

[ After that, the next lamp with NarsilM will be the FW3A ]

15573

I have just received my 2 Q8 lights shipped 30/Sep/17 (2nd batch) and they do Not have AR coating that I can see.

Best Regards,

George

15574

My “soda can” collection.
The blue bezel Ultrafire is 7 emitter & the red bezel Ultrafire 4 emitter.
Both do about 3300 lumens on start up & show Hi, Med, Lo mode & battery status from 9 (full) down to 1.
The Q8”s obviously blow them away in all departments :+1:

15575

G'Day The Miller, BLF Q8 team, Thorfire, & Banggood,

I have just received my 2 Q8 flashlights (2nd batch, shipped 30/Sep/17) and have started checking and using them, and they are truly Superb and Incredibly Impressive lights.

Superb hardware, firmware, and execution.

The only issue that I have found is that none of the 2 lights have the additional spare O-rings and button caps.

Any way of Please getting them sent out?

Congratulations to The Miller & the entire Q8 team (The Miller, Tom E, djozz, Pilotdog68, MRsDNF, Thijsco, Thorfire/Barry, Banggood/Swi, Banggood/Marunce), on a Superb job. You should be Very proud.

I have been extremely impressed on how the few problems that have cropped up have been handled quickly, efficiently, and in a positive cooperative manner. Specially when compared to

some other BLF efforts where it was difficult to even get a response to problems.

This project has set a very high standard for all other future BLF projects.

Thank you Very VERY Much,

Best Regards,

George

15576

Thanks for your kind feedback The Miller.
Aw gawd, does this mean I’m going to get loads of technical questions in the comments?

15577

I have that same light, but mine arrived a DOA, ( dead driver) So right now i am planing to mod it with a different driver. I do like the tail cap design on that light, as its good for tail-standing and adding a paracord lanyard for hanging.

15578

Received my BLF Q8 today and just be back from a first little test with a stock version 4 x XM-L2 SKY RAY Kung to compare.
First of all the Q8 comes up with an awesome overall build quality, that enables a real impressive brightness, showing the Kung that it’s time to retire. The light I got came in a perfect condition and the seems work very well. Fantastic damned good light for a fantastic damned good price. Guess that I will have a lot of fun with it. :+1:

A thousand thank’s to all the members of the hard working crew, that at least made this little dream come true, plus a big extra one to The Miller for his great style of management, always being smart and keeping nerves. :slight_smile:

:heart_eyes: & :beer:

15579

ETex, as nice as the Noctigon Meteor is, they use 80cri emitters with a non-specified R9 (Maukka tested them as 22 R9, though).

The 9050 219c are a good bit better, specially for red colors, having an R9 of 62. Of course, the 80cri emitters on the noctigon are more efficient, which is the usual trade off.

I expect similar brightness, but I will post results once I make the swap.

15580

I stuck a Q8 on turbo inside a pumpkin before carving it. I’m amazed at how much light shines through.

This was taken in a dark room at ISO 100, f/11, 1.3 seconds. It looks even brighter in real life.

Happy Halloween, Q-Team! :partying_face:

15581

Gosh dog it, ‘goshdogit’…. that looks good just like it is!!
No carving necessary…… :wink: