Just about finished my build too.
CRX, your builds are insane. I’m going to enter non-machined scratch build next year.
Crazy iz as crazy does. No wait… 
Cool, look forward to seeing what you come up with 
You’ve inspired me. Going to start designing it this winter and not wait until the last minute… lol
Great guys
Nice work, Don 
Sorry - I meant to comment on this a few days ago…
Maybe the Comp could be better publicised in the months leading up to it, giving people a little more time to think about a build, & also more time to order any parts required.
Comments regarding that….
I joined BLF about the time the 3rd annual contest was underway. I was intrigued but had no time or idea to enter. So I watched. Then I dreamed. I entered the 4th contest a year later. I would think most new members have a reasonably thorough look through what is already here, what has been posted. The previous contests are easy enough to find and should inspire those who are so inclined.
NOTE to the, sb56637, or whoever has the proper permissions…. Please make this years main contest topic sticky so it does appear in the forum index along with the previous years.
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Perhaps a reminder “advert” could be posted someplace a couple of months prior to the contest startup date. But where? It would be easy to miss something like that if one was not a regular visitor.
My personal feelings are three months is enough time, BUT one must be ready to do something or at least start planning as soon as the start date is announced. I had a rough plan in my head about this years project for many months. However, I didn’t get going until a month after the contest announcement date.
I don’t think work should be commenced before the official start date. We are on an honor system anyways as far as how long it took us to build, when we started, etc.
I am not on the list again lol 3rd year its happen 
I am pretty new here but if i am allowed to tell how i see it :
iirc i arrived here while the constest was already started but didn't hear about it very soon.
I could have found about it but ... well you don't search for something you don't know exist and since i heard about it and up to recently i have had not much time for building anything even if i have some ideas.
Now i am starting to tinker with what i have at hand but i don't think ill have anything ready for a few weeks (not even talking about the end of this week ;) ) and on the other hand now that i start to see where i am going i won't keep it hiden until november 2019 and i am not sure how busy at work i'll be then to start an other project at that time.
So from a general point of view i feel that it's better to give more time for everyone to enter and from a totally selfish point of view i would love to have the next contest start at the begining of the year so i have a chance to enter with what i am starting now ;)
What do you mean you never knew, I’ve had a link advertised in my signature since it started!
Every post.
There is a time limit, part of any competition so starting a build way before the commencement is announced would be very unfair but you’re welcome to participate within the stated rules, there is still time even
Maybe a sticky announcement a month before the start date would be good but (ahem sb), this years comp is still to be stickied 
Did you PM a link to your thread to _ the_ so he would know to list you?
From the OP:
That’s the only thing I can think of. I had seen your post #5 saying you would be in, but there was no link there, and I never saw your build thread until recently.
Well, I had an idea a short time after the contest started, thought about it, made the design, and then I knew which components I needed for my build. There are parts which I can’t buy locally for a reasonable amount of money so I ordered them in China, e. g. LEDs, o-rings, magnets and some other electronic components. That was in the first half of October. I received the last components about a week ago, the ordered neodyme magnets still haven’t arrived. Due to private and professional obligations there is only limited time to build the lantern. Hopefully I’ll manage to finish in time but I wouldn’t complain if I had some more time next year - particularly since its expected not to start with the build before the contest begins.
No problem with with the rules and i don't intent to enforce them :) but as pinkpanda was talking about extending the contest time to the full year i wanted to plus that one
Btw i am really amazed with what everyone is doing here ! Cheers guys !
Yes, this is what I was getting at; a little more promotion of the event.
^ Agree 100%
Too few contestants this time.
Announce it earlier and more frequently in the future.