Tag: camping lantern rechargeable

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BLF/Sofirn LT1 A2 Review (Update on the popular BLF Lantern)

BLF/Sofirn LT1 A2 Review (Update on the popular BLF Lantern)

Rather than a full review this week, I wanted to update everyone on the differences between the current BLF/Sofirn LT1 A2 and the original I have here in black. You really should go back and read or watch my original review for all of the various in’s and outs. Thanks to Sofirn for sending this to me. If I have any coupons or things I will post them in the description along with the links to my social media. 

 

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So what’s changed? 

In short, Sofirn has made a few changes to the driver board to update a few shortcomings of the original LT1 and bring it into 2022. 

The biggest change here is the UI. The light still is Anduril firmware, but this time it’s Anduril 2. I am not going to go into extensive detail about all the changes to this UI, that’s been well covered by others since it came out, but it’s generally a little easier to use as Andruil 2 ships in the simple mode which is all your basic functions, brightness, ramping vs stepped, tint shift etc. You do have to enable Advanced mode (10 click/hold) to get into the special modes that allow you to use candle mode and lightning mode. It works really well on the lantern if you haven’t tried it. 

 

PCB

The Driver PCB has been changed in the A2 version. The original featured pogo pins that were easily accessed by just removing the head of the light, these were useful for firmware updates, etc. However, on A2 this has been eliminated, and now to do similar things you have to unscrew the screws holding it in and use a SOIC clip to make changes. I would show you this but I found my screws to be extremely tight and began to round out one of the screws so I just stopped. 

Another change is that all 14 of the 7135 chips are enabled by default. On the previous version, you could easily bridge connections on these to customize the LT1 for maximum brightness (all chips enabled) or maximum efficiency with only 6 enabled. LED’s remain the same Samsung LH351D LED in 2700k and 5000k to give you maximum flexibility. Enabling all of the 7135 chips, is worth about 200 lumens difference according to Sofirn. 

I did do a runtime test to compare the two, and the original lantern does hold out longer, likely due to the slightly lower output, It ran on its the lowest output forever, vs the A2 version did eventually shut off sooner. I didn’t measure lumens here since the lantern doesn’t fit or is really suited for my lumen tube. 

 

The V2 ran using 100% warm output to 6:26:00, the V1 ran in the same settings out to 9:40:00. As you can see from the graph the V1 ran a lot longer but this long time was really at 1% or less of relative output. The difference more at 100% was 90 minutes different with the V1 running longer but as I mentioned at a somewhat higher output. So the name of the game would be to run the V2 at less than 100% output to match the V1’s runtime. 

 

Powerbank Function

A heavily requested feature that’s welcome to see in the A2 version is that the lantern can act as a powerbank. With up to 4 x 18650 batteries inside, there is considerable power here to tap in an emergency situation. I used my discharge equipment and got out about 7301mWh discharge. It could 

Charging seems to be faster here too. I charged it from where it shut off to full in 6:40:00 vs the original took 10:15:00 so a nice increase but still safe. 

Another small change I noticed was that the LED button went from a moderate to low power orange on the original to bright green on the A2 version. It’s a bit too bright in my opinion but luckily you can turn this down in the firmware in advanced mode. 

 

Accessories

While the light doesn’t ship really with any accessories I did want to mention this because I have put a few on mine that I plan to replicate here on my A2 version. First is the carrying case, it’s really a case for a JBL Bluetooth speaker but it fits perfectly on the LT1 and allows extra space for a charging cable and charger if you wish. The link to this case will be below. Sofirn now sells a similar version of their own too.

I have also bought a magnet that threads into the ¼ 20 threads. It’s rubber-coated and strong. It has the ability to hold up the light when placed on a slick surface horizontally. It’s a great addition in my opinion. 

 

Lastly, I have 3D printed a shade, now this isn’t the best quality it was when I was really new to 3D printing and still learning. I should redo it now that I know a bit more. It’s nice if you’re going to be using it for a long time to keep the light out of your eyes, the bad thing is it’s not compact.

 

Final Thoughts

While not an essential upgrade, the changes made on the PCB with the addition of the powerbank feature, and Anduril 2 make for a light that’s easier to use for newer users and a great addition to the survival and camping aspects of the light with the powerbank feature. 

The question of if it’s worth picking up another is hard to say, It’s still a heavy lantenr with a somewhat high center of gravity. I think you should have more than 1 if you are in an area prone to nasty weather or lose power frequently. If you can solder you can also pick up a PCB from Sofrin direct to upgrade your original LT1 too which can be a nice option too for some people. Overall a nice addition to the family.

If you haven’t seen my reviews of the original LT1 I would recommend you check that out after this video. I also reviewed the LT1S recently which is the short version, it’s a great lantern, and in the coming weeks, I will review the LT1 Mini so make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss that one. 

 

Sales and Links

Black with $10 off Coupon on the page, Use code (107RGP70) for another 10% off https://amzn.to/3wBm76s

Green, Desert Tan, Orange https://amzn.to/3NtTHRv

Sofirn Direct (Save 15% with code OM2ELDVF) https://www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-blf-lt1-anduril-2-rechargeable-lantern-super-long-working-time-with-power-bank-function-ship-from-usa?scm=spz.search&ssp=spz

Sofirn Direct (Save 15% with code OM2ELDVF) https://www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-blf-lt1-rechargeable-lantern-with-power-bank-function-adjustable-color-temperature-long-working-time?scm=spz.search&ssp=spz

 

A2 Circuit Board https://www.sofirnlight.com/products/sofirn-lt1-driver-new-version?scm=spz.search&ssp=spz

 

XANAD Case https://amzn.to/2KABHqb

Sofirn Carrying Case https://www.sofirnlight.com/products/carry-case-for-blf-lt1-or-jbl-flip-4?scm=spz.search&ssp=spz

 

Link to the Magnet I have https://www.ebay.com/itm/373022347244

I think this one will also work https://amzn.to/3Gge9mC

 

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Sofirn LT1s Lantern Review (21700, Tint Shifting, Red, USB-C)

Today I am looking at the Sofirn LT1s, where the s stands for Small or Short. If you have followed my reviews you know I really enjoyed the BLF/Sofirn LT1. While the LT1s takes some design cues and even a few parts from it’s larger brother, the two are really different lanterns on the inside. The LT1s runs on a single 21700 battery, offers red mode, tint shift in white, aimable beam, and a different UI. Thanks to Sofirn for sending this to me now let’s get to it.

 

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Pickup the Sofirn LT1S Lantern at https://bit.ly/LQLT1S and use code BJ5B11QN to save 15%. (Valid till 4/28/2022)

The LT1S is also available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3Nz5xL5  use code 20WQ2PHC to save 20%. (Valid till 4/28/2022)

Here is the case I featured in the review, it fits but isn’t a perfect fit. https://amzn.to/3LlK1aO

 

Packaging & Accessories

Not much to write about here, Sofrin like usually has very basic packaging. Inside the light is wrapped in bubble wrap to protect it during shipping. Accessories with the LT1s include a 5000mAh battery that’s preinstalled, 2X extra orings, USB-A to C charging cable and the manual. 

 

Construction & Design

The LT1s takes many design ques from the LT1 on the top half at least. Starting at the top you have the hanger which is identical. You then have the main textured button that has a satisfying click to it, your 4 amber power level indicator LED’s, and the USB-C charge point. It’s a little odd to see the charge port be on top for moisture reasons, but the LT1s did survive a trip in the shower with me without issue. 

Below this is the same style of diffuser as the LT1 a white diffused hard plastic. The LT1s are all on the top of the light facing down, and in the white modes you can turn off half to better steer the beam to the side where you want the light, I will talk more about this later on. 

At the bottom you have the large tailcap. It doesn’t have much in terms of grip on it and it could be challenging to use with gloves or when wet. Threads here are ACME cut and sufficient. The tail cap has a large beefy spring to make contact with the inner battery tube, completing the circuit on the inside of the light. The large spring also allows you to run the light on an 18650 without issue other then some side to side rattle if shaken, even though it’s not officially rated for it. The head side also has a smaller spring. 

There is very minimal branding on the light, Only the Sofrin logo, model number and battery direction indicator on the front, serial number on the back and your typical CE, ROHS, and Recycling marks on the bottom. 

 

Thanks to Reddit user /u/DerMaxPower for allowing me the use of his deconstruction photos. You can see there are only emitters mounted on the top facing down, the center battery tube is aluminum which helps with heat dissipation. It’s a simple design but very functions.

Overall it’s a solid feeling lantern. The aluminum on top and bottom feel much better then the cheaper feeling plastic the competition uses. I suspect it makes it a good amount more durable as well. 

 

Mounting

Your primary method of mounting this light will be the wire bail at the top. This folds in either direction and can be removed if you wish. The LT1s ditches the ¼ 20 threaded receiving holes that the LT1 had and the tailcap is not magnetic. 

 

I spent some time on Amazon looking for a speaker case that would fit the LT1S and ordered a few things. Here is a link to the best one I could find at the time. https://amzn.to/3LlK1aO It’s not a perfect fit and a little to narrow but it does zip and leaves a little room for a charging cable and small charger if you wish.

 

Size & Weight

I measured the length at 97mm at the maximum height. Diameter at the top was 68mm, diameter at the bottom was 59.5mm. Weight with the battery is 338.9g. The light is IPX8 water rated and I confirmed this by putting it in the shower with me one day. I didn’t completely submerge it though. Here are some comparison photos with the LT1 and Olight O’Lantern. 

 

Emitters and Beam

The LT1s uses a lot of LED’s, 40 in total to be exact. 18x 2700k in the CSP 1919 package, 18x 6500k in the CSP 1919 package, and 4x Lattice Power Red LED’s. Sofrin doens’t give an exact model, but there is speculation they might be Luxeon brand due to the high CRI. My unscientific Opple meter measured the warm tint as 2585 CCT with a 97Ra, and cool white as 5732 CCT with a 100 Ra. I think these numbers should be taken with a large grain of salt for the Ra value. They are clearly high CRI probably above 90 but I wouldn’t read any more into it. It’s interesting that the cool white number didn’t quite hit the 6500k claim. In moonlight mode I did notice some PWM visible to the eye but this largely goes away in higher outputs at least to my eye. However it can be detected via my Opple meter or scope. 

The LED’s are mounted on the top of the light and well diffused to create a nice light pattern. The light does have the feature of being able to shut off one side while in white mode, to direct the beam to a 180 field of view rather than the full 360. This works pretty well,  I think it’s probably more useful to maybe not shine in your eyes so much if you have it out on a patio table or in a tent etc. It’s a nice idea but only works in the white modes.

 

Official Outputs

 

Runtime & Heat

I did lots of runtime tests here with all the different modes, and a few extra with the light powered by an 18650, and by a 10k powerbank. I will try to let the graphs do most of the talking here.

 

Since the light is capable of 4 tints I ran some tests multiple times and did comparisons. Here is the runtime test for the maximum warm output with the 5000mAh battery, As you can see the light can sustain nearly 100 relative output for 25 minutes before stepping down, Total runtime ends up being 3:09:00, with max temps reaching 42C. I ran the same test comparing Warm, Cool, and Neutral Outputs, and results are similar. Cool white had the least runtime, but only by 10 minutes, then warm. The surprise was Neutral white, it had the longers runtime by about an hour. More LED’s but less bright I assume. It resulted in a more linear output and ran out to 4:03:00. 

I also tested the runtime of running one side of the emitters in the warm mode at full output vs both sides. As expected running half of the LED’s result in a more stable output initially and for longer. It resulted in a substantial increase in total output but over half of this was at about 5% relative output so very dim. 

The red runtime shows the light isn’t able to sustain it’s high output for nearly as long as it’s white output in it’s highest mode before step down but the decline is slow. It has about 2:30:00 of it’s main output but continued to run at 5% for a considerable amount of time for a total of 5:30:00. 

Since an 18650 battery fits and makes contact I threw in a 3000mAh VTC6 and it’s output shape was identical to the 5000mAh 21700  but just shorter Total runtime was 1:43:00 vs 3:06:00. 

The lantern will also run directly off USB power (Without a tail cap or battery too when plugged into USB), although in lesser output. I ran it off a 10k powerbank and it ran for 12:20:00 which is impressive.

  • LVP – 2.738v
  • Full – 4.102v
  • Drain measured at 150-198uA

 

UI

Unlike the original LT1 the LT1s is using a UI Sofirn developed instead of Andruil. This is kind of disappointing because Anduril works so well on the LT1 and the special blinking modes are great there. That said my guess is Sofrin wanted a simpler UI, especially for switching between LED colors. The Sofirn UI here works well in my experience and the list below should serve as a simple guide of what you can do.

 

From On

  • 4 clicks to switch between ramping or stepped mode
  • 3 clicks to go between red and white modes
  • 2 clicks (Double click) to operate as a directional light and move between either side or full on just repeat
  • Double click when in red mode to activate SOS
  • 1 click and hold to change the tint of the light
  • 1 Click hold to switch between modes or ramp to adjust brightness

 

From Off

  • Long press to turn on to moon light mode. 

 

There is no ramping in Red mode and when you shut the light off in red mode, memory won’t return you to red. 

 

Recharging

The lantern recharges via a USB-C port on the top thats well sealed with a silicone cover. It is USB-C PD compatible, and it works as a powerbank to charge your smartphone or other device. My Samsung Smartphone reports it as charging via “Fast Charge” when plugged in. I didn’t do much testing here other then to verify it works. Here is the charging graph of the included 5000mAh battery from LVP at 2.738V to full at 4.1V. This took just at 3 hours and 18 minutes. Max charging speed I saw during this was 1.8A. The manual says it charges up to  3A max charging speed but I didn’t see anything like this. It may possibly need to trigger QuickCharge but it doesn’t seem to use the normal USB-C protocol for this. 

The light will run while charging although this significantly slows down charging speed. I ran the light at max output and started charging via a 65W USB-C power source, and at the end of 4 hours it was showing only one LED solid so between 25-50% power. I let the light go for 24 hours and it never fully completed charging but got to between 75-100%.

 

Final Thoughts

Lanterns are one of those things you can probably do without if you have a good flashlight but once you have one you immediately notice the value of having a light designed with a specific task in mind. The LT1s is the smaller, more stable, easy to use version of the LT1. 

Reading over the comments at BLF on the LT1s there are a few that are a little unhappy about the similarities in design to the BLF LT1 that Sofirn produces. That said I think most have concluded that the two are different enough not to ruffle too many feathers, and I agree. 

 

I like the more simple UI here for the most part, it’s going to be better for most people who are not used to Anduril nor want to take the time to learn it. The addition of red here is great for those who want to preserve night vision but even in low, I would say it’s almost too bright and on high it’s really bright. I like the ability to shut off half the white emitters to steer the beam, it’s nice for keeping the light out of your eyes if it’s sitting on a table or something. I am using this lantern quite a bit in the shower even to have something a little more soothing, and with less blue light.  

This is an easy recommendation for me, the pro’s easily outweigh the small cons. Sofirn has provided a 15% discount which I will have in the description/comments below the video. I will also have a link to the case I found that almost fits but isn’t quite thick enough for my liking. 

 

Pickup the Sofirn LT1S Lantern at https://bit.ly/LQLT1S and use code BJ5B11QN to save 15%. (Valid till 4/28/2022)

The LT1S is also available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3Nz5xL5  use code 20WQ2PHC to save 20%. (Valid till 4/28/2022)

Here is the case I featured in the review, it fits but isn’t a perfect fit. https://amzn.to/3LlK1aO

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Olight Olantern Review (360 Lumens, Flicker Bulb, Olight Fan Request)

Olight Olantern Review (360 Lumens, Flicker Bulb, Olight Fan  Request)

Today I have the Olight OLantern, before you change to the next video, this isn’t a boring battery powered lantern. It’s the result of numerous requests to Olight, so lets see if they delivered what the fans really want or not. Thanks to Skyben on Amazon for sending me this to look at and allowing me to tell you the truth on it. 

 

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Pickup the Olight Olantern from Skyben on Amazon.

Green: https://amzn.to/3lQkiKh

Gray: https://amzn.to/2VXfb0x

Red: https://amzn.to/2VMjQlL

XANAD Case: https://amzn.to/2KABHqb

 

Packaging & Accessories

Olights packaging is the nicest in the production flashlight world, it makes me wonder how much extra goes to packaging. The lantern is a big heavy duty cardboard box with photos of the light on all 4 sides. Very little information is on the exterior. It opens up throughout the bottom and is a tight fit. It sit’s on the box of accessories which include the manual, a microfiber cleaning cloth, an extra long MCC3 charger capable of up to 2A, and the flame flicker bulb. 

 

Construction

The lantern itself is made from a polymer front top top bottom. It’s available in a gray, red, and the green you see here. A rubber texture has been applied to a few areas for extra grip, the top cap, and bottom tail cap. The middle section is a hard thick, dense polymer. The lens or globe is a clear acrylic and while it will scratch it seems to be reasonably scratch resistant. It has a bit of a reflector built into the to help distribute light. This globe twists off from the body to allow you to swap out the emitter from cool white to the flickering flame, and there is a oring around this connection. Inside around the emitter is aluminum as is the blue ring around the exterior.

The electronic button is in the front and and has a slight backlit edge. This servers as a power indicator and helps you find the light in the dark. The light is motion sensitive so once you pick it up it comes on. 

The bottom rubber piece is scalloped and relieved internally to allow the light to charge while standing up with ease. There are 3 screws in the bottom that allows the light to come apart fairly easily. While the battery isn’t designed to be user replaceable it is quite easy to remove it. It connects to the circuit board with spring loaded pins. There was some debate early on if this was a rebranded product or an Olight original design and after looking inside I am confident it’s an Olight design, as all the circuit boards do have Olight copyrights on them. Internally its pretty simple design. 

 

Size & Weight/Competition

Length with the handle folded in was 135mm, with it unfolded 191mm, maximum diameter on the base was 65mm. I measured the weight at 346.5g. Water rating is only IPX4. So it can handle splashes from all angeles but no more.

A lot of people will compare the Olight Olantern to the BLF/Sofrin LT1 because the lights end up being near the same price. The Olantern is lighter, and smaller, with less features, a more simple but less useful UI, and longer charging time. The two are in different leagues really. The Olantern is probably better to hand to a non enthusiast and in terms of weight but in almost all other aspects the LT1 in my opinion is the better lantern. 

 

Retention

The lantern has a handle that is a metal hanger and coated in the same rubberized coating, at the top it has a plastic piece with a dip in it. This looks a little funny but is actually really useful, as it allows you to hang the light on a wire or rope and not have it fall off. I could see this being used in a tent, or with a rope strung between a few trees while camping etc. 

I do enjoy a case for my BLF LT1, and the OLantern will fit in the one I have for my LT1 here but with a good amount of extra space leftover. The XANAD case does double duty well.

 

LED & Beam

The Olantern has 2 LED Modules, first the primary is a cool white module with 3 output settings. No emitter or tint data is given for either. It’s quite cool white my guess is 6500k or cooler. The beam is pretty even but if you wanted to diffuse it even more I have seen people put thin paper inside the globe for more diffusion. 

The other is the flame module, it’s 1 mode only and flickers, and is quite warm, with an orange tint. I really wish this had more output and 3 modes like the main module did. 

 

Olight lists the official outputs as the following.

  • High 360 lumens
  • Medium 120 lumens
  • Low 30 lumens
  • Flaming Module 1 Lumen

 

Heat & Runtime

I tested runtime on the highest output on the main cool white module, and got 6:55:00 so a little better  then what it’s rated for. During this time it decreased in output ever so slightly but ran this entire time at 90% of relative output which is good. It does get a little warm during use, especially around the blue metal band, with peak temps in my uncooled environment at 39C. This was around the 2 hour mark.

 

My flaming module runtime test fell a tad short of the claimed 80 hours of runtime. I recorded only 46:42:00, due to the length of time this took I didn’t run this one again to see if my results improved. 

 

UI

The UI here is very simple. Single press turns the light on to the last mode it was used in. Long press to go to the next mode, and mode progression is L, M, H. There is no short cut to the highest or lowest output. The flaming module has only one mode, so it’s just on or off.

 

One kind of neat and useful feature is the illuminated halo around the side switch, it reacts to motion to help you find it and to save power, so if you bag was to move it was in or you pick it up but can’t find the button in the dark it will start glowing a dim green so you can find it. 

 

Recharging & Power

This light runs off of a proprietary battery pack consisting of 4x 1900mAh 18500 batteries for a total capacity of 7600mAh. This is a custom battery pack and is designed to be non user replaceable. As mentioned above it’s quite easy to get into the light however though so if Olight made this battery available as a replacement I think it’s something the average person could replace. Recharging is done via the Olight magnetic MCC3 charger you get on recent Olights. It will operate while charging, and has the standard green when charged, red when charging. 

 

Charing time here is very long, from empty where the light shut off I measured it taking a full 8:30:00  to recharge, Peak charging speed I saw was 1.38A. This is a pretty conservative recharge rate. If you were charging off solar power it would be best to top up then expect to get a full charge in a day in most places. Comparing this to my BLF LT1 which had a capacity of 12,000mAh but charged in 10:15:00. This is still along time but also a battery that’s 4,400mAh larger.

 

Areas for Improvement

I see 3 major areas that olight can make improvements to on the next Olantern. The first is the waterproofing, this is only rated for IPX4 which means it can repel splashes from any angle but more then this may cause problems. This means it’s ok in the rain but isn’t to be submerged. The lantern only has one Oring between the globe and module, this surprised me for the price point the lights at, and Olights usual good build quality. 

 

LED Tint – This shouldn’t surprise anyone if you know Olight you know they like that cool white tint. They might say that’s for the best performance, or most amount of lumens but in this case neither are the most important, quality of light and runtime are the big things you want for area illumination. With the replaceable “bulb” design Olight could easily come out with an addon or have given people the choice. Even better make the tint variable like the BLF LT1. 

 

LED Storage – The flaming “bulb” is fun, but it’s output doesn’t make it super useful for more then just ambiance. The problem I see is there is no way to attach the extra blub to the light, or store it, so I see it is more likely to get lost. Hopefully version 2 corrects this. 

 

Conclusion

Lanterns are not something you think you need, till you have one and then if you are like me you will find yourself using it more and more. It’s great for camping but also if you lose power frequently or live in an area with storms. This is great for those areas getting hit by tornadoes and hurricanes or this time of year blizzards. 

 

At first I wasn’t impressed with the design here from the photos, I didn’t find the light attractive and was kind of put off by the mostly polymer construction, but once I got it in hand it felt better built than I was expecting. That said this is a space that has competition in it, not only from other lantern or lantern like products but also from silicone cones to put on top of your existing flashlights to act as a diffuser. All of those make the normal asking price here hard to swallow in my opinion. It’s a useful amount of light and it feels solid in the hand but I just had higher expectations for the normal asking price.

I don’t think this is the light that the hard core Olight fan was asking for but it’s not a bad place to start. Hopefully Olight decides to make some revisions and come out with a version that is has the ability to shift the tint, swap in other bulbs, is more water resistant, and is a better overall value. If they do that I think it will appeal to more enthusiasts and be the light that the hardcore fans really wanted. Until then you have a pretty well built light for the mainstream at a high price point when it’s not on sale.