Personal Area (Lantern)

[RI Chevy]

Do tell. Come on.

 

[RI Chevy]

No, you are not wrong. We currently have units out for evaluation at a handful of review sites. Our latest reviewer is Norm from Tested.com! Hopefully he will have some useful feedback for us soon.

Also, on the same note, we are always open to any suggestions for valued review sites!

Fellow member 880arm (Jim) does excellent, detailed reviews. So does Selfbuilt. They are very respected on this forum.
Maybe consider them for a nice review of your lantern.

 

[rtginc]

Do tell. Come on.

Hah! I appreciate the interest! Well, long story short, this particular driver comes from a family of 4 integrated circuits. Each circuit has the same logic capability, but can be powered by different voltages and drive different loads. The idea behind this is to provide the greatest flexibility for your application.

I had posted another thread about a year ago, where I retrofitted an old Ikea desk lamp with 6 CREE LED's. Here's the post:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?357967-Modified-Ikea-Lamp-Light

You can see the IC on the test board that we used to drive the LEDs. This particular setup runs off of a 12V supply and drives 6 LED's at ~700mA. We can run the current higher to achieve more output.. but then you start to run into thermal issues with the lamp

You can also see the demo unit in one of the pictures that demonstrates the other features built into our IC.

 

[rtginc]

Fellow member 880arm (Jim) does excellent, detailed reviews. So does Selfbuilt. They are very respected on this forum.
Maybe consider them for a nice review of your lantern.

I will definitely take them into account. I'll have to look them up and contact them first, and hopefully they can provide some honest feedback.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

While I did not purchase one of these lanterns as it did not quite fit my needs,
I had a very positive experience communicating with someone at the company.

He wrote back to all my emails with detailed replies and answered all my questions.

I hope that in the future we can do business together.

 

[dc38]

Looks like a joule thief, lol

 

[rtginc]

Looks like a joule thief, lol

Yes it does. However, I guarantee you that our product is not made of PVC.

We are using injection molded parts that have been specifically designed to fit an 18650B battery, along with our own custom control and LED boards. We have taken great care to incorporate the 1/4-20 threaded inserts, as well as create the waterproof / dustproof overmold for our buttons.

The ribs that run the length of the product are also designed to allow the user to place the lantern on a flat surface and not roll. The ribs protrude far enough to provide clearance for the buttons as well.

As the primary CAD designer, I can fully assure you that a significant amount of effort went in to designing this product. We tried to make it as small and functional as we could.

 

[jonwkng]

P60-based flashlight, R-PAL, Coleman MicroPacker, StreamLight Siege

Likes
-nice warm tint
-good run-time off 3400mAh 18650s
-very numerous output settings (versatility in chooing output vs runtime)
-small size (see photo above)
-2x 1/4-20 threads

Dislikes
-cylinder lens slips in between two body halves (perhaps a latch-in or screw-in design would be more secure?)
-emitters relatively unprotected once cylinder lens is removed
-glare from the bare emitters very harsh from mid to high levels (definitely could do with a diffuser lens)

Impressions
Well... This is definitely a niche, lantern enthusiast oriented product, since Li-Ion battery management is a must. Compared to the Siege (Which RTG-Inc mentioned it is considering its nearest competitor) the R-PAL has a much larger output range (Lower Low than Siege and Max is brighter).

In my opinion, considering the size and weight differences, the R-PAL probably has a closer form factor and size and output perhaps as an 18650 light with a diffuser or lantern head converter attachment. (Even then, it is still much smaller). Definitely something you can hang around your neck, off a lanyard.

 

[rtginc]

Hey there Jonwkng!

Thank you for the honest opinion! I can't really argue against any of your likes or dislikes either way.

During development, we found that adding a diffuser either added too much to the size of the R-PAL and cut down too much on it's light output. If only the trade-off was so easy. It's either 1) high output, harsh light or 2) less output, softer light.

The one point that I would like to address, however, is regarding the lens being held by the two body halves. Up until now, the basic structure of the device has been relatively unknown.. well, I guess it had to be mentioned eventually. The whole idea behind the lens is that it is clamped between both end caps around a center core. There are o-rings that seal the mating points that reside on an inside lip in each end cap.

Our plan is to provide the end user with different lens types. A diffused lens (despite our analysis.. this seems to be the most popular demand), a red lens, and a shrouded lens that occludes / reflects a single LED. We are currently working on the design and fabrication of said lenses.

So that is basically it!

There are a few other lanterns out there that approach the R-PAL, such as the Black Diamond Voyager, but I'll leave the reviewers to their own opinion for now. We have a unit out to the folks at backpacker.com to see what they have to say. In the meantime, I have another embarrassing video of me comparing the two lanterns: http://youtu.be/gF0lAiVX9jU

 

[Phaserburn]

I think the reason for the diffusion request is this: what good is a brighter lantern if it's uncomfortable to use? Most users would no doubt dim it down where the glare is gone, negating the fact that the lantern has brighter modes. I know I'd gladly give up total lumens for being able to use it comfortably. If you think about it, it's the same exact design issue in all of our household AC driven lights; lamps have shades. You mentioned earlier somewhere about looking at the illuminated area/objects, not the lantern, but in real world use you will frequently have the lantern in your field of vision. Having tiny, incredibly bright points of light from the led emitters will draw your eye to it involuntarily, no question. Good diffusion is a must for me. Having said that, this design has huge promise and I will be buying one when the diffusion is added. This light is more advanced than older fluoro lanterns to be sure, but the large tube size means the bulbs could be bare without diffusion or uncomfortable glare. Just my .02!

 

[rtginc]

Well, with all these diffusion requests, I acknowledge that it is something that definitely cannot be be ignored. We are in talks with our factory to produce some different lenses using the best material suited for the job. We can fashion some diffused lenses in our lab, but nothing beats a good pull from the mold.

In the interim, we will try experimenting with different diffusion techniques and I will try and get some pictures up on here for your opinions

 

[Phaserburn]

Good to hear. Ideally, the light source should appear to be much larger, not just a frosting over the bare led. That would make it best to work with, IMHO.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

What I would like to see:

1) A diffuser

Any point source draws the eye and is irritating.
While a diffuser does cut down on lumens, I find them necessary.

(the lumens and the diffuser...both are necessary)

2) A single mode model

One mode, maybe 80 lumens, 10 to 12 hours.

3) A 2xCR123A model

For emergency purposes.

I wouldn't personally have a use for anything but 1x18650, which is my favorite form factor,
but I know many here like the 2xCR123A primary format because they can be stocked for emergencies.

In the time I have been a member on this forum, I have seen a huge increase in the popularity of the 1x18650 format,
and a dramatic change from when Pila and Ultrafire were the only names on the block for "drop and go" type chargers.

 

[fonaryk]

This looks like the answer to many needs in a very compact,manageable size. I have a Joule Thief and it is big,awkward to use and nothing better than a bedside nightlite.
Is the 4 th of July promo still in effect? I started to order one and was not offered an option to input a promo code.
Great idea and design. I do agree that the 18650 requirement might put many common folk off whereas cr123a are more readily available.

 

[rtginc]

This looks like the answer to many needs in a very compact,manageable size. I have a Joule Thief and it is big,awkward to use and nothing better than a bedside nightlite.
Is the 4 th of July promo still in effect? I started to order one and was not offered an option to input a promo code.
Great idea and design. I do agree that the 18650 requirement might put many common folk off whereas cr123a are more readily available.

Thank you for taking a look at the R-PAL! Unfortunately the 4th of July sale is no longer in effect. We are attempting to stabilize our prices so that other vendors can carry our product with confidence that they will loose money during sales.

I understand that the 18650 requirement might put people off. I myself was hesitant to make the transition, but I also felt the same way about CR123s a decade ago (how time flies!). I think it is the right thing to do. Modern electronics use lithium-ion technology, so why shouldn't portable lighting batteries evolve in the same direction?

 

[dss_777]

What I would like to see:

1) A diffuser

Any point source draws the eye and is irritating.
While a diffuser does cut down on lumens, I find them necessary.

(the lumens and the diffuser...both are necessary)

2) A single mode model

One mode, maybe 80 lumens, 10 to 12 hours.

3) A 2xCR123A model

For emergency purposes.

I wouldn't personally have a use for anything but 1x18650, which is my favorite form factor,
but I know many here like the 2xCR123A primary format because they can be stocked for emergencies.

In the time I have been a member on this forum, I have seen a huge increase in the popularity of the 1x18650 format,
and a dramatic change from when Pila and Ultrafire were the only names on the block for "drop and go" type chargers.

I'd have to agree with almost all of this.

Re: diffuser- Consider how the light will be used: either hanging, most likely at/around eye level, or sitting on a table top. Either puts the lantern right in your face, so to speak. Maybe the answer is a screw on accessory for the end that contains a small-enough diffusing globe and/or opaque end-cap. A tennis ball sized globe might just do it, attached to enclose the LEDS and held on with the screw ends in some fashion. Add a solid screw-on base, you're golden! Mini kick-*** high output 18650-based lantern. Schwing!

Re: Medium output, long run-time mode: excellent suggestion, a vital emergency lighting function.

RE: 2xCR123 capability: absolutely! While the 18650 is a much betterer battery option most of the time, many of us stock CR123 primaries as long term storage/backup options, not to mention feeding all the legacy 2xCR123 lights that don't take 18650s (cough... Surefire... cough). I don't understand the technical issues with electrickery, but given how many 18650 flashlights can run on 2xCR123, I ASSume it would be trivial to add that ability.

Looking forward to seeing your future work!

 

[rtginc]

Re: diffuser- Consider how the light will be used: either hanging, most likely at/around eye level, or sitting on a table top. Either puts the lantern right in your face, so to speak. Maybe the answer is a screw on accessory for the end that contains a small-enough diffusing globe and/or opaque end-cap. A tennis ball sized globe might just do it, attached to enclose the LEDS and held on with the screw ends in some fashion. Add a solid screw-on base, you're golden! Mini kick-*** high output 18650-based lantern. Schwing!

That's almost exactly what we are working on. A diffuser attachment for the 1/4-20 slot that would basically act as a "shade" for the R-PAL. Combined with something like this magnetic base.. and then we're in business!

Re: Medium output, long run-time mode: excellent suggestion, a vital emergency lighting function.

I've actually exchanged quite a few e-mails with LEDAdd1ct about this. The nice thing about the R-PAL is that you can set a mode and leave it. We have 15 different settings that allow for many different brightness settings / runtimes. In fact, one of our settings is 75 lumens at 12 hours.

RE: 2xCR123 capability: absolutely! While the 18650 is a much betterer battery option most of the time, many of us stock CR123 primaries as long term storage/backup options, not to mention feeding all the legacy 2xCR123 lights that don't take 18650s (cough... Surefire... cough). I don't understand the technical issues with electrickery, but given how many 18650 flashlights can run on 2xCR123, I ASSume it would be trivial to add that ability.

The long end of this is as follows:

1) we have 2 things going on here, a boost regulator and low battery detection. both of these circuits are "tuned" for an 18650.

in the case of the 18650, the operating voltage is ~4V, where the battery itself shuts off (via protection circuit) around 2.4V (+/-0.1V). our low battery detection kicks in at around 2.7 volts, and shuts off at around 2.5 volts to prevent over discharge.

in the case of the cr123, the operating voltage is between ~3V, where 2 CR123's would run the voltage around ~6V. this voltage is bit too high for our regulator circuit, but isn't out of the question. however, our low battery detection circuit would have no way of determining what kind of battery type is loaded into the fixture, and therefore still function at the same voltages as an 18650. for 2 cr123's in series to drop down to 2.7 - 2.5V, each cell would have to produce 1.35 - 1.25V. at that point, the voltage would likely be rapidly collapsing, negating the low battery detection and just shutting the device off.

in theory, you could cram 2 cr123 batteries in the device and it may run, but i cannot guarantee functionality or endorse this behavior.

the main reason that so many flashlights can run on both technologies is that their circuit is relatively simple -a resistor in series with the LED. in those cases, the ability to switch between technologies is trivial. our circuit toplogy is significantly more sophisticated, but we could make the change. however, runtime would suffer and we could not guarantee the same level of performance as an 18650.

 

[AnAppleSnail]

One of the most effective diffusers is nicely showed in an Energizer panel light. I do not know if they have claimed silly patents over the basic laws of optics. Shine the emitter into the side of a diffusing panel, like this:

-O- LED
\ |
/ |
\ |
/ |
\ |
/ |
\ |

The LED shining into a ~5mm thick acrylic panel with a textured back and smooth front makes the whole panel glow pretty evenly.

 

[crazyk4952]

The LED shining into a ~5mm thick acrylic panel with a textured back and smooth front makes the whole panel glow pretty evenly.

Yes, it does. I have one of these: http://www.energizer.com/flashlights-lighting/lantern-area/Pages/led-fusion-folding-lantern.aspx. The light is very even, except if you happen to be looking at the side of the acrylic panel, then it is rather bright! I'm tempted to put black electrical tape over the edges.

 

[Poppy]

Yes, it does. I have one of these: http://www.energizer.com/flashlights-lighting/lantern-area/Pages/led-fusion-folding-lantern.aspx. The light is very even, except if you happen to be looking at the side of the acrylic panel, then it is rather bright! I'm tempted to put black electrical tape over the edges.

How much do you like that lantern?
It seems that it diffuses nicely, and I agree with the others, that a lantern with a bright hot spot is annoying.