Personal Area (Lantern)
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RI Chevy
Flashlight Enthusiast
Just a Panasonic cell. Usually referred to as the NCR18650B cell. Basically the same as all other 18650 cells.
rtginc
Newly Enlightened
Yes and no. For all intents and purposes, it is the same as any other 18650 battery. The differences lie within the capacity (3350 mAh typical) and physical dimensions (a protected cell is generally longer and slightly larger in diameter).
You can charge it in a regular 18650 charger, as long as it fits. So far, we have had zero issues using a Soshine SC-S2 charger, which is what we ship with all our evaluation kits.
The Panasonic NCR-18650B has proven to be one of the best performing 18650 batteries, and thus is the one we have performed our testing with.
rtginc
Newly Enlightened
I'll be able to grab some samples from the office tomorrow, and will post pictures soon after. A small disclaimer though -the plastic used is slightly tinted and is not intentional
shrug.I'll try and get shots using all of the brightness levels.
Phaserburn
Flashlight Enthusiast
Great, thanks. Standing by... What color is the tint?
rtginc
Newly Enlightened
Whew, sorry for the delay. It looks like I'm going to have to set up better for more detailed pictures, but here are some preliminary ones. IMHO, when looking at the translucent version of the lens, the tint appears to be pinkish
. Definitely not intentional, but again, surprisingly effective.
Here are 2 R-PALs, one with the diffuser and one without for comparison:
Here they are at the lowest brightness setting:
I'm going to have to setup my SLR for more consistent images, which I will post tomorrow. As you can see, the LEDs still produce hot spots, but the diffuser does take the "edge" off.
Phaserburn
Flashlight Enthusiast
That looks very cool. But you're not going to make a lens like that one available?
Without a reflector, or a larger device to capture the light and redirect (like your shade), there will be hotspots even if more diffusion was used.
Without a reflector, or a larger device to capture the light and redirect (like your shade), there will be hotspots even if more diffusion was used.
RI Chevy
Flashlight Enthusiast
Looks good with the diffuser.
rtginc
Newly Enlightened
That looks very cool. But you're not going to make a lens like that one available?
Without a reflector, or a larger device to capture the light and redirect (like your shade), there will be hotspots even if more diffusion was used.
We just might if it works out. I've been spending quite a bit of time with it, and am still undecided. I do like it though. My boss isn't a huge fan, but we're just two opinions in a sea of many.
We will definitely have to do something about the tint, although it doesn't have as bad of an effect.
rtginc
Newly Enlightened
Ok, so instead of posting a bunch of images, I've placed them all in a video with transitions and captions for the brightness levels. I'll try and follow up with one without the lens.. but hopefully the video will be enough.
Please excuse the smudge on the lens, I didn't see it until after I had taken all of the photos. The only post processing done was to resize and crop the images. As stated in the video caption, the pictures were taken at f/8 with a 1 second exposure time.
Here's the video (HD resolutions are available):
http://youtu.be/rVrBZyDMmaU
Please excuse the smudge on the lens, I didn't see it until after I had taken all of the photos. The only post processing done was to resize and crop the images. As stated in the video caption, the pictures were taken at f/8 with a 1 second exposure time.
Here's the video (HD resolutions are available):
http://youtu.be/rVrBZyDMmaU
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RI Chevy
Flashlight Enthusiast
Looks good. Pretty bright!
LEDAdd1ct
Flashlight Enthusiast
Would still like to purchase a unit with one mode,
but I do like the version with the diffuser.
1) How much extra does it cost on your end?
2) How much of the cost of the diffuser would you pass on to the end consumer?
3) Would this be a free option vs. clear, or an "upgrade" at additional cost?
but I do like the version with the diffuser.
1) How much extra does it cost on your end?
2) How much of the cost of the diffuser would you pass on to the end consumer?
3) Would this be a free option vs. clear, or an "upgrade" at additional cost?
rtginc
Newly Enlightened
Hi LEDAdd1ct,
Here are a few quick answers to your questions:
At this point, I am not sure. We are currently using poly carbonate, and we are pushing real hard to get a better finish on the lens. At the moment, we are even looking for a new plastic house to see if they can mold the part better. In the end, I am going to guess that it will be less than a 5% price difference. I'm not super informed on plastics, but I'm guessing a "cloudy" version of the poly carbonate lens will only be a little bit more.
None, if it is what the consumer wants. If we end up being totally wrong, and a translucent lens is what causes this thing to take off, then we will simply use the translucent lens and that will be that.
Also note that we are looking into creating a red colored lens (again, the transparency of the lens is up for debate).
That is a good question. We are also looking into offering other R-PAL colors. A combination of colors / lenses would be plausible, but if we end up doing a handful of colors, things might get tricky -especially if we offer 3 different lens types.
In my opinion, when it comes down to it -and if we can fit it all in the packaging, the R-PAL would come with all 3 lenses (transparent, translucent, and red tinted) regardless of color.
For those that have already purchased an R-PAL, we would either sell the lenses or simply offer them as a free "upgrade". We'd have to work out the details first though.
Here are a few quick answers to your questions:
At this point, I am not sure. We are currently using poly carbonate, and we are pushing real hard to get a better finish on the lens. At the moment, we are even looking for a new plastic house to see if they can mold the part better. In the end, I am going to guess that it will be less than a 5% price difference. I'm not super informed on plastics, but I'm guessing a "cloudy" version of the poly carbonate lens will only be a little bit more.
None, if it is what the consumer wants. If we end up being totally wrong, and a translucent lens is what causes this thing to take off, then we will simply use the translucent lens and that will be that.
Also note that we are looking into creating a red colored lens (again, the transparency of the lens is up for debate).
That is a good question. We are also looking into offering other R-PAL colors. A combination of colors / lenses would be plausible, but if we end up doing a handful of colors, things might get tricky -especially if we offer 3 different lens types.
In my opinion, when it comes down to it -and if we can fit it all in the packaging, the R-PAL would come with all 3 lenses (transparent, translucent, and red tinted) regardless of color.
For those that have already purchased an R-PAL, we would either sell the lenses or simply offer them as a free "upgrade". We'd have to work out the details first though.
LEDAdd1ct
Flashlight Enthusiast
Any updates...?
rtginc
Newly Enlightened
At the moment, no.
To be completely honest, we are focusing mostly on quality control and accessibility. We're also trying to offer bundles that come with one or more R-PALs, some batteries, and a charger.
We have been talking to a few plastic companies to try and see if they can improve the quality of our lens. Once they meet that basic requirement, we'll throw the diffuser problem at them. Most have indicated that it will be a trivial request, but what is important to us is the quality of the finished product.
To be completely honest, we are focusing mostly on quality control and accessibility. We're also trying to offer bundles that come with one or more R-PALs, some batteries, and a charger.
We have been talking to a few plastic companies to try and see if they can improve the quality of our lens. Once they meet that basic requirement, we'll throw the diffuser problem at them. Most have indicated that it will be a trivial request, but what is important to us is the quality of the finished product.
I'd like to suggest that you take a look at how the energizer lantern with light fusion technology diffused the light from their emitters. The emitters project thier light directly at the the edge of an acrylic (I guess) diffuser. I imagine that if you bent the diffuser around the light that the light would bend with the diffuser. You would probably need four diffusers, one for each emitter maybe they would spiral around the light and overlap each other a little bit.
Phaserburn
Flashlight Enthusiast
Any updates? Still very interested.
rtginc
Newly Enlightened
Hi Phaserburn,
I apologize for the lack of updates. We've been busy trying to tighten up quality control. We are, in fact, making progress on the lens with the potential for a diffuser-type of setup.
LEDAdd1ct has been in touch with us, and I've filled him in on some details that I will share here:
1) we're working on some tinted lenses. red for sure, a frosted / clouded version, and potential for an amber and green variant.
2) we're also working on a flat black color scheme. our LED board manufacturer, SinkPad, has delivered some very nice looking boards to us. i can't post any pictures, but in my opinion, they are much nicer looking than the glossy white versions.
Also, in general, we're just trying to make the 18650 more accessible. We've been bundling a charger and batteries with the R-PAL, and it's been met with moderate success.
I've also purchased a handful of lanterns to compare and learned a few things.
I haven't dug through the forums, but here are some relevant shots of the Coleman PuckLight with comments. The reason why I'm focusing on the PuckLight is because it is another lantern that uses an 18650. However, the battery is not easily removed, and must be charged in-circuit. The manual states that a full charge can take up to 5 hours (!!).
Here is the main lantern LED. It is the same one that the R-PAL uses, except we use 3 of them. You can see here that the PCB is very small, however it is mounted to a large metal reflector, which may help to dissipate heat. Each of our LED boards is about a 1/4 of an inch wide, and runs almost the entire length of the R-PAL.
Here's a shot of the main PCB. As you can see, it is pretty large, and not very dense. It also uses larger components. The R-PAL uses a much denser topography, smaller components, and our IC is a QFN package, not an SOIC. It is also completely separate, and is about an inch in diameter. Unfortunately, I cannot post any images of our PCB
You can also make out the 18650 battery behind the PCB. It uses some soldered-on tabs to connect to the PCB. Coleman claims that you can replace the battery -and you can, if you want to outfit it with the tabs. The instructions include directions on how to disassemble the lantern in order to properly dispose of the battery.
And this last shot is mostly for fun. We were featured in Men's Journal somewhat recently, and they had asked for some high res pictures of the R-PAL in action. So.. I busted out my trusty magnetic Joby Gorillapod, put the R-PAL on the side of my car, and snapped this photo. Many people criticize the utility of the R-PAL relative to a flashlight. We keep trying to explain that we're not trying to replace a flashlight. We're just trying to make a useful product.
As you can see here, the un-diffused R-PAL does a pretty good job. If you were on the side of the road, the R-PAL would provide ample, hands free light and also high visibility for passing traffic. Of course, I'm biased.. but I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions.
Again, I apologize for the delayed responses. I do remember to check in every now and then though!
OH! And if I don't swing by before then.. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!
I apologize for the lack of updates. We've been busy trying to tighten up quality control. We are, in fact, making progress on the lens with the potential for a diffuser-type of setup.
LEDAdd1ct has been in touch with us, and I've filled him in on some details that I will share here:
1) we're working on some tinted lenses. red for sure, a frosted / clouded version, and potential for an amber and green variant.
2) we're also working on a flat black color scheme. our LED board manufacturer, SinkPad, has delivered some very nice looking boards to us. i can't post any pictures, but in my opinion, they are much nicer looking than the glossy white versions.
Also, in general, we're just trying to make the 18650 more accessible. We've been bundling a charger and batteries with the R-PAL, and it's been met with moderate success.
I've also purchased a handful of lanterns to compare and learned a few things.
I haven't dug through the forums, but here are some relevant shots of the Coleman PuckLight with comments. The reason why I'm focusing on the PuckLight is because it is another lantern that uses an 18650. However, the battery is not easily removed, and must be charged in-circuit. The manual states that a full charge can take up to 5 hours (!!).
Here is the main lantern LED. It is the same one that the R-PAL uses, except we use 3 of them. You can see here that the PCB is very small, however it is mounted to a large metal reflector, which may help to dissipate heat. Each of our LED boards is about a 1/4 of an inch wide, and runs almost the entire length of the R-PAL.
Here's a shot of the main PCB. As you can see, it is pretty large, and not very dense. It also uses larger components. The R-PAL uses a much denser topography, smaller components, and our IC is a QFN package, not an SOIC. It is also completely separate, and is about an inch in diameter. Unfortunately, I cannot post any images of our PCB
You can also make out the 18650 battery behind the PCB. It uses some soldered-on tabs to connect to the PCB. Coleman claims that you can replace the battery -and you can, if you want to outfit it with the tabs. The instructions include directions on how to disassemble the lantern in order to properly dispose of the battery.
And this last shot is mostly for fun. We were featured in Men's Journal somewhat recently, and they had asked for some high res pictures of the R-PAL in action. So.. I busted out my trusty magnetic Joby Gorillapod, put the R-PAL on the side of my car, and snapped this photo. Many people criticize the utility of the R-PAL relative to a flashlight. We keep trying to explain that we're not trying to replace a flashlight. We're just trying to make a useful product.
As you can see here, the un-diffused R-PAL does a pretty good job. If you were on the side of the road, the R-PAL would provide ample, hands free light and also high visibility for passing traffic. Of course, I'm biased.. but I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions.
Again, I apologize for the delayed responses. I do remember to check in every now and then though!
OH! And if I don't swing by before then.. I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!
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rtginc
Newly Enlightened
While I'm at it, I forgot about this image:
This is a picture of an evaluation board that we used to make. For reference, it is 1.2 inches on each side. We use a very similar circuit in the R-PAL, with a different layout and a more robust chip (the 905). As you can see, the circuit is denser, the components are smaller, and it does everything the R-PAL does
On this particular board we placed 4 mounting holes at the corners for convenience, as well as a controller board header. The R-PAL board has 3 mounting holes, and 3 headers to interface with the LED boards.
Here's a shot of our controller / feature board:
These boards were built to display the capabilities of the chip. We threw in some stuff on the controller board to demonstrate the chip behavior without actually having to meet certain conditions (such as low battery).
2 features that the chip has but are not used in the R-PAL:
- full brightness button, gives the ability to switch to maximum brightness from any brightness level.
- momentary on / off button, when the button is held down, the light turns on. (this feature is better suited towards the use of a switch, or light sensor -as seen on the feature board)
Let me know if you guys find this stuff interesting
This is a picture of an evaluation board that we used to make. For reference, it is 1.2 inches on each side. We use a very similar circuit in the R-PAL, with a different layout and a more robust chip (the 905). As you can see, the circuit is denser, the components are smaller, and it does everything the R-PAL does
On this particular board we placed 4 mounting holes at the corners for convenience, as well as a controller board header. The R-PAL board has 3 mounting holes, and 3 headers to interface with the LED boards.
Here's a shot of our controller / feature board:
These boards were built to display the capabilities of the chip. We threw in some stuff on the controller board to demonstrate the chip behavior without actually having to meet certain conditions (such as low battery).
2 features that the chip has but are not used in the R-PAL:
- full brightness button, gives the ability to switch to maximum brightness from any brightness level.
- momentary on / off button, when the button is held down, the light turns on. (this feature is better suited towards the use of a switch, or light sensor -as seen on the feature board)
Let me know if you guys find this stuff interesting
LEDAdd1ct
Flashlight Enthusiast
I find it interesting!
