Tear Down: Sofirn K03 (less nice now)

TMW [ too much work :slight_smile: ]

5-10 minutes. And someone here is too lazy :wink:

I wish it didn’t need so much work. Poor driver and a non CREE kinda kills it for me. Although I would pay $10 for an XPG2 and a better driver.

Maybe they will listen.

I changed the second flashlight like this: LED cree xp-g2 r5 4c, driver from convoy.
$2 flashlight, $0.8 led, $1.5 driver. 5 minutes and lot of fun :slight_smile:

Nice looking, very cheap, and if you look closely
That is a geniue cree xpg, not a lattice bright !

It’s not a Cree. (at least, mine wasn’t).

Just wanted to say that the switch in this thing totally sucks.
It has to be replaced.
(ymmv)

:+1:
I put a 4000K Nichia E21AT sm403-D200-M1-R9080 in it with a 30° (i think) pebbled TIR on a single mode boost driver (for CR123A) at around 2.5 Watts (estimate) and it’s just lovely.
I replaced the switch though, because it was horrible…

Where do you guys get the TIR lens?

I used a Ledlink TIR from member kiriba-ru. (i had to reduce the diameter though)
But i have a growing collection of TIRs because i just buy some here and there sometimes so that i usually have something useful in stock.

Thanks, Jerommel. :+1:

huh - re the switch, i thought mine was fairly good

it maybe takes too much travel and pressure to push, but on the whole i liked it

on the other hand, they may vary due to the low price, some good/some bad, can;t tell

wle

Could be, wle.
But i had an identical one (form another light) and it was just as bad. I threw both in the trash…
I put one of these in there in stead:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Flashlight-reverse-switch/1572591646.html
They’re my favourite reverse clicky switches.
I had to file down the corners a little to make them fit, and then i soldered it on a modified 15mm board with a spring.
I also used a better suited switch boot.
So in all more extra work i didn’t anticipate, but i guess that’s the hobby…

ha ha- switch cost almost as much as the whole light…

wle

You get 10 pcs for $2.60 (or something around that amount).

So, i ordered another one and i got it in the mail today.
There’s no more stainless steel bezel, it’s anodized aluminium now…
Bummer huh? :weary:
The glass lens seems to be thicker, it’s very thick, because the alu bezel is less deep…

It did come in a color printed cardboard box this time, matte finish with glossy brand name embossed, but i would have preferred a simple bubble wrap and a SS bezel and no expensive box…

For the rest it’s the same.

Interesting update, thanks and I agree with you.

bait, and switch (sigh)

Hmm… The switch is different from the one i had before.
It seems to be better than the previous one.
That’s an important improvement.
Alas… Still crap…

I’ve stumbled upon this light and this thread recently since I’m searching for a cheap 16340/compact EDC. This is a no-brainer for me. Looks like I’m 2 years late…