Sofirn SP10B - Anyone?

[k-wong]

@phsinvent

I like the shorter turn on time but I feel this light will become too complicated to give as a gift light. Grandma will have no clue what i’m talking about when i try to explain all these special clicks. Starting on low sounds like a very bad idea. We have always liked last mode memory and now we have to do special clicks to find turbo? Why not make it with turbo that isn’t hidden. And now you want to throw in a .3 second hold for last mode memory? Sounds like we are on our way to ruining a good light and making it way too complicated for gifting. I’m ok with a 4 click lock out.

Thanks for the input but I’d have to disagree that this UI is complicated (and no, I’m not affiliated with Sofirn or any manufacturer). It’s actually simpler and easier to operate for most people while still retaining the some “enthusiast” functionality. You can’t satisfy everyone but one of the main goals for this UI is for ease of use for the general public. That means, one click and it goes on. Keep clicking to go brighter and last mode is OFF (I don’t have this to confirm but that’s what I’ve been told). It can’t get any easier than that without having to train a person! You may also hold 0.3 seconds to turn off so there’s 2 methods to off as far as I understand.

The reason why there is no turbo in the normal cycle is so grandma or a young child doesn’t burn themselves if left on at the highest mode as the driver does not have temperature regulation (and I wouldn’t expect it to on a $13 torch). I could go either way, leaving it in or out personally, but I understand this way is safer in general. It would be nice to have another group mode so you can have the option to include turbo/max as part of the main cycle and use this default mode for muggles.

With the newer UI we’ve suggested, from OFF you can have easy access to all 3 of:

- always start on lowest mode from a single click (so you don’t have to remember the exact mode you were on in the middle of the night or camping in pitch black thus blowing out your night vision; surely my own grandma would not remember)

- last mode used with 0.3 second hold

• turbo with a double click

This method has been tried and trued (aside from double click for turbo) with the Utorch UT01 and Manker E11 as a direct comparison. Although this way might sound more complicated written out with all its functionalities, I’ve watched my young child operate quite a few of my flashlights and this style is the easiest for him to use (on the Utorch UT01) for multi-mode lights. There’s no twisting, no double clicking, half presses (which is more difficult than you would think for many people), or holding the button. It’s just click once for on and keep clicking to make it brighter. The only thing my he doesn’t remember to do on the UT01 is to hold the button to turn OFF so he just leaves it on whatever mode and tosses it aside. The SP10B will not have this issue since OFF is part of the mode cycle as far as I know.

Because of the new UI and compatibility with AA, NimH or 14500, I think it’s one of the most budget & gift friendly lights available.

[MascaratumB]

@k-wong

[…]That means, one click and it goes on. Keep clicking to go brighter and last mode is OFF (I don’t have this to confirm but that’s what I’ve been told). It can’t get any easier than that without having to train a person! You may also hold 0.3 seconds to turn off so there’s 2 methods to off as far as I understand. […]

Hum, probably the “OFF” is the option of turning it OFF after cycling some times through the regular modes, right?
Like this:
OFF > (single click) ON > (single click or hold to advance the modes) ML > L > M > ML > L > … >… > (press 0.3 secs) OFF

For me, this would make sense, as we can adjust the brightness mode wanted/needed, and only when wanted/needed we would turn it OFF.

Going OFF just from cycling 1 time from MoonLight to Medium doesn’t make much sense, I confess. That would cut the possibility to adjust the brightness mode needed/wanted, and it would probably imply making a more complex driver to have 2 ways to shut it OFF.

Having only a way to shut it OFF (press and hold 0.3 seconds), from any “regular” or “special” mode, seems to be the more doable and interesting option! But again, this is me

[k-wong]

@MascaratumB

Hum, probably the “OFF” is the option of turning it OFF after cycling some times through the regular modes, right?
Like this:
OFF > (single click) ON > (single click or hold to advance the modes) ML > L > M > ML > L > … >… > (press 0.3 secs) OFF

For me, this would make sense, as we can adjust the brightness mode wanted/needed, and only when wanted/needed we would turn it OFF.

Going OFF just from cycling 1 time from MoonLight to Medium doesn’t make much sense, I confess. That would cut the possibility to adjust the brightness mode needed/wanted, and it would probably imply making a more complex driver to have 2 ways to shut it OFF.

Having only a way to shut it OFF (press and hold 0.3 seconds), from any “regular” or “special” mode, seems to be the more doable and interesting option! But again, this is me

Since the UI is more tailored as gift option and ease of use for all ages, they’ve included OFF as part of the main cycle and this requires no training for anyone to use. That’s the reason I’m interested in this for my child (who struggled with turning the UT01 off as I said earlier) and my grandma personally. And if you want to turn it off right away, you can still hold 0.3 seconds to turn off on any mode.

Before I first tried it, I thought having Off as part of the cycle was strange but this is the same method on my Nitecore NU20 headlamp and it’s very usable since there are so few modes (and even easier to use than the Nitecore TIP). The main differences are 1.) the hidden turbo is done on the nitecore by holding the button down and 2.) they call the modes [low, mid, high, turbo] instead of the [moonlight, low, medium, high] on the Sofirn. So if turbo is hidden with a double click it would make more sense to call the modes [moonlight, low, high, turbo] but it’s just semantics.

Ideally, there should be a way to take out the OFF mode within the cycle as in a separate mode grouping but I’m not sure if they can or want to do that.

I’m also curious why they decided to leave turbo out of the cycle. I understand the main reason is to prevent overheating and that should remain a priority for this format, but the SP10A had a 3 minute stepdown so I wonder if there’s another reason for the change.

[phsinvent]

I think they left turbo out of the cycle because someone here convinced them to do it.

I like the instant turn on or shorter delay .3 sec. and hidden turbo plus clicks to lock out. I’m a little skeptical of removing the mode memory though. I just worry that once Sofirn makes the driver changes, they won’t make any changes again if the light becomes annoying to operate. There was a lot of issues with the first batch of SP10A. The resistance of the electronic switch spring caused the light to not operate when nimh or aa batteries still had more juice left in them. The went to a new type of electronic switch button but it killed the feel of the side button and it gave the light lower output. I tried to convince them to alter the driver and go back to the original good click side button. They said they have changed the driver so shall see how it performs now. I kept trying to get them to use a berrylium copper tail spring because I saw even better output with a spring bypass.

[MascaratumB]

@k-wong

Since the UI is more tailored as gift option and ease of use for all ages, they’ve included OFF as part of the main cycle and this requires no training for anyone to use.

Hum, I got your point about that! For me it may be a deal breaker, though, as I would prefer to get the OFF just when I want, outside the regular cycle! Being a “gift option”, that changes things and understand it. However, it reminds me some of those 3 mode cheap zoomie lights/headlights that are High-Low-Strobe > OFF.
No complaints here, I understand the point!

@k-wong

Ideally, there should be a way to take out the OFF mode within the cycle as in a separate mode grouping but I’m not sure if they can or want to do that.

I would agree more with this, in the sequence of what I said above! Having the option to keep on cycling through the modes is more my kind of preference. Maybe we must wait on this resolution

@k-wong

I’m also curious why they decided to leave turbo out of the cycle. I understand the main reason is to prevent overheating and that should remain a priority for this format, but the SP10A had a 3 minute stepdown so I wonder if there’s another reason for the change.

You got a point here! Having turbo on the regular modes could be nice as there is that stepdown, but having a shortcut from ON or OFF to turbo is a big plus for me on this light! So, both things could be doable and nice

On thing I miss on the Manker E11, my first AA/14500 light, and one I like very much, was the non-existence of a shortcut to Turbo / Highest mode, from ON or OFF. Yes, we can say that a long press from OFF can take us to the last used mode, and that we can turn OFF the light on the highest setting, but it is not the same thing.

This SP10B covers that access to turbo from ON or OFF (as far as I perceived), despite that mode is not on the “regular cycle”!

@phsinvent

I think they left turbo out of the cycle because someone here convinced them to do it.

Ahahah, evil people :smiling_imp: I’m ok with this option, despite what I mentioned above

@phsinvent

There was a lot of issues with the first batch of SP10A. The resistance of the electronic switch spring caused the light to not operate when nimh or aa batteries still had more juice left in them. The went to a new type of electronic switch button but it killed the feel of the side button and it gave the light lower output. I tried to convince them to alter the driver and go back to the original good click side button. They said they have changed the driver so shall see how it performs now. I kept trying to get them to use a berrylium copper tail spring because I saw even better output with a spring bypass.

I couldn’t feel well the taste of the SP10A, as I damaged the driver with (un)soldering to dismantle it for the review :person_facepalming: But the side switch seems to be smooth and silent. I just turned it ON once to feel how it worked, couldn’t see well the output!

I guess this will take some time for them to decide, right? Please keep posting updates when you get news from Sofirn. Meanwhile I’ll decide if I’ll get a SP10B the way it is or not :person_facepalming:

[AgentSteel]

There was a lot of issues with the first batch of SP10A. The resistance of the electronic switch spring caused the light to not operate when nimh or aa batteries still had more juice left in them.

Yes, I have noticed this behaviour in my SP10A (Eneloops inside), light wouldn’t switch on, yet the batteries would be ~1.2V still. So be sure to carry a spare battery with this light

[MascaratumB]

@AgentSteel

There was a lot of issues with the first batch of SP10A. The resistance of the electronic switch spring caused the light to not operate when nimh or aa batteries still had more juice left in them.

Yes, I have noticed this behaviour in my SP10A (Eneloops inside), light wouldn’t switch on, yet the batteries would be ~1.2V still. So be sure to carry a spare battery with this light

Eheh, I hope they solve that issue on the SP10B :student:
Either SP10A or B, I’ll use then within 14500 cells, but it would be “good” (meaning, correct it!!) to have it working for the AA cells. :+1:

[Sprinkles]

Does anyone else have this problem? When I go to the official as SOFRIN official store and add the SP 10B to my cart then try to pay, it tells me I can’t order.

[Lightbringer]

@Sprinkles

Does anyone else have this problem? When I go to the official as SOFRIN official store and add the SP 10B to my cart then try to pay, it tells me I can’t order.

Didn’t try the ’10B, but the warm-white SF31s worked fine.

[MascaratumB]

@Sprinkles

Does anyone else have this problem? When I go to the official as SOFRIN official store and add the SP 10B to my cart then try to pay, it tells me I can’t order.

I have it on my cart an so far there is no problem, the product is available, so there is nothing “wrong” so far !
Can it be any problem related to your card or the way payment method you want to use?

[Sprinkles]

Take a look at the image of my cart. There are multiple listings for the SP10B, but not all of them are from the official Sofirn store. Notice that the three that are unavailable are from “Sofirn Official Store” and the one that I can actually order is from another vendor.

Forgive the crappy editing :innocent:

[MascaratumB]

@Sprinkles

Take a look at the image of my cart. There are multiple listings for the SP10B, but not all of them are from the official Sofirn store. Notice that the three that are unavailable are from “Sofirn Official Store” and the one that I can actually order is from another vendor.

Forgive the crappy editing :innocent:

That’s really weird! I’m seeing my cart and the only thing that appears on mine (from Sofirn Official Store) is “Limited quantity available”.
If you put another flashlight, or charger,… , does the same message appear?
Try to refresh the browser, I can’t see what may be going on… Unless it is something “country related” (like when Amazon does not ship an item to a country).

[Pete7874]

@Sprinkles

Does anyone else have this problem? When I go to the official as SOFRIN official store and add the SP 10B to my cart then try to pay, it tells me I can’t order.

I just checked. I don’t have this problem.

[Sprinkles]

This is so weird. I tried adding other lights from their store, and it won’t let me buy any of them. It just gives me the same message that the seller has either discontinued selling them for they are out of stock.

[Jackie]

@Sprinkles

Does anyone else have this problem? When I go to the official as SOFRIN official store and add the SP 10B to my cart then try to pay, it tells me I can’t order.

maybe you are in the black list of this store, contact with seller unlock your account

[Jackie]

Something news got from sofirn official store, the first update version bunch will be on sale in about 20th, Nov, and Red and blue ones will be for sale in 11.11…

[Persechini]

@Jackie

@Sprinkles

Does anyone else have this problem? When I go to the official as SOFRIN official store and add the SP 10B to my cart then try to pay, it tells me I can’t order.

maybe you are in the black list of this store, contact with seller unlock your account

I had the same problem, and last time I interacted I left a pretty negative review of the Sofirn SF10 and SF14… O_o

[Sprinkles]

Well, I had given a mediocre review on something, and they apparently blocked me from making any further purchases. I contacted them and asked them to remove me from their block list, and they did. I am a little bit annoyed because I feel like that is a poor practice. I left honest feedback, and just because it wasn’t five stars, I got punished. I know Ali express sellers strive for higher ratings, but it is unfortunate to see a vendor that is advertising here engage in those kinds of practices. Make a good product, and it will speak for itself.

[Jackie]

@Sprinkles

Well, I had given a mediocre review on something, and they apparently blocked me from making any further purchases. I contacted them and asked them to remove me from their block list, and they did. I am a little bit annoyed because I feel like that is a poor practice. I left honest feedback, and just because it wasn’t five stars, I got punished. I know Ali express sellers strive for higher ratings, but it is unfortunate to see a vendor that is advertising here engage in those kinds of practices. Make a good product, and it will speak for itself.

Yeah it is true~ then you just forget this shop and buy from other sellers, there are thousands of stores in Aliexpress… Im always contact with seller before leave a review. without any talking, a one star negative feedback will make sellers upset also. If something just a very small defective. Think of each other’s point of view…Sometimes I was unlucky received useless bad products from Aliexpress, finally we solved it awesome after talking with seller.

[Pete7874]

Does anyone know if the SP10B tube is reversible?

Hard to tell from the pics…