sofirn aa lights (sf10/sf12/sf14/etc.)

Anyone know the dimensions length/diameter of the Sofirn SF14?

Not sure why that isn’t shown on their listing, unless I’m not seeing it.

Got my first SP10a in yesterday. My wife now has it (big-time muggle). I got to play with it about an hour before she go it though. It runs pretty good on a AA alkaline (compared to my fancy UR14500P I also tested in it). The double click turbo is COOL… I like that you have to know to double click to get to it— otherwise, it doesn’t come up in rotation (again thinking muggle use here).

I looked at a few of the others above, but with the features, UI and price point of this Sp10(a or b), I’m just going to buy more of them. I donno exactly why, but this UI just feels good timing wise. The lock-out is also a great option for the pocket/bag (love the double flash letting you know it’s locked out). Just a cool UI for the extra few bucks over the other offers IMO. AFAIK, the the 10a and 10b is the same light now-days (except for the color of the host). I am waiting on a BLUE SP10(b) still. :sunglasses:

I did whip out my old set of AA NiMH batteries thinking I’d use them: “2700mah” batteries (from 2010— WOW! they were high capacity back then :stuck_out_tongue: ) Of course they were all DOA (now landfill).

I looked into a few replacement options for AA batteries in NiMH (as I have TWO, four bank battery chargers with nothing to charge now) and didn’t see anything that “wowed” me. Then I saw the “Soshine” AA (in the 14500— with a decent review here at BLF) for about the same price as the “better” NiMH batteries I found. Cool I thought.

Newby question: are the eneloops REALLY worth it for these AA lights? Seems like there are also some very good options from Camelion, etc. (and even the Amazon AAs)… thoughts? — 14500s or (superbadass) NiMHs???

What sayeth the users of (too) many AA lights?

Okay, so you’re confirming that the As and Bs have essentially the same UI.

The reason I liked the A for the gf is threefold.

First, she doesn’t see a need for true firefly mode (you really gotta be in total blackness and be fully-dark-adapted for it to not be completely useless), so it’s a waste to put it into rotation unless it’s actually of value to you.

Second, it’s kinda dangerous, that unless you look at the LED (vs shining at a table, wall, even opposing hand, in any kind of light), you’d think it’s off when it’s actually still on.

Third, “turbo” (ie, just plain high) is quite useful, and doesn’t overheat the light any. So it’s not so great to “hide” it with a doubleclick.

The older A is much better for her because she has L/M/H right there at her fingertips, in rotation, no special clicking necessary.

Now, for me, yeah, I do use firefly, and quite often, so I’m okay with having it in rotation, ie, only F/L/M. But also for me, being that H is quite useful, too, it’s nice to be able to doubleclick to get it whether on or off.

So it depends on the “audience” which UI is better, but it was quite nice to have the choice between A or B in the same light.

Me, I’d be okay with 5/30/150 or a similar range (whether alkaleaks or 14500; more important about the ratio). So moonlight instead of firefly, and low being not so huge a jump. Or maybe 2/10/50/150, something like that, for more “gears”.

Alkaleaks do just that, leak. And they’ll ruin your light the first chance they get. They’re hateful little things.

If you don’t want to spring for eneloops, hie thyself to Ikea and get their LADDA cells. Same innards, just rewrapped under the Ikea banner. ’Though I’m surprised they don’t just give you eneloops and wrappers and make you rewrap them yourself.

According to Amazon

Part Number SF14
Item Weight 1.44 ounces
Product Dimensions 3.8 x 0.7 x 0.8 inches

[quote]
So it depends on the “audience” which UI is better, but it was quite nice to have the choice between A or B in the same light.

[quote]

I THINK the original “A” version is no longer… my (wife’s) BLACK SP10a I got in yesterday DEFINITELY has the new UI with the firefly and hidden turbo. My understand is that they shifted the UI in the rev “B” to this new interface and just called the BLACK host light the “A” and the colored hosts (Blue and Red) the “B” now. But yes… confirmed the new UI in my black SP10A.

If I lived near an Ikea I would drive there tomorrow— but any alternative (online) options are also of interest. —Hey, I live in the middle of “NOWHERE” Kansas. My mailman and I show pictures of our family to each other and know where the best coffee is found (the only coffee in the county).

I will delete the alki-leakers as soon as I find me some good AAs for sure! Good tip!!! :+1:

The SP10A name must have stuck because they had stock after changing the UI, and the colored ones must have started manufacturing after

That is the way I recall reading about it here a while back. So there could be old stock in some other reseller’s stock, but it’s gone now at Sofirn’s outlets. Btw: mine came from Sofirn’s AE store- I like working with Qidong. He lets me switch C8F tails to C8A clicky switches (when I ask him nicely… and am willing to wait even longer to get them). Cool dude anyway.

Thanks, I should have thought to look on amazon.

Was getting frustrated after reading 3 reviews on it here and only one has a measurement, but only the length! (96.1 measured)
Still can’t believe it’s not in the aliexpress listing.

And then of course amazon only lists inches, so I had to convert:

Length: …….96.5 mm
Head: ………20.3 mm
Tail?: ……….17.8 mm (or maybe this is the middle tube?)

Looking more at the SF14, the mode looks great! NO strobe :heart_eyes: , just LMH… hum, might have to get a few of these for my “mugs” (and wife) to use— get my SF10A back!!!

blue sp10b ordered! just for a change after sf10a :slight_smile:

and it’s already on its way to me, woohoo! they were sending it only couple of hours after my order….good job sofirn so far….

In my review I made some measurements and weighting of the SP10A and Sf14: DOUBLE 1 AND ½ "REVIEW": Sofirn SP10A and Sofirn SF14 *[added night / distance shots]

BTW, just ordered a “new” SP10A and a driver for my SP10B host :smiley:

Dang… my wife is going to kill me. Maybe I’ll let her keep that SP10A after-all… since I ordered THREE more today! :sunglasses:

Now I HAVE to go to Ikea- need batteries for all these lights! :person_facepalming:

Can anyone confirm their SP10a or b has short press instant access to firefly now as mine has? Also the Fenix 800mah 14500 protected has worked great in mine. If you live in the US , it ships free from a US warehouse so also comes fast.

Pennzy, that looks like a nice battery, but these Soshines (at $14 shipped) were reviewed well here at BLF and are also shipping within the US. I’ll probably grab a pack of these for my personal stash, and then get a few packs of the Ikea (enloops) for my mugs I’ll be giving some lights to here in a few months.

I just remembered I have a retired mother-in-law who likes to shop and lives nearby an Ikea so I’ll have her pick me up a few packs. She needs something to do (daily) so I’m doing a “good deed” keeping her busy :stuck_out_tongue:

On the SP10A… timing is a little tricky on the memory function. If you hold it off, then hold it on— it comes back to the last setting (except Turbo). But if you turn it off then fast click- it starts at the bottom (on FF). I need to play with it more, and I am wondering if the memory is holding over-night right now. But with both my wife and I playing with it these last few days, I’ve not had enough time to test that suspicion.

I would look into that store before buying . Only 96.6% positive feedback. This ebay seller has been recommended :
http://stores.ebay.com/GenuineCells?\_dmd=1&\_nkw=14500

i have over 60 ikea ladda so far…not all them are for flashlights of course, i am using them among other things for sound recorder which is using 4xAA and all around house…they are one of the main reasons why i am avoiding lion batteries, too much hassle for my taste, do this, don’t do this, take care of this and that, nah…nimh rules :slight_smile:

I received a SP10a from the Sofirn Official Ali Store yesterday and can confirm that new lights seem to have the „new“ firmware with a single shortclick to moonlight mode. :slight_smile:

Thanks. I have 2 , purchased about a month apart . One has this and one doesn’t. One has a true firefly and one has a moonlight.

Of course, IF using a 14500, the FF lumen output on mine goes from 1 to 2 (as all mode levels increase).

Ya, as I am gifting to some family muggles AND I have the surplus NiMH chargers in the hand (and these Ladda’s cost about 1/4 of the better 14500s)… I have to agree on the NiMH as a standard load for gifting to some family. My mom-in-law already has her mission outlined for an Ikea run :wink:

But I will be using the 14500 for my personal AA lights because I like the idea of using one charger for all my lights— a lithium ion multi-sized charger- and call it good enough. So I did order the SoShine 14500 set this am (I’ll report back on them when I get and test them). I did snake my one UR14500P off eBay on an auction (for $2.50 shipped- poor guy didn’t make anything on that sell :cry: ).

it is interesting, but in this exact case there is not much difference between nimh and 145000 with sp10…brightness and beam are almost the same…