[review] Sofirn SP32A v2

Using my “shine light thru small portable fan blade” method, I do not detect PWM on the SP32A v2.0 (using this method, the SP32A v1 shows PWM on any mode other than Turbo). So no detectable PWM whether in the groups mode or the ramping mode. I wished the lowest brightness would be around 1 (or 2) lumens. As for now, 5 lumens seems a bit bright to qualify as “Moon”. The SP32A v1, in ramping mode, has probably 1-2 lumens in lowest brightness.

Ramping speed: compared to v1 (new batch), it seems the SP32A (newer batch “v1.1”) ramps slightly faster from low to high (about 3.5-4 seconds). The SP32A v2.0 ramp speed seems to be about 4.5-5.0seconds from low-to-high, at least on the unit I got.

Got my lights yesterday…. champagne and silver colour.

my champagne colour had a mark :confounded:

havent play around much but if the ramping is more than 4 seconds then it’s slow for my taste. Im so use to ramping 3 seconds Narsil firmware.

It’s a nice light and i love it for the price.

Does the v1.1 have the pause in the middle?

Yeah, I counted to “5 chimpanzee” for the v2, so that sounds about right.

Yes the v1 old & new batch have the very short pause in the middle.

I made videos before showing the ramping behavior, though I don’t think my camera was able to capture the very short pause in the middle.

SP32A v1 old batch

SP32A v1 new batch

One more nicety, it’s rated up to 6V, not just 4.2V. So the pair of CR123As I got with a NexTorch? It’d take forever to burn ’em off in my Jet-II, which is my “emergency/backup light” in my bag, so I just fed them to my v2, and it works beautifully. Tres kewl! (That’s French…)

This is one nice puppy!

so they change the driver from DD driver to Buck driver, interesting

Mine has made it through the ISC and is supposed to be delivered Monday, at least if the USPS doesn’t put it in the wrong bin and send it 100 miles in the wrong direction like my last package from Asia.

Good to know about the voltage range; maybe I can finally replace the 2D Mag in the car that succumbed to alkaleak damage.

Got my SP32a v2.0 today, i like Sofirn lights but this is for me a big step back compared to my v1.
Ugly beam shot (two dark rings), greenish tint and, very sad, glued Head… :frowning:

Bad tint from XPL2? Expected.

Glued head? Wut?

Yes, bezel is glued, ordered a Pale Gold, attempted to remove it but no luck.
The Bezel of the v1 go off easy with to fingers.

I received a pale gold example a couple days ago.

It can be disassembled to the same extent as the black example pictured in post #4 above.

If they are being glued, it’s either being done inconsistently, or part of a running change.

I’ve also seen mention that some examples were packaged with the instructions for v1; mine has the proper insert for v2.

I just got my 2 PG v2s today, pretty nice! I’m not sure how to describe the color, but PG wouldn’t be it. Maybe pewter? ’Though pix I’ve seen of pewter vary from plain silver to a light-brownish-silver like this. Definitely different, never saw a light in this color. :smiley:

Looks like someone used the package as a wheel-chock for the forklifts at the docks, as the sides were kinda crushed, but the lights inside were perfect. Nice packaging! :smiley:

Anyhoo, of course I tried ’em to make sure they didn’t suffer any internal bleeding, and they worked fine. Whew!

Worked just like my black one, didn’t see if the heads were glued or not.

Only thing that’s “different” is that on one of them, the sideswitch button sticks up a bit higher, and has a “pre-press” that does nothing. Compress it down to the “pre-press” height, and it’s exactly like the other switches. Then pressing it further acts as expected. Hmm, dunno if a retainer is loose or something, just hope it doesn’t fall out! :open_mouth:

But woohoo, it’s a sharp-looking light. :smiley:

It’s an interesting color, isn’t it? Hard to describe and changes with the lighting more than most. Too much brown to be pewter or copper.

Certainly not the off-silver/champagne I was expecting, but it still looks good.

I’d like to see it and the Convoy desert sand side by side.

Exactly, the color seems to change drastically based on ambient light. Indoors it’s one color, under office fluorescents it’s another, in sunlight it’s yet another. Pretty kewl. :smiley:

We got these 4500K LED panels to replace the hideous fluorescents, but dunno the CRI. Looks almost olive-drab or khaki. :smiley:

same as the LED basically :slight_smile:

Well, tried it just with a rubber strap wrench, but Bezel just ignores me… :stuck_out_tongue:

So, fixing the light is not possible without further effort and risk of damaging the finish.

What do the series of tiny characters below the “Hot” symbol say?

I’m curious as to whether they represent a serial number or production date, and could help explain why my PG isn’t glued, but apparently yours is.

I always assumed it said “bacon”, but it’s “SF18G41” or something.

Mmmm…hot bacon.

Mine says the same. I took a closer look, and not a speck of glue on the head threads.

Marking under Heatsymbol is same here SF18G41.

Last Weekend i realised that the driver has no retaining Ring and is also glued into the Head. I have taken a picture of v1 and v2 of the light where can see the glue in the new Version but here are only external Picture Hoster possible and i have not such an account.

Thats more than disappointing from Sofirn… :rage: