It only takes an appropriate centering ring (Hoop is gonna make some of them for several flashlights soon…I can’t wait to get them) and a current-limited driver that makes sure the LED will not get more than 4.5 - 5.5 amps (e.g. Neven’s LD-A4 driver). :heart_eyes:
Hold on people, Sofirn takes things slowly ,at least that’s what it seems. I believe,the right thing for sofirn to asure sales is to check out the interest of the details on3 the3 customers ,like : wich one3 would you choose first : orange peel or3 smooth etc.,not to many makers do such thing,and in a tight market that so many manufacture nice budget flashlights,might be a good option to start in blf,as so many other reviews would come out for a good quality flashlight.
USB type c charger included : yes or not necesarily?
You will only gain about 200 lumen on turbo. Less at lower levels. Plus you will lose throw distance. I don’t think it’s worth the change. It’s probably better to keep the 50.2 and just change the color temp.
Would it make sense to collect the ideas and summarize/list them somehow (e.g. spread sheet) in the OP, so Barry, Tracy, Adelina or anyone else at Sofirn would have a convenient overview of our wishes?
Good ideas except I like the UI on the C8F 21700 much better than on the C8F 18650. Click and hold to turn off is just not intuitive.
I really don’t like the timed step downs that Sofirn is using on all of their recent flashlights especially considering they are using active temperature control now.
Sofirn needs more finning on their flashlights. Sofirn flashlights have too little fins for heat shedding. Need more surface to sustain higher outputs. Redesign the C8F with more fins!
Sofirn Q8 with 4x XHP50.2 makes more sense. For 3x XHP70.2, there already exist the Haikelite MT03 TA with excellent UI, output, and is one of the best flashlight host in the size range (heavy thermal mass and abundant fins).
What lag in Sofirn line up are real thrower the best they have is C8T with +/-100 KCD so I suggest
- Single 21700 with 55-60 mm. head + XPL Hi for +180 KCD or
- Single 26650 with 65-70 mm. head + XHP35 for +250 KCD/+2000 L
- SP70 SMO + XHP35 for +600 KCD/+2300 L
With the 2 switch (forward tail and light side SW) as C8F 21700 but add locator function in the side SW, omit USB charge to keep the cost low and risk of leak.
I like the idea of a smaller-sized 18650 light. Something along the lines of a Zebralight or Emisar D4 would be great. Doesn’t have to be a pocket rocket either.
A higher-powered Q8 (as mentioned above) would be great too. a quad of XHP50.2 emitters in NW would be fantastic! Lots of battery life, reasonable heat-shedding capability and a great deal of power! I recall someone mentioning this mod early on in the enormous Q8 thread and it stuck with me all this time. I wonder how difficult it would be to have a small run of a light like this?
And a new driver, and a new battery tube, and limited power/cost, etc.
@Barry, the one thing you could do is using tint mixing.
Using emitters like the LH351D 3000k and 5000k, like in the BLF lantern!, you could pull off a very very nice beam, that even BLF members will love, with very good color rendition.
As said in the post above though, do you think it would be possible for the “new” Q8 to have the same LEDs as the BLF Lantern, so LH351D 3000k and 5000k 90CRI?
Not only would it make production easier, but tint mixing LEDs like the LH351D 3000k and 5000k would make for an amazing 4000k beam, that even BLF members will like since it will result in a light with a pinky tint instead of greeny tint
We love the SST-20-W 95CRI. The 4000k currently sold on Kaidomain is the FB4 bin, which is far above the BBL so greenish. Fireflies is using the FA3 bin in the ROT66 and that was reported to have some slight green and requires minus green filter to perfect. If Sofirn can source the FA1, FA4, FD1, FD4, it should give the Nichia 9080 appearance but with better performance vs 219B. The SST-20-W 95CRI 3000k sold at Kaidomain is the HD2 tint bin and is perfect for WW.
If you go with the Samsung LH351D 90CRI, make sure you get the T1, T2, T3, or T4 bin because anything tint bins above has green tint. The groupbuys were T6 and T7 bins that were supposed to be at or below the BBL but in reality, they are all much above the BBL resulting in the yellow/green tint.
I would love to see the SF10 with a 5000K Nichia or Samsung emitter. Three special BLF editions, copper, brass, stainless and titanium. With a screwed on deep carry clip. I would buy a few of each.