[Mini-Review] SP36S. Sofirn makes us a deal I can’t refuse

Removing the lens does not require any skills, just remove the bezel.

I had the same problem, after cleaning i still have a spot on the glass

What is the max amp draw for those 3000mah 18650's?

I thought 30Q's were best.

I am considering getting an S to swap with the original (non-BLF) SP36 I gave my dad.

Yokiaimy,
I assume that’s the smooth part in front of the heatsink/switch.
I twisted about as hard as I could.
Nothing moved for me.
Did you find any glue inside?

Fluke
I can’t find a draw rating listed anywhere for the Sofirn cells.
Even if they are relatively wimpy and can only put out say 3.5 amps each. The 3 in parallel would be capable of 10.5 amps.
I suspect Sofirn wouldn’t ship batteries with a light that could not support it well.

The Sofirn cells tested better than the mAh rating which I find encouraging. I’ve had no name light with batteries that test worse than laptop pulls from XP era laptops.

The 30Qs are indeed excellent batteries.
A standard 30Q won’t work in the SP36. The battery contacts require a button top cell.
To use flat top cell a solder blob will need to be added. Or a button top extension added by a reseller.

Magnet spacers are not safe as the cell tops drag against the brass ring when the tube is screwed in.

In these type of lights I like to use Sanyo GA cells. The GAs have a flat top that protrudes slightly and make good contact with the ring. The Sayno GA is a 3400mAh cell.

I also forgot to mention that the threads and O-ring were well lubed out of the box.
All the Best,
Jeff

If you’re going to be hotrodding a light, I’d look at the 30Q. If you’re going to run it stock, I like the no-additional-parts-needed aspect of the GAs too.

(…and as Jeff said, NO MAGNETS in lights with rotary contacts!)

Hi Jeff

The head should not be glued, it might be hard because of the rubber O ring below the bezel, just apply more force.

Hi Yokiamy,
Could you post a picture of the SP36 with the bezel removed?
Maybe that would give me a better idea of what I need to do to get it off.
Thanks, All the Best,
Jeff

This is how I removed the Lumintop GT mini hoping it would be helpful to you.

Thanks for the informative video.

What soldering iron is that?
It looks interesting and slim to fit in tight spots.
All the Best,
Jeff

Hi Jeff

Check THIS link

It might be that this review is already posted on BLF in English (i believe this is Russian or so) but the pictures will give an idea

I can spin the bezel off an SP36 and post some pics - but I’ll have to wait till tonight to do it.
basically, the top half to three quarters of an inch of the head spins down onto the lower portion of the head. The one I took apart required a rather good grip. You might want to try a rubber strap wrench or one of those jar lid opening grip pads to help.

amishbill
Thanks for the offer. No need to grab some shots.
Yokiami’s post pointed me to a sight that has the light broken down.
Thank you Yokiami.

I must say that Russian review is the first I’ve ever see with X-Rays as part of the review!

Thanks for the help both of you.
All the Best,
Jeff

FYI - Once you get the bezel off, don’t get feisty with the reflector. It’s screwed into the body from inside the driver cavity.

Good to know!
All the Best,
Jeff

That’s also one thing I often notice on several Sofirn flashlights (I’ve had quite a number of Sofirn flashlights now).

Many times, the glass arrives with a misty glass lens (inside). I would need to take off the bezel and then the lens and clean with a cloth for glass. Afterwards it’s clearer. In a few Sofirn lights, the reflector is also ‘slightly misty’ — those I don’t think I would be able to clean up though since reflectors are very sensitive. I’m not very sure but maybe Sofirn’s stockroom has high humidity which causes the inside to have those ‘mist’ / humidity?

Someone was asking what batteries are the Sofirn 3000mAh 18650s. In another thread here, someone unwrapped the Sofirn wrapper and found that they use the DLG (H) ‘3200mAh’ 18650 internally. These are China-made 18650s that seem to be acceptably good. I’ve purchased a few DLG (H) 18650s (supposedly ‘3200mAh’ rating) and they test around 3050-3100mAh usually, when I test in the MC3000. I’m not very sure of their discharge rating, but some sources indicate a 10A rating (using AC IR test of YR1030 resistance meter, I’m measuring from around 28-30mOhms AC 1khz IR)

This is my soldering iron. It is not really good for this job. You must have a lot of experience to be able to use it.

Picked up one for the wife, she really like the USB-C port. Claims her flashlight recharges just like my phone!

Here are some measurements of the SP36 and SP36S that I bought during the 11/11/19 sale, taken with the Texas Ace lumen tube calibrated with Maukka lights:

Sofirn SP36 Turbo, 5172 lumens, 7103K, DUV –0.0142, CRI 74.9, R9 19.9, R12 51, Rf 64, Rg 102, Sony VTC6
Sofirn SP36 Turbo, 5094 lumens, Sanyo NCR18650GA
Sofirn SP36S Turbo, 4008 lumens, 5745K, DUV 0.0002, CRI 91.5, R9 54.9, R12 76.3, Rf 89, Rg101, Sony VTC6

SKV89,
Interesting to see the color and CRI differences. I’m not a fan of cool lights. Glad I went with the Samsung LEDs.

I finally got the front bezel off. Man that sucker was on there tight. I had to use a strap wrench.
Used some Windex to get the smut off the inside.
A bit more has appeared after using it a bit. But it’s still way clearer than when I got it.
All the Best,
Jeff