Only the 18350 tube length and usb port cover have been addressed… and apparently you still need some of the shortest cells. The UI is still the same and very annoying to say the least.
Unless you really want usb charging you should check the TK’s Emisar D4 review thread - that’s what the S42 should have been:
+1
only if you need charging.
I would recommend a S41 or a D4.
S42:
- optic should be 0.8mm nearer to the LED
- 18650 tube can’t handle protected ones
- the UI is bad
- tends to to start in my pocket, even locked out. A long press to reset lock out and a second long press to start in turbo. m(
but the LEDs are nice
really sad,that emisar is not usb recheargable…it could be really the best…
If you really need charging on the go, buy this:
Tested by HKJ here:
…or a Liitokala Lii100
It’s always on sale somewhere and can be used as a power bank too.
The D4’s lack of built-in charger is probably a feature. Built-in charging is generally a way to make lights more accessible to the general public who don’t already have (or want) separate batteries and chargers. However, a hotrod light probably shouldn’t be very accessible to muggles.
It makes more sense for lights with much lower output, like the Olight S20R.
By including a charge port, the S42 and E14 II seem to be a little confused about who they’re designed for.
i mean,chargers and lion are still business…but too many people dont like charging,buying special cells…….its very comfortable to get one cable and recharge so easy your flashlight…meybe future design…
It’s common in many industries that the “all in one” products are intended for people who aren’t very serious about it. These are great for people who want to stick their toe in the water without a huge commitment. Beyond that entry-level stuff, the industry’s products tend to specialize in whatever specific feature they are designed for, and it may take multiple different products to create a complete solution.
For example, I could go to a local mega-mart and get a cheap Casio keyboard which has everything I need to create simple songs. But if I want to do more complex higher-quality songs I’d need several more-expensive tools which work together to create the specific types of songs I want to make. There might perhaps be a MIDI keyboard which makes no sound, a standalone synthesizer module which makes sound but has no keys, a drum machine which only makes rhythms, a specialized recording device to capture the audio from other parts, and some sort of multitrack sound-editing software to arrange the pieces together into a song.
To a casual musician, it may seem strange that people sell synthesizer modules for thousands of dollars which can’t even produce sound without hooking up an external keyboard. However, a professional musician will often feel exactly the opposite, avoiding products which have keys built in because the keys are an unwanted feature which adds extra cost and complexity and takes extra space.
i think,the flashlight world reached really maximum.who knows.so,maybe another good point for better sales will be adding the usb rech.ports…
but i dont trust to the cheap ones yet…
So Banggood told me to make sure everything was tight and to use only flat top u/p cells. I’ve bought some more (getting pricey this bargain torch……) and it still doesn’t work. I can smell a PP dispute if they don’t get their act in gear. Wish I’d got a D4….
Has anyone done a post mortem autopsy “lessons learned” on this deal, looking into how it slipped into the disaster category?
It’d be a fascinating study to compare this, the BLF348, and the Cometa to the successful flashlight-design-and-build stories.
What kind of things go wrong, where, when, with whom?
Er, what happened with the BLF-348? Wasn’t that one so successful that it came back for three group buys?
I saw mention that the 3rd batch of the BLF348 has come with cheaper (greener) emitters and poor threads, but that’s hearsay.
I tried to use the S42 last night and ran into about every possible trap the UI offers. I forgot you had to be on the second mode from moon to long press for off and blasted myself with turbo. I managed to switch mode groups with a double click. And i also found myself in disco hell while trying to turn off from turbo… Too many ways to go wrong. This light is a disaster and i don’t think i’ll ever try to use it again. :person_facepalming: 
I have a Emisar D4 on the way: :partying_face:
+1……………
I did that at work, thank goodness I was alone (I checked LOL). That and a few other of my personal work requirements takes the S42 down a notch.
The problem is S42 has 90cri version of 219c but D4 has 83cri version of 219c if I am not wrong.
Yes thats right the S42 was tested with CRI 90.
On paper the lamp is nice but when I want to use it it’s like a blunt knife it doesn’t cut anything. The UI is wrong and nerve-racking slow.
A long press to off is 2 seconds.
I carried it two days and it started in turbo in my pocket.
One way to avoid this is to set it to 4 modes. And then lock out.
And on the shelf the high CRI is pretty useless.
Not sure about that… Do you have a link to a review or test?