UPDATE! "REVIEW" & Mods: Sofirn SP32A [It is now a TRIPLE :D ] (Pic Heavy)

Thanks for your words and reading Splott-Light! :wink:

Well, I’m not sure about this, but it may have something to do with the driver (the channels?) used. Tracy from Sofirn said that their engineer said that the issue on ramping ““may be due to the driver have not debugged to the best condition”. I don’t know what does this mean, but maybe it was some technical issue on the driver, and maybe not extensive to all the units.
Does yours have this?

Hum, the SP35 seemed a solid model… Maybe some heatsink issues, then?
Aside from the SP32A, I only have the SP32 and their smaller lights (SP10A, SP10B, SF14 and a dismantled SF10).
But yes, they are working well and they are asking for some contributions to one of their new models (named K6, you can see in my signature).

If they keep up with this work, quality and good “relationship” with their buyers, I see them working with a BLF team for sure :wink:

BTW, currently I’m using the SP32A in the short + TIR version and I like it a looot :smiley:

Thanks for reading and enjoy your flaslight :sunglasses:

So, I decided to disassemble and mod my SP32A!
I turned it into a triple!

Here are some photos of the original components, and of the mod!

DRIVER

MCPCB

TRIPLE mod

“Pill” – I bought a piece of brass, as I didn’t find copper in the adequate diameter; later it was cut in some pieces, tall enough for the height need for a pill to sit over the in-built shelf. I filled it and made a hole in the middle. The rest you see below :wink:

The MCPCB used is from Jaxman Store and this is the CW XP-G2, and the TIR optics was also from Jaxman.
I soldered new wires to the driver and re-done the spring bypass as the original was not in place anymore.
I added glow-in-the-dark tape all over the fins and other places, including arount the TIR, on the inside :wink:

ORIGINAL > SHORTY > TIR LENS > TRIPLE

:sunglasses: :+1:

Very cool. What is the max run time?

Thanks 264 :wink:
Hum…I can’t tell the runtime as I don’t have ways to measure the battery drain :person_facepalming:
I don’t have DMM or clampmeter (yet) to measure that, I’m sorry! I’ll post it as soon as I get one :+1:

I bought all the XP-L2 Sofirns including the SP31, SP32, SP32A. SP32 had the warmest tint but not red/peach enough compared to my better tinted XPL lights such as the Emisar D4 and BLF A6. The SP31 and SP32A is too cool white for me. The SP32A had the best UI though. I also bought the SF36W, which to me has the best rear clicky I have ever seen but it is too warm. I haven’t found a really good Sofirn that I liked.

Hum, from those lights I only have the SP32 and SP32A, and I totally agree with you on the tint! SP32A is too much Cool White, and the XP-L2 has a big tint shift, with a greenish look!

The SP32 has a better tint, more Neutral to Warm, but still it does not render those colours so good! This is my bedside flashlight with a Convoy diffuser to use it like a “go-to-sleep” light :wink: Used on Moonlight or Low levels it is nice!
About the UI, I prefer the SP32A on the quick access to turbo, though I miss the quick access to (a) moonlight level like the SP32.
Both are solid lights, tough!!

The SF36W I don’t know, but I guess Lightbringer has it and likes it a lot!
I guess they are learning and improving with time! And they are really wanting to “hear” us, their customers, to know what is best to manufacture! I guess in the future we will continue to have better Sofirn lights and still on the budget side! Maybe you’ll find one you really like meanwhile :wink:

Sorry I meant to say SP32A had the best UI not SP32. I edited my post above.

SP31 UI is horrible. You need to untwist it to turn it off. Unless I’m missing something.

Some beamshots after the triple mod!!

I must say that the tint and beam with these LEDs and triple TIR are not the best on close range and white walls. But, at a distance and with other non-whit environments, it has a nice beam and even being CW emitters, they look nice!


Button in tailcap. You miss a button :wink:

Great review, thanks for posting plus all the tips and mods, I really learned a lot from this, I especially like how the convoy 350 tube fits. I’m planning to order one of these.

In the beam shots above it appears the tint is more neutral with the TIR, (at least it doesn’t appear to have the bluish tint shift in the spill anymore) Are you seeing that improvement in reality or is it just the camera playing tricks?

Also what is the degrees of TIR you used and where did you get it? Please post a link if possible. Thanks.

Thanks for reading beam0!!
Yup, with that lens the tint indeed tended to more NW, there wasn’t “greenish” tint shift and it didn’t look, indeed, so CW.
The camera picked it but in reality was even better! The cellphone tends to distort the reality a little bit!

Unfortunately I am not able to post a link for that lens because it was from another flashlight I have, so I borrowed it! About the degrees, I can only say that it was a bit narrow (making the hotspot more dense), despite the spill was pretty nice and with a good amount of light!! I’m not sure if I’ve seen those for sale, but I’ll check it and let you know if I find it :wink:

Thanks, I’m curious what flashlight was the TIR from? (if it was the stock lens it came with?)

Also do you happen to recall the size of it? Height & Dia.(If you measured it)

:+1:

OMG you are right! I just took a look at their Aliexpress webpage and realize it’s supposed to have a button in the tail cap. The one they sent me didn’t have a tail cap button. No wonder I can’t turn it off! I bought mine from Amazon.com

Well, this was the light from where I took the TIR lens :wink:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Stainless-Shell-300Lm-CREE-Q5-LED-Torch-Light-LED-Flashlight-For-Sporting-Camping-Hiking-free-shipping/1387052485.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.BChkAl

It is a Stainless Steel (3xAAA / 18650) light, and I modded it with a brass pill, biscotti driver and a Convoy S2+ reflector and lens. I had to dismantle it later but will put it to work again soon!

About the TIR, please check this thread, as I experimented XML2 LED with TIR lenses and that was the first one: Essays with TIR lenses on Convoy S2+: XML2 + XPL-HI [Update] .
I also tried it with XPL-HI here: Essays with TIR lenses on Convoy S2+: XML2 + XPL-HI [Update] - #15 by MascaratumB . Also the first one.

Hope this helps in some way :wink:

My SP32A didn’t have any green but was too cool white for me. It had a tiny bit of blue. However, having the super efficient XP-L2 V6 bin emitter is impressive for a low cost light and it is very bright. It also has the best one button UI besides the Emisar D4 that I have used. I think the only thing missing from the D4 is the hold from off to go to moon light. If they have a more neutral/warm tint option, I will buy another one.

Edit: I contacted Sofirn through Amazon and they let me know that I accidentally swapped the the SP31 tailcap with the button onto the SP32A. Oops my bad =( …… But it actually worked great on the SP32A, which already had one of the best single button UI. The SP31 with the right tail cap is actually an extremely user friendly two switch flashlight. Sofirn was also very nice to ship me a replacement tail cap eventhough it was my mistake.

Yes this really helps, thanks for the link to the TIR thread, that’s an interesting thread, that optic from the SS light measures like the ones for S2+, guess I’ll have to just try some different ones too.

And thanks for the link to the SS light,Yupard has a lot of interesting budget lights.

Hi. MascaratumB,
I have now modded mine with a TIR under the glass and an extra O-Ring.
Did a Great Job of blending the awful colours, and diffusing the Hot Spot.
Thanks for the Hints and Tips, we all learn something new from each other on BLF.
Ordered 2 more as on special at Ali Xp.
Cheers,
S-L :slight_smile:

Hi Splott-Light :wink:
Glad these experiences helped you on your mod as well :wink: Indeed, the stock “beam” is kind of :confounded: but the TIR allows it to get better! If I didn’t have the idea of the triple mod, I would have stayed with the TIR instead of the reflector.
It was too much “greenish”!!

If I may ask, what TIR did you use? I used one from another light and it fit perfectly (without the gasket). Did you use TIR + gasket?

If you can tell or show what you used that would be great as other members may benefit from that as well :wink:

Thanks again :sunglasses: