To summarize:
Plan A: the 1000 pieces minimum order for a special Yuji Fenix E01 is a goal that will be difficult to meet, and would probably take a very long time to generate enough interest.
Plan B: a Sofirn made E01 clone with Yuji led, in both 3200K and 5600K version, and with potted electronics for 6 USD would be amazing. And certainly something I would be very interested in.
Personally I think the Sofirn proposal Djozz wrote about is fantastic news.
I myself am interested in the specific combination of a light with the following features:
- 5mm high CRI Yuji led
- potted driver
- AAA battery
- “twisty” light
low price
Personally, I do not really care if it Fenix or Sofirn is the manufacturer.
This also means that I think it is probably best to close this specific Fenix E01 thread, and open a new Sofirn one.
At least I personally do not see a future in trying to gather a 1000 orders for a special edition E01.
Also I think it is best if the new BLF thread for a Sofirn 5mm high CRI flashligh is coordinated by a team, instead of a single person.
And if we could use some kind of Google Forms solution where people can express their interest through an online form.
So who is willing to actively help with setting up a new BLF thread with the specific focus of creating the best possible AAA twisty bombproof high CRI 5mm led flashlight that will be produced by Sofirn?
Also does somebody know how to set up a team account for a BLF special interest light?
A potted driver is not a hard promise of Sofirn, and AFAIK not a unique requirement for a tough flashlight. The request was to make it tough, with the suggestion to pot the driver. If Sofirn can make it bomb-proof without potting the driver I guess that would be fine.
To get ultimate proof that the quality compares to the E01 takes years and many users. What we will get is tests that may or may not seem convincing, and an educated evaluation of the design. That will have to do to make your decision to buy it, but I’m confident that BLF is knowledgable enough to see if Sofirn succeeded in making a worthy version of the 5mm-led AAA twisty.
not sure what specifically you are referring to, but on my twisty lights I generally find it easy to twist them “just off”. At that point I can squeeze the body and head together, and the play in the threads is sufficient to get momentary on. I expect a $6 light would have sufficiently sloppy threads to do this without extra parts.
Do not underestimate 6 dollar. There’s 2 dollar lights out there with more material and way more complex build (like a sk68 clone), and there is a profit on them too. I think with a light this simple, for 6 dollar you can get excellent threads (and robustness, and ano, and driver etc.). Still the momentary-on will probably work fine this way.
Slowtechstef - for the sake of avoiding too much confusion about interest and who is on any lists, perhaps editing the first post to note the interest list is on hold while details get settled on the latest development would be wise. Your call though.
Another nice characteristic of the E01 is its excellent regulation for most of the battery life and efficiency. At this price, I consider it a desirable trait rather than a necessity, but thought I’d mention it in case the point is open for discussion.
I have done some testing with these emitters, including overdrive testing. If any of it might be useful, I’m happy to share.
These emitters should be safe to drive harder than 20mA. Standard rating conditions are 20mA, and Yuji’s official spec indicates they are good for 30mA continuous. I measured an output peak at 90mA.
I haven’t tried to establish life expectancy at some intermediate drive level, but probably could set something up if it would be helpful.