[Available again! - BLF special edition light] new Sofirn AAA twisty high CRI 5mm LED

It has already been mentioned that they are considering a few different colors for this light. But no update has been given for a while. Colored anodizing doesn’t need to be “designed” so they are concentrating on the body shape right now. Colors can be done at any time later.

The E01’s cone is a proven design with a different LED with a different beam angle. I’d hate to see an LED not used to it’s fullest potential due to misinformation.

I’m going to trust Sofirn’s engineers that have the LEDs these lights will be using in front of them to test things out with rather than the hypotheticals on a forum.

Update from the survey:

We are up to 42 responses.

Question 1: 2 people definitely want a trit slot. 4 people would like one. 15 do not care. 13 said no, they would never use it. 8 said they would prefer it without a trit slot.

Question 2: 18 said tailstanding is vital, 13 said it would be useful. No respondents said they prefer a non-tailstanding tail design.

Question 3: No magnet is leading 21 to 19. That is not a wide margin.

Question 4: The Lumintop Ant tailcap is in the lead by a narrow margin, followed by the Olight i3s then the Manker E02. The rest are still far behind. The mini pineapple tailcap is the most divisive, with a significant number of both higher rank finishes (think 2-5) but also has the second highest number of 9/10 rank finishes.

Question 5: The concern was raised that magnets/trits may become large sticking points for a small number of vocal members while not being of consequence to the goal people signed up for: a cheap and robust light. Also another vote for the Noir/Djozz tailcap design.

If you haven’t taken the survey yet, you can take it at this link: Free Online Survey Software by SurveyMonkey: Closed Survey

If you really like or dislike the Noir/Djozz tailcap that Sofirn has shared renders of, you can mention it in Question 5. :wink:

It looks great. When can they start production? Or are we still trying to change things up?

I’ve already taken the poll, but I really like the tail cap design in the render.

I like the Djozz tail/Sofirn Render quite a lot. It allows for tailstanding and the ability to have the keychain ring without having any sharp edges. I can’t stand lights that have sharp edges around the slots for the lanyard/key ring.

The slit trot and magnet hole I could care less for, but if the added machining/designing only accounts for like 1 dollar more on the price I won’t mind.

The survey is usefull but why is the Djozz tail/Sofirn Render not in it?

It has received a little bit of discussion because a user who has modded an E01, I think it was ma tumba, said in his experience it made the beam profile less smooth. It didn't sound drastic, but still like there was room for improvement.

So hopefully Sofirn does cut a few test pieces to try with these emitters to make sure the resulting beam is nice and smooth. I suspect parabolic isn't actually ideal in this case like it is for a thrower, so maybe conical or spherical is better. I know the Maglite Mini I stuck a Yuji in shows a slight dark spot in the middle of the beam at certain focus settings. The larger, deeper reflector creates enough of a hotspot for this to be more noticeable than I'd expect from a 14mm OD light.

The Noir/Djozz tail was created after and the renders only arrived last night.

With the number of responses already received it would have skewed the data already collected for Question 4.

I’d really like more data on opinions of that tail, but all I can do at this point is extrapolate from the data on the currently listed tails and other questions, including question 5 where people can put their opinions of it. (Obligatory link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DGQ8LL3)

I could also set up a new survey where we decide between the frontrunners from the current survey and the Noir/Djozz tail, plus some questions for detail and opinions.

Same here - it would have changed how I voted

I have asked Barry and the engineers how they like the new designed Noir/djozz tailcap themselves (because earlier Barry was in favor of a Sofirn SP10-like tail). If they like it too, or if they say that they will make what we want regardless of their opinion, perhaps we can already decide on going for this design (I think that I hear a majority liking it or being ok with it). Then maybe a new poll would be good (keeps us nice and busy :party: ) deciding on no holes, trit hole, magnet hole, both holes.

+1 for a new poll

I would like the djozz tail, and I already voted before as well.

I think this is a great idea. :wink:

I honestly like the rendering of this light - especially the tail. On paper, it didn’t really strike me as something I would like, but seeing it with the light has changed my thinking. In my mind, I’m ready for Sofirn to start producing them as they’ve been rendered!

Also, I’d like to up my interest to 4 x 3200 instead of just 2. :+1:

I went ahead and voted, but that new render looks sweet. I had my doubts about the drawing, but the render sold me.

Pros:

  • Tailstands
  • Option for magnet
  • Option for trit
  • Center swing split-ring attachable

Cons:

  • Perhaps a bit busy looking

It sure seems to check almost all the boxes that people have asked for, no?

I like the rendered tailcap a lot (though I don’t care about the trit slot), but I am curious how would be best to install a magnet in the hole with other’s comments that most glues dont work too well on anno since it sounds like we would not have a factory installed magnet.

A quick scan of the www came up with superglue and Araldite. But I have no experience with glueing to ano myself.

Something considering if you want to do a thorough and careful job is applying a drop of concentrated caustic soda in the hole and wait for the surface to be deanodised. Could be a way to make the trit slot a bit more reflective too (some sanding afterwards to finish the surface, then glue in the trit)

I believe such tail magnets are often simply press fit, no glue needed.

I never heard about glue not sticking to ano. My concern is/was the glue not sticking to the nickel plating on the magnet.

I did glue some neodymium magnets on the tail of some lights (Sofirn SF32 and Manker E11). Both have similar shapes on the tailcaps, so putting a bit of super glue and the magnet above did the job!

Of course, strong impacts or falls may endanger that as the glue (dry) can crack.

One thing I have a concern with in the proposed design (BTW, thanks djozz and Barry for the work on that, and to other members giving support on this thread!!!) is that the magnet is not in the middle. So, I don’t know if there is the possibility of that putting at “risk” the way it will stick “evenly” on a metal surface without falling due to a lack of equilibrium (toward the central “axis”).

But I believe you have thought about this too :wink:
Thanks again for all the efforts!!