Ordered nov. 10th, arrived nov. 26th, so that was pretty fast!
First impression: very well manufactured, especially for that price.
Closer look: petite, but certainly not feeling as fragile as other AAA lights.
And of course quality in the details, such as he noir/djozz-tail.
Have not (yet) tried the clip, but it sure does not feel flimsy.
While we wait for the colored anodized versions, I noticed a couple interesting things on the Yuji webstore:
- The 3200K BC series 5mm LED’s are now sold out in the 60 degree version, too. Both beam angles of 5600K remain in stock.
- There is a new 5.5mm x 5.5mm format surface mount “5mm” LED. It’s rated at 60mA and about 20 lumens, and has a 60 degree beam angle. Nominal voltage is 0.1V higher, but claimed R9 value is now greater than 90 (for the standard 5mm it was listed as 60 typical).
change opening text: "The C01 is a small AAA twisty flashlight. It is designed for everyday carry (EDC) on a keychain; for hands-free use as a hat light; or for emergency use as a reliable backup flashlight with long runtime. What sets it apart from similar flashlights is the input from the BudgetLightForum community for increased usability, the best-in-class Yuji high-CRI 5mm LED for better looking colors, the features of the innovative tail end design, the ability to run on batteries that are almost empty, and the potted circuit board for improved impact and water resistance."
change "AAA battery" to "Output"
change "Running time" to "Runtime" and change "35 h" to "33 hours" (for the sake of expectation management, and consistency)
change "Throwing Distance" to "Distance"
change "Peak Intensity" to "Intensity", and change "cd" to "candela" (for the sake of consistency)
change "Impact Resistant" to "Impact Resistance"
change "Water Resistant" to "Water Resistance"
add extra whitespace in line with Dimension: 71.1mm_(length) * 14.5mm_(diameter)
remove extra whitespace in line: "Weight: 16 gram (_without battery)
change "Battery options" line to: "One 1.8V AAA-sized cell such as Lithium primary battery (FR03), 1.5V Alkaline battery (LR03 or R03), or 1.2V NiMH rechargeable battery (KR03).
in the "Flashlight body" section remove "CNC manufactured to hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish to get solid built body, anti-crash geometry and better heat exchange". This wording applies to almost any aluminium flashlight, so it adds no useful information.
change "DIY Enabled" line to: "Tail end features: tailstand; center-hanging split ring; magnet (5mm * 3mm, not included); tritium vial (1.5mm * 6mm, not included); glow-in-the-dark epoxy (not included)."
add tail end picture to English section
in the Battery Specifications table include lithium primary battery compatibility ("Lithium LiFeS2 primary battery", AAA x1, Nominal Voltage 1.5V, Compatible Yes (Recommended); and change alkaline battery from "Recommended" to "Acceptable"; change NiMH to "useable", and add "10440 Li-Ion (3.7V) / LiFePO4 (3.2V)" as "Compatible No (Banned)"
in the battery specification remove extra whitespaces ("AAA x_1" and "1.2_V" should be "AAA x1" and "1.2V".
Operation instructions: Change to "While holding battery tube, rotate the flashlight head left to turn on, and right to turn off."
Does anyone else have suggestions for improvements or corrections?
Ordered 11/11
14/11/2018 18:44 - Logistics order has been created
20/11/2018 23:33 - Acceptance, Guangdong Foshan Acceptance Center
21/11/2018 00:09 - Departure, Guangdong Foshan Acceptance Center
21/11/2018 00:43 - Has left,to the next station processing center, Guangdong Foshan Acceptance Center
27/11/2018 18:28 - Arrival at exchange office, Guangzhou
28/11/2018 05:07 - International dispatch , , GUANGZHOU
29/11/2018 05:03 - Air transport
The main reason I mentioned it is the introduction of a similar product is consistent with the claims the BC 5mm series is being discontinued.
In the meantime, the first priority is finishing the current product, which I am eagerly awaiting even at 25mA. A 60+ mA alternative could also be interesting, but won’t be a major change utility change compared to the C01.
The design of the C01 driver also appears to me to not be physically compatible with a surface mount LED. I think they’d need a second PCB.
The classic 5mm led is tough for 2 reasons: it carries its own hard plastic optic so no lens and optic are needed that can break or move, and the legs are long, bended and soldered into holes, I can not imagine a g-force that can make that fail!
This new Yuji led still has the hard plastic optic but not the legs, its solder joints could theoretically shear off on a large impact.
Barry did contemplate with me on a SMD led version of the C01 (nothing official), with ledboard and optic. That would not be a bit brighter C01 with less runtime, but a different and 100+ lumen flashlight. I think that may be a more interesting direction than using this new Yuji led.
Still, I think that this 20 lumen new Yuji led is interesting, would love some to play with but do not have the money to buy 1000 pieces.
If Sofirn is looking for another project in the future, higher output AAA lights, perhaps even multi-mode, also have their place, as the Olight I3 series, Thrunite Ti series, and Lumintop Tool and Worm all aptly demonstrate.
They’ve already got perhaps the best twisty body design out there. Combine that with an appropriate driver and and optic and it would be another product type I don’t think they have represented in their current lineup.
I don’t know if the Yuji 3030 would pair well with any sort of optic, or if it’s only suited for for diffuse light applications. Yuji hasn’t really focused on the form factors we normally use in flashlights, so a higher output AAA might have to settle for some other option if sticking with high CRI.
Yuji actually did ask about interest in a flashlight on CPF a while back, but they gave up on that project without ever providing much detail.