Anyone found a nice diffuser for the sp36?
I can’t find one that fits and I think it would make a handy little lantern at times.
Thanks,
I was not able to detect a difference in lumens between my Q8 with 30Qs and SP36 with VTC6. Looks like buying VTC6 was a waste of money, 30Qs are just as good even for powerful flashlights.
I get consistently higher output #'s on VTC6's vs. 30Q's in many FET based lights. Not just 1 or 2, it's every light - factory FET based, or modded, I've tested - dozens. Whether you notice it, is something else. Comparing a Q8 and SP36 is different LED's, different tints, somewhat different beam patterns.
My TA calibrated lumen tube gets just above 6000 lumens at turn on and 5400 at 30sec using 30Q’s with the SP36.
What are you using to measure yours?
Would VTC6 cells give a 400 lumen improvement?
Not sure what "TA calibrated" means. I have one of the "original" PVC based measuring devices made by the brothers Rick and Rodney. Those #'s are my typical calibrated measurements I've been positing here on BLF for about 5 years or so. I re-calibrated it using the maukka calibration lights and figured the results are 12% lower than my previous calibrations based on manufacturer spec'd lights - 100's.
So just subtract 12% from my #'s and you got maukka ANSI calibration.
I meant one of the Texas Ace lumen tubes he sold and I calibrated it with maukka lights. My wording could have better.
I sell a lot of flashlights here in New Zealand so I’ll look into stocking some VTC6 cells instead of 30Q’s.
Driver popped right out of my SP36 I got today, glue didn’t stick/adhere too well to the ano even though it’s bathed in it.
LED’s and FET got to go! 
I’m looking forward to your mod! 
I made one from the clear plastic cap on a laundry detergent bottle. Sanded the inside to frost it and put white paper at the bottom (top?) to reflect light towards the table. Works pretty well at about 1,000 lumens.
Does anyone know of any good belt holsters that fit this, or if Sofirn plans to sell one for it?
I am a bit disappointed in sofirn, i bought an SP36 almost 2 weeks ago on their AE store and it showed as ‘in stock’
Next day i received a tracking number, but until today no result, so shot them a message, their reply was, sorry the item was not in stock, we will ship as soon as we have it on stock…
@kawiboy, Nice to read you got it open that easy! did you use that bended bodkin, or what tool is it?
Yes, it is a Craftsman Pick, I have a full set.
Did it require much force? Did you need to heat up the light first? Did you need to push through the button hole? It’d be nice if there’s an easy way to get the driver out.
It was a while ago, but I believe I went thru the LED wire holes with a solder pick, poked the driver loose - no difficulties I recall, but I've done it this way many times on glued up drivers. Sometimes it needs light taps from a hammer, but the solder pick is not a very rigid tool - mine is a bit bent up from abuse over the years. In general, I always keep the solder pick to the outer edge of the driver to minimize potential damage. 99% of the time there's no damage, most of the time gentle force is enough.
Oops forgot - this was the light I had to use the heavy wire soldered to the brass ring and pull like crazy... Post #442: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/53450/442
I think you are referring to the SP33 now, since you cant really remove the reflector of the SP36 without damaging it, since it is screwed from below.
THIS was how you opened the SP36
Nope not really much force was needed, nor did I use any heat….
I removed the switch and pressed directly down as close to the driver ring as I could get, if you look between L- and L+ you can see the copper shinning thru the masking where the pick made contact. It didn’t take what I would call excessive force, even though I was pumped up for a fight!
First I pressed slow and steady I heard a faint pop, then during the second press it popped out cleanly. Lucky the driver wasn’t glued and then press fit, witnessed by the glue around the outside edge on the driver board, so initially the driver had to be kind of sloppy/loose to the diameter of the driver pocket. The glue couldn’t penetrate the ano and the single point of pressure peeled the two surfaces away from each other.
I thought about taking one of my long punches and striking it with my small brass hammer, but the angle was to drastic and didn’t want to take a chance of knocking something off the board, ripping the contacts off the board along with what ever SMD got ripped off and launched…I thought it thru and decided, it wasn’t an option after all.
You can see around the drivers face what glue was left behind on the driver shelf, it flicked off with out much resistance also. I have had better battles with pressed in drivers then what this one gave me really, I was totally surprised, shocked, ecstatic and relieved at how easy it was to be honest.
Kawi, Similar set sold at Harbor Freight for $1.99
Check them out, hopefully, maybe, if your lucky, they are not soft, you don’t want them to bend, the good ones are Hardened, you have to use a diamond hone, finishing stone, grinder or sander disc/belt to sharpen them, a file will not do it effectively. The Craftsmen picks I have are old and are the hardened type, so I can use them as scribes to do layouts, quite happy with them all these 20+ years….that ad was just to give a visual of the set I have. So check them out and report back it’s only $2.00 bucks! 
I have tried it similar but without a result. Which tool did you use to get the driver out? Can you make a picture?
I am thinking about bending a nail to use a hammer and the nail throu the switch hole.