Interest collect for a new Sofirn design: tube style18650, magnetic ring control, USB-C charging, 500 lm max (AKA grandma light)

I agree with you on this. I would love to see some budget high efficiency regulated drivers. All of the current drivers in BLF type lights are so inefficient compared with Olight, Fenix and Nitecore that they are really just flashaholic toys rather than actual tools. Here is a zeroair.org comparison of the runtime graph between Olight S2r II baton vs FW3A. The Olight driver efficiency and regulation is in a completely different league. The latest Olight Perun should be another big jump over the S2r II in efficiency so seems like there is huge room for improvement for BLF budget lights. I’m not expecting Sofirn to match Olight, which makes the most efficient drivers in the business, but I expect to at least head in that direction. The Sofirn SP33v2 driver is amazingly efficient too and not too far from Olight levels so I know Sofirn has the capability to make good drivers.

Interested !

I agree with everything you just typed. Perfect.

Simple wins with me everytime. I’m not a granny or incapable of working more complex lights but, I surely don’t go out seeking complex lights. If this thing gets Andruil step less dimming into it, it just won’t be what it’s intended to be.

I love sublumen modes. I use them every night. I have a few lights that do those modes well, very well. I have no need for those modes in every light I have. I would never want those modes in my EDC light. I don’t think granny would need them either. To us these lights are a part of our lives. To them they are just a light in an otherwise dark room. I wouldn’t want to lose good mode spacing by adding a sublumen mode. Same for the blinkies. Down with the disco modes.

This got me thinking of the Xeno Cube. It would be great if the head would rotate for Off, Low, Med, High. Steps up clockwise, steps down counter clockwise. It wouldn’t roll away easily. That project is for another time though.

that was before zeroair.org understood thermal configuration. A better graph would be his second attempt on his FW1A. But even then he is using batteries with much less capacities on all of his FW## tests.

Wow, I just had a look on the TLF page about this light, and they are already at 90 units now, with the 155 from BLF that makes 245 total.

In this pace the interest from just Germany overtakes the interest from worldwide BLF :wink:

But even the FW1A has far less lumens and efficiency than the Olight. The Olight maintains 500 lumens for almost 4 hours straight.

So, what you're saying is that Germany is trying to take over the world...

for a third time!

Im in for at least 1

That is his 2nd attempt on the FW1A. Scroll down just a little further and you’ll see his see 3rd attempt. I can’t link it. Edit actually look at his 3rd attempt.

I’m interested in two with battery at that price point.

In order for me to actually carry it, it would need a good deep carry pocket clip to carry inside my back pocket. Otherwise it would be for occasional use.

My wife doesn’t use a clip, so a clip wouldn’t matter for her.

Something that I haven’t seen mentioned, but I think would be handy on any “granny” light is something that glows in the dark, so that the light can be found when needed.

I’ve never used any magnetic ring light, but wouldn’t grooves or ridges in the ring contribute at least a little to the anti-roll function?

You mean this one? Compare it with the Olight that maintains 500 lumens for almost 4 hours, the efficiency is still no where close. Interesting that it can maintain 650 lumens or more though.

Yeah ……
Gentlemen: What we see presented by the ever industrious Mr. Lightbringer is the fusion of form to function.

One might say ‘Bah’ indeed; for to the present this thread has been eerily bereft of protestation, that this light, nay, moreover; any light, equipped with on-board charging equates in function, but not necessarily in form, to the fruit of Mr. Lightbringer’s researches.

A good deep pocket clip is always desirable, it is something that can be decided late in the design phase, but noted!

And yes, anti-roll function can be as basic as what you describe.

In for five (assuming USB-C to USB-C charging works).

Interested!

If Sofirn will get that done for the LT1, they should be able to do it for this one too. I will add it to the wishlist.

That said, I’m not a pocket clip person, can there be reasons to not want a deep pocket clip, but a “normal” one instead?

About the flashlight being visible in the dark, that sounds useful, but I hesitate that it should be done with a small led, like many BLF lights have behind the switch button. Apart from that it does not have a switch button, a even faintly lighted led that is continuously on when the flashlight is switched off will have say 100 micro-amp drain, no problem when the battery is charged once every two years, but when the light is in the drawer for 4 years it has emptied the battery. Is that worth the advantage of a locator light?

A. Grandma didn’t need this light.

B. Grandma is dead.
On a more productive note. I prefer lanyard holes that are large enough for paracord. I’m going to tell Grandma that she should hang this light up by her keys or her coat or by the door and if she’s stepping out after dark it should go with her.

I’d rather put a bright “on” light at the “switch” to have a clear visible indicator that the light is still on. On low (especially in ramping) that is often not easy to see otherwise and will be a common problem “oh I thought its off”.

A locator light will just be confusing and in my opinion its not necessary as most people know where they put it at home (it is usefull when the light is in a backpack or similar, but at home there is dedicated place for the flashlight).

In addition, please make all switches/rings large enough and “grippy” while also easy to turn. Important is a easy visible and tactile feedback for the switch und positioning. hand eye coordination is just one of the things older folks loose too fast, so make it easy to know what one did by looking (visible marker) or feeling (physical marks)

The charging port needs to be easy accessable. those floppy plastic covers and most of the twisty srcew-on covers are a no go for grandma. she could never use it.