Sofirn Q8 group buy (gb closed, but try PM to Sofirn for discount)

sofirn official website is selling BLF Q8 Anduril version now! Buy together with the diffuser, you can enjoy the Candle Mode!

Thanks ToyKeeper!

Link

A nice update for the Q8, still a solid real life performer among the now common lumen monsters.

Good to see you back after CNY Barry, I hope that the virus will have limited effect on you and the others at Sofirn!

Good news Barry. I myself have become a Anduril fan and have been tweaking it and loading it on Q8's. I've made some tweaks, like adding voltage calibration. It calibrates the same way as temperature calibration works. We have found variations of voltage readings from unit to unit.

Can you tell me if the driver is still the same? Is it a new design, using the Atmel 1634?

The statement: Integrated power indicator in side switch indicates remaining battery power

Indicates something changed, perhaps? How does that work, exactly?

If the driver was redesigned to using the 1634 MCU, then using an external voltage divider circuit would work much better -- it's more accurate unit to unit.

Add charging too.

It is not redesign. But only change firmware.

So is there any discount coupons floating around for BLF Q8 Anduril version together with the diffuser and the holster combo?

I was just gonna suggest that, maybe in a v2.

’351s, anduril, etc., all nice, but I’ll still hang onto my originals until charging is added.

For BLF Q8 Anduril flashlight alone and kit, use discount code to save US$10: Q6ZKP6TWNPCF

https://sofirnlight.com/collections/flashlights/products/blf-q8-anduril-led-flashlight

https://sofirnlight.com/collections/flashlights/products/blf-q8-anduril-led-flashlight

I could be tempted by this. BLF SP36 satisfies my big (ish) soda can style needs for now.

Yeah, I already got a coupla ’36es, so unless a new Q8 is a real game-changer, I don’t really “need” another one.

Barry - it's been asked by others:

Is this Anduril Q8 using a custom configured version of Anduril specifically for the Q8?

ToyKeeper has special Q8 configuration files to support the Q8, tailored for the Q8. If you got the Anduril Q8 firmware from TK for the Q8, then she probably gave you the correct version.

I wish that flashlight dealers were willing to take trade-ins when new models come to the showroom.

Yes, it was from ToyKeeper.

Ok, cool!! Thanx Barry

Well, sort of. I maintain a Q8 build for my own use, but I did not know sofirn was using it. I also haven’t done production-quality testing on that build, like measuring and adjusting the thermal regulation. It’s probably fine, but it could potentially respond too fast or too slow when hot, which might make its runtime graph bumpy.

Thanks aren’t necessary… but the license (translated: zh-cn, zh-tw) does require some other things which don’t appear to be satisfied:

  1. A message somewhere prominent stating that the product uses copyrighted code released under the GNU Public License v3 (GPLv3).
  2. Information about how to get the exact source code used in the product. If it is an unmodified version, a link to the upstream code works.

That info generally goes on the product page and/or in the included paper manual. Ideally both:

  • The license applies to anyone who distributes the code in a compiled form, which includes companies who sell products based on the code. In other words, it applies to every vendor and reseller. So it’s a good idea to put the information in a printed manual which ships with the product, because that means the vendor doesn’t have to know or care about the license.
  • Even if the license info is in the manual, it is a good idea to include the license info on the original manufacturer’s product page too. This allows people to verify the license is being fulfilled, which means I don’t have to bother you with messages like this one.

Could sofirn add the necessary info to the product page and/or manual?

SOFIRN would love to add the info to product page or to the manual when new batch is made. I need to confirm, which is the exact information need to be added?

Add this link? The GNU General Public License v3.0 - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation or some paragraph of it?

SOFIRN uses unmodified version, engineers are not able to modify any NarsilM or Anduril firmware, they are busy do their own job.

Would you please tell what the “necessary info” is? Or anyone else help me understand it fully and correctly?

Sorry for my limited understanding.

Thank you.

I was gonna buy a Q8 from Sofirn, but the coupon they have listed on the product page doesn’t work anymore.

This coupon is dead, even though it’s still listed on the products page.

Received the BLF Q8 Anduril light today, with the diffuser. Quality seems all there, as usual for the many Q8's I've bought and sold/gave away. This one is brighter than the classic Q8's, measurable not that noticeable, about 150 lumens more with bypasses. I took an older Q8's battery assembly and ran it on the new Q8 Anduril and it fit and ran fine.

The difference in LED's/optics though has some pros and cons. Didn't measure throw, but the new light has a well defined hot spot while the older models have got some blurriness in the hot spot definition - this seems to be an improvement. However the tint -- the new Q8 Anduril clearly has a green halo around the hot spot while the old Q8's have a nice white blend. Side by side it's very noticeable. The new LED's sure do appear to be the classic XPL's, not XPL2's. I got a Q8 with XPL2's so know what they look like. I can't see any differences in the reflector or glass. The glass still is non treated, no color, and the reflector cups appear to be same size, same shape from what I can tell by eye.

Without any direct testing, the new XPL's appear to be more like W2 binned 3C's, possibly 2C's or 2B's. The difference is just too great to be a bad batch of 3D's. We picked 3D's specifically because of their superiority over 3C's because of the green in 3C's.

The tint is certainly a big disappointment, specially when the light is listed as having 3D's, and Sofirn seemed to do such a great job in sourcing that tint over the years.

Also what was weird is the light is stamped with "BLF Q8 Anduril" but still comes with the two Narsil manuals, one for folding up into the tailcap. It definitely is running Anduril though.

Barry - any ideas about the LED's?

Those questions were all answered in the comment just above yours.

For unmodified versions, the link is: ~toykeeper/flashlight-firmware/fsm : files for revision 492

The necessary info is listed in points 1 and 2 in that post — a message that the product uses copyrighted code published under the GNU Public License v3 (GPLv3), and a link to the source code.

The place to put the information is discussed below — ideally in both the paper manual and on the manufacturer’s page for the product.