I just checked tailcap current on mine and with the Samsung 50E @ 3.98v it shows 7.4A for just a split second and then drops to about 2.86A. Medium shows 1.51A. So I’d say you’re test needs done with a full battery. I’m going to fully charge my battery and test again too. (But I definitely had a full battery when starting out the other night.)
-Garry
I recorded a few tests, and unfortunately the step down is still here. It’s just so gradual that you won’t notice, and still if you drop down to ‘M’ you still see some more output drop, and obviously resetting to ‘H’ makes it much brighter.
Here’s a short album with the recordings: https://photos.app.goo.gl/1wigwdVPTGCu8CYaA
I’m thinking it might be easier to create a whole new driver board, but the Hall switch part has me worried as I have not seen any projects/firmware that would work with them easily.
Yeah, I believe you are right - that the stepdown is still there, but is barely noticeable. I read somewhere (included manual?) that the light makes multiple gradual steps down from high after the 3 minute timer. I also think that the max output you get from High is dropping so fast because of the high current draw from the battery (and in my case probably dropping faster than other cells). So in other words, you’re not hitting that “2500” lumen level after you’ve used the light a few minutes - so when you click back up to high after some stepdown you may only jump back up to say 1600 lumens. I’d like to do some testing of this “high runtime” and am thinking to rig up a DMM measuring tailcap current while the light runs in my DIY sphere with a timer running and my action cam running timelapse. Of course the test will really only be accurate for anyone else running the same cell. I believe high mode is really only usable for just a few minutes from start and that this is mainly a medium/low mode light. They probably should have just made modes Low-Med-High-Turbo and noted that Turbo was only usable for a few minutes on a fresh cell. Anyway, I was counting on using Medium mode for MTB riding anyway - a nice regulated 900 lumens for 2.5 hours.
Last night on my fully charged 50E I was seeing high mode hold at +/- 7.5A for about 15 seconds (that’s as long as I tested it) and not just immediately drop to medium level, so I know the last test was due to the battery level.
-Garry
Okay, I’ve done a runtime/thermal analysis of the first few minutes of operation of this light on a freshly charged unprotected Samsung 50E cell. In the video below you’ll see I am monitoring tailcap amps, head temperature, room temperature, runtime, and lux in my DIY sphere (not yet converted to lumens). Note that I did have a small fan blowing across it to simulate use during cycling (little air movement). I did turn the fan off and let the light run on high toward the end of the video. At the end of the video, after a short rest, the cell measured 4.06v which I thought was really good. Disregard the idiotic narrator’s comments about the 4 minute stepdown instead of it being 3 minutes. I, . . . ahem . . . I mean he, forgot that switching the light from high to medium and back to high had reset the 3 minute timer.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/1wagnsYqzFw
Things to note:
2) On a freshly charged cell at the start of the test I saw +/- 7.0A, climb to 7.17A, and then drop to 2.70A where it remained for the duration of the 3 minute timer. That runtime from 7.0A to 7.17A was only 13 seconds in my case!
3) Turning the switch from high to medium and back to high only bring its back up to the 2.70A level.
4) The output in high after stepdown, the stepdown level itself, and the “actual medium” all appear to be very well regulated output levels.
5) This light has plenty of mass to handle the heat at the 2.70A level without a fan running, reaching 99ºF after 5 minutes and 40 seconds in my case.
I will be doing further evaluation of this light during a night ride tomorrow. I expect to have more videos and photos. I will be creating a thread over at MTBR’s Lights & Night Riding forum and take the majority of my posting over there.
-Garry
Anyone else notice that lumens on Medium change when stepping up and stepping down?,
Low to Medium 760 lumens
High to Medium 920 lumens
This is manually changing modes, not from thermal or timer step down
Interesting! I’d test mine, but it’s stuck at work and I’m stuck at home (covid).
I got both a Sofirn SD05 cool-white and SD05 neutral-white. I don’t have a lumens tube, but have a lux meter and can do some ceiling bounce test.
I’ve observed what you mentioned, the brightness in Medium varies depending on if it’s from Low-to-Medium or High-to-Medium, for both units I checked.
(Medium is higher brightness when it was switched from High mode).
I wonder what could be the cause of this? A bug?
I’m not sure, it’s very odd behavior, never encountered any like it before. You can’t really notice the difference by eye but it shouldn’t be happening.
I’ll make a video and send it to Sofirn
Look on the bright side. So it’s now a 4-mode light, not 3-mode. :laughing:
I personally like the older SD03 — no temperature shutdown — though I haven’t pulled the LED yet to see whether there’s a solid shelf behind it (nor checked whether they’ve glued it in place to frustrate modders. I’d like a higher- color-rendering emitter. Suggestions welcome.
It’s not glued. It’s also a solid shelf.
I hate the 3 minute step-down too, Sofirn don’t think these things through for an underwater light
As an authorized distributor for Sofirn I get the SD03 at $5.50 usd so it’s a super deal. I sell them at $16 and they sell really well.
Sidney Stratton wrote: I initially ordered a SD03 (XML2 – 900lm) as didn’t have this timed throttling. Sofirn informed me this was no longer produced.
I just now ordered the SD03 from Fasttech. Shipping date 20/5.
$28AUD with ins and tracking. L-M-H simple.
When you look at it. The 05, is basically a 1000? lum. Maybe.
As it steps down after a coupla minutes.
I have a couple of divers already that do that and more.
and a lovely little red XANES 1600 lum. Divers. $22.60 AUD
Mates had it down to over 25mtrs outside the islands here when I first bought
Was very impressed for it’s size. Close work only, Basically.
But his prime light is a pro 4500? lum.
Just HMP grease the threads first. It gives a better seal.
I’ll Maybe order an ’05 next month for my Birthday. If reports on here improve.
It’s nice to get a fresh interest in Quality Budget torches. I was losing the acquisition glow.
What next?.
I’m tending to go for divers in small/mid range.
Better built. better sealed. can bounce them around a bit more
and similar prices to others.
PLUS. They seem to be getting away from that ugly water pipe look too.
A few curves in there.
All my good torches now have, in 18650.
Samsung 30Q. or Panasonic NCR 18650B’s
Protected and UN protected.
Other sizes, vary.
To add to the confusion of this timed step down and the difference (lumens) in up / down switching to medium, Sofirn has a newer version without the timed step-down. And is advertised as 3000 lumens.
I presume they changed to the XHP50.2 - 3 volt variant and are using their SP33v3 driver adapted to the magnetic switch.
I asked to have the 5000ºK emitter. Read somewhere they can cater to special requests. Waiting for an answer…
edit (18:03): Sofirn Web Store
Thanks for your input, I’ll have to ask Sofirn on my next order
Decided to investigate this further, I have an earlier batch Sofirn SD05, I notice its brightest level is a bit less bright than the later version, however the early version SD05 has NoPWM on all modes (Low-Med-High), whereas the later batch Sofirn SD05 has fast PWM (detected by shining the light through a small portable fan blades).
Which seems to indicate that the early SD05 appears to use a similar boost driver as the early SP33v2 “2500” lumens version.
(also checked that the early SD05 “Medium” mode stays the same whether it was switched from Low-to-Medium or from High-to-Medium)
The later SD05 which has the different “Medium” mode (“Low-to-Medium” or Off-to-Medium is the regular Medium) [Off -to-Medium means the control ring set to Medium when battery inserted), has fast PWM on all levels. And the High mode is brighter (consumes more power).
The old SD05 (which likely uses XHP50.2 6-volt LED) seems to consume up to around 6 Amps max by measuring tailcap current.
whereas the new SD05 (likely uses XHP50.2 3-volt LED) consumes around 8-9 Amps max tailcap current.
Lan Lee gave me this link SD05 5000ºK w/out timed stepdown.
You did confirm what I suspected. The newer model is DD w/fet and has its downsides. But not having this timed throttling is a net gain.
I ordered last night - it’ll take some 8 to 12 weeks to get here. I have orders backed up since March.
One another note, Hank4U2 hank posted a discounted SD03 on AE link. $12 US.
Funtastic is looking into some 50 units, but I saw 60 down to 52 w/in a couple of hours.
Yeah I might not be able to get that many as Sofirn is offline. I’ll grab whatever is left.
@ Funtastic:
Should be more considerate. The idea is that if many people are interested in a 5000ºK version, they would make readily available.
Deobfuscation: I’m not Hank4U2 and I’m not Hank Wang and I’m not the other hank-plus-a-number.
I did post the pointer to the sale on the SD03. Hope y’all got a chance before the reseller sucked them all away.
@ hank:
So sorry. My bad! Corrected the OP.