Sofirn IF25A received today!

Does the manual say anything about whether or not it supports 2xCR123 batteries? Might give some insight into what kind of driver the IF25A has.

Funny you ask about the manual… this light didn’t come with one. Maybe they didn’t have it printed yet as this was one of the first to ship out just last last month.

I have to figure out Anduril. The light when clicked 6 times (I guessed right :smiley: ) changed over to ramping, but the ramping didn’t go up near as far as the step-up setting did on high (in the step mode out of the box). I am assuming I need to go set all that up.

Also when out last night, after heating up the light good… the ramping was almost immediately reducing the output after I hit the top of the ramp. And it wasn’t just trimming it down a bit, but dropping it WAY down to the first or second lowest setting. Anduril tweaking should fix this (I hope).

I find that because of its super wide beam, one has to run this light higher than most to get the same throw. For general hunting and any field use at night, most lights on medium output are fine. But I predict that when I get it set up, it’s going to need to ramp up to a more “high” setting— where it’s going to be running on the warm side for sure. Again, not a problem in most cases where I’ll be using the light.

Here’s my UI simple instruction to follow

6 clicks is Muggle Mode for simple mode for lending the light. Disables all the features and reduces output. Doesn’t work properly until you configure the temp sensor

Full Manual

1 Thank

Thanks for the anduril UI manual. I was searching for it

That's the plausible explanation, maybe first batch was missing the printed manual -- the Sofirn IF25A I got came with the correct IF25A manual describing Anduril firmware. (although it's probably not possible to write everything about Anduril in a manual).

Specs indicate 3800 lumens max (likely for the 6500k version) and 420 meters beam distance. 21700 battery recommended. (no mention of other battery types, although an 18650-to-21700 battery adapter is included in the package.

I tried comparing the beam pattern of the IF25A with an Emisar D4v2

(unfortunately the D4v2 I had is sort of customized - uses 4x SST20, 1 each of 3000/4000/5000/6500k, so an "average" of around 4700k)

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Here is a comparison between the IF25A and the FM1, both use the same 4x SST20-4000k LEDs.

Sofirn IF25A (4x SST20-4000k) vs Meote FM1 (4x SST20-4000k)

(The FM1 is more floody, but even then, its brightness is quite dim)

Thanks for the great info and beam shots guys!

So I just thought I was in ramping uh? My six clicks went to the weird ramping I described and I’m guessing the heat (I had already built up) was triggering a LOW temp setting that immediately reduced the output every time I ramped to the top (which was about 1/2 output compared to Turbo- for about a 1/2 second before reducing to low). Sounds like a perfect muggle ramping mode to me :wink:

I ordered the 6500k version last month after getting this one. Thought I’d compare it to my C8F and see how close it really gets. Any luck and I’ll see it by August :stuck_out_tongue:

So I need to play with Funtastic’s chart here and figure out how to make this into a little super hand heater for this fall :beer:

Just got mine today after a month. Just want to mention I was able to charge the battery through the built-in USB C port at around 5V x 1.78A = 9 Watt. Also, out of the box, the temp calibration seems way off. My house is at 19C, but the temp calibration shows 31C. I had adjusted it down to 19C, hopefully that will keep the turbo a little longer.

BTW, here is how you do temp calibration in Anduril (text version of diagram above):
From Off
3 clicks to enter battery check
2 clicks to enter sunset mode
2 clicks to enter beacon mode
2 clicks to enter temp check
Flashing shows current temp
4 clicks to enter temp calibration
1 flash - follow by rapid flashing, while flashing, click N times where N=room temp in C, stop
2 flashes - follow by rapid flashing, while flashing, click N times (up to 35) to set max temp to 30+N, stop
Flashing shows original temp -> brief pause -> flashing shows new temp
1 click to turn off

Enjoy

I’m not sure if I follow correctly, the original IF25 had 2x2700K SST-20 and 2x6500K SST-20 with tint ramping, but does the IF25A have 4x4000K SST-20? Is the tint ramping function gone? I wish it had 2x2700K and 2x4000K instead with tint ramping.

Here is the link to the 4K version I have. Notice the 95 cri rated leds :+1:

4K IF25a

After taking a few hours this afternoon I finally took my tutorials (thanks again Funtastic, your links were SUPER helpful). I reset the temp sensor which several users have mentioned is coming from the factory way off. I didn’t wait for mine to count it out though, I just reset it along with the thermal limit of 60 Celsius. I am wondering if I should have gone for 55, but we’ll see.

One thing that seemed to not work though was the upper limit for smooth ramping. I’m not 100% sure, but it seems that it was coming on at full turbo even though I chose the TWO (2) click limit. I also wonder if double clicking (for turbo) in smooth ramping ONLY goes up to the “set” limit. After I tried twice to set the limit a tad lower, it didn’t seem to work AND when I double clicked for turbo- it didn’t increase in brightness.

Because this light heats up so fast, I’m looking for the brightest setting it will run at (in smooth ramping) without getting ridiculously hot. I’m estimating that to be about 75-80% of it’s full turbo output after four times out with the light. The idea is to get smooth ramping set for a good every day use brightness being the top limit… BUT still be able to double click UP for turbo as needed.

I guess I have more work to do but one last thought is that although this color is REALLY nice (at 4k) when running it towards the top of it’s output capability, I have a harder time seeing even close in things with it at lower levels. I’ll have a 6.5k IF25a here in a month or so and really be able to compare the two. Several times I’ve though these four LEDs in a slightly larger head (a little more mass and deeper heat sinks) would be killer. The C8F would be too heavy for what I am imagining, but something in between would let you run these LEDs full out without the instant heat. But hey… maybe there are five lights out there already that fit the bill and it’s an afterthought on a HOT July night. Come winter, I’ll probably be GLAD it’s a little hand heater :stuck_out_tongue:

After further efforts, I realized the range of clicks is well interpolated. I had to click DOWN 40 clicks to get my ramp MAX to a level where it’s plenty hot still, but I can hold it in the bare hand. And YES… turbo is working now when I double click from ramping! :+1:

I am VERY impressed by the light’s output on turbo. But it’s not a realistic option for more than about ONE MINUTE without a glove. Even where I have it running now at about 65-70% of turbo (estimated, and this is 40 clicks DOWN from the max ceiling setting), I hope it’s bright enough for outdoor woods out to 50 yards or so.

I would love MORE heatsinks and would give up a few ounces and a slightly longer (or wider) head to tame the heat just a tad bit. I’m still sure it will make a great winter light for hunting and such as it is, but in July in Kansas it’s really too hot to use much above 60% output due to the heat in the hand factor.

Anyway… Anduril and this IF25a ARE 100% working as expected, I just didn’t expect the heat which is manageable, but a factor if you aren’t comfortable with holding very warm things. :smiling_imp:

I received my 4000K version today. The box didn’t contain a manual. Mine shipped May 19 from sofirnlight so it was probably one of the first batch or so. I set ramp floor to 10/150 and ramp ceiling to 100/150, and it still gets warm fast at ramp ceiling but not hot. After running the flashlight under cold water the temp sensor read 36C, so I recalibrated it to 25C. I don’t have any charged batteries that can really drive this thing on Turbo, so I haven’t tried running it really hot yet. The light won’t work with flat top laptop cells but works fine with Sofirn button top cells, due to the flat contact in the head.

The head has good machining but the body and tailcap have a lot of sharp edges. I found the body tube was impossible to remove from the head, anyone else’s light like that?

Tint at similar brightness is generally more yellow than my SC31B with 25deg TIR, which uses the same emitter. At higher brightness though, the tint approaches and surpasses the SC31B in rosiness. I’ve heard that the SST-20 gets less green at higher currents. As far as I know the SC31B uses PWM+FET so current stays pretty constant throughout its modes, so the IF25A uses something different. I decided to measure output at different voltages with my phone, so big margins of error:

3000mAh Sofirn cell @ 4.1V:

Some ramping level: 85 lux

Turbo: 1056 lux

2200mAh Sofirn cell @ 3.4V:

Same ramping level: 90 lux

Turbo: 315 lux

As my first Anduril light the UI takes some getting used to, but basic operation isn’t too complicated. I wish there was a way to access moon discretely from ramp floor, and I wish single click from turbo went into the previous state instead of off, but otherwise no complaints.

Uhm… I have used flat-tops in mine fine. The front contact IS wide, but I thought it a design choice to make the light smaller (shorter). Both a Sofirn brand 4000mAh and Molicel 4200mAh flat tops fit and run fine in my IF25a.

Also, given this light runs so hot, and running it on turbo for long isn’t a proposition 99% of the time… I now wonder if a higher capacity battery might be a better fit. The Molicel is a VERY high drain battery and it does a great job, BUT the Sofirn 4000mAh 21700 “heats it up” just as fast :wink: The difference in output on turbo probably isn’t 5% or so (if that… I want to “feel like” its brighter because the Molicel is a 35A drain battery!).

Anywho… the point is that without a glove, I’m not running this light high enough to benefit from a high drain battery like the Molicel. The Sofirn 4000mAh battery runs it just as good with the (possible) exception of a touch more output on turbo with the Molicel. But after that 30 second show… maybe a 5000mAh medium drain battery like the Samsung 50e (5000mAh capacity with 10A drain) 21700 would be a better fit as it wouldn’t heat up as fast and would increase run time by about 20% or so.

On that note; I HAVE a Sofirn 4800mAh 21700 I’ll probably try next. I doubt it would heat up any faster (passing it’s thermal/current rating) than the light itself. So that battery paired with the IF25a MIGHT just make a great “reciprocally regulating” pairing together :smiley:

Playing with this IF25a WAY too much lately :stuck_out_tongue:

I can’t get over how super cool Anduril is. I’ve been SLOWLY memorizing the IU the last three days and have now pulled out the LT1 and SF36 I didn’t get around to messing with much before.

After setting the temp sensor yesterday I tried an experiment. But first a few things to explain before the experiment:

I am running smooth ramping with a ceiling of 40 clicks down from the high of 150 possible levels. So the ramp starts at moon and goes to a set ceiling of 110/150 * which is the same thing as saying 150 (max/turbo) LESS my 40 clicks = 110*. So this is often shown in a ratio of “110/150” which I didn’t figure out the first time I read it- had to get into Anduril first— THEN it all “clicked” for me. Looking at this ratio, one might say the light is on at 73% output… and to my eye that would be about right.

I ran the light at the top of the set smooth ramp set ceiling for 5 minutes today. I then immediately turned it off, and went into the thermal check function. The light “blinked” out 5 flashes, then 3 flashes = so it reported a temp of 53 Celsius about 10 seconds after I turned it off. THEN… I did NOTHING. I let the temp check keep running. After about 15 minutes the light got to room temp and was reporting 28 Celsius. THEN I took it and placed it on my AC vent for about 3 minutes until it read 21 Celsius. Finally, after another 15 minutes on my desk (where I am NOT getting any work done today) :wink: it steadied to reporting 24 Celsius (75 degrees) WHICH IS EXACTLY the temperature in the room!

So, despite the factory temp sensor being off from the factory, MY IF25a (after calibration) is VERY accurately reporting the ambient temp in my house (within 1 degree accurate).

So in summary: I have a 60 Celsius thermal limit set. My light running at 73% of Turbo (at 110/150) hit 53 degrees after 5 minutes running (in the same room tested). And the final “resting” temperature is “dead balls on” accurate! :+1:

So I finally got the 4000mAh battery charged, and tried running turbo for about 3 minutes. When I went to turn it off, the flashlight was far too hot to hold, and I just barely was able to click to temp check. It read 67C! I swear I set the temperature limit to 55C with 25 clicks in temp config, do you know why it’s getting this hot?

Because it’s a little spitfire light :smiling_imp:

Did you set the temperature sensor up yet? You can try resetting the thermal limit in that mode too while you are at it. Probably did, but a check box for sure.

Then in the ramping setup, I clicked down 40 clicks to finally get a bare hand hold temperature of 54 Celsius. I think I could have gone a BIT less on the upper limit attenuation (maybe 36 or 37 clicks) to settle into a high 50s Celsius ceiling. But 30 was still TOO HOT for me!

I am beginning the think this particular 4K model might end up being an indoor light except in winter when the heat will WORK when it’s 10 degrees out :open_mouth:

I have a 6500k version on the way and given it’s summer now, that model may be better for outdoor use right now. It seems that outdoors a few times now… I can’t QUITE get the brightness out of this 4K IF25a that I am wanting- without it getting JUST a little too hot in the hand today.

Hi guys, does anyone know which optics are installed in the Sofirn IF25A, and where can buy narrower optics for it ?

I had set it to 55C. Since then I lowered it to 50C and it’s more manageable.

I don’t know, but there is a teardown of the IF25 here on fonarevka: Показать сообщение отдельно - Sofirn IF25

Says the TIR is 23.4mm wide and 7.8mm tall.

Note that this is the IF25 not IF25A so electronics and leds will be different, but I think optics are the same.

Thank you, I know about this topic, but unfortunately there is no mention of who is the manufacturer of optics or where you can buy an alternative.