Scotchbrite vs stock
Genius move by Sofirn in my opinion to pot some of the lights - what a fun surprise. I had ordered one potted color and one not-potted color already (plus two C01S).
Just ordered two more not-potted and planning to adjust output like djozz. What size resistor is used?
Maybe I missed it butâŚ.
Are the C01Sâs potted?
All colors?
None of the C01Sâs are potted, but some of the new C01âs are. (The original C01âs were all potted, though.)
Iâm still waiting for mine in the mail to see what I got, haha.
I think the stock resistor was 0402, but I replaced it with a 0603 size one. Had to fiddle a bit with solder iron and tweezers to make both solder ends connect.
I won`t go below 1206, so I admire your work there!
I must admit that while hobbying I have done a lot of this small stuff by hand-soldering so I developed some skills, but it is still easy to get frustrated and fail.
djozz, would a pencil mod be ok for Rangwans high power LEDs? Not sure what the resistance would be.
Itâs very hard to control the resistance of a pencil trace. It might work for a digital enable line, but not for this purpose.
Ok, thanks.
For a lower current the resistance must go up, so it starts with removing the stock 220 resistor. Removing a resistor often is the hard part for me, one reason could be that industrial solders may be lead-free and have a high melting temperature. (my method for heating up the resistor is loading the solder tip with a large solder blob and cover the whole resistor with that blob, once the resistor unsolders launch it with something pointy like the tip of your tweezer, or maybe a tooth pick).
If you want to increase the current the resistance must go down, Noctiluco posted a while ago that a complete bypass a bit more that doubles the current (so about 50mA to the led), that is easier, a simple solder blob on top of the resistor could do that, electrically connecting the two sides. Or a bit more subtle is solder an extra resistor on top of the old one. Or you could still go for removing the old resistor and replace it.
Removing it is, as you said, the hard part. Iâd try a small copper wire, but 50mA is not so challenging for the 32K-C-EX.
Is it me or is this light basically a fenix e01 with slightly deeper âreflectorâ?
The fenix âreflectorâ seems to be a little cleaner beam imo, but i only have a handful of them to compare 3 fenix / 4 sofirn. I had put rngwn sourced in the fenix without soldering for easy to change leds for tinkering. Has worked well.
Btw, on fenix one had no oring, and all were potted. The potting makes a little shelf for the next led if you get the orig led removed cleanly.
One fenix had gooey uncured or false cured epoxy.
Two of my sofirn (black) lights are potted, i recommend âcrackingâ the pot seal with channel lock or carefully set visegrips (and isolating layer) before trying to push out led/ driver, especially if pulling from driver side, if not, see earlier pics of drivers and their bits separated from failed extractions (my first fenix at to much $$$âŚwas torn up in likewise manner)
Hey⌠is trump the potting compound splitting (tearing) us all apart, leaving the bits scattered and broken on two sidesâŚ
Dang itâŚCouldnât âresistâ that. I shouldâve kept it âlightâ.
What a circus! Minus the entertainment factor. Glad i have a hobby to keep âfocusedâ onâŚ
Sorry.
Anyhow, back to the first point, the inside bits look very similar to my fenix e01. Output may be more on the fenix lights?? (Estimation based on non scientific testing)
The only obvious difference on the driver is what i think is called an âinductorâ. Of course that is just a flash visual comparison.
Sheesh.
Lastly a question⌠was the old blf yuji 5mm a single mode also? And how were they side by side to fenix e01? Now my genius is kicking in, the names are similar! c01, e01âŚwhaaaa
I would really like a driver like nitecore tube or klaurus mi2 (not sure model#) in the form factor of aaa tube light like c01/e01.
Btw2, the fenix heads and sofirn heads appear to be interchangeable, in my extensive one light testing.
I was closely involved with the design of the C01 and indeed the Sofirn C01 was 100% started as a Fenix E01 clone, which was at the time the E01 was discontinued by Fenix and many people still loved it, the dimensions of the light and the driver design were copied. During the design stage there was a lot of discussion here in this thread on what what could be improved on the E01 and that resulted in a two-way clip, a centered keyring attachment that combines with tailstanding, and holes in the tail for a magnet and a tritium vial. It must be added that the Nichia GS led of the E01 was cool low CRI and âthrowyâ, while the Yujiâs of the C01 were warmer (5600Kband 3200K option was available, even 5600K was significantly warmer than the âpurpleâ Nichia GS), better tinted 95CRI, and very floody (60 degrees leds). The current batch with 3400K Sophia high CRI leds is very similar to the 3200K Yuji version.
I was closely involved with the design of the C01 and indeed the Sofirn C01 was 100% started as a Fenix E01 clone
âŚbetter tinted 95CRI
thank you to everyone that has helped to make this project a success, including the customers,
the head instigators in charge:
djozz, slowtechstef,
and Barry from Sofirn
for your parts in bringing a High CRI Cockroach to the world
I hope for a Titanium and Copper version to follow
And Noir from Germany contributed with the idea for the novel tail design that combines a centered keyring hole and tailstanding.
And Noir from Germany contributed with the idea for the novel tail design that combines a centered keyring hole and tailstanding.
All in all, this was a marvellous job! Thanks guys!! :+1: :partying_face:
Yes, great light, Iâm not complaining in any way, and this makes senseâŚi really like not having to pay second hand market / nos prices for the fenixes!.
Love the pocket clip and will be adding magnet, although i generally magnet from the side by plastic tool clip or mag to pocket clip, which is thankfully now present!
Very pleased with these, and not having to be so scared to break one while releasing the potted ones.
Hope i didnât sound like i was complaining! About the lights.
I hope for a Titanium and Copper version to follow
I tried to talk Barry into a brass version of the C01S a year ago, with extra deep knurling, I tried really hard but as I understood from him, Sofirnâs machinists were not equipped for brass machining. So while it seems routine for Lumintop, Mateminco and Olight among others to bring out copper/brass/titanium versions of their lights, that seems not so for Sofirn. I have not seen Sofirn lights in other than aluminium sofar.
(âŚ) I have not seen Sofirn lights in other than aluminium sofar.
They just launched their first keychain flashlight (SC01) made of stainless steel. Maybe itâs not only a matter of skills and machining but also a matter of their business strategy. Brass, copper and titanium are much more expensive materials that would eventually raise sales prices way above their usual (aluminum lights) prices. Expensive flashlights however could be leveraged by introducing a premium line next to their budget line utilizing expensive raw materials and more complex/more efficient (buck/boost) drivers.