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

Was really interest for a rotary control light with infinite variable bright at human price.
Maybe we can try ask Convoy but they already planning new lights and that would take more time

Is it the USB-C connection or the integrated charging that puts you off?

Integrated charging seems to be a polarising feature on BLF. My main issue with the feature is that it makes driver swaps difficult, but if the if I like the stock driver I’m happy to have charging. I find integrated charging especially useful in an EDC light or one that will be gifted to a muggle.

I don’t think there’s any shortage of lights without integrated charging, or of lights with Micro USB charging. However, I haven’t seen may flashlights that can charge with a USB-C cable from a USB-C power supply. That feature is really appealing to me in a EDC light - I would love to be able to quickly top up mu flashlight cell from my phone/tablet/laptop charger (or even the laptop itself) without having to carry an extra cable or adapter.

Imho usually I don’t consider integrated charger a necessity unless you use the flashlight often and at high current.It would be nice have it on flashlights with smaller lithium battery or AA / AAA that dischage fast

In the grandma context, USB-C is a minimum requirement. EM charging through docking station would be better tho.

This light competes with the usual single mode, tail switch, 3 x AAA supermarket light. I got my mom (83yo) a Varta and she is very pleased with it. It must not be more complex than this.

I’m down for 2 if this ever happens!

If it was well made I would be fine with a higher price. I bet Hank would make a sweet one.

Hank would have to hire a new driver designer for this one, his drivers sofar are the spin-offs from BLF-drivers with help from Toykeeper, while this is a different type of hardware.

True, I should have specified, I trust his work/product more than most. The rotary isn’t really even needed imo. Ramping is pretty easy. I though of giving my elderly mom a Blf Lt1 but I am sure she would do something to get it into strobe or something and need me to travel and fix it lol.

Jetbeam doesn’t seem interested in meaningful improvements. They’ve done a couple body changes, making it bigger and heavier, and now offer a tailswitch. It’s not clear to me if they have made any changes to the driver over the last decade. Past reviewers have found it wonderfully flexible, but unregulated and relatively inefficient with no low voltage protection.

I’d love to be proven wrong, though.

There would be a minimum current draw necessary for the hall effect sensors to function. Hence why although the RRT01 is capable of extremely low output, it is not a firefly mode runtime champion.

There are a couple ways parasitic drain could be minimized or eliminated. The simplest is a separate tailswitch. It should also be possible to have some other kind of input at one end of the control ring travel to shutoff current to the hall effect sensors.

Please add me to the list for two units. =)

I will update the list, I’m quite a few names behind.

But I must remind you that this project is dormant. But maybe some day… (I still believe that this flashlight is relevant enough today)

Yeah this thread is so old it’s a safe bet it’s not happening. I looked at the beginning and was interested at first, but it seems to me Grandma is familiar with flashlights and had some back when she was bringing up your mom or dad. Her flashlight in those days used two zinc-carbon D cells and a PR2 incandescent bulb and a side switch, put out 10 or 15 lumens when the batteries were fresh, but had pretty good throw by our standards because of the tiny filament and 2 inch reflector.

I think she is not going to care about her light being tiny or having rotary controlled infinitely variable brightness or USB charging. It will be more important to have zero parasitic current since the light will sit around for years without being used.

Frankly there are perfectly good Duracell lights powered by three AA’s at Costco in the $5 range, that have 2 or 3 levels with the top at a few hundred lumens. That seems fine for this purpose. She can handle the pushbutton UI since it is still simple.

Fully agree, anything simple that makes light goes for her. I guess this light is about what we would like to give her/him, and at the same time appreciate ourseves. If this light comes alive, it would likely be the one I most often grab for real duty.

Ooooh a significant other light, yes please. Interested.

Me too, I wished Sofirn was still interested.

Maybe someday. Still interested.

Barry, are you listening?

Maybe Wurkkos can do better.

In his “Story of SC31 Family” post, Barry makes reference to SC31B sales/profit not being up to snuff, which lead to its demise, and perhaps a reluctance to engage in further muggle-targeted projects constrained by a low price point.

Wurkkos is managed independently, and probably does pretty well with the FC11, so it may be more amenable to such a project. But, the FC11 is descended from the SC31, and aside from a few aspects, already fits most of the brief, so they might be able to make it work, but on the other hand, also question why a variation of what it already produces is necessary, or worthwhile.

After a year of silence there is some progress in this project, and as JaredM and TheIntruder above recently suggested, with the help from Wurkkos. In their Christmas giveaway I suggested to develop a flashlight with magnetic ring, and they contacted me about it because they want to develop a 18350 light, and after a PM conversation they may continue in the spirit of this grandma light. It is very early, nothing is designed yet, but there are intentions :slight_smile:

This is great news. Low parasitic drain hall sensors are a top priority imo.

18350 light would be great with extension tube.