Faulty Sofirn SC01 - any ideas on an easy fix?

Hi,

I have a 3 x Sofirn SC01 and one has developed a fault - the High mode has suddenly lost most of its brightness and is now hardly any brighter that the normal mode.

I’m pretty sure it is just the head as I put a head from another SC01 on the body and that other head worked perfectly. I put the fault head on the other body and the problem followed the head.

I’ve tried cleaning the contact points with alcohol and charging the cell but that made no difference whatsoever.

It’s a shame as I would say that this light has had less than 5 minutes total runtime over the few months I’ve had it as it just sits on my keyring waiting for its moment to shine.

Does anyone have any ideas on an easy fix?

Is there a Sofirn rep on BLF who might be able to help?

Thanks in advance for your help,

Moley.

Figuring it might be thermal throttling? Have you disassembled the led and applied new thermal paste? Maybe a drop to the floor made it come apart a bit?

What battery are you using?

Hi gentlemen,

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

To my knowledge, I haven’t dropped my keys (you may be thinking of my wife, who tends to drop everything :smiley: )

Opening up and soldering is WAAAAY above my skillset, I’m afraid.

I’m using the Blue 10180 Sofirn-branded cells that come with the lights - plus I bought some extra Sofirn-branded (x8) as I carry a couple of spares on my keyring.

Thanks again,

Moley

I’ve you tried another battery in the faulty light? And have you tried the battery from the faulty light in your other two? Basically, can you eliminate it being a battery issue?

Hi,

Yes, I tried 3 different cells and 2 different bodies :frowning:

Are you sure you have to solder it loose? Often it’s just thermal paste between the copper substrate and the flashlight.

I would contact Sofirn. They have responded to me in the past.

is it possible that you added oil to the threads and it has migrated under the switch, and onto the end of the body tube, causing poor contact?

sounds like you have a defective light… other than cleaning out excess lubricant (use a bit of Isopropyl alcohol on a rag or paper towel), I would not expect any issue with the LED, nor thermal paste…

most likely the issue is with the positive contact, that acts like a switch when compressed, is not working correctly.

I suggest you contact the seller, and get a refund. The fastest way to get results is to open a paypal dispute (the email paypal provides, goes to a different department than customer service). I never recommend a replacement. You can buy another after you get the refund, if you like… But I dont like doing exchanges, they put me in a position of no control.

enjoy your other lights…

let us know what happens

Hi everyone,

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

I’ll contact Sofirn directly to see what they say - I’m sure they’ll take care of me.

And yes, I’ll definitely keep you all updated on how it goes.

Thanks again,

Moley

Hi everyone,

I’ve been in touch with Sofirn as they are sending me out a new light under warranty.

They did request I sent them a video showing the problem so that this could be passed back to the factory.

I’ll let you know when it arrives.

Have a great weekend.

Moley

Hi,

The replacement light has now arrived and it works just like it should!

Big thanks to Lan over at Sofirn for taking care of me.

All the best,

Moley