My thoughts on the Solar Storm SC01 (mini review)

You’re welcome.

I don’t know what to think about it now. The Low on it with the holding on startup does make a difference to me. No modding this light though, at least not that I can see. I still don’t see myself buying any more of them.

Why isn’t it moddable? How is the driver attached?

If I buy one of these, the goal would be to remove the guts and replace with a DrJones electronic switch driver and neutral tint XML2 or XPG2 emitter.

Yeah I think you got a faulty one somehow, mine seems to go right into low low, and ramp up to max (*edit: max ramping, which is less than max in second press max function) then next time I press *and hold it, it skips down to low every time. But mine is SC02 not SC01. And I also could have a crappy 502b maybe, but I just would love it compared to a 502b if that were my options so I had to add my two cents. Its not however “great”, it will sit next to my 502b and only be played with from time to time, maybe used on a short no-pack hike. Warm tints and modded Convoy S2 kills it’s desirability for me — but they also cost significantly more.

It’s like a few other lights like this. It’s all top loaded. So to get to it you have to rip it apart from the top and I don’t see how you would be able to get the switch hooked back up. I had a zebra light gifted to me with a messed up driver and it’s the same way. It doesn’t unscrew where the driver is at all.

For the ramping: low mode only, press/hold -- it will ramp up until it hits the limit, then blinks, to tell you it's at the max ramping level. The max ramping level is less than hi mode. When at the low max, next time you enter low mode, press/hold and it will reset back to the lowest ramping level.

I've found this behavior to be consistent.

If it’s like other lights I’ve tried modding, getting the switch hooked up shouldn’t be a problem. All I need is a bare aluminum tube with the switchboot mounted over a hole. I can mount and supply my own switch. I would like to be able to easily access the driver though. I wonder if this light uses a removable pill like the Olight S15 it appears to be based on.

This driver must be Wack. It does the low low with press and hold. That is ok, no ramping from there. On the second part, if you click it on you get a medium and high. On medium you get a ramping to another just slightly higher medium it flashes and then stays there no ramping back down now at all. The difference between the ramping modes is next to nothing at all. I’m also noticing a bit of flickering now.

The low >ramping is the 1st click mode, 2nd click puts you on high…there is hidden strobe AND hidden moon mode

modes go like this
off > 1click > low > click hold 2-3 sec slow ramping to double flash (max low mode) > click hold 2-3 seconds reset back to low level (any release on ramping next on will remember last level)
low > 1click > hi
double click on any “on” mode > strobe
off > click hold 2-3 seconds > hidden moon mode

PWM is bad just like all “stock” Chinese firmware

I am “underwhelmed” as well…nice small light but I ended up paying $19.99 before the price dropped to around $14~ in some locations

With changing out the stock reflector for a 10 degree TIR it makes a nice flood beam with a minimal hotspot

With the odd 3 wire star and having a hard time figuring out how to get the pill out to mod this makes it kinda a no go…if it was easy to get to that would be pretty cool

I wonder how hard it would be to get a blf version with faster pwm and a higher high, and more tint options?

On/Off is looking pretty good now.

we don’t have any custom firmware or builds for a boost/linear regulator driver (AA/14500), there is one for the 14500 only

If the driver is 15 or 17mm then there are the DD drivers on ATtiny but you loose the AA boost functionality

Biggest problem is right now… noone has had a successful teardown of the SC01 to get to the pill and driver…

[quote=WarHawk-AVG]

I’m not getting the ramping to (max low mode) on the first click I’m at medium and from there it ramps up slightly then flashes and stays put, it’s hardly any difference from one to the other. It was ramping up from medium then flashing and going to a low but it’s not doing that now. So I have a hidden moon and blinky, a medium and high but a pretty much useless ramping function. (I can live with that actually because of the moon mode)

Must be the driver is bad, unless there are more drivers than just one being put into these.

release on double flash, click hold again, it will reset to low back to ramping, right now you have it ramped up

I got my SC01 from BG

Thanks I see what you mean and it does go back down a little but not to a low just the same medium that you get with the first click.

It goes back to medium after the double flash and click hold again, which is only a little lower than high.

My SC01 is working well, but the SC03 is draining cells. I'm using Efest IMR 16340's and they are going dead in either one day, or couple days - not sure. Hhmm... I'll have to check the parasitic drain.

Really not sure if the entire flashlight body is one piece or if there's a glued joint. Taking the SS bezel off gets you access to the star/LED, but dunno if the pill is screwed or press fit in. Tried some pressure on the driver to push it out the front, but didn't work. Also tried CCW screwing the pill from the top - no go. Well, if the SC03 has a driver issue, just may be forced to go harder til it's out or something breaks...

Dealing with FastTech on an issue -- I'd imagine it's a nightmare. I've had no probs with issues/credit with them before, but that was back when they were good and responsive...

I’ll see what i can do when mine show up in a couple days.

My SC03 does have a high parasitic drain issue, the SC01 doesn't. I can actually measure a current on the SC03 (0.001A) when it's off on my DMM, while on the SC01 and other e-switch lights it measures 0.000 amps. Guess with a cell in it, I'll have to turn the tailcap a 1/4 turn loose when not in use.

Thanks for letting us know that Tom. I’ll make sure to keep mine twisted just in case. I walked mine around a while ago and I like it but it’s a bummer about how the dimming isn’t right on this one. I’m just going to keep it and use it as a three mode.

Thank you for your mini-report. I thoguth about getting one fo these, but your report now changed my mind on it, and will stick with my comparable Ultrafire UF-T20, and my Olight S15 for single-AA lights.

thanks for the chime in. i just recieved a sc03. my gripe is that theres no way to start on high mode