First Impressions of a Stock Sofirn HS10 w 2700K LH351d.

LED Flashlights – General Info CR123A Flashlights
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First Impressions of a stock Sofirn HS10 w 2700K LH351d.
Compatible w 16340 LiIon.

The manual does not list CR123 as an option, I just tried a CR123 that is at 3.1V and the Red low battery indicator light on the switch came on.

More pics in this photo Album: Sofirn HS10 w stock 2700K LH351d - Album on Imgur

The light arrives in stepped ramping mode and turns on in High Mode. My meter says the output steps are:

0.8
28
115
320
630 lumens
(w battery at 3.87V as received)

There is a smooth ramping mode, enabled by 4C from on
Although the ramping is a little quick, I can reach other outputs than the stepped modes.
There is last mode memory.

The light also works while charging, even with the battery removed.

The lens produces some rings in the outer beam, but in actual use my eyes focus on the middle of the beam.

things I like:

Easy to find the button by feel
Once pressed, the button reports battery status, which is very convenient.

The headband is super comfortable and lightweight with the light installed… Makes for a very convenient HeadLamp.

There is also a tailmagnet that could work attached to a car body during a tire change, or to attach to the open rear hatch of a car, for a tailgating party.

Im a big fan of the ramping UI option.

The built in charging is great for gifting the light to a muggle.

things I dont like:

the stock LED is on the yellow side of the bbl, but its not that bad at such a warm CCT

the pocket clip is not deep carry, and the bezel prevents the clip from fitting in front. When using the headband, the clip gets in the way of the loops that hold the light. Overall, I see little benefit to installing the clip.

The flicker modulation depth is severe, I would prefer a more stable regulation, but for the price, I think it is still a great light. It can be gifted to a muggle, kept in a car kit, or used around the house or at camp. I keep an HS10, installed in the headband, in my backpack as part of an emergency kit, with a firestarter and a knife. I also consider the HS10 as a backup battery carrier. My EDC is also 16340 compatible.

All things considered, I enjoy the HS10, as an inexpensive, lightweight, and convenient Headlamp.

UPDATE: LED swapped to 219b, details in this thread

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Thanks for your overview, Jon. Would you know or speculate regarding low voltage cut-off when using a CR123? I have quite a few sitting at 2.7 - 2.8 volts and would appreciate having a “vampire” type host to run them down a bit more before dropping them into a recycle bin.

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I just checked the manual, and I was mistaken, the HS10 is not rated for CR123, only 16340.

I was confusing it with the SC21 Mini (not SC21 Pro). The manual for the Mini says it can use CR123, but I do not know at what voltage they would turn off.

another light that can use CR123, is the Jetbeam RRT-01. Since I did not find the volage range online, I just tested an Eneloop in one of my RRT-01, and it works! The Eneloop is at 1.29 Volts! iow, hella low…Definitely a Vampire!

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“6. Battery Option: The headlamp runs on one CR123A battery or one 16340 battery, which gives it significantly more power. And you can take CR123A batteries as a backup when 16340 is not available at hand.”

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thank you for finding that info on this webpage: Sofirn HS10 USB C Rechargeable Mini 16340 Headlamp, 1100lm LH351D 90CRI Angle Headlight Flashlight TIR Optics with Magnet Tail
That info is not in the manual. The manual says there is LVP shutoff at 2.5V…

Maybe someone can do some tests with depleted CR123 in the HS10, to find out what is actually true. The website info does not match the paper manual in the box.

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Yeah, nothing at all man !

My first thought was…
“It should work with the other battery even with less output… !?”

So i looked up and i found that in their site… so i thought to post it so we can find out what is going on… !?

Thats all !

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compare CR123 to 16340:

w CR123 installed:

w 16340 installed

imo, it is a Bad Idea to use CR123 in a light with built in charging for 16340. Too much risk of confusion that someone will try to charge the CR123. That would be very dangerous.

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Nice little flashlight and at least there is the option for another battery… just in case… !
Thanks for the review man !

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I like this thing. I need more 16340s though. It burns through them so quick. I get close to 3amps at the tailcap on high. I was debating whether I should buy another 16340@$10cad or just get another hs10 with another battery for $20cad…

And then yesterday I slightlyyy shorted the 16340 that came with it. Maybe through like 0.1ohm, but enough to spark, and right off the charger too at like 4.18v. Not my first time, but weirdly the cell did not heat up at all. Like at all. And it was at 4.15v immediately after. The thing seems unfazed. Normally I’d keep using it. But with it being on ur head… and the HS10 pulling 3amps at times…meh. Doesn’t seem super safe. So I ended up buying another one anyways. Probably will buy another hs10 anyways. Might just order a box of these 16340s.

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If anyone here has gotten an HS10 lately… has the noticeable PWM and “whine” at high mode been resolved? Also, are the LH351D tints no longer noticeably tinted green?

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not lately,
Ive had 4 and still have 2. None of mine have had audible whine. I just checked, and can not see the PWM on high, nor other modes. I have never seen an LH351d without green tint.

But if you buy 2700K it is not as noticeable as on the 5000K. I have not tried 4000K

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I received my HS10 today. I’d gotten the last LH351D CCT available, 4000K. And I guess I got the good lottery because it looks totally fine. Even white-walling, I don’t notice any greenish tinge, although very slight when side-by-side with another 4000k (which is a non-issue). No visible PWM.

Direct compare with my ZL SC64c LE w/LH351D 4000K, and they look very similar. Of course, the HS10 has a more diffused beam due to the TIR design, vs. reflector in the ZL.

I get it that the HS10 isn’t regulator driven, although it will step down appropriately as voltage drops. But if you use unprotected rechargeable cells, you could damage them. I ran a test with a nearly depleted standard CR123A (not RCR) and with voltage so low (3.10v) that stepdown from high is pretty much immediate, I could keep running it for a full 30 minutes on low as the brightness gradually dimmed. This is an asset for remote exploratory, allowing full exploitation of a cell if a situation calls for it.

Just 3 gripes:

  1. If you double-click to turbo, a single click doesn’t turn the light off. It just defaults back to previous brightness. It’s only after 1 more click does the light turn off. And it doesn’t matter if the HS10 already stepped down.

  2. The battery state LED in the switch is too large. It simply could’ve been 50% smaller and would still do the job without being a distraction.

  3. Why not make it 18350 compatible? Given the head width, Sofirn could’ve made the body just a little wider and longer. Hardly much of a difference from 16340 support. And then it would open up to a more generous range of mAh.

Overall? A total steal at $9 USD. I didn’t need another “L” headlamp, but for this price you simply can’t beat it. And it’s so useful in this size.

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Congratulations :wink:
was the Red button light blinking too?

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Blinking?

Oh it was blinking alright.

Danger, Will Robinson!

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lol…
suggestion

to eliminate parasitic drain when not in regular use, loosen the tailcap… :wink:

(guessing about 2 months to empty)

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there must be some misunderstanding

fwiw, the HS10 is not CR123A compatible, the voltage is too low

suggest you just use the stock 16340 battery… it does not flash when fully charged.

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I was using a Fenix 700 mAh RCR123A / 16340 3.6V.

I ran the Fenix 16340 on direct charge via the Micro-USB port, let it soak up 6 hours worth to max. And now the flashing has stopped. Green light.

image
image1920Ă—1311 172 KB

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thanks for pointing out the webpage says the HS10 is CR123A compatible. I did not realize it said that, and I do not believe it is correct.

I just tested with a CR123A that is at 2.89V and the light turned on at 10 lumens and then quickly dropped to Off.

the good news is that means there is LVP for the stock unprotected LiIon :wink:

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Yeah, that makes sense then. And while not technically “compatible,” the CR123A cell does function. So one could be used in a pinch.

Very good to know there’s LVP. Big plus. But how common are unprotected 16340 cells?

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just about every Anduril light uses unprotected cells, same for All HDS and Novatac. However the HDS and Novatac are true dual fuel and can also use CR123A, IF the correct battery detect steps are followed, so the LVP is turned off. Thereby allowing a CR123A to be fully drained.

the 16340 cell the HS10 ships w is unprotected, also the SC21 mini. The SC21 Pro also ships w the same Unprotected cell as the HS10. The SC21 Pro uses Anduril, which has LVP, so it wont be able to take advantage of a CR123A full discharge range either.

the CR123A cell does function.

the operating range for CR123A is 1.5V to 3.3V

IF an HS10 shuts off w a CR123A at 2.9V (confirmation needed), then youve got a 22% depleted CR1213A whose 78% remaining charge is not accessible in an HS10.

If you want a light that is dual fuel, CR123A and 16340, the HS10 is the wrong choice.

in the old days, dual fuel lights such as the Sunwayman V11r, had No LVP, so they Require protected 16340 (to rule out the possibility of overdischarge), when not using CR123A.

Same for my Olight S Mini, and my Jetbeam RRT-01, they have no LVP for LiIon and will definitely overdischarge them if the Operator does not intervene.

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