Sofirn SF36 $10.88 on Amazon. NW Tint.

KawiBoy1428 · 2018-04-03T09:50:11.000Z

Muto:

KawiBoy1428:

Got mine a little while ago, now it’s pushing 5.6amps. Love the full round battery tube, great knurling, perfectly smooth and clean reflector, very nice spot and beam profile no rings, wish I could say that for the SP31 I got! :confounded: The buck driver and UI in the SP31 is a real nice set-up, boosted that one up to 5amps, too bad about the crap reflector…though.

What mods did it take to get to 5.6 amps?
Also if you guys want an OP reflector, just spray them with Aqua Net as per the late Old Lumens method.
Thanks!

Keith

Stacked resistors, stock was R091, so I changed it several times, stacked on top of the stock resistor a R090 then tried a R050 R040 and ended up just jumping/bridging the pads. It’s a FET driver so It will change with different current capable cells. I got 5.6 with a fully charged VTC5 driver spring bypassed. Figured good enough? Did not want to take the reflector out and change leads to 22-20awg, and take a chance of dirtying up that perfect, beautiful, clean reflector.

KawiBoy1428 · 2018-04-03T09:52:39.000Z

Muto:

KawiBoy1428:

Got mine a little while ago, now it’s pushing 5.6amps. Love the full round battery tube, great knurling, perfectly smooth and clean reflector, very nice spot and beam profile no rings, wish I could say that for the SP31 I got! :confounded: The buck driver and UI in the SP31 is a real nice set-up, boosted that one up to 5amps, too bad about the crap reflector…though.

What mods did it take to get to 5.6 amps?
Also if you guys want an OP reflector, just spray them with Aqua Net as per the late Old Lumens method.
Thanks!

Keith

Yeah I spritzed the SP31 with some Hi-Temp clear, it helped a bit. :+1:

Boaz · 2018-04-03T11:30:56.000Z

the aqua net trick is older than old lumens .I remember Don talking about it way back when ….make sure you’re smoking when you spray the hair spray …it makes it much more fun.

MikeyConti · 2018-04-06T08:45:44.000Z

I need a good Flashlight for Pest Control, but don’t have the money to get the Zebralight I want. Would this be close to a Neutral White tint thats good for doing inside inspections along with doing inspections in crawl spaces? Cool White seems to take away the insects color and also need a good spot beam aswell as a decent flood to it aswell. Sorry if some of this doesn’t make sense, I am still trying to learn all of this.

puglife2 · 2018-04-06T09:01:16.000Z

MikeyConti:

I need a good Flashlight for Pest Control, but don’t have the money to get the Zebralight I want. Would this be close to a Neutral White tint thats good for doing inside inspections along with doing inspections in crawl spaces? Cool White seems to take away the insects color and also need a good spot beam aswell as a decent flood to it aswell. Sorry if some of this doesn’t make sense, I am still trying to learn all of this.

The sofirn sf36w is a warm white light, if you want a neutral tint you can get the sofirn sf36

MikeyConti · 2018-04-06T09:08:44.000Z

Ah, thanks for letting me know, the one on Amazon doesn’t have a W at the end so it should be the right one! Thanks for clarifying!

puglife2 · 2018-04-06T10:34:25.000Z

MikeyConti:

Ah, thanks for letting me know, the one on Amazon doesn’t have a W at the end so it should be the right one! Thanks for clarifying!

whoops my mistake, i thought it was the sofirn sf36w thread :zipper_mouth_face:

MikeyConti · 2018-04-06T10:43:12.000Z

puglife2:

MikeyConti:

Ah, thanks for letting me know, the one on Amazon doesn’t have a W at the end so it should be the right one! Thanks for clarifying!

whoops my mistake, i thought it was the sofirn sf36w thread :zipper_mouth_face:

Im glad you posted that anyway because I didn’t know there were both models lol

chops728 · 2018-04-06T10:50:13.000Z

I recieved my $11 sf36 Wednsday —- Very nice light—esp for the money—-output is very good ( use any cell) with fairly good mode spacing—tint is awesome—I usually hate stock tints—this one is around 4700k/ 3C—not really a thrower—compares favorably to a P60/OP reflector driven @ 4.4amps—the switch is a little weird —kind of delayed reaction when switching modes

MikeyConti · 2018-04-06T11:02:14.000Z

chops728:

I recieved my $11 sf36 Wednsday —- Very nice light—esp for the money—-output is very good ( use any cell) with fairly good mode spacing—tint is awesome—I usually hate stock tints—this one is around 4700k/ 3C—not really a thrower—compares favorably to a P60/OP reflector driven @ 4.4amps—the switch is a little weird —kind of delayed reaction when switching modes

Does the SF36 require protected 18650’s or does is hava a built in saftey?

joechina · 2018-04-06T11:10:28.000Z

Ok, what is the Aqua Net trick?
Hairspray?
The forum search isn’t helpful.

Muto · 2018-04-06T12:23:41.000Z

joechina:

Ok, what is the Aqua Net trick?
Hairspray?
The forum search isn’t helpful.

All Right here you go.
He calls it stippling.
A nice video from our beloved late Old Lumens R.I.P.

Video - How I Stipple a Reflector Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts

I figured I would show how I coat a reflector "Stipple". [Stippling a flashlight reflector]

Enjoy!
Keith

MikeyConti · 2018-04-06T12:52:55.000Z

MikeyConti:

chops728:

I recieved my $11 sf36 Wednsday —- Very nice light—esp for the money—-output is very good ( use any cell) with fairly good mode spacing—tint is awesome—I usually hate stock tints—this one is around 4700k/ 3C—not really a thrower—compares favorably to a P60/OP reflector driven @ 4.4amps—the switch is a little weird —kind of delayed reaction when switching modes

Does the SF36 require protected 18650’s or does is hava a built in saftey?

Did some more reading on my question.

Looks like it has Low Voltage Cutoff built in so I can go ahead and use some of the many unprotected 18650’s I have for Vaping. Some HG LG2 or Sony VTC5A/6’s should work great in the SF36.

pennzy · 2018-04-06T14:30:09.000Z

I got one last week. I am very pleased with it. Somewhere between a S2+ and a C8 type beam . For $10 and change , can’t beat it.

Blackbeard · 2018-04-07T03:58:44.000Z

Very hard to resist these $10 1000 lumen lights, tried to ignore it for the past week, but finally caved in and ordered.

toddcshoe · 2018-04-07T04:41:26.000Z

Blackbeard:

Very hard to resist these $10 1000 lumen lights, tried to ignore it for the past week, but finally caved in and ordered.

I think you will enjoy it. Hard to beat for the money. Nice and bright, good to keep in the car or something. I keep mine on top the fridge near the back door so I can grab it on the way out. Lights up my 1 acre yard and the woods behind the house. It will do you good I bet.

Blackbeard · 2018-04-07T05:13:04.000Z

toddcshoe:

Blackbeard:

Very hard to resist these $10 1000 lumen lights, tried to ignore it for the past week, but finally caved in and ordered.

I think you will enjoy it. Hard to beat for the money. Nice and bright, good to keep in the car or something. I keep mine on top the fridge near the back door so I can grab it on the way out. Lights up my 1 acre yard and the woods behind the house. It will do you good I bet.

Yeah, hard to imagine how some of these deals are even possible or we have been overpaying for the big name lights all this time. A few months ago Sofirn had the SP13 + free SD02 1000 lumen diving light(Not sure it’s even available anymore, but its built like a tank) for about $13, both are excellent lights.

toddcshoe · 2018-04-07T06:34:51.000Z

Blackbeard:

Yeah, hard to imagine how some of these deals are even possible or we have been overpaying for the big name lights all this time. A few months ago Sofirn had the SP13 + free SD02 1000 lumen diving light(Not sure it’s even available anymore, but its built like a tank) for about $13, both are excellent lights.

I know they still sell the SD02 for about $24 on their Ali site. Don’t have that one. I have about 8 or 9 Sofirn lights I guess. I like them all for the most part. I got that SP31 I think it was that they had on sale last week for super cheap with battery and charger. Besides the horrible beam it’s not too bad. Light when I need it is better than no light at all. Started picking up a few Thorfire’s too. They seem right up on par with Sofirn. I even see Sofirn’s name on a few of their drivers. I use to think Streamlight and Surefire where the only names for quality bright lights. These overseas manufacturers have come in and made some changes. Now I feel like an idiot for paying hundreds of dollars for a 200 lumen name.

Muto · 2018-04-07T11:42:22.000Z

I compared the Sofirn SP36 against the Thorfire VG10 last night.
Throw and brightness is pretty much dead nuts even but Man is the tint better on the Sofirn.
I have a white van and the Thorfire looks a ever so slight shade of Blue compared to the Pure White on the Sofirn when shone on the van.
Also the colors in the grass are more vibrant on the SP36.

I know it’s a tint lottery sometimes but I have several of the newer Sofirns and the NW really is neutral.
Heck of a buy at 10.88

Later,
Keith

kyfishguy · 2018-04-07T19:23:20.000Z

These low cost sofirn lights are awesome and the neutral white tints they offer as standard equipment make them almost good enough in stock form. For those of us never satisfied with stock output, a simple bridge of the sense resistor and bypass of driver/tail springs gives nearly five amps to the emitter. Pretty sure the MCPCB isn’t DTP but the emitter seems happy enough at that current.

Brian