Ok, I was ordering a C8F from sofirn and while talking to them they asked if I wanted to review this light. A dual switch EDC? You bet I said yes!
For the record I LOVE properly done dual switch lights, it is how all lights should be.
The very basic function of a dual switch light should have the tail switch handling power and the side switch handling all mode changes. Simple, direct and easy for even novices to understand. It allows you to flash out morse code if you wanted or whatever else you might want.
The light itself is the basic EDC tube design we have come to know and love. The head is slightly larger then normal. It has a clear switch cover with Green, yellow and Red LED’s along with a USB charging port.
The included accessories are basic but functional. USB charge cable, manual and some spare o-rings.
The UI is pretty good for a Non-BLF firmware, although basic. The tailswitch turns the light on and off, that is it, just like it should be. The side switch is used for mode changes. I like the instant response to all button presses. Although some menu options and possibly a ramping option would be nice to see. Still this gets a firm thumbs up for a factory firmware.
Some (mostly) readable pictures of the manual for future reference.
Construction quality is good, it is very light weight, good threads and overall fit and finish. I wish it had some more heat sinking personally and a bit more mass but then I prefer heavy lights and pocket knives, I am Texan.
The LED rests on a DTP Copper mcpcb and it is an XP-L HD LED with a reasonable tint. I would put the tint around 5000k but it has a slight magenta hue to the beam that makes it look a bit cooler. Still much better then the ice cold LED’s you get with most lights.
I then tested this light in my TA Sphere 2.0 with the new ANSI calibration that has been verified to be within spitting distance of real ANSI readings.
I got just over 900 lumens in turbo A bit below spec but pretty good for the light at a whole. I am not sure it would handle much more then this heat wise anyways.
I also measured the input power and it is using a buck driver that allows it to run 2x CR123 cells with regulation until ~4V. When in regulation it maintains a solid 10W of power (about 2.7A tailcap current) which is about right for a light this size.
Sadly with an 18650 it falls out of regulation almost immediately (which is why buck drivers for 3V LED’s do not work very well except at lower power levels). There is not much they can do about this while maintaining the CR123 compatibility.
Now for the nice bonus that this light offers which is a USB charging port. In e-switch lights this usually means they have high parasitic drain and but in this dual switch light it works great. Good charging current as well at over 0.8A (possible it would be a little higher with a fully drained cell). Note that you have to turn the tailswitch off for the USB charging to work.
Speaking of USB charging, I got a new USB tester and a load tester from RD tech the other day and I love it! It allows you to plug a USB cable into it which is nice for situations like this but also allows you to messure a USB cable resistance. It has already allowed me to figure out why one of my chargers was having issues but that will be for another review.
The voltage cutoff on the USB charging is good as well, here is the cell after letting it fully charge in the light:
So conclusions:
Pros:
-Dual switches with instant response and good UI
-Good and classic design
-Good belt clip
-Good USB charging current and cutoff voltage
-No worries about parasitic drain
-You always know where the power switch is
-Side switch only controls mode changes
Cons:
- Wish it had more heat sinking
- More power would be nice, I am going to look into resistor modding it but I do not expect much since it falls out of regulation so fast anyways.
Overall I have to say I really like this light and it makes me really want to work on a dual switch EDC like this with more power and a more powerful UI. It is the first host that has made me consider changing from my Convoy.
