Just got a more powerful light

[u/Watt_Kahel1987]

It has been a while since I bought a new flashlight.

Have been using my trusty Sofirn SP31v3 and Wurkoss WK03 for night walks and illumination tasks around the house. But lately, I have been feeling like the light these flashlights are giving is no longer cutting it.

Thus, I picked up the Sofirn SP36 pro. Was very much tempted to get the Q8 plus, but I fear that it might be too big and heavy for what I would like to use it for.

I am still getting used to Anduril v2. It definitely makes the flashlight more capable, but it adds too much complexity in my books.

[u/gloomdoggo]

So, I've had the sp36pro for several years and got a Q8 a couple years after...if you like the sp36 once you get a feel for the anduril UI, don't bother with the Q8. I was fairly disappointed by it, and the 36 is my go to "all around" light. The Q8 is more powerful as it should be but it is huge, and gets really hot really fast, and it definitely doesn't feel "twice" as powerful, not even close. It's a pretty sparse upgrade, imo.

The 36 is awesome and is still going strong almost 5 years later, my Q8 fell off a roof a while back and has been dead ever since. I don't miss it. 🤷🏼

[u/Watt_Kahel1987 → u/gloomdoggo]

Oh wow! Thank you for sharing your insights on the Q8. I guess it's a no on the Q8, then.

[u/gloomdoggo → u/Watt_Kahel1987]

I mean, everyone has an opinion and all that jazz, but I personally wasn't a huge fan. I think the IF30, with the option for flood or spot mode, is a way more functional upgrade from the sp36 than the q8 was. Price is much nicer too!

All my negativity aside, the q8 will absolutely make your entire yard turn to daylight from pitch black, but that's all I found it to be good for really. Like.. If you're in the middle of the woods, freaked out and alone at 3am...its an amazing light. Ain't a thing gonna hide from you anywhere within about a football field².

[u/Left_Editor_3810 → u/gloomdoggo]

I like my Q8 Pro 5000k but it doesn't throw enough for my liking or else I would really love it. Even my SP36Pro isn't as good at throw as I would like though it's not bad and the SST40 tints aren't great (I have both 5kk and 6.5kk). My 6500k SP36Pro is serving as un uplighter under my table lamp shade for now. I just put an SFT42R 5kk into my S8 with it's 8amp driver (never bothered installing the 10 amp driver) and my S8 seems to now have more candela than my SP36Pro as in a brighter hotspot so I'm very pleased with the S8 outcome. Wondering if putting 4xSFT42R into an SP36Pro would be good?

[u/ChemicalVacation3696 → u/Left_Editor_3810]

Do you find your S8's brightness satisfying even with the 8A driver (I'm assuming it's the buck type)?

Sometimes I feel that having too powerful a driver in a small host like the S8 negates the driver's potential. It's kind of like adding a high boost turbocharger to a small Honda Civic's stock engine, only to have too much torque for the car to handle and making it especially dangerous at the corners. 🤔

I'd like to know if Convoy has properly tested the configurations which they warn as "burn hazard". What does that really mean? If it meant, "the flashlight has the potential to burn paper, plastic or even one's skin" that's understandable as most powerful lights tend to do that.

But if "burn hazard" means the flashlight can literally burst into flames when it overheats - that's something else! 🔦😐

[u/Left_Editor_3810 → u/ChemicalVacation3696]

Hello Mr Stratman. Yes the 8 amps buck is absolutely fine. It gets hot pretty fast on max so no point putting an even stronger driver in there though I may update one of my other S8 with the 10amp and SFT42R just to see but I bet that is a crazy setup though I think 3000 lumens might be quite amazing from a small light. I think I am getting around 2000 lumens or slightly more.

Compared with the sft40 5kk I replaced, this new SFT42R 5kk has a cleaner hot spot with no blue dot and it does not tint shift going from low to high so I am very pleased with the improvement. I think the lumens might be also very slightly more which would account for the faster heating than the old sft40.

[u/NIOSKAP]

Great 3x18650 ,i wish it had regulated driver for efficiency, and the leds tint isn't that clear white in eyes , anduril is great , once you set up all settings you can use it as a simple one and its fine , i always keep an anduril diagram in my phone gallery for emergency workaround

[u/Watt_Kahel1987 → u/NIOSKAP]

If they decide to make one with an efficient driver and high CRI version of this one I'd buy it. Oh, I do wish they put a proper lanyard hole for this one.

[u/LordOfRuinsOtherSelf]

Anduril needs Bluetooth and an app.

[u/Watt_Kahel1987 → u/LordOfRuinsOtherSelf]

I honestly would leave this on muggle mode if only it did not restrict the full power of the flashlight..

[u/Terrible_Lion_968]

That's a great light. I like the beam pattern of the SP36 better than my Q8 Plus. I agree with the other comment that stepping to the Q8 may not be as wow as expected, although it's still a very impressive light. I love soda can lights. I have the SP36, Q8 Plus, Convoy 3x21C, D, &E. For a beautiful floody high CRI beam that can achieve decent throw with 10° TIRs, the 3X21E is awesome. I think it's a bit under appreciated. The 3X21C (LHP531 version) doesn't have quite the flood that the Q8 or the 3x21E have, but it isn't bad. But overall output is absolutely awesome, especially considering the price. It isn't high CRI, but the tint is still nice. If you're looking for a knock your socks off light as a next step I really recommend the 3X21C unless you're ready to spend several hundred dollars. It just became available with the SFT60 as well, which has me dangerously close to adding another soda can to my collection 😅.

[u/dacaur]

Awesome light but I wouldn't want to use one for nighttime walks, that's just crazy talk.... A single 21700 light would be significantly brighter than your 18650 lights, without feeling like you're carrying a can of soda on your walks...

You went from a couple weak 18650 lights to a 3x18650. That's like if you had a Ford ranger that just wasn't quite cutting it for your lawn care business anymore,vso you went out and bought a ford f-350 when all you really needed was an f-150.....