Joined in 2023 
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Sustained output: was around 1000 lumens in my testing conditions, which are near worst-case-scenario. I test in an air-conditioned room with no other airflow. In real-world use you will likely be holding the light (which helps cool it and increase sustained output) or there will be a breeze (which helps cool it and increase sustained output). You can also raise the thermal limit as you see fit to increase sustained output. For reference, here’s a baseline shot, with all the room lights off and almost nothing hitting the sensor. Also, here’s the light with the worst PWM I could find. I’m adding multiple timescales, so it’ll be easier to compare to the test light. Unfortunately, the PWM on this light is so bad that it doesn’t even work with my normal scale, which is 50 microseconds (50us). 10ms. 5ms. 2ms. 1ms. 0.5ms. 0.2ms. In a display faster than 0.2ms or so, the on/off cycle is more than one screen, so it’d just (very incorrectly) look like a flat line. I wrote more about this Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight and explained a little about PWM too. User Interface and Operation The light ships with Andúril2! I love it, I think it’s an improvement over the first iteration(s). There are some things some users might not love about it, but I think overall it’s much more approachable. I will note though that the nomenclature might be a bit confusing – the light (all lights with Andúril2) ships in Simple UI. This is not Muggle Mode. You may think “well duh” and by now you’ve already seen the blistering runtime on turbo of Simple, so you get it. But just be aware, don’t hand this light to the uninitiated thinking they won’t set their hand on fire while using Simple UI. Here is where I’d tell you how to switch to muggle mode. There is no muggle mode.
The Q8 driver easily powers four emitters of any kind, in fact it easily powers 17 emitters in my Ham’r build. No need for three FET’s or 3 pairs of wires. I have a spare Q8 driver even now. Have used them in BLF GT’s to drive the SBT90.2. Of course, this new driver has a Type C port for built in charging. And also acts as a battery bank, providing outward charge to, say, a phone. And it is an FET + 1 but times three. Three banks to the emitters in 3 pairs. Thus, one FET and it’s accompanying 7135 chip supply two XHP-50.2’s. Easier on the FET obviously and thus a cheaper version can be used. Still, the 22 ga wires are carrying something like 16-18 Amps so for me, insufficient.
Also above is the light beside my custom engraved TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats. Retention and Carry USB C CHARGE AND DISCHARGE: Sofirn Q8 plus features a built-in type C port that both supports charging and discharging. The indicator light change from flashing blue to steady blue when fully charged. When charging your devices, the indicator light change from steady orange to flashing orange when battery low.(USB C to C cable NOT included)
ANSI FL1 standards: The runtime is measured until the light drops to 10% of its initial output (30 seconds after turning on). This does not mean that the flashlight is not usable anymore. The last column shows how long the light actually works till it shuts off. If there is a + symbol, it means that the test was stopped at that particular point, but the light was actually still running. This happens on certain occasions, with certain drivers, firmware, or batteries. Peak beam intensity and beam distance measurements Mode The built-in thermal control automatically adjusts brightness output to prevent overheating. The "6" in the IP68 rating represents the level of protection against solid objects, specifically dust and foreign particles. It indicates that the Q8 Plus flashlight, is fully protected against the entry of dust and other solid objects. The "8" in the IP68 rating indicates the highest level of protection against water ingress. Does anyone know more about whether different emitters are used in the Sofirn iteration and if so how they're differing from the ones in the Astrolux?Did already someone get his hands on both so the discrepancy in flux can be confirmed by one person using the same equipment? While the link above shows there’s just one version available – there are clearly two. All other things are the same, but the listed version is 6500K, while my review copy is 5000K. That’s a great difference (as I’d say 5000K is much better!)Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable. What’s Included Sofirn is a well known name when it comes to flashlights as we all know. So you can expect it to live up to its name. Here’s a UI table! This table is directly from ToyKeeper’s Andúril2 manual, which you can view here: You may have read into what I wrote above and already considered this, but one cell will also work just fine in the Q8 Plus (as seen above)! You’ll be driving a single cell quite hard doing this, and maybe I’d recommend avoiding Turbo, but the light will certainly work absolutely fine on lower modes this way. (Any number of cells will work fine, too!)
Performance: Turbo is very very bright for a few seconds after turn-on and it gets hot very very fast. High mode lasts a respectable 3 minutes at 4000 lumens before stepping down. Medium runtime is a very impressive 14+ hours. For the Turbo Cooled test I raised the thermal limit to 70C (the max allowed in the firmware) and directed a desk fan straight at the light on its highest setting. Nightwatch NS59: more traditional long flashlight shape, tailswitch instead of side switch, sub-par user interface, no integrated charging Why don’t my measurements match up with the advertised specs? Anduril 2 is highly customizable and I have no idea what settings Sofirn used when they generated the official specifications. Updated emitters: 6* XHP50B LEDs. Using 21700 batteries, the maximum output is 16000lm. If you use high-drain batteries the max output can be as high as 24000lmWell, the output from the Sofirn Q8 Plus flashlight is quite fantastic, first of all. I don’t just love 6500K but that’s what Sofirn sent, and I do appreciate the high output numbers. The user interface is great, of course, because Anduril 2 is great! The e-switch is very nice, and USB-C charging works well, too. I’m disappointed we lost the powerbank feature that the Q8 Pro had, though. Long Review The Big Table Sofirn Q8 Plus flashlight Have a look at these threads. These threads are square-cut, anodized, lubed (maybe excessive lube), and quite long. All in all, this is a good setup. USB Type-C Charging: USB-C connection for fast charging of three 21700 batteries, in addition, this powerful flashlight can operate as a power bank to charge other portable devices. In fact, the output can go up to 4A if you discount the voltage drop – at 4A the voltage (output) drops to around 4V. That’s “out of spec” for USB, so let’s only consider what the output can be while around 5V. At 5V, the Q8 Pro can steadily output 3A. And not just a small bit of 3A output. It’ll output 3A until the powerbank shuts off with low voltage protection. In my case, that was around 3.11V. This is actually completely perfect, and the ideal scenario. Note: Normally before testing Anduril lights, I have to calibrate the thermal sensor. Fortunately, this light comes pre-calibrated from the factory! All tests were run with the thermal ceiling at the default 45C. Usually I like the default 45C, but during my testing I found the light got warm but not hot, so you could increase the thermal limit a bit and still be able to hold the light if you want.
UNBELIEVABLE LONG RUNTIME: Using 3 high-capacity batteries, Q8plus can sustain 1800 lumens for 10 hours, which is as bright as a car light. This high power flashlight has a real long run time, enabling you no longer to worry about power outages. GOING TO LAST: Aerospace-grade aluminum body with IPX8 rated water-resistant—withstand harsh environments like heavy rains, storms, and hurricanes. Plus, Sofirn provides a perfect warranty with helpful customer service. The ANSI runtimes were only as good as they were due to the fact that there is a ton of immediate drop in output before that 30 second mark. If it were based off of the initial output, the higher mode runtimes would be SIGNIFICANTLY shorter, like, in the 5 minute range. On a surprising note, this is the first time I have seen a set of runtimes with over half of the modes running over 24 hours. Yes, this meant it took a while to get these runtime tests completed, but not having any specified information directly from Sofirn meant I didn’t know exactly what to expect, ergo, the TESTS MUST CONTINUE!! (Sorry, I am a dork) Long Runtime: With the Q8 Plus features extended runtimes; up to 40 days at 5 lumens, an incredible 27.75 hours of runtime at a very useful 200 lumens. You no longer have to worry about power outages.Here are a couple of charge graphs. I tested with USB to USB-C (as intended by Sofirn based on the cable they included.) I also tested with USB-C to USB-C, and that works a bit better I think. I am putting this in a table here with ToyKeeper’s permission. Thanks, TK! This is so much better than me writing it because it’s more reliable, and I completely trust its accuracy (at least, if I can paste accurately). I’m breaking it up a little differently than ToyKeeper did, though I certainly understand why it was done her way originally. Sofirn has used four Cree XHP50.2 emitters in the Q8 Pro. Mine are 5000K, but the most available option is 6500K. Here’s a better look at that cell holder. The cells are surrounded by aluminum very snugly. This seems like it might be just for holding the cells in place (and it is!) but it also serves to move the heat generated from the cells when the light is in high output directly into a fairly good mass of aluminum for heat management.
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