Alternate to Folomov 18650S? - want similar size & mode spacing, but different UI

I've had my Folomov 18650S for about 5 days and like pretty much everything about it, except the UI.

I don't like having to go up through turbo and back down through medium, if I'm starting in medium and want to go to the next step dimmer.

The UI also has a quirk that it will sometimes go in to Turbo from moon mode, even though it's supposed to go the the last mode used, even if the last mode used wasn't turbo - this really irritates me.

I really like the price, compact size, mode spacing and the clip.

I'd like to have direct access to low and high or turbo from off.

I don't want a bluish beam or a really tight spot beam. Decent CRI is required, but doesn't have to be anywhere 90, as long as colors are easily distinguished from one another.

My current consideration is the BLF A6 XPL, since it's UI appears to be more to my liking and it can currently be acquired for a similar price with battery, though it is a bit longer than the Folomov 18650S. My main concern with the BLF A6 XPL is that the clip looks too tight to easily accommodate pocket seams that are very thick. One of the videos that I watched showed the reviewer having to work a bit to get the bump in the clip to clear the pocket seam. I need the clip to work on my jeans pocket, unless I get a decent holster. This clip looks like I'd have to work it over with pliers to reshape it - as I had to do with my Utorch UT01 clip.

The Folomov 18650S is my first 18650 light and I really don't know much about the options out there, but have noticed that most skip from about 50 lumens to 300 or more lumens and I really like an mode between 120 and 200 to go in between the low/medium and the higher modes. The 18650S is almost perfect for me for mode spacing.

Please offer suggestions for options that I'm obviously not aware of.

I'm on a really tight budget, so I can't afford to keep trying out lights to see how they work in real life.

This light is for EDC and would be clipped inside the back pocket of my jeans, unless it came with a serviceable holster. I don't currently have an adequate holster.


Thanks,

David

Re: Alternate to Folomov 18650S? - want similar size & mode spacing, but different UI

Depending on your needs, I think the BLF A6 is an excellent light and generally the better choice of the two.

The 18650s is an value priced light, so I too decided to try and hoped to like it. But I agree about the issues with the UI :shakehead

FWIW, here is a workaround I discovered for the 18650s' UI, that enables me to get -
(1) direct access to Moonlight, (click & hold >0.5 sec)
(2) direct access to Last-memorized-level (click), and
(3) quasi-direct access to Turbo (click&hold >0.5 sec & click again)**

** Note:
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The Folomov 18650s changes brightness in a wave-like pattern (L>M>H>Turbo>H>M>L…) rather than the more common cyclical pattern (L>M>H>Turbo>L>M>H…). If the 18650s is turned Off anywhere in the increasing portion of the wave pattern, a Click-from-Moonlight will return to Last-Memory-Mode. If however the light is turned Off anywhere in the decreasing brightness portion of the wave pattern, a Click-from-Moonlight will go direct to Turbo instead of the Last-Memorized-Level. As illustrated in the diagram below.

Thus if one intentionally turns-Off the light at any level in the decreasing portion of the pattern, direct access to Turbo can always be activated by a "Click&Hold>0.5S & Click again".
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If on the other hand you prefer the Click-from-Moonlight to be Last-Memorized-Level, the light must be turned-Off at a brightness level within the increasing portion of the pattern. Although once this Click-from-Moonlight to Last-Memorized-Level option is used, the 18650s progresses to the "decreasing brightness" portion of the pattern and subsequent Click-from-Moonlight will result in Turbo (instead of the desired Last-Memorized level), unless you manually cycle back to the "increasing brightness" portion before using again.


Presumeably this UI was unintentional since there's no mention of it in the instructions. This UI quirk and other issues with the emitter being overdriven on freshly charged batteries indicate to me that the Folomov should probably just proceed with a v2 now.

Re: Alternate to Folomov 18650S? - want similar size & mode spacing, but different UI

How about an Emisar D4.

The D4 is much more compact than a BLF A6 and shorter than the Folomov. This extra compactness makes it a much more comfortable for EDC pocket carry.

It also has a much better UI than either the A6 or the Folomov.

The D4 is best used at medium to short range as it is fairly floody. Peak turbo output is much, MUCH higher than the A6 or the Folomov, but can't be maintained for long.

The D4 is a bit pricier at $35 for the base model or $45 if you choose to upgrade to 4300 lumen XPL HI.

If you select the base model I recommend the XPG2 version rather than the Nichia. The Nichia has better color and is high CRI, but it's all flood without much punch. The XPG2 and XPL HI versions are much throwier.

Re: Alternate to Folomov 18650S? - want similar size & mode spacing, but different UI

not a good product, aside from blue shift, light gets hot enough to burn yourself after about 30 seconds on turbo with fully charged battery. Had to return it,

Re: Alternate to Folomov 18650S? - want similar size & mode spacing, but different UI

I've ordered the Sofirn SP32A V2.0 kit at half price and the BLF A6 XPL with battery & charger at a very good price. I'll receive the SP32A V2.0 next week, but the A6 XPL is shipping from China, so probably a 2 or 3 weeks for it.

If neither one of these satisfies me, I may take a closer look at the Emisar D4, since it's compact enough and the UI seems desirable - I like the direct access from off to min, max and memorized. I would like high CRI, but would also like a bit of throw.

Thanks for the suggestions - keep them coming, if there are other options.

Re: Alternate to Folomov 18650S? - want similar size & mode spacing, but different UI

I received the Sofirn SP32A V2.0 kit about two weeks ago and like it on the ramping UI, since it can ramp forward or backward, so returning the light to ML doesn't require going through high and turbo.

I just received the BLF A6 XPL with battery (no charger that I though was in the kit) and the battery was completely flat - 0.0v with DMMV - so I put the battery from the SP32A into it to test it out. It seems to function as described and I will mess with it more this evening. I won't be able to compare it to the SP32A until I get home this evening to charge the battery that came with the A6. I thought for sure that I had ordered the set that included the charger from the Bang store. The A6 also allows reverse mode sequence, so there is no need to go through the high and turbo modes on the way to ML.

The A6 has an absolutely horrible pocket clip that won't go all the way onto my jeans back pocket until manipulated with 2 pair of pliers - just as my Utorch UT01 clip required reshaping before it could be used properly. I really don't understand the design of this clip - the bump on the ring gets caught on the pocket seam and won't allow full deep pocket use.

I do prefer both the SP32A V2.0 and BLF A6 over the Folomov 18650S.

My 18650S appears to drain the battery when the light is off and then when switched on, it will stay in a medium mode and won't shut off with the switch - you have to remove the battery and charge it fully before it will function normally again. This is extremely annoying. I will return this light for a refund - I don't want a replacement.

Re: Alternate to Folomov 18650S? - want similar size & mode spacing, but different UI

Good choice with the Sofirn SP32V2.

I did a review of the earlier SP32A (v1) a while back and I liked the light.