Yesterday I decided to make a small change to one of my Amutorch! I took the original driver out and put one of the Reylight (4 modes: ML-L-M-Hm with the lowest moonlight I’ve ever seen but, sadly, with PWM on Low, Medium and High modes :person_facepalming: )
I also changed the emitter, placing a XML2 U2-1A that I ended up damaging due to the TIR lens I was using. Later I put the XPG3-S3 back in the place and while I’m waiting for 2 XML2 LEDs to arrive (T6-3B and T6-4C).
Here’s are some pics (click on them to get bigger images):
Left to Right:
XPG3-S3 / Original TIR > XPG3-S3 / Pebbled TIR > XML2 U2-1A / SMO Reflector > Nichia 219C / Pebbled TIR
Left to Right:
XPG3-S3 / Original TIR > XPG3-S3 / Pebbled TIR > XPG3-S3 / Original TIR / Reylight Driver > Nichia 219C / Pebbled TIR
On Ni-MH batteries
On 14500 Li-Ion batteries
Original Driver > Reylight Driver
As mentioned above, the Reylight driver has PWM in L, M and H (perceivable in the photos) modes, and emits a “buzzzz” in these 3 modes. With 14500 batteries, that noise is even louder and it is not so comfortable to use the light due to that.
Also on 14500, on High mode, apparently it produces the same amount of light (or maybe a bit more) than the original driver, using the original emitter and lens.
On Ni-MH cells, the original driver seems to have a gain in all modes in terms of luminosity (it doesn’t have Moonlight, though).
Despite the photos don’t show that (and I damaged the XML2 before taking more photos :person_facepalming: ), the XML2 produces a better and more intense beam inside the original TIR lens, as Sivy showed above.
The tint of the XML2 U2-1A inside a pebbled lens seems to tend more to Neutral White as the original XPG3. When it’s inside the Original TIR lens, it “goes back” to Cool White tint.
I have 2 XML2 on the way and I’ll try them both with the original driver and with the Reylight driver. My guess is that I’ll opt for the original due to the “buzz” on 3 modes, despite the incredible Moonlight mode.
Perhaps with those LEDs the Original TIR lens makes more sense and produces a better beam.
So far, my favourite “versions” are using the +pebbled +lens with the XPG3 and the Nichia.