This will surely please you in the throw department. I think you’ll love it for your intended purpose. I have a Jacob A60 with WF1 and its making about 235Kcd stabilized and it’s awesome. “Jacket pocket” throw monster. Lightweight and runs low enough power that it can sustain Turbo for a LONG while.
I personally find the M2 a bit more interesting due to the side switch and possibility of modding it to a BLF firmware. I’d buy one right now if it were 21700…
Despite being C8 sized, it easily out throws my 1500lm 2x18650 64mm head Armytek Barracuda Pro.
Serious lightsaber ability for such a small light:
Palm trees 125yd night:
Palm trees 125yd Archer M1:
200+yd Palm Tree, with street light photonic barrier:
The Archer M1 is capable of ‘burning through’ the light barrier of the street lights. Photo is poor, but its able to light up the houses past the palm tree.
So far I’m digging the light. However, the H-M-L interface is somewhat vexing, as its hard to tell if I’m in High vs Medium, and several times found while trying to memorize High, it was actually in medium.
I’ll do more updates and hopefully get better photos, but so far, its a very impressive light. I suspect it’s probably the ‘throwiest’ C8 sized light on the market right now.
Not sure; on paper yes. And Maxtoch is known for their pretty advanced Throwers; essentially thats all they make. That said the videos / pics of the U22 II show quite a bit of throw.
For me, the biggest advantage is that the Archer M1 uses 18650’s, which I already have.
Here’s a comparison shot of the Armytek Barracuda Pro vs the Archer M1.
Cell phone isn’t good at night, in real life both a much more impressive. But based on the width of the beams, you can see that despite the much smaller reflector, the M1 throws a tighter beam pattern, and subsequently has a further effective range.
I will say I’m increasingly irritated with the UI on the M1. Despite trying to leave it on High, it turns on Medium about 50-60% of the time.
At a minimum, they should not have put a mode memory on this thing - especially such an inconsistent one.
As of right now, the M1 out throws the Barracuda, and is also much easier to carry. But the Tactical UI of the Barracuda makes it the flashlight I would grab for any ‘serious’ lighting use.
I’d like to figure out some way to convert the M1 to High only.
Did some more informal testing of the Archer M1 today against my ‘palm tree range.’
@125yd, the M1 on L/150lm is capable of providing adequate, usable illumination of the palm fronds.
I then tested the Barracuda Pro; on 350lm mode it was ~equal in illumination, maybe slightly less well lit, although lighting a wider area.
Hopefully someone with a real candela / lumen meter can test the M1, but its definitely very impressive.
Also, I’m more convinced then ever that a ‘Tactical’ model needs to be made, thats both High only + potted against recoil. It would be the #1 performing rifle light in the world.
$350 Modlites are bragging about 60kcd; this thing is putting out 250kcd+.
Just ordered this light from Maxtoch. Looking forward to seeing how it compares to Osram W1 in my Manker U22vII, Noctigon K1, Nightwatch NI01L IRA and Acebeam E10.
Those were the measurements taken by Maxtoch which they sent to me via email.
I don’t have a light meter; I’ve been testing the M1 vs the Barracuda using my eyeballs vs palm trees @ 125yds and 200+yds, as shown in the earlier photos.
The Barracuda Pro is this model, claimed 160kcd, and in and of itself a very capable thrower:
Most tellingly, the M1 on Low (150lm) lights up the palm trees at 125yd slightly more then the Barracuda at 350lm.
Hopefully, someone with a more sophisticated evaluation / testing process will snag an Archer M1.
All I can say is that it has a pretty unreal level of throw for a light this small.