"Review": Amutorch Stainless Steel XPG3-S3 AA flashlight [Modded TIR Lenses]

LED Flashlights – General Info 1 x AA / 1 x 14500 Flashlights
61

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience on this Sivy :wink:
Yup, the LED tint is not so good but changing the lens as I did, it becomes not so Cool, it tends to Neutral tint!

Got some questions for you, so!

May I ask which XML2 did you put? And do you use it with the original TIR lens?
I’m asking as I want to change one to XML2 T6-3B , but I guess it won’t fit properly in the pebbled/hive TIR lens, so I may have to use the original lens or a reflector!

Do you have any picture to get a notion of how the XML2 works? I’d be glad to see it :slight_smile:

Have you compared LiFePO4 with 14500 in terms of temperature and luminosity on max output? If so, did you feel any significant difference between those?

Thanks in advance :+1:

62

I put in an XM-L2 on a 15mm star I had spare from upgrading something to XPL-HI, Cool white , probably too cool for many on here but I was mostly after getting rid of the rings of different colours the XP-G3 gave.

Fitted straight in under the standard Amutorch TIR.

Lifepo4 probably bumps output to 250lms ish and IMR 14500 to around 450lms ish, IMR gets hotter faster.


XM-L2


XP-G3

63

Thanks Sivy :wink:
Hum, the XML2 looks pretty good, I like it! It is a bit like Convoy S2+ Tan version with XPL-HI U6-3A! I’ll have to see how it works with a different lens :nerd_face:
There’s a huge shift of the XPG3 on the original lens. When using a reflector or a pebbled lens it tends to get more homogeneous, but not as much as an original Neutral LED!

About the batteries, thanks for the information as well! I only have Ni-MH or 14500 (Sanyo UR14500P, I guess they are not IMR) batteries. I thought it would worth to get the LiFePO4 but maybe I’ll stick with those I have.
Even when using the Ni-MH on high for a while it gets a bit hot, the pill and the host are thin! But for indoors environments, so far the Ni-MH have been enough in the brightness produced !
Thanks again :+1:

64

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 :open_mouth: 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.

65

Well, once again I made some changes in these lights (well, at least in 1 of them :smiley: )
I replaced the original LED XPG3-S3 for a XML2 T6-4C and then replaced the already installed Reylight driver for the original one (3 modes, PWM in L and H).
I kept the original TIR lens, not pebbled.

Some comparisons (Left to Right) [click the photos to see them bigger]:

XML2 T6-4C / Original TIR > XPG3-S3 / Pebbled TIR > XPG3-S3 / Original TIR > Nichia 219C / Pebbled TIR

XPG3-S3 / Original TIR > XML2 T6-4C / Original TIR

XML2 T6-4C / Original TIR > Nichia 219C / Original TIR

Convoy S2 / Pebbled TIR+ > Nichia 219C / Pebbled TIR > XML2 T6-4C / Original TIR

Convoy S2 / Pebbled TIR+ > Nichia 219C / Original TIR > XML2 T6-4C / Original TIR

Convoy S2 / SMO Reflector+ > Nichia 219C / Original TIR > XML2 T6-4C / Original TIR

Convoy S2 / Pebbled TIR+ > XPG3-S3 / Pebbled TIR > Nichia 219C / Pebbled TIR

66

Price (for 2 lights, with seller and AliExpress coupons): 27,95€ (got 1 free light, so the price was below 10€ each)

Is this action over? I can not find any hints.

How should I proceed for the best price?

67

Hi and welcome to BLF :wink:
Hum, can’t say if the deal is over, maybe you have to contact the seller to confirm it ! It is better that way!
This is the link for the store, though:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Newest-Cree-XPG3-LED-EDC-flashlight-Small-stainless-steel-flashlight/32807845227.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.9.stqogk&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_10152_10065_10151_10344_10068_10345_5000017_10342_10343_10340_10341_5060017_5130017_10541_10084_10083_10304_10307_10301_10539_5080015_10312_10059_10313_10314_10534_100031_10604_10603_10103_10605_10594_10596_10142_10107,searchweb201603_33,ppcSwitch_5&algo_expid=e70803a5-422e-432a-b96f-309b89dadf80-1&algo_pvid=e70803a5-422e-432a-b96f-309b89dadf80&rmStoreLevelAB=3

Enjoy it here :sunglasses:

68

Now i found the new offer. In the main picture he wrote: Buy 3 and get 4.

Without an 4 $ aliexpress Coupon (now not available) it’s not good enough. Also with 4 $ Coupon it is to much. 13,50 (12,50) $ for 1.

On Banggood in Action to 13,99 $.

69

Hey all, after living on my wish list for a very long time, I finally purchased this light recently. Must say, I’m impressed with the machining and appearance. VERY nice, and the pictures don’t do it justice.

Most of the previous reviews have found the same things as I, so I won’t repeat them. Only thing I noticed is that the pill is actually made it SS, not Al.

I’ve modded mine with an ET D25a reflector from KD. I don’t have a lense in it currently, but plan to laser cut one from a giant UCLp lense I’m about to purchase. I also swapped in a sliced dome 219B-V1, originally 5700k I believe. Can’t be sure anymore as it’s been in a misc emitters bin for years. I adore the tint. Right around a 5b1, which has been my favorite through the years. Rendering is great, especially dyed blacks and dark blues. Virtually no tint shift across the whole beam. I have a sliced dome sst20w in 4k waiting to try and de-thrown it, but the tint is greenish until driven hard (where it is then ‘perfect’). Should be more efficient, but tint + consistency is King for me these days. We’ll see…

PS. We should do a group buy on these things. They’d make great Christmas gifts! Especially if modded! I want a few more myself.

70

This redirects to https://ad.admitad.com which in turn redirects to aliexpress.

71

To me it is direct!
Considering that it was posted a while ago, something might have happened!

Here: link :wink:

72

You can use developers tools in your browser to look up the traffic. I use request policy extension for Firefox so it asks me for permission whenever some site redirects to another address.
The first redirection is https://ad.admitad.com/g/1e8d114494f1d922c09a16525dc3e8/?subid=k0y91j0d2z0002cl02g08&ulp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aliexpress.com%2Fitem%2FNewest-Cree-XPG3-LED-EDC-flashlight-Small-stainless-steel-flashlight%2F32807845227.html%3Fspm%3D2114.search0104.3.9.qH1SaY%26ws_ab_test%3Dsearchweb0_0%2Csearchweb201602_4_10152_10065_10151_10068_5410020_10304_10307_10301_10137_10060_10155_10154_5370011_10056_10055_10054_10059_100031_10099_5400020_10103_10102_5430011_10052_10053_10142_10107_10050_10051_5380020_5390020_10084_10083_10119_10080_10082_10081_10177_10110_10111_5420020_10112_10113_10114_10312_10313_10314_10315_10078_10079_10073_10120-10120%2Csearchweb201603_19%2CppcSwitch_5%26btsid%3D1764e1c9-2c8b-48dc-bfd6-8b19ffeaac5f%26algo_expid%3De2d36ba5-d700-4e58-84e0-8cb23b14c561-1%26algo_pvid%3De2d36ba5-d700-4e58-84e0-8cb23b14c561%26transAbTest%3Dae803_3

BTW, the Ali link that you just posted in full is…
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32807845227.html?dp=03c26609f08ba2872100ca69e5e5d0f3&af=240682&cv=47843&afref=&mall_affr=pr3&dp=03c26609f08ba2872100ca69e5e5d0f3&af=240682&cv=47843&afref=&mall_affr=pr3&aff_platform=aaf&cpt=1569353876919&sk=VnYZvQVf&aff_trace_key=daa6aba4d3d94063b4030b8b3e71ca77-1569353876919-07964-VnYZvQVf&terminal_id=68ad1cd7bdb94b09b8ef56cffe15a0cc

Looks like affiliate link, opposed to a much shorter
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32807845227.html

73

Actually, all youse need is

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32807845227.html

because all the other crap specifies the account, order, “snapshot” in time when it was placed, all that garbage.

Same like Amazon links where you can stop after the asin (B073X… number), imdb (tt/nm/etc. number), and so on.

Eg, you can have

https://www.amazon.com/Charmast-Ultra-Compact-Li-Polymer-Compatible-Devices-White/dp/B07SW6M1PX/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

or just

https://www.amazon.com/Charmast-Ultra-Compact-Li-Polymer-Compatible-Devices-White/dp/B07SW6M1PX/

or best of all just

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SW6M1PX/

See?

74

Ach! Beat me by seconds…

75

I don’t use affiliate links! I copy and paste the browser links and try to make them fully available. First I used tinyurl because I didn’t know how to use the tools.
Now I use the tools, but I NEVER use affiliate links! And if I do, I make sure I leave a warning.

I don’t want to spend time cropping links !
Thanks for the tips, though :wink:

76

You can just eyeball it and see, though.

(I intentionally “broke” the text to keep it from turning blue as a link.)

But even with the “%2F”s (slashes) and “%3A”s (colons) and such, you can eyeball the link, c&p it, then fidget with it for maybe 5-10sec, if that.

Ain’t that bad.