Huh? I hope it does come with battery. Do you know if it came with latest batch or Green Version? I ordered mine about 1-2 days ago.
I am not aware of the changes until recently. Have to check with their customer support. Ramping has been replaced by low, medium, high arrangement now.
No battery came with my green one that has USB-C connector, and came with a blue USB-C cable.
Anyone who got M8 would you check how many KCD it throw ?
Mine just shipped out BG. Do you know when these changes were made? I hope mine were from latest batch with updated UI, battery, USB , etc….
My green version arrived today. USB C charge port, blue USB C charge cord, no battery and it is CW with NO stepless ramping. Button is not great. There is a delay between depressing the button and the light activating. There was no instructions. Light wouldn’t work at first until I removed the big black washer around the spring in the head. My black version has USB micro port, no battery, great switch with stepless ramping. The NW on my black version is close to the BLF GT
I have made a request for neutral white option. Remember to subscribe this thread for updates.
I'm working on upgrading my black M8 with a TA NarsilM driver - will keep the stock NW XPL HI in that one. Had to rotary tool/sand down the driver to fit. Just got in a green one, and same as above - definite cooler tint, hold to toggle thru modes, 2X click to turbo. Single click to lo from off. Single clicks are frustratingly slow to respond, least for me. I'd be dead all the time in COD if my gun responded this slow...
The LED in my green one is definitely not a 6500. The UV light does not lie - it shows a fair amount of glow, so I'm guessing about 5700.
Here's what I measured, using my PVC lightbox somewhat calibrated against high end rated flashlight.
- Black M8, stock, on EFEST 4200 @4.16V, lumens: 945 @start, 880 @30 secs, 101 kcd (636 meters) taken at 5 meters
- Green M8, stock, on blue LK 5000 @4.20V, lumens: 1160 @start, 1100 @30 secs, 120 kcd (693 meters) taken at 5 meters
This sort of makes sense now. The 1200 lumens and 800 meter rating is inflated of course, as usual, but the CW version seems to do wayyy better than the NW version in output and throw.
For the black M8 modding, the switch on the black M8 is given me problems - it's not your standard 4 wire wiring for 2 color LED's. Normally: Grnd, switch, red LED, blue LED, but this switch uses 3 wires:
- switch, 1 wire on grnd side of LED's with LED's wired in series (???), and 1 wire than feeds the LED's and also has a 10K resistor to the other side of the switch
I dunno exactly what it's doing, but seems like it's pumping voltage across the LED's in series, where the blue one engages over a certain voltage, and the RED engages under that voltage. Might just punt on supporting the LED's, and jump the resistor to get straight simple access to the switch.
Hhhmmm. Might have to re-think keeping with the stock XPL HI. I got XPL HI V2 5D's in from Hank which are probably a higher bin and better or equal tint.
Old Black M8:
Finished the mod - does about 1450 lumens, 145 kcd or so, with stock LED/Noctigon. 20 AWG LED wires that are long enough to re-flash the driver without de-soldering wires, bypassed both springs, TA 30 mm driver sanded down to ~28 mm.
Newer Green M8:
The new green M8 is different in a few respects:
- no more clunky snap ring driver retainer - glued/press fit ring that must be poked loose from the top thru the wiring holes. Mine came off fairly easy though. Driver is glued in this ring (ring appears to be brass plated??), but again, not too difficult to hammer it out with couple light taps on a nail set type tool.
- driver is totally different, not just firmware modes. Now of course it's USB-C, but other parts changes. Driver size is still bout 28 mm, still do-able with a TA 30 mm driver sanded down, then press fit into the brass plated ring.
- No longer using a nice Noctigon, now it's the cheap copper no-name, usually these are not DTP - didn't check yet.
- battery tube is very slightly wider in the interior so standard LK's fit, as well as old protected TrustFires and KeepPowers fit fine now
- uses a black LED centering piece, while I think the old M8 used a white one (not 100% sure though, might have mis-placed it)
- looks like the same 3-wire weird switch/LED wiring... ugh!
The new green M8 tube and tail cap LEGO with the black M8, so seems like no changes there. Please note the driver spring appears to be Hank's (IOS) high quality Beryllium copper ones -- match exactly as best as I can tell, but the tail spring is different, probably typical gold plated steel.
I modded NarsilM to work on TA's triple channel driver without the bank of 7135's so it behaves exactly like a FET+1 driver (Q8, Emisar, etc.).
This light reminds me so much of the ol XinTD X3 which I really like, but improved in many ways -- not as heavy, smaller, and of course the e-switch which I always prefer. Almost seems like Hank was passively involved in this light, like the XinTD's.
Just got my green Maeerxu in. Same as yours. No ramping, mushy button. Most of the modes don’t work anymore like the 6 click lockout. It has no lockout mode anymore. Ugly 7000k 6000k+ cool blueish white now.
I actually like the low, med, high, turbo cycling by holding the button down. It has no memory, and neither does the original black one. But at least the original ramps quickly to a usable level. (for my use).
It has a USB-C port instead of the micro USB. I don’t know if it includes the fast charging circuitry or that it’s just the connector. The older version worked fine and was plenty fast charging.
Nothing seems glued, so an emitter swap should be easy.
Original Black Maeerxu on the left, New Green Maeerxu on the right.
Emitter swap looks straight forward. Standard 20mm MCPCB
Outdoors with the 5000k XPL-HI
@RobertB Hope that it focus well with the new MCPCB.
I did forward the new UI to BG for product description update last week. There are a few features, not sure if you are aware of it.
- M8 will flash approx. 2s after battery has been loaded.
- Single click ON/ OFF.
- Press and hold to toggle between Low-Medium-High. Release the side button to select your desire output level.
- 2x clicks to turbo.
- 3x clicks to strobe.
- Long press from OFF will go to last used level (excluding Turbo and strobe).
- 4x clicks to turn OFF blue LED for side switch (when blue LED is ON).
- Red flashing at 2.7V, auto shutdown at 2.5V.
- Charging = Red ; Charging completes (97%) = Blue
Can you ask them how they got 1200 lumens and 800 meters (160 kcd) for throw? The new version is closer, but not there, specially for throw.
Good upgrades
- more lumens and throw
- wayyy better battery tube that accommodates most/all 26650's
- USB-C
Bad upgrades
- mushy button
- LED tint got cooler
- looks like they downgraded the MCPCB, Noctigon to no name, possible non-DTP
The change in driver mounting could go either way, as well as the UI changes...
I'm using the old head on the new battery tube - works great, but a little pricey... 
Please, if we could get a replacement (new) battery tube for the old lights...
Thanks Freeme. I don’t know why it wouldn’t be in focus. Just a xpl-hi LED sitting on a flat surface on both.
I figured out the features, but good to know about the long press from off to go to last mode. Still no button lockout, but not a big deal. Just switched it out to a 5000k xpl-hi on a noctigon. Looks great now. (focus is fine)
Hey guys, Anyone know if Liio Black 5000 mAh 26650 fit updated Green Version? I just grabbed 4.
Hhmm, the red ones (Dolidada)) fit, KeepPower protected, and old TrustFire protected fit, also just tried the black Shockli 5500's and they fit.
Tom, so you have both original and updated versions correct? I bought the Green Version with bigger tube? Most recent edition with blue USB cable.
What were the MODS you did? I really like size and price point. It will be fixture on my shelf for sure.
Please advise. Thanks.
The ones I am referring to are these Tom.
BTW, I would have bought Shockli if price was better. I was also looking at Orbtronic 26650 5750 mAh and I do know if those will fit either,
Yep, got an old black, new green M8, one each. The new tube fits every 26650 I got, so the black LK's shouldn't be a problem at all, though i don't have one to try.
Mods:
- TA 30 mm driver sanded down to 28 mm, configured as FET+1, good Hyperion FET. Modified NarsilM to add compile option to use FET+1 on a TA triple driver -- I did this to save on my good 7135's because I don't know of any source selling them. Also the FET+1 firmware ramps smoother then the 3 channel setups.
- 20 AWG LED wires, long enough to re-flash the ATtiny85
- bypasses on springs
- re-used the stock LED (great tint) on a nice Noctigon (stock)
- USB charging is gone, and switch LED's are not sued because of the funky weird factory wiring of the switch PCB
Results: pulls 5.9 to 6.0 amps at the tail on a blue LK 5000, lumens: 1580 @start, 1510 @30 secs, 148 kcd taken at 5m
Right now I'm using the green tube on the black head, til I mod the green head. Probably go with a domed LH351D though - not emphasizing max throw on this one.
Just got the M8 and tried this battery and they will not fit. Just to let you know.
Oooh boy. I have problem. I ordered 4 of those.
BTW, did you get updated Green Version with bigger diameter tube? I got the latest batch released. Which battery are you referring to? Please advise.