The first XM-L T6 bin flashlights and P60 modules. This is the beginning

Which 18650 battery did you use to test tail-cap current and how accurate is your meter?

The reason I ask is that I have several flashlights that are claimed to be driven in the 2,500 mA to 3,000 mA range, however when I check them at the tail cap I only get 2.0000A to 2.2793A (my KD Cree XM-L T6 drop-in) with my Fluke 189 digital multimeter with fully charged TrustFire Protected 18650 3.7V True 2400mAh Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

Some CPF members claim that in order to reach the full current, AW cells must be used See: http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?229333-**NEW**-MG-P-Rocket-SST-50-800-Lumens-Compact-LED-Flashlight&p=2593225&viewfull=1#post2593225

The meter's a very battered Fluke 77 Series 3 though the leads are aftermarket DX ones. There is a place locally that would calibrate it for me. At four times what I paid for the meter! I own several meters so I can easily measure it with something else. The Fluke is the one I trust most.

The cell used was a Trustfire unprotected 2500mAh - I seem to have hit on a good batch of those when I got 6 of them a couple of years ago.

I can easily redo the measurements with different cells and meters. Might be interesting for my own confidence in them.

I finally recieved my XM-L from KD with the skyray host for 25,55USD. Did the foil trick. Left it tailstanding at full brightness on desk for about 10min. It is scorching hot! Draws 2,86A.

I think exposing lithium batteries to 60C or more is a bad idea. Maybe on my bike it will hold on high.

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Which 18650 battery did you use to test tail-cap current and how accurate is your meter?

The reason I ask is that I have several flashlights that are claimed to be driven in the 2,500 mA to 3,000 mA range, however when I check them at the tail cap I only get 2.0000A to 2.2793A (my KD Cree XM-L T6 drop-in) with my Fluke 189 digital multimeter with fully charged

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You are using the stock probes and those not work at low voltage high current, usually those has 200 to 300 miliOhm and that is too much.

Try 10 cm long thick wires, mine MTE-F15 take 2,750 A with the TF flames cells from DX

I have one from long agao that serverd me really well. Not Fluke granted but probes aren't the cheapest available. I tried sticking decent gauge wire directly to test the difference. It was in the margin of error. Granted never tried anything above 1,4A untill today.

The cell was an unprotected sony 18650 i scavenged from a almost new laptop. The laptop was left at the shop when we told the guy it is beyond repair. (The laptop was thrown out of the window of a running truck). The reasony why is still unknown to me. I did thank him for the cells with a coffee tho.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=257543

The images in thread suggest that most 18650 batteries can draw 3 amp

and in tis thread all can take 3,5A and most 5A

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=235472&p=3019059#post3019059

Budgeteer: Did you buy this one ?

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=11104

Some members of cpf are so nationalistic that they believe that american goods are

much better than everything else. In my country we have people that think the same.

Fortunately we also have this guy, who in this thread proved that AW´s are not in any way better

than the average budgetbattery: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=257543

Meter check (Cell at 4.20V)

Current draw XM-L P60 in a Solarforce body.

Fluke 77

2660mA High

1030mA medium

90mA low

Top off the cell again and test with the other meters. Same cell and same leads which are better than most.

Peak Tech 4390 1

Cell voltage 4.223V, the Fluke says 4.20. But then both of the Peak Tech meters say around 400mV DC with nothing connected.

2808mA High

1040mA Medium

105mA Low

Peak Tech 4390 2

Cell Voltage 4.223, the Fluke again says 4.20

2727mA High

1030mA Medium

107mA Low

No-name multimeter I've had for 20 years. It wasn't the cheapest, but was about 15% of the cost of a comparable Fluke at the time.

Cell Voltage 4.21 The Fluke says 4.21

2830mA High

1080mA Medium

110mA Low.

Since I happen to have some 2.5mm2 solid copper cable here, time to make up some nice heavy leads then try again. Now where have I put the wire cutters?

The difference surprised me. These leads are a pain to use as the stuff is springy.

3250mA

1220mA

130mA

Just done on the Fluke, life is too short to repeat for all 4 meters.

KD dropin. Usual test range which is less reflective than it was last week.

Dragged out the UF-H3 and the M-bin MC-E as well.

Same exposure for each, freshly charged cells for each, the tree is still 50 feet away.

And, just for fun, the assistant with her present. Which she has since buried somewhere, though it may have been nicked by Maggie, the visiting greyhound who retired from racing this summer. In her last race she averaged 43mph (About 70km/h). Quite a bit faster than the assistant...

Control

Because it was in my pocket, the Ultrafire UF-H3 - the exposure was set for brighter lights.

M-Bin MC-E High

MCE Med

MCE Low

XM-L High

XM-L Medium

XM-L Low

SO, the XML is brighter! than yours MCE! or it seems to

The lightbox says different. I prefer to believe my eyes.

Don - I love how your assistant sleeps hugging the chewy bone.

Budgeteer: Did you buy this one ?

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=11104

Yes and no. Bought the first avaialble one for 25,55 but the paper inside my envelope said it was the RQ 07. You decide. XD

Budgeteer: Did you buy this one ?

http://www.kaidomain.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=11104

Yes and no. Bought the first avaialble one for 25,55 but the paper inside my envelope said it was the RQ 07.

Thanks, pretty decent for such a small flashlight and only a few bucks more than the dropin

I have already three exactly the same lights with different dropins ; I love the design.

btw.DX has a 2cm XM-L star for under $10 now

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.51989

I like it, i may do a review one of these days. I have torubles to see the hostspot it is really a good floodlight with lots of light. I wish mine came with a SMO reflector. But for my intended use in the few nestdays its perfect as it is.

My XM-L P60 drop in got here some 20 minutes ago , put it in a light and the driver dies almost instantly ...

The emitter is ok , but , so much for testing etc , unless KD can get me a factory original driver ...

I think I will stick to DIY ,

That bites. Did you get the 1-mode or 5-mode?

the 5 mode , well , 0.5sec mode maybe . [ As thats how long it worked ]

Are you using IMR's? Someone who got it said that it flashed off when they used an IMR, but I think it still worked on regular li-ions.