Review: Convoy M3-C. Single 26650, USB-C, XHP70.2, 4300lm, 365m throw

Interesting, i will try a fully charged 18650.
I am not a fan of the UI, it has its moments but it has annoying quirks as well.

The UI definitely is a far cry from Anduril for sure. Doesn’t really bother me though. I usually run it on turbo only. That’s where this light shines, pardon the pun, it holds turbo or close to it without getting scorching hot. I get 4 short walks per charge on turbo before recharging.

What battery are you using, i find it starts cutting brightness in minutes, though it will last 1 hour 20 mins on a fully charged 4500mAh 26650, most of it well under full brightness.

Shockli 5500 mah 26650. I added a tail spring bypass.

Nice, i am behind the times on my battery knowledge.

Is it safe to use this light while its being USB charged?

Mine works that way. Don’t see why is shouldn’t be safe.

hey so i just purchased this light based on your recommendation, im just scrolling through some reviews and stuff, you mentioned earlier that the charging ability is wonky… is that the case still? does it happen once in a while or is it a reoccurring theme?

I have the M3 and it’s a great light. I’d like to have the USB charging and the ramping UI of the M3C but just can’t bring myself to click the button. However, if Convoy ever offers the M3C in grey or tan it would be enough to push me over the fence.

cant you sell your current one and buy the m3c?

I have the gen 1 M3 also. Don’t need/want the USB charging. Ramping is cool but not a necessity. Great light BTW.

My charger indicator light turns green too early. About 4.0 volts. It does keep charging past this point and terminates at 4.2 volts. I have a USB tester connected to the charge cable so I can tell when it finishes. One other thing to keep in mind is regulated lights need clean connection points to operate properly. All lights really. The battery tube ends and where they make contact with the tail cap and driver along with the spring and battery terminals need to be cleaned with alcohol occasionally or they will step down early. Good luck with your new light. I think you will like it. It is my go to for evening walks.

It wouldn’t sell here and shipping to the US or Australia is expensive.

I tried out the USB charging for the first time, at 3.7V the light went green.
Tried removing the battery and reinserting, tried unplugging the USB brick, same result.
Even if it is charging how would one know when its finished without a charger that give amperage readings?

Right now i am draining a battery to see if it will work better on an empty battery.

Usb charging is no substitute for charging with desktop charger. Personally, it’s nothing more tha
another way for water to get into the light.

I can’t exactly re-mill the light.
Its got USB charging built into it so thats that.

But why is it no substitute?As long as it fully charges its fine, its not going to capacity test or test internal resistance or have a nice LCD that tells you how many mAh it put into the battery but i don’t see any harm in using it.

Charging curve (especially when it goes CC vs CV) can be less than stellar for cell life with onboard charging in some lights.

If it reports charged soon after hitting CV then thats actually an unintentional bonus.

Yep, and FWIW I can’t remember what the charging graphs for the new Convoy lights have shown but I’d be pretty likely to trust them.

Just have the early days of USB charging ecigs (or cheap, crappy ones now) in the back of my head still.

I don’t use USB charging as a substitute for using a charger but find it very convenient sometimes. It’s useful when I’m in a hurry and want to add a little charge or top up before I go out the door and also when my charger is already full or I’m just feeling lazy. I don’t loan out my flashlight much anymore (I lost a few that way), but if I do I’d loan a light with USB charging.

Of course it’s possible for water to get in the light but it’s not something I worry about. I do have a diving flashlight I’d use if I was out in a typhoon or flood.