Flashing red light on Imalent MS03

The MS03 & MS06 have this issue.
It happens when you go into turbo where the battery has to stabilize, and the light flashes red.
If you keep the light on long enough the flashing red will go back to green.
10-20 seconds for the flashing red to turn green again.

So you just need to do this once after loading a new battery? So how do you do it? i.e. Turn the light on turbo for ~ seconds to stabilize the battery and then power down.

Or will it continue to happen on and off while using the light?

Thank you my friend!

The MS03 and MS06 are both bad designs, unfortunately. I've done as much reading and video watching as I could on this subject recently. Imalent initially chose to pretend that the problem didn't exist, then went along with the BS excuse that you need to clean all electrical contacts. That doesn't work either from what I've found. It appears that the problem has something to do with the voltage sensing circuit.

I was ready to order three MS03's for Christmas gifts but just now ordered three Lumintop FW21 Pros instead because of this "red light" issue.

I took a quick look at the specs of this light. I doubt that it’s really a problem. If you were able to measure the voltage I suspect you’d see that the battery is sagging down to the 3.0 volts where the red light triggers. When you’re taking enough power out of a battery to put out nearly 13,000 lumens you’re going to get some serious voltage sag. As the lumen output starts dropping and the voltage sag is reduced the red light stops indicating low voltage. They are probably right that a little bit of oxidation at contact somewhere is going to make it worse. That light is living on the edge with a little bit hanging over.

Man… Thanks guys. Obviously I was hoping that there was an easy (or a hard) solution but I guess as the old saying goes, misery loves company! Truthfully, I know this sounds stupid but i love the wow factor of lighting one of these things up for people who’ve never seen a flashlight more powerful than the junk they sell at the checkout line at a grocery store.

@X-Ray: You’ll dig the Lumintop FW21 Pro. I took mine for a walk last night and 10K lumens for such a small light is pretty amazing. Obviously, the UI is far superior to the Imalent too

I always thought that the imalent error was to not integrate step down or just lie like any other and just down output.
The red dot and low level output is just too bad :frowning:

Reach 10K lumens with single cells it’s a dream or short reality because of the heat.
Imalent a just design this light for reach ~10K lumens with <3.80V cell 1 time and few seconde at each “first try” the reason loose tailcap and refix give possibility to one more “turbo” same effect of “reset” and go for one more…

I’ don’t have lumintop but lot of chance lumintop do just imalent can’t, down output and tell nothing visible :stuck_out_tongue:

But yes lumintop is better, imalent block on a very low mode with are flashing red, the or lumintope will offer a realistic output correlated with its internal temperature

I have to ask since you own both...how good is the light output compared to the MS03?

I was super bummed about the red light fiasco. I can't say enough good things about my Imalent R60C so I was dead set on the MS03.

I hate to say it but the MS03 does have more raw power than the Lumintop. It blasts out this shocking wall of light.

The FW21 is no slouch though. My ~ 4K lumen lights don’t even compare.

My collection has a major lumen gap right now… I have a customized Emisar D18 with a warm 3300K beam and the MS18 but really nothing in between in terms of power.

I thought about the Acebeam X50 but the fact that it supposedly reaches 80 degrees C on turbo sounds… unpleasant.

I’m really hoping that the new Imalent with the active cooling lets me walk around with the the thing on turbo for long periods of time

The only problem with FW21 pro is that you have thous 250 lumens after 1 minute of "turbo", or 2 minutes afther "high".
And you can't really just blast the "turbo" all the time, because the temperature sensor is slow (like 7 seconds or so) so it can desolder itself if given opportunity.

I have the XHP version.
It's not so useful outside, but it's fun little turbo lumen blasting toy.

That’s great info!

Do you guys know if any other options for a pocket light (smaller than a soda can) that:

1) has high initial and sustained lumen output
2) has good thermals

I don’t think anyone can give you an answer to our question :frowning:

Just imagine some brillant people here create light with capability to manage 5000 lumens with BLF Q8 and/or 20.000 lumens with BLF GT94, incredible work but you can see the tall difference for manage 5000 lumens and 20.000 and it’s the same in the other direction with MS03 or lumintop FW21 size you can expect 1500 lumens.

More smaller is a light more bigger are heat issue.

You say you have MS18 and emisar D18 you can see the difference of tall.

Visibly you have money, I can advise the Nitecore tm9k.
Pure wall light almost mule
I own it, incredible wall light direct access turbo/strobe even since turned off
I use turbo 7 seconde, auto down, relaunch turbo 1 time 2 time 3 time.
TM9K over heat… keep it off from 2 minute to heat down, if i continu to use it at high (2000 lumens) 30 seconde after i’m at 1000 and it’s a big falls.
But no issue it’s good, if they cool down I can again use turbo few time
Or juste just use high (2000 lumens for 2 Minute)

Technicaly superior of MS03 no red ,no no, no. you can do 20 turbo shot with a break between with no issue, usb-C port for recharge after, it’s nice
we can’t expect more
Only reason i’ve bought it with is fu* built-in cell :stuck_out_tongue: Three years life if I take care, but nice perform.

Evolution of cells and drivers can do small light with 10.000 lumens output but heat management cannot keep up

Wow dude thanks for helping me. I don’t know why I didn’t think of Nitecore… I have the original tiny monster that’s something like 4200 lumens plus one of their headlamps that I’ve used for like 5 years

Should I get the regular TM9K or the “TAC” do you think?

You mention seven lights in your post; I have six of them, the BLF Q8 is the only one I do not have. Each one of these lights has has its strong points that warrant adding to any collection of high performance lights.

The MS03 turbo red light issue: There has been much, much discussion about it, going back a year and a half, to Spring 2020.

18 months ago: Some of the MS03 initial production have the issue, some don't. Next, users on the German forum recommended removing the tube from the head, and removing all of the thread lock substance from the threads and from the electrical contact surfaces, and then reassembling the tube to the head very, very tightly. Next, Imalent corrected the issue after the first production run. Next, some people reported that they still had this issue with second production run. Next, some people reported that the fix that was posted on the German forum solved the issue, but some people reported that the fix did not solve the issue.

18 months later, a blast from the past. MS03 turbo red light issue is still not ancient history, yet. A trip down memory lane. After reading tons of content about this issue more than a year ago, I concluded that some samples of MS03 have this issue, and some don't, and some with this issue were user fixable, and some are not.

My two MS03 that I got in June 2020: They both had the issue, but I resolved the issue when I followed the instructions for the fix that was posted in the German forum. Remove all of the thread lock substance from the threads and from the electrical contact surfaces, and then reassemble the tube to the head very, very tightly. Screw the tail cap in very tightly.

My recommendation: Buy from manufacturers that have a reputation for selling an adequately and efficiently serviceable product. Buy the product from authorized sellers that will do their part in achieving efficient, adequate service for the product.

I have bought 51 high performance lights from these brands: Acebeam Astrolux Eagletac Emisar Fenix Four-Sevens Haikelite Imalent Lumintop Manker Mateminco Nightwatch Nitecore Niwalker Noctigon Olight Thrunite.

I have never had an issue that warranted returning the light to the manufacturer. Any and all issues were minor, few, and easily fixable locally.

Edit

It’s the same light, so cheapest :stuck_out_tongue:
TM9K have just a Tactical ring( don’t think you can remove it) and 800 lumens compare tout the basique version for don’t tell they have just forget tactical ring on regular TM9K or - 800 does not change anything just more heat for a light don’t need.
I heard pvm is low on TAC version, but PVM is only an issue in video not in use.

High less wow effect, more floody (little throw compare to TM9k) but very usefull beam for close range, nitecore do geat job with 4 XP-L HD V6 LED (E4K, I4000R and P20iX near same beam profil warning P10iX less distance more wall light) I was skeptical at first and then I came across an E4K at a good price to try it and I immediately liked the beam.
P20iX is nice few minute possible at 2000 lumens very usefull beam, instant acces turbo (but not from off only strob >_< it’s a deception) decent turbo (4000 lumen) with no time limitation compare to 7 seconde TM9K can have 30 seconde turbo.
Same range at 4000 lumens compare to TM9K, just TM9k il a pure wall light 4 XP-L HD configuration more floody.
Little deception with P20iX tailcap button, seem ultra cheap and sometime if your finger is not in perfect center off Strobe ready button, Turbo fail.
Never issu with Strobe ready button with Nitecore but this I am perplexed. usable not problem just sometime re adjust the placement of
finger :person_facepalming:

I laught, I’ve DM70 and with this flashlight the spring is just “put” inside the tailcap :blush: sometimes it falls.
I see the lot of thread with MS03 issue I didn’t want to believe it could come only because Imalent have no capabilty to make light with a good spring/connection :person_facepalming: I wanted to believe in the problem hadrware problem…

After i’m agree with you , all light, all brand have his pro and con.
Just in this thread I had the impression 21000 single cell light can do soda can size thermals.

Hey guys,

I dug up my Nightwatch NSX3 and NSX4 last night. I forgot how powerful these things are

The NSX3 with the Samsung 30T 21700 is quite a bit brighter than the Imalent MS03 when shined against a white wall.

Interestingly, it also seems much brighter than the NSX4 with the 26800 despite the advertised specs.

I’m looking around for the 21700 adapter tube for the NSX4 to compare

Thanks for input, everyone! I see that we are comparing with the MS03 other single 21700 multiple emitter lights with 7,000 to 11,000 lumens.

I got nine different model flashlights, 15 lights, in less than two years, in my attempt to get the best single 21700, multiple emitter, 9,000 lumen light.

23. Nitecore TM9Kvn, 21700, 9 x stock XP-L2 6500, Jan. 6, 2020, 9,500/268 meter factory specs, Vinh measured specs after boost: 9120 lumens, 297 meters

24. Nightwatch NSX53vn Jan 27, 2020. 21700, 3 x XHP 50.2 8,000 lumen, 375 m.

29, 30 and 31: Three Lumintop FW21a Pro Vn, May 26, 2020, single 21700, triple XHP50.2. 9,500 lumens, ~350 m.

32. and 33: Two Imalent MS03vn, June 15, 2020. Single 21700. Triple XHP70.2. 9,535 lumens, 313 m.

34. Mateminco MT07 vn 7 x W2. June 16, 2020. 8,000 L, 678 m. Single 21700/26650.

35. Astrolux (Mateminco?/Sofirn?) EC03 July 9, 2020. 21700 3 x 2XHP50.2, 6700 lumens, 303 m. In my eyes, factory specs appear to be under reported.

38. and 39: Two more Astrolux(Mateminco?/Sofirn?) EC03, August 4, 2020. Lumens appear to be more than factory speced.

46. Another Nitewatch NSX53 vn, Dec. 24, 2020. 9,300 lumens, 444 m. This sample is boosted hotter than my first sample.

48. Astrolux (Mateminco) FT02S Dec. 28, 2020. Single 26650/21700/18650. 4 x XHP50.2 from a single cell. 11,000 lumens, 546 m.

49. Lumintop FW21aPro Vn 3 x SBT 90.2, March 2, 2021. de lens, 8,500 lumens, 486 m.

51. Mateminco MT70 Mini single SFN55.2 single 18650/21700/26650 Oct. 1, 2021. 6,800 lumens, 1,428 m.

I like all of them a lot, I have kept all of them, except for two FW21a Pro vn that I bought to make gifts of.

All of them function properly. There is no "Best". There is no "Worst". All of them have attractive plus points.

Decided to take a gamble on the "Red Light Lottery" for 90 bucks with the black friday discount and ordered an MS03W. Along with the factory battery, I'll also be testing it with modified Samsung 30T's and Molicel P42A's. I'll keep you guys posted.

UPDATE: my MS03W "Red Light Lottery" findings | BudgetLightForum.com

I wish you the best of luck! Without that small issue it’s a magnificent light

I was running out the door and tossed my LD70 in my pocket. I forgot how bright this thing considering it’s the size of my thumb