Review: Roche M170 XML-T6-3C from FastTech AND FancyFlashlights.

I have successfully resisted so far, but..

Stan, you are not helping.

What are the modes in 3-mode version? 100% - 40% - 5%?

lol :bigsmile: I understand how you feeling there and now, be sure)))) but everyone who have/had SRK, must have this one. but 3 mode only, forget about ramping version!

I think modes are %100-50-10, something like that… on my look. and this mean - 123min./311min./~50hours at low mode on 3400 Panasonics. I’m waiting for unprotected 3400’s, will see how they will work. hope this information helped to you! :slight_smile:

I was never interested in the SRK because of the thin positive contact design. This one looks like it will never wear out

yep, you right; quality of this one much better than SRK ever made, and for my opinion - better than TM15 at all(for this price). and if so - we have now Bill/doingoutdoor.com for replace parts if something going wrong with our RM170. I guess)))

The fact that we can get replacement parts makes it much more desirable. I'll probably end up getting one...

I have had this Roche M170 for about a month. Really enjoyed this light used it enough to have to charge the batteries 3 different times.
Then a buddy came over to borrow some batteries, and I had just charged the Keeppowers’ that I had in it
So I opened the M170 and said “Take these”. As I had tested them all between 4.10 to 4.14V…
He left and I put some other charged batteries in the M170.
Then it would not work. I put in a total of 4 different sets of batteries that all tested over 4.0V
Tried unprotected…Protected…Button…Non-Button.
Nothing .
I am open to suggestions before I tear it apart or throw it away.

Check the contact between the board and the body. The screws may have come loose and let the board lose contact.

I’m going to swap out my springs tomorrow so I can run protected cells. I’m glad you solved that one. I’ll probably add some copper braid to replace the wires they used to reduce resistance.

I swapped out my springs today and now my M170 will accept Panasonic NCR18650B Protected...the longest of them all.

I even added copper braid to the springs...never done that before. Might help, might not.

good work! glad you happy now more than previously :slight_smile:

something happened with my RM170 CW 3-mode version yesterday… with driver… something REALLY NICE! :bigsmile: it works now on high mode 03:44min.(tested with these Panasonics - light still 2000lm+(still more bright than SRK U2), but not getting hot as previously. I’m not so “advanced user”, and have no idea what happened, but I’m SO HAPPY from this “fix”! any ideas? first ramp down on 3100 unprotected PNCs - 3.44min.(3.16V), turns off - 3.58min.(2.85V) AWESOME! :party:

More runtime on high mode and not getting hot can mean only one thing, lower brightness due to lower current.

I’ve never noticed any heat issue with my M170. I really couldn’t say what’s going on with yours. Perhaps it was running on direct drive in high for some reason. Is there a step down? Perhaps it’s stepping down after time when on high.

yes, I know it, just don’t know what exactly happened with driver, no any smell that there burned something, nothing… and yes, it lost some of the brightness, maybe like ~200-300lm, but added 100% of runtime and not hot as before, and thats awesome - 242 min. on high with 3400 Panasonics before first ramp down. so sad I don’t know how to do this “mod” with my second, ramping NW RM170 :bigsmile: have no idea why this torch not released like this from begin - 2000+ lumens, not getting crazy hot, and with loooongest runtime. below beamshots for compare;

no, driver works fine, all modes available, just lost some of brightness and temperature on high mode, but these “losses” for me looks like acquisitions, hope it will work like this within a looong time, it’s awesome! :slight_smile:

I’ve been thinking lately of getting the well-liked SRK but instead ordered the Roche M170 nw from Bill of Doingoutdoor. almost the same price with CNQ’s SRK (got it at $68.99, shipped), together with Panasonic NCR unprotected 3100 buttontops from FT, I wonder which package will arrive first.

I heard these M170 have some driver issues that are random.

Wow. These M170s are selling so cheap, I’m almost thinking of getting another just to try a mod on. Do you think that there are any LEDs that would really change this light if they were swapped?

Just received my M170 from BangGood.
I choose the XM-L2 T6-4C version over the XM-L2 U2-1A version which add $4.50 to a total of $96 but with code bgf147 I got it at $81.99.
So a little less than fastech which is “only” XM-L.
Ordered 17/12/13, received 06/01/2014 via sweden post to France (which seems to come from singapore before that)
From what I can say now as I just received it, I like the build quality but I must be carefull with the sharp thread (already greased).
My package is slightly different, no “flashlight” marking on the box and I don’t have the magnet with its spring.
The flattop adapter is bent the same but work with my green/yellow LG unprotected 18650.
I love the UI, that’s why I choose the M170 over a SRK even it’s twice the price.
What is strange is that on high, it dim a little then come back to full power. Stepless ramping is lovely. The quick strobe gave me headache.
The minimum mode could have been lower, but I say that because I fitted a DrJones Lucidrv driver in my Convoy S2 that now give me a true very low mode (and so much combination that I don’t yet finished to play with it).
The tint is slightly cooler than one of my XM-L2 T6-4C, that have quite an amber tint, maybe it’s a T6-3C but it do turn red object to something blue and rose.
Here are my first thought of this great flashlight.

edit : I tested again and along with the strange behaviour on high, I noticed that on the L/M/H mode, it gave me only L/M/M. When switched on, it’s bright, go dim then ramp up but what I thought first that it came back on high, in fact just go on medium. So I decided to charge again my green/yellow LG 18650. Once fully charged (it was quick they were almost fully charged), it do to me the same again…
So I tested with some red sanyo (that I reserved for my vamo V3) and it works! True full power and no dimming on high.
Still I don’t understand why because the LG batteries were somewhere between 4.1 and 4.2V, same as the Sanyo.

Any updates on the M170? Thinking of getting one but it seems like some members have had reliability problems with it. If reliable it looks like quite a light.

It was just that one light.

Both the CNQG and the second FT version have been giving me absolutely no problems since.

Does anyone have the 3000lm XM-L2 version from Banggood? I’ve had my eye on it for a while but have never seen a review on it.