It's time for your Beating ...please line up for the great beat down .China will never admit it was a flaw in the matrix and those who like strobes need to be eliminated /.That's why S.W.A.T. teams use them as a tactical technique ..they break in and strobe people and anyone who says "Wow I like that " they shoot dead on the spot . Thus eliminating people who like strobes in flashlights little by little .
Soon strobe users will have to go underground and find user junkie street dealers to get their strobe fix.meanwhile the quality of the tints and pwm on these street lights will become horrible .
I didn't know SWAT teams hated strobes so bad, but I can't blame them. I know some people like or have a need for it. I've seen a few cyclists around here using lights on strobe.
I have a KD T6 drop-in and I like it well enough that I haven't swapped out the driver yet. Thanks for the great review!
I have the Ultrafire XML from Manafont and I have to say that I like this U2 from KD much more. I'm surprised what a difference there is. Have you tested the current to see if it's pulling more or equal current? I'm curious if the difference is really in the LED or in the driver or a combination of both.
I also have to add that I like the OP reflector more than the smooth. That last shot just washes everything in a strong, even paint of light with very little loss in center brightness. Love it!!
Bahahah! Good theory, Boaz! XD Strobes really do have a purpose and a use and if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of one you would see how disorienting they are and why SWAT teams use them. True tactical lights have strobes for a good reason and it’s why they are mounted on guns. They are also very good for chasing off nasty for legged animals whilst on evening walks. Any camper, hiker or hunter should have a light with an SOS or strobe mode in case they are injured and need help. In either mode it will run for a good long time and put out a signal for help even while they are napping or unconcious. Ever try sitting there and pressing out an SOS or strobe for hours on end? Neither have I and I wouldn’t want to either.
They aren't much use to someone who just uses a light around the house to find items in a drawer or to make one's way through the basement to reach the fusebox though and for those people I can see why they are a nuisance. It's also why they make lights without them for folks like you who hate them. I happen to like strobe functions but then again I love guns, swords and weapons in general and a bright strobe is one more thing in my arsenal. =)
Lang - Like Tas said, it has mode memory and it's a nice, tight interface similar to the Ultra Fire driver. No lengthy waits for mode retention and because it is so well programmed (for lack of a better description) the blinkies really are not a bother with this drop-in.
Full disclosure however: I'm not part of a SWAT team and I simply do not care for strobe functions. I respect others' need for this annoying feature but I hate it. What would bring this and the Ultra Fire drop-in closer to perfection is an ultra low, low with no noticeable PWM. My 4Sevens Quark AA2 Tactical has an awesome 0.2 lumen low that I absolutely love.
Unfortunately, I've been told my DMM will not measure amps high enough for these drop-ins so, I don't know if the performance difference is emitter or driver. I know I love the tint.
I'll be reporting more on this drop-in after some use at work. Today it seemed to have some UI issues if I screwed the reflector down all the way. As I write this I remember that I'm using a Solarforce SMO so, maybe the underside is different. We'll see when I get home.
I have the same problem with different drop-in. What could be the reason? If I screw the reflector more than half way down, there's only the high mode. It does not change no matter what. If I just barely tighten the reflector all 3 modes are accessible. It's a home-made drop-in using Nanjg 101-AK and XP-G R4.
I just ordered the Manafont 3-mode XM-L the the other day. It sounds like it's proven, although the U2 does look slightly brighter in your excellent pictures.
It's not just you Sash - it's even more noticeable on a white wall indoors. My unscientific analysis is that it might have something to do white its whiteness.
I ordered the manafont XML reflector for this drop in and was questioning whether I really needed it. I’m glad I did now. Do you think the reflector on that drop in is shorting it out or damaging the solder connections?
I haven't damaged anything yet. Because it looked off-center right out of the package, I disassembled and took pictures in case I needed documentation. Then, while at work I took the drop-in out, removed the reflector and reinstalled. The light would not power up and I immediately suspected the reflector. Sure enough; after I loosened it maybe 10%, the light worked. That night, after again pulling it apart/putting it together the light powered up but when I entered the lower modes it became only slightly less bright. Sort of in between the modes I suppose you could say and the strobe was real fast, like way bad PWM. As before, loosened slightly and all was well. I happen to have an extra SMO (from where?) that seems to have fixed the problem.
None of this should deter anyone from purchasing this awesome drop-in. The more I use it the more I love it. The UI is so well executed that the flashys simply are not an issue for those (me) that don't care for them. It is far and away the best of the three XM-L drop-ins I have.
This is one instance when my hyperbole is well justified - this drop-in will make any flashlight a celebrity.
Okay, just to confirm; my Amprobe 5XP-A cannot measure amps that high? When I try to do it I get whack numbers that mean nothing or it says eRRoR. I'm still having a hard time believing this DMM cannot do something so simple.
I know doing these reviews without basic hard data is green-pea/wannabe . . . I will solve this during this next week. Gonna go to Fry's and see what's on sale.
