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.
And it seems to be more purplish than the MF dropin. I really like warm (or slightly green) hotspot tint on mine, but that purple spill is awful. Don't know you, guys, but I really use spill a lot, and that tint just "killing" this great dropin :( Yeah, the hotspot on this (KD) one looks better, but until I found good, white spill, will not buy any dropins more :~ I prefer dimmer one, but with nice tint.
Looks like 200 mA is the highest it can go so look for 10A on the dial or anything over what youll be measuring should be ok. If you also notice the hole where leads go says 200mA max, so if you get 10a will say 10a max
I have the same issue with an old Fluke I have ....2A max for amperage. Instead of buying a new cheap multimeter with unknown accuracy, consider making a shunt.
Here's some directions, among many others doing a google. Cost probably a buck for the banana plugs, you probably have the right guage wire laying around. Accuracy will be better than any cheap DVM cause you're now measuring the voltage drop across the shunt.
That's a good suggestion LightQuest. I'd totally forogtten about shunts, I used to have an analog meter that came with a set of shunts to enable it to read accross a wide range.
Well, I read those RC links and you're right; I have the wire. You've convinced me enough to go to Radio Shack and get some "banana plugs." (sounds like something I might find at an adult book store supercenter)
For my purposes I just need a female thingy on each end (and the banana plug) to plug my leads into. Put the 1/2 inch of exposed wire through the thingy and into the banana plug - solder. Plug one end into "com" the other into "ohm V" switch DDBMM (digital douche bag multi meter) to 200mV, touch one lead to flashlight tube, the other to the base of the battery, light comes on and if I see 25, I'm drawing 2.5 amps?
Got a new soldering gun for my birthday last week so, we'll se if I burn down the house.
Went to take a picture of mine, but it must have grown legs & can't be found. Last time used it (& made it) was last summer when my home AC compressor wasn't working - compressor was drawing 25A & popping breakers due to a corroded wire lug.
Not to discourage u, but you'll hit 1 bump in the road. Your brand new soldering iron is probably a low wattage pencil type with a fine point - perfect for flashlight mods & other delicate work. Not for soldering 10g wire to banana clips. This is where you'd use one of those monster high wattage gun style soldering irons. That 10 gauge will suck all the heat from your pencil soldering iron & take a long long time to get hot enough for solder to flow. Put a heat clamp, like a small aligator clamp, next to your soldering point - this may help the heat being disappated down the wire.
Not an impossibility, just a challenge requiring patience.
Oh, & the 'thingy' I used to attach the dvm leads to the shunt was a few inches of wire soldered to the 10 gauge, other end soldered to aligator clips to clamp on to the DVM leads. Not pretty, but functional and ghetto-licious.
And my keyboard thanks you Piers. It was time for a spilt coffee bath.
It is one of those little soldering guns so, I'm certain to make a mess of it I'm sure. I'll post pics; you may want cover your keyboard with something for the upcoming spilt-coffee-bath redux.
Problem ya got Foy .... is your macro photography is just way way too good, & your soldering skills are, well, virgin!
Thanx 4 the heads up, I'll cover the keys with plastic :-) Solder it when women & children aren't around, their ears will start bleeding from the constant stream of profanity coming from your lips. And get yourself 1 of those bulb type solder suckers at Rat Shack while you're there, makes the worst soldering job look a whole lot better! That & electrical or duct tape hides all my messes.
