I just checked,the emitter is NOT any deeper inside the head.They seem to be exactly the same in that regard. The M3X has a few more fins on it and the head itself has more depth/length to it making it bigger.The circumference of the heads are the same and so is the reflector. I hope I explained that all right! I guess I could have said the reflectors are the same!
As far as the copper star.I have no idea!! I am not one who takes these apart because.
I can not mod them!
Time for dinner then off to the hiking trail! K40vn ~ 400Kcd, S200C2vn~ 130Kcd and the light of the night,M2X-UT ~165Kcd! :bigsmile:
Just take the bezel off and drop the reflector out, have a look at the star. I will show copper on the sides if it is the same as the one in the M2X-UT. The put it back together.
I like to take the bezel off with the light upside down. This lets the reflector sit in the bezel and I don't have to worry about touching inside it. Have a look inside, then put it back together upside down again until the bezel is close to seated...then I flip it and watch that everything is right before snugging it back down. Easy peasy! ;)
If you don't feel comfortable doing that, then please don't. Send me your M3X and I'll take it apart for you. :bigsmile:
Thanks Dale,it was a piece of cake!! The reason I was apprehensive was because there was a period of several months where the oring kept bulging out! I took it apart 10 times and did not want it to happen again!
Anyway,your trick of doing it upside down is very easy and effective! :bigsmile:
I believe they are the exact same copper stars. To the best of my ability[I did not want to take the screws off] I measured just under 1 7/16” You measured the M2X AT 35.6mm or 1 13/32”. I believe they are exactly the same!
Hey maybe you can turn me into a Modders assistant!!!
M25C2vn[~300Kcd] and the M2X-UT. They are close in size. The M2X is 1/2” smaller. The M25C2vn has a more cone shaped, tapered and deeper reflector. I am guessing at least 1/2” deeper.
I wonder what those 2 wires are? The small ones attached to the star? The M2X-UT has those 2 points soldered, but no wires. Interesting.
I see yours says M31 on it, where my M2X-UT says M3X. Other than that they appear identical. And you believe the reflector is the same depth? Even though the head is deeper? Normally the longer or deeper head is only that way to house a deeper reflector. Again, interesting.
Assistant huh? Start taking em apart and putting em back together and the next thing you know you're a modder your own self. :P
They probably go to a thermal sensor or something, measuring heat on the star in order to step the output down if/when necessary. That's the only reason I can think of to have a wire there, but don't understand why 2 wires.
I will try to be succinct! I had a minor issue with mine that I have A LOT of experience with!This happened so much with my TK75 before I found a solution w/ help! Last summer[2013] I started a thread about it on the other forum.
I am not concerned it was just a bit of a bummer for the first time I used a light.
With in 5 minutes condensation formed under the lens and was there until I shut the light off. It absolutely affected the beam profile and blocked out about 70% of the light right around the hot spot.
Mr. M2X is now in quarantine like many of my lights have been. SOLUTION: SILICA Gel treatment!
Wow, with almost 80 lights in my collection I've never had that happen. Ok, never being a bad choice of words. I froze a light in the deep freeze at 0ºF overnight and then took it out and used it. Frost and haze was present on the Outside, but not on the inside.
The light is o-ring sealed against water intrusion, so the only way a haze or condensation could form on the inside of the lens is if the light is assembled under extremely humid conditions, trapping moisture inside. I guess if you open a light up and it's extremely humid (I would think it would have to be very very bad!) it might have moisture present inside when you reassemble it. I've never seen that happen though.
That [moisture gets inside at factory during assembly] has been the case almost every time. Every light that I have had that had a condensation issue started w/ the FIRST time I used it. It did NOT matter what time of the year it was ,summer, winter ect.
-Silica gel treatment is the solution.I put a packet in the battery tube. For smaller lights like the M2X, I take apart into 3 pieces and seal it in a Tupperware container!
-The lights are NOT hermetically sealed. If they were, silica gel treatment would NOT work!
-One in awhile condensation will form again because they are NOT hermetically sealed. That is rare and again the silica gel eradicates it.
-I also believe extremely cold Outside temps[it was 24F last night and 17F now!] along with intense heat created by these high powered lights can contribute to it. Hence: Your freezer example!
If your interested this thread covers EVERYTHING with some repetition because of people chiming in w/out reading others responses!! That happens on most threads with some length!
Link below:
P.S. I ended each post with the same little quote!!.After few months I got rid of it!]
I just picked up the original M3X Triton with XM-L emitter for $49.95 at BatteryJunction on a Black Friday Special. Had to pay shipping, but still, great buy! Easy enough to put an XM-L2 in it and bump power with a resistor mod. :)
That is a great deal. It is nice to be able to soup it up like you and others are able to do! Now you can examine that to see if it has those Two wires like mine!
I got MINE [XML2] version last November off Ebay for $89. Still a better deal than most places. It is one of only a few I bought outside of a dealer and I still managed the warranty for 5 years.
Even though mine has the same Two wires when Selfbuilt did the review I remember him saying NO step down of any kind. He was surprised and did not agree w/ it!
Here is an excerpt from Selfbuilt pertaining to that!
All M3x-series lights are heavily driven on Hi, with no automatic step-down feature. As such, I recommend you do not run the light on Hi for extended periods of time on primary CR123A or 2x18500. On Hi, the light is really best suited for 2x18650.
As such, I continue to recommend you do not run any of the M3x-series lights on Hi for extended periods on 3x or 4xCR123A cells. I would also recommend Olight introduce a step-down feature in this light, as they have in a number of their other models (e.g. the recent M22 and S20).
On max, the M3X has very high output for the class, with no sign of any sort of step-down.
I think Battery[more like I know because I have seen misinformation by them and others!] Junction Posts some of the info. on their own when it was not part of the specifications from the manufacturer!
2 CR123 cells are 6V, 2 18650 cells are 8.4V. 2 18500 cells are also 8.4V. 18500 cells are usually less capable of high current discharge.
But the specs as quoted on Olightworld.com say the ANSI ratings are achieved with 2 18650 3400mAh cells.
Why Selfbuilt would recommend to not run the light on high using the 2 lesser cells is beyond me.
* yes I know it uses 3 of the CR123 cells, which is 9V, but those little cells...even 3 at a time...can't deliver the amperage the bigger 18650's can. Or that's my experience anyway, could be wrong. Shouldn't matter, as the light is supposed to be digitally current regulated.
If I had to make a choice I would believe selfbuilt! What he said has been my experience w/ the light. One of the reasons I liked it so much. FULL BORE! No worries about loss of power or these 5/10 minute step downs!
This is a question not sarcasm! Are these the same as a step down?
-Intelligent temperature control system to prevent flashlights overheated.
-Thermal management to avoid overheating.
Maybe it is more/better heat sinking? If there is an actual “step down” of any kind usually manufacturers state it that way?
All I know is the M3X XML2 could run on max for an hour w/ out heat being an issue, MAX output sustained regardless of season! There is NO step down,maybe “Thermally managed” and “Step down” are Two different things!!! 8)
I think I analyzed and thought of everything I could on the topic!
Now wait!! If the flashlight never gets hot enough It will continue Unregulated on MAX with NO STEP DOWN or loss of max output!,I know, that is because it is thermally regulated!!