Hello,
Tmart sent me this flashlight for review. The title on their web page says this: X1 CREE T6 10W 1200LM 200m Range Aviation Aluminum Alloy Flashlight Torch Black Remember those claims later on, when I reveal the stark reality.
It runs on 3AA batteries, or a single 14500 and two dummy cells. This will be a review and then a tear down later. If it lives thru the tear down, it will go for a giveaway. More about that later.
Here;s the data that I have come up with:
OAL is 260mm zoom retracted and 285mm zoom extended.
Weight W/O batteries is 306G or 10.8oz
Head diameter is 42mm, but the lens measures at 30mm. The difference is the zoom mechanism.
The driver gives you H/M/Fast strobe and it has no memory. In fact, you have to cycle the modes to shut it off. H/M/Strobe/OFF. Strike One.
The LED is a Cree XM-L, supposedly T6, but the tint is somewhere around 7500-8000k. It's very blue. Strike Two.
The Amp draw is 800mA on HIGH and 200mA on Medium. Here is reason number three to pass on this light. It is not bright by any means. Strike Three. I would estimate 300 lumens max when fully extended with the square die beam.
Well, I will continue the review now.
It came in a plain white box and it was in a bubble wrap sleeve inside.
Overall, it's a nice looking light. I do see some minor scuffing in one or two places, but they are hard to see.
XM-L for sure. The front lens is flat, so I am assuming it's just a protective lens over the Aspheric behind it. The front lens is glass and both lenses are in a holder and they move as one, when the head zooms out.
The back switch is power and the front switch is zoom. The zoom will not operate unless the light is turned on and when you turn it off, the zoom returns to it's retracted state on it's own. When you press the zoom and hold, it will extend fully. It takes about 1-1/2 seconds to zoom. If you stop part way, then start again, it will continue to extend, so you can set the amount of zoom, by just quick pressing on the zoom switch and releasing when you get it to where you want it. Once you zoom all the way out and press and hold the switch again, you will retract.
The motor is a little loud, but I played with it quite a while and it showed no signs of faltering or binding. It really is a neat idea, due to it's unique zoom method.
There's no knurling, but there are cut lines the length of the light that do help the gripping a little.
The only marking on the light is this @ sign. No name on the body at all.
The only threads you can get to are the tail cap threads. They are not well done, just average, but they are lubed and they seem smooth and there is no wobble.
It appears that the screw here keeps one from taking the light apart. I imagine taking it apart here might mess something in the motor area.
Retracted
Extended.
Fully retracted. You can see some of the blue here, but my camera wants to compensate, so it is actually much more of a blue tint in real life.
fully extended.
Halfway in between.
fully retracted
fully extended
The light is heavy enough and tough enough that you could probably use it for self defense. Like I said, I really want to like this light. It's the only motorized zoom I have ever tried and overall, it's a fun light, except for the 3 strike rule.
Sorry, Tmart, I gotta tell it like it is. Nothing against you, but the light is a long ways from where it should be.
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Tear Down Photos
I removed the screw from the head to body connection. I know the screw was there to keep people from unscrewing the body. The threads there were glued and I just had to put the body in a vise and use both hands to twist the head free. Then I removed the four screws from the switch cover and used a pick, to go down in and push the driver out. The driver was in a locating ring, press fit. After that I could remove the switches. They are both SMD momentary and they are on one board, shown in the photo. The driver board has another small board attached to it and that is the motor control board. Lots of wires there. Two to the led, four to the switches, two to the motor and two to the sensor for motor extend and retract.
Here's the motor and gearbox still inside the head. The whole assembly will pull right out now.
Here's the two copper strips that act as a forward and back motor stop, as the zoom moves in and out and below is the spot on the aluminum that touches the copper strip contacts.
Here is how the lens assembly extends and retracts. Spiral cut gearing or threads if you will. The inside piece on the right rotates and the outside piece containing the lenses extends and retracts.
The led sits on a center stem and it is removed by using something to fit in the two holes. I used a pair of needle nosed pliers to get it loose and turn it out.
Here is a shot of the gearing. The gear on the right comes out of the gearbox and fits into the gear on the left. The led pill is what is screwed to that center shaft. The shot below shows it before taking the two sections apart. The led pill was what I unscrewed with the pliers a minute ago.
The pill is really very thin and, of course, the center is hollow, so now I know for sure why the light only runs on 1 amp. There is no heat sinking here and with all of the plastic gears and such, there's no way it could take the heat from 3 amps with an XM-L.
But my question is, Why an XM-L? Why not use an XP-E or XP-G and then you could put at least 2 amps to it. The light would actually be brighter with an XP-G and the square die spot would be smaller and more intense. I really think it would be better with an XP-G.
Of course, that's what I'm going to do. You know I am going to mod it...
or kill it while trying.
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I added an XP-G2 R5 3C to the light and ran all new heavier wire, as well as removing the resistors and using a wire to bridge the gap.
I don't have any photos. It was one of those mods, the Blue Streak Special, but it still works. Amp draw on High now is 1600mA. That's a 100% improvement, but it's still a sucky light. I just have never been at all impressed with a zoomie for any reason. I like the motorized concept and that works fine, but I just hate the square die spot.
Here's a couple Mouse over photos, showing the original and the new. THey aren't perfectly aliigned, because it was done at two different times, but you get the picture.
Mouse OUT is the original and Mouse OVER is the XP-G2 mod.
That's it. There's a giveaway coming in January, I can already feel it...
