My first thought was … whaaaat? No way!
Then I tried it, and you are correct.
All of the samples had threading compatible with the A6, X6, and even the Convoy S2+. All were inter-changeable. But the production Manker A6 units appear to use a different threading. Both the head and tail end of the tube have changed.
(edit: X6, not X2… typo)
Can we all get a big discount because of the problem with the treads?
Thats not what we wanted to get! (But this is the wrong Thread for discussing an additional discount)
Huh? Strobe mode while running, like on foot? Isn’t that a bad idea, since you would be seeing nothing at least half the time? Also, why do you need 3000 lumens for running? That’s more light (and probably way more lux) than a car. I don’t think I understand the question.
As for low frame-rate, I normally use 12Hz with a 1ms duty cycle (like an old game), or 24Hz with a 0.3ms duty cycle (like film). Full max on turbo has no frame rate, because it’s just … on. It doesn’t turn off at all.
I’ve tried 60Hz too, and it makes everything look like one of those low-budget soap operas they play on bad cable TV channels. It’s ironic how a higher frame rate, on television, actually makes video look cheaper. And going faster than that looks like a really cheap budget light, like the SK-68 on medium, because those lights actually use ~150Hz PWM.
If you want to use pulses to save power, the frequency doesn’t matter much. The duty cycle is what saves power. However, the duty cycle directly correlates with the perceived brightness. So, less power (averaged over time) looks less bright. Unless you use a really slow frequency, but then you risk disorienting yourself and tripping over things.
Perhaps I don’t understand either question.
If you need 3000 lumens to see while running, you have either stared into your X6 too many times, or you are running over 50mph.
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Besides, what’s the difference between a very fast “full brightness” strobe and PWM? Just use Medium (which i think is what TK was getting at)
Please hold off on the short tubes for me until the threading mismatch is figured out.
This is arcane stuff — but it’s one of the very basic early steps in going from batch-artisan-work to interchangeable parts and mass production.
It took Britan and the US a century to get it right — and that’s part of why there are so many different, partly compatible, standards for screw threads.
But no business today should repeat every miserable step and mistake on the way to getting it right.
Managing for Quality and Performance Excellence
Someone please show this to Manker’s people:
https://www.google.com/search?q=standard+interchangeable+parts+quality+control
It seems Manker sent samples to be approved/agreed...., ...and then CHANGED the lights WITHOUT consultation (threads, switch, etc).
So it seems unfortunately, that Manker is not to be trusted to deliver what we have agreed to. :-(
Best Regards,
George
However, Manker did reach out to confirm and re-calibrate the drivers multiple times. They built samples in the lab, I helped them get everything properly calibrated, and then they got production units and re-calibrated everything to be sure it was right. That’s a good thing, since some parts are really sensitive to tiny changes and the production units turned out very slightly different than the hand-made lab units. Same overall performance, but different constants needed in the analog-to-digital correction curves. Their extra caution made the driver and UI turn out as intended despite production differences.
I suspect something similar may have happened with the threads, but threads can’t be changed with a firmware update.
Until the data is in though, I don’t see much point worrying or speculating about it. We’ll have answers soon enough.
Hi, I want 2 tubes anodized please.
hmm, i wanted a shorty x6 as well! not sure if i still want 2 short tubes then, but i’ll have to receive my A6 before i see if i want anything changed.
Yes, my 4 tubes depend on them fitting the X6 SE v2 too…
I’m #34 and #73 on the list. Please remove #73 from the list. I do not need two of these, since the threads don’t match X6.
We don't know if it was Manker that actually made the change and a conscious change at that. A machine setting could have been teh most likely cause and if you produced a qty of 1500 of a product...then you make sure the remaining to produced fit.
That is what most likely happenned and it does happen. Not happy about it here but they did put quite a bit of effort into the driver and UI which is where I placed the main focus.
This is an issue for sure, but I am happy with the light overall. I mean for $25 I got a great light with the best UI for a single clicky. The reversing is what I like, and the hidden modes are hidden, but easily accessed. I am addicted to the bike flasher… I don’t even have a bike…
As for the 18350 tubes not fitting the X6, that was only a hope anyway. We requested this, but it seems no one noted during the process that the threads were different between test samples and production samples. It will not take away from the versatility of having a short A6 in my opinion.
I know this means that some tubes will not be ordered as some wanted them for their X6, and that is fine. It shows with our proverbial checkbook what could have been vs what is…
On another note:
I think we should put our collective heads together and come up with some standards here on BLF for these kind of group buy lights.
Thread type and pitch, standardize for ALL custom group buy lights.
Long, short and extra extended tubes for multiple battery set ups.
Standard size reflectors from tube size up to thrower sizes.
We can build the lego flashlights we want then.
Driver we have down now, switches we could specify and DTP copper MCB for the LED’s.
One of my ideas would be to have the body tubes be available in 340/350, 500 and 650/700 lengths. This way if you want to run it on a 14500, you buy a 500 length body tube and run it, or if you found some laptop pulls with 18500’s… You get the point.
If the threads on the reflector end are female (inside threaded) and the switch end male threads (on the outside) then we could just lego two 18650 tubes together for a MT-G2 build, or whatever…
This way group buys could concentrate on the heads of the lights, and we could spec them out like we want.
Just my ideas, and I will keep everyone updated as production samples are sent out. Thanks for all the other discussions as well, keeps the thread up by the top….
So this will only fit an A6 now? Not X6?
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Manker are doing well to lose any good rep they’ve built up here aren’t they
I agree with Hanlon’s razor which below is paraphrased to fit the thread. 
“Never blame dishonest intentions when ignorance or human error can explain things”.
I am ignoring the quote below.
It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
Mark Twain
Have a very nice day. If not, have one tomorrow.
+1,000,000,000,000,000 
Just imagine whole product line of BLF lights, interchangable parts and accessories.
@TK & PD
You are right & TK also, i didn’t think of that if it strobed it would in effect be less total lumens……but what i meant by “running strobe” was something like the bike strobe where you had a 1500 lumens base light & pulsed intervals of full turbo, to save some battery & still see the nature around you clearly. I don’t know maybe it would be disorienting to use though.
I don’t get these car comparisons at all, is the human body a car? is my feet wheels? If you want to compare it to something wheeled compare it to a down hill mountain bike or a rally car in the dark. And do those riding a mountain bike down hill in the dark do it safer with more light? Of course they do. And remember i am only talking about this amount of light needed in crazy difficult terrain in the snow on icy trails where no sane person would try to run in the dark. Lots of light is what makes it possible & even safe(ish ;)) & the best of all very much enjoyable 
But about using a lot of lumens when running at maximum exertion when it is snowing on snowy & icy trails in the forest, believe me it makes all the difference between running just a few % slower than on bare ground in daylight & skidding & slipping around like Bambi on ice
I am not really sure why, but i think the contrast of shiny white on white is really improved when using lots of lumens + when it is snowing that eats up a lot of the light also, sure you can use less like 1000 but then you have to shine it down towards where you are going to place your feet, and then everything else is black so you miss out of actually seeing how gorgeous the nature looks in the snow
And less light make you have to anticipate slipping, more light make you trust your reflexes much more so you can relax & concentrate on everything else needed to keep a good pace.
And i only need light if i run on unknown terrain. Now in the summer, i use deep red tinted glasses to pre adapt my eyes to get to the trail & then my eyes are sufficiently dark adapted to run on feel, like how long grasses by the side of the track touches my skin to know i am to close to the edge of the track.
When you attach the head/reflector directly to the tailswitch you can skip the battery all together. H)
Please put me down for one.