I’d guess it’s the ‘chinese poo poo’ Jubeldum posted earlier.
Poo Poo is close, its pretty crappy.
The poo-poo leds have plastic dome (the one on the picture is a dirty silicone one) and are much bigger package then the led under the centering ring on the photos.
Finally, someone who sees what I see !
Even the Poo Poo one has a real dome.
What the difference between showing now and after u get a confirmation?
While this thread has spun out into a bunch of insanity I don’t think you’re trying to get a free light. There’s nothing wrong with XML lights (though I’ll take an XM-L2 over an XM-L every time) and nothing wrong with posting about being cheated. I’ve never dealt with Tmart and have no desire to. If I’m going to order from China I’m cautious because I’ve had the same experience you are describing with other Chinese sellers. When they ask me to send a picture I usually just give up because it’s not worth my time over what’s usually a couple dollar item. I’ve had good experience with Fasttech. Like any seller in China you sometimes have to wait a while for shipping. I had one order that took 5 weeks but that was around the holidays. Most of my orders from them arrive in 2-3 weeks and I’ve had them on my doorstep (I’m in Michigan) in as little as 10 days a few times. I’ve bought at least half a dozen lights from them over the last few years. They seem to be more truthful about lumen ratings and specs than other sites. The 501b I bought from them almost 2 years ago is the best I’ve seen. It cost a little over $12, has a really nice grey/blue anodizing and an XM-L2. They rate it at 500 lumens and it’s every bit of that. The only thing wrong with their description on that one is they list it as a forward clicky and it’s not. It’s a reverse clicky. It looks and performs like a much more expensive light. The SKU number for that one is 1358902 if you want to check it out on their site. It’s the only light I’ve ever owned that has the Ultrafire label and is actually a quality light. Most of the time in my experience “Ultrafire” means junk, but not in this case. If I wasn’t afraid of gifting Lithium based lights all my friends and family would have one of these. It’s just that nice.
FWIW, I too like the XM-L T6. I’ve seen it work very well in many lights with a nice neutral output. There’s not anything wrong with it.
But it’s not the reason you have a floody light or a pencil beam. The XM-L will perform, beam wise, exactly like the XM-L2 and XP-L emitters as the die is the same size. And it’s only a few lumens less light than it’s newer siblings, undetectable by eye.
My point is, there is probably another issue making the light not what you expected. Maybe even a simple fix. Check that the retaining ring in the tail cap is tight. Disassemble the entire tail cap and make sure it’s clean, I’ve seen dirty contacts on the switch cause massive current loss, a simple cleaning and reassembly fixed it beautifully. Also check the retaining ring on the driver if it has one. If it doesn’t, make sure the solder joining the driver to the pill is solid and not a cold joint. That too can kill a good light.
Replace the super thin 32ga wires with 22ga, that should also give you a substantial increase in output with no modifying the driver. And be sure to use a reputable cell. Many cheap protected cells have very low current draw capabilities.
A dozen ways for the light to not meet your expectations, only one or two that directly involve the emitter.
He wont even try to attempt taking off the plastic centering ring. What makes you think he will do all that? For all i know, he probably threw in a uncharged battery, turned light on, intensity of light is poo and then took battery out and then posted on blf asap…
All that is the simple stuff, the kind of thing most of us do with every new light that comes in as a matter of checking that it’s assembled properly and ready to roll.
I’m in the process of making a flashlight from a Smith & Wesson .500 Magnum shell. I have the pill done, will be cutting a “Bullet” for the reflector and overall case for the light engine from Titanium, using nothing more than a cordless drill and a rotary tool. Ultimately I’m looking for a flashlight that looks as identical to a loaded .500 Mag round as possible, with a tail clicky and ~ 1000 lumens, albeit breifly, from an IMR10250 cell.
I am a forgetful dope. If I can learn to do this kind of thing on my own, virtually anyone can clean and check a flashlight for proper function. ANYONE! I’ve seen people with no arms use their feet in ways that even they could do this!
Thats very interesting and inspirational but i dont think op will even bother, let alone to even attempt taking off the centering ring.
RC is it me or are those racoons in your sig getting bigger by the day? What are you feeding them?
Purina Raccoon Chow®, now with extra t-Virus for your thriving raccoons.
The government is prepared for the zombie racoon apocalypse. 
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2014/images/05/16/dod.zombie.apocalypse.plan.pdf
Scarry!
I’m a shark!
Get over the centering ring already, the centering ring is not covering the emitter, its right there plain to see it is NOT an XML.
If i took off the centering ring and the base has XML stamped on it, it is still not an XML, am I the only one that knows the difference?
No, it’s not an XM-L, it would have lines across the phosphor dividing it into obvious sections. But with that centering ring covering it, there’s no way to get a positive identification on it and it may very well be the upgrade to the XM-L and nobody here understands why you would have an issue with that.
Most of us have a pot full of discarded XM-L’s that were pulled out of lights as soon as they showed up, in favor of the XM-L2. That’s not an exagerration. I have quite a few, and can’t tell you how many I simply threw away.
Will you Please look at this thread and try to identify that emitter, to appease our curiosity that you created?
Dale,
I looked, and honestly it doesn’t look like any of those.
Definitely not XML-T6 that I ordered, or XML2.
I’ll try to get some better/magnified pics before I send it back.