Very nice picture and one fine looking torch. This made me want a grey L2 with smooth SS bezel.
So I ordered one :) Will be my first DIY project. Or, that failing, my host for Ultrafire XM-L drop-in...
I hope you like yours as much as I like mine ..
This is my Fav L2 , and it really is bling , I also have a L2m , but I really should get another matching L2 , I have so many black ones .
That's funny - that awesome picture and that post by old4570 is the reason I own this:
I saw that silver beauty in the rocks and I couldn't get over to solarforce-sales fast enough.
thankyouold4570Foy
The more I see your pics Foy--the more I want to start grinding down bezels but it seems like it would take forever with my palm sander.
Is that the same as an orbital? This is what I used but there may be something better.
ifIcandoitanybodycanFoy
Mine only vibrates which makes me think it will take forever. I think I know someone with a belt sander that can do most of the grinding then I can use my palm sander to finish it.
I assume you used a bench vise to hold the bezel right?
I screw the bezel to be modded onto an unused L2r, wrap it in an old towel and put it in my bench vise, being careful (obviously) to squeeze it on the opposing flat surfaces. I use the L2r because of fears of bending the head with the vise. Having the bezel on a head gives you something to clamp to. Having the head on the L2r gives it extra strength in the vise.
I actually did the first one simply holding the L2r in my left hand and the orbital in my right. Turned out great and I have not hurt that $10 L2r in any way. (yet)
funtolearnnewstuffFoy
Oh ok. Can I borrow your L2r? lol
I think I'll just use my fake SS L2.
So I own now two of these drop-ins from Manafont. One is a warm white, the other is slightly greenish. both using an AR lense and SMO reflectors.
Not complaining, but they are different
I also have 2 of those. Both warmer and very nice. bought 1 month apart. 1 from the promotion and 1 normally. Very happy with both.
How bad does this thing heat up on high with aluminium added in an L2? Seems some people say it cant be run over a few minutes while others say they have let it go 30 mins on high?
I ran my silver L2 for over an hour on high with a 3-mode Ultra Fire XM-L. Had to hold it in my hand to allow it to wick away the heat. It does get warm, for sure. (it's wrapped tightly with aluminum foil) There's a post around here somewhere about it. During that same "test" I also ran another UF XM-L in another L2 loaded with 2 x CR123. It still works but is just slightly less bright.
tookonefortheteamFoy
Got mine today, and while I can't compare it to any other XM-L, mine has exactly the same color (it's jacktheclipper's shot posted in this page)
Hotspot - I would say neutral (slightly yellow). Outer hotspot part - slightly more yellowish. Spill - very noticeably violet bluish awful tint :tired: So, when you say "whiter", what tint does the SF XM-L has? My Kingpower has the best white tint I've ever seen. ITP also, but on slightly cold side. But this XM-L has ... very very awful violet tint :( (at least for me, perhaps it's not so bad for someone. Would prefer less bright but with a true white tint)
Beamshots of your XMLs please , people . I would love to see and compare tints and color shifts of the various dropins .
Will depend on camera you're using. In your case, you've said that the pic has almost identical tint. The best way is took photos with the same camera and configuration, without automatic balance, and so on. It's not so easy :(
Well , I mean pictures that the user thinks are the same as what he or she sees ...
EDIT: A side by side would be good . If only to show differences without regard to actual tints . My dropin really does have the colors in those pics . Strongly colored beam .
I bought this dropin as soon as it appeared just to have the brightest new thing , but I'm going to wait for a high CRI version before I buy another .
Aahh, yeah, that make sense, of course ;)
Same here, lol :bigsmile: If I had known it before (that it has that awful purple/violet tint), I hadn't bought it I think :~ (I thought that the last versions would be whiter)
BTW, what is CRI?
OK. T6 on left, U2 on right.
Until I saw some of the shots here I would have said XM-L T6 = green (Both of my T6 drop-ins from MF certainly are).
Well Tas, I'm feeling a little better about my U2 decision. Also, I put up some beam shots (new thread) and now I see it may have smarter to put them here. Sorry, should have read first.
Foy
That’s exactly what it was. Went into my TrendMicro administration panel and added manafont to the safe site list and it comes up just fine now. Never had that happen before. Either they show entirely or they don’t show at all and give a warning. Manafont just had screwed up layout and no pics without any warnings. Thanks for the reply! 