# Olight M30 Triton (new and first pictures



## RainerWahnsinn (Mar 11, 2009)

Here it is, proud to bring it to your eyes with a special engraving for our Forum

http://www.abload.de/img/forumslampe__mit_logo_wp8k.jpg


_Over sized image removed

Here is a new one hopefully right size:






_


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## Federal LG (Mar 11, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

Specs ?


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (Mar 11, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

*Specs AND PRIcE, PLEASE*


Federal LG said:


> Specs ?


 http://www.tacticalforum.de/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=3479&highlight=Olight+M30 - I GOTTA HAVE ONE!!


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (Mar 11, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

*That light is priced at 130 EURO which equals around 166 bucks, maybe someone from our forums can talk with Olight about doing a similar engraving for us, Id be interested in atleast one.*


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## Seiko (Mar 11, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

I am totally digging the instant strobe button on the tail cap!!!!
Once these hit the US I will be all over it.


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## BigBluefish (Mar 11, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

[Commence rant.]

Kreplach! (OK, my Klingon is a little rustly...I hope I didn't mistakenly say something unflattering about your ancestry.) 

What is it with all these lights that look like they're props from the next Star Trek movie? 

[End of rant.]


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## ergotelis (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

Just for your information the flashlight is writing in (ancient) Greek "come to take if you dare". It is a famous ancient greek phrase, told by king Lewnidas against Persians in Thermopyles battle(Maybe a lot of you have seen the movie of "300" ,that is all )


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## Rancid Badger (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

Oh dear, so this is where all my money goes! 

Looks like I'll be ordering one of these then :thumbsup:


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## powernoodle (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

*And its "kapla!", meaning "success!" in Klingon. Though it has been transliterated as Qeplah or Keplah.

Link. *


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## BigBluefish (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



ergotelis said:


> Just for your information the flashlight is writing in (ancient) Greek "come to take if you dare". It is a famous ancient greek phrase, told by king Lewnidas against Persians in Thermopyles battle(Maybe a lot of you have seen the movie of "300" ,that is all )


 
I was aware of the phrase, loosely translated "come and take it," and I rather approve of that. It's the light's styling, with the agressive bezel and tailcap, and all the ridges, etc., that make shake me head in wonder. Though this one isn't nearly as bad in that respect as some I've seen.

Well, I said I was ranting....


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## ergotelis (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



BigBluefish said:


> I was aware of the phrase, loosely translated "come and take it," and I rather approve of that. It's the light's styling, with the agressive bezel and tailcap, and all the ridges, etc., that make shake me head in wonder. Though this one isn't nearly as bad in that respect as some I've seen.
> 
> Well, I said I was ranting....



Well being myself Greek i was surprised when i saw this phrase on a flashlight.
The flashlight will be 17cm long and comes with an extension tube to take 2x18650,else it is 3xcr123.


Damn and i was planning to buy Eagletac p7! Now?Buy both! :nana:


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## MrGman (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

and nobody thinks its a copy of the Surefire E2DL regardless of how you spell it in Klingon??? For even more money than the E2DL


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## kts (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



MrGman said:


> and nobody thinks its a copy of the Surefire E2DL regardless of how you spell it in Klingon??? For even more money than the E2DL


 
Does the E2DL put out 700 lumens :thinking:


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## BigBluefish (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



powernoodle said:


> *And its "kapla!", meaning "success!" in Klingon. Though it has been transliterated as Qeplah or Keplah.*
> 
> _*Link. *_


 
Egads, I stand corrected. 

Kreplach = small dumpling!


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## 2benlightened (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

k, my german is a little rusty... this says 650 to 700 lumens? with an adapter tube that holds 218650's or 4 cr123A's?

Can anyone mit better german confirm this stat?


And what's with this "more details coming soon" business... we want specs NOW!!! LOL

heck, we want the light NOW!!!


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## Revierler (Mar 12, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

IN fact this engraving is a special run for our tacticalforum.de and thus custom ordered.

And no, I do not think that this is an exact copy, as it is larger, brighter, more versatile, feature-laden and - most of all - cheaper.

We will post exact specs ASAP, probably in a few days.

You can run the light on 3x or 4x CR123 or 2x 18650 to our knowledge. Other combinations might be possible, but are not confirmed by any means.


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## Henk_Lu (Mar 13, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

A copy of the E2DL??? 

If you mean the Fenix TA30, I can agree, but the E2DL has no selection ring.

The M30 Triton could perhaps be a copy of a flashlight, who knows? Perhaps it's even better than a flashlight... :devil:


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## Revierler (Mar 13, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

We were talking about the Olight M30

But hey, If it is black and bright on one end and rubbery and soft on the other end it doesn´t have to be a surefire copy.


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## gsxrac (Mar 13, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

Im in if theres a CPF special. Ahh who am I kidding? Im in even if theres not lol. I love my M20 and dont expect ANY less from the M30


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## MattK (Mar 13, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

I brought an M30 Triton prototype to the CPF GTG at SHOT so some folks got to play with it a bit in January. 

It's pretty unique; not sure how it's a copy of anything; all new, original UI, unique design, etc.


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## Patriot (Mar 13, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



MrGman said:


> and nobody thinks its a copy of the Surefire E2DL regardless of how you spell it in Klingon??? For even more money than the E2DL





err....:huh:

Other than 4 pointy area's on the tailcap, no, not even remotely.


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## ergotelis (Mar 13, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

How is it possible to get the special version of the german forums?Anyone help?


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## Seiko (Mar 13, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



ergotelis said:


> How is it possible to get the special version of the german forums?Anyone help?



Post over there, most of the people speak fluent English.


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## ace0001a (Mar 14, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



MrGman said:


> and nobody thinks its a copy of the Surefire E2DL regardless of how you spell it in Klingon??? For even more money than the E2DL





Henk_Lu said:


> A copy of the E2DL???
> 
> If you mean the Fenix TA30, I can agree, but the E2DL has no selection ring.
> 
> The M30 Triton could perhaps be a copy of a flashlight, who knows? Perhaps it's even better than a flashlight...





MattK said:


> I brought an M30 Triton prototype to the CPF GTG at SHOT so some folks got to play with it a bit in January.
> 
> It's pretty unique; not sure how it's a copy of anything; all new, original UI, unique design, etc.



No offense, but to me it always seems Surefire fanatics are always a touch too sensitive about this subject in my opinion. No matter what others say, my stance will always be that it's all been done (for the most part) and that everything borrows something from others. Also, anything that sets the standards on something so to speak (like Surefire) will always be followed by others who emulate because they know it works well or sells. I think more people should simply take the stance that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...that's my 2 cents on that.

With that said, this flashlight looks cool. Man, I am going to be broke by the time I get out of this hobby!!!


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## Henk_Lu (Mar 14, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



ergotelis said:


> How is it possible to get the special version of the german forums?Anyone help?



Sign up to the Forum and post your interest in the hread which you should find without any problems by now...

The light with the engraving of the Forum is a unique run and there will be produced as many as there are pre-orders.

The light won't be unique though, it will be available without the special forum engravement and for another price of course.

You can post in english in that german forum without a problem, you will get an answer in english.

Greets,

Henk


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## Revierler (Mar 15, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

As an admin of the forum in question I can only concur! Post away in English, we are pretty good at it...


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## richardcpf (Mar 16, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

Where are the mid range P7 lights? We already have tons of $40-$60 DX/KD P7 lights, and now we have expensive, $150+ P7/MC-E lights. TK40, LM950, Megananolight, ACE, lumapower, M30, etc..

But I don't see many lights at the price range between 60 and $150...


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## RainerWahnsinn (Mar 28, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

These are the first Pictures made from Revierler. It is the M30 with our Forum-Logo. It´s a Prototype (sorry for the big size, I´m working on it)


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## RainerWahnsinn (Mar 28, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*


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## RainerWahnsinn (Mar 28, 2009)




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## Ryanrpm (Mar 28, 2009)

Nice, detailed pics! How is the beam profile? Doesn't look like it is is thrower, having such a shallow reflector...?

Thanks again. Maybe post some beamshots?


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## RainerWahnsinn (Mar 28, 2009)

All the questions will be answered tomorrow. My Buddy Revierler ist testing it tonight very well. His Report will help Olight to make some last changings.


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## easilyled (Mar 28, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



richardcpf said:


> Where are the mid range P7 lights? We already have tons of $40-$60 DX/KD P7 lights, and now we have expensive, $150+ P7/MC-E lights. TK40, LM950, Megananolight, ACE, lumapower, M30, etc..
> 
> But I don't see many lights at the price range between 60 and $150...



I bought the Solarforce 950M (P7-DSX0I) for $75.99 and the quality is first rate.

Back to the thread now.


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## easilyled (Mar 28, 2009)

I really don't think the sharp teeth in the tailcap suits everyone.

They look like they can gouge fabric and also the anodising is going to wear quickly at the sharp points.

You can even see this in the picture above.


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## RainerWahnsinn (Mar 28, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*



easilyled said:


> Back to the thread now.




Thank you. I saw some visitors going lost by visiting our Forum, so here the is the OLIGHT M30 Triton Prototyp Sneak Preview from Revierler

@easilyled

that is what I thought first, but in reality it isn´t that sharp.


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## Seiko (Mar 28, 2009)

Looking forward to this light alot, but that head needs serious help. Hope they at least round the fins (think finned maglite head)

Thanks for the new pictures!


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (Mar 28, 2009)

*I say it looks about perfect, I want one, cant wait to see some beam shots.*


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## Revierler (Mar 29, 2009)

Here are beamshots, too!

http://www.tacticalforum.de/index.php?page=Thread&postID=42637#post42637


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## TodToh (Mar 29, 2009)

Any one can tell me what the S button is ?


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## Seiko (Mar 29, 2009)

TodToh said:


> Any one can tell me what the S button is ?


Instant access to strobe mode. (great idea for LEO's)


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## RainerWahnsinn (Mar 29, 2009)

When light is on, you switch with the s-button thrue the modes. When light is off, you go straight to strobe with that button


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## richardcpf (Mar 29, 2009)

TodToh said:


> Any one can tell me what the S button is ?


 
Enemy-blinding, tactical disorienting strobe. Like if all flashaholics were SWAT units.


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## Wattnot (Mar 29, 2009)

I like the specs and the versatility with the batteries but those "piston rings" on the head (and the talon tailcap) make it look kinda ulgy.


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## Ryanrpm (Mar 29, 2009)

Those fins provide good heat removal from the emitter. The M1-X, Legion II, 16wFP, and TK40 all have heat removing fins.

Ugly? Perhaps, but I bet you it functions excellent.


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## StandardBattery (Mar 29, 2009)

I'm OK with the fins, and they appear to be deep enough to provide a reasonable increase in the surface area for cooling and not just decoration. The tail-cap I do find ugly, but I guess they are trying to provide easy access without giving up tail-standing. This is a good goal, so I hope it looks better in person. I'm not sure I'll buy one, but the beam does look quite interesting compared to existing MC-E products.


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## daveman (Mar 30, 2009)

The M30 does not seem that much brighter than the M20. There's a thread in the review section comparing the Tiablo ACE and the M1X to the M20, and both of those lights seem MUCH brighter to the M20 than the M30 does.


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (Mar 30, 2009)

*The M30 Triton will be alot brighter than a M20 Warrior, period. You have to remember its a prototype, theirs alot of tweaking being done right now, Id say atleast 2 months or more before its released. I love the idea of being able to strike and gash with both ends, I hope they finish it soon :drool*


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## daveman (Mar 30, 2009)

Let's hope so, the link in post 39 does not inspire much confidence.


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## rastaman (Mar 30, 2009)

Revierler said:


> Here are beamshots, too!
> 
> http://www.tacticalforum.de/index.php?page=Thread&postID=42637#post42637



there are no beamshots, yet.


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## Revierler (Mar 30, 2009)

@rastaman:
Go to the second page of the thread. And yes, it´s a proto, I guess they are still working on it.


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## TodToh (Mar 30, 2009)

Thank You.


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## mefistofele86 (Apr 6, 2009)

Are there news about this flashlight? I thinks it will be a great light. I alrady have an olight M20 and it's amazing (with smooth reflector it's a great thrower for its size).


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## MattK (Apr 7, 2009)

Should be arriving at the end of the month. 700 OTF lumens in production form. Will come with holster, nice storage/carry case, extension tube, etc.


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## hiluxxulih (Apr 7, 2009)

OH boy there goes my money , count me in .


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## RainerWahnsinn (Apr 8, 2009)

It will use M-bin LED. :nana:


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## MattInTheCouv (Apr 14, 2009)

4sevens.com is claiming a 4/28 ship date... checked on here and in the marketplace and didn't see any such info, just curious if there is any accuracy to it

oh, and since it was mentioned earlier, the "molon labe" quote on the special run model is a bit more nuanced than its direct translation. there's a connotation of "when you have slain me, you can take it", wherein the issuer of the challenge knows his death is certain. the wikipedia entry explains this in greater detail


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## easilyled (Apr 14, 2009)

RainerWahnsinn said:


> It will use M-bin LED. :nana:



That's great. Where did you hear this information from?


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## RainerWahnsinn (Apr 14, 2009)

Thus that is like that: I know someone, which knows someone….

Therefore I have also the information that the rear Bezel can be removed likewise.

I do not want to swear to it, but my information is reliable probably.


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## MattK (Apr 15, 2009)

M-Bin is confirmed.

4/28 is about right; factory is shipping 4/25. I think 4/30 is more likely.


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## Ryanrpm (Apr 16, 2009)

We need some decent beamshots in the range of 50, 100, 200 meters. The reflector doesn't look very deep. Makes me question the throw a little.

Do you have reflector dimensions?


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## hammerface (Apr 17, 2009)

Looking at the Eagletac M2, M1X, etc. etc. and I was leaning towards the TK40.... until I saw this one... 

Great. Back to square one...


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## hiluxxulih (Apr 18, 2009)

Is the new Olight M30 going to have an S.O.S. mode feature too ?


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## hiluxxulih (Apr 18, 2009)

Scratch that it doesnt matter I just pre ordered at your website , hopefully the critters in the back yard are going to need eye doctors when it gets here .


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## hammerface (Apr 19, 2009)

I had an M20 premium and was really impressed with it. Bright, good throw, very well made, etc. one thing I wasn't crazy about was the slight greenish tint it had - hopefully the Triton doesn't have that.

I was very close to going for the TK40 but the M30 seems to have a better UI, more extras, it looks better (IMO), has the tube extender, etc. Plus it's cheaper. I'm a little surprised there isn't more talk about this one on here - out of all the big guns coming out at the moment I think this one is at the top of my list (for now 

It would be nice to see a direct comparison of specs between all the big lights. I was going to compile something but just don't have the time


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## Edog006 (Apr 22, 2009)

Wow this light is impressive, I was holding out for the SF UB2/UB3 Invictus, but that will offer half as many Lumens and cost at least twice as much, scratch that! Plus the battery verstaility is awesome great idea from Olight. I am willing to purchase one today just hoping it will be as nice as it sounds.


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## Dudeman (Apr 22, 2009)

I really like this light! The small size plus 700 lumens is hard to beat, despite the probable lack of huge throw. I like the dual crenelations too. I'm going to have to get me one. I do wish there were some beamshots out there to compare too though. I can see myself backpacking with this light in bear country! I wonder how a bear would react to 700 lumens of strobe? yeah it probably would not faze him, but it might give enough time to draw the survival knife!


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## MattK (Apr 23, 2009)

Sorry but no SOS for the M30 Triton - it's not aimd at that market.

Regrading throw; as I have stated here many times NO multi die light will out throw a single die light, regardless of raw output, assuming equally optimized reflector geometry - it's siomply NOT the nature of the emitter. What I find very interesting is that we just recived a final production prototype and the reflector depth was decrease yet the new prototype throws further than the original AND has a cleaner beam profile (no MC-E 'cross') and tighter hotspot.

Hammerface - Agreed; I think the M30 is simply the best value in the MC-E class lights by a mile. I think that the reason there's been less chatter is that this project has been kept very quiet because Olight didn't want the new UI copied too soon so rather than start talking publically about this MONTHS in advance it was decided to keep things quiet until we were close to production and had the details finalized. This may have resulted in less 'buzz' but I think that will change very soon with the lights arriving in 7~9 days.

Bear? Survival KNIFE?!?!? 
I'm no expert but isn't taking on a bear when you're armed with a knife equivalent to 'taking a knife to a gun fight'?


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## Painful Chafe (Apr 23, 2009)

MattK said:


> Sorry but no strobe for the M30 Triton - it's not aimd at that market.



Maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake. It says several times in the description there is a strobe.


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## swrdply400mrelay (Apr 23, 2009)

MattK said:


> Sorry but no strobe for the M30 Triton - it's not aimd at that market.


 

Is the strobe taken out now?


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## MattK (Apr 23, 2009)

ACK sorry I had a senior moment there. There's no SOS - it DEFINITELY has a strobe - and 2 ways to get to it!! 

Fixed my post above. DUH.


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## Dioni (Apr 23, 2009)

MattK said:


> Sorry but no strobe for the M30 Triton - it's not aimd at that market.


 
?! oo:

PS: Forget it. Late post.


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## ntalbot (Apr 23, 2009)

MattK said:


> ACK sorry I had a senior moment there. There's no SOS - it DEFINITELY has a strobe - and 2 ways to get to it!!
> 
> Fixed my post above. DUH.



Why have two ways of turning on the strobe? Isn't one enough for a feature that most of us will not use? If I understand correctly, when the light is on and I adjust the output level it by pushing the side button the output will go lo-med-hi-strobe-lo-med-hi-strobe etc. Is that correct? In addition, when the light is off, pressing the side button will bring the light on immediately in strobe mode, right? So why make us scroll thru strobe while adjusting the light level for the rear button? I don't get.


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## d1dd1 (Apr 23, 2009)

+1 Strobe in the normal mode cycle is useless, but the immediate strobe from off is great


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## Edog006 (Apr 23, 2009)

Yes, you are correct about the order of the scroll and the strobe function. I think the strobe is in the rotation for tactical purposes. Remember whatever setting it was last saved at will come on with tailcap depressing. Often the tailcap is the fastest and safest way to activate the light in a potentially hostile situation thus having the strobe saved as the last setting allows you to dial up tailcap-activated strobe faster and more efficiently than trying to hit the side button. Overall, its a good idea, but granted for most users it will be slightly annoying to scroll through strobe every cycle.


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## Joe Talmadge (Apr 23, 2009)

ntalbot said:


> Why have two ways of turning on the strobe? Isn't one enough for a feature that most of us will not use? If I understand correctly, when the light is on and I adjust the output level it by pushing the side button the output will go lo-med-hi-strobe-lo-med-hi-strobe etc. Is that correct? In addition, when the light is off, pressing the side button will bring the light on immediately in strobe mode, right? So why make us scroll thru strobe while adjusting the light level for the rear button? I don't get.



Perhaps because if you know you want to operate in strobe, thumb activation is more natural, so you can just leave the thumb button on strobe all the time if you'd like. Aimed at the tactical market, seems fine to me.


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## Edog006 (Apr 23, 2009)

Can anyone get some throw/outdoor beamshots, and compare the throw of the MC-E LED vs single LED. I want to know how compromised throw is or are we not really losing throw, it is still massive, just not as great based on four separate LEDs? Beamshots would be awesome!


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## ntalbot (Apr 23, 2009)

Ok, how about a non-tactical version of this flashlight where the side button will get you from off to high immediately. If the light is on, then then quick presses of the side button cycles you through lo, med and high, programming the rear bottom to that brightness. If you hold the side button down for more than a second while the light is on, it goes to high. When you turn the light on by the rear button, you get the brightness setting you last programmed it to, even if you have since used it on high by hitting the side button. No strobe function at all. I think that UI would rock. What do you think?


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## MattK (Apr 23, 2009)

Edog006 said:


> Yes, you are correct about the order of the scroll and the strobe function. I think the strobe is in the rotation for tactical purposes. Remember whatever setting it was last saved at will come on with tailcap depressing. Often the tailcap is the fastest and safest way to activate the light in a potentially hostile situation thus having the strobe saved as the last setting allows you to dial up tailcap-activated strobe faster and more efficiently than trying to hit the side button. Overall, its a good idea, but granted for most users it will be slightly annoying to scroll through strobe every cycle.




Exactly. In a life/death situation when the adrenaline is pumping and your hands are shaking this allows you to pre-set the strobe to the tailcap so you can just mash away at the tailcap - also, there is the issue of pressure switches that needed to be addressed.

ntalbot - if there was enough market I'm sure that could be done in the MCU but remember that this light was designed based on end-user market research for military/tactical/LEO users so the 'Special Operations' interface was developed for this light. If demands warrants it another version would be considered without a doubt.

Reviewer samples will go out next week - though I'd really expect to see more beamshot comparisons vs other MCE lights and not single emiter lights as it's really apples/oranges.


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## ergotelis (Apr 23, 2009)

Do you know Matt if any bigger stike bezel is going to appear?As a spare part of course. 
Does M20 has any?


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## Edog006 (Apr 23, 2009)

Thanks Matt. How significant is the beam difference between these MCEs vs say a Cree Q5 or similar. You said its like apples and oranges are these MCEs much different in color temperature as well, and is throw really suffering even though bulb lumens is close to 700?


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## MattK (Apr 23, 2009)

An MC-E is made using 4 XR-E die so the color bins are basically the same. 

Much like the Luxeon V's that were made with 4 Luxeon I's they output a very different emission pattern. The XR-E's in particular are very narrow emission angle which is why they make great throwers but need fairly heavily textured reflectors to give a floody output or have a smooth beam profile. 

Folks here often used to refer to lights using Luxeon V's as making a 'wall of light' and that's fair to say of the MC-E's as well. If you want a throw monster you are probably best served by a 'thrower' class Q5/R2 light. If you want a light cannon that's where the MC-E is your best choice.


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## Edog006 (Apr 24, 2009)

Matt thanks for the information, that is a fantastic breakdown of the difference. I have a Q5 and love it, its rated about 220 lumens and is a great thrower. I also have a 7 LED SSC-U2 which has a good blend of throw and plenty of spill too. It is rated a 1300 lumens but weighs > 2 Lbs, so I bet this would plenty bright and super compact for the output, and have a greater application for illuminating more area vs a tight beam. For hunting, camping, military, and law enforcement this light might be ideal for more situations.


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## MattK (Apr 24, 2009)

Sure thing. That's a WF-1300L you've got right?

The M30 will have plenty of throw for it's intended market and realistically for just about any 'real world' application.


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## 7k7k99 (Apr 24, 2009)

so is the M30 a tight beam or a wide spill? I just pre-ordered one from Battery Junction


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## Edog006 (Apr 24, 2009)

Yep, its the Ultrafire TH 1300L the light output is phenomenal but it is tough to carry around its massive. The Olight M30 might be a heck of a lot more practical, and the M30 can use 18650s like the 3 needed for the UF 1300L. Each battery is about $10 a piece I own 6 and they are great but I have no other lights currently that use them. M30 seems like a great choice, Im just waiting on some outdoor beamshots before I pull the trigger.


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## MattK (Apr 25, 2009)

The M30 has a tight hotspot plus lots of spill.


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## Edog006 (Apr 25, 2009)

Hey Matt I've got a question. I know the Olight is currently on sale, how much longer is that sale price going to stay, or is it bouncing up again soon. One blink for staying there for a while or two blinks if it is shooting up within the month. Feel free to use any variation of code you like; my excessive paranoia may not be warranted, but just want to make sure you're covered.


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## MattK (Apr 25, 2009)

I can't discuss stuff like that here on CPF proper but even if I could the the answer is the same; I don't know.


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## Edog006 (Apr 25, 2009)

Thanks, I understand completely. Is there the characteristic "donut" associated with MC-E in the M30 or like the Tiablo ACE G is it accounted for and taken care of? Also I have seen beamshots with the ACE G and they are impressive would the M30 be extremely similar?


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## MattK (Apr 25, 2009)

No donut at all with the M30; Olight worked hard to get rid of the donut and the 'cross' another typical MC-E artifact. I've never seen the ACE G but I can tell you the M30 is very impressive.


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## Dudeman (Apr 26, 2009)

Hey Matt,

I posted earlier but it seems to have been deleted as it has disappeared. (I said I pre-ordered the light and thanked you for all your info.. I also mentioned that I hate restocking fees, like BJ has, so maybe that's why it was deleted....I'm new here and not sure what to expect in terms of the level of censorship....this may be deleted as well!  ) Anyways I'm curious as to some of what has been stated about the output of this light. Earlier in this thread you said it will have 700 OTF lumens in production form, but in the other marketplace forum you said that the TK40 is brighter, which is rated at around 640. It seems like either the 640 is a low estimate, or the 700 must be high. Is the TK40 appearing brighter because of the larger reflector or the higher voltage?

Looking forward to receiving the light!


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## Edog006 (Apr 27, 2009)

Dudeman and Matt, yeah my posts were deleted too, thats odd never happend before. Anyway I was praising batteryjunction as a great site and I went ahead and ordered my M30 today too. I think there might be more throw from the TK40 but more lumens from the M30, this is just my guess looking at the reflector, but Matt will know for sure. Alrighty I hope this gets posted


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## fyaman (Apr 27, 2009)

I really want to pull the trigger on this light but know nothing about what I need as far as batteries go. I know there is a battery section but I want to know what I need for this particular light based on it's requirements. I want the longest running rcr123's and 18650's. All my previous lights have either needed alkaline or came with batteries and had internal chargers. Please help. I want to buy it NOW! Thank you.


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## Dudeman (Apr 27, 2009)

Yeah I hope that observation is just due to the larger reflector. I reread the thread in the marketplace, and I'm guessing Matt has not chimed in for the same reasons he stated there, which is that he only has had a prototype, not a finalized production model, and he will leave the final judgment and comparisons to us. It's ok by me, enough said. 

(Personal Ad)...Desperately seeking Triton... Need bright and dependable companion...hoping for grandiose illumination from a petite, well built and radiant soul. Must have stamina and flexibility.

Get a tracking number from China yet????? :naughty:


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## MattK (Apr 28, 2009)

fyaman - 2 x 18650's will provide a longer runtime than any other solution by a sizeable margin.

No tracking yet but that's not unusual.


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## Edog006 (Apr 28, 2009)

Fyaman, yeah Matt knows his stuff, He's correct guiding you to the 18650s theyll be slightly brighter and last longer. I personally use Ultrafire button top protected 18650s from batteryjunction.com and they are fantastic, but 10 bucks a piece, I would buy 4 and a 1 carrier $1.75 extra and youll have a fresh set to pop in if you are on really long call or extended duty. I cannot wait for this light!


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## Edog006 (Apr 28, 2009)

If this light delivers as it supposed to and the materials and craftmanship are top notch this could be up for flashlight of the year.. that would be something. Surefire has really dropped the ball this year, nothing but cool concepts that cant make it to the marketplace. Now even if the supposed stuff they have been creating made it to the markets the technology is already past them. THe specs on their most powerful LEDs the UB2/3 Invictus was originally 400 lumens now 350. Im sure its a great light if it comes out, but it will not be grround breaking like they thought it would. The materials will be superb, the best in my experience, but I dont even see them using MC-E conceptually. Anyway i still love Surefire but Im taking a year off until they get it together, which im sure they will. Olight M30 is the answer! Sorry guys had a few beers thats why im jabbering on


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## fyaman (Apr 28, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. Wow, that was my first post and I've been lurking since 2006! I do understand that 2 18650's will give better runtimes, but what really draws me to this light is the small size and huge output. I'm a Firefighter/EMT and would use this for mostly medical calls at night, probably for not more than 10 minutes at a time. I see there are 3.0, 3.6, and 3.7 volt rcr's with different mah's. What should I use? Does more mah's mean longer runtimes? I'm probably going to get 18650's (protected, I assume) as well for camping and longer runs. Any other suggestions? Thanks.


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## easilyled (Apr 28, 2009)

fyaman said:


> Thanks for the replies. Wow, that was my first post and I've been lurking since 2006! I do understand that 2 18650's will give better runtimes, but what really draws me to this light is the small size and huge output. I'm a Firefighter/EMT and would use this for mostly medical calls at night, probably for not more than 10 minutes at a time. I see there are 3.0, 3.6, and 3.7 volt rcr's with different mah's. What should I use? Does more mah's mean longer runtimes? I'm probably going to get 18650's (protected, I assume) as well for camping and longer runs. Any other suggestions? Thanks.



My suggestion is 2 18500s. These are the same length as 3 RCR123s but will have more capacity hence longer runtime.

Therefore you won't need to use an extender and will still have an estimated full hour of runtime on the highest level.


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## MattK (Apr 28, 2009)

fyaman said:


> Thanks for the replies. Wow, that was my first post and I've been lurking since 2006! I do understand that 2 18650's will give better runtimes, but what really draws me to this light is the small size and huge output. I'm a Firefighter/EMT and would use this for mostly medical calls at night, probably for not more than 10 minutes at a time. I see there are 3.0, 3.6, and 3.7 volt rcr's with different mah's. What should I use? Does more mah's mean longer runtimes? I'm probably going to get 18650's (protected, I assume) as well for camping and longer runs. Any other suggestions? Thanks.



easilyled is spot on - 2 x 18500 would be idal for a '3 cell' rechargeable configuration. Be sure to choose protected 18500's with 'button tops.'

3/3.6/3.7V RCR123A's mostly use the same internal battery (the exception being the ones called LiFePO4 cells) then the protected ones have an internal PCB (printed circuit board aka PROTECTION) that regulates their charge and discharge rates among other things.

The 3.6 and 3.7 are, in the world of RC123A's exactly the same - they're describing the same cell. The 3V cells, unless LiFePO4 , are the same cell with extra components added to the PCB which reduce the cells voltage to ~3V to make it compatible with more devices. The term mAh or mill-amp-hours describes capacity - capacity determines runtime.


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## Edog006 (Apr 28, 2009)

Fyaman, I second what Matt and Easyled said, buy 18500 or 18650. I have Ultrafire 3000 mah 18650 (which I think have the highest capacity available for 18650s) I bought 6 from batteryjunction.com they are great so far but $10 a battery. Matt gave a very detailed breakdown, here is the mathematical breakdown might make it easier to conceptualize.

battery capacity rating is always related to an expected discharge 






_Q_ is the battery capacity (mah). _I_ is the current drawn from battery (mA or A). _t_ is the amount of time (in hours) that a battery can sustain.


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## MilitaryPower (Apr 28, 2009)

What kind of performance (brightness and runtime) difference would we be talking about between 2x18500's and 2x18650's? Keep in mind that this light will be used for law enforcement.


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## 1dash1 (Apr 28, 2009)

MilitaryPower said:


> What kind of performance (brightness and runtime) difference would we be talking about between 2x18500's and 2x18650's? Keep in mind that this light will be used for law enforcement.


 
MilitaryPower:

MattK reported that the difference in output is indistinguishable. Link.

My estimates of the runtimes on high mode.*
Rechargeables (3.7v)
2 x 18650's (with extension tube) will give you about 1-1/2 hours. 
2 x 17670's (with extension tube) will give you about an hour runtime. 
2 x 18500's will give you about the same (1 hour). 
3 x 16340's (RCR123) will give you about 45 minutes.

Primaries (3.0v)
4 x CR123 primaries (with extension tube) will give you 1-1/2 hours. 
3 x CR123 primaries will give you maybe an hour and ten minutes. ​* _ Runtimes estimated based on typical cell capacities and extrapolation of the M30's max output runtime. Actual runtimes will vary not just because different manufacturer cell capacities vary, but because cell drawdown characteristics differ and the flashlight emitter/driver performance may vary.

NOTE: Do NOT use 4x16340. Link.


===============================================

_My suggestion to those who are "on the fence" about batteries is this:_

_Pick up a dozen primary cells. (You'll probably want a stash of primary cells on hand for emergency purposes, anyway.) __Use the M30 in the 3x123 form and the 4x123 form. See which form factor fits you better.**_

_After you've tried both forms, make your final battery choice accordingly. _

_For some, 2x18650 will make sense. For others, the 2x18500 will be a better fit. A few may opt for the 3x16340's, simply because they have a ready supply of RCR's. And some will choose to stick with primaries._

_** _ Note: I suggest using each form until the batteries are depleted. (a) That will give you a fairly good basis for making the judgment. (b) In any case, for safety reasons, do not mix new cells with partially-used cells._


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## Burgess (Apr 28, 2009)

Excellent advice, 1dash1.


:thumbsup:

_


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## MattK (Apr 28, 2009)

Well said - I agree 100%. :twothumbs


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## Dudeman (Apr 28, 2009)

Excellent breakdown. Thank you dash!

Question. I know there are two flavors of RCR123, the 3.0V and the 3.7V. Can the three volt regulated type be substituted as "primary", meaning running either three or four would work? (I'm a bit confused on this, as many light specs don't specify 3 or 3.7V. Thanks again for the summary, and yeah, I agree, going with 18650 or 18500 in the long run seems the best solution.


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## 1dash1 (Apr 29, 2009)

Dudeman:

Three of either the LifeP04 (3.0v nominal) and LiCo (3.7v nominal) rechargeable lithiums would work. 

I don't know whether a straight substitution of four LiFeP04 rechargeables for four primaries would work. You might be aware that LiFeP04 cells have a resting voltage of about 3.2v. However, this is just a typical value. 




CPF members have reported actual voltages may measure much higher:

Straight from the package, CR123A primaries have been measured as high as 3.4 to 3.5 volts.
Fresh off the charger, LiFeP04's have been reported as high as 3.8 volts - but quickly settle down to a resting voltage of 3.4 to 3.5 volts, or about the same as the primaries. However, that's without load.
Under load, the CR123A voltage readily depresses; while the LiFeP04 voltage doesn't drop nearly as much nor as quickly. In other words, the LiFeP04 doesn't behave the same as the CR123A. Stack four of them together and I'm not sure what would happen to the M30. 

_Personally, I wouldn't run four LiFeP04 RCR's in the M30 - even if the manufacturer said it was okay. _

_Not because I disbelieve the manufacturer; but because I wouldn't trust myself. Keeping track of 4 LiFeP04 RCR123's and possibly 4 spares is not twice as risky as maintaining 2 x 18650's and 2 spares. For me, operating on a daily basis with other flashlights using several different types of batteries, it's probably 10 times as risky. Especially since I've already accidentally fried three LED emitters. :eeksign:_


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## MattK (Apr 29, 2009)

Input voltage 6-12V - do NOT use 4 x RCR123A; not a supported configuration.


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## Dudeman (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for clarifying the manufacturer specifications Matt.

I'm still confused about the RCR123 and CR123 voltages. I'll try to post my future questions over in the battery forum where they belong, but this is relevant to this particular light and batteries from BJ.

In a nutshell, I'm confused why a 3v RCR123, like the Tenergy 3V, could not be used in place of a primary CR123. My new primaries show 3.5v at rest. The 3v RCR123 show ~3.7 at rest fully charged, but the output is regulated to 3 v under load ? right? Where's the problem? Am I missing something or do manufacturers just make blanket statements about not using RCR123 so they are not liable if someone uses a 3.6V instead of a 3.0V or mixes them up spelling trouble?

Related is this quote from MattK up above "The 3V cells, unless LiFePO4 , are the same cell with extra components added to the PCB which reduce the cells voltage to ~3V to make it compatible with more devices".

4 x 3 = 12


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## MattK (Apr 30, 2009)

The 3V RCR123A's start at the higher voltage and the voltage drops to ~3V is 8-12mS under load. Frankly the Tenergy 3V RCR123A's would probably work fine in the M30 but neither we nor the factory wants to warranty 'might work' especially when there are better solutions to the same end; a rechargeable 3/4 cell configured M30.


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## Dudeman (Apr 30, 2009)

Thank you Matt! It makes more sense to me now (except the question as to primary voltages and how quickly they drop to ~3v. Am I correct in assuming most primaries are not regulated?)

I have no plans on running 4 x 3V RCR123A in the M30, but I have a ton of them, and it's good to know that it "probably might" work if I ever really needed it to.:thumbsup:


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## MattK (Apr 30, 2009)

Primary (non rechargeable) Lithium batteries START at 3V. The 3V Rechargeable Lithium ION secondary batteries are really still 3.7V batteies but they have a PCB which, under load, drops the voltage in 8-12 milli-seconds to approximately 3V.
Generally speaking primary batteries, to make this simpler, let's say consumer batteries, are never regulated within the batteries themselves.


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## Dudeman (Apr 30, 2009)

MattK said:


> Primary (non rechargeable) Lithium batteries START at 3V.



I'm learning a lot Matt, thank you.

So how do primaries start at 3V if unregulated? I have three types on hand and two of them measure 3.25V and the other 3.5V at rest. I would imagine there is discharge curve, however fast. Faster than 8 ms?

(M30 shipped! :rock


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## FLIX (May 1, 2009)

I've been lurking for a while but this is my first post. I'm currently looking for a new weapon light and want to know if the M30 is compatible with the M20 remote switch and weapon mount. 

Is this light suitable for mounting on a carbine? 

Thanks, 

-- FLIX


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## Sacket (May 1, 2009)

MattK said:


> M-Bin is confirmed.
> 
> 4/28 is about right; factory is shipping 4/25. I think 4/30 is more likely.



You were correct on this date. Just got a notice that you shipped my M30 on Apr. 30. along with 2 18650's. Thanks for your help.


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## nanotech17 (May 1, 2009)

i wonder if anybody seen this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_YFW8l0SEE&feature=channel_page


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## MattK (May 1, 2009)

FLIX said:


> I've been lurking for a while but this is my first post. I'm currently looking for a new weapon light and want to know if the M30 is compatible with the M20 remote switch and weapon mount.
> 
> Is this light suitable for mounting on a carbine?
> 
> ...



I think the M30 will fit the M20 mounts and will confirm. There will be a special pressure switch for the M30's.



Sacket said:


> You were correct on this date. Just got a notice that you shipped my M30 on Apr. 30. along with 2 18650's. Thanks for your help.



I love it when a plan comes together..


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (May 1, 2009)

FLIX said:


> I've been lurking for a while but this is my first post. I'm currently looking for a new weapon light and want to know if the M30 is compatible with the M20 remote switch and weapon mount.
> 
> Is this light suitable for mounting on a carbine?
> 
> ...


 I was told the M20 Switch would NOT work on the M30 but P.switches should be available within the next month or two. I currently have a M20 mounted to my Sig 556 and Remington 870 SuperMag and it takes a beating very well and I expect the M30 will be the same great quality.


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## mmajunkie (May 1, 2009)

I ordered mine about 3am this morning.

I feel like a kid waiting for Santa, the picture of the entire package at Batteryjunction was the icing on the cake.


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## FLIX (May 1, 2009)

MattK said:


> I think the M30 will fit the M20 mounts and will confirm. There will be a special pressure switch for the M30's.
> 
> 
> 
> I love it when a plan comes together..


 
Thanks Matt. I look forward to trying this out. I'm ready to order as soon as I hear back. 

-- FLIX


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## MattK (May 1, 2009)

The M30 fits the M20 mounts both standard and off-set.


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## hiluxxulih (May 1, 2009)

Any chance of the M30 tube extender fitting on an M20 ? for extra run time .


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## Patriot (May 1, 2009)

Does Olight make a weaponlight or is that just a SF M900A On their catalog cover?


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## Bluehinder (May 1, 2009)

I really want this light. Do you think it's safe to order now, or wait until any bugs are worked out? Reference the NiteCore EZAA issue.

Matt, how's stock?


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## Climb14er (May 1, 2009)

Bluehinder said:


> I really want this light. Do you think it's safe to order now, or wait until any bugs are worked out? Reference the NiteCore EZAA issue.
> 
> Matt, how's stock?



I feel the same way! Like the looks, design, viewed the youtube video and it appears to be an excellent light. I'll run 18650 batteries and the added lumens will be welcome.

Looking to read and hear more about the M30.


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## Ecodelosandes (May 1, 2009)

Hi! I've just ordered mine from BJ (and a bunch of other little toys).
I'm using an Olight M20 now, and it impressed me so much to make me want to try this new beast :naughty:.
The way Olight take care of their costumers, not only in the high quality they made its products, but the way they listen to their needs on new accesories, functions, etc. make me to apreciate so much this brand :thumbsup:.
Can't wait for this new one to come home!


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## Edog006 (May 2, 2009)

Cant wait for mine to get here either.. it has already shipped and I should have it in my hands by tomorrow or Monday the latest. I'll will let you guys know my honest opinion. I am used to Surefire lights, but from what I hear the quality of Olight is comparable. Stoked for sure let me get the little guy...


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## MattK (May 2, 2009)

hiluxxulih said:


> Any chance of the M30 tube extender fitting on an M20 ? for extra run time .



Not a clue - I can try that for you next week though.



Patriot said:


> Does Olight make a weaponlight or is that just a SF M900A On their catalog cover?



Paul; Olight doesn't make a dedicated weaponlight...yet. 





Bluehinder said:


> I really want this light. Do you think it's safe to order now, or wait until any bugs are worked out? Reference the NiteCore EZAA issue.
> 
> Matt, how's stock?



I think it's safe to order - this wasn't rushed to market. We've literally been working on this for like 8+ months and I've been playing with prototypes for 5 of those months. 
I can't discuss stock levels or 'sales related' stuff on CPF proper or my post would be deleted. Feel free to PM me or post to the marketplace thread - that's the best place for those kinda questions.


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## Bluehinder (May 2, 2009)

I just ordered.

I trust you have them in stock.

Looking forward to the light.


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## Bluehinder (May 2, 2009)

I talked with Matt, he assures me he has plenty of stock, even after filling preorders.

I was so impressed with my M20 from BJ and their service that I think it's a safe bet to try one. 

Should ship Monday.


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## MilitaryPower (May 2, 2009)

Just got mine. It is very nice. It looks to me like the reflector depth is not as deep as the M20 R2 (the comparison flashlight). The beam on mine is not as smooth as the M20 either; I see artifacts and it has more of a blue tint than the M20 except for the hotspot when on high, where it is reversed. Could it be that the blue tint is less pronounced because it is so much brighter? The hotspot is bigger and it has much more flood than the M20, which is more focused. 

From my rudimentary throw test (shining the light at the white corner of the wall across the room) the M30 beam is more spread out and does not light up objects quite as well (but more of them) as the M20 when both are on medium. Of course when the M30 is on high, it blows the M20 away. The low looks much lower than on the M20, but this could be because the hotspot is much bigger. 

So basically, the M30's beam is more of a flood, until on high where the sheer amount of light might stretch out far. I'll have to check when it gets dark. The strobe is also faster. The fit and finish is good, just like the M20. It gets warm fast. Now I just have to figure out how to attach it onto my duty belt. . .


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## Light Brite (May 2, 2009)

Hi folks, I am new here and like some of you I had been anxiously awaiting arrival of my pre ordered M30 from BJ which I received Monday 5/1 morning at 10:30 am (thanks UPS man). First off....I am not disappointed at all, quality, finish on par with other Olight products I have. Performance..looks great so far..I was a little concerened about throw but from what I have seen so far I am not dissappointed. I look forward to hearing what others think of theirs and and really checking this light out in more detail...

Follow the light..

Dave


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## Edog006 (May 2, 2009)

Dave, welcome to CPF it is great place to be a flashlight nerd, all of your comments are welcome. Most of my friends role their eyes when I start into my flashlight routine, here no worries. 

MilitaryPower, nice brief overview about the output throw and everything in between. I unfortunately am not at my mailing address so Im guessing my Olight M30 is on the porch, which pains me greatly. I will also give a detailed review and compare it to some other lights I have when I get the thing in my hand. Also MilitaryPower what battery configuration did you go with?


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## MilitaryPower (May 2, 2009)

Edog006 said:


> Dave, welcome to CPF it is great place to be a flashlight nerd, all of your comments are welcome. Most of my friends role their eyes when I start into my flashlight routine, here no worries.
> 
> MilitaryPower, nice brief overview about the output throw and everything in between. I unfortunately am not at my mailing address so Im guessing my Olight M30 is on the porch, which pains me greatly. I will also give a detailed review and compare it to some other lights I have when I get the thing in my hand. Also MilitaryPower what battery configuration did you go with?


I'm using 18650's right now but I will probably end up using CR123's and 18500's as well.

It fits decently in an old leather baton holster that I had laying around. It even matches the rest of the gear on my duty belt. I can't wait to blind all my buddies at work, LOL.


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## Climb14er (May 2, 2009)

MilitaryPower said:


> I'm using 18650's right now but I will probably end up using CR123's and 18500's as well.
> 
> It fits decently in an old leather baton holster that I had laying around. It even matches the rest of the gear on my duty belt. I can't wait to blind all my buddies at work, LOL.



Have you been 'testing' the light now that evening has come? Any observations positive or negative you'd like to share?

I'm ready to jump on the light with an order but would definitely like to hear more about it.


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## MilitaryPower (May 3, 2009)

Oh My Fricken Gonads! This thing is BRIGHT! It throws more than the M20 R2 and has a huge hotspot. Makes the M20 look like a child's toy. There is a LOT of sidespill. Again, on the lower settings you can really see a difference in the beam compared to the M20. Not as much throw, but more flood. The light diffuser is pretty cool. With it on, everything is lit up in the immediate area for at least 30 feet. I love it. I just can't get over how pathetic the M20 is in comparison. I paid good money for that light, LOL, and now it seems like nothing. One thing that I did find less positive than everything else was the strobe button is small and hard to find. The clip is directly in line with the button so at least there is a referance point to find the button to make it easier.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the light, especially with the extender, is not exactly small. I EDC the M20 on my belt and it looks just fine. The M30 is not only longer, but the head is much bigger making it IMO not really suited for EDC, but not too big for a duty belt either.

I highly recommend this light if you want the next step in eliminating darkness.


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## Climb14er (May 3, 2009)

MilitaryPower said:


> Oh My Fricken Gonads! This thing is BRIGHT! It throws more than the M20 and has a huge hotspot. Makes the M20 look like a child's toy. There is a LOT of sidespill. Again, on the lower settings you can really see a difference in the beam compared to the M20. Not as much throw, but more flood. The light diffuser is pretty cool. With it on, everything is lit up in the immediate area for at least 30 feet. I love it. I just can't get over how pathetic the M20 is in comparison. I paid good money for that light, LOL, and now it seems like nothing. One thing that I did find less positive than everything else was the strobe button is small and hard to find. The clip is directly in line with the button so at least there is a referance point to find the button to make it easier.
> 
> Another thing worth mentioning is that the light, especially with the extender, is not exactly small. I EDC the M20 on my belt and it looks just fine. The M30 is not only longer, but the head is much bigger making it IMO not really suited for EDC, but not too big for a duty belt either.
> 
> I highly recommend this light if you want the next step in eliminating darkness.



Very cool! Great opening expression.

On the turbo mode, you do have good flood and good balanced throw?

I'm asking as I had a run in with a raccoon who's been trying to bed down (when its raining) in my dry window well right outside my office in the house. 

Three times this week I've heard him get through the plastic cover and each time, I take out my Eagle Tac T10C2 and shine it on turbo through the window. After a couple of minutes, he or probably she, perhaps wanting to nest, has enough of the light and leaves.

Tonight, I went out in the rain and sure enough the T10C2 got the critter dead on in full illumination, good throw and good flood and the raccoon high tailed it over the small chain link fence.

The M30 I'd want to do the same... only with much more light on the area and subject.

Do you think the M30 will handle the situation well?

Thanks again for your comments!


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## MilitaryPower (May 3, 2009)

I'm not familiar with that light, so I can't compare, sorry. But this light will be more than adequate, that is for sure.


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## greenLED (May 3, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton*

Forget the stupid light :nana: where do I learn more about that knife?



RainerWahnsinn said:


>


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## TCW 60 (May 3, 2009)

You must ask Revierler!


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## Climb14er (May 3, 2009)

Just ordered the M30 from Matt (first order from him)... appreciate all the posts especially the review from MilitaryPower. 

I can use a light like this for home and travel defense!


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## MilitaryPower (May 3, 2009)

Climb14er said:


> Just ordered the M30 from Matt (first order from him)... appreciate all the posts especially the review from MilitaryPower.
> 
> I can use a light like this for home and travel defense!


 After doing a little bit of research, I think that the M30 will make your Eagle Tac T10C2 feel rather surperfluous. I think you will be pleasantly suprised.


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## TKC (May 3, 2009)

*That IS indeed a cool looking light. Congrats!*


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## 276 (May 3, 2009)

I love my M30 its so bright!! The battery tube will fit on the m20 but even if you do that, you can't use two 18560 it won't fit cause its still too long.


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## MattK (May 3, 2009)

Cool - not that it's 'factory supported' but I guess one could put the extender tube on an M20 and use 2 x and a dummy cells.


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## Dudeman (May 3, 2009)

Can I get a Hallelujah?

Oh sorry. Wrong forum.....I meant a beamshot! Can I get a beamshot? :duck:

I'm west coast, probably won't see mine until Wed....:toilet:

So far sounds like a hell of a light though.....should be more than adequate for my modest needs.
_

_http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...yNDkAQ&usg=AFQjCNHbTzN0Dy37sJn1y3aaE3yLMWBEzg


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## Ryanrpm (May 3, 2009)

276 said:


> I love my M30 its so bright!! The battery tube will fit on the m20 but even if you do that, you can't use two 18560 it won't fit cause its still too long.



You've got your M30 already!? C'mon man, post some pics, thoughts, something!! Have some other lights to compare with it? How does it fair?

Give us the scoop!


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## Ecodelosandes (May 3, 2009)

Dudeman said:


> I'm west coast, probably won't see mine until Wed....:toilet:


 




Try to imagine how's to wait the order to come here (Argentina). Good thing to everybody: i'm not the reviewer :twothumbs.

Selfbuilt, please enlight us!!!


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## 276 (May 3, 2009)

I know it won't help but i could take some inside shots due to the fact in my area its raining.

Ryan i am trying to compare it between the 16w.


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## MattK (May 3, 2009)

Ecodelosandes said:


> Selfbuilt, please enlight us!!!



LOL - selfbuilt will have his review sample in a few days.


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## skinnypig (May 4, 2009)

Hey Matt and those that know a lot more than i do....my question is this...

For the M30, would I get 700 lumens if I did not use the extender tube and used 18500 batteries? I understand I could would get longer run time with the tube and larger batteries, but I am shooting for 700 lumens and an hour. That sound reasonable? Thanks.


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## Ryanrpm (May 4, 2009)

276 said:


> I know it won't help but i could take some inside shots due to the fact in my area its raining.
> 
> Ryan i am trying to compare it between the 16w.



It sure would help....I think. :thinking:

I know the 16w is one of your high power lights.....you also have the TK40. 

So how well does the M30 throw? How is it's flood? Brightness in comparison to the other lights?


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## 1dash1 (May 4, 2009)

skinnypig said:


> Hey Matt and those that know a lot more than i do....my question is this...
> 
> For the M30, would I get 700 lumens if I did not use the extender tube and used 18500 batteries? I understand I could would get longer run time with the tube and larger batteries, but I am shooting for 700 lumens and an hour. That sound reasonable? Thanks.


 
The manufacturer's runtime of 1.5 hours at 700 lumens were probably based on 2x18650's according to Matt. Link.

With 18500's, the output would remain the same but the runtime would be proportionally less, say, just a little over one hour.*

* - Runtimes based on assumed capacities for protected AW 18650's and AW protected 18500's.


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## MattK (May 4, 2009)

+1 - not output change, just a runtime change


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## skinnypig (May 4, 2009)

Thanks for th quick replies. Last question for now, anyone have the dimension of the tail cap since it kinds flares out?I'm trying to make sure I can find a holster that will fit it. Thanks


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## Light Brite (May 4, 2009)

Thanks for the welcome, The M30 is absolutely an awesome light, now that I have had a chance to check it out somemore I couldn't be happier with it. I did clean off the threads on the tail cap and head and lubricate with a film of dry Teflon Lubricant to get rid of that gritty feel when threading. At first I thought maybe the threads weren't machined correctly but that was not the case, they just needed a little TLC. The gold plated contact points were an unexpected nice touch too. No regrets on this purchase.


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## Edog006 (May 4, 2009)

I have the perfect holster, I bought it for another light but it was the wrong size and it is ideal for the M30, It is a nylon holster well made found here http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4517 it literally is a perfect fit for this light with either the extension tube or not! However I just got my light and it is not working! I really hope this is a battery problem I will keep you all posted!


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## Light Brite (May 4, 2009)

The tail cap largest diameter is 1.30" Also noticed the Stainless Bezel is about .017 out of concentricty with the head assembly...it's not a performance issue at all..just a tad sloppy. I am sure we are all hoping it is "just" the batteries Edog.


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## Phredd (May 4, 2009)

*Re: Olight M30 Triton comments & suggestions*

I just got mine and it feels smaller than I expected, very solid, VERY NICE! The CR123 batteries require the use of a sleeve or they will flop around. Since this is a sleeve with a threaded end cap, it's an extra step when replacing batteries in the dark. I recommend either a fixed sleeve (threads into the body) or include at least two sleeves.

The side switch is very useful, especially to quickly invoke the strobe when the light is off. However, without moving my hand, it is not easy to use my thumb to press both the tail cap switch and the side switch, partly because of the rear bezel design. My suggestion is to use only three rear teeth and lower the valley between the teeth so that the thumb doesn't have to "reach" so much.

I also wish that I could cycle through the brightness levels without passing through strobe mode. There's another light that I have (had) which, once clicked on, will cycle through the brightness levels with a light press on the tail cap switch. Keep the side switch reserved just for strobe, which is what I was expecting based on what I read.

It is super bright even in the dimly lit house. Can't wait to try it at night. The strobe is disorienting just bouncing off the walls. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end.

Phredd


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## alexcc (May 4, 2009)

AHHH Pleeeeeeaaaassseee can someone post some good beam shots...I will probably be waiting another week for mine to get to South Africa and I'm dying to see how strong it really is!


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## swrdply400mrelay (May 4, 2009)

Edog006 said:


> I have the perfect holster, I bought it for another light but it was the wrong size and it is ideal for the M30, It is a nylon holster well made found here http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4517 it literally is a perfect fit for this light with either the extension tube or not! However I just got my light and it is not working! I really hope this is a battery problem I will keep you all posted!




Mine is not working either...I tried 4 sets of different batteries. Tailcap is screwed in tight as well.


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## Edog006 (May 4, 2009)

I just got mine... ok well I wrote a detailed review that took me about an hour and my computer crashed.. so i have to rewrite it argh! ok I will try to be as thorough on round 2... 

My first impressions... the light design is fantastic, rugged and sleek, homerun in the design department. One handed operation is easy even with the extension tube. The tailcap and the side button work in tandem perfectly. The strobe can be activated always by hitting the side button when the light is off, which is an awesome feature for real-world tactical or hostile situations. You dont want to be scrolling though settings during a dangerous situation. Additionally, the memory feature is great, whatever setting you leave the light at when you turn it off it will stay following tailcap depression. Now here is my rundown on each setting... 

At the lowest setting 8 lms is obviously very dim, but incredibly useful for certain low-light applications. 

The medium setting is rated at 120 lms, it is seemigly not as bright as a Surefire E2DL rated at 120 lms. However, there is probably equivalent light output between both, just the M30 is floodier then the E2DL, which has a tighter hotspot.

The high setting rated at 700 lms is bright, very bright. However it was not as devastingly bright as I had thought it would be. Take this subjective comment with a grain of salt, trust me it is still VERY bright and will not dissapoint anyone. 

The strobe is fantastic this is another home run. I am not sure what the frequecny is, but it is very fast I would guess around 10 Hz. This is much preffered to slower strobe, the fast strobe is blindingly bright and unbelievably disorienting. 

The actual beam is tight with a good amount of spill. The MC-E LED temperature is much warmer than my Cree Q5, K2 luxeon, and my SC2 LEDs. However the warmer hue is better for some night applications and is easier on the human eye for seeing at night, so not a bad thing with a warmer hue. The characteristic MC-E cross is present within about 18 inches in all settings, however as soon as you are further away the beam is solid full and no evidence of donuts or crosses as is common with MC-E LEDs. There are very very minor artifacts in each setting, not a bad thing or distracting, just noting for the record. 

Lastly, the diffuser is an awesome accesory, it provides a glow for many jobs that a bright focused light are simply not suited for. A truly essential accesory and I think you will find yourself using it more than you think. I also highly recommend a compatible nylon holseter I have the link several posts back. It fits the M30 perfectly even with or without the extension tube. 

Overall this light is a homerun, it is rugged, incredibly verstaile, and will be useful in a variety of applications. The M30 is an amazing addition to anyones flashlight collection, and is essential gear to those who demand tactical level illumination in the harshest of conditions. 

One last note I have not taking the M30 outside yet, I will do that as soon as the sun sets. I will try to take some beam shots even though my camera is terrible. If they come out at all I will post them, I know everyone is eager to see any beam shots.


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## Edog006 (May 4, 2009)

Swrdply, it looks like my issue was with one 18650 battery. I initially tried some 18650s and nothing worked, then I tried some CR123 and they worked then I went back and sorted through various combinations with my 18650s and found 1 to be damaged. I bought them all from batteryjunction and I have already contacted them for a replacement. Hopefully, your situation is related to batteries, but that does sound weird. If it is not resolved let us know because that would be rather alarming, and maybe the M30 has a few kinks, keep us posted!


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## 276 (May 4, 2009)

I have had no battery thankfully and i have used CR123,RCR's and 18560and no problem. Been checking the weather in my area trying to see when there's a break in the rain to take a beam shot.


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## Ryanrpm (May 4, 2009)

276 said:


> I have had no battery thankfully and i have used CR123,RCR's and 18560and no problem. Been checking the weather in my area trying to see when there's a break in the rain to take a beam shot.


 

Ok 276.....I've got a heavy task for you.....

Can you show us beamshots of your new M30 in comparison with your:

TK40
16w
M6
P7 Sniper
and maybe even the P7 M90?
???....pretty please??

Hey...not my fault you have all these awesome lights that make us drool and cause us to NEED to see comparisons.


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## 2brian0 (May 4, 2009)

I am so very jealous of all you that have received your lights. I pre-ordered mine from another very reputable dealer on cpf and to my knowledge they still haven't received their shipment from Olight.:mecry:


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## swrdply400mrelay (May 4, 2009)

Edog006 said:


> Swrdply, it looks like my issue was with one 18650 battery. I initially tried some 18650s and nothing worked, then I tried some CR123 and they worked then I went back and sorted through various combinations with my 18650s and found 1 to be damaged. I bought them all from batteryjunction and I have already contacted them for a replacement. Hopefully, your situation is related to batteries, but that does sound weird. If it is not resolved let us know because that would be rather alarming, and maybe the M30 has a few kinks, keep us posted!





Man I'm jealous, I was planning to take some beamshots tonite vs. the M20.

I tried 2x18650 Tenergy, 2x18650 Solarforce, 3xCR123 Rayovacs, 3xRCR123 AW's, 3XRCR123 Battery Station...all dead 

Hopefully mine's an anomaly, and that everyone else's works great.


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## Dudeman (May 4, 2009)

Don't be bummed about buying from others....it's good to spread the wealth around anyways so to speak. I think BJ has a very close relationship with Olight, maybe that's why they got them first. But I can tell you that I have had superb service from other popular retail dealers here too in the past. You'll have it soon enough, and in the meantime I'm sure people will post some beamshots to boot.

Believe it or not I just got mine!  I did not pay for priority mail shipping, but somehow that magically happened....amazing customer service I'd say.

I have yet to load it up with batteries, but first impressions are all positive. The size is about what I thought. On the small side for sure, a perfect fit in the palm of the hand....both the rear clicky and the side instant-on buttom seem easily and readily accessible by my thumb or finger. Machining and anodizing appear top notch. This is a quality light indeed. Now let's hope she fires up as intended.....I'll post further and maybe even attempt some feeble beamshots later.

Here's a shot for scale though for those curious about its relative size:


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## 276 (May 4, 2009)

Ryanrpm said:


> Ok 276.....I've got a heavy task for you.....
> 
> Can you show us beamshots of your new M30 in comparison with your:
> 
> ...



Don't know about all of them can't do side by side shots now room in the alley way. P7 Sniper is almost not worth it the 16W is way way brighter.


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## 2brian0 (May 4, 2009)

If I remember correctly, I read the pocket clip is removable. However, is it reversible? By that I mean are you able to mount it on the head side of the body with the open end facing the tail cap? I keep my light in my back pocket at work and the way it's set up now, that wouldn't be possible.


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## Dudeman (May 4, 2009)

The clip is removable. But unfortunately, it does not appear that it was designed to be reversible. The clip actually locks into place via a threaded ring. There is a good spot however near the top that would fit a clip, but the stock one would be stretched a little too much there. Don't want to try it with mine.... it *might* work, but wouldn't be very secure. Either way, there's certainly space for someone to design an aftermarket clip. The light really is pretty top heavy though due to the aluminum fins and head size, so clipping it head up may be a little awkward anyways.


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## 2brian0 (May 4, 2009)

bummer...guess i'll have to remove the clip and get a pocket sewn on the tac carrier for my vest. i know there are probably some good holsters for it but i like to keep as much weight/clutter off my hips as possible...


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## Edog006 (May 4, 2009)

Used it outside.. WOW! Im impressed, much more powerful than I initially thought by sulking through my dark basement this afternoon. However, it is pouring rain here like most of the east coast, so beam shots were not even possible with my crappy non-waterproof camera. Very impressive though, I know all the hype in the world is nothing compared to beam shots but it is a very awesome light!


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## Dudeman (May 4, 2009)

Edog006 said:


> Used it outside.. WOW! Im impressed, much more powerful than I initially thought...



Me too! I am thrilled with this flashlight! It's raining here too, so outdoor beamshots will have to wait, but initial use outside leaves me very impressed indeed given the size of this light. It puts out a wall of light, yet with a very good focused hotspot, in a very small and comfortable package, one which I could easily wear on my belt without any obstruction or discomfort. Throw is not its strong point, but it's no slouch either. Doesn't throw as far as my Husky 2D, but it outthrows my PD30, and does it with a huge swath of light, not just a tiny beam. Incredibly useful light with a warmish tint. This is my first MC-E, and my first >$100 light, so I don't have anything else to compare to on this level, but my opinion is that it's worth every penny!


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## RainerWahnsinn (May 5, 2009)

2brian0 said:


> I am so very jealous of all you that have received your lights. I pre-ordered mine from another very reputable dealer on cpf and to my knowledge they still haven't received their shipment from Olight.:mecry:





Dudeman said:


> Don't be bummed about buying from others....it's good to spread the wealth around anyways so to speak.



This Thread is bound to no special dealer. Comments can be written independently from the dealer. That would be even pleasant. 

We in Europe count also each day on the arrival of the lamp. I personally buy at 47s, BJ, and this time at Qualityflashlights.at and am always content.

Because of having our TF-Logo on the M30 we are only minutes behind Matt with arrival.


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## LIGHTSMAD (May 5, 2009)

cool light


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## 2brian0 (May 5, 2009)

RainerWahnsinn said:


> This Thread is bound to no special dealer. Comments can be written independently from the dealer. That would be even pleasant.
> 
> Because of having our TF-Logo on the M30 we are only minutes behind Matt with arrival.


 

Good point but it almost seems silly to have a light on pre-order status with one retailer (with no status update) while the other has them in stock. Unless I here something by tomorrow, I think I may cancel my order and place a new order with Matt. With all the initial glowing reviews, the suspense is killing me....


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## Light Brite (May 5, 2009)

I noticed something with my light in strobe mode and am not sure if it is expected or common, any thoughts would be appreciated. When the strobe is activated from the off position with the side switch for a few seconds and then released it appears the strobe is off and then about a 1/10 of a sec. later it will give off one more burst. It seems to only happen occasionally.


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## Edog006 (May 5, 2009)

Lightbrite, that is very interesting that you are seeing this issue in the strobe mode. I just doubled check mine under a variety of strobe configurations, I have had no such issues as yet. Is there any correlation to having the strobe on for an extended period of time or is it seemingly a completely random occurance?


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## 1dash1 (May 5, 2009)

Light Brite said:


> I noticed something with my light in strobe mode and am not sure if it is expected or common, any thoughts would be appreciated. When the strobe is activated from the off position with the side switch for a few seconds and then released it appears the strobe is off and then about a 1/10 of a sec. later it will give off one more burst. It seems to only happen occasionally.


 
I can't duplicate that behavior using either 2x18500 or 2x18650. What setup are you using?


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## ntalbot (May 5, 2009)

Please post some beam shots tonight!


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## mmajunkie (May 5, 2009)

I received mine today from BJ.

This light is absolutely excellent.

Fit and Finish is 100%, smooth threads and the Feel and balance is great. 

I am glad they did away with the Cigar ring like on the M20.

I will try and take some beam shots tonight.


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## mrwhippy (May 6, 2009)

Do the Pila 600S or 600P fit in the Triton M30?

600P is bigger in diameter than 600S.


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## Light Brite (May 6, 2009)

When the secondary strobe switch is used and cycled at approx 5 sec. on and 2 sec. off I see one additional delayed bust after the switch is completely released. In one instance there were two delayed bursts. This condition appears to be totally random. I have seen the delayed burst occur in 3 consecutive cycles as well. I would guess the average frequency of occurrence at about 1 in 15 cycles. So far I have run this light only with primary batteries and noticed the condition in both 3 and 4 cell configurations with both run down and new cells. Ok I'm going to go an have a seizure now after this testing.


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## MattInTheCouv (May 6, 2009)

i have not noticed the issue you are talking about, but have noticed a little "blink" of light most of the times i screw the tailcap back on, restoring power to the light. anybody else see this? makes me wonder if this is a desired function, as if to tell you "ok, i got juice now...good to go"


and a sidenote... the strike bezel blocks a small portion of the spill, if you take it off you get a tad more around the edges.


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## Ryanrpm (May 6, 2009)

Where are the beamshots??????????????????????


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## Edog006 (May 7, 2009)

MattInTheCouv said:


> i have not noticed the issue you are talking about, but have noticed a little "blink" of light most of the times i screw the tailcap back on, restoring power to the light. anybody else see this? makes me wonder if this is a desired function, as if to tell you "ok, i got juice now...good to go"
> 
> 
> and a sidenote... the strike bezel blocks a small portion of the spill, if you take it off you get a tad more around the edges.


 
Yes! Matt I get the same flicker when screwing the tailcap on I was wondering the same thing. I will also take off the bezel to see the increased spill.


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## 276 (May 7, 2009)

Taking the bezel off does make a difference in spill. One thing i have noticed is it has not lockout feature. No matter how far i unscrew the tailcap it still turns. Still love it though.


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## mmajunkie (May 7, 2009)

I have no problems with the Strobe as others after turning it off.

Mine also lights for a second when installing batteries, just like my Novatac 120P.


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## SureAddicted (May 7, 2009)

Ryanrpm said:


> Where are the beamshots??????????????????????




You've seen the beamshots.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/230941


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## Ryanrpm (May 7, 2009)

SureAddicted said:


> You've seen the beamshots.
> https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/230941



:ironic: Yes....from two owners so far...and those were compared to the M20 and Husky 2D...

However...we need more. We need comparisons against the *16w, TK40, Legion II, ACE, M1-X, and L950M. *

Any volunteers?


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## The Doc (May 7, 2009)

Looks like mine is DOA.


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## ergotelis (May 7, 2009)

Till now we have seen a lot DOA...What is going on with M30?Very strange...I hope mine when it arrives to be fine...


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## The_Light_One (May 7, 2009)

Just received my Olight M30 looks and feels superb,cannot believe how light this torch feels even with batts in it.top quality torch without a doubt.

*[advertising link removed - DM51]*


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## Climb14er (May 7, 2009)

Got the M30 from Matt at Battery Junction wed. morning... this after I ordered it late Sunday night and he packed and shipped Monday morning. That's only two days quick from the east coast to Denver!

This light is super bright and appears to have excellent workmanship. Took it outside last night at 10pm after I returned from Cherry Creek Reservoir where we had the first late aft/early eve's sailboat racing. I was on my brand new Lightning and this was 'Good Vibrations' first night out on the water.

My neighbor came out of his house when he saw me pointing the new M30 around the trees and properties. He was 'playing with' the two lights I brought outside and amazed at the intensity of the M30. At first I thought it wasn't 'that' much more powerful than the Eagle Tac 10C2 I have... but then I got into comparing the two re: throw and spill and the M30 is an incredible light.

I used both four primary batteries and two 18650 AW's and all gratefully worked fine. If I had to add one additional feature to the light it would be an as mentioned 'tail lockout'.

All in all, I'll continue to put the light through its paces when I return this evening from another night of sailboat racing.

Good design and fine function, Kudos to the factory and Battery Junction!


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## MattK (May 7, 2009)

The Doc said:


> Looks like mine is DOA.



Sorry to hear that. Please make sure you try fresh batteries; 1 of the 2 reported DOA's thus far was just a bad battery. If that doesn't resolve it please contact customer service for assistance.



ergotelis said:


> Till now we have seen a lot DOA...What is going on with M30?Very strange...I hope mine when it arrives to be fine...



Only 1, now maybe 2, in 200+ for a brand new new, bleeding edge light is not 'a lot'. 



Climb14er said:


> Kudos to the factory and Battery Junction!



Thanks!


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## ergotelis (May 7, 2009)

MattK said:


> Only 1, now maybe 2, in 200+ for a brand new new, bleeding edge light is not 'a lot'.



Well you might be right i overestimated the numbers because i read a lot of DOA comments, but it seems that most of them were just a bad battery case.
Can't wait to receive mine! lovecpf


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## TodToh (May 7, 2009)

These are my beamshots at 20 meters

Fenix TA30 Hi






and Olight M30 Hi


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## JKL (May 7, 2009)

Thank you, interesting comparison !


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## ergotelis (May 7, 2009)

Anybody having lux readings with comparison to any other known flashlight?


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## The Doc (May 7, 2009)

MattK said:


> Sorry to hear that. Please make sure you try fresh batteries; 1 of the 2 reported DOA's thus far was just a bad battery. If that doesn't resolve it please contact customer service for assistance.



I used 3 different sets. I know 2 of those sets work, as I tried them in another torch. I have sent mine back for replacement.


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## hiluxxulih (May 7, 2009)

Well my Olight M30 showed up a day early and it is bright :twothumbs I can hardly wait to go to work at AM 3:00 to light up the darkness .


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## Dudeman (May 7, 2009)

I just love this light. The small size really makes it almost EDC-able. It just feels like a real tool should in the hand, like a makita or snap-on.... I can't imagine wanting another MC-E that is twice the weight or nearly twice the size to simply gain another 100 lumens or a few more feet in throw. This light is the shiite!:bow:


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## Kipper (May 7, 2009)

I was going to order the TK40 to add to my stable of lights but I chose to go with the M30 from Matt. Placing the order as soon as I make this post. Thanxs everyone for their inputs.


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## nohcho (May 8, 2009)

ill wait till M30 gets here and will compare it to my TK 40. I wish i waited a little before buying TK 40.


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## bill_n_opus (May 8, 2009)

Awesome guys ... i'm very interested in the direct comparison/opinion between this olight and the fenix.


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## Edog006 (May 8, 2009)

nohcho said:


> ill wait till M30 gets here and will compare it to my TK 40. I wish i waited a little before buying TK 40.


 

Can not wait to see how the M30 compares to the TK40. Matt mentioned the TK40 was brighter, but it is only rated at 630 lumens. The only way to convince me are the holy beamshots!


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## monkeyboy (May 8, 2009)

I just received mine from Batteryjunction today  Took 4 days to Toronto! Overall, I'm very pleased with the light so basically +1 on what everyone else said. I do have some minor criticisms though.

- At low and medium settings the slow PWM frequency is *very* noticible and quite distracting at times. I would not recommend this light to anyone who suffers from epilepsy (not to mention the strobe mode).

- There's a little movement in the reflector (when loose) which makes it tricky to centre but once it's centred and tightened down it's OK. Centering the reflector does improve the beam pattern.

- 2 x AW's 18500 are a little tight lengthways but nothing to worry about.

- Tailstands perfectly when switched on but rubber cap protrudes slightly when off. Again, not really a problem.


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## bluehaley (May 8, 2009)

Great flashlight! I bought one recently, man, it can light my whole 3100 SF house. It's very compact build comparing to its 700 lumens output. Well, I am kind short guy so it's perfect for me. For people with real big hands, they may wish a slightly larger one.


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## Dudeman (May 8, 2009)

This link from the 600 lumen thread compares the M30 to the TK40...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlQ7vzXqz4A

The M30 fairs very well against the bigger reflectors.


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## 2brian0 (May 8, 2009)

Just got home from work to see my shipping confirmation from 7777's. I was getting discouraged but this is great news and a great way to start the weekend. Can't wait until it gets here.


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## dagored (May 8, 2009)

2brian0 said:


> Just got home from work to see my shipping confirmation from 7777's. I was getting discouraged but this is great news and a great way to start the weekend. Can't wait until it gets here.



Ditto


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## skinnypig (May 8, 2009)

Anyone know if any chance Olight is going to come out with a tailcap that is rounded and does not have the crenelated points? I cannot find a holster to fit this thing into for patrol work on a duty belt. I really don't want to have to grind those points down, but am afraid I might have too. My dept. requires Bianchi Brand Accumold nylon gear so I have to find something that it will fit in. It will go into an ASP holder if I force it in, but the pointed tailcap tears it up inside and I give it a week of use before the interior is shredded. I can't use any type of holster that is not similar in style to the Bianchi gear. I am using two 18500 batteries so I don't have to use the extender tube.

By the way, I love everything else about the light, just the tailcap/holster issue is my only problem. I worked apprehension K9 for 6 years and spent 6 years on SWAT, I have never had to put my flashlight on its tail nor have I felt the need to use a tailcap as a defensive tool. I got a lot of other cool stuff on my Batbelt for that.

The switch is a major improvement over the twisting action of the M20 that have used for some time.


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## Ryanrpm (May 8, 2009)

Here are screenshot images of the 3 lights...at about 200ft.

TK40:






M30:





M1-X v2:


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## tab665 (May 8, 2009)

my manual says nothing about using 2 18500's with the 3 cell set up. would doing so void the warranty?


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## skinnypig (May 8, 2009)

According to Battery Junction this is an acceptable setup. Seems to work fine, but i do not know much about amps and watts and such......



tab665 said:


> my manual says nothing about using 2 18500's with the 3 cell set up. would doing so void the warranty?


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## 1dash1 (May 8, 2009)

2x18650's and 2x18500's provide the same voltage and same amps. The M30's maximum draw of 1.6a is well within the 2C max recommended limit for the 18500's.

If you have any doubts about voiding the warranty, please contact your vendor. If your vendor was Battery Junction, then you already have your answer: link1 and link2.


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## Edog006 (May 10, 2009)

skinnypig said:


> Anyone know if any chance Olight is going to come out with a tailcap that is rounded and does not have the crenelated points? I cannot find a holster to fit this thing into for patrol work on a duty belt. I really don't want to have to grind those points down, but am afraid I might have too. My dept. requires Bianchi Brand Accumold nylon gear so I have to find something that it will fit in. It will go into an ASP holder if I force it in, but the pointed tailcap tears it up inside and I give it a week of use before the interior is shredded. I can't use any type of holster that is not similar in style to the Bianchi gear. I am using two 18500 batteries so I don't have to use the extender tube.
> 
> Yes I found a nylon holster that is perfect! Accidently, I bought this for another light, but it is perfect for the M30. I mentioned this many posts ago but here it is again http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4517 the holster is perfect either with or without the extension tube, honestly it fits great, and its cheap as hell $4!!!


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## TodToh (May 10, 2009)

Just want to know. Did your M30 head and tail-switch were glued or unglued?


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## easilyled (May 10, 2009)

Edog006 said:


> Yes I found a nylon holster that is perfect! Accidently, I bought this for another light, but it is perfect for the M30. I mentioned this many posts ago but here it is again http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4517 the holster is perfect either with or without the extension tube, honestly it fits great, and its cheap as hell $4!!!



It looks like the inside of the snap button is lying inside the fitting surface so that it could potentially rub against the light inside.

Can you confirm if that is true?


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## yert43 (May 10, 2009)

I'm new to the forum and also new to the flashlight enthusiast community. I have had some exposure to flashlights in various knife and watch forums, but I'm seriously considering ordering an M30, which would be my first "serious" light. I have previously owned maglites (up to 6 cell) and an inova LED light. I was previously only really looking at surefire, but this seems like so much more light for the money. I don't really know all that much about batteries, and I was thinking that I would go with the CR123's since the lithium ion rechargeables seem like quite a handful to deal with safely and appropriately. Also, my main use other than recreational blinding of friends will be camping, where there is no plug to recharge. I have read that you need to use the sleeve with the CR123's for them to fit snugly, and I was wondering whether the sleeve held 3 or 4 of those. I would like to run the M30 witht the extender, so if the sleeve only holds 3, are there aftermarket sleeves you can buy that would fit this light that hold 4? I know there is a battery forum, but this question applies strictly to the battery magazine that comes with this light, so I thought it was appropriate to post here. I am planning to order the M30 as soon as I figure out whether or not there is an accessory magazine that would help out. 

Thanks


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## 1dash1 (May 10, 2009)

Yert43:

The battery case fits 3 cells.

It provides a handly place to store cells, but is hardly a necessity - unless you were in a "quick draw" contest with a fellow CPF'er in loading batteries.

For your camping purposes, I'd say a 4-cell case wouldn't make any sense. It's a lot easier to pack 4 loose cells than a tube 4-cells long. And the 4-cell tube would be subject to a much greater bending moment than the 3-cell tube. I'm not sure the 4-cell configuration would survive being shoved into a tight backpack.

P.S. This might be an easier way for you to carry 4 spare cells in your pack or while hiking. _(The carrier folds over into a nice little "battery burrito". I wish they had posted another picture of the closed position, so that buyers could see how tight a bundle this makes.)_


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## HKJ (May 10, 2009)

yert43 said:


> I'm new to the forum and also new to the flashlight enthusiast community. I have had some exposure to flashlights in various knife and watch forums, but I'm seriously considering ordering an M30, which would be my first "serious" light. I have previously owned maglites (up to 6 cell) and an inova LED light. I was previously only really looking at surefire, but this seems like so much more light for the money. I don't really know all that much about batteries, and I was thinking that I would go with the CR123's since the lithium ion rechargeables seem like quite a handful to deal with safely and appropriately. Also, my main use other than recreational blinding of friends will be camping, where there is no plug to recharge. I have read that you need to use the sleeve with the CR123's for them to fit snugly, and I was wondering whether the sleeve held 3 or 4 of those. I would like to run the M30 witht the extender, so if the sleeve only holds 3, are there aftermarket sleeves you can buy that would fit this light that hold 4? I know there is a battery forum, but this question applies strictly to the battery magazine that comes with this light, so I thought it was appropriate to post here. I am planning to order the M30 as soon as I figure out whether or not there is an accessory magazine that would help out.
> 
> Thanks



I would suggest you go with the short configuration of the light and there is no reason to use the battery carrier, except to avoid some rattling when you throw the light around.
LiIon batteries are a good idea with this light, either 16340 (also called RCR123), 18500 or 18650. 3x16340 or 2x18500 can be used in the short configuration.


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## yert43 (May 10, 2009)

Thanks for the feedback. My current cart at BJ contains an M30, 6 CR123's (so I can use the light if I find myself in a spot w/o any charged 18500's), 4 18500's, and an ultrafire charger. Does this seem to be a good setup? The 18500's will be the standard setup, with the CR123's as backup (and for when the 18500's are charging when I first get the light). Do I need more 18500's? How many charges should those last? Thanks for the help. I'm a total newb with high end flashlights, and the battery decisions are quite confusing. Is there any good reason to buy anything other than the cheapest versions of the batteries (Titanium and Ultrafire respectively)?


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## HKJ (May 10, 2009)

yert43 said:


> Thanks for the feedback. My current cart at BJ contains an M30, 6 CR123's (so I can use the light if I find myself in a spot w/o any charged 18500's), 4 18500's, and an ultrafire charger. Does this seem to be a good setup? The 18500's will be the standard setup, with the CR123's as backup (and for when the 18500's are charging when I first get the light). Do I need more 18500's? How many charges should those last? Thanks for the help. I'm a total newb with high end flashlights, and the battery decisions are quite confusing. Is there any good reason to buy anything other than the cheapest versions of the batteries (Titanium and Ultrafire respectively)?



I hope you charger is the WF139, this is a decent charger for LiIon batteries.
There is one reason to buy quality LiIon batteries: Safety. Once in a while LiIon batteries does strange things (Have you read about exploding laptop computers?), to avoid this, always use protected batteries and usual it is assumed that AW batteries are the safest.
My guess (Based on my current measurements) is that the M30 can run nearly 1 hour at max. with 18500 batteries. I do not know how many charges they can take, maybe 500.


----------



## yert43 (May 10, 2009)

Thank you. I just pulled the trigger, and that is the charger I ordered. I am unbelievably excited to receive this light. Now the waiting begins...


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## Edog006 (May 10, 2009)

easilyled said:


> It looks like the inside of the snap button is lying inside the fitting surface so that it could potentially rub against the light inside.
> 
> Can you confirm if that is true?


 

Yes I just checked, The snap buttons are completely protected with an extra layer of nylon, totally smooth inside. It is a suprisingly durable holseter considering the price I was very impressed. It fits very well with the M30. If you have the extension tube it fits all the way in with the bezel tightly and securely against the flap of the buttoned holster, very nice. If you have no extension tube the head sticks just out the holster but is snuggly inside the holster. Both configurations work great, shockingly compatible.


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## tab665 (May 11, 2009)

1dash1 said:


> 2x18650's and 2x18500's provide the same voltage and same amps. The M30's maximum draw of 1.6a is well within the 2C max recommended limit for the 18500's.
> 
> If you have any doubts about voiding the warranty, please contact your vendor. If your vendor was Battery Junction, then you already have your answer: link1 and link2.


 thanks man. right now im rocking out some cr123's. im going to see how they seem to last before going with a rechargable config. im a big fan of the low and medium settings, so i might just end up sticking with primaries. rechargables are such a hassle and not as "worry free".


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## easilyled (May 11, 2009)

In view of the fact that I have seen a few comments about the removable front bezel-ring occluding a certain proportion 
of the spill-beam, which is also my own observation, I think it would be a good idea if an alternative bezel-ring was offered
that perhaps would be designed to mimimise this.

The light doesn't look nearly as smart without the bezel-ring, so a less-deep, bezel ring that tapered out slightly would be an improvement.

Perhaps O-light may consider a design modification or maybe these will be offered as custom after-market jobs if the M30 proves to be popular :shrug:


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## FullTwisting (May 11, 2009)

monkeyboy said:


> - At low and medium settings the slow PWM frequency is *very* noticible and quite distracting at times. I would not recommend this light to anyone who suffers from epilepsy (not to mention the strobe mode).



Has anyone else noticed this? I've been eying the M30, but this concerns me a bit. I don't suffer from epilepsy, but I am rather sensitive to this kind of thing.

I read in another thread about using a fan to check for the flicker. Has anyone performed this test on the M30?


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## easilyled (May 11, 2009)

FullTwisting said:


> Has anyone else noticed this? I've been eying the M30, but this concerns me a bit. I don't suffer from epilepsy, but I am rather sensitive to this kind of thing.
> 
> I read in another thread about using a fan to check for the flicker. Has anyone performed this test on the M30?



I have noticed this too.

Most of these quad-die lights with different levels work in the same way as far as I know.

Perhaps the PWM in the light is a bit more obvious than some others, but it doesn't really bother me.


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## TodToh (May 11, 2009)

FullTwisting said:


> Has anyone else noticed this? I've been eying the M30, but this concerns me a bit. I don't suffer from epilepsy, but I am rather sensitive to this kind of thing.
> 
> I read in another thread about using a fan to check for the flicker. Has anyone performed this test on the M30?


I performed this test with Fenix L0D P4 by whip both flashlights in front of the camera.
the rusult is (L0D on top M30 below)






in my simple method seems that they are the same frequency.
If you are still ok with Fenix L0D,M30 is still ok too.


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## HKJ (May 11, 2009)

FullTwisting said:


> Has anyone else noticed this? I've been eying the M30, but this concerns me a bit. I don't suffer from epilepsy, but I am rather sensitive to this kind of thing.
> 
> I read in another thread about using a fan to check for the flicker. Has anyone performed this test on the M30?



No, I put an oscilloscope with a light sensor on instead, her is the trace from medium (The frequency is 104 Hz):





The PWM is also present at high, same frequency, but higher duty cycle!


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## neoseikan (May 11, 2009)

Hi, HKJ, can you do the same test on Legion II too?
I am quite interested in it.


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## Helmut.G (May 11, 2009)

I considered buying this light but now I'm glad I didn't. I can't stand PWM flicker and 100Hz is simply ridiculous:sick2:


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## HKJ (May 11, 2009)

neoseikan said:


> Hi, HKJ, can you do the same test on Legion II too?
> I am quite interested in it.



I would expect that you already know the result 
and it is rather boring:






Note: The vertical scale can not be used to compare brightness of the two flashlights.


And I also tested some other lights:
Jetbeam M1X: Something in the 4kHz range.
Epsilon P71/P72: 480Hz pwm
MVP: Clean
Fenix TK40: Clean


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## ergotelis (May 11, 2009)

104 hz?That is really bad,it will be for sure noticeable, i didn't expect from such a flashlight to have a so low pwm!Even Epsilon P72 is much better!


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## easilyled (May 11, 2009)

Thanks for the useful info, HKJ.

I bet Olight didn't expect to have the PWM of the M30 measured like this.
This comparison doesn't do them any favours with regard to the driver.

On the other hand, there is a lot going for this light:-

1) Compact size 

2) Attractive design 

3) Useful beam that is a good compromise between flood and spill and doesn't have the irritating void in it.
(compared to Jetbeam M1X and LegionII, for example)

4) Impressive output to size ratio.

5) The UI which is very simple and because the levels are adjusted with a separate side-switch,
each level has independent separate forward momentary-on.

The way I see it, each of these high power quad-die led lights have their own strengths and weaknesses.

The more knowledge we have, the better for helping us to decide between the options available.


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## FullTwisting (May 11, 2009)

Wow, thanks for the PWM info everyone! Very interesting stuff. This is one aspect I hadn't considered untill now. I'm pretty new to the scene, but thanks to this forum I'm learning a LOT! 

This light was on my short list, now I'm not so sure. I suspect that many won't really notice or care, but it's this kind of thing that would bug me every time I use it. Bit of a shame really, because otherwise this light has some very strong selling points.

Boy, wouldn't it be nice if there was a review for all lights that included a PWM cycle trace, battery runtime graphs, standardized beam shots, etc...


Quick question regarding HKJ's reply: He lists the MVP and TK40 as clean, does this mean that it is direct drive, or that the frequency is just to fast to detect?


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## HKJ (May 11, 2009)

FullTwisting said:


> Quick question regarding HKJ's reply: He lists the MVP and TK40 as clean, does this mean that it is direct drive, or that the frequency is just to fast to detect?



It means that the driver changes the current to the led, instead of using full current and chopping it up.

Do not discount a light, just because it has pwm. You will never see a problem from the JetBeam. The slower pwm can, in some circumstances, be a problem, especially around rotating stuff.


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## Helmut.G (May 11, 2009)

FullTwisting said:


> Quick question regarding HKJ's reply: He lists the MVP and TK40 as clean, does this mean that it is direct drive, or that the frequency is just to fast to detect?


It's probably current regulated.
That means the current trough the LED is lowered to achieve different brightness levels. This is the most efficient way to drive an LED as it becomes more efficient at lower current levels.
PWM on the other hand is easier/cheaper to do for the manufacturers and can go down to lower light levels.
With a current regulation the LED will stop emitting light at some point. A PWM controlled LED can theoretically go down as low as you like.

Ideally you would use a combination of both with an extremely high (=undetectable) PWM frequency for maximum efficiency and uber-low levels.


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## monkeyboy (May 11, 2009)

I was at the GTA (greater Toronto area) CPF meeting yesterday and tried out the M30 in a dark wooded area. The PWM flicker is actually more of an issue than I first thought (all the other CPFers agreed). On medium mode simply swaying your hand while walking produces an annoying strobe pattern in the corner of your eye. This actually made me feel a little nauseated after a while. Likewise, quickly moving your eyes from side to side gives you the impression that you are in some lame nightclub. I eventually ended up using the light on full power which killed the atmosphere a bit.

I don't notice any flicker at all from my Surefires or Fenix TK11.


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## Climb14er (May 11, 2009)

FullTwisting said:


> Has anyone else noticed this? I've been eying the M30, but this concerns me a bit. I don't suffer from epilepsy, but I am rather sensitive to this kind of thing.
> 
> I read in another thread about using a fan to check for the flicker. Has anyone performed this test on the M30?




The M30 I received last week has so far performed flawlessly. I don't notice any flicker at all. Then again, I'm not looking for it either. And when I do look for it, no flicker.

I bought the light for full self defense that is coupled with my Sig 220 .45ACP to protect my house and purchased it due to its tactical nature... and really bright light that throws and spills.

As long as the light keeps on working as it was designed, for a large amount of bright light, in a good pattern that combines throw and spill, I'm extremely happy to have purchased it.

This is a defense and emergency light first and foremost... for me at least.


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## Bluehinder (May 11, 2009)

My M30 is perfect. I don't see anything like that. It's flawless. Super great light.


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## dagored (May 11, 2009)

Agreed. Arrived two hours ago. Not one problem. I can just wait. However, I am not worried, because if there is a problem, I know that 4Sevens will make it good.


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## 2brian0 (May 11, 2009)

Got mine today. Once 4sevens got it in stock, it hit my door lightning quick. Thanks 7777's!!! Love this light and can't wait to hit the streets with it at work. Great UI and plenty of lumens. It will make a great primary duty light. Very excited and like I expected, it compliments my new EagleTac M2X perfectly.


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## Dudeman (May 12, 2009)

There is no glue on the head or tail of this light, maybe though where the head/fin base attaches to the tube....not sure. Matt said in another post that he was pretty sure Olight would be offering an aftermarket tail for the M30.

Regarding the PWM modulation, I have not noticed it. But just the fact that some do, if this is a cheaper cost-cutting way to produce a driver, then I'm disappointed. If I pay close to $150 for a flashlight, I would hope all facets of it's design are meticulously crafted and top notch.

In terms of the other thread on its IP68 submersion tolerance, I will again be very disappointed if I can't accidentally drop this light in a puddle or stream briefly without it becoming damaged.... and I don't care what the "technical" definition of IP68 means.


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## Henk_Lu (May 12, 2009)

Dudeman said:


> In terms of the other thread on its IP68 submersion tolerance, I will again be very disappointed if I can't accidentally drop this light in a puddle or stream briefly without it becoming damaged.... and I don't care what the "technical" definition of IP68 means.



Those technical standards are a pain nowadays. Everybody knows what is needed : Using the light in the rain with the possibility to dunk it for a moment and repeat this. Normal life conditions outdoors. If it can't do that, please mark it non-waterproof!

I remember, when I was a kid, I got a Casio watch, 50 meters waterproof. Wow, I was so proud to have a digital watch to wear even in the swimming pool. So, I got pretty upset when it got moist inside even in the bathtub. Later on I learned the truth about all those meters : 50 meters meant that you can hardly have a shower with it, 100 meters could be worn in the bathtub and you needed 200 meters to go swimming and dive 2 meters deep.

That was 30 years ago and I hoped that if someone tells me today that I can dunk a light 1 meter deep, that I actually can dunk it 1 meter deep!


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## TodToh (May 12, 2009)

Japan has long learned to create loyalty to their products but china has just started to do the same.
IMHO IPX8 standard from china flashlights means nothing.


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## Henk_Lu (May 12, 2009)

TodToh said:


> Japan has long learned to create loyalty to their products but china has just started to do the same.
> IMHO IPX8 standard from china flashlights means nothing.



I don't use my lights often in the rain, but if I do, I will disassemble them from now on to see. I just hope the sealed heads (doesn't aplly to the Triton of course) are resistant...

We once lost a Maglite in the pouring rain. Two days later we noticed and got it back, as we knew where we left it (never switch a light off you lay in the grass...). I disassembled it, but it was dry inside, and it continued raining those days. :thumbsup:


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## 1dash1 (May 12, 2009)

The PWM strobe effect is significantly more noticeable in the M30 than any other flashlight in my collection. Here are a few beamshots of an overhead ceiling fan, spinning at its lowest setting. Note: The strobe effect is only noticeable in the low and medium modes, not the high mode. (Click on thumbnails to enlarge.)




 .... 

 .... 


*M30 (low) *.......................*M30 (medium) *................*M30 (high)* ................. Note: Subtle (imperceptible by naked eye) PWM on
1/30 sec, F3.5, ISO 100 .....1/30 sec, F3.5, ISO 100 .....1/30 sec, F8.0, ISO 100 . high, when compared with other flashlight photos.





.... 

 
*L2D CE (high) *..................*L2D CE (turbo)*
1/30 sec, F3.5, ISO 100 .....1/30 sec, F3.5, ISO 100





.... 


*P3D Rebel 100 (high) *.......*P3D Rebel 100 (turbo)*
1/30 sec, F3.5, ISO 100 .....1/30 sec, F3.5, ISO 100





.... 

 .... 


*ED-P72 (low) *..................*ED-P72 (medium) *............*ED-P72 (high)*
1/30 sec, F3.5, ISO 100 .....1/30 sec, F8.0 ISO 100 .......1/30 sec, F8.0, ISO 100





I'm not particularly sensitive to PWM issues, but I have to say that the strobe effect on low and medium is quite pronounced. I would guess that the darker the ambient lighting conditions, the longer one uses the light, and the more intensive the visual task; the more irritating the problem would be. I can understand how Monkeyboy found the beam very disconcerting on his hike in the woods. It probably would have driven me bonkers. _(Well, that's what backup lights are for, right? :tinfoil_

I tried using the diffuser, in the hopes that the more diffuse beam would limit the staccato effect. However, the diffuser did nothing to mollify the strobing. :sigh:


EDIT:

Correction. I forgot about one light that I have with a similar PWM issue - my L0D CE. On low, the strobe rate looks about the same as the M30's. On medium, the LOD's PWM frequency is higher (better), slightly less noticeable, but still present. Not a problem on high.

_The L0D's PWM doesn't bother me for a few reasons: (a) It's generally used for very short periods of time, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. (b) It's generally used for very close-in tasks, under 5 feet, with nothing moving very quickly. (c) I generally don't pan a scene in low or medium. If I pan a scene, I have the L0D on high. (d) The situations where I most use the light is being plunged into darkness after being in the light, i.e., my eyes are not night-adapted. They are therefore less sensitive to beam peculiarities._


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## 1dash1 (May 12, 2009)

I don't know if anyone else has reported this problem:

The leather carrying case has two exposed metal rivets that may potentially scratch the flashlight.



.. 


When holding the flashlight, the reverse side of the button snaps make direct contact with the M30. Not good. :sick2:


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## easilyled (May 12, 2009)

1dash1 said:


> I don't know if anyone else has reported this problem:
> 
> The leather carrying case has two exposed metal rivets that may potentially scratch the flashlight.
> 
> When holding the flashlight, the reverse side of the button snaps make direct contact with the M30. Not good. :sick2:



1dash1, you have just dashed my enthusiasm for my new M30 with all these negative observations. 

Thanks for the warning though. To be honest I already thought that the holder could potentially scratch the flashlight
and won't be using it.


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## dagored (May 12, 2009)

Light arrived yesterday. So excited, I placed 3 batteries in immediately. Worked great. Decided today to use the battery magazine. Light will not work. Batts are in correctly, everything is tight. Will not go on. If I place the batts in without the magazine, works great. 

Any suggestions, other than send it back?

UPDATE: Filed down the top of the tube above the threads - lightly. Cap sits just a little lower. It now works.


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## Henk_Lu (May 12, 2009)

easilyled said:


> To be honest I already thought that the holder could potentially scratch the flashlight
> and won't be using it.



I only took it out of the nice toy-like plastic box to shake my head and put it back immediately. They'd better add some sort of lanyard than this leather thing that looks like it comes out of a s**-shop! 

I can only recommend the following : Take the light out, screw off the tailcap, place a power source in (with or without extender or magazine), screw everything tight and enjoy the light as soon as you find the S-switch.

@dagored

No idea what happens there. If the cells are placed in the correct way and the magazine has openings on both ends that are large enough, the light should work. The magazine is just a piece of plastic after all... :shrug:


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## easilyled (May 12, 2009)

dagored said:


> Light arrived yesterday. So excited, I placed 3 batteries in immediately. Worked great. Decided today to use the battery magazine. Light will not work. Batts are in correctly, everything is tight. Will not go on. If I place the batts in without the magazine, works great.
> 
> Any suggestions, other than send it back?


Don't use the battery magazine.


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## easilyled (May 12, 2009)

Henk_Lu said:


> They'd better add some sort of lanyard than this leather thing that looks like it comes out of a s**-shop!


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## Ecodelosandes (May 12, 2009)

Don't want to prejudge this light without have tried mine itself (it's clearing the customs now), but i have to admit i'm deeply "pre-disappointed" with the slow PWM frec Olight gave the light. Even if it result not to be a great problem to my eyes, as some members pointed here, it's not a valid "design shortcut" in a product of this price.:shakehead
I'll wait to see it by myself, maybe the last Olight in my growing collection? 
For sure the last light i'll buy without read a full review: my mistake!


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## 1dash1 (May 12, 2009)

easilyled said:


> 1dash1, you have just dashed my enthusiasm for my new M30 with all these negative observations.
> 
> Thanks for the warning though. To be honest I already thought that the holder could potentially scratch the flashlight
> and won't be using it.


 
I hope I haven't come off as being too harsh on the M30. 

It's an outstanding flashlight! Perfect size. Handsome. 3-flats feel so good in the hand. Weight evenly balanced. Well built. Innovative UI. Extraordinarily flexible battery options. Excellent runtimes. Fully regulated output. Great high mode! Comes with a nice case and a full complement of accessories. And backed up by great vendors and a great company. 

_However, as with any new product, there are bugs that need to be worked out._ :thinking:

.
.

Heh! heh! I just noticed your play on words - "dashed" your enthusiasm. 
I missed it the first go-around.


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## Ecodelosandes (May 12, 2009)

1dash1 said:


> I hope I haven't come off as being too harsh on the M30.
> 
> It's an outstanding flashlight! Perfect size. Handsome. 3-flats feel so good in the hand. Weight evenly balanced. Well built. Innovative UI. Extraordinarily flexible battery options. Excellent runtimes. Fully regulated output. Great high mode! Comes with a nice case and a full complement of accessories. And backed up by great vendors and a great company. _ that need to be worked out._ :thinking:


 
Dash, i agree with you in every item you described, but finally, the ultimate goal from a light is the lighting quality it provides to the user IMHO.


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## JKL (May 12, 2009)

Flickering present just on low mode, at any rate no problem with two 18650, IMHO the M30 is a nice flashlight.
:devil:


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## mementos (May 12, 2009)

Hi,

I bought the M30 Triton, it's pretty nice but mine is noisy, what about yours ?

When i set it on 700 lumens, it's making a sound "zzzzzzzzzzz", do you think it's normal ?

Thanks !


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## daveman (May 12, 2009)

Let's cut through the chase, the only M30 review that matters at this moment is one comparing it with the Tiablo ACE. 

The two lights are basically the only competitor in size, price, and brightness.

Where is Ersanada and self-built?


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## Ryanrpm (May 12, 2009)

daveman said:


> Where is Ersanada and self-built?



They're out selling blood, kidneys, etc so they can fund these new lights. Haha.


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## 1dash1 (May 12, 2009)

daveman said:


> Let's cut through the chase, the only M30 review that matters at this moment is one comparing it with the Tiablo ACE.
> 
> The two lights are basically the only competitor in size, price, and brightness.
> 
> Where is Ersanada and self-built?


 
The single output ACE was designed for one thing only: providing a very bright light. That limits its application as a general purpose light or as an EDC. So, while they may bear some physical resemblence, I tend to think of them differently. I.e., apples and oranges.

.
.


The distinction between the multi-output M2/M2X and the M30 is even more subtle. 

IMO, Eagletac aimed for a bright general purpose light. Instead of starting at 10 lumens, they started at 30+ lumens on low. They bumped everything up a notch from there - so their low, medium and high are like most other flashlights' medium, high, and turbo respectively. And they top it off with a superhigh turbo level. This is like a P3D on steroids!
Based on information provided by MattK, it seems that Olight aimed for a duty light, one that would provide service for a full workshift. Instead of starting low and configuring the output levels upward, they started with a 120-lumen medium (to meet their targeted performace criteria), then added a sub-10 lumen low because of customer input and topped it off with a superhigh mode. This is like an LEO's Surefire or MagLite that's been overhauled with the latest technology, just in time to qualify for the Federal Stimulus or Homeland Security funding.
The M2/M2X was designed as a general purpose light - albeit a very bright general purpose light. While the M30 was designed as an EDC (duty light) - albeit a very bright EDC. Each flashlight's performance characteristics and features follow accordingly. Again, in my opinion, apples and oranges.

_And I appreciate that others may disagree with me. The light does what the light does, regardless of what it was intended for._


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## yert43 (May 12, 2009)

While I'm an admitted newb to highend flashlights, I would never have noticed the slow PWM if I hadn't read it here. There have been a lot of little complaints, but I think this is a fantastic light. Unless you are really finicky with these things, as I'm sure many of you are, I wouldn't worry about it. I'm very happy with this light, and I definitely recommend it. I just got it today, and I cannot wait to see it in the night.


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## Henk_Lu (May 13, 2009)

mementos said:


> Hi,
> 
> I bought the M30 Triton, it's pretty nice but mine is noisy, what about yours ?
> 
> ...



Unfortunately, that is quite normal on some lights and the M30 seems to be part of them, mine does it too, but not always. I can't explain it to you, but it has to do with the function of the electronics. An LED doesn't shine continously, it kinda strobes that fast your eye normally doesn't notice it. I guess we come to PWM now... 

So, if a light whines, it's pretty annoying, but doesn't affect the light. :candle:
I gave away both my Fenix L1D-Q5 and L2D-Q5 because of the buzzing.


----------



## MattInTheCouv (May 13, 2009)

personally i could only notice the PWM issue if i tried to notice it (waving it around like a crazy person and seeing the trail of "dots" on the wall). i cannot foresee a situation in which this could be anything more than a very minor nuisance, if any at all (with my eyes and my light...yours may differ). the real negative here i think could be lost efficiency. someone tech geekier than me may want to devise a test and see just how much runtime is lost via the less efficient regulation vs regulation in some other well known light from a similar market segment tactical light. who knows, maybe it's negligable.

as far as the lost spill from the crenelated bezel goes, i really don't think it will be possible to make one that does NOT interfere at least slightly with the spill. if you remove it, turn the light on in the dark and look at the threads to which the bezel screws into, even they catch a wee little bit of light, so naturally anything you attach to those threads will too. life's full of tough choices... losing a couple percent of the very outer part of your spill or losing your ability to make someone need [as many] stitches after you hammer-blow them with the thing... the call is yours to make.

also it seems as though the strobe although totally overwhelming, doesn't have quite the same "i'm drunk" effect as my "first light tomahawk" or my gladius. i think this may be due to a faster strobe rate. i would be mucho curious for someone else to sacrifice their corneas as i have in a comparison with other known good tactical strobers.

my only other negative is also one that has not been brought up as of yet, and it is probably nit-picky. the finish on the light should be matte. preferably the same sort of rough and battle-proven coating that is applied to firearms and knife blades and a lot of other "tactical" flashlights. it kind of has a semi-gloss thing going on and i'm not a fan of it. 

with that being said, it's a solid 9 out of 10.


----------



## veleno (May 13, 2009)

monkeyboy said:


> - At low and medium settings the slow PWM frequency is *very* noticible and quite distracting at times.



I disagree.

IMO the PWM frequency is barely noticible, not a real issue for me.


----------



## JKL (May 13, 2009)

I agree with Veleno.

I confirm again, the M30 Triton is a very nice flashlight and have a great UI.

Some pictures from my italian review on cpfitalia:



















































Greetings from Italy 

jkl/klm12


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## MattK (May 13, 2009)

1dash1 said:


> ....[*]Based on information provided by MattK, it seems that Olight aimed for a duty light, one that would provide service for a full workshift. Instead of starting low and configuring the output levels upward, they started with a 120-lumen medium (to meet their targeted performace criteria), then added a sub-10 lumen low because of customer input and topped it off with a superhigh mode. This is like an LEO's Surefire or MagLite that's been overhauled with the latest technology, just in time to qualify for the Federal Stimulus or Homeland Security funding..



Well said. The M30 is made for a market/purpose. If Olight wanted to make it brighter that would be easy it's not complicated to overdrive an LED but it would come with other penalties; heat (would have required a larger, heavier head/bezel), runtime, major efficiency losses, close to dangerously high discharge rates for CR123A configurations, etc. I think, BTW, that they had to use PWM to provide the very low low that CPF likes to have so much because CC drivers cannot have such broad input/output variability.



Ryanrpm said:


> They're out selling blood, kidneys, etc so they can fund these new lights. Haha.



Hardly - mfrs/dealers supply many of the lights for review. 



MattInTheCouv said:


> personally i could only notice the PWM issue if i tried to notice it (waving it around like a crazy person and seeing the trail of "dots" on the wall). i cannot foresee a situation in which this could be anything more than a very minor nuisance, if any at all (with my eyes and my light...yours may differ). the real negative here i think could be lost efficiency. someone tech geekier than me may want to devise a test and see just how much runtime is lost via the less efficient regulation vs regulation in some other well known light from a similar market segment tactical light. who knows, maybe it's negligable.
> 
> as far as the lost spill from the crenelated bezel goes, i really don't think it will be possible to make one that does NOT interfere at least slightly with the spill. if you remove it, turn the light on in the dark and look at the threads to which the bezel screws into, even they catch a wee little bit of light, so naturally anything you attach to those threads will too. life's full of tough choices... losing a couple percent of the very outer part of your spill or losing your ability to make someone need [as many] stitches after you hammer-blow them with the thing... the call is yours to make.
> .... it's a solid 9 out of 10.



Exactly; one will probably never notice the PWM unless you stare at the light on a fan or similar looking for it; simply not a real world issue.

Regarding efficiency, PWM is very efficient. I think most people aren't aware of this but pretty much all types of real regulation use PWM to some extent because it is such an effective, efficient method.

Yah, real-world the bezel isn't really doing much harm in terms of spill and of course it is easily removable.





JKL said:


> I agree with Veleno.
> 
> I confirm again, the M30 Triton is a very nice flashlight and have a great UI.
> 
> ...



Great pics!!


----------



## alexcc (May 13, 2009)

Mine just arrived today - played a little bit. So far awsome, will make a video review and post it over the w/e.


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## MrGman (May 13, 2009)

from Matt K "Well said. The M30 is made for a market/purpose. If Olight wanted to make it brighter that would be easy it's not complicated to overdrive an LED but it would come with other penalties; 
heat (would have required a larger, heavier head/bezel), runtime, major efficiency losses, close to dangerously high discharge rates for CR123A configurations, etc. I think, BTW, that they had to use 
PWM to provide the very low low that CPF likes to have so much because CC drivers cannot have such broad input/output variability."

My testing to date has shown that overdriving LEDs does not get you more light because the output simply drops substantially from turn on because of the heat created with the excess power. 
I am just mentioning this as a "general" statement. People who want more and more power from smaller form factor lights and are willing to have the manufacturer create one that is over driven 
will actually get less. the only way to successfully get more power from the LED is to make sure it has a bigger heat sink and good thermal coupling to the final heat sink, otherwise turning something 
on that is chewing up 14 or more watts of power simply causes that output to drop faster then in the original lower powered light that stays within the limits of the host/design. So I am agreeing with 
your point of "other issues" that it comes with the penalties of heat but I am also adding that you don't get the extra light. I will only last for a few seconds and the output tapers off quite dramatically 
as I am finding out more and more with all these lights I have tested (not published yet as of this writing). G. 

A fifteen watt incandescent light bulb needs no heat sink for the filament to work. a fifteen watt LED chip needs an excellent heatsink for both the chip itself and the phosphor coatings to not lose 
substantial output after turn on. My new meter has a "peak" reading capture mode on it and that first turn on value is much higher than what the light puts out 1 second later, which is the normal 
integration time for the meter when its not on "peak" mode. I won't bother to publish and of those true instantaneous peak readings as no light holds them and your eye never sees it.


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## JKL (May 13, 2009)

MattK said:


> Great pics!!




Thank you very much Matt K .

:thumbsup:

_JKL_


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## MattK (May 13, 2009)

MrGman said:


> from Matt K "Well said. The M30 is made for a market/purpose. If Olight wanted to make it brighter that would be easy it's not complicated to overdrive an LED but it would come with other penalties;
> heat (would have required a larger, heavier head/bezel), runtime, major efficiency losses, close to dangerously high discharge rates for CR123A configurations, etc. I think, BTW, that they had to use
> PWM to provide the very low low that CPF likes to have so much because CC drivers cannot have such broad input/output variability."
> 
> ...




As I said, overdriving the led, comes 'with other penalties; heat (would have required a larger, heavier head/bezel), ' you said, bigger heat sink and good thermal coupling'. To realize those output gains you've gotta keep the temps down. Same difference, right? 

I think you just agreed with me.


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## MrGman (May 13, 2009)

"As I said, overdriving the led, comes 'with other penalties; heat (would have required a larger, heavier head/bezel), ' you said, bigger heat sink and good thermal coupling'. To realize those output gains you've gotta keep the temps down. Same difference, right? 

I think you just agreed with me.  "

Yes I was agreeing with you. I was emphasizing what you said for everyone else to drive it home that you may not get the extra output from the higher power consumption at all, its a risk. If the light already has really good heatsinking, chances are its already being driven to optimum power levels. If the vendor is underdriving the LED for what its rated for, its probably because they know it doesn't have the heatsinking to support full power.


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## alexcc (May 14, 2009)

Mine just arrived in South Africa  Very happy with it so far... Will post a video or normal review over the weekend!


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## Ecodelosandes (May 14, 2009)

Mine arrived today. :thumbsup:
This light is really beautifully built, the side switch is simply perfect, and the output is a mix of sensations:

The high is nothing short of awesome! The spot is relatively wide, but the throw is not lessed by this, the light proyect an impressive S P O T., with a density of light i've never seen before from a flashlight. Very usefull.:twothumbs

The mid, is a great setting. Is clearly the more apropiated for general purpose IMO.

The low.... well, it is a good low too, in terms of level, reach and runtime, but i'm affraid that the strobe effect is definetly there for me, is not likely to be noted in much situations, but in some cases (rapid movements of the light or the objects iluminated), is clearly there. I can feel a certain degree of visual fatigue :tired: when used it for a while that's not present using others lows (for example the M20's).

Finally, the strobe: Oh my GOD! the first one i think can fulfill its purpose. Not good to be in the "wrong side", believe me. And you don't have to ask an agressor to kindly wait until you switch it



. Great UI.

Put the provided diffuser on and you'll get a spill mounster to show the proximity under daylight.

A great ligh from Olight, if only they could manage to raise the Hz for the PWM on the low setting, i'll can tell it's "perfect". In the present form it's very close to it.


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## imgadgetman2 (May 14, 2009)

I love mine. You can see the strobing by shining the light at running water from the tap. The medium level does not show much strobing, but the low is quite noticeable if the flashlight is moved quickly. I think I will keep it!!


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## selfbuilt (May 14, 2009)

I had no idea so much about this light had already been discussed here. I wrote my review last weekend, but was out of town with limited internet access until yesterday morning. For those of you who haven't seen it:

Olight M30 Triton Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS and more!


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## alexcc (May 18, 2009)

My video review, as promised.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr2SOcEbej8


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## dagored (May 18, 2009)

alexcc said:


> My video review, as promised.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr2SOcEbej8



Video unavailable. What's up with that?


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## Ryanrpm (May 18, 2009)

It's available now....

You can see the PWM in the glare of the camera....cool! From 3:47 - 3:48.


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## zioparr (May 19, 2009)

I watch the movie.
I stated that M30 is not a dedicated thrower, it's more like a flooder.
But as a every day use light.( I like it when it lit the room)

can any one help me pick which torch is for dedicated thrower?
is TK40 or M1X good?

thanks before.


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## 4sevens (May 19, 2009)

MattK said:


> ...I think, BTW, that they had to use PWM to provide the very low low that CPF likes to have so much because CC drivers cannot have such broad input/output variability.
> 
> ...Regarding efficiency, PWM is very efficient. I think most people aren't aware of this but pretty much all types of real regulation use PWM to some extent because it is such an effective, efficient method.


Matt, you have no idea what you're talking about. Let correct what *you think*

1. There are plenty of examples of CC drivers that can drive as low or even lower. There's one in the works that does 1ma and will power lights for over a month easily. 

2. PWM is *NOT* very efficient. PWM is only as efficient as the 100% cycle. Of the entire driving current range, the MOST inefficient is the maximum driving power. So even though your PWM is at say 1%, your efficiency is at best as efficient the highest driving range.

Example: an LED driven at 25ma achieves 150 lumens per watt. The same LED driven at 1000ma is 70 lumens per watt. If you drive a light at 1000ma and 100% or 1% PWM, the efficiency remains at 70 lumens per watt.

In fact, it's less efficiency than 100% due to switching losses. Imagine
if you drive a car by only flooring the throttle and completely letting off the throttle. You can modulate the throttle and acheve the speed you want but your miles per gallon is going to STINK.

You know what *I think?* 

You're just justifying PWM because it's a product that you sell.
Come to think of it, those two points I quoted you contradict themselves.


----------



## easilyled (May 19, 2009)

4sevens said:


> Matt, you have no idea what you're talking about. Let correct what *you think*
> 
> 1. There are plenty of examples of CC drivers that can drive as low or even lower. There's one in the works that does 1ma and will power lights for over a month easily.
> 
> ...



David, with all due respect, I've no doubt that your facts about PWM are correct, but I don't remember you pointing them out with such relish in the past when your Sales Threads were also for lights with PWM like the Fenix L0D and the P1D, for example.

Its only natural for Dealers to defend/hype their products and I don't think you have ever been immune from that.

Its also up to us CPFers to realize when there's a vested interest and to do our own independent research.


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## 4sevens (May 19, 2009)

easilyled said:


> David, with all due respect, I've no doubt that your facts about PWM are correct, but I don't remember you pointing them out with such relish in the past when your Sales Threads were also for lights with PWM like the Fenix L0D and the P1D, for example.
> 
> Its only natural for Dealers to defend/hype their products and I don't think you have ever been immune from that.
> 
> Its also up to us CPFers to realize when there's a vested interest and to do our own independent research.


Actually I have been known to post AGAINST products that I sell - see my post history - this case included (yes I carry the m30 as well)

My interest is in disseminating the truth so people can decide for themselves. If there is something that's not true don't you think it should be pointed out? People can be easily-mis-led!

By the way, yes l0d is pwm but the p1d has always been constant current.


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## easilyled (May 19, 2009)

4sevens said:


> Actually I have been known to post AGAINST products that I sell - see my post history - this case included (yes I carry the m30 as well)
> 
> My interest is in disseminating the truth so people can decide for themselves. If there is something that's not true don't you think it should be pointed out? People can be easily-mis-led!
> 
> By the way, yes l0d is pwm but the p1d has always been constant current.



I'm all for getting at the truth as you've probably seen from numerous posts of mine.

Whether I actually achieve that or not is probably very questionable. 

I'm also very interested in what motivates people to write certain things because sometimes there's a broader truth in that too.

Perhaps you carry the M30, but perhaps you have higher stakes in the Fenix TK40 and the Eagletacs M2 and M2X.


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## 4sevens (May 19, 2009)

easilyled said:


> I'm all for getting at the truth as you've probably seen from numerous posts of mine.
> 
> Whether I actually achieve that or not is probably very questionable.
> 
> ...


The tk40 has serious issues due to it's use of aa batteries due to the possibility of reverse charging a weaker cell. The m2 is head heavy and cumbersome. I'm just telling you the truth. 

Pwm is pwm. Cc is cc. Facts need to be straight before people can make an educated choice.


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## easilyled (May 19, 2009)

4sevens said:


> The tk40 has serious issues due to it's use of aa batteries due to the possibility of reverse charging a weaker cell. The m2 is head heavy and cumbersome. I'm just telling you the truth.
> 
> Pwm is pwm. Cc is cc. Facts need to be straight before people can make an educated choice.



Ok, you sound convincing enough. :nana:

It seems to me that each of the quad-die mass produced lights have pros and cons and that there's no clear winner or loser.

Its really depends on what set of pros and cons present the most favorable combination for the user.


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## 1dash1 (May 19, 2009)

easilyled said:


> Ok, you sound convincing enough. :nana:
> 
> It seems to me that each of the quad-die mass produced lights have pros and cons and that there's no clear winner or loser.
> 
> Its really depends on what set of pros and cons present the most favorable combination for the user.


 
Well, I think the last few posts highlight the fact that it's often not what we say, but how we say it that triggers a response.

Sort of like tint. Depending on what you were just exposed to, it might look blue, or green, or yellow. The truth of what it was remained constant, but our perception differs substantially.


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## 4sevens (May 19, 2009)

1dash1 said:


> Well, I think the last few posts highlight the fact that it's often not what we say, but how we say it that triggers a response.
> 
> Sort of like tint. Depending on what you were just exposed to, it might look blue, or green, or yellow. The truth of what it was remained constant, but our perception differs substantially.


Ok, I admit I came on strong and I assumed that Matt knew otherwise and intentionally misled people. I do not know that and I apologize. I should have assumed the better and just stated the facts and stopped there.

However, I am still upset. A co-worker of mine just emailed me - he lurks here silently and reads everything too.... I'm going to quote what he said....

"People just need to be upfront and honest. It's one thing for an 'everyday' CPFer to post misinformation. It's another thing for a distributor - and official CPF source and supporter - to post misinformation.

Whereas the 'everyday' CPFer posts from perspective, MattK posts from authority. Whether we believe him or know better is beside the point - with authority comes responsibility. He knows better than that."

I think that sums up my exactly thoughts....


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## ergotelis (May 19, 2009)

I just received mine.
With a few words:

Pos:
Powerfull
floody huge hotspot
Nice design and UI
Compact-lightweight
Very low mode
No donut at all!(at least on mine!)

Neg:
PWM is really BAD!Even on medium easily noticeable!I can notice it easily though it might not affect in using the light!
Not a thrower, tested and achieves 10.000lux at 1m.

Overall i am really happy with my purchase, you can't have it all. It is very difficult to make a thrower in that size and i knew it, so it is not for me negative, it is common sense. BUT PWM is something that they could have avoided!The only real negative for this light!

I am gonna make some waterproofness test. If it fails then i would be really sad.


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## Ryanrpm (May 19, 2009)

zioparr said:


> I watch the movie.
> I stated that M30 is not a dedicated thrower, it's more like a flooder.
> But as a every day use light.( I like it when it lit the room)
> 
> ...



For dedicated thrower:

TK40 - no.

M1X - Yes.

Sunlite 16w - YES

M2X - YES


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## wapkil (May 19, 2009)

4sevens said:


> Pwm is pwm. Cc is cc. Facts need to be straight before people can make an educated choice.



Thank you for your corrections and explanations but I think that there are a few more things to consider. I hate it when the PWM is visible and I generally prefer non-PWM lights but I believe that to make an educated choice one has to look at much more than the simple fact that the LEDs are less efficient when driven with high current.

If I remember correctly, power LEDs when driven with low current (<5mA?) also become inefficient. I think that if instead of driving the Quark with CC 1mA you used 20mA with PWM 5% duty cycle, you'd have a higher LED efficiency :nana:

The LED is only part of the picture. The battery probably will be able to give more energy when driven with lower current (so CC would win here) but the driver circuit may be much more efficient with currents higher than 1mA (so it would prefer PWM).

When speaking about months of runtime, I think that the ultimate efficiency may be not the most important. Other things like the flickering (easily eliminated with higher PWM frequency) or the cost of a light with a more complicated circuit (e.g with both CC and PWM for better overall efficiency) may may have a higher influence on the buyer decision.


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## Edog006 (May 19, 2009)

Well sorry to interject in a very physics/electronics oriented discussion my background is in the natural sciences, so I cannot comment with any accuracy about current voltage and LED efficiency (ohms law etc..) other than in general terms. However, my only question is why use PVM ever, if it is seemingly not efficient and annoying as hell to some people? Personally I dont notice unless I shake the M30 back and forth rapidly. Thanks in advance, enginers, physicists, and mechanically inclined individuals.


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## mmajunkie (May 19, 2009)

For the life of me I can't notice the PVM, and everybody I recruited to see if they could said they see nothing but light.

The one problem I do have is the light only working with AW 18650's. With Tenergy 18650's it won't work, but with Tenergy Rc123 it works perfect.

Anybody else have this problem or an Idea as to why it is?


----------



## lightmyway (May 19, 2009)

Are the Tenergy 18650's flat top if so they may not be making contact.


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## mmajunkie (May 19, 2009)

Not flat top and are Protected.


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## bser (May 19, 2009)

considering an upgrade from an m20 to an m30 can anyone with both post comparitive beamshots?


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## mmajunkie (May 19, 2009)

20 Here







30 Here





20 again






30 again






I set the Camera to "M" but I guess it still did something Auto.

But I assure you the M30 blows away the 20, IMO.


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## RainerWahnsinn (May 20, 2009)

mmajunkie said:


> For the life of me I can't notice the PVM, and everybody I recruited to see if they could said they see nothing but light.
> 
> The one problem I do have is the light only working with AW 18650's. With Tenergy 18650's it won't work, but with Tenergy Rc123 it works perfect.
> 
> Anybody else have this problem or an Idea as to why it is?



it can be that the protection of the Tenergy 18650´s becomes effective already with 1,6 A. Is only an assumption of me.

I use 2 protected Ultrafire 18500 and have no problem at all.


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## ergotelis (May 20, 2009)

The hotspot of the flashlight at distance is really big, about 8m wide at 50m distance!


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## wapkil (May 20, 2009)

Edog006 said:


> Well sorry to interject in a very physics/electronics oriented discussion my background is in the natural sciences, so I cannot comment with any accuracy about current voltage and LED efficiency (ohms law etc..) other than in general terms. However, my only question is why use PVM ever, if it is seemingly not efficient and annoying as hell to some people? Personally I dont notice unless I shake the M30 back and forth rapidly. Thanks in advance, enginers, physicists, and mechanically inclined individuals.



I don't know enough to answer your question but in the parallel thread about the M30 I asked why the PWM is used in all the modes (even Hi) - you may want to read my posts #39 and HKJ's answer below. This is only an example of a particular solution but I would suspect that PWM is generally cheaper to design and manufacture.

It would be nice if someone with electronics background could offer better explanation but I think that inside most (if not all) of the CC DC/DC circuits some form of PWM is used anyway. In CC circuits the flickering is then hidden by using an output filter. Maybe by adding such a filter (a capacitor?) between the LED and the PWM circuit the flickering could also be eliminated? :shrug:


----------



## MattK (May 20, 2009)

4sevens said:


> Matt, you have no idea what you're talking about. Let correct what *you think*
> 
> 1. There are plenty of examples of CC drivers that can drive as low or even lower. There's one in the works that does 1ma and will power lights for over a month easily.
> 
> ...




David, your lack of courtesy and tact here is disappointing. 

You're attempting to parse a qualified statement and making strawmen arguments and it's pretty clear that many of the respondents have seen right through your motivations. 
For those wondering about motivations; my company has sole representation rights for Olight on CPF, David's company has them for Fenix and, I think, for Eagletac; so much for, _"disseminating the truth." _


I posted: _"I think, BTW, that they had to use PWM to provide the very low low that CPF likes to have so much because CC drivers cannot have such broad input/output variability."_

David replied: _ "Matt, you have no idea what you're talking about. Let correct what you think
1. There are plenty of examples of CC drivers that can drive as low or even lower. There's one in the works that does 1ma and will power lights for over a month easily. 
2. PWM is NOT very efficient. PWM is only as efficient as the 100% cycle. Of the entire driving current range, the MOST inefficient is the maximum driving power. So even though your PWM is at say 1%, your efficiency is at best as efficient the highest driving range."_

You're manipulating my statement in order to attack it: 
Firstly; I qualified my statement by using the expression, "I think".
Secondly; what I described is that CC drivers cannot have such wide input and output variations - I didn't say they couldn't go low, I said they couldn't have the huge range that the M30 has at around 1%/20%/100% with an input voltage from 6-12V. You have failed to refute that point instead choosing to attack a statement that I didn't make. _'There's one in the works'_, hrmm, I bet that is, _"a product that you sell". _

PWM is quite efficient. Yes, CC is usually more efficient than PWM. I said PWM is _"very efficient_"not _"the most efficient". 

Unfortunately a CC circuit wasn't realistically possible with the UI chosen for the M30. It has little to do with manufacturing or engineering costs; it wasn't a possibility without massively overcomplicating the light which could give potential durability issues - doing so would have required at least 2 signal path wires from the circuit in the head to that in the tailcap; since this light will be weapon mounted by many users we felt this wasn't the best choice. I have a prototype M30 that doesn't use PWM - it also has the strobe button on the lower bezel, not on the tailcap and we decided against this from a usability standpoint. The M30 is actually more expensive to manufacture than most CC lights because it has 2 control circuits; 1 in the tailcap and 1 in the lower bezel. Since the M30 is a light made for REAL tactical situations/users the UI (instant access to high and strobe) took precedence over efficiency at the lower output levels (the M30 will still run for 90 hrs on low). The usage for the lower levels is largely seen as for what LEO's call 'administrative tasks,' writing tickets, etc, and the PWM simply will not be visible in those real world tasks (the medium output level will last 7.5 hrs - a full shift). The PWM rate for Med/Low of around 100hz is considerably higher than that used for computer monitors, dimming residential light bulbs (both 50-60hz)and many other common applications. If you LOOK for it you might see it depending upon your sensitivity but most users in the real world will not see it or notice it.



4sevens said:



However, I am still upset. A co-worker of mine just emailed me - he lurks here silently and reads everything too....

Click to expand...


Upset? LOL.
You mean one of your EMPLOYEES, right? Yah, that's what I thought. 
Clearly your motivations in this thread are pure as the driven snow. 

If you've got a bone to pick in the future I am sure you've got my phone number, email and IM. 

My apologies to all for replying to his tripe and further cluttering this thread but I couldn't simply walk away from this rude and ungracious attack._


----------



## Edog006 (May 20, 2009)

Can I get a Boo Yah! I think David got served, but in any case lets end the smackdown there, no need for a petty back and forth, you both stated your cases and each made some good points. I do appreciate the information laced in each argument.


----------



## mmajunkie (May 20, 2009)

Really nice of David to S#it it the thread and say what he did about Matt.

I have purchased from both Vendors in the past, and because of this incident, I will be dropping one from the list.

Guess which one?


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## 4sevens (May 20, 2009)

Matt,

Let's stick to the facts and statements at hand and leave out the manupulation and instigation.
This time I will quote *YOUR words* so you cannot accuse me of mincing your words and setting up "straw men"

*My primary point is that misinformation is being disseminated by you.* It's obvious that you are defending a product that you have exclusivity with on CPF and I have no problem with that - what I have a problem with is when *misinformation is being spread by you.* Whether you did it intentionally or not, let's leave it out of this discussion and stick to the points at hand. Let's stick with the technical facts and clear up the wrong facts.

Firstly let me clear up something from your previous post - you put words in my mouth that I did not say. 

You said and I quote:


MattK said:


> Regarding efficiency, PWM is *very *efficient.



And I said:
"PWM is NOT *very *efficient"

Then you said:


MattK said:


> I said PWM is "*very *efficient"not _"the *most *efficient"._


_

I NEVER accused you of saying PWM is *MOST *efficient. I said PWM is *NOT VERY *efficient. Don't put words in my mouth and don't distract from the point.

POINT #1
The FACT (that I've stated already) is PWM is *NOT VERY EFFICIENT*. In fact, it's the LEAST efficient across the entire drive range since it is driving it at maximum. So PWM is not only *"not very"* efficient, it is actually the *LEAST *efficient. Nobody said anything about "*MOST*" except *you*. 

POINT #2
You said:


MattK said:



I think, BTW, that they had to use PWM to provide the very low low that CPF likes to have so much because CC drivers cannot have such broad input/output variability.

Click to expand...


Firstly, just because you said "*THINK*" doesn't mean you're* not responsible for your statements*.

Secondly, re-read your OWN statement... specifically "they had to use PWM to provide the very low low"
You just said PWM *must *be used for low low. 

Then you say "because CC drivers cannot have such broad input/output variability." Again not true.
The maximum end is not dictated by CC or PWM. Simply the lack of PWM gives you 100%. So what we
are talking about is the low-end which you mentioned in the first part of your sentence.
*I disagree - PWM is NOT required for a low low.*

My response was:
"There are plenty of examples of CC drivers that can drive as low or even lower"

Now you're trying to change the subject from "low low" to "wide input and output variations" which I never addressed. *Don't change the subject again.* I was talking about the former, refuting your statement that a low low MUST use PWM. Again, not true. *Constant current regulation can achieve very low low modes and using PWM is NOT a must.* Ok, I know you "*think*" this, but now you stand corrected.



MattK said:



Unfortunately a CC circuit wasn't realistically possible with the UI chosen for the M30. It has little to do with manufacturing or engineering costs; it wasn't a possibility without massively overcomplicating the light which could give potential durability issues - doing so would have required at least 2 signal path wires from the circuit in the head to that in the tailcap; since this light will be weapon mounted by many users we felt this wasn't the best choice. I have a prototype M30 that doesn't use PWM - it also has the strobe button on the lower bezel, not on the tailcap and we decided against this from a usability standpoint. The M30 is actually more expensive to manufacture than most CC lights because it has 2 control circuits; 1 in the tailcap and 1 in the lower bezel. Since the M30 is a light made for REAL tactical situations/users the UI (instant access to high and strobe) took precedence over efficiency at the lower output levels (the M30 will still run for 90 hrs on low). The usage for the lower levels is largely seen as for what LEO's call 'administrative tasks,' writing tickets, etc, and the PWM simply will not be visible in those real world tasks (the medium output level will last 7.5 hrs - a full shift). The PWM rate for Med/Low of around 100hz is considerably higher than that used for computer monitors, dimming residential light bulbs (both 50-60hz)and many other common applications. If you LOOK for it you might see it depending upon your sensitivity but most users in the real world will not see it or notice it.

Click to expand...

So you're saying the design is a compromise?

Low modes for writing tickets? You know there are lots of tactical applications requiring low-light.
I personally know a ex-surefire employee who trained in low-light tactical operations (while he was working with surefire and even today he flies all over the world giving low light tactical training sessions). You should qualify what you mean by "real world tasks," "administrative tasks"

In the previous quote, now you admit to *efficiency issues at lower output levels?*


It's obvious what we don't agree on somethings, however some of these points are *glaring *misinformation that is *misleading *people. They cross the line of what is true and I can't sit on the side watching this kind of wrong information being spread.

*Matt, these are not "staw-men." This is misleading information.
In the interest of science and the many readers here, I feel it is my responsibility to correct your dis-information.*_


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## RainerWahnsinn (May 20, 2009)

Please imagine what happens, if every friend of David or Matt would answer now! Let them do their posts, they are adults. No need to make more of it.

I´m proud to have such a big and interesting thread so far, please back to topic (facts) thank you.


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## Helmut.G (May 20, 2009)

ok, PWM is very *un*efficient and most people here know that.
Please don't turn this thread into a flame war.


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## HKJ (May 20, 2009)

There are a couple of differences between pwm and constant current (cc) driving and efficiency is not the only one and not as obvious as some makes it.

With pwm you can optimize the current control for one current, this makes it possible to get better efficiency in the circuit. But with pwm you usual run the led at a high current and the led has lower efficiency at high current. This will lower the total efficiency at mid levels.

But at low current levels you have some other problems, the leds efficiency goes down and the led changes tint, using cc regulation you will encounter both of these problems, and also have the problem with keeping a high efficiency circuit over a very wide range of current. Pwm does not have any of these problems.

Neither solution is ideal, but very depend of how competent (and lucky) the circuit designer is, some lights uses both principles, to get the best from both worlds. With the M30 there are some very good reason, why it was made the way it is, it could not have been made in this way with cc regulation (Except with a more complicated circuit).


Having two shop owners discuss this, because they have product with pwm/cc they wish to sell, does not really belong in the M30 thread. (IMHO)


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## wapkil (May 20, 2009)

HKJ said:


> Neither solution is ideal, but very depend of how competent (and lucky) the circuit designer is, some lights uses both principles, to get the best from both worlds. With the M30 there are some very good reason, why it was made the way it is, it could not have been made in this way with cc regulation (Except with a more complicated circuit).
> 
> 
> Having two shop owners discuss this, because they have product with pwm/cc they wish to sell, does not really belong in the M30 thread. (IMHO)



You are probably right but I think that this discussion may serve to explain some important things (at least for me). To go back to the M30 - do you think that it would be possible to add a filter between the driver circuit and the LED to get rid of the PWM effect on the LED?

I ask this because as far as I remember all the boost and boost-buck circuits I saw used PWM or PFM with a filter capacitor connected to the output. Would it be wrong to treat the PWM circuits in lights as the equivalent of those with the filter removed? Is it be possible to add such a capacitor to the M30 to remove flickering (and I think in effect convert it to what is called CC here)?


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## tab665 (May 20, 2009)

i dont understand how some owners (including myself) cannot notice the pwm flicker, while others think it can be a headache inducing problem. i realize that other people are affected by it differently but there seems to be too big of a gap between those who can barely notice/ cannot notice and those who instantly notice/ cannot stand the pwm. 
is there any chance that there are manufacturing variables that could cause one batch to have worse pwm than another?


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## ergotelis (May 20, 2009)

tab665 said:


> i dont understand how some owners (including myself) cannot notice the pwm flicker, while others think it can be a headache inducing problem. i realize that other people are affected by it differently but there seems to be too big of a gap between those who can barely notice/ cannot notice and those who instantly notice/ cannot stand the pwm.
> is there any chance that there are manufacturing variables that could cause one batch to have worse pwm than another?



Generally you do not notice it. But if you light towards a target moving on its enviroment or if you quickly move the flashlight you will notice it. It depends on the usage you do. For someone might not be that bad, but for some it is. For me, sometimes yes sometimes no. It depends. I had bought a Dereelight 2 years ago and i thought it had a problem in low mode, until i learned that it had (and learned what it is) a PWM driver. Though i don't know its hz i can say that sometimes it was annoying.


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## MrGman (May 20, 2009)

tab665 said:


> i dont understand how some owners (including myself) cannot notice the pwm flicker, while others think it can be a headache inducing problem. i realize that other people are affected by it differently but there seems to be too big of a gap between those who can barely notice/ cannot notice and those who instantly notice/ cannot stand the pwm.
> is there any chance that there are manufacturing variables that could cause one batch to have worse pwm than another?


 

The components used typically have a tolerance on them that would contribute to a rather wide variation. Most of the capacitors used in commercial applications are +/-20% variation, typically no better than +/-10% variation. Resistors are +/-10%, +/-5% in most cases, Really good ones probably not used in a commercially made product would be 2 or 1% tolerance ones. So using R and C components to establish modulation frequencies and set points for duty cycles is of course going to vary some what from unit to unit. Not the actual "manufacturing" variables like how well parts were soldered in and cleaning off of flux and things like that.


Also peoples sensitivity to the flicker rate varies as well. Some people can't stand to look at a monitors with 30Hz refresh rate (days of old) while others couldn't take one with a 60Hz refresh rate. 

Everyone is different.


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## wapkil (May 20, 2009)

tab665 said:


> i dont understand how some owners (including myself) cannot notice the pwm flicker, while others think it can be a headache inducing problem. i realize that other people are affected by it differently but there seems to be too big of a gap between those who can barely notice/ cannot notice and those who instantly notice/ cannot stand the pwm.
> is there any chance that there are manufacturing variables that could cause one batch to have worse pwm than another?



I was also wondering whether there are different batches of this light. On the other hand, I remember that when the CRT monitors were popular some people had them set to 60Hz and didn't mind it at all, while I had to set my monitor to 120Hz to stop noticing the flickering. 

It's similar situation with contemporary LCD monitors. I had to return two LCDs backlit with fluorescent lamps before I found one without the flickering that would give me a headache when set to the lowest brightness level. Other people I asked usually haven't noticed this flickering. I think that in some circumstances we all would see it but if it can always be seen depends on a personal sensitivity.

Edit: funny - MrGman beat me to it with his monitor flickering example


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## 4sevens (May 20, 2009)

wapkil said:


> You are probably right but I think that this discussion may serve to explain some important things (at least for me). To go back to the M30 - do you think that it would be possible to add a filter between the driver circuit and the LED to get rid of the PWM effect on the LED?
> 
> I ask this because as far as I remember all the boost and boost-buck circuits I saw used PWM or PFM with a filter capacitor connected to the output. Would it be wrong to treat the PWM circuits in lights as the equivalent of those with the filter removed? Is it be possible to add such a capacitor to the M30 to remove flickering (and I think in effect convert it to what is called CC here)?


Those are excellent questions that I will try to answer from technical point of view. The most common implementation of PWM is adding the pulses AFTER a boost or buck circuit, effectively chopping up the output into tiny pieces. While it is true that most driver circuits send pulses into an inductor and capacity to charge up and discharge as very very high speeds, consider that PWM implementation actually has two "pulse" systems. A high speed pulsing used for the driver circuit and another slow PWM switch that modulates the output. So effectively you have TWO pulsing going on.

I'm not familiar with the specifics of the M30 implementation but it may be limited to PWM due to the need for the tailcap to communicate with the head.

In some other implementations, PWM is also used for communication between the MCU and the driver chip which takes PWM as a signal input (not power) and regulates it's output accordingly. But this is different than using PWM for powering the LED on and off.

So to answer your original question... just adding a capacitor many not solve the problem because 1) it may not work with how the m30's second button is designed 2) even if it's mildly effective, it's just a fix to minimize the PWM effect. Its very different than the pulsing in the driver circuit which is has an inductor and capacitor that is matched for optimal efficiency.given the charge/discharge rate - they're really two different applications.

To sum up. PWM is used for
1) signaling between MCU and Driver (smart driver packages and take signal input)

2) pulsing in the buck or boost circuit that charges and discharged a capacitor and inductor at very high frequencies, fine tuned for optimal efficiencies. (often offered as a single chip packages i.e. #1)

3) PWM used for chopping the final output to the LED. Usually lower frequencies due to the fact that higher frequencies inhibit the efficiency of the driver circuit that is behind it.


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## HKJ (May 20, 2009)

wapkil said:


> To go back to the M30 - do you think that it would be possible to add a filter between the driver circuit and the LED to get rid of the PWM effect on the LED?



Yes, it is possible, but that is not the same as easy, a higher pwm frequency would be easier to handle, but (as I have written before), you can not just use a higher pwm frequency.
An on top of the circuit problems you also has some other problems: A filter cost money, reduces efficiency and takes up space.



tab665 said:


> is there any chance that there are manufacturing variables that could cause one batch to have worse pwm than another?



Manufacturing tolerances could maybe change the pwm with 30% (But probably much less), I believe the problem is mostly related to people, both how sensitive they are to flicker and how much they complain about things that they do not like. I know that if I have a weak flicker in the corner of my eye, I will probably not complain about it, but I believe that some of the complains here a about just that, some people demand perfect light (And they might have a good reason to do that).


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## wapkil (May 20, 2009)

4sevens said:


> The most common implementation of PWM is adding the pulses AFTER a boost or buck circuit, effectively chopping up the output into tiny pieces.



Thank you for this explanation. This is exactly the information I was missing to understand what's the real difference between CC and PWM circuits in flashlights. I just haven't thought that there may be two circuits, each doing its own PWM 

When it's built this way, a PWM-driven flaslight has a CC converter set to predefined maximal current (and a PWM circuit to modulate the output). A CC-driven light would have a CC circuit with internal current regulation. This explains why they operate in a different way, although it probably also makes the question which circuit would be more efficient even more complicated.


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## Light Brite (May 20, 2009)

Standing on the side line wondering if my light varies significantly from others who have such issues with the PWM or if I should get an eye exam whereas I haven't really experinced a problem with it unless I try and create one.


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## bodhran (May 20, 2009)

I was watching a video on youtube comparing the m30 and two other flashlights. On video at least the flicker really shows with the m30 but didn't notice anything with the other two.


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## GoingGear.com (May 20, 2009)

bodhran said:


> I was watching a video on youtube comparing the m30 and two other flashlights. On video at least the flicker really shows with the m30 but didn't notice anything with the other two.


 That was my video. The M30's flicker is not visible to my eyes or anyone else that has seen it, so I would chalk it up to the fact that video cameras do not portray things the same way our eyes see them, such as when computer monitors are shown.


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## easilyled (May 20, 2009)

From what I recall the PWM frequency of the M30 Triton is exactly the same as that of the Fenix L0D.

Yet the feedback for the L0D was mainly very positive and I don't recall much mention (if any, at all) about the PWM being seen as a nuisance.


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## bullettproof (May 20, 2009)

Who needs low or Medium LOL!!! If I need a 100 lumen light Ill just grab another light:nana:


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## wapkil (May 20, 2009)

easilyled said:


> From what I recall the PWM frequency of the M30 Triton is exactly the same as that of the Fenix L0D.
> 
> Yet the feedback for the L0D was mainly very positive and I don't recall much mention (if any, at all) about the PWM being seen as a nuisance.



I think that to some degree it may depend on the PWM duty cycle and brightness. I guess the higher the duty cycle is (the longer the LED is on) the harder it is to notice the flickering. In the M30 the duty cycle on Lo is only around 1.5% so almost all the time the LED is off with short sparks when it's on. The duty cycle in M30's Med is probably similar to Lo in L0D (~15%). And Med in L0D is probably around 30%. I also suspect that the higher output difference when the LED is on (700-800lm for M30 vs. 80lm for L0D) can make the PWM effect more pronounced.

EDIT: The discussion of the PWM duty cycle in M30 is presented in selfbuilt's review post #2


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## 1dash1 (May 20, 2009)

easilyled said:


> From what I recall the PWM frequency of the M30 Triton is exactly the same as that of the Fenix L0D.
> 
> Yet the feedback for the L0D was mainly very positive and I don't recall much mention (if any, at all) about the PWM being seen as a nuisance.


 
The L0D is primarily used for short bursts, for close-in tasks, and with vision that has not has not yet been acclimated to the night.

If people used their L0D's to take long hikes in the woods, they would notice the same PWM issues as the M30.

_BTW, by my eye, the PWM frequency of the two flashlights are the same, as you mentioned. _

_How can I tell? By holding one light high and the other light low and gazing at each light's reflection in the living room window, when I rapidly pan my vision (NOT move the flashlights) from one corner of my eye to the other, I can see the same number of images along the beam track._

_When compared with my ED-P72, the ED-P72 has somewhere between three and four times as many images - so it's PWM frequency is that much faster. For my M2XC4, I can distinguish no separate images at all._


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## Climb14er (May 20, 2009)

1dash1 said:


> If people used their L0D's to take long hikes in the woods, they would notice the same PWM issues as the M30.



Forgive me, I'm not a geek, not a flashlight expert... just someone who uses flashlights for reasons such as hiking, climbing, self defense and rescue... that's all. But I have been on this forum for some years with very low post count and I do like this forum and comments a lot.

For the record, I've climbed all of Colorado's 14,000 ft peaks , many... many times and numerous 13,000, 12,000, 11,000 ft ones and many via technical routes and many rock routes in Yosemite and elsewhere... hence, I've hiked my share of miles...

I don't notice the flicker issue inside the house or outside and honestly, I cannot understand for the life of me, this whole discussion and ramblings on about an issue that I see does not exist (for me) or affect the actual real-life performance of the M30.

Now others might have a defective light, or they themselves are either sensitive to the flicker or to light itself... and if so, I digress.

For many who have bashed this fantastic light, I hope it's for more reasons than this PWM or whatever you call it.

My .02


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## ergotelis (May 20, 2009)

PWM is not a problem for everyone. But as much as you use it you might find it to be annoying.
For me sometimes it is a bit tiring, don't know why. 
But as someone mentioned earlier, if i want lower output, as a flashaholic, i would use another light! :T:


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## wapkil (May 20, 2009)

Climb14er said:


> I don't notice the flicker issue inside the house or outside and honestly, I cannot understand for the life of me, this whole discussion and ramblings on about an issue that I see does not exist (for me) or affect the actual real-life performance of the M30.
> 
> Now others might have a defective light, or they themselves are either sensitive to the flicker or to light itself... and if so, I digress.
> 
> ...


I don't think anyone is bashing the M30. Thanks to this type of discussion anyone who saw the reviews mentioning "disappointing, visible PWM" and, on the other hand, many users completely satisfied with their M30s knows that individual sensitivity plays an important role here. Knowing how one reacts to the PWM he or she can use this information to decide whether to buy this light.

It's a similar situation with the efficiency. One can compare the efficiency in different modes between the M30 and other MC-E lights and, depending on the needs, draw completely different conclusions. For some people only the efficiency on Hi would be important. Some will notice that the efficiency on Med is lower than offered by competition. Another person will realize that with the low weight offered by the M30 two additional batteries can be taken, together still weighting less than a competing flashlight. And for others the flashlight weight may be not important at all. The PWM, efficiency or weight are not good or bad. They are just important information that I believe is worth discussing.

And regarding being sensitive to light - I see quite well in low light situations but at the expense of being easily blinded. So you may be onto something :nana:


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## 1dash1 (May 20, 2009)

Climb14er said:


> For the record, I've climbed all of Colorado's 14,000 ft peaks , many... many times and numerous 13,000, 12,000, 11,000 ft ones and many via technical routes and many rock routes in Yosemite and elsewhere... hence, I've hiked my share of miles...
> 
> I don't notice the flicker issue inside the house or outside and honestly, I cannot understand for the life of me, this whole discussion and ramblings on about an issue that I see does not exist (for me) or affect the actual real-life performance of the M30.


 
Climb14er:

I can't imagine you ran an L0D continuously for your mountainclimbing and hikes. What flashlight did you use on the trails at night and for what duration?

_I've been EDC-ing my L0D for about six months. I've found that the PWM is hardly ever noticeable when used in short burst of 1-2 minutes, which is probably 99% of my usage. I don't think I've ever run the L0D continuously for more than 5 minutes at a time._

_The situation is different with the M30. I've already run it continuously several times for more than an hour. On city streets, with high ambient lighting conditions, I took no notice whatsoever of the PWM. _

_Walking through the golf course on a moonless night, low ambient lighting conditions, the M30's PWM was noticeable very quickly (say less than ten minutes) and became bothersome after an hour. At 1 hour and ten minutes into the walk, I had to turn the flashlight off because I found it so unnerving. _

_If I didn't have a backup with me and was forced to rely solely on the M30, I don't know what would have happened. I don't know if the queasiness/disorientation/funny feeling would have stayed the same or whether it would have gotten worse. All I can say is that it was unpleasant after one hour and each additional minute felt progressively worse until I finally turned the flashlight off._

_I've never been bothered by PWM before. I don't find strobes to be disorienting. I think I'm pretty normal .. but, then again, who doesn't? :shrug:_

_So, does it affect the real-life performance of the flashlight? _
_In my case, sometimes. __YMMV._


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## Climb14er (May 20, 2009)

1dash1 said:


> Climb14er:
> 
> I can't imagine you ran an L0D continuously for your mountainclimbing and hikes. What flashlight did you use on the trails at night and for what duration?



I use a Princeton Tec EOS, original and now the newer version with added throw/lumens on the very early morning/late at night approaches and climbs. In that I use three Duracell AAA Alkalines and carry three AAA's as spares. In the winter, I use Energizer Lithiums.

The other LED lights I use are around the house and carry one as a spare for special situations. A surefire G2 Nitrolon is ALWAYS in my 4Runner V8 with two spare sets of Battery Station CR123's.

Since early last year, when I had an armed robbery in my house, walked into it in the late morning, in a 'safe' neighborhood, and the following week, installed a $2K security system, I make it my business to have by my bedside the M30 (with 18650's with nearby spares) and a Fenix TK11 R2, along with my Sig P220 .45ACP and one spare mag. In the kitchen is a Surefire Lumamax L4 and downstairs on my desk is an Eagle Tac T10C2 (with spare CR123's) and a Sig P226 9mm.

On occasion when alone in the backcountry, I carry a Glock 19 with one spare mag and the Surefire G2 with two sets of CR123's.

I've found the M30 to be incredibly bright with a large amount of spill with can clear the hallway to my bedrooms and can illuminate the entire living and dining rooms. Outside, the M30 lights up the entire front and back yards with both throw and spill.

That's the extent to all of my lights and I've learned all about them and the batteries, charger (Pila IBC) and multimeter (Fluke 177) here on this forum.

Like I posted, I've learned through this forum and as you can see, six years plus with less than forty posts. I've listened and learned a lot more than I wrote.

In summary, the M30 is an outstanding light!

Again, just my .02

Peace.


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## 1dash1 (May 20, 2009)

Climb14er:

For your application, around the home, I'm with you. The PWM is a non-issue (except for those who are hypersensitive).


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## Edog006 (May 20, 2009)

1dash1 said:


> Pre-sale, I didn't like the idea of a crenelated tailcap. After receiving the light, I changed my opinion. It tailstands, it's easy to operate, it's not too "pointy", it prevents accidental actuation of the light. :thumbsup:
> 
> Two things that I, personally, would like to see changed in the tailswitch design:
> 
> ...


 

I am in almost complete agreement with the above, however I would like to keep the sharp edges personally or at least have optional tail caps for those of us who like the sharp edges and others who do not.

Secondly when the M30 is placed tailcap down and 'off' the rubber from the switch is almost exactly equal to the metal edges, thus you get the M30 to stand but not as securely as if a millimeter was added to the metal or taken from the rubber cap. Very minor issue however. 

Additionally, a lockout feature would be fantastic, great idea 1dash1, and I second a slight variation of the side switch too. While it has solid UI with bare hands, if you're wearing gloves a larger diameter and a more raised switch for qucik access would be nice. 

Otherwise I love it, I carry it during the day sometimes just because I like it so much, but at night it is certainly useful!

Also aside note, does anybody have a good suggestion for silicon lube or what a good weatherproof sealent would be to add around the O rings?


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## dagored (May 21, 2009)

Climb14er

This might interest you. 

http://www.first-light-usa.com/tomahawkgp.php
_
Hotlink removed
_
I carry it with a S&W Compact 40.


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## zioparr (May 21, 2009)

Ryanrpm said:


> For dedicated thrower:
> 
> TK40 - no.
> 
> ...



Thanks Ryanrpm for your enlightenment ^.^


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## Edog006 (May 21, 2009)

Nice light option Dagored... note to self avoid Climb14er in the evenings = 

"by my bedside the M30 (with 18650's with nearby spares) and a Fenix TK11 R2, along with my Sig P220 .45ACP and one spare mag."

Thats if I got past your 2G alarm system, unlikey. I like your style Climb14er

Any suggestions for weatherproof O ring lube anyone?


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## dagored (May 21, 2009)

Edog006 said:


> Nice light option Dagored... note to self avoid Climb14er in the evenings =
> 
> "by my bedside the M30 (with 18650's with nearby spares) and a Fenix TK11 R2, along with my Sig P220 .45ACP and one spare mag."
> 
> ...



Good for you. How did you get a hand gun in the PR of Maryland? I was told it takes an act of God.


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## tab665 (May 24, 2009)

does anyone know if olight will make a battery magazine for the 4 x cr123 configuration? i was thinking about running it that way but cant stand the rattling.


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## MattK (May 24, 2009)

Then stop shaking it. 

Seriously though, as I ansered in the MP it's not currently in the works. I am wodnering however if it's possible to use 2 of the M20 battery magazines if you cut the tab off of the bottom one. I'll see if I can give that a shot next week.


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## CUL8R (May 24, 2009)

I haven't noticed any battery rattle using the 4x cr123a config. I loaded 3 batteries in the included tube, put it into the light, then put the last battery in behind it. So far, no rattle. I shook the light pretty hard in every orientaion and no sound or movement in the tube.


Jim


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## FlashlightsNgear.com (May 24, 2009)

MattK said:


> Then stop shaking it.
> 
> Seriously though, as I ansered in the MP it's not currently in the works. I am wodnering however if it's possible to use 2 of the M20 battery magazines if you cut the tab off of the bottom one. I'll see if I can give that a shot next week.


 The positive button on the battery still wont make contact with the negative of the first magazine without sanding the cap on the second magazine and or negative end of the first magazine. I tryed this using Sanyo 1300mah primaries only.


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## Edog006 (May 24, 2009)

dagored said:


> Good for you. How did you get a hand gun in the PR of Maryland? I was told it takes an act of God.


 

Actually not that difficult, just buying machine guns is not as easy...

Sorry to keep asking this question but any really good weatherproofing lube for O rings, Matt do you suggest a good sealent for the M30?


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## MattK (May 25, 2009)

d1live said:


> The positive button on the battery still wont make contact with the negative of the first magazine without sanding the cap on the second magazine and or negative end of the first magazine. I tryed this using Sanyo 1300mah primaries only.



Thanks for trying!


Edog006: We use Nyogel 760G in the office when we service a light. I know lots of folks here like silicon plumbers grease for it's price and availability.


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## dagored (May 25, 2009)

AutoZone has a silicon grease in two different size tubes. The small one is less than $3. Its called Dielectric Grease.


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## CUL8R (May 25, 2009)

I'm very pleased with this light. I don't have any problems with the power management and the brightness settings seem perfect for me. We spent the last four days up at our camp in the mountains near Westcliffe CO. We are very isolated there (no people, houses, lights nearby) and have no electricity. It was rainy/cloudy most of the time, so there was no moonlight or starlight at night - it was VERY dark out. So the M30 got a real workout each night when taking our Saints, Newfie and Mastiff out and making certain there were no deer or other wildlife nearby that the dogs would be interested in. The only shortcomings are not the fault of the light. We were in light clouds one night at ground level (not fog), which you can expect with rain at 9500 feet elevation. The effect of the light on high was like driving with your high beams on in the fog. Stepping down in power was necessary and worked perfectly. The only other negative was briefly mentioned by an earlier poster, The light works so well on high that when you turn it off, you have no night vision for a short period. I imagine this wouldn't be a problem in a city with residual light all around. But in a very dark envionment with little residual light, it is very noticable. 

Great light (my second Olight from Matt), and I liked it so much I bought one for my son's bithday, and just ordered another for my daughter's HS graduation ( she actually picked her gift, and also liked this light so much she asked for one)!!!

Jim


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## zioparr (May 26, 2009)

My Olight m30 is a bit of disappointment since the inner barrel came with scratch on it, if it one or two mark is OK but it was 3 - 4 row of mark (around 15 to 20 dot mark) and make the inner barrel surface not smooth any more. the extension barrel when I screw it together did not align perfectly (you may not see it from the outside but if you peek inside the barrel you will see the tread of the main barrel).

It did not came with spare O'ring nor spare tail cap that glow in the dark.
no lanyard to.

the box that came with it is very nice indeed but I prefer a plain board box since you will not carry your m30 in the box, in exchange with spare O'ring, glow tail cap, lanyard and a solid light holder like m20 does.

is there any other person have the same problem with me?
thanks.


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## MattK (May 26, 2009)

Uh sorry about the scratches inside the barrel - are they affecting the lights function?

No GITD tailcap is included as they tailcap switch is not a user serviceable item. The lack of spare O-rings is being addressed and they'll start to be included soon I am sure.

A holster is being developed as an accessory and we expect it to be released in ~30 days.


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## DM51 (May 26, 2009)

zioparr, you posted the same thing in this other thread. Please note that it is contrary to Rule 9 to post the same thing twice in this way - it is called cross-posting. 

I've deleted the post in the other thread.


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## zioparr (May 27, 2009)

sorry DM51 please do so.

MattK:
I am not so sure if the scratch affecting the lights function but it scratch my battery magazine when I insert it.
and one more thing that I realize why the main tube and extension tube is not in align, the tread of the main tube is not evenly. in other word, let say the position on the 12 o'clock is 1 mm thick but on the 6 o'clock position is 1.5mm thick.

This time Olight really blow the product, the m30 that I got is VERY disappointed not like my m20 warrior.


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## MattK (May 27, 2009)

I would suggest contacting your dealer regarding these 'issues.'


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## Edog006 (May 27, 2009)

Matt and Dagored thank you for the advice, I have several lights in need of some quality weatherproofing and bare threads. 

I just purchased some 18500s they are great for keeping the M30 in the smaller configuration and seemingly runtime and regulation is pretty good according to Selfbuilts calculations...


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