# Nitecore TM06 (4xXM-L2 U2, 4x18650) review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO and more!



## selfbuilt (Jan 30, 2015)

The TM06 is a latest member of the ‘Tiny Monster’ series from Nitecore. It is a high-output 4xXM-L2 light (up from the 3xXM-L2 TM11/TM15), with a new physical tailcap clicky on/off switch. Smaller than the previous TM-series lights, the "soda can" sized TM06 still runs on 4x18650 (although 8xCR123A/RCR is no longer supported). 

Let's see how it compares to the earlier TM-series lights, other recent models in this class. 

*Manufacturer/Dealer Reported Specifications:* 
(note: as always, these are simply what the dealer/manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results).


LED: Four CREE XM-L2 U2 LEDs
Output/Runtime: Turbo 3800 lumens / 45min – Hi 1500 lumens / 3h 15min – Mid 480 lumens / 9h – Lo 160 lumens / 25h – Lower 3 lumens / 433h
Strobe, SOS and Location Beacon modes
Beam intensity: 28,000cd
Beam Distance: 334m
Features advanced temperature regulation (ATR) technology
Tactical forward switch on the tail cap
Innovative two stage side switch accesses different modes and functions (patented)
Integrated power indicator on side switch indicates remaining battery power (patented)
Power indicator displays battery voltage accurate to 0.1V
Direct access to ultra-low or turbo output
Toughened ultra-clear mineral glass with anti-reflective coating
Integrated “Precision Digital Optics Technology” provides extreme reflector performance
Stainless steel bezel ring protects core components from damage
Constructed from aerospace grade aluminum alloy
HAIII military grade hard-anodized
Waterproof in accordance with IPX-8 (submersible to 2 meters)
Impact resistant 1.5m
Dimensions: Length: 4.92” (125mm), Head diameter: 1.97” (50 mm), Tube diameter: 1.97” (50mm), Weight: 9.77oz (277 gram) (without battery)
Accessories: Quality holster, lanyard, spare O-ring
MSRP: ~$200




]

Packaging is the standard Nitecore cardboard box with packaging foam. Inside you will find the light, belt holster, extra o-ring, simple wrist lanyard (with threading wire), manual and product warranty insert. 













From left to right: Keeppower Protected 18650 3100mAh; Nitecore TM06, TM11, TM15; Fenix LD60; Thrunite TN36.

All dimensions directly measured, and given with no batteries installed (unless indicated):

*Nitecore TM06*: Weight: 276.4g (464g with 4x18650), Length 123.9mm, Width (bezel): 50.0mm 
*Nitecore TM11*: Weight: 342.6g (531g with 4x18650), Length 135.3mm, Width (bezel): 59.5mm 
*Nitecore TM15:* Weight: 450.6g (639g with 4x18650). Length 158mm, Width (bezel): 59.5mm

*Fenix LD60*: Weight: 334.6g (476g with 3x18650), Length: 154.9mm, Width (bezel): 63.1mm
*Fenix TK75*: Weight: 516.0g (704g with 4x18650), Length: 184mm, Width (bezel): 87.5mm
*Niwalker MM15*: Weight: 333.7g (without handle), 355.9g (with handle), (539g with 4x18650 and handle), Length: 114.6mm, Weight (bezel): 63.7mm
*Niwalker MM18*: Weight: 510.g (without handle), 534.1g (with handle), Lenth: 135.3mm, Width (bezel): 73.9mm
*REV Captor*: Weight: 498.3g (639g with 3x18650), Length: 182mm, Width (bezel): 68.0mm
*Thrunite TN36*: Weight: 390.4g (578g with 4x18650), Length: 125.4mm, Width (bezel): 64.0mm






























The TM06 is definitely the smallest member of the Tiny Monster family to date – a full centime narrower at the head and shorter in length, compared to the original TM11. And they have even managed to fit in an extra XM-L2 emitter and a forward tail clicky switch. :sweat:

As with the TM11/15, anodizing is a flat black, and seems in excellent shape on my sample. There is some knurling on the body, of reasonable aggressiveness (as before). However, because of the more consistently cylindrical body now, I find overall grip is reduced a little. It also rolls more easily now (although the raised electronic switch helps a bit with that).

Body labels are rather extensive as before – in additional to the usual make and model information, you also have the standard 5-point series of warnings about the light.  










The side switch design is similar to the TM15, but used only for mode changing now (i.e., there is a physical clicky switch for on/off here). This side switch is still a two-stage (two-pressure) electronic switch, with a projecting button. The ring around the switch uses a blue LED as before to signal the state of the light (i.e., battery status, voltage, and standby modes). Scroll down for an explanation of the interface. One small point – I find the first stage of the switch on my TM06 sample to be less clearly defined than on my TM15 sample (i.e., I could more easily tell when I had reach the partial activation level on my TM15).

The tail region has changed with the addition of a forward physical clicky switch and raised sides (with cut-outs to allow use of a lanyard). This allows easy access to the button, and the light can still tailstand stably. Feel of the physical switch is a bit stiff, requiring a fair amount of force to click on.

Inside, the battery handle design has changed completely. Previously, the TM-series lights opened at the head, and the 18650 batteries all went in with the same orientation (with a common base plate connecting the four negative terminals). The TM06 now opens at the tail, and features the more common rotating tail contact disc with body locking pins. The 18650 batteries go in alternating orientation, as indicated by the labels and springs.

In keeping with this physical change, the wiring of the TM06 batteries is more complicated now. The TM11/15 used a relatively uncommon 1s4p arrangement (i.e., all four cells in parallel). I presume the new TM06 is using a 4s1p arrangement (i.e., all four batteries in series). However, in testing, I noticed that the standby indicator (under the side switch) could be activated on only two cells (although the voltage readout didn't function properly). See my user interface section for a discussion of how the interface works.

Tail screw threads are anodized on the TN06 – but lock-out is complicated. A quick turn of the tailcap prevents activation through the tail switch, but the standby current (and indicator flash) persists until the tailcap is loosened about half-way. :thinking: Note that there are more screw threads than typical on this light, and it takes about 5 full turns to fully tighten/remove the tailcap. Again, scroll down for a discussion of the interface and standby current. 

Despite the large amount of lube on my sample, I found screw thread action to be a bit rough on my sample.

Note that true flat-top cells with not work in the light, as the positive contact points in the head and tail are not raised. Cells with a wider positive button should work, as long as it protrudes beyond the wrapper.

Despite the addition of the extra emitter, the TM06 has a smaller head now. It still comes with a stainless steel bezel ring, slightly scalloped. Something else that is different – note the original pics I took when I received the light.










I was originally puzzled as to why the lens looked so opaque. Upon closer inspection, I realized there was an adhesive plastic film covering the lens, presumably to protect it during assembly/transport. Here's what things look like once you peel it off:














That's better.  Of course, you could always leave it on if you wanted to slightly diffuse the beam (although it doesn't make much of a difference in practice).

As you can see, the four XM-L2 emitters are at the base of a very shallow textured reflector, with overlapping wells. This should produce a massive flood light. Scroll down for beamshot comparisons to other recent high-output lights. 

*User Interface*

The TM06 use a revised version of the TM-series interface, thanks to the addition of the physical clicky switch. 

Turn the light on/off by the physical clicky switch in the tail. Click (press-release) for locked-on, or press and hold for momentary.

Changing modes is done by two-stage electronic switch. Note that switch feel is a little softer on my TM06 than my TM15 (i.e., the first stage is not as clearly defined).

Full click the side switch (press all the way and release) to advance modes, in the following repeating sequence: Lower > Lo > Med > Hi > Turbo. Partial click the side switch (i.e., press just to the first stage and release) to cycle through modes in the reverse sequence. The light has mode memory, and returns to the last level used when pressing off/on at the tailcap clicky.

There are a number of shortcuts. To jump to Turbo when on, press and hold the side switch at the first stage for >1 secs. To jump to Turbo when turning on the light, fully press the side switch when activating at the tailcap clicky. To jump to Lower when turning on the light, partially press the side switch when activating at the tailcap clicky.

To access the "special modes", fully press and hold the side switch from on for >1 sec. This will activate strobe mode. Simply press and hold again to advance to SOS. Press and hold again to advance to Location Beacon. Press the side switch again to exit special modes.

_Indicator light_

The TM06 will read-out the voltage of the cells as you first tighten the tailcap, by a series of blue flashes around the side switch. After the initial voltage is read-out, the light will then flash here once every four seconds (two seconds on, two seconds off), to let you know you are in standby mode. You can block this indicator flash by simply clicking the side switch when off. Note however that this does NOT block the actual standby current – see comments below and in the Standby section of this review. 

There is no longer an electronic lock-out of the side switch. Instead, Nitecore recommends you loosen the tailcap to lock out the light. Note that a quick twist of the tailcap will lock out the main tail switch (and prevent activation), but the standby drain will persist until the side-switch indicator is locked out. You will need to unscrew the tailcap ~2.5 turns from tight to completely block the side switch standby drain. Note that you have ~5 turns to fully remove the tailcap, but the o-ring is exposed by ~2.5 turns (so waterproofness will likely be reduced when stored fully locked out). See my Standby section below for more info

*Video*: 

For more information on the overall build and user interface, please see my new video overview:



As with all my videos, I recommend you have annotations turned on. I commonly update the commentary with additional information or clarifications before publicly releasing the video.

As an aside, if you want to get an instant notification for every new review that I post here on CPF, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel (the vids go public at the same time). Just mouse over my logo watermark on the top right-hand corner of the video for the subscribe feature to open up. You may need to tap or click, depending on the platform you are using to watch. :wave: 

*PWM/Strobe*

There is no sign of PWM that I can see, at any output level – the TM06 is fully current-controlled. 










Strobe was a very fast tactical strobe, with a variable frequency from ~16-23 Hz (as shown above). As with many strobes in this frequency range, the on-pulse duration is reduced (i.e., not 50:50, like slower strobes). Regardless, rest assured that this is quite disorienting. :green:






A fairly typical SOS mode.






Beacon was a quick full-power flash every 1.55 seconds.

*Standby Drain*

Due to the indicator flash feature (around the electronic switch side switch), the TM06 will always be drawing a small current when batteries are making contact. Note that a quick turn of the tailcap will block light activation (by locking out the tail switch), but this separate side switch standby drain persists unless the tailcap is more fully unscrewed (see comments below and under User Interface section).

There is a complex wiring arrangement of the TM06, so I'm not sure how to accurately measure the standby drain. Using only two 18650 cells, I can measure a persistent standby current of 1.35mA, jumping to 3.75mA during the blue indicator flash. Since the indicator flashes on/off for 2secs at a time, this effectively produces an average current of 2.55mA with two batteries in place. If the drain is comparable with four cells, that would give you ~50 days before 3100mAh cells would be fully drained (~101 days if the extra two cells cuts this rate in half, or doubles the effective capacity). Note that the Nitecore specs say that you should expect 30 days of battery life with the indicator on.

You can turn off the indicator flash by simply clicking the side switch when off. This results in a constant 1.35mA drain. Again, that would yield ~95 days if the extra two cells make no difference, or ~191 days if the extra two cells help. Nitecore specs indicate that you should expect 108 days with the indicator turned off.

I appreciate Nitecore providing official specs for the standby drain. Personally, I consider these drains to be a fairly high for simply allowing for a standby flash to be toggled on/off. :shrug:

At a minimum, you will want to store the light with the tailswitch locked out when not in use (i.e., a quick twist of the tailcap). But I recommend you unscrew the tailcap ~2.5 turns from tight to block the standby drain (i.e., unscrew until the standby indicator flash disappears). Note that you have ~5 turns in total to fully remove the tailcap. Again, simply clicking the side switch to turn off the indicator is not enough – while that will cut the drain to almost half, it will still continue to drain your cells.

*Beamshots:*

And now, what you have all been waiting for.  All lights are on protected 18650 3100mAh batteries. Lights are about ~0.75 meter from a white wall (with the camera ~1.25 meters back from the wall). 





























































It is always hard to compare high output lights (especially "floody" ones) at this ridiculously close distance.  TM06 is an extremely floody light, with a very wide dispersion (i.e., beyond the camera frame above). 

The TM06 definitely introduces some artifacts into the spillbeam – more so than the earlier TM11, for example. That said, I find fewer artifacts in the hotspot of the TM06, so it all really depends at what distance you are using the light.

Since you can't really tell too much from these standardized up-close beamshots, so let's move on to my basement. For your reference, the back of the couch is about 7 feet away (~2.3m) from the opening of the light, and the far wall is about 18 feet away (~5.9m). Below I am showing a couple of exposures, to allow you to better compare hotspot and spill. 











Notice how much the TM06 lights up the foreground ceiling bulkheads? These shots help show just how floody the TM06 is, compared to the more-focused TM15 and Fenix LD60.

Given the middle of winter here, I'm afraid outdoor shots are not feasible.

*Testing Method:* 

All my output numbers are relative for my home-made light box setup, as described on my flashlightreviews.ca website. You can directly compare all my relative output values from different reviews - i.e. an output value of "10" in one graph is the same as "10" in another. All runtimes are done under a cooling fan, except for any extended run Lo/Min modes (i.e. >12 hours) which are done without cooling.

I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values (ROV) to estimated Lumens. See my How to convert Selfbuilt's Lightbox values to Lumens thread for more info. 

*Throw/Output Summary Chart:*

My summary tables are reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. Please see http://www.flashlightreviews.ca/FL1.htm for a discussion, and a description of all the terms used in these tables. Effective July 2012, I have updated all my Peak Intensity/Beam Distance measures with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter (orange highlights).






The TM06 definitely has more raw output "oomph" than the earlier TM-series lights. That said, the relative throw/output ratio is definitely lower now, consistent with a floodier beam profile.

_*Note*: Before discussing relative output levels, I need to clarify my earlier TM15 results. That review was published over 2 years ago, and I have revised my calibration standard for lights too large to fit into my lightbox since then. I am also doing all my testing on 3100mAh cells now (which tend handle higher drain better than the earlier AW 2200mAh). As such, here is revised estimated lumen table for my 2012-edition TM15 re-measured this week (against the original Nitecore specs).






As you can see, there is remarkably good concordance of my current lumen estimation method and the original Nitecore specs for this particular model._

With that clarification out of the way, what happens when I compare the new TM06?






Ok, that is a bit different – I get a lot more variation from the Nitecore specs than typical. :thinking: Something unusual is definitely going on at the Lo level on my TM06, which is barely 4x brighter than my Lower level (and is thus far below spec). 

But there also isn't as much of a difference between the Hi and Turbo modes on my TM06 sample as the specs would suggest. Since our relative perceptions of output are skewed, there will appear to be even less of difference between these modes in practice. As I've discussed here, a cube-root power relationship best fits human visual perception of non-point light sources.

Although these spacings may seem odd at first, they actually work pretty well in practice. The Hi mode is very bright, and I would consider the Turbo mode to be just that – an option for a burst of max output. That said, I realize not everyone is a fan of too many low modes in high-powered lights. 

*Output/Runtime Graphs:*

As always, my standard runtimes are done under a cooling fan. Previously, I used to use AW 2200mAh protected cells in my 18650 testing (for their excellent consistency and ability to fit and work in any light). After considerable testing, I have switched to a few of brands of protected NCR18650A cells (3100mAh capacity). I have found a few brands that show good correlations and internal consistency, and that collectively can fit and work in all of my lights. I have now moved to using 3100mAh cells in all my 18650-class reviews. :wave:











Otherwise, overall performance of the TM06 is very similar to the TM15, in terms of runtime patterns and relative output-runtime efficiency across levels.  I like that there is a gradual drop off in output when the batteries are nearly exhausted, as opposed to abrupt shut-down.

The TM06 still uses a thermal sensor to control step-down from Turbo, but I find it activates more quickly now (i.e., always kicked in by ~4-7 mins in my testing, even under a cooling fan). I expect this has to do with the higher output/heat generated now. Note that you can re-start the Turbo mode fairly quickly after it steps down, but it will step back down again very soon if heat remains elevated.

To compare how quickly step-down occurs, here is a comparison with and without fan cooling






*Potential Issues*:

Due to the shallow reflector design, the TM06 has a wider spillbeam than typical in this class. Coupled with the overlapping reflector wells, there are also more spillbeam artifacts that typical for this class. That said, I found the hotspot to be relatively consistent in intensity. 

True flat-top 18650 batteries will not work in this light.

RCR/CR123A is no longer supported (i.e., unlike the other Tiny Monsters, the TM06 is 18650-only).

Due to the locator feature around the electronic switch in the head, the light has a stand-by current at all times – even when clicked off at the tailcap. While this current is not dissimilar to the earlier Tiny Monsters, it seems relatively high for a simple indicator flash option (i.e., on/off control has moved to the physical tailcap switch). While you can lock out the tailswitch with a simple twist, you need to unscrew the tailcap half-way on my sample to lock-out the side switch and break this standby drain.

The two-stage side switch is similar in design to earlier models, but I found the sensitivity of the first stage harder to reliably access (i.e., there was more tactile feedback on my TM15 switch).

Although earlier Tiny Monster lights were very consistent with Nitecore output specs in my testing, the TM06 is more variable. In particular, the Lo and Turbo modes of my TM06 sample are lower than spec, and the Hi mode is brighter.

*Preliminary Observations*

The TM06 is "tiniest" monster yet from the Nitecore TM-series – and the one with the greatest output and floodiest beam. :wave:

Physically, the TM06 is a complete re-design for the TM series, with a completely different battery arrangement and the inclusion of a physical tailcap clicky switch. The side switch works as before, but the interface has been updated to accommodate the new design. 

Circuit performance is very similar to the earlier models, with comparable output/runtime efficiency overall. The TM06 still seems to use a thermal sensor to control step-down from Turbo, although I found step-down occurs faster now (likely due to the higher output/heat). Note that output levels on my TM06 sample varied somewhat from the Nitecore specs (early TM-series lights were very consistent with their specs, in my testing). :shrug:

The beam pattern is a true flood beam now – even more so than the original TM11. While I note some additional artifacts in the spillbeam (due to the four overlapping wells), there was less regional variation within the combined hotspot of my TM06 sample.

All told, the TM06 is a nice addition to the Tiny Monster line. This model would be most suitable for those looking for the max flood in as small a size as possible. Second to beam pattern preference, I would also encourage readers to consider their preferred interface. While some people love a physical clicky switch (at all costs),  otherwise may not like having to switch hand grips to change modes. As always, it comes down to your preferences and needs. Performance of the TM06 is certainly in keeping with other TM-series lights, and the other good current-controlled members of the 4x18650 class. :wave:

----

TM06 provided by Nitecore for review.


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## kj2 (Jan 30, 2015)

Thanks for the review


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## Ryp (Jan 30, 2015)

Thanks for the review!


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## richbuff (Jan 30, 2015)

Thanks for this review, I have been anxiously anticipating it, and I am glad that you have provided your valuable findings.

I'm gonna get bald patches from scratching my head, if I don't find out soon where the missing 700 turbo lumens went to. :thinking:


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## shrike2222 (Jan 31, 2015)

Great review as you always done!


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## ven (Jan 31, 2015)

Awesome review as always selfbuilt,thank you


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## selfbuilt (Jan 31, 2015)

Glad you are all enjoying the review.



richbuff said:


> I'm gonna get bald patches from scratching my head, if I don't find out soon where the missing 700 turbo lumens went to. :thinking:


As always, I don't insist on the _absolute_ value of my estimated lumen scale. But it is a good way to compare _relative_ outputs across lights in my collection.


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## blah9 (Jan 31, 2015)

Great review! My Vinh-modded version has fast become my current favorite light. Thanks for the information about the standby current! I will lock mine out more when not in use from now on.


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## NoNotAgain (Jan 31, 2015)

Selfbuilt,

By chance did you test the light after turning off the side switch?

Both of my TM06 lights, one stock and the other Vinh modified will stop blinking the side switch if you hiit the switch once when the light it turned off via the tail switch.


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## selfbuilt (Jan 31, 2015)

NoNotAgain said:


> Selfbuilt,
> 
> By chance did you test the light after turning off the side switch?
> 
> Both of my TM06 lights, one stock and the other Vinh modified will stop blinking the side switch if you hiit the switch once when the light it turned off via the tail switch.


Yes, I tested with and without the indicator on. The numbers are in the review for standby currents.


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## NoNotAgain (Jan 31, 2015)

selfbuilt said:


> Yes, I tested with and without the indicator on. The numbers are in the review for standby currents.



Thank you.


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## UnderPar (Jan 31, 2015)

Thanks for the great review again SB! :twothumbs


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## RCTPAVUK (Feb 1, 2015)

Great review, Thanks.
I got my TM06 a few months ago, and am not very impressed.
My light discharges batteries differently, 2 can be 3.8v and 2 others 3.94v.
More, when i switch from high to turbo, I cannot see that huge jump in light. It feels like just 10% increase, not more.
Could someone explain me why this is happening?
Thank you.


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## selfbuilt (Feb 1, 2015)

RCTPAVUK said:


> My light discharges batteries differently, 2 can be 3.8v and 2 others 3.94v.


The circuit is unusual with this light in how treats cells in pairs, but I didn't notice any differential discharge on my cells. Of course, I typically run them down completely during runtime testing - and they all came out at the same voltage in those tests.



> More, when i switch from high to turbo, I cannot see that huge jump in light. It feels like just 10% increase, not more.Could someone explain me why this is happening?


That is consistent with my testing. The Turbo mode is only ~60-65% brighter than the Hi mode on my sample. Since we do not perceive light linearly (but rather a cube root power relationship), that would translate into an apparent ~15-20% increase in perceived brightness.


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## Jayvivet (Feb 1, 2015)

Hi Selfbuilt

I am relatively new to the flashlight forums and have a basic understanding of Flashlights, Batterys etc.

I have just purchased a TM06 and I would like to ask a question though regarding the below paragraph from your excellent review.

"At a minimum, you will want to store the light with the tailswitch locked out when not in use (i.e., a quick twist of the tailcap). But I recommend you unscrew the tailcap ~2.5 turns from tight to block the standby drain (i.e., unscrew until the standby indicator flash disappears). Note that you have ~5 turns in total to fully remove the tailcap. Again, simply clicking the side switch to turn off the indicator is not enough – while that will cut the drain to almost half, it will still continue to drain your cells"

I understand that I need to lock out the light to stop the battery drain, but if I am happy to leave the batteries drain at what I feel is an acceptable level due to my daily usage of the flashlight, is there any other issues with doing so?


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## selfbuilt (Feb 1, 2015)

Jayvivet said:


> I understand that I need to lock out the light to stop the battery drain, but if I am happy to leave the batteries drain at what I feel is an acceptable level due to my daily usage of the flashlight, is there any other issues with doing so?


That's perfectly fine, go right ahead. My point was that a quick twist will prevent accidental activation (which is what many would want). But since it doesn't block the standby drain, users just need to be aware of it. If using daily, this level of standby drain may very well be acceptable to you.


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## Gorilasenlaniebla (Feb 5, 2015)

Thank you for your work. Great review.


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## StewL (Mar 1, 2015)

RCTPAVUK said:


> Great review, Thanks.
> I got my TM06 a few months ago, and am not very impressed.
> My light discharges batteries differently, 2 can be 3.8v and 2 others 3.94v.
> More, when i switch from high to turbo, I cannot see that huge jump in light. It feels like just 10% increase, not more.
> ...



I received my TM06 in December and have since noticed that two of the cells discharge to different voltages than the other two. The last time I removed them to charge them there was a difference of about 0.2 volts. This time; however, two of them were 4.04 volts and the other two were 3.58 volts, a difference of 0.46 volts. I examined the internals of the flashlight without the cells inserted, used an ohm meter, and determined that the four cells are in series with a center tap between the four. If two of the cells are inserted on one side of the center tap and the flashlight is assembled, nothing happens when the tail cap switch or side switch are activated. If the cells are then moved to the other side of the center tap, the side switch blue LED displays the voltage of one of cells by blinking, and then it flashes as a beacon as it normally does. If the tail cap switch is then turned on, the blue light blinks rapidly and the flashlight does not light. The blue LED reverts to its previous condition when the tail cap switch is turned back off. The blinking switch LED can be turned on and off as normally by depressing the side switch.

This leads me to the conclusion that the blue flashing LED and the electronics/standby circuits are driven off of only two of the cells, and the front LEDs are driven off all four of the cells. In my opinion, this is poor circuit design because leaving the blue LED flashing will drain two of the cells while the other two remain almost fully charged. This is not good, as the four cells will be discharged unevenly *by design*.

So, now I will not be using the standby blue flashing LED at all to help prevent the uneven discharging of the cells. It is too much trouble to lock out all functions by unscrewing the tail cap three complete turns.


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## blah9 (Mar 1, 2015)

StewL said:


> I received my TM06 in December and have since noticed that two of the cells discharge to different voltages than the other two. The last time I removed them to charge them there was a difference of about 0.2 volts. This time; however, two of them were 4.04 volts and the other two were 3.58 volts, a difference of 0.46 volts. I examined the internals of the flashlight without the cells inserted, used an ohm meter, and determined that the four cells are in series with a center tap between the four. If two of the cells are inserted on one side of the center tap and the flashlight is assembled, nothing happens when the tail cap switch or side switch are activated. If the cells are then moved to the other side of the center tap, the side switch blue LED displays the voltage of one of cells by blinking, and then it flashes as a beacon as it normally does. If the tail cap switch is then turned on, the blue light blinks rapidly and the flashlight does not light. The blue LED reverts to its previous condition when the tail cap switch is turned back off. The blinking switch LED can be turned on and off as normally by depressing the side switch.
> 
> This leads me to the conclusion that the blue flashing LED and the electronics/standby circuits are driven off of only two of the cells, and the front LEDs are driven off all four of the cells. In my opinion, this is poor circuit design because leaving the blue LED flashing will drain two of the cells while the other two remain almost fully charged. This is not good, as the four cells will be discharged unevenly *by design*.
> 
> So, now I will not be using the standby blue flashing LED at all to help prevent the uneven discharging of the cells. It is too much trouble to lock out all functions by unscrewing the tail cap three complete turns.



Very interesting; thank you for sharing your insights! I have always kept the blue flashing light off on mine, but the cells are still uneven sometimes. It does seem that they are more uneven the longer I go in between charges though. For example, if I use the light one night and then recharge the batteries then they are pretty even, whereas if I use it gradually for a month then they are very uneven. So that also supports your observations about the standby current draining a couple of the batteries. Great work!


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## Danielsan (Mar 5, 2015)

So if you use the light normally and always remove the batteries after usage it should be no problem right? Or better said the batteries will drained down normal and even when the light is powered on?


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## selfbuilt (Mar 5, 2015)

Danielsan said:


> So if you use the light normally and always remove the batteries after usage it should be no problem right?


Certainly removing the cells will stop any drain. Li-ions hold their charge extremely well, so self-discharge outside the light is not a concern.


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## Danielsan (Mar 6, 2015)

selfbuilt said:


> Certainly removing the cells will stop any drain. Li-ions hold their charge extremely well, so self-discharge outside the light is not a concern.



No you got me wrong, i mean will the light drain the 4 batteries evenly? We know already that the light will drain two batteries harder than the rest in standby.


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## selfbuilt (Mar 6, 2015)

Danielsan said:


> No you got me wrong, i mean will the light drain the 4 batteries evenly? We know already that the light will drain two batteries harder than the rest in standby.



Ah, I see. I have not tested to see if there is a differential drain in standby, so I cannot confirm those reports. As for operation, I didn't notice anything unusual in the resting voltages of my cells after the runtimes here, but I wasn't specifically looking for it. Since drain in operation is typically much higher, it is possible that you may not see a difference in the batteries (even if there were a differential drain on the lower standby mode). But I have not tested one way or the other to see.


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## ven (Mar 6, 2015)

Danielsan said:


> So if you use the light normally and always remove the batteries after usage it should be no problem right? Or better said the batteries will drained down normal and even when the light is powered on?



I use my tm06vn,after use i lock out by a few turns of tail cap(has extra solder in cap for flat tops). I make sure there is no indicator flashing,also the light will not switch on(soon learn how many turns or part turn required). This practice i have found the cells drain quite evenly. As mentioned above in post #18 by stew,i 100% agree with his findings. If left on standby then 2 cells will be used for this purpose,leaving the other 2 separate. Of course once operated then all 4 cells are used.....

Poor design,but not an end of world issue for me,as i always lock my lights out where possible. If its a light to be left on standby regularly,then care needs to be taken regarding the 2 cells drain...........not a great light for this type of use imho unless you can be fastidious with your cell checking and charging. This no doubt would become tiring ...........and also take the edge off the enjoyment of a great light other wise.

So if used,then locked out,used,locked out etc etc, i have found fine,highly recommend you try this practice Danielsan for your piece of mind and then enjoy your light:thumbsup: I have not found any need to remove cells as locking out fully is the same imo.............just more convenient come time of use


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## Jayvivet (Mar 6, 2015)

Is it dangerous though? .....


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## ven (Mar 6, 2015)

Jayvivet said:


> Is it dangerous though? .....




Hi there,dangerous i presume in leaving on standby,no different than any light left on standby for a long time. Admittedly other lights may not cause a big difference in cell voltage. The light will tell you straight away via blue flashing read out,or will not turn on. To get around not locking out,and really use as you should be able to,then you would need to keep an eye on the cells. This may mean you need to check periodically,be it every 3 days,a week,2 weeks etc depending on use. Personally i would lock out if not being used for several hours or longer,this way any risk of the cells draining lower would be reduced/stopped.

That is my opinion,so by no means am i right,just what i would advise to do and actually do myself with issue free results.

What cells do you use,are they protected ? come worse case scenario........... 

I use pany BDs no PCB,just lock out in between uses. After i have used it,providing of course its longer than 10 mins :laughing: i pop the cells on charge noting the V . So far i have not found anything worrying due to the procedure i follow. Being honest,for all i know any of my other lights may drain cells quick ,but never have due to me locking out. 

Any cell that V is reduced significantly can shorten the life,potentially dangerous although i am sure the light would not turn on if 2 cells were (example) drained to 2.5v. It would certainly be worth checking if the light had been left in standby for a period before charging to be safe.


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## Danielsan (Mar 7, 2015)

ven said:


> I use my tm06vn,after use i lock out by a few turns of tail cap(has extra solder in cap for flat tops). I make sure there is no indicator flashing,also the light will not switch on(soon learn how many turns or part turn required). This practice i have found the cells drain quite evenly. As mentioned above in post #18 by stew,i 100% agree with his findings. If left on standby then 2 cells will be used for this purpose,leaving the other 2 separate. Of course once operated then all 4 cells are used.....
> 
> Poor design,but not an end of world issue for me,as i always lock my lights out where possible. If its a light to be left on standby regularly,then care needs to be taken regarding the 2 cells drain...........not a great light for this type of use imho unless you can be fastidious with your cell checking and charging. This no doubt would become tiring ...........and also take the edge off the enjoyment of a great light other wise.
> 
> So if used,then locked out,used,locked out etc etc, i have found fine,highly recommend you try this practice Danielsan for your piece of mind and then enjoy your light:thumbsup: I have not found any need to remove cells as locking out fully is the same imo.............just more convenient come time of use



The bad thing about this light is not only this but also the fact that the hi and turbo mode is nearly identical. I wrote in a forum that a guy send his tm06 back because of that and the replacement unit was better. That could mean a hardware bug or bad quality control. I think the price is maybe a bit high because of those flaws. The light just dont offer 3800 lumens


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## ven (Mar 7, 2015)

Danielsan said:


> The bad thing about this light is not only this but also the fact that the hi and turbo mode is nearly identical. I wrote in a forum that a guy send his tm06 back because of that and the replacement unit was better. That could mean a hardware bug or bad quality control. I think the price is maybe a bit high because of those flaws. The light just dont offer 3800 lumens



I cant comment on the standard,in honesty i rarely buy standard unless beaters(work type lights).Vinhs has 2 options,a neutral or u3 led swap. The latter i have and Justin measured at 4700 OTF where as the standard iirc is 3100 actual led lm(not OTF) and we know how much can be lost. Either way vinhs must be well over 5000 led lumen. Extra heat sinking etc to compensate. As mentioned by NoNotAgain and is spot on,go from turbo mode,1/2 press to high,you notice the difference then. 

I can certainly recommend vinhs version

From vinh
XML2 PDTn version HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Ultra wide spill width will amaze you but the ridiculous throw will shock you!
The output and throw outclass everything remotely close in this size 
Estimate Factory 3200 LED Lumen at 2.2A per LED
TM06vn with XML2 U3 Dome on ~ 4850 LED Lumen at 2.8A per LED 
TM06vn with XML2 U2 PDTn ~ 3950 LED lumen 
XML2 PDTn tint is just gorgeous! My favorite for sure but U3 dome on might be a good choice for you as max lumen is important.
Very smart UI! Read factory specs for details!
All TM06vn are modded to take Flat tops OK
Tested cell: 18650BE/BD 3200mAh 

Justins measurments

*Nitecore TM06vn XML2 U3 Domes on
Samsung 20r
[email protected] turn on
[email protected] 30 sec
2766 high
710 mid
150 low
4 firefly
Throw - 45,000 Lux

Nitecore TM06vn XML2 PDTn
Samsung 20r
[email protected] turn on
[email protected] 30 sec
2482 high
651 mid
140 low
4 firefly
Throw - 90,000 Lux

If I had to chose I would pick U3 domes on for max lumen and nice flood. I normally hate hate hate cool white but the U3 has quite nice tint for being "cool white" - Its around 6000k and pure white (no blue/purple/green or bad tints)*


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## Danielsan (Mar 8, 2015)

ven said:


> I cant comment on the standard,in honesty i rarely buy standard unless beaters(work type lights).Vinhs has 2 options,a neutral or u3 led swap. The latter i have and Justin measured at 4700 OTF where as the standard iirc is 3100 actual led lm(not OTF) and we know how much can be lost. Either way vinhs must be well over 5000 led lumen. Extra heat sinking etc to compensate. As mentioned by NoNotAgain and is spot on,go from turbo mode,1/2 press to high,you notice the difference then.
> 
> I can certainly recommend vinhs version
> 
> ...


You maybe right but i would not spend so much for a flashlight. The TM06 was just interesting because ist available at bangggood for a cheaper price than the crazy 200 dollar Nitecore wants for the light. I can guess that a vinh version will be even more costly and dont forget import fees and shipping costs. Thats why it is not really interesting for me.


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## rrs (Mar 14, 2015)

Thank you very much for the review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
rrs


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## ven (Mar 14, 2015)

Danielsan said:


> You maybe right but i would not spend so much for a flashlight. The TM06 was just interesting because ist available at bangggood for a cheaper price than the crazy 200 dollar Nitecore wants for the light. I can guess that a vinh version will be even more costly and dont forget import fees and shipping costs. Thats why it is not really interesting for me.



Good point,i dont know how it works in Germany regarding import,UK if over $50 then subject to tax. Only once from a vinh light have i paid tax,but that was an expensive custom and very heavy 2kg+ .

I although so far have had trouble free with nitecore,just have 100% confidence in vinh,he improves on heat sink,wires and leds along with current bumps without pushing boundaries too much. He also has 2nd to none customer service,so with lights other than specific work beaters,i go for vn versions. Least i know there wont be any DOA .

Yes more expense,some cases not much different tbh,in fact i can buy a modded tk75vn and import for the same as a standard version in UK..............and so much better imo.

But admit some deals are hard to pass up from china,just a pita if anything goes wrong.

I really love the creamy white u3 tint,amazing output from the tm06vn...................a real tiny monster .

BLF code gets another 8% off when paying at BG too...........every little helps









mod in tail cap for flat top




regards ven


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## Jayvivet (Mar 24, 2015)

Hi sorry about late reply. I use protected cells. Either eagletac or nitecore. I meant dangerous as in having batteries of different voltages? Can the flashlight reverse charge or can the batteries explode. I tend to use the tm06 everyday and will charge the cells when the blue ring starts flashing. I am not really interested in locking it out or checking the voltage of individual cells but I also don't want to lose a hand or any other body parts for the sake of a badly designed circuit


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## Atakdog (Aug 7, 2015)

I'm looking to get the new TM16 (same 4x18650 4xXM-L2 configuration, claimed 4000lm and 122kcd) but haven't seen any testing on it yet. Based on this one do you think they might have bumped it up to ~3500lm due to the larger head for better heat dissipation? It looks really cool in it's combo of high output and throw, so I hope someone confirms it is worthy of it's claims soon.


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## selfbuilt (Aug 8, 2015)

Testing it now, should have a review done within a couple of weeks.


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## thedoc007 (Aug 8, 2015)

Atakdog said:


> I'm looking to get the new TM16 (same 4x18650 4xXM-L2 configuration, claimed 4000lm and 122kcd) but haven't seen any testing on it yet. Based on this one do you think they might have bumped it up to ~3500lm due to the larger head for better heat dissipation? It looks really cool in it's combo of high output and throw, so I hope someone confirms it is worthy of it's claims soon.



I don't know what you mean by "bumped it up to ~3500 lumens" - it is rated at 4,000 lumens, and that rating seems reasonably accurate based on some comparisons I have done. I don't have an integrating sphere or anything fancy, though, so I can only speak to a ballpark figure.

More reading while you wait for selfbuilt's report: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?402826-*NEW*-Nitecore-TM16


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## Atakdog (Aug 11, 2015)

selfbuilt said:


> Testing it now, should have a review done within a couple of weeks.


Awesome, I geuss I'll just wait for that.


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## gnolivos (Dec 15, 2015)

I am assuming tomorrow you are referring to is the TM06S? I am interested in knowing what the differences are, and in particular what the beam pattern looks like compared to the predecessor.

Or you're still planning on reviewing this light , Selfbuilt?




selfbuilt said:


> Testing it now, should have a review done within a couple of weeks.


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## selfbuilt (Dec 15, 2015)

gnolivos said:


> Or you're still planning on reviewing this light , Selfbuilt?


The light I was responding to was the TM16, which was posted a few months ago: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?407282

I haven't heard about the TM06S, and so don't have any current plans for that one.


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## peterharvey73 (Mar 24, 2016)

Several years ago, I purchased the TM11, a compact Zebralight SC600, and a Zebralight H600 headlight.
Now, after many years, the TM11 is still running superbly.
However, my Zebralight SC600 and H600's rubber push buttons are both playing up; often, neither the SC600 nor the H600 will not switch on - so I'm not interested in an SC600 II or III, or another Zebralight with their rubber push button.
This updated Nitecore TM06s is certainly promising with quad emitters, for more even more flood, and more throw.

I like the original TM06's size, power, and practical floodiness, however initially, I was quite turned off by the TM06's messy dual switch gear.
The TM06 is a typical practical compact floody light, so a handshake grip with the arms below the waistline, hence a side switch is the order of the day.
I actually like the addition of the mechanical tail end switch for a high over the shoulder tactical grip, but didn't like the way the side switch couldn't be used as the main on/off switch.
In the original TM06, the side switch was only used for mode switching.

A *TM06s* *update *seems to have been released in December 2015.
It seems to have more power [now a full 4000 lumens], more throw @ 359 meters, now a full 1 hour run time on maximum output, and more importantly, they've tidied up the switches by just using the side switch only, and redesigning the tail cap, dropping the tail end switch.

Any idea if there are any cons to the TM06s, apart from the new rather bland and cheap tail end triangular stand styling with for a lanyard hole?

http://flashlight.nitecore.com/product/tm06s


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## peterharvey73 (Mar 26, 2016)

Selfbuilt says his TM06 cannot use flat top batteries, but it can use NCR18650A 3100 mAH.

Does anyone know if the TM06 can use Panasonic NCR18650B 3400 mAH batteries?
Because these NCR18650B's appear to be flat top batteries, and seem to lack the protruding nipple?


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## akhyar (Mar 26, 2016)

peterharvey73 said:


> Selfbuilt says his TM06 cannot use flat top batteries, but it can use NCR18650A 3100 mAH.
> 
> Does anyone know if the TM06 can use Panasonic NCR18650B 3400 mAH batteries?
> Because these NCR18650B's appear to be flat top batteries, and seem to lack the protruding nipple?



Most of Nitecore flashlights require button-top batteries due to their anti-reverse polarity design, so if your NCR B batteries are the stock flat-top batteries, you can always add a solder blob or use a button magnets


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## peterharvey73 (Mar 26, 2016)

Furthermore, specs show that the NCR18650A 3100 mAH does seem to be longer at 69 mm?
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/EnerPower+ 18650 3100mAh (Blue) UK.html

While for some strange reason, the NCR18650B 3400 mAH does seem to be shorter at 65 mm, such that it cannot be used in the Nitecore TM06, is that right?
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh (Green) UK.html

I wonder why Panasonic decided to make the NCR18650B 3400 mAH version so short?


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## akhyar (Mar 26, 2016)

peterharvey73 said:


> Furthermore, specs show that the NCR18650A 3100 mAH does seem to be longer at 69 mm?
> http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/EnerPower+ 18650 3100mAh (Blue) UK.html
> 
> While for some strange reason, the NCR18650B 3400 mAH does seem to be shorter at 65 mm, such that it cannot be used in the Nitecore TM06, is that right?
> ...



The 1st link, i.e Enerpower 3100mAh comes with protection circuit, which add a few mm to the length, while the 2nd link is stock unprotected 3400mAh flat-top cell.

You can browse Panasonic/Sanyo data sheet for their specifications
Most stock unprotected flat-top cell is about 65mm +/- 0.5mm in length


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## ven (Mar 26, 2016)

As above, PCB can add 2-3mm+ to the length of the cell(usually seen as a black section on the bottom of these generic green cells).

Also if a button top is added to the flat top, extra length again(all cells start out as flat top, the button tops are added after by manufacturer etc)


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## NoNotAgain (Mar 26, 2016)

peterharvey73 said:


> I wonder why Panasonic decided to make the NCR18650B 3400 mAH version so short?



The industry standard for the 18650 battery is supposed to be 65mm in length. 

With the addition of the button top and a protection circuit, the length has grown. 

You can convert the TM06 light to use flat top batteries by placing a solder blob on the contacts inside the tail cap. The tailcap just uses the circuit board for the positive terminal. With the addition of the solder blob flat top batteries work fine.


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## ven (Mar 26, 2016)

NoNotAgain said:


> The industry standard for the 18650 battery is supposed to be 65mm in length.
> 
> With the addition of the button top and a protection circuit, the length has grown.
> 
> You can convert the TM06 light to use flat top batteries by placing a solder blob on the contacts inside the tail cap. The tailcap just uses the circuit board for the positive terminal. With the addition of the solder blob flat top batteries work fine.



+1

See post #31 for a pic


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## rookieshiner (Apr 13, 2016)

Hello, just got for my "Birthday" a Nitecore TM06S and i love it but wonder what is the difference between the TM06 & the TM06S? Also i wonder why it wont take any RCR123 or CR123 batteries seems it would be more convenient?

Thank You!


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 13, 2016)

The original Nitecore TM06 uses a Cree XM-L2 U2 bin emitter for 3800 Lumens, and has a tail end switch combined with complicated operation of the side button to change modes.
The updated Nitecore TM06s uses the latest Cree XM-L2 U3 bin emitter which is up to 7% more efficient for 4000 Lumens, and the confusing tail end switch has been deleted, for the conventional and much easier to use side switch which controls both on/off and mode changes.

Notice how their tail cap designs are different as a result.

Being able to accept CR123's and RCR123's is certainly very convenient, but it reduces the overall efficiency of the electronics.
Here, the TM06/s have focused on outright power and lumens, rather than the convenience of being multi-battery type powered.


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## SG Hall (Apr 13, 2016)

As for the RCR/CR, the short answer is one won't fit, and two of them will blow it up as you will increase the voltage by doubling up. Can I ask why they are more convenient? The 18650 batteries are very common.


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## SG Hall (Apr 13, 2016)

Oh, and you would need a light meter to spot 200 lumens increase, all other things being equal.


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## KeepingItLight (Apr 13, 2016)

I do not know the specifics of the *Nitecore TM06S*.

In general, however, CR123A batteries are of little use in high-power flashlights. That is because those batteries are typically rated by their manufacturers for a maximum continuous discharge current of 1.5 amps. Many flashlights now pull more than that on their highest modes. 

CR123A batteries were great when SureFire was putting them in low-power incandescent flashlights in the 1990s. Today, however, many modern LED flashlights demand more than CR123A can provide.

CR123A batteries still have an important place in modern flashlights. Their small size, long storage life, and good operating characteristics at extreme temperatures make them an excellent choice for little-used, emergency flashlights, as well as for other uses. 

As is noted above, there is sometimes a sacrifice that a designer must make to achieve compatibility with CR123A. More and more, of late, designers are choosing not to do that. 

The *Nitecore MH20* is an example of a flashlight that can run on either 1x18650 or 2xCR123A. When, however, selfbuilt performed runtime testing of the MH20 with CR123A batteries, the high current draw tripped the PTC protection in his batteries.

Here is what selfbuilt wrote when I asked him about it:



KeepingItLight said:


> Your runtime charts and accompanying explanation suggest that the CR123A batteries have been driven to their limit. Huge drops in output are not caused by intelligent flashlight circuits. Instead the batteries’ PTC has kicked in, forcing reduced current flow. Is this a good flashlight design?





selfbuilt said:


> Yes, I find it a source of concern to see PTC features kick-in on CR123A cells. I have certainly see a lot of this over the years in testing (especially common on 4xCR123A lights). Examining the cells, you can sometimes see *clear evidence of damage* in the wrappers around the PTC. Invariably, the worse-affected cell is the one closest to the head (where most of the heat is concentrated).
> 
> It's fundamentally a problem of how heavily-driven lights are now on max, in general (i.e., not specific to Nitecore - or Olight, or Thunite, etc, etc.). Multi-cell CR123A setups often don't seem suitable for sustained runtimes at max levels - even in lights with thermal regulation (which is designed to protect the circuit, not the battery). But of course, that's based again on made-in-the-USA CR123A calibration levels for PTCs. With made-in-China cells, you would probably almost never see that runtime pattern.
> 
> ...



If you limit output in a 2xCR123A flashlight to somewhere around 650 or 700 lumens, you should be okay. That may mean staying away from the turbo and high modes.


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## rookieshiner (Apr 13, 2016)

Gentlemen i need help! I did have trouble yesterday night getting the light TM06S to come on at 1st, it blinked 4x showing full charge but either the is an issue with light or my Batteries!
I only have 2 nitecore 2300 mah and 2 Panasonic 3500 mah batteries and got them all few months ago and all work perfect in my other 2 lights.

Problem is/was after light finally came on i could only get 3 and not 5 modes, my highest was equal to my 1K lumens at distance but wider coverage at the sides and after 10 min. recharged batt and now nothing but light at switch blinks 4x showing full charge but no light!

I do know it said not to mix brands of batteries, so using 2 2300 mah and 2 3500 mah from different companies could this be the cause of my probs. i have 6 more panasonic 3500 mah on order from Mountain Electronics and all i have are the protected ones!

Thanks for any help, but now am waiting to get the other batteries and hoping the above (different power/batt.brands) is the prob and not the light, but will be a week before i get the other batteries!


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 13, 2016)

Your batteries are the problem!
1) Never mix different makes, models, or capacities; it could result in an explosion.
2) Your TM06s 4000 Lumen flashlight requires a high current, in other words, it requires a battery with a fast discharge rate.
The batteries you presently have and on order are only NCR18650B's with a maximum discharge rate of only 6 Amps, but it should be enough.

Even better, try and get something like this below from eBay etc.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Keeppower-N...539344?hash=item4d37328450:g:HioAAOSw-vlVhOer
The new NCR18650GA's have a maximum discharge rate of 10 Amps.


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## rookieshiner (Apr 13, 2016)

Thank You! This "Shining Sickness" is quite expensive, but fun since between my P-12 and EC-11 and now the TM06S i am doing more then my fair share to light up the night!
But at least i am ready for the "Zombie Apacolypse"!


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## KeepingItLight (Apr 13, 2016)

Mixing batteries with different capacities can be *very dangerous*. When the ones with lower capacity are exhausted, reverse charging may occur in the flashlight.


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## rookieshiner (Apr 13, 2016)

I do have 2 of the new NCR18650GA's and 6 more enroute and these all are listed at discharge rate of 10 AMPS!


Quote!

Sanyo/Panasonic NCR18650GA Protected 3500mAh

This is Sanyo and Panasonic's and newest high discharge capable 18650 cell, rated for up to 10A continuous discharge. It is a good compromise between IMR and regular LiCo cells, offering lower internal resistance and higher discharge rate capabilities and higher capacity than IMR. This is a popular cell for high drain XM-L & XM-L2 lights because it's lower internal resistance allows these high forward voltage LEDs to remain brighter longer. 
The protection circuit features a high-quality Seiko IC (made in Japan) with AO MOSFETs. 
Diameter:18.7mm
Height: 69.0mm
Manufacturer Cell Specifications:


Nominal Capacity: 3500mAh
Charging Voltage: 4.2v
Maximum Charge Current: 1375mA (1000mA recommended)
Recommended Discharge Termination: 2.5v
Maximum Continuous Discharge Current (protection circuit limited): 8A (cell is rated for 10A, but protection circuit may trip at 8A+)
These cells, like all lithium and IMR cells, should not be discharged below 2.5 volts


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## rookieshiner (Apr 13, 2016)

So i guess i will now have about the best batteries avail. or at least the best i can afford! these were $9.95 which is a 1/3 cheaper than the 1's in link to E-bay!

Again, i really appreciate all the help! 

1 more question on a review somebody said the the old TM06 had an issue with pulling 2 of the 4 batteries down so low it would quickly destroy them and he hoped the new TM06S model doesnt have this issue???????????????


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## rookieshiner (Apr 18, 2016)

Well, i got all my batt in today and now have 8 3500mah and all i can say "Powerful" is an understatement!


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 18, 2016)

I was almost about to order a 4,000 lumen Nitecore TM06s [to replace my 2,000 lumen TM11], when I came across this photo of a 7,300 lumen Thrunite TN36-UT which I later purchased.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...650)-review-RUNTIMES-BEAMSHOTS-VIDEO-and-more!


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## rookieshiner (Apr 18, 2016)

WoW, that is nice but a little (lot) to much $ for me!


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 18, 2016)

Yes, your TM06s has great balance.
My TN36-UT is not only expensive, it is bland looking, so big, heavy and tiring to hold, and the double press turbo isn't as nice as the TM06's full press for turbo.
Horses for courses really.


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## rookieshiner (Apr 19, 2016)

Wondering about leaving fully charged rechargeable batteries in my lights (18650's 3500mah) surely it wont hurt either? But is there a rough estimate of how much power % these batteries loose on a monthly basis?

Thank's


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## ven (Apr 19, 2016)

rookieshiner said:


> Wondering about leaving fully charged rechargeable batteries in my lights (18650's 3500mah) surely it wont hurt either? But is there a rough estimate of how much power % these batteries loose on a monthly basis?
> 
> Thank's




If you leave them in, undo the tail cap till it will not function(no blinking, no turning on) which is around 3 or so full turns. Or depending on cells, just undo till you see the O ring. It will drain the cells , the 2 for standby.........So it wont be ideal to use anyway, even in a month or so. 

I used to just lock it out between uses..........easy and safe, you know the cells are even V when you fire it up.


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## rookieshiner (Apr 19, 2016)

Dont think that is needed,unless in stand by mode, i do believe the batteries will loose 15% charge after 1 yr. in light or roughly 1.2 % per month!


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## ven (Apr 19, 2016)

I kind of got into the habit of locking any multi cell light out, not just to help prevent any possible parasitic drain, but to prevent any accidental activation.

If i am not using a light, even for a few days its locked out, if a month always locked out...........that is me though

Maybe test it and check V after a month, take from there


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## NoNotAgain (Apr 19, 2016)

ven said:


> I kind of got into the habit of locking any multi cell light out, not just to help prevent any possible parasitic drain, but to prevent any accidental activation.
> 
> If i am not using a light, even for a few days its locked out, if a month always locked out...........that is me though
> 
> Maybe test it and check V after a month, take from there




Yep, +1+1+1+1

Make sure to lock the light out otherwise it will kill a set of cells. 

What I'm doing now with the TM06 lights is to insert a mylar disc in the tail cap so that there is no current anywhere. After losing a pair of Panasonic BD batteries to one of my TM06's, this is the only way that I'm leaving batteries inside the light for more than a day.


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## rookieshiner (Apr 19, 2016)

Sorry to hear, seems like there must have been a prob with the batt or light! Have had 18650 batt in both my EC11 & P12 for 4 months now with no issues but both lost almost 5% charge at the time!


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## rookieshiner (Apr 19, 2016)

If i have a flashlight and i want to use it and i have to do all the above or even twistin the cap 3 turns then to me its as useless as carrying a pistol with an empty chamber, in 40 tys. i only had 2 instances where batteries leaked and light didnt work, but those 2 work CHEAPO ,99 cents lights with unheard of batteries.


I have some fairly exp Night Vision equip and always keep batteries in it even during storage!


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 20, 2016)

Double Post


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 20, 2016)

Your EC11 and P12 are probably fine on standby, because their standby drain is very minimal.

However, the standby drain on the original TM06 and your updated TM06s is *quite significant*, such that you must unlock the tail cap to cut standby loss as noted by Selfbuilt in his review:

"Due to the locator feature around the electronic switch in the head, the light has a stand-by current at all times – even when clicked off at the tailcap. While this current is not dissimilar to the earlier Tiny Monsters, *it seems relatively high for a simple indicator flash option *(i.e., on/off control has moved to the physical tailcap switch). While you can lock out the tailswitch with a simple twist, you need to unscrew the tailcap half-way on my sample to lock-out the side switch and break this standby drain".


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## NoNotAgain (Apr 20, 2016)

rookieshiner said:


> If i have a flashlight and i want to use it and i have to do all the above or even twistin the cap 3 turns then to me its as useless as carrying a pistol with an empty chamber, in 40 tys. i only had 2 instances where batteries leaked and light didnt work, but those 2 work CHEAPO ,99 cents lights with unheard of batteries.
> 
> I have some fairly exp Night Vision equip and always keep batteries in it even during storage!



If you ever used a Surefire 6P light, you'd be use to locking the light out using the mechanical method.

I'm also experiencing uneven battery drain on the Nitecore P36. One cell within a month will drain down to 3.8 volts or so while the second cell will still be close to 4.1 volts.

If you carry and use the light daily, it's not a big deal to charge the batteries once a week or so. Lights that see little use, it's a problem when you expect it to work and find that it's close to dead or dead.


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 20, 2016)

rookieshiner said:


> If i have a flashlight and i want to use it and i have to do all the above or even twistin the cap 3 turns then to me its as useless as carrying a pistol with an empty chamber, in 40 tys. i only had 2 instances where batteries leaked and light didnt work, but those 2 work CHEAPO ,99 cents lights with unheard of batteries.
> 
> 
> I have some fairly exp Night Vision equip and always keep batteries in it even during storage!



So this is one of the reasons I switched over from the TM06s to the Thrunite TN36-UT, because the TN36-UT's standby drain is lower than the natural self discharge rate of the Lion batteries themselves, however even then, if I carry the TN36 in a knapsack etc, I am still required to lock out the tail cap, to prevent accidental switching of the side switch in my knapsack.

Whatever flashlights you may have, it doesn't take much for a tail end clicky switch etc, to self activate inside a knapsack, thus we must always lockout for safety.
It is almost like removing a magazine from a gun in storage, or at least engaging a safety pin, and having no bullet inside the barrel in storage.

At first, locking out seems a pain, but after a while, locking out is quite easy.


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## rookieshiner (Apr 20, 2016)

My TM06S manual says to prevent accidental turn on to unscrew the tailcap till light gets no power, but also says in Standby it will work up to 40 days with the power indicator on and up to 138 days with power indicator off!


So nowhere does it say not to leave it "Ready To Go" but strange so after 138 days i guess the batt are dead? Thats only 4 1/2 month's which isnt long at all, i had figure it would hold a charge about 1 1/2 yrs!


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 20, 2016)

Yes, because your TM06s standby drain is high, it won't standby very long, because it has to power that fancy LED indicator.
The Tiny Monster's LED indicator continually flashes every few seconds so that the flashlight can be easily located in the dark, but we pay a price with such an active standby parasitic drain.

By comparison, a Zebralight SC600 18650 x1 XM-L Mark I of 2012 will standby 4.26 years.
While the current model Zebralight SC600 Mark III 18650 x1 XHP35 will standby for 21.0 blessed years!
But then neither have your TM06s' fancy LED indicator on standby.
Horses for courses.
The TM06s has good and bad points, and we have to learn to live with that unfortunately.
My new 7300 lumen Thrunite TN36-UT has good and bad points too.

I'll tell you something else too.
Life is a compromise.
The Zebralights have impressive standby it seems?
However I find that after several years, my Zebralights side switches are playing up, and I have to press them repeatedly to switch the lights on/off.
Meanwhile, my Nitecore TM11 is the same age, but the two-stage side switch turns the Tiny Monster on instantly!
So, although the Zebralights have impressively low parasitic standby, the buttons are of poor quality in the long term.
I don't care about Zebralight's new 21 year standby; I'm not purchasing another Zebralight until they give me a long lasting side switch.
If I can't turn a flashlight on, then it's useless to me.
For Zebralight, the standby time outlives the durability of their short lasting rubber side switch.

Don't worry about your TM06s' high parasitic drain.
You'll get used to locking out the tail cap.
You have to lock out the tail cap anyway, to prevent the side switch from being accidentally activated....


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?320986







http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?416634


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## rookieshiner (Apr 20, 2016)

Sounds like U did not quite understand when i said with the "Standby" off it will work up to 138 days, so there is no drain when "Standby" is off!


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 20, 2016)

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?396863

In the section on Standby Drain, upon testing, Selfbuilt says:

Due to the indicator flash feature (around the electronic switch side switch), the TM06 will always be drawing a small current when batteries are making contact. Note that a quick turn of the tailcap will block light activation (by locking out the tail switch), but this separate side switch standby drain persists unless the tailcap is more fully unscrewed (see comments below and under User Interface section).

There is a complex wiring arrangement of the TM06, so I'm not sure how to accurately measure the standby drain. Using only two 18650 cells, I can measure a persistent standby current of 1.35mA, jumping to 3.75mA during the blue indicator flash. Since the indicator flashes on/off for 2secs at a time, this effectively produces an average current of 2.55mA with two batteries in place. If the drain is comparable with four cells, that would give you ~50 days before 3100mAh cells would be fully drained (~101 days if the extra two cells cuts this rate in half, or doubles the effective capacity). Note that the Nitecore specs say that you should expect 30 days of battery life with the indicator on.

You can turn off the indicator flash by simply clicking the side switch when off. This results in a constant 1.35mA drain. Again, that would yield ~95 days if the extra two cells make no difference, or ~191 days if the extra two cells help. Nitecore specs indicate that you should expect 108 days with the indicator turned off.

I appreciate Nitecore providing official specs for the standby drain. * Personally, I consider these drains to be a fairly high for simply allowing for a standby flash to be toggled on/off*. :shrug:

At a minimum, you will want to store the light with the tailswitch locked out when not in use (i.e., a quick twist of the tailcap). But I recommend you unscrew the tailcap ~2.5 turns from tight to block the standby drain (i.e., unscrew until the standby indicator flash disappears). Note that you have ~5 turns in total to fully remove the tailcap. Again, simply clicking the side switch to turn off the indicator is not enough – while that will cut the drain to almost half, it will still continue to drain your cells.


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## KeepingItLight (Apr 20, 2016)

peterharvey73 said:


> *Personally, I consider these drains to be a fairly high for simply allowing for a standby flash to be toggled on/off*. :shrug:



+1

A raft of recent Nitecore releases have excessive standby drains. 

I, for instance, have the *Nitecore P36*. Selfbuilt measured a 2.55mA standby drain in the sample he reviewed. I am careful to keep mine locked out when I am finished with it for the day.

Many other manufacturer's are able to avoid the high standby currents found in these Nitecore models. That fact causes me to worry that Nitecore driver designs may not be top-notch.


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## peterharvey73 (Apr 21, 2016)

rookieshiner said:


> Sounds like U did not quite understand when i said with the "Standby" off it will work up to 138 days, so there is no drain when "Standby" is off!



So with the standby LED indicator on, the TM06S will only last 40 days.
With the standby LED indicator off, the TM06S will last 138 days.

However, 138 days standby is very poor by today's standards when say, a single 1850 powered Zebralight SC600 Mark III can standby for 21 years.
Thus, even with the fancy standby LED indicator off, the TM06S still has quite a bit of standby parasitic battery drain, especially by today's standards.

With a standby of only 138 days, I'm sure many owners would be inclined to lock-out their tail caps, because in a couple of months, the TM06S is near empty.


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## NoNotAgain (Apr 21, 2016)

Peter Harvey, just let him go. 

He knows everything about the light he wants to know. 

I've probably got more Nitecore lights than any other brand. I feel they make a quality light for reasonable prices. 

Nitecore presses too much at times to get the latest and greatest to market, sometimes before it's ready. 

The team that designed the TM06 and the P36 I guess figured that most people would use the lights batteries up before the parasitic draw killed off a or a pair of batteries. 

Now that I'm aware of the problem, neither light get put away with batteries inside them. It's too bad as both lights are very handy to have around the house for quick looks outside. 

Great features on both lights just needs a little more work.


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## KeepingItLight (Apr 21, 2016)

I love the *Nitecore P36*. Beam, tint, modes, runtimes, UI, build, fit-and-finish, etc., are all excellent.

The only thing I don't like is the parasitic drain. 

If I were to nitpick, I would point out that Cree makes an 80-CRI version of the MT-G2 emitter. I wish Nitecore had used it instead of the 70-CRI emitter it chose for the P36.

I don't know about the *Nitecore TM06*, but I'll wager many owners like it a lot...

except for the parasitic drain!


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## DooMMasteR (Sep 6, 2017)

StewL said:


> I received my TM06 in December and have since noticed that two of the cells discharge to different voltages than the other two. The last time I removed them to charge them there was a difference of about 0.2 volts. This time; however, two of them were 4.04 volts and the other two were 3.58 volts, a difference of 0.46 volts. I examined the internals of the flashlight without the cells inserted, used an ohm meter, and determined that the four cells are in series with a center tap between the four. If two of the cells are inserted on one side of the center tap and the flashlight is assembled, nothing happens when the tail cap switch or side switch are activated. If the cells are then moved to the other side of the center tap, the side switch blue LED displays the voltage of one of cells by blinking, and then it flashes as a beacon as it normally does. If the tail cap switch is then turned on, the blue light blinks rapidly and the flashlight does not light. The blue LED reverts to its previous condition when the tail cap switch is turned back off. The blinking switch LED can be turned on and off as normally by depressing the side switch.
> 
> This leads me to the conclusion that the blue flashing LED and the electronics/standby circuits are driven off of only two of the cells, and the front LEDs are driven off all four of the cells. In my opinion, this is poor circuit design because leaving the blue LED flashing will drain two of the cells while the other two remain almost fully charged. This is not good, as the four cells will be discharged unevenly *by design*.
> 
> So, now I will not be using the standby blue flashing LED at all to help prevent the uneven discharging of the cells. It is too much trouble to lock out all functions by unscrewing the tail cap three complete turns.



Same, here, after 2-3 Month (forgot to lockout) 2 of the cells where discharged dramatically.


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