The Pelican M6, is it the next CPF darling?

How many of you out there are making the Pelican M6 a PLANNED purchase.

I used caps on "planned" because we know we will have to buy something between now and then to get our "fix".

I am hoping this new M6 is sending a message to some of the other big boys in the biz. If it's all it's billed to be, 108 lumen, 220 hour lamp, 1.25 runtime, much cheaper than any alum. body Surefire then we would definitely have a new champ in the 2x123 field. I know there are plenty of unanswered questions. How did they measure lumens, what criteria did they use for the runtime, how is the beam, but…

I'm feeling like the M6 may be the next CPF darling, am I wrong? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif

Will the member that adopts the ID, PelicanM6 be SurefireM6's son or will someone else you can think of take that name? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif


/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

I plan on looking at the light very closely. If it is all that it is billed to be I will buy it. Sounds like a great light.
Patrick

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

YEP the M6 is on my hit list! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

Are you crazy to be excited?

Are you crazy to be excited that finally we see a product from a mainstream flashlight company that copies the SureFire 6P so closely that even the "Mighty Al" thought it was pretty good?

You know what?

If you're going to buy it, it'll just mean you'll take longer to save up for a SureFire A2.

Just as they manage to make a decent copy of product a couple decades old, SureFire raise the bar beyond the reach of those behind.

The Pelican M6 is a good flashlight. I would buy one over a Scorpion or LX without blinking.

Al

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

I am sure it is inferior to 6P(counting the rumor of pyrex lens), but still got to check it out.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

p.s. I am not mad, just that smiley is really cool.

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

Perhaps the SureFires win on added value accessories and options?

It appears the CP hype war is converting to Lumens.
Very sad.

Al

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

Size15's and FC,
Didn't mean to start a flame on the subject. I just think it's nice to have another player.

Now I will have to defend a product I have yet to lay my hands on. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

To call this a copy of the 6P is nearly the same as the accusation by another company to call a certain companies single AAA the same as their AAA because it is black, holds one AAA battery is made of alum.

Does this mean no other company can use a tail-switch except Surefire?

Here is why I wouldn't call it copy:

If this was truly a copy of a 6P the lumens would be far less than advertised and/or the runtime far less than advertised, the lamp would last 1/10 the time advertised, it wouldn't be focusable, it would be prettier, put together nicer and cost more.

I look forward to testing one. I have no reason not to believe Pelican's claims at this time. They are a long time well respected torch maker. They MAY have just gone ahead and built a better product, only time will tell.

The A2 is in another class all together. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

Previous Pelican lights that I've obtained have beams that--while bright--are much too narrow to be very useful. I hope they've reconsidered this for the M6.

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

Does this mean no other company can use a tail-switch except Surefire?


Yes, it does!
Acorrding to US Patent # 5642932 and 6222138 - by P.Kim and Dr.Matthews - tailcap and body design.

Not any tailcap, but LOTC just like Pelican's M6, and like body of "Galls" lithium tactical light.

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

[ QUOTE ]
Does this mean no other company can use a tail-switch except Surefire?


Yes, it does!
According to US Patent # 5642932 and 6222138 - by P.Kim and Dr.Matthews - tailcap and body design.

Not any tailcap, but LOTC just like Pelican's M6, and like body of "Galls" lithium tactical light.

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess that means Pelican got some very bad advice from lawyers or their tail-cap is different enough to not fall under the Surefire patent, same with the body.

I say this because I would be more than shocked if Surefire stood by while Pelican produced what appears to be a product that for value (how do I say this without getting Surefire fans mad at me) is pretty impressive but for output only has about 1/5 the power of the Surefire M6 and did nothing to stop a patent infringement.

I EDC an E2E. I am by no means anti-Surefire.

Again, I am just happy to see another player to help push Surefire along in performance and price. I think this is the most exciting light to come out in a while. The A2 is cool but for $125 I will wait. I don't have a 100 lumen light that runs for 75 minutes on (2) 123's. If Surefire came out with a similar light, (size, performance, runtime, and I will omit lamp life) for around $100 I would buy it, but they don't make it, YET! All it would take is a more powerful, more efficient lamp assembly and my E2E could be a Pelican M6 killer.

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

I have seen several Pelican M6's and they have similar output to the SureFire 6P with P60.
I have not tested it's runtime compared to the P60 but everything I learnt from engineers during my time visiting SureFire tells me that if SureFire can not cheat physics, it is not possible and therefore I take Pelican's rating for their M6 with a truck load of salt.

Al

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

I should note that Pelican established the luumen output for their M6 by measuring the Mean Spearical Candle Power of the bare bulb, and not the actual output of the flashlight and reflector.

A might also point out that the new Streamlight Tactical Light(s) (TL-2)&(NF-2) {same lights but different cases} have a similar rating of 100 lumens.

As an example as how these numbers can be munipulated, consider the Phillips D2-35s HID bulb which is used in the McCulloch X990. Factory specs are for 3400 lumens, but when used in conjuction with a reflector, the McCulloch X990 barely surpasses 2000 lumens.

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

I don't think you're crazy to be excited. I'm happy that more companies are challenging Surefire. 'course, Surefire has countered by dropping the price of the G2 to rock bottom, which is probably all they need to do to fight off the current crop. What I'm really excited about is that as these other companies move up the food chain to bigger and better lights -- to challenge the Z2, or M2, or M3, or M6, etc. -- Surefire will continue to face pricing pressure, and everyone wins!

Regarding the Pelican's specs, I personally think that the chance of that light actually meeting Pelican's specs are close to 0%. That doesn't mean I'm not rooting for Pelican (or anyone) to come out and smoke Surefire, but by all reports, it hasn't happened yet.

Joe

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

What I'm really excited about is the focus factor of the M6 and combined with such a attractive price. I wonder if they will come out with a 3 cell version. Plus since the bulb is not together with the reflector, I suspsect we might be able to take after-market bulbs and mod it. 5 watt with a BB700 would sound nice too. Plus it's focusable & cheap (how many times have I said that? I'm s'pose to be getting tired of saying it but.. oh well..)
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

[ QUOTE ]
I have seen several Pelican M6's and they have similar output to the SureFire 6P with P60.
I have not tested it's runtime compared to the P60 but everything I learnt from engineers during my time visiting SureFire tells me that if SureFire can not cheat physics, it is not possible and therefore I take Pelican's rating for their M6 with a truck load of salt.

Al

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't buy for a second that Surefire or anyone else is up against the physics wall. They are up against their technology wall. 99.999999...% efficiency is the wall and I don't believe anyone has come close to approaching it. (Kind of a joke about another thread that goes on and on and on...,you know the one)
DD

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

As I understand it these manufacturers are not making their lamps but there are a few companies making them for everyone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

Surefire's lower power lamps (8 watts and below) have a efficacy that can be improved I think. 65lumens @ 5.3 watts = 12 lumens/watt which is painfully low. But one thing I forgot to calculate is that the lamps from Carley or W/A are rated as such, but when placed into a reflector, not so much light comes out in the end. Since Surefire base their lights on a "what comes out of a reflector" basis, instead of "what comes out of the lamp" basis. Their lumens rating will be lower.

And so the game of Candlepower and Lumens continues between manufacturers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

jtivat and Nerd,
Thanks for the info. I must ask the obvious question. If only a few companies manufacture lamps and Surefire can get the same or a similar lamp that Pelican is going to use in their M6 why wouldn't Surefire use it? From eyewitness accounts the Pelican M6 has output similar to a 6P, (I am still thinking it's will be a little more) is at least as white and last 10 times as long. Makes no sense to me why Surefire wouldn't use the lamp if they had the ability. Maybe there is a reason and we will know what it is when the M6 finally comes out.

DD

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

one thing you guys got to remember about lumens. lumens by definition doesn't involve the reflector assembly of a flashlight. it is the total light output of a lamp. brightness of a beam, which DOES include the reflector, is measured with other terms like PBC (Peak Beam Candlepower).

Re: The Pelican M6, am I crazy to be excited?

And don't forget that Stratgos is coming out with their own line of lights to compete with SureFire too.

These lights will probably be better than the equivalent SureFire lights

That will cause SureFire to increase the "stuff" in their lights too.

End result, we all get better lights for the price!