Tail Cap Or Pepper Grinder? (PM6)

I just bought a Pelican M6 Silver to try out for kicks. Boy it sure ain't no SureFire. The beam is pretty goofy in shape and has lots of artifacts no matter where it is focused. There is one "decent" looking spot on the entire range of travel.

And then there is the tail cap. It feels like a pepper grinder. Man is it rough feeling. Are they all like this? Guess you get what you pay for in flashlights. So what can I do to improve this light? I know about the Clickie mod. Is a diffuser film going to smooth this one out? What mods are available for improving this nasty little light?

Thanks,
A-6

A-6,

I think your subject title might have precluded more comments on this thread. There have been many discussions regarding the PM6 and ways of improving on it. Between FlashlightLens.com and Dat2Zip's shop, components are available for modification and improvement of the PM6 on a DIY basis. Mr. Bulk has now done two runs of 5W LED drop in modules for the PM6 and even I have made a few LED modules for others. As a host for LED's and Kroll switches, I have found the PM6 very satisfactory.

I appended your subject title a bit......

- Don

[ QUOTE ]
McGizmo said:
A-6,

I think your subject title might have precluded more comments on this thread.
I appended your subject title a bit......
- Don

[/ QUOTE ]

Don-Thanks for the insight. I re-titled the original post. I may have gotten a roughly threaded example. It really is a hunk-o'-junk. I suppose if I drop a clickie in there I won't need to grind pepper. And if I can get a drop-in 5 WT LED module-well then it may even be a fun light to use. I put a FLL.com diffuser lens in it and it helped, but did not cure it. Right now it is scrap ,metal by the OZ. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

Rich

I did a little cleaning of the threads on mine and it seem to smoothe things out some.

A-6,

I have seen posts of faulty or intermitant functions of the tail switches but not much comment about the function of the threads themselves. I have handled quite a few PM6's and not encountered your problem. Pelican is a good company and if you can't get your lightto function acceptably, a call to Pelican will probably get you a replacement.

- Don

OK-There are major improvements/changes since I originally posted.

1) I determined that there was a very jagged, roughly cut thread located in the very front of the threads; so this meant that this toothy area had a grinding effect all the way in and out each time. Could not stand it and knew I had to try to install the clickie mod. Thusly inspired to actually tear it apart and encouraged by a friend on-line and reading some CPF threads-I attacked the cap. I made a spanner tool, used a butane torch, fashioned a right angle thread pick, drilled the fiber washer and whittled away at the adhesive. Ta Da! I now have the flashlightlens.com clickie cap installed and it is very nice and smooth.

2) Even though I had replaced the stock PM6 lens with the high dollar LDF lens, the beam was still not very uniform. I happened to have a SF F24 Pop Open BEAMSHAPER on-hand. Well it fits the PM6! Although transmission through two layers of diffuser diminishs the output somewhat-boy what a difference it makes in the beam. Now the beam is smooth, wide and even! I can also now use the focus feature stop to stop. It is kind of like having a yellow-ish L4; in that it has a very wide even beam.
So I am calling it good for now. The light is a usable and it would serve well as a light for walking paths and dark alleys. When the BEAMSHAPER is popped-off, the beam is hotter and 1/2 the size. So that could find the cat in the tree I guess. So until I can try a McModule drop-in sometime soon, I'll quite complaining about it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif