With All Of The New 1 x 18650 Throwers, Is There Now A New King 1 x 18650 Throwers?

As posted above, with the new 18650 throwers recently, is there now a new king of 1 x 18650 throwers?

I think it's still in flux as the new models using the HI versions of the emmiter are still being released, Nitecore P30, Klarus XT12GT, to name a couple i've seen.

I've been enjoying using my XT11GT but gotta say that thing gets HOT and fast. It's super bright and has a great hot spot that can be seen more than half way down my block at night. Really lights up the night with minimal flood. I've owned the XT11 and the XT11S and this thing smokes both of them by a lot.

I'm thinking of my next thrower purchase and it looks like either the XT12GT or a Acebeam K70. Yeah completely different levels. Leaning more towards the Acebeam K70.

I think as far as stock lights are concerned, M2X javelot is still top-dog.

twistedraven said:

I think as far as stock lights are concerned, M2X javelot is still top-dog.

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M2X-UT is up there for compact throwers, and there are others. How large a size reflector are you looking at? I mean, Eagletac put in an XP-L Hi 5000K emitter in their M25C2-T (I think it is: the one with the large reflector) for me and it throws almost as hard as the Nitecore TM36. But you will not hear me talk about kings or queens.

The budget king is a Convoy C8 SMO XPL HI with new driver UI

Lexel said:

The budget king is a Convoy C8 SMO XPL HI with new driver UI

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Got the clear one from the (cpf member) bgroars folks today. Compact, pretty, kind of smooth, nice reflector, great price, 5000K is good in the field but not a white wall glamour queen. Got some yellow with tiny, tiny touch of green but in the field is perfectly fine.
The Olight M2X-UT feels significantly better in the hand, but maybe something can be figured out with lanyard adjustment and hold position. Throw is plenty good for the terrain we have here (forest/meadow).

Hard to say on the user interface yet; too early. If this were used in a tactical situation, I would have it on 100% and carry another small torch for general purpose, although it should not be too difficult to program it on-the-fly, to get the other capabilities when needed.

No directions came with the unit: had to go to seller's website for programming. $26 is a good, good value.

twistedraven said:

I think as far as stock lights are concerned, M2X javelot is still top-dog.

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send this light , or buy one from sky lumens and thats thats the king by far

With All Of The New 1 x 18650 Throwers, Is There Now A New King 1 x 18650 Thrower

twistedraven said:

I think as far as stock lights are concerned, M2X Javelot is still top-dog.

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So, how does Olight do it with the M2X-UT JAVELOT? Or, should I ask, why hasn't any other manufacturer been able to do it or improve upon it? Shouldn't the Klarus XT12GT be built in such a way as to outperform the M2X-UT JAVELOT? Does the M2X accomplish this with a better LED, a better, more focused reflector, or is it something else?

In my database, the M2X-UT is only second best. First place goes to the Acebeam T20. It is a 2x18650 light but can run on 1x18650 with a 10% hit in output and no regulation in turbo. With 1x18650 it should throw 996 meters (if my math and Candlelamp's measurements are correct), outdoing Olight's 810 meters.

Plus the T20 has a 4000K neutral white emitter, making it a much better thrower in the field.

The M2X-UT with the custom dome that I bought probably over a year ago, greatly benefitted with a ONE HALF minus green LEE FILTER from the cinematic sample pack. That's how green that puppy is. Maybe it is not as green these days, and other users won't be bothered but because some of us use other lights that have a non-distracting tint resembling daylight, or incandescent, the difference IS distracting and while color rendering may not be as important at distance, our internal 'white balance' becomes askew.

As far as which one is the best, well, that depends more on the user and what needs are a priority.

JAS said:

So, how does Olight do it with the M2X-UT JAVELOT? Or, should I ask, why hasn't any other manufacturer been able to do it or improve upon it? Shouldn't the Klarus XT12GT be built in such a way as to outperform the M2X-UT JAVELOT? Does the M2X accomplish this with a better LED, a better, more focused reflector, or is it something else?

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It's mostly just a matter of physics. The M2XUT has a huge reflector for its size, while the XT12GT's is smaller. The M2XUT also uses an XPL-HI (earliest iterations used straight-up shaved dome XPL, so should throw slightly better even.) The only way to get more throw would be to use an even smaller LED, like an XPG-2 dedomed, or use a bigger reflector, or to drive the LED harder to push more lumens.

twistedraven said:

It's mostly just a matter of physics. The M2XUT has a huge reflector for its size, while the XT12GT's is smaller. The M2XUT also uses an XPL-HI (earliest iterations used straight-up shaved dome XPL, so should throw slightly better even.) The only way to get more throw would be to use an even smaller LED, like an XPG-2 dedomed, or use a bigger reflector, or to drive the LED harder to push more lumens.

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Yeah. I turned the stock M2X into the M2Xvn with XPG2 PDT and it throws like no other single 18650 light can. The down side, of course, is the light lost spill. But that's okay, I use this light for a specific task like security or harassing people.

One of the most pleasing single 18650 throwing flashlights around here is an (Oveready parts) Z2 body, smoothie bezel with a titanium bezel ring, delrin tailcap, McClicky switch, and a mtnelectronics P60 dropin (wrapped in copper sheet) by Richard; his most appropriate-for-throw smooth reflector, 4.5 Amp, XP-G2 S2 0D dedomed emitter, and customer requested mode group (no memory, fast reset, 100%, ~35%, ~10%). Oh Yeah, throws great for most needs and is not big or heavy, excellent tint closer to sunlight than any other dedome in this house. Used a purple radio control fuel hose rubber tube for a fantastic lanyard system in the cigar grip hold. Gives me warm feelings just writing about it. Thanks for letting me describe it.

3:30 minutes long. At about 2:50 the body, tailcap and bezel setup can be seen. The tube lanyard system is on another Oveready host shown about a minute earlier.

twistedraven said:

The M2XUT also uses an XPL-HI (earliest iterations used straight-up shaved dome XPL, so should throw slightly better even.)

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Olightworld just says 'customized XP-L' for both the M2X and M3X. Do you have a link to an XPL HI version? I got the M3X a few months ago but returned it because it was unusably green. They really needed to mention that in the description, but I guess it's obvious why they don't - nobody wants a green LED flashlight.

I got a M3XS-UT about a year ago and IIRC it was a de-domed XP-L. Yes very greenish but incredible throw. And yes not a 1 x 18650, either 3 x CR123A or 4 x CR123A / 2 x 18650.

But I really like the M23 Javelot. Yes it's not "UT" but it's still a big thrower and the light color really isn't green at all, at least in comparison. And its reflector is much more reasonably sized compared to the M2X; does being "king of the throwers" only factor in throw, or should it be scored on a broader set of characteristics?

HughJorgan said:

I got a M3XS-UT about a year ago and IIRC it was a de-domed XP-L. Yes very greenish but incredible throw. And yes not a 1 x 18650, either 3 x CR123A or 4 x CR123A / 2 x 18650.

But I really like the M23 Javelot. Yes it's not "UT" but it's still a big thrower and the light color really isn't green at all, at least in comparison. And its reflector is much more reasonably sized compared to the M2X; does being "king of the throwers" only factor in throw, or should it be scored on a broader set of characteristics?

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Incidentally, it runs on 2 x 18500 protected as well if you ditch the extension tube, but battery life is reduced to about half. Mine is slightly green but throw is incredible for the reflector size.

Throw relative to lux value is not subjective, but what defines a thrower certainly is. It comes down to preference in the end. In Vinhland, a mini thrower might do 65Kcd lux, whist the RC40vnF (F for flood) pushed out 200kcd! It comes down to size of the light, how it compares to its competitors and OTF lumens vs lumens on target. Then you can still define it yourself after that! [emoji4]

These anecdotes make it sound like olight still shaves the domes of XPLs themselves. That's both good and bad. Good in that you'll get more throw than an XPL-HI, but bad in that you're playing the tint lottery with very green LEDs. Better to get a Vinh modified light, who cherry-picks dedomed LEDs for their lack of green.

My U21vn with dedomed XPL is still green, but nothing like the Olights, it's more along the lines of an average Cree LED which tends towards the green side of things. 1600 lumens and 260k lux out of the Manker U21 is not bad at all.

Just received an EagleTac M30LC2 with 'neutral' XP-L Hi that rings the bells quite nicely. It is warmer than my other ~5000K throwers and is very compatible with a 5000K Nichia triple P60 host as well as the Oveready Wasp V5 redomed XP-L ~4500K. The user interface is much, much better than the M25C2-T purchased about a year ago. The friction of the twist mode adjustment is just right and not intermittent when the head is pushed or pulled from the body. Battery compatibility is good. This sweety came from illuminationsupply. Got the last one in stock as of a couple days ago: 2 day shipping. It is now the primary thrower in these here parts.

I have removed the one half minus green LEE FILTER from the Olight M2X-UT and will give it to a family member.