Robocop
Moderator, *Mammoth Killer*
Yes I just got my M1 and before I give the good and bad I will say I was a little dissapointed as I am a huge fan of my M6 and I think I was expecting this light to be similiar.
....Sad to say it is no where close to the M6.
I was not expecting the brightness of the M6 however they are known for their flawless beam and this M1 has a truly average,if not worse,beam.
Ok the good part first...The fit and finish is amazing with the M1 having a solid feel and a generally cool look to it. The holster is very handy and also what I expected from Pelican as it is very functional and has a great extra battery compartment. I like the package in general but the beam is,in my opinion, simply horrible.
Outside it throws fairly well and has a nice white tint which Pelican is also known for. Now I may not be certain but I was able to unscrew the lens and remove the reflector....the bad news is that a M6 reflector will not fit correctly and the worse news is that I am almost positive the M1 I have is a low dome.
I can not figure out how to remove the bezel for a closer look but it sure does look like a low dome from the top. I will try to get some pics soon but for now I can say this light will in no shape or form compete with the QIII which is the same size and cost.
I have the Dorcy 3-AAA Luxeon that is sold at Target for 24 dollars and also has a low dome. I compared the two lights and the beams are almost identical. If you have the 3-AAA Dorcy it will give you an idea of what the M1 is like as far as beam shape.
My M1 has a decent hot spot however has several voids with outer rings getting larger as the spread out to the end of the corona. The rings all are completly circular and follow the shape of the hot spot but it has dark bands between the rings...kind of hard to explain and I will try to get photos soon.
I think I am most dissapointed with the Low Dome and second that the M6 reflector will not fit as a drop in replacement. I am not even sure if it was able to be made to fit if it would even look decent with a Low Dome. If anyone else has an M1 could you look and see if it is also a low dome?...and also maybe someone could figure out how to get the entire bezel off.
Looking down in the bezel with the reflector out it looks like a standard Lumileds star and if I can get this bezel off I may can simply swap the star out for a better High Dome. I know low domes have been said to have advanced much lately but I am kind of spoiled over the better high domes and to me any high dome simply has a better beam in general....Well that is my take on this light and I am now actually wondering if Pelican will change this light in the future and if they will accept this one back....those 33 dollar QIII wonder lights at County Comm are looking pretty good right now.
I wonder if this M1 circuit will run a 3 watt pretty well. I have no meter close by so I have no way of knowing any details of the current in this M1. I will say that I like the light simply for the very cool look and durable feel and the cost is not that bad....however I dis-like it for a very few crucial reasons to myself and that would be the lack of that awesome usually flawless Pelican beam and the Low Dome emitter
.....Let me say again that I can not really get a good angle on the emitter to see it from the side but to me it appears to be a Low Dome but it could be an illusion....I am almost certain it is a low dome and the almost identical beam with the Dorcy Low Dome makes me even more certain....Well thanks for listening to me vent a little....I was just a little excited about this new addition and sad to find it very average with many lower cost lights actually leaving this one behind.
....Sad to say it is no where close to the M6.
I was not expecting the brightness of the M6 however they are known for their flawless beam and this M1 has a truly average,if not worse,beam.
Ok the good part first...The fit and finish is amazing with the M1 having a solid feel and a generally cool look to it. The holster is very handy and also what I expected from Pelican as it is very functional and has a great extra battery compartment. I like the package in general but the beam is,in my opinion, simply horrible.
Outside it throws fairly well and has a nice white tint which Pelican is also known for. Now I may not be certain but I was able to unscrew the lens and remove the reflector....the bad news is that a M6 reflector will not fit correctly and the worse news is that I am almost positive the M1 I have is a low dome.
I can not figure out how to remove the bezel for a closer look but it sure does look like a low dome from the top. I will try to get some pics soon but for now I can say this light will in no shape or form compete with the QIII which is the same size and cost.
I have the Dorcy 3-AAA Luxeon that is sold at Target for 24 dollars and also has a low dome. I compared the two lights and the beams are almost identical. If you have the 3-AAA Dorcy it will give you an idea of what the M1 is like as far as beam shape.
My M1 has a decent hot spot however has several voids with outer rings getting larger as the spread out to the end of the corona. The rings all are completly circular and follow the shape of the hot spot but it has dark bands between the rings...kind of hard to explain and I will try to get photos soon.
I think I am most dissapointed with the Low Dome and second that the M6 reflector will not fit as a drop in replacement. I am not even sure if it was able to be made to fit if it would even look decent with a Low Dome. If anyone else has an M1 could you look and see if it is also a low dome?...and also maybe someone could figure out how to get the entire bezel off.
Looking down in the bezel with the reflector out it looks like a standard Lumileds star and if I can get this bezel off I may can simply swap the star out for a better High Dome. I know low domes have been said to have advanced much lately but I am kind of spoiled over the better high domes and to me any high dome simply has a better beam in general....Well that is my take on this light and I am now actually wondering if Pelican will change this light in the future and if they will accept this one back....those 33 dollar QIII wonder lights at County Comm are looking pretty good right now.
I wonder if this M1 circuit will run a 3 watt pretty well. I have no meter close by so I have no way of knowing any details of the current in this M1. I will say that I like the light simply for the very cool look and durable feel and the cost is not that bad....however I dis-like it for a very few crucial reasons to myself and that would be the lack of that awesome usually flawless Pelican beam and the Low Dome emitter
.....Let me say again that I can not really get a good angle on the emitter to see it from the side but to me it appears to be a Low Dome but it could be an illusion....I am almost certain it is a low dome and the almost identical beam with the Dorcy Low Dome makes me even more certain....Well thanks for listening to me vent a little....I was just a little excited about this new addition and sad to find it very average with many lower cost lights actually leaving this one behind.
