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Detailed
Information:
The Elektrolumens XM-2 is intended as a small, reliable,
bright light for anyone with a need for such a device.
I would fully expect this light to be popular with emergency
and rescue personnel. Lightweight to be carried easily
on the belt, it is ready in a moments notice to provide
an intense white light. Since it never needs bulb replacement
it should always work when needed, provided it has good
batteries installed.
The body of the XM-2 is made of Type II anodized aluminum.
It has a wide ring of checkering around the middle of
the body for grip and a ring of checkering around the
tailcap for ease of use. Elektrolumens has used a macro/micro
principle in order to improve grip. There are also several
deep grooves around the body for the attachment of a
lanyard.
The head of the XM-2 contains a clear plastic lens
in the front to protect the collimator lens. The collimator
lens collects the light from the Luxeon III high dome
LED contained inside. The Luxeon III LEDs are basically
the same as the original Luxeon high dome LEDs except
they tend to be whiter and can handle more current.
The bezel can be easily opened at the front, although
this should never be necessary except to possibly dry
out the unit if water gets inside. These Luxeon LEDs
are essentially impervious to shock and have a 50,000
hour life so it should never need to be replaced.
Output from this light is in the form of a rather interesting
beam. As expected from a high dome Luxeon LED, there
is a round beam with a square surround. The central
spot is a little bit off center, although this has no
impact on the usability of the light. The beam is very
bright, fairly tight, and produces a good spillbeam
for illuminating objects close to the user. Beam color
is very white without any noticeable tinting. The beam
is permanently focused, so it is not adjustable. Loosening
the front of the bezel allows the beam to tighten a
little, but there is no way to hold the lens/cap in
place so just leave it tightened down.
The switch is a "tactical style" tailcap
switch. Tighten for constant on or just press the button
on the end for momentary use. The push button switch
is plastic and is held in position by a white plastic
sleeve which is a little rough cut at the top.
Ergonomics: The XM-2 is small and easy to carry in
the hand. No sharp edges. Activating the light is simple
and requires only one use to master.
For power the XM-2 takes two 123A cells. Simply remove
the tailcap and drop in the 123A cells, positive first.
Reattach the tailcap and you are ready to go. These
will run the light for about 2 hours with good output.
The entire light is sealed by O-rings to keep the interior
clean and dry.
A very nice open-bottomed nylon belt sheath comes with
the light and includes a velcro flap to retain the light,
a Velcro quick-attach belt loop and a very wide closed
belt loop.
What I Liked: Water resistant, Tough/impact
resistant, Decent battery life, Bright, Easy battery
change, No bulbs to blow or replace.
What I Didn't Like: Beam a little off center
and not focused as tightly as it could be.
Other Things I Noticed: Nothing significant
Conclusions: The Elektrolumens XM-2 is a very
solid, well built, very bright illumination device.
It's small enough to carry in the pocket or comfortably
on the belt, and at a price that won't break the budget.
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