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The M6 LED is made by Pelican.
The M6 2390 LED is very similar to the Pelican M6 2330
LED, but uses a Luxeon III LED for its light source
instead of a Luxeon I. Light output is about one third
greater than the earlier released 2330, plus it regulates
its output to maintain a constant level of output through
the usable life of the batteries.
Body description: The body, made of machined aircraft
grade aluminum alloy, with a Type III anodized finish
available in its natural OD green color. The head and
tailcap have an octagonal shape while the body is round
with a checkered pattern around the center. Two o-rings
are located behind the head of the light and appear
to be there for grip.
Bezel/Head: The head contains a plastic lens and a
permanently focused lamp assembly. The lamp assembly
has a textured and polished aluminum reflector and a
well heatsinked Luxeon III LED. Heatsinking is important
since the LED is being driven fairly hard and the resulting
heat that is produced needs to be drawn away from the
LED. The M6 2390 LED does a very effective job of moving
heat as indicated from the fact that the body of the
light gets quite warm when the light is in use. This
means that the heat is being drawn away from the LED
and toward the aluminum body where it can be safely
dissipated.
Output description: The white light produced by the
LED is a high color temperature and produces good color
rendition weighted toward the center of the spectrum.
No noticeable tint is detectable when compared against
a near sunlight-white source.
Beam at one meter at target center
Runtime Plot: Pelican advertises 4-5 hours runtime
on this light. Care to guess again, Pelican? 1 hour
and 30 minutes after the start of the test with new
Duracell cells, the light dropped out of regulation.
22 minutes later its output was at 50% starting output.
After 2 hr 20 min, the light is at 25% starting output.
Sure the LED may produce light for 4-5 hours, but it
sure as heck won't do you much good if you depend upon
the level of output available when you first turn on
the light to do your job.
It's too bad that they feel the need to hype the numbers,
because it actually has good runtime for it's output.
Instead, the stigma of "misleading marketing"
will effect perception of the product when it fails
to perform to the advertised numbers on the box.
Runtime
completed with Duracell brand batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch description: The switch is capable of 3 different
modes. It is a clickie switch, so you can press it to
click the light on and off. You can also apply gentle
pressure with your thumb for "momentary" operation.
Releasing your thumb will shut the light off. The switch
can also be rotated backwards about 2 turns in order
to "lock out" the switch. This will prevent
the switch from operating when placed in luggage or
packed. The lockout operation is indicated on the switch
in text.
Seals / Water Resistance: The light is protected from
water entry by O-rings which are used throughout the
body. It should be considered "dunkable" by
my standards. If it gets wet inside, just disassemble
as much a possible without tools and let it dry before
using again.
Ergonomics: The knurling around the body is fairly
coarse and provides a very good grip. The switch is
very quiet and provides very little feedback when activated.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: Two 123A cells power the light. Duracells
are included. I would recommend Titanium
brand cells for $1.00 each (here's
a review) or BatteryStation
or Surefire
brand cells for less than $2 each. I would not recommend purchasing
these cells at retail stores since they cost $10 a pair
or more in most retail stores!
To change out the batteries: unscrew the tailcap, drop
out the old cells, place in new cells observing proper
polarity. Reattach the tailcap and you're ready to go.
An interesting note; there is a spring at the positive
end of the battery tube (the head-end) which retains
the inner cell. You may have to smack the light on the
palm of your hand to get it to release that cell.
Accessories: A nice nylon sheath with snap closure
is included in the package. There is a plastic sleeve
inside the sheath and in the body/flap that provides
additional rigidity and protection for the light. There
is a pouch to one side of the main compartment for holding
2 spare cells. This extra compartment is closed with
a velcro flap. The cells are removed by squeezing from
the bottom, pushing the cells upward.
What I Liked: Water resistant, Tough/impact
resistant, Good battery life, Bright, Easy battery change,
Lightweight, Great beam, Well regulated, Type III hard
finish
What I Didn't Like: Nothing
Other Things I Noticed: LED was
very slightly off center in the reflector, but this
doesn't seem to affect the beam at all.
Conclusions: Overall, I like it
a lot. An excellent tactical-style light for use in
a wide range of environments. Very sold construction
and very hard anodize finish should help this light
provide a lifetime of service. Output is very good -
very bright. Pelican is also introducing firearm mounts
for some of their lights, like this one, to take advantage
of the natural shock resistance of the LED.
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