Convoy M2 Flashlight Review
The Convoy M2 is an 18650 flashlight which runs the Biscotti interface and uses a Cree XP-L HI for great throw. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Convoy M2 Flashlight product page on GearBest – this is a referral link.
Versions
There are many versions of the M2, including some with different firmware. There seems to be only one emitter option for the Biscotti firmware, though.
Price
This version of the M2 currently goes for $25.99.
Short Review
This is a fun little light. Fairly good throw, but still having a very slim profile – pocketable, even. All this makes it an inexpensive entry to the throw category!
Long Review
The Big Table
| Convoy M2 (7135 * 8, with Biscotti) | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XP-L HI (Cool White (6500K) ) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $25.99 |
| Cell: | 1×18650 |
| Turbo Runtime | High Runtime |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Mechanical |
| On-Board Charging? | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 992 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 851 (85.8% of claim)^ |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 150 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 1141lux @ 5.057m = 29179cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 341.6 (227.7% of claim)^ |
| All my Convoy reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
What’s Included
- Convoy M2 Flashlight
- Lanyard (attached)
- Pocket clip (attached)
Package and Manual
The M2 ships in a standard Convoy box. There is no manual.
Build Quality and Disassembly
I’ve always found Convoy lights to be adequate for their price range, but I have to say that this M2 is probably better built than its price range.
The head has a good bit of fairly deep fins, and a teardrop design hiding in there.
The tailcap has a brass retaining ring, holding in a thick spring.
The threads on both the head and tail end of the cell tube are anodized, and thick square-cut. They’re also well lubed.
The cell tube is not reversible. The tailcap has longer threads and is also narrower in diameter than the head connection.
The head has a thick spring, too.
The spike bezel unscrews easily, and all the components come out easily. The soldering inside here looks just a little sloppy.
When putting things back together it’s a little hard to get the o-ring to play nice. Just push down on the lens a little while screwing down the bezel, and it’ll work right.
Size and Comps
Here are my measurements:
Length: 134.27mm
Head diameter (at thickest): 31.65mm
Body diameter (at thinnest): 23.35mm
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple. A very nice 18650 light.
Retention and Carry
Two ways to carry the M2 are included, and they are both attached from the factory.
First is the pocket clip, which is a friction fit clip attaching only on the tail end, and not allowing for much of a deep carry. It does look like one of the cheap clips, but it’s actually not really all that bad. The edges are finished, and it’s a bit thicker than the low quality clips.
Second is the lanyard, which attaches through two holes in the tailcap. It could be moved to the pocket clip, too. The pocket clip certainly seems snug enough to hold the lanyard.
Power and Runtime
The M2 is intended to be run on a single 18650 cell. With springs on both ends, any type 18650 should work fine (flat or button top, protected or unprotected). And with the relatively low power requirements, just about any 18650 will be just fine in this light.
The cell sticks out a bit. (This Efest is quite long, though.)
Here are two runtimes. Turbo first, where I measured around 850 lumens (below spec, but not that far below.) Output more or less seems to track cell voltage and drops off heavily after a certain point. The light steps way down and finally shuts off.
High runtime is basically the same characteristic. The light never really heats up much, and at the end of the cell charge, output steps down dramatically. The light also shut off at over 3V in this test, too.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | – | – | 851 | 2.66 |
| 4 | – | – | 359 | 1.27 |
| 3 | – | – | 0.34 | |
| 2 | – | – | 0.06 | |
| 1 | – | – | ~ |
Pulse Width Modulation
There’s PWM on all modes except Turbo. I don’t find it to be bad PWM, though, as I don’t really notice it on any mode. IE, the PWM is “fast.”
For reference, here’s a baseline shot, with all the room lights off and almost nothing hitting the sensor. Also, here’s the light with the worst PWM I could find. I’m adding multiple timescales, so it’ll be easier to compare to the test light. Unfortunately, the PWM on this light is so bad that it doesn’t even work with my normal scale, which is 50 microseconds (50us). 10ms. 5ms. 2ms. 1ms. 0.5ms. 0.2ms. In a display faster than 0.2ms or so, the on/off cycle is more than one screen, so it’d just (very incorrectly) look like a flat line. I wrote more about this Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight and explained a little about PWM too.
User Interface and Operation
There’s a single clicky on the M2. It’s a mechanical tailswitch – a reverse clicky. It’s a big switch with some texture for grip, a fairly low action, and very clicky.
The firmware here is Biscotti, and is probably best represented by the following flow chart. There are many possibilities for the light and setup, including mode memory (or not), and 12 selectable mode groups.
Here’s a UI table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | Low (if no Mode Memory disabled (default)), Next Mode (if MM enabled) |
| On | Click | Off |
| On | Tap | Mode advance |
| On | Long tap (>0.5s) | Reset to Low (if no MM), No action (if MM enabled) |
| On | Tap >10x | Configuration Mode^ |
^ Configuration mode allows a few things to be changed. Once the configuration has been entered, the light will stop responding to repeated taps. Stop tapping, and the light will flash once, then “buzz” (very fast, low strobe). Click during this strobe to enter group selection. (Clicking the light completely off will work, as will tapping, in every case I’ve tested.) Once in group selection, the light will blink for mode group numbers. Click (or tap) the light after the count of the group you want, and you’ve set the group. Ie if you want group 3, wait til the light blinks one blink, then pauses, blinks twice, pauses, blinks three times, and click during this pause.
If no click is made during the first buzz, the light will flash twice, then buzz again. Click during this to iterate mode memory (on or off).
LED and Beam
The emitter is a cool white Cree XP-L HI, and there’s a very smooth, deep reflector.
These beamshots are always with the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure.
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
I compare everything to the Killzone 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Random Comparisons and Competitive Options….
Here’s a link to a relevantly filtered page on parametrek.com. I use that site a lot!
To be honest there’s not a lot that competes in this price range. It’s not a complicated feature set, but the throw coupled with the price make this a great value!
Conclusion
What I like
- Cree XP-L HI is one of my favorites (and great for this light)
- Build quality is very good
- Low price
- Emitter swap should be easy
- A bunch of mode groups with Biscotti firmware
What I don’t like
- Only CW is offered
Notes
- This light was provided by GearBest for review. I was not paid to write this review.
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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