I don't know man. I've owned 9 Nitecore lights and every one has performed as advertised. I have since gave them to friends and family and kept the TM03. Never have I had an issue with any of them. The odds that you got 4 bad lights is basically zero. But its possible I guess. Contact Nitecore they will sort you out, I promise. I gave away my other lights because the TM03 does everything. It's a marvelous piece of engineering. Please dont post reviews like this about a fantastic company. This is why you have so few views, you are the only person ever to have an issue with Nitecore
Late to the party but in the manual under 'precautions' point 2 it states: "in mode 1, after several consecutive turbo boosts, the battery voltage may be insufficient for further turbo boosts. This is considered normal." You shoud add that to the video's summary. It is not a fail but a limitation of single battery.
sorry whats the issue here, is this guy complaining about the thermal step down? is he expecting a flashlight to be at its advertised max power level for hours at a time???
First of all WTF??! 1.What Batteries u using?? 2. Your behind the camera No way of knowing which of the 4 torches You using at a time?? 3.what shop did you buy them from?? Kazkstan?lol 4.How long have you had them for?? And what kind of fuked up shit were you and ur brother doin with them?? I own several of them for a few years now and they work perfectly!! Nothing wrong NITECORE is a TOP Brand A torch is supposed to be used as A TORCH not to play soccer with or any other purpose. You look after them You have NO PROBLEMS!
1. I’ve been using original fully charged batteries 2. After each attempt I was leaving each flashlight on the sofa, so there is no chance to swipe them. 3. Shop in Poland. No, not Holand... if you are American I assume you have no clue what I’m talking about 4. I’ve had them for three days. And I haven’t done anything wrong with them. I have a dozen of premium flashlights and I know how to handle with them. When I went to the store to give them back, they checked two more they had in a store and they had the same issues! As far as I know the store has returned all of them to Nitecore. You can not have several of them for few years, because this model is one year old. I love Nitecore and had no issues with their products so far. This is first time. I assume Poland het some shitty series of this model. That’s why all of them are fucked up.
Interesting, it could be the heat regulation kicking in and preventing the light from getting too hot so it drops the lumens, that would make sense, who flicks there light on and off every few seconds anyway? However the second switch not working was more worrying, did the big switch still work?
Firstly, thank you for taking the time to do this and I don't think you're trying to trash Nitcore products. Secondly, I was reading and Nitcore uses digital sensing for heat build up. Some others use timers, but some use heat sensing. And I think it's the heat regulation that causes that. If it's on steady, I believe within a 1 1/2 minutes it shuts down to lower, but turning on/off could throw the sensor off, as it does with all 4. I would contact Nitcore, it could be a bug in their heat regulation system. And if you don't mind, can you update us, since Oct. 2017? I'm about to buy one and this concerns me, because you just bought them in 2017.
Hi, I'll try to explain your issue. The torch is not faulty, it is designed this way. These small tactical lights are too small to dissipate heat effectively, so they have inbuilt thermal protection circuits that automatically step down to a lower output mode once they overheat. The TM03 is essentially a 1350 lumen torch due to these two words - "Burst mode". This means that you will only get the maximum output for a very brief duration, from mere seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the torch model. Any torch that says "Burst mode" is a marketing ploy and you'll want to avoid it like the plague unless the burst mode is suitable for your use. The CREE XHP70 LED is simply too powerful for a casing this small. I hope this helps in informing you or anyone else in making future purchases! IMO the best tactical light currently on the market is the Klarus XT11GT, however it depends on your preferences. It has instant strobe access, which is a must for a tactical light, anything less and you're wasting your money and your safety in a self defence scenario. Anyhow, it will put out 2000 lumens, and from my own tests it will do so for around 21-22 minutes from a resting temperature before the brightness will drop, and that is impressive from a light this size. The problem with the XT11GT is that they all seem to have a problem with the inner tail cap nut coming loose and the torch going haywire until you tighten it. I'm still looking for the perfect tactical light, and if it weren't for that issue it would be. In short, if you see "Burst mode" in the features, the advertised lumens, while technically true, is a marketing gimmick. Spend your money elsewhere.
KenshinPhoenix - thanks for your answer. I know the burst mode issue, but I think this is not the case in this scenario. Those flashlights were not warm at all. They were fully charged and ready to go. They just sometimes work and sometimes not and this is unacceptable in self defense scenario. Ps. I’m also looking for perfect tactical flashlight. With poor results.
Good demonstration and you have discovered a problem with the testing standard. Instead of giving the average lumens over the discharge period the testing standard allows the manufacrurers to quote the peak lumen output at 30 seconds. This means the value given on the package can be double, triple, or even more times the actual average output of the light. There are very few lights that have an average output that is more than 80% of the peak value. There is no way Ithat I am aware of to know the average output of a light without testing it in an optical lab. Your light may meet the standard but the standard itself is stupid.
It's just the slow software of this flashlight. Or a bug that appears when clicking so fast. I have the same effect, but it doesn't matter for my using purposes. Why do you click so fast on/off? Do you want to use the light for Morse code transmitting? Then this will be a problem for you with the TM03. But if you use it as a normal flashlight, the problem does not appear. If you turn it on/off a lot of times with normal speed (every 3 or 5 seconds for example), then there is no problem and it always starts on the highest brightness level. Even if you change the button mode and use the middle/main button for turning on/off, the same problem appears when you click too fast. Your "clicking speed" is just too fast for the software. You press the button to turn the light off, and during the software shuts down the LED, you are clicking already again - the software "thinks" the light is still turned on and steps to the next brightness level - that is the lower level if the last level was the highest level. Hard to explain, but I think the TM03 has a little software bug or the software is too slow - for 99,9% of all users no problem, only if you use it for Morse code or similar. I use the TM03 with the original dedicated 18650, it has high output power for a longer time, until the flashlight is too hot, or the voltage of the 18650 is too low.
I own the MH12GT and the P30. I favor the P30 over all (the throw is awesome and beats the MH12GT by far) but they are different lights with a different type of throw. Both of these lights are 1000 lumen, the MH12GT has a better spread with a decent throw but I still prefer the P30. I carry both on me when I scout but I use the P30 more. So now I’m researching this Tiny Monster. These lights do get hot, so it makes sense that it will drop voltage to protect the light. The question is, how often will it drop voltage because the P30 never drops voltage and stays legit for all of us. We have three P30’s in our group when we scout and it’s awesome!!
I just ordered one on eBay that is slightly used. I don't plan to be using the button on and off like you are doing. I just want it to click on when I click it.
Did you read the manual?? I own this light. The light is DELIBERATELY doing that to protect itself. Turbo mode is not meant to be used like a strobe, simple as that! You cant have a true 2,800lm flashlight being powered off a single 18650battery without Compromising somewhere. You want a light that can deliver that much output when your using it like a idiot get one that has 2 damn batteries! This thing even has its own specific IMR battery just so it can deliver that kind of current to the flashlight. Do your research and know what you are getting before crapping on one of, if not the BEST flashlight companies on the market
Say it to the store owner and Nitecore it self - he sent back all flashlights this model as a failure and Nitecore agreed something is wrong with this series. :)
I was “strobe” only to show the issue in the video. That is what happens on the regular basis when I was using this flashlight on my walk with my dogs. I don’t give a fuck if this is on purpose - I have to be sure that I have all the power when I need it.
Then dont be an idiot! There is a reason this is advertised as a tactical flashlight meaning it's not meant to be blasting out 2800 luminescence for an hour straight or however long you walk your dog the Turbo mode only stays on for about 2 minutes before it ramps down to same power and prevent overheating! So don't be a dipshit and expect to have the equivalent of 2 high beams in your hand with only one battery powering it to last very long. You want longevity and stupid amounts of light DON'T GET A TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT!
Ryan Thomas you really don’t get it?! I’m not a new guy to flashlights. I have plenty of them and all are tactical. I’m not using them by turning on till I’ll drain the battery. I’m using them for just a few seconds to see what is around. And if I’m willing to have 100% power I want to have it each time! I’m not overloading my gear whatsoever, but I’m expecting full reliability and this model is not delivering it Either shop and Nitecore agreed, so what else you don’t get?
It's either because your not using IMR batteries or the battery's have been half discharged, Nitecore say that once the battery voltage drops below 3.7V it will not go into Turbo mode to protect the battery
Aviation ToolBox - all batteries were fully charged just before the video making. I said that at the beginning. And I was using original batteries of course. With other ones you are not able to even switch the flashlight on. I returned all of them to the shop. They’ve test all four of them and three new others from their supplies and every each of them failed the simple test.
yes , obviously you use other batteries so it doesnt reach 2800 lumens and now youre upset. Its common sense why you usenother batteries if it has dedicated 18650 for tm03 only
Again, u r not using it as designed and ignored the heat protection. On and off causes a power surge so current and heat sensing will kick in. Even 50% is 1400Lm !!!! What do u want? a sun in your hand???
I have had issues with my TM03. I can turn it on and only access low and medium. Then turn it off and back on then it will allow me access to the other modes. Not sure if it's a switch issue or a contact issue with the special battery. Keep in mind this is on a freshly charged battery(the included cell with the special contacts) and it acts as though it has a normal 18650 in it. I get where this guy is coming from something is off. And keep in mind mine is COLD has ran maybe 3-5 seconds in turbo before it acts as tho it no longer has anything past the 2nd mode.
You have 44 dislikes and 19 likes... that alone should say something. Open your eyes, do your research and stop trashing the best flashlight manufacturer because of your ignorance
This manufacturer agreed with me and took all of this flashlights from the store... so open your eyes. I live this brand and have three more models from them and they are perfect. This one is crap cause of this particular issue. End the story. Ps. If fanboys wants to dislike this vide cause of uncomfortable facts... let it be ;)
I don't know man. I've owned 9 Nitecore lights and every one has performed as advertised. I have since gave them to friends and family and kept the TM03. Never have I had an issue with any of them. The odds that you got 4 bad lights is basically zero. But its possible I guess. Contact Nitecore they will sort you out, I promise. I gave away my other lights because the TM03 does everything. It's a marvelous piece of engineering. Please dont post reviews like this about a fantastic company. This is why you have so few views, you are the only person ever to have an issue with Nitecore
Late to the party but in the manual under 'precautions' point 2 it states: "in mode 1, after several consecutive turbo boosts, the battery voltage may be insufficient for further turbo boosts. This is considered normal."
You shoud add that to the video's summary. It is not a fail but a limitation of single battery.
sorry whats the issue here, is this guy complaining about the thermal step down? is he expecting a flashlight to be at its advertised max power level for hours at a time???
Thanks for the detailed comment Kenshin P. I’ll take that in consideration while I do my research on this light.
First of all WTF??!
1.What Batteries u using??
2. Your behind the camera
No way of knowing
which of the 4 torches
You using at a time??
3.what shop did you
buy them from??
Kazkstan?lol
4.How long have you
had them for??
And what kind of
fuked up shit were you
and ur brother doin with them??
I own several of them
for a few years now
and they work perfectly!!
Nothing wrong
NITECORE is a TOP Brand
A torch is supposed
to be used as A TORCH
not to play soccer with
or any other purpose.
You look after them
You have NO PROBLEMS!
1. I’ve been using original fully charged batteries
2. After each attempt I was leaving each flashlight on the sofa, so there is no chance to swipe them.
3. Shop in Poland. No, not Holand... if you are American I assume you have no clue what I’m talking about
4. I’ve had them for three days. And I haven’t done anything wrong with them. I have a dozen of premium flashlights and I know how to handle with them.
When I went to the store to give them back, they checked two more they had in a store and they had the same issues!
As far as I know the store has returned all of them to Nitecore.
You can not have several of them for few years, because this model is one year old.
I love Nitecore and had no issues with their products so far. This is first time.
I assume Poland het some shitty series of this model. That’s why all of them are fucked up.
This is why you read your owners manual. And it has a strobe, you don't have to keep working the power button..
Interesting, it could be the heat regulation kicking in and preventing the light from getting too hot so it drops the lumens, that would make sense, who flicks there light on and off every few seconds anyway? However the second switch not working was more worrying, did the big switch still work?
Firstly, thank you for taking the time to do this and I don't think you're trying to trash Nitcore products.
Secondly, I was reading and Nitcore uses digital sensing for heat build up. Some others use timers, but some use heat sensing. And I think it's the heat regulation that causes that. If it's on steady, I believe within a 1 1/2 minutes it shuts down to lower, but turning on/off could throw the sensor off, as it does with all 4.
I would contact Nitcore, it could be a bug in their heat regulation system.
And if you don't mind, can you update us, since Oct. 2017?
I'm about to buy one and this concerns me, because you just bought them in 2017.
Hi,
I'll try to explain your issue. The torch is not faulty, it is designed this way. These small tactical lights are too small to dissipate heat effectively, so they have inbuilt thermal protection circuits that automatically step down to a lower output mode once they overheat. The TM03 is essentially a 1350 lumen torch due to these two words - "Burst mode". This means that you will only get the maximum output for a very brief duration, from mere seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on the torch model. Any torch that says "Burst mode" is a marketing ploy and you'll want to avoid it like the plague unless the burst mode is suitable for your use. The CREE XHP70 LED is simply too powerful for a casing this small. I hope this helps in informing you or anyone else in making future purchases!
IMO the best tactical light currently on the market is the Klarus XT11GT, however it depends on your preferences. It has instant strobe access, which is a must for a tactical light, anything less and you're wasting your money and your safety in a self defence scenario. Anyhow, it will put out 2000 lumens, and from my own tests it will do so for around 21-22 minutes from a resting temperature before the brightness will drop, and that is impressive from a light this size. The problem with the XT11GT is that they all seem to have a problem with the inner tail cap nut coming loose and the torch going haywire until you tighten it. I'm still looking for the perfect tactical light, and if it weren't for that issue it would be.
In short, if you see "Burst mode" in the features, the advertised lumens, while technically true, is a marketing gimmick. Spend your money elsewhere.
KenshinPhoenix - thanks for your answer.
I know the burst mode issue, but I think this is not the case in this scenario.
Those flashlights were not warm at all. They were fully charged and ready to go.
They just sometimes work and sometimes not and this is unacceptable in self defense scenario.
Ps. I’m also looking for perfect tactical flashlight. With poor results.
KenshinPhoenix how do you rate acebeam L16?
How about jet beam TH20?
Exactly.
Good demonstration and you have discovered a problem with the testing standard. Instead of giving the average lumens over the discharge period the testing standard allows the manufacrurers to quote the peak lumen output at 30 seconds. This means the value given on the package can be double, triple, or even more times the actual average output of the light. There are very few lights that have an average output that is more than 80% of the peak value. There is no way Ithat I am aware of to know the average output of a light without testing it in an optical lab. Your light may meet the standard but the standard itself is stupid.
It's just the slow software of this flashlight. Or a bug that appears when clicking so fast. I have the same effect, but it doesn't matter for my using purposes. Why do you click so fast on/off? Do you want to use the light for Morse code transmitting? Then this will be a problem for you with the TM03. But if you use it as a normal flashlight, the problem does not appear. If you turn it on/off a lot of times with normal speed (every 3 or 5 seconds for example), then there is no problem and it always starts on the highest brightness level. Even if you change the button mode and use the middle/main button for turning on/off, the same problem appears when you click too fast. Your "clicking speed" is just too fast for the software. You press the button to turn the light off, and during the software shuts down the LED, you are clicking already again - the software "thinks" the light is still turned on and steps to the next brightness level - that is the lower level if the last level was the highest level. Hard to explain, but I think the TM03 has a little software bug or the software is too slow - for 99,9% of all users no problem, only if you use it for Morse code or similar. I use the TM03 with the original dedicated 18650, it has high output power for a longer time, until the flashlight is too hot, or the voltage of the 18650 is too low.
This is the correct answer to the problem identified also on CPF. Thanks for saving me the time to write it out.
My first real bright flashlight I have own is nitecore tm03 I had this for about 8-9 months now and so far mine has worked fine
Mine is working perfectly.
I am using this light for 1 year now. Nearly every day. AND IT IS FUCKIN PERFECT
David Chomiak - lucky you...
I own the MH12GT and the P30. I favor the P30 over all (the throw is awesome and beats the MH12GT by far) but they are different lights with a different type of throw. Both of these lights are 1000 lumen, the MH12GT has a better spread with a decent throw but I still prefer the P30. I carry both on me when I scout but I use the P30 more. So now I’m researching this Tiny Monster. These lights do get hot, so it makes sense that it will drop voltage to protect the light. The question is, how often will it drop voltage because the P30 never drops voltage and stays legit for all of us. We have three P30’s in our group when we scout and it’s awesome!!
Is this the only video you have for your channel? I haven’t been able to local another one Thanks
I just ordered one on eBay that is slightly used. I don't plan to be using the button on and off like you are doing. I just want it to click on when I click it.
Mine works perfectly too.
Did you read the manual?? I own this light. The light is DELIBERATELY doing that to protect itself. Turbo mode is not meant to be used like a strobe, simple as that! You cant have a true 2,800lm flashlight being powered off a single 18650battery without Compromising somewhere. You want a light that can deliver that much output when your using it like a idiot get one that has 2 damn batteries! This thing even has its own specific IMR battery just so it can deliver that kind of current to the flashlight. Do your research and know what you are getting before crapping on one of, if not the BEST flashlight companies on the market
Say it to the store owner and Nitecore it self - he sent back all flashlights this model as a failure and Nitecore agreed something is wrong with this series. :)
I was “strobe” only to show the issue in the video. That is what happens on the regular basis when I was using this flashlight on my walk with my dogs.
I don’t give a fuck if this is on purpose - I have to be sure that I have all the power when I need it.
Then dont be an idiot! There is a reason this is advertised as a tactical flashlight meaning it's not meant to be blasting out 2800 luminescence for an hour straight or however long you walk your dog the Turbo mode only stays on for about 2 minutes before it ramps down to same power and prevent overheating! So don't be a dipshit and expect to have the equivalent of 2 high beams in your hand with only one battery powering it to last very long. You want longevity and stupid amounts of light DON'T GET A TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT!
Ryan Thomas you really don’t get it?! I’m not a new guy to flashlights. I have plenty of them and all are tactical.
I’m not using them by turning on till I’ll drain the battery. I’m using them for just a few seconds to see what is around.
And if I’m willing to have 100% power I want to have it each time!
I’m not overloading my gear whatsoever, but I’m expecting full reliability and this model is not delivering it
Either shop and Nitecore agreed, so what else you don’t get?
It's either because your not using IMR batteries or the battery's have been half discharged, Nitecore say that once the battery voltage drops below 3.7V it will not go into Turbo mode to protect the battery
Aviation ToolBox - all batteries were fully charged just before the video making. I said that at the beginning.
And I was using original batteries of course. With other ones you are not able to even switch the flashlight on.
I returned all of them to the shop. They’ve test all four of them and three new others from their supplies and every each of them failed the simple test.
It has dedicated batteries and he doesnt show the battery hes using
This flashlight doesn’t work with other batteries then original ones.
And they were fully charged.
Bartosz Bodnar yes it does work with some other 18650 battery but you only get low and medium setting to work
yes , obviously you use other batteries so it doesnt reach 2800 lumens and now youre upset. Its common sense why you usenother batteries if it has dedicated 18650 for tm03 only
Again, u r not using it as designed and ignored the heat protection.
On and off causes a power surge so current and heat sensing will kick in.
Even 50% is 1400Lm !!!!
What do u want? a sun in your hand???
Today, the Acebeam L30 is better in almost every way. 4k lumens- turbo not burst, and much longer runtimes.
Ben Braceletspurple nah man no thx
Buy Acebeam!!! EC50ii 3000 lmns, 6 months of use, no problem at all! EC50iii 3800 lmns, L30 4000 lmns, K30, 5200 lmns...
Pokaże Pan uratowanego kotka? ❤️
Is this your 1st flashlight 😆
Czy kotek Czesław żyje?
Proszę o w miarę szybką odpowiedź
Żyje i ma się świetnie :)
I have had issues with my TM03. I can turn it on and only access low and medium. Then turn it off and back on then it will allow me access to the other modes. Not sure if it's a switch issue or a contact issue with the special battery. Keep in mind this is on a freshly charged battery(the included cell with the special contacts) and it acts as though it has a normal 18650 in it. I get where this guy is coming from something is off. And keep in mind mine is COLD has ran maybe 3-5 seconds in turbo before it acts as tho it no longer has anything past the 2nd mode.
You have 44 dislikes and 19 likes... that alone should say something. Open your eyes, do your research and stop trashing the best flashlight manufacturer because of your ignorance
This manufacturer agreed with me and took all of this flashlights from the store... so open your eyes.
I live this brand and have three more models from them and they are perfect.
This one is crap cause of this particular issue.
End the story.
Ps. If fanboys wants to dislike this vide cause of uncomfortable facts... let it be ;)
STEP DOWN..... ya goof LMAO
Go to Olight or Acebeam .
Might want to remove this video. Just saying...
chris k - why would I?
It is 100% true. The store took them back and agreed with me.
I guess because it was easier for them to agree with you than to argue. TM03 is on of the best flashlight pieces ever made.
Keep the vid up ,looks like the ones you have are junk.
you need to use ORIGINAL special BATTERY that are designed only for TM03