More Praise for Inova Flashlights

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cslinger

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I just wanted to say that if anybody is looking for a line of excellent flashlights at very good prices, give the Inova line by Emissive Energy a chance.

I got my first one, an X5 more than a year ago and I am still on the same set of batteries and it is as bright as the day I got it.

At this point we currently have six Inova flashlights and the quality and workmanship on all of them are spectacular as are the beam profiles, battery life and brightness. We have three X5s, two T2s and an XO3.

The X5 is a floodlamp multi LED light that is rated for 20+ hours and I believe it. The X5 is the best all purpose flashlight I have ever used.

The T2 is a 40 lumen tactical light rated for 5+ hours. Great throw and great knurling and tailcap click switch.

The X03 is an 82 lumen tactical style light that puts out a hell of a lot of light and has impressive throw. It is rated at 2+ hours. This is a great outdoor/tactical light.

All are 2 CR123 battery lights and all are regulated so their output will be non-dimming for the rated burn time. After the rated burn time like other LEDs they will dim but still provide usable light.

I am attaching a couple of pictures for comparison sake.

The first 2 show all the lights as compared to a two AA Mag Light.
240195.jpg


240194.jpg


The next image shows the lights on.
 
How is the 5X turned on and of. Does it have a click on/off tail cap. Or one like the surefire where you depress of momentary on, and twist for constant on.

Are the LEDs wired in series or parallel? And if one LED is damaged or burnt out (I know highly unlikely) will the other 4 still burn?

Also, what’s a good price and place to get one?

Thanks, Dan
 
The X5 is a press for momentary/twist for constant on. Don't know about the wiring. Dillon carries the X5 in the Blue Press for $39.95 which is a couple bucks more then I paid at The Sharper Image. I bought mine because I work nights but now take it pretty much everywhere. It's the best all around flashlight I own.
 
I agree, I've had mine for about three years (I think) and love it. It is a daily use item at work, and I can't count how many others here have gotten the same thing. Its a great light, can stand up to abuse, and is yet to let me down.

jojo
 
I used my x5 last night to tactically sneak up with a hockey stick on an univited home invader (BIG ARSE SPIDER) and, with flashlight in mouth, proceeded to eliminate the threat without incident.
 
I agree

I think the Inova LED lights are great and are also a good value. I have an X5 and also an X1 (single LED, uses one AA battery). They're both really bright, well crafted and tough. I carry the X1 around regularly and use it a fair amount. I've dropped my X1 on hard surfaces, gotten it wet, and semi-abuse it and it still works great.
 
Just placed an order online for the XO, about $50 for fedex next day shipping. Needed something last longer than my current 1 hr light the TL2.
 
IF you like the X series you'll love the T series. Knurling on the grip and a clickie tailcap. The twist caps suck IMO.
 
Is there any product-related reason that the Inova XO3 could not be used as a weapon light? Will the LED hold up to the recoil? I have managed to break filaments in a couple of Scorpion flashlights mounted on my 9mm Storb carbine. LEDs seem like they would be more durable and hence be a light that could be used on the Storm.
 
I love my X5- True, the twist-cap sucks, but it's a great all-around flashlight. Compact, bright, and durable.
 
Most LED lights exhibet a bluish or extremely white light that is very different to the eye then an incandescent light's yellowish tinge.

I prefer LED's light myself.

I don't have a problem with the twist cap at all. You are still able to activate the light with the push of a button, a twist is just needed if you want it to stay on without holding down the button.

I do, however, agree that the newer T series tailcaps are great. I think my T2's are my favorite flashlights.

Chris
 
Inova T3

I went to Sharper Image yester day but all they had was the XO3 I think it was. Great flash light except for the twist cap. I’m wondering about the T3? Is that basically the same thing as the XO3 except it has the “clickie tailcap� How exactly does it work? I hear it also has the lockout feature, is that true? This is very important feature to me.

BTW I picked up my surefire yesterday to find it dead again when I needed it? I think this is about the 5 time this has happened to me since I purchased it a year ago. It seems it goes through a set of batteries every two months regardless of how much I use it. And I don’t use a flashlight very much probably about 5 minutes of combined run time per month. Not very dependable flashlights?

Thanks, Dan
 
The T3 is the same light as the X03 with the exception of the click tailcap and knurling on the body.

The click tailcap can be unscrewed so as to lock out the button. The button itself is a momentary on with a light push/constant on with a full click push.

I don't know why your Surefire would be eating batteries up like that? Lithium batteries should be able to sit for next to forever and not loose charge unless they are being used?

Chris
 
I just received my Inova XO yesterday...very nice light and great throw. Best of all I'm going to get 4+ hours on a set of batteries compared to an hour on my Surefire G2.

It seems very well made, has a great feel, and throws a nice beam. I'd definitely reccomend it to anyone looking to replace their minimaglite.

Lets see...what light to buy next?
 
Inova T3

I received my T3. What is cool about the light is that is it brighter than a 2 cell Surefire with the INOVA putting out 80-85 lumens supposedly. It does put out a good amount of light and could be used as a tactical light. Being LED, it should handle weapon firing shock that breaks filaments in other types of lights that don't have a shock resistent housing. As it is LED, there is about twice the use life per battery set, 2 full hours.

Drawbacks:
It is longer than other 2 celled versions @ 6.25" and heavier. Part of the heavier aspect is the beefier tube and head construction. The beam quality is not as good on a Surefire or Scorpion. The reason why is that the beam of light isn't created by a properly focussed relfector, but the lens, something INOVA suggested was really amazing, thier patent-pending TIROSâ„¢ lens. It is cool, but it is just a variant of quite old lighthouse lens technology. If you have ever seen the lens of a an old lighthouse light, then my description might make more sense. My description probably does not do justice to the technology. Lighthouse beams are created by the light shining through many lenses that each aim the light that passes through them to the same point. These are arranged in a roughly concentric circular pattern facing the direction the beam is to travel. So basically this is on the T3 light.

While the lens does concentrate the light into a beam, you get concentric shadow circles that extend outwards from the main beam spot. So, the periphery light isn't clean. Of course, this was never an issue for lighthouse lights as they were not used as search lights, just beacons. Given the purists on the flashlight forums who love the beautiful light produced by Surefires and note the Surefires are superior to Scorpions because of the better light
quality, I am surprised I didn't see anything talking about the concentric rings as a negative factor when I scanned several of the threads. Maybe I should have read more.

Also, since it is LED light, the same sort of bizarre anemic haze is present as if the light produced by the LED does not behave in the same manner as incadescent light. On other LED lights, this anemic haze is what I saw as a bizarre feature where the light was really bright if you looked at it, but it didn't seem capable of shining very far. The light that did transmit distance wasn't all that rich. So, the new flashlight now transmits light much further and even creates a good spot of light that is fairly rich, but still not like incadescent lights and the periphery light generated is definitely not very rich.

Even with the downsides, it looks to be a pretty darn good light. The extra run time and no filament to break are real benefits for most applications I can conceive. It will be interesting to see how well the light holds up over time.
 
I just looked at my Inova XO, and I *think* that the lens is permanately attached. There isn't a reason for it's removal like a normal flashlight since the LED should last for the life of the light.
 
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