[short review] Niteye/Jetbeam Jet-II Pro 12th Anniversary edition

I bought the Jet-II from BG with a code nicely provided by M4D M4X. The light arrived without battery. Not Jetbeams fault I suppose since the package has been opened. I understand BG refuses to ship batteries to certain countries, but they should state that they will do so. I filed a complaint and will not buy again from BG until it is resolved in a way that I somehow will receive a free battery.

N.B.: Images show a light with a custom LED. The Jet-II comes with a CW XP-L Hi.

First impressions:

Not having the battery was disapointing, much worser and a real annoyance is the the clip not seated tight between tube and tailcap.

OTOH, the clip is only needed to help finding the side switch. The “attack head” will in either position ruin you clothes. The bezel is full of sharp edges. Taking it off improves things, but the thread still has a keen edge.

Edit:

I was missing an important detail: Below the clip there’s actually a replacement bezel that can be taken off! It doesn’t help the clip problem, but does not make it worser at least.

After inserting my battery, the flashlingt came to life not before trying double click for moon (sic). It seems that when the battery was removed some time ago, the flashlight starts in lockout mode. Amazing. So, preesing the side switch for five seconds or so brings it to life.

Next, going from mid to low and from low to high goes with a noticable flicker.

Material and construction:

Body, head, bezel, tailcap, replacement bezel: Titanium alloy

Clip: Likely stainless steel

MCPCB on shelf, driver with piggyback pcb for the button. Plus contact is a button, tailcap contact is a spring

Four tritium slots in the tailcap.

UI:

Double click for moon, then hold to switch between moon and high.

Single press for on, hold to switch H-M-L, H on double click.

Long press for lockout (moon/high still available) on double click.

Strobe on triple click.

Beam:

Moon is dark enough. Could be less, but can be used to preserve night vision.

The OPR is the true highlight.

I’ve never had a flashlight with such a great reflector. Texturing is very nice, producing a soft spot without artifacts even after implanting a LED with a dome (the original XP-L Hi is domeless). Of course, the LED is in focus.

The beam ist the second best (after tearing trousers) argument for not using the bezel.

Heat:

Lots of. Only 500 something lumes, but you cannot hold the light after less than a minute. Since head and battery tunbe aren’t seperated, the heat will distribute over the whole light.

Appearance:

The engravings are nicely done. They read “12 Years”, “Classic” and “Jet-II Pro personal defense”. There are some ornaments. Nice. The sideswitch carries the Niteye logo.

Someone said, this light would look like a chess piece. True, it could be the king, but never the king of industrial design. There’s not much beauty. Clip is likewise ugly, but at least not sharp.

Technical Data:

Nobody cares, I suppose. This is really only a collectors item. You cannot use it because the sharp thread is covered by a sharp bezel. Yeah, of course to can take it out of the showcase, make light, then shelve it back.

Modding:

No glue, do what you want. I did an emitter swap, I have in mind…

(1) to shorten the battery tube thread to have the tailcap pinching the clip

(2) cutting off the jags of that … bezel

How wide is the Jet-II head? Is it possible threads are similar to any other standalone bezels available separately...

Is it an 18350 tube or 16340 only? If 18mm, possibility the slightly wider head ring might be able to use Lumintop's Stainless Bezel (made for FW3A/FW1A)

Not sure if this Bezel would lego with this Jetbeam - I'm also interested in it for an Astrolux or BLF A6/S2+. (Posted on a different thread)

Maybe worth a few quid to buy a few bezels and experiment. Got the same Ti Jet-II flashlight on the way (also thanks to M4DM4X groupbuy), so will likely find myself in a similar conundrum soon!

Must not exceed few millimeters, else it becomes an aperture for the spill. Threads are a problem. D4V2 bezel doesn’t fit D4, early Sp32V2 don’t lego with later ones and so on.

I wonder if Jet2 Pro bezels fit. Those lights come with an extra bezel.

judging by your pictures the machining looks identical to my jet ii pro titanium, even the tailcaps are the same exact design with just different finishing im, very certain the bezels will fit yours just perfectly

the clip isnt an issue… you just have to find the tiny little indentation around its diameter and line up perfectly with the clip’s ring protrusion in order to fully tighten down its tailcap

The tailcap is fully tighten down in that image. That’s the problem.

would you mind taking off the clip and take a picture of it?

please check around its diameter carefully if you dont mind, there really should be a indentation like on mine circled in red on the right which you suppose to line up perfectly with the clip’s pointy area on the left

if not, that is one hell of a serious manufacturer defect jetbeam had just manage to fuck up…

Believe me, there is none. Even if there were a notch, it wouldn’t work as there’s 1.5mm space between tailcap and tube. I can rotate the clip around.

I wonder what ahershy’s findings will be.

sorry to hear that, but i am too disappointed with jetbeam’s hit-or-miss quality control

think the last bit you could save it is by cutting or filing down the protrusion on the clip until its flat to work along the ring diameter

Why? The clip can only be in a fixed position if is sits tight between tailcap and tube. Therefore the tube has to be filed down by about 1.2mm. I need to find someone being able to do this without ruining the thread. I think I cannot do it myself.

Edit: Oh, next problem would probably be space. Maybe the battery won’t fit anymore after shortening the tube :weary: . A washer maybe?

So now all we need to do is find someone with a spare Bezel that came with their Pro who is willing to sell or give away! If I remember correctly the Jet II Pro editions all had round buttons. Except the limited copper version which was styled exactly like this Anniversary edition with square button. That particular one also didn’t some with a replacement smooth bezel!

Do Jetbeam have these components available to purchase separately, or a contact to purchase spares?

I will definitely let you know once it is received. Got a spate of lights coming (something to keep busy during lockdown); this particular one was an impulse purchase, very usually for me, made on the very last day of Martin’s groupbuy that I didn’t want to miss out on the deal. So hope it works out.

I wrote them a letter (info@jetbeamlight.com). Will let you know if I get an answer.

The more I’m toying with this light, the more I wish I can fix the various flaws. The beam is incredibly nice.

There are four shafts below the head. They look like they’re there for taking trit vials, but I don’t know of any short, fat vials. Must be 3x6mm or so. Any sources?

15x6mm actually, at least on mine and it has space for 4 of them, the middle section is blocked off not allowing a 3x6mm vial to go through

i ordered from here, that is if you dont mind long waiting time
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33042028115.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.119e4c4d4iSMpe

Yes, the tailcap slots appear to take 1.5mm. I meant the large slots up where the switch is. But thanks for the link :+1:

Look carefully: From where have I taken this bezel? :person_facepalming:

no idea

There’s a replacement bezel below the clip. I’ve edited the OP. That explains why there’s no notch for the clip.

I’ve asked Jetbeam if this part can be ordered seperately.

Are you sure it’s a replacement bezel?

Try this, put your “replacement bezel” back where it was, tighten it all the way down towards the head. Replace clip and tail cap.

Is there a gap?

Unscrew “bezel” away from the head and towards the tail, until gap is gone.

Gap problem solved. But we still gotta do something about that horrid piece on the front.

Yes. It is shown in the manual. I did just not understand it.

Yes, I’ve already shown pictures showing that gap.

Yes, tried this and it works quite well.

Order another one of those rings. They are $2 or so. What hurts is shipping :person_facepalming: :weary: .