(Disclaimer) Hi, This is the fourth in a little series of average dude reviews. These are reviews for the potential non-flashaholics that may wonder in. Some of you guys do such great and detailed reviews but they are sometimes hard to follow and sometimes I just want to hear if something is pretty cool or kinda blah. I know a bit about flashlights, but don’t mod, or program, and can’t tell which emitter i’m using just by looking at it. Also, maybe the manufactures here want a “muggles” perspective. So that’s what up!
Had been looking at this for a long time and was really excited to get it, especially because my other two JetBeams may be my favorite lights in their categories. Which will get written up sooner or later. This was going to be my all purpose, go anywhere, EDC. 14500, built in recharging, good LED, can use AA in a pinch. Nope. Can’t have it all apparently. Also, JetBeam must have realized this because it’s now on their discontinued list…They are still available a bunch of places so maybe this review can help you decide, and of course, if JetBeam wants to send me a new or different one, I would accept gladly. ect. blah. cool.
Look/anodization: Well the anodization is good. It’s a smooth dark grey and doubt there will be any issues with it. However, my other two JetBeams have beautiful grey iridescent absolutely awesome anodizing, and in comparison this is basic. The look? There’s a completely useless silver ring around the head. Like why? Is it special heat sink? If so ok. If not, it takes an otherwise expensive feeling light and makes it feel cheap. There are also multiple design ideas all the way up the light. Like when a giant house has two different columns in front from different historical periods… Corinthian and Ionic? No bueno.
LED/Beam: The LED is an XPL-Hi which is great. It’s a very clean white color, with a solid, medium sized hot spot, some less intense spill around that, and then a very big less intense area around that. It’s actually perfect for an EDC. It would be great if I could use all that to it’s full potential. Up to 650 lumins!! Which I can’t. Bringing us to the next point.
Battery: Because I was so excited, and I didn’t have any 14500’s I went and ordered 2 (to have a back up) name brand JetBeam 14500’s from Battery junction. My perfect EDC deserved to have a battery specifically made for it! Bam, put in the battery, turns on bright, turn off the light, won’t turn back on. Now it only works with AA’s. Not cool. No longer my perfect EDC. Now a kind of unattractive AA light…. Side note. Those JetBeam batteries did the same thing in my Utorch ut01…, but work great in the Jet 1MK and the Nircron N7…
Magnet: Sucks… no really. It can’t hold the light perpendicular even without a battery in it.
Clip: I like the clip. It actually screws in between the parts and totally won’t come off. It also has a little lanyard hole on the opposite side, which would be nice if there wasn’t already a hole in the back, but whatever.
Button/UI: The button press is fine, but it’s hard to index in the dark, and you end up just pressing the side of the light and turning till you get it. The UI is Ok. Press to cycle through three modes. Double click for ATTACK strobe, which I always like as a feature, but would be much better if I was getting the full 650 lumens. The worst is the long press to turn off. Maybe just 2 seconds, but feels weird like I’m waiting longer. It’s probably my issue. A half second in the sands of time while writing these ridiculous reviews is probably nothing, but it’s my half second. Like when someone holds a hug too long, or their done talking, but open their mouth again, like they are going to say some thing, but close it, and don’t say anything, but now you’re waiting a full extra second after that, and have look up, and raise your eyebrows at them to make sure they’re done…… It’s that.
Charging: Haven’t been able to use it… You do have to take the head all the way off, which seems unnecessary because the battery goes in the back, this exposes a spring, which would eventually fall and bend or get stepped on.
That’s it. Here are some pics. What is it that people said about the Delorean? Bunch of cool ideas, but not thought out enough to be useful? Unless of course you have a flux capacitor, but that’s another story… JetBeam, I hate giving bad reviews… will write something glowing about your GT-WL-S4 (my favorite flashlight) .
Edit Update: I saw on the description of the E01R, the aaa, version of this light and it say the silver ring is actually titanium to add bezel strength if this is the case, it’s very cool, and Jetbeam gets a thumbs up for creativity and creating a feature I’d like to see again on maybe an improved version of this light.
Thumbs down for this one.