I purchased 5 of these hosts directly from Brinyte. I will update the review once I am able to throw a LED and driver in it and take some measurements.
The specs taken from their website are as follows:
As the Jacob A60 is no longer made, I went looking for a replacement. The S28 looks similar to a Jacob A60 and is similar sized. It is a little bit heavier. The S28 has a hefty aluminum reflector compared to the A60’s plastic reflector, which accounts for some of the weight gain. Also, the flashlight as a whole feels so much better than an A60. Let’s be honest, the A60 was a cheap light and felt like it. If it didn’t throw so damn good, most people wouldn’t like it. It had crappy anodizing, the aluminum felt light and thin, cheap switch, and the plastic reflector.
These are the specs I got from Dx.com for the Jacob A60: 17.0cm (Length) x 5.5cm (Head) and weighs 195g
The S28 is 17.8cm (Length) x 5.7cm (Head) and weighs 277g
Here is a picture of the A60 just so looks can be easily compared.
So on to the first part of my review on the S28. Below are pictures I took of the lights I received.
The anodizing and build quality is excellent. I would have liked to have seen a better switch, but I will test this one and see what it can handle. It tail stands. There is no true pill which I prefer as it transfers heat to the body better if built right. I do not like that the driver sits in the “pill” part of the body and is held in with a plastic retainer. Sure, it is screwed in and tightens to hold the driver against it for electrical connection, but I would have preferred an aluminum or brass/copper retaining ring. It takes a 20mm MCPCB and 20mm driver. All the O-rings were greased. I would have like the lens to be AR coated for the price I paid, which was about $30 each shipped. Yes, I know it is about twice the price of the A60, but the build quality is so much better. I would like to see these hosts in the $20-25 range, but oh well. The reflector is thick and there were no major imperfections in the reflective finish. I didn’t actually measure the true wall thickness, but it is significant. It does make it head heavy. The rough measurements I took on the reflector are a outside diameter of 53mm, inside diameter of 46mm, and is 50mm deep. Without taking my A60’s apart and measuring, a search says their reflector is about 50mm OD, 48mm ID, and 45mm deep.
Will this be a better light than the A60? I won’t know until I slap some parts in it. I expect the output to be very similar. The S28 may have a minute edge over the A60. I don’t know how the beam will look yet. Hopefully without the horrible ringy profile we are used to with the A60. No doubt, the A60 is/was the best thrower for the money. With the A60’s not being made anymore, I unfortunately don’t expect to see another thrower in the $12-15 price range ever again. If Brinyte would offer these hosts at $25 shipped, I think it would be a viable replacement for the A60. At the current price, I don’t see the S28 beating out other lights in the dollar per kcd category. It’s basically down to the age old price vs quality scenario. The Brinyte S28 is definitely a much better quality light, but with “expected” same output of cheaper lights.