Inova Questions

cgd160

cgd160

Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
905
Just got my Inova X5T and I have to say I'm not impressed at all.

On the back of the box it reads X5MT-WT.
What does the M stand for, and I would imagine the WT refers to the White LED version, but it has a blue tint to it, is this normal, are the blue LED's actually blue or is there a colored reflector inside?
How do you change the LED's if one blows?

Now here is why I'm not impressed:
My AA MiniMag is brighter and whiter.
The tailcap design is N.F.G. it needs to be raised more. It's also not exact enough (like surefire).
No notch (again, like surefire), to see or feel when the tailcap is in the desired position (I could etch one but shouldn't have to.).
The roll factor (This is a minor gripe, easily solved by a lanyard, but it's a pain in the ass with a pouch.).

What really got to me, was how dull the beam is, and that blue tint. If I order a white light, that's what I want to receive. Not white with a blue tint. That is false advertising.
If this thing has a 2 mile visibility, (my ass), then my Surefire M2 must be visible from the Moon!

The blue tint issue is what I want some input on the most. If anyone else has noticed this let me know, I'll take up the issue with Inova.
The last thing I'll say is, I'm well aware that I could have received a lemon, (it happens) that's why I want the input.

End Gripe.
 
I really can't address most of your gripes or questions, but I can add that I received my Inova just about a month ago. I love the thing. It is a seriously well-made gadget. I think the main problem is that you are used to your M2. Hell, I am used to my E2, and that is less of a light than the M2, and I was still a little surprised when I turned the X5 on for the first time.

You need to consider something: Sure, the M2 and E2 lights are immensely brighter, but the batteries last about 50 minutes and 70 minutes, respectively. Don't the batteries only last half an hour with the really bright lamps in the M2? Okay, so now the Inova batteries last 20+ hrs. That is about 20 to 40 times longer than the Surefire lights. My point is that the Inova is not meant to be pocket lighthouse, its virtues lie elsewhere. It is more of a survival light. Something that will last for a long period of time on one set of batteries. The lamps will also outlive the owner, whereas in the Surefire lights, the lamps will be changed occasionally.

You can't have both incredible brightness and long lasting battery life in one shot. It's either one or the other. I also appreciate the toughness of the Inova lights. And they are waterproof to 150'.

When I think of Surefire, I think "combat." When I think of Inova and other LED lights, I think "survival." To compare one to the other is not a very good idea.
 
Komondor, I am surefire spoiled no doubt. I'm aware of all the facts you state. It's just this was purchased as a replacement to my MiniMag (I was blinding people with my M2). It's not bright or white enough. What about the blue tint, is yours a white LED and have you noticed a blue tint to it? The battery life is awesome, no argument there, I will put it in my survival pack because of this as a back up.
 
Originally posted by cgd160
What about the blue tint, is yours a white LED and have you noticed a blue tint to it?
Click to expand...


Mine is also white, and it does indeed have a bluish tint-- something that mildly surprised me. I think it is kinda cool, though.

It's funny you mention the Mini Mag. I think the mini mag directs its beam further than the the Inova. But the Inova's beam quality is better (almost as good as Surefire), and it lights up more of an arc around the flashlight itself. I noticed this not too long ago because I was doing some work in a really dark area, and one of the other people I was with had the Mini Mag; while I had the Inova. The Inova lights up more of an area, it just doesn't direct its beam as far, as does the Maglite.

Go into a large, dark room in your house, and turn them both on. I think you will notice this.

Give the Inova a chance, you will grow to really appreciate it. Especially when you have to leave the thing on for a period of time, and not have to worry about replacing the batteries in a minute or two. :)
 
That's funny, I went into a walkin closet and did the side by side test and saw everything you stated. What I'm going to do is put the light in my woman's car. This way if anythings goes wrong with her car at night, she will have a reliable and functioning light source. Plus now I don't have to change the batteries in the 2C mag every 2 months.
 
I also bought an Inova about a month ago, my bride nabbed it so I have another on order. First I'm with cgd160 on the tailcap, it might could be a bit taller and more "precise". As to the tint, most of the LED torches I've seen have either a bluish or greenish tint to them. In comparison my mini-mag looks almost yellow and it's beam is just a bit less than the Inova's, course that could be the batteries also. I got the Inova to put in my truck along with a M2. I wanted it for it's run-time and to use the 123's out of the M2 when it won't fire. What little time I actually had the Inova it did about 80% of what I needed a flashlight for and the M2 took care of the other 20% when I needed some throw. As an aside I have been seeing some discussion that SureFire is shooting to release some LED bezel conversions in about 4 weeks.
Stay Safe,
Clyde
 
The blue tint issue is what I want some input on the most. If anyone else has noticed this let me know, I'll take up the issue with Inova.
Click to expand...

The Inova isn't as blue as you think. Its really pretty close to <b>real white</b>. The problem is your eyes. You are used to flashlight beams (yes including the Surefires) that are basically <b>yellow</b> lights, and your eye/brain have conditioned you to see this as "white" because your basic incandescent flashlights have had that color since they were invented.

When your eye finally sees a real white coming out of a flashlight it insists on interpreting it as a little blue. The blue LED lights are really (and very beautifully in most people's opinion) dense blue. Personally as pretty as they are (women find them sexy), I myself prefer the white as it provides real color feadback.

Most of your other concerns have been addressed. I do find it hard to believe that your mini-mag is brighter over-all than the Inova. The mini-mag beam is more focused its true, but the Inova puts out much more light - more of a flood than a spot - over all, and in most situations this is perfectly acceptable, and often even better than a more focused spot.

Oh, you also asked what you do if an LED burns out... Basically you ask for a replacement flashlight, because that shouldn't happen in your lifetime! Of course there are always defects, but defective LEDs usually show up immediately and Inova will certainly replace such units.
 
I got an original Inova X5 in white, and yes, it seemed slightly blueish. No big deal, I liked it a lot. I carry a light when I walk at night and eating up 123s in my E2 was no real problem but I didn't need to light up half the town, either. I just got the X5T but in real blue, they call it cobalt blue, and it has an ultraviolet tinge. Shine one of these on a dayglo color and it will really stand out! They are impressive in a fog.

cgd160, I still hang my AA minimag on a cord from my front doorknob, my emergency light location. But I don't grab it for those late night walks anymore because the Inova X5 or X5T is a better illuminator, and the T is more flexible to use with that tailcap button. One thing you have to do to get the button working right, like a hair-trigger, is to screw the cap down until it's just short of permanent on.

I couldn't believe it, I bought the X5T in Grand Central Station in NY, for $43.25 tax included. NY? A fair price? Maybe I should move back ... !?
 
I've always hated Maglites because they always seemed to be dying no matter how little I used them and how many times I changed the batteries (and this was before I got the Inova and Surefire). I agree with Komondor--the quality of the light coming from the Inova is a helluva lot better than the mag and although the mag has a more focused beam I'd rather use the Inova any day. And I also agree with what Matthew said about the white--in a side by side comparison with my E2, my (original) Inova is a great deal whiter than the Surefire. That's something that I never notice unless they are side by side. I am planning to get more Surefires AND Inovas in the future--I don't think that there's any better combo out there.
 
I think that you have been given wise counsel by all of these gents.
I have used Mag lights and mini Maglights since they came out it seems. They always seemed adaquate but not great.
I got a SureFire 9P years ago and found out what REAL light was all about. This past year I have started checking out the LED stuff. I first got a Photon 2 in white. (The eyes see a slight blue with it also). Then just recently I got a new Inova X5T. I like it a lot. It was gotten by me for a different use that the SureFire. The Inova was bought by me as a complament light to the Surefire. Both have their specific place in the light kingdom, as do the Maglights.
I think we all, at one time or another buy something thinking that it will be something totally different from what it is. It is our nature build things up larger that life when we our impressed with them. Others come along and read postings of how awesome an item is and buy it, then and there because of other peoples happiness and then find out that it is different in there opinion than all the stuff they had heard. I guess we all have different expectations of the products we buy depending on what we heard about them before buying. My feeling is that the Inova 5 is a great little floodlight, with a wide washing light that is perfectly suited to getting you out of the woods at night, or any other application where you DO NOT need a long penetrating white hot beam. Take Care.:D
 
The blue that you see is because white leds start out as blue and then are coated with phosphor to make them white.I have blue and white X5 (not the "tactical" one) I like these better because to turn them on you loosen the head and to make sure it does not come on just tighten the head down.
 
Rycen, that explains the blue tint, thanks.

ArchAngel (Good group by that name.), you hit the nail right on the head and drove it through.

Matthew, it's not my eyes. The beam has a blue tint. Shine it on a white wall and you'll see it.

One thing I should have mentioned, I'm not using Mag bulbs in my Mini. Radioshack sells bulbs that are considerably brighter and whiter.

I work with twisted pair all the time (No, it's not a heavy metal band) and each manufacturer of any form of twisted pair (cat3, cat5, 12pair, 24pair and so on) has their own version of each color. The primary colors are: White (used the most), Red, Black, Yellow and Violet. The secondary colors are: Blue, Orange, Green, Brown and Slate. The colors are coded as such: white blue, blue white, white orange, orange white, all the way to violet slate, slate violet, 50 pairs in all. Work with this cable for 8hrs. a day and colors start to blend.
 
Matthew, it's not my eyes. The beam has a blue tint. Shine it on a white wall and you'll see it.
Click to expand...

I know what you are seeing, and I still say the LED white is much closer to a "real white" than any incandescant bulb even if it has a little too much blue in it - in a true white, the intensities of the primaries RED, GREEN, and BLUE would all be equal.

I thought the phosphor comment was interesting... It would mean some sort of coating underneath the plastic bulb lense that gave off light in all the colors when hit by a blue light. Have you got a pointer to a web site or paper that describes the process?
 
I could be mistaken, but for some reason I thought truly white LEDs were in the pipeline. All white LEDs I know of now use the phosphor coating -- the coating absorbs the blue light, I assume that causes an electron to jump up an orbit, and when it comes back down, it releases a photon.

Joe
 
K. , the length is exactly 12cm long by 2.1 1/2 cm wide. It's a great light, it just doesn't fit my intended purpose.

Matthew, your misunderstanding my use of the term primary and secondary. When using these terms with color coded cable, blue and green are secondary not primary (Basically you have to ignore what was learned in art class.). It's difficult to explain without visual references. If you have access to cat5 cable made by 2 different manufacturers, take the sheath off the cable, shine this light on it in a dimly lit room and you'll see how the tint can be a hindrance. It doesn't matter at all outside of work. It's just that when doing the research, I didn't find one post that mentioned the tint or any other shortcomings (except role factor) that the light might have. That's one reason I posted a negative review, everyone should know the good and the bad. If Someone else does a search now, they will know exactly what they are getting and will be able to decide if this light will suit their needs.
 
Joe, where did you hear about the truly white LED's and who will manufacture them?

Edited to add, I've noticed negative reviews bring out a lot more info on a product, good and bad.
 
Originally posted by cgd160
If you have access to cat5 cable made by 2 different manufacturers, take the sheath off the cable, shine this light on it in a dimly lit room and you'll see how the tint can be a hindrance. It doesn't matter at all outside of work.
Click to expand...
That's pretty interesting seeing as how I work with cat5 all the time. I've just never had to work with it in the dark.
 
cgd160,
Here is a good site on the Luxeon Star LED. I'm a fledgling flashaholic but as I understand it the Luxeon will be THE shitz when they finally get it honed and tweaked. Just a couple of commercial companies have put a Luxeon fired flashlight out. Got a few hobbyist putting out some Luxeon modified torches also. Maybe Size15s or Brock will drop by and add some info on them.
Stay Safe,
Clyde
 
clyde,

Thanks for bringing this new technology to our attention. I can't wait for those to come out.
 
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