Inova Questions

This is a great thread. Lot more to these LEDs than I realized. I've never thought my X5 looked blue, but looking at it up close on a white background, I can see the blue.
Just wanted to throw in that people's eyes do see things differently. I used to work quality control for a powder coat paint manufacturer. Some of our products were held to very strict standards, and though we had equipment that would analyze and graph the color characteristics in detail, we were also required to be able to eyeball samples vs. standards to determine if there was enough visible difference to create a problem, depending on the application (alot of this stuff went on grills, fire extiguishers, and air conditioning units, so the world wasn't going to stop spinning over a small variation in color).
One of the tests for the job was to arrange ~20 samples by blue/yellow, green/red content. They were all the same color. I was told by the manager who gave me the job that many people could not differentiate one from another until the ratios became very large. I have 20/10 vision, and an eye for detail. He said noone had done better on the test, including himself. I would have bet money that I had them all in order. I would have lost. Still had several out of place.
"Everything does not seem as it appears"-quote from a friend:D
 
You can't see what color a led is until it has power going through it
 
I got my Inova X5T about two weeks ago. Its a nice little light but I think the tail cap is a piece of crap. The entire light feels very well made except the tail. It feels like it belongs on a much cheaper light. Im sure im just another spoiled by Surefire tailcaps but I really did expect more.
 
My Inova X5 arrived this week also...I must say I am
"cautiously disappointed"...I'm gonna give it time and
try to understand it but...this puppy puts out very little light
for a $50 unit...next to my Scorpian and SF 6P its a birthday
candle....now I've proven myself ignorant many times...
what am I missing??? Low key light can be good sometimes,
but this is no weapons light...it stays cooler in the
long run...it's well made...it feels good to the touch...
BUT,BUT, BUT...where's the light baby...give me light...
what am I missing???
 
I don't think you're supposed to be comparing it to Surefires. Different kind of light. I see it more as a task light or a light for illuminating a close, large area in front of me enough to see with; not a light to brightly illuminate a small area, blind an attacker, or illuminate a faraway object. I think their use of "tactical" is different than Surefire's. I take their meaning to be that you can use it like a Kubotan or a loaded fist, whereas Surefires are for flash blinding attackers.
 
I definitely agree on the tail cap and lumens output. (Sounds like I know what I'm talking about, doesn't it.) For fifty bucks you expect more, especially if your Surefire spoiled (like me). So I made mine an emergency light, 20 plus hours on a set of batteries is, well, awesome. (I probably said that already)

Owen thanks for the compiment on this thread. After I posted I thought it would turn into a war, instead we got great info and a lesson on LED's. The way I see it, I was the only one to truly bitch and whine. A friend of mine used this thread as his deciding factor to get the Inova. Whoda thunk. I'd like to see as many members as possible post their experiences and thoughts on the Inova's here.
 
The tailcap switch is underwhelming and so is the light output.

Compared to the regular version I gave to my boss and my Dad three weeks before purchasing the X5T I DO NOT see 15% more brightness, but I do see greater bulk.

The comparison to a Surefire has already been mentioned, but if you're new to a market and trying to compete, you have to consider the benchmark. I'd probably complain less if the tailcap switch was better OR the light was brighter and whiter. Either one would probably make me happy. Both would make me extatic!

jmx
 
I guess I'm used to incandescents, so my X5T's light appears to have quite a blue tinge to it.

The light is acceptably bright for most nighttime tasks, anything long-range is handled by my Surefire.

I also agree that the tailcap sucks, and the lack of a clip is VERY annoying. That "tactical sheath" is next to useless, since it wobbles around on the belt and slides around when you try to pull the light out. So I just carry my X5T loose inside my pocket. My phone is getting all scratched up :) The lanyard hole's edges are a bit sharp, they'll probably cut up my paracord lanyard in time. Smooth aluminum body, even with those grooves, mean that the light is very likely to slide out of wet hands. Brilliant "free-roll" design makes it way too easy for the light to roll off a surface. Not very tactical if you ask me.

But... I still think this light looks damn sexy. Stare down the 5 barreled silver end. Ooh. Feel the grooves at the tail end. Looking at it gets me all excited. Uhh, I think I'll stop now.

Summary:
Tactical? Nah. Sexy? Yeh!
Buy it if you like cool gadgets, but not as a primary light.
 
Its not a tactical light! There have been many hundreds of posts on this light - another one starting up just today or yesterday - and they all make this clear. As far as what you are missing, you are missing the fact that you are trading <b>brightness</b> for <b>time</b>. A surefire or scorpion with 2 123A batteries has maybe 30 minutes of real tactical light. By contrast the X5, with the same batteries gives you 5-7 hours of nice even area illumination suitable, often even <i>preferred</i>, for <b><i>NON TACTICAL</i></b> tasks!
 
I think Mr. Rapaport hit it exactly right...time versus
brightness...whatever you think of this light, it's sexy
and sensible...I'm beginning to understand the benefits
of low profile light.
 
At least between brightness and burn time.

But that doesn't change the fact that the tailcap switch sucks.

jmx
 
Hi guys, I just wanted to chime back in with my 2 cents after using the X5T for a week of night shift.

I bought it as a back up light for on duty. I use a Surefire 9AN as my duty light. Every once and a while I will be clearing a building, or covering on a vehicle stop and the battery will die on the Surefire. I wanted a light that would through a close range flood bright enough for me to see were suspects hands are until I get a chance to switch battery's in my main light. This light really seems to do it well IMO. I used it to clear a house that had no lights on and it worked great! I would rather have a M3 glock light (future purchase), but I found this effective. When I used it were it was very dark, I found it was very good for close range target spotting. It would illuminate an entire doorway from about 6 feet away. It was also good for searching a car after an arrest. My big gripes are the holster:rolleyes: and the lack of a pocket clip. I hope a pocket clip is in the works
.
If I start up backpacking again, I will buy a Surefire M2, or C2 and use this as a back up for it.

Thanks for all the info on lights from everybody, Reagan
 
I've finally cracked and am in the process of ebay bidding for one of these. [hard to source in the UK].

It would never have ocurred to me that this would in anyway be a tactical light, but rather a long lasting bright flashlight.
[I have a BatonLite, which a flash of will ruin your night vision, but it's no way tactical(unless you give someone a rap with it)]

I'm hoping I may get some more life from my DL123s - which my trusty old 6P devours [OK, so it's a bit excessive with the P61 lamp assembly, but it concentrates people's minds wonderfully when they try and sneak up on you in the park...]
 
Originally posted by dkochan
PocketLights.com has the Inova X5 Tactical in stock. They also ship internationally. Shipping to the UK for one Inova X5 is normally $10.00.
Click to expand...

I'll think about that... ebay pricing looks a tad lower than that... but let's see if I win.
 
The bottom line is simply this...the Inova X5T is a LED light, NOT an incandecent. LEDs can not, will not throw a beam like an incandecent will. At least not at this time. You simply can't compare the two. They are completely different animals. They serve completely different roles in the lighting game.

A question for you incandecent "tactical" light users. It was stated above about that a SF had gone out while in use. I have read many posts about SFs suddenly going dark. If this happens in the middle of a "tactical" operation, this could cost you or someone else their life. Is this considered an acceptable risk? Would a police officer go on duty with a sidearm that was prone to jamming or mis-fires? I personally would feel better/safer with an old Mag-Lite that I could trust over a SF that might quit on me with little or no warning.

Paul
 
PWork,

You are right. LED flashlights do not throw a beam like an incandescent will. An LED flashlight that throws a beam for a distance is the Princeton Tec Impact. The Impact throws a beam farther than most LED flashlights because it has special optics.

--David
 
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