Peak NP300A SS is wicked good

After a long chat with Bob at RMSK last week, I opted to buy a NP300A SS instead of a Logan 17500 QTC SS. Well, it arrived yesterday and I have never seen or held anything like it. I am usually only drawn to small lights, but the stainless steel Night Patrol really caught my eye, and what a thing of beauty she is, all 12 ounces of her. The body and head are grooved which give it a very industrial, but futuristic look. It came somewhat dull looking and not very polished, but I got it so very shiny with just a bit of polish and elbow grease. The adjustable knob thingy allows the beam to go down to the lowest of lows. My Jetbeam RRT-0, Sunwayman V10r ti and even Logan QTC are no match at all. I can bring it down so the optic just barely glows with a wisper of a beam - amazing. The high is said to be 300 lumens with great throw and I believe it, as both my yard and the neighbor's is completely light up and I can peek into the squirrel's nest at the top of an oak tree way back in the woods. My only complaint is the reflector appears to be quite dirty with a fingerprint or two. However, the beam does not appears to be compromised, so I will try to not look at it. (Easy to say, hard to do when you're OCD.) Overall, I am so pleased with my new toy and I can't thank Bob enough for helping me with my decision and my one hour whirlwind education of lumens, candlepower, battery chemistry and all that is flashlights.



Edit - added photos - my first attempt at posting photos on CPF. I was afraid it would be complicated, but it was a breeze.





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Glad you like this Peak. An indispensable option for this light is a backup 2X18650 HA body with an extra switch and front end plug. Have no idea what the runtime on real low would be but imagine it to be adequate for nearly anything short of a nuclear winter. All Peak LEO series HA bodies will fit the SS head.

Dances with Flashlight said:

Glad you like this Peak. An indispensable option for this light is a backup 2X18650 HA body with an extra switch and front end plug. Have no idea what the runtime on real low would be but imagine it to be adequate for nearly anything short of a nuclear winter. All Peak LEO series HA bodies will fit the SS head.

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My goodness, you are prepared. Good to know about the HA bodies fitting the SS head - I really like the option of running three AA in a pinch. Peak's lego ability is one of their best features. Thanks for sharing the great photo.

Wicked pissa, sassa! Congrats

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

Congrats on the new light but we need pictures!!!

sassaquin said:

After a long chat with Bob at RMSK last week, I opted to buy a NP300A SS instead of a Logan 17500 QTC SS. Well, it arrived yesterday and I have never seen or held anything like it. I am usually only drawn to small lights, but the stainless steel Night Patrol really caught my eye, and what a thing of beauty she is, all 12 ounces of her. The body and head are grooved which give it a very industrial, but futuristic look. It came somewhat dull looking and not very polished, but I got it so very shiny with just a bit of polish and elbow grease. The adjustable knob thingy allows the beam to go down to the lowest of lows. My Jetbeam RRT-0, Sunwayman V10r ti and even Logan QTC are no match at all. I can bring it down so the optic just barely glows with a wisper of a beam - amazing. The high is said to be 300 lumens with great throw and I believe it, as both my yard and the neighbor's is completely light up and I can peek into the squirrel's nest at the top of an oak tree way back in the woods. My only complaint is the reflector appears to be quite dirty with a fingerprint or two. However, the beam does not appears to be compromised, so I will try to not look at it. (Easy to say, hard to do when you're OCD.) Overall, I am so pleased with my new toy and I can't thank Bob enough for helping me with my decision and my one hour whirlwind education of lumens, candlepower, battery chemistry and all that is flashlights.

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UPDATE 6/4/12: I got my NP300A back from Peak and no longer have the issues I had. I'm an extremely happy customer and have purchased a few Peaks since. As long as they keep up the new QC I'll happily buy more!!!



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Just bought mine and overall I'm satisfied with the build and beam quality. Was pretty disappointed to see the reflector was really smudged. I can only see 10~15% of the original reflector.:duh2: Ouch. It looks like it was left at the mercy of a 3 year old after eating a Butterfinger. This huge flaw surprisingly doesn't affect performance too much, but I'm convinced it would perform even better without smudges.

I spoke with Bob from RMSK and he said they're hand-built, so there are going to be some imperfections. Good point, but there are many hand-built custom lights right here on CPF without this flaw. I don't even have to list them. There's a whole forum dedicated to them. It should be mentioned Bob doesn't make the lights, he just sells them so he's not a big part of this equation.

If it's hand-built there should be an extra effort to be above factory built lights. Much like the attention to detail an Acura NSX was given over an Acura Legend.:shakehead That said I don't think Bob should settle for this level of quality. Sadly there's only so much he can do due to Curt's apathetic behavior... but this is bad. I might settle for one of the Tektites on Bob's page instead.

Bob I know your username is DUMDUM, but I'm definitely not dumb, and deep down I know you aren't dumb. You shouldn't settle for this level of quality. This lack of quality should never be accepted, and this hurts your business more than anything. I was on the fence of buying a SR1500 or SR2000; but if it had the same smudging I described all hell would break loose.

There should be no smudges in a $175 light, $475 light or a $5 light. Period. If there's a small imperfection, fine I can live with that.... but I bought a Vesuvius and Logan brand new, and it definitely was brand new.

Perfection is a very subjective term, but I'm not demanding perfection. I expect a flashlight to meet a standard we all expect. Like I said I received my Vesuvius and Logan in brand new condition, no problems whatsoever. Not one fingerprint, ding or scratch.

Dude your preaching to the choir on the Peak QC and other issues. And like they say it is what it is and I don't believe anything will ever change. Overall their QC has been pretty good and I have gotten thousands of flashlights from Peak. Also the DUMDUM has nothing to do with intelligence it is an old way bullets were altered with an X that would make them expand before there were hollow points. Since I'm an old retired police officer I thought it might be relevant.
Thanks
Bob

dudemar said:

Seriously, how long would it have taken Curt or Robyn to take a Q-tip with rubbing alcohol and remove the smudges?

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Here are a few good threads on the subject of cleaning the extremely delicate surface of a reflector:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?188776-Reflector-Cleaning

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?248550-Best-way-to-clean-a-reflector

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?316810-How-to-Clean-Inside-of-E1e-Lens-Reflector

I wish I could try to clean my reflector, but I can't find a way to open up the lens. There is one lens that comes out after unscrewing the bezel and then another that looks like it has been popped into place. If I took a screwdriver to it, it would come out, but then I'd have a chewed up lens. So, I've learned not to look at the greasy smudges and fingerprints because my blood boils everytime I see them. If I didn't love this light so much, I would have returned it. In retrospect, I should have sent it back because $175 is too much money for fingerprints and smudges.
I have a El Capitan that has similiar issues with the reflector, but my other seven Peak light have shiny clear reflectors. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Curt - any suggestions on how to clean-up my reflector? If I dig the second lens out, can a new one easily be put in? If so, would you send me a replacement lens? Any advice or help would be appreciated. Thanks.
- when I say "easily be put in", keep in mind I am a middle aged women with some mechanical abilities and tools, but have no experiences repairing flashlights.

I really appreciate the links Derek, but the head is completely sealed so I can't open it. Looks like this will be a Milky mod when the LED is long obsolete.

Bob, I was aware of what a dum-dum bullet is. I was trying to make a pun. Like I said this is all directed towards Curt. People need to know about these issues.

sassaquin said:

I wish I could try to clean my reflector, but I can't find a way to open up the lens. There is one lens that comes out after unscrewing the bezel and then another that looks like it has been popped into place. If I took a screwdriver to it, it would come out, but then I'd have a chewed up lens. So, I've learned not to look at the greasy smudges and fingerprints because my blood boils everytime I see them. If I didn't love this light so much, I would have returned it. In retrospect, I should have sent it back because $175 is too much money for fingerprints and smudges.
I have a El Capitan that has similiar issues with the reflector, but my other seven Peak light have shiny clear reflectors. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

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sassaquin- I feel exactly the same way you do. I love this light too, but looking at those smudges makes me angry beyond belief. The lens can't be removed because it appears to be mated to the reflector. Like you said taking a screwdriver to it will ding it up, rendering the process pointless.

At the very least I feel Bob has a responsibility to let his customers know what they're getting. "Living with it" or "nothing's perfect in this world" is not an appropriate answer- especially after spending $175.

Dude I didn't see any problems with the light I don't check any lights for optical smudges I just check the units to make sure they are not scratched externally and that they function properly. You have only been the second person to complain about this problem and to my old eyes everything was fine and I don't send out defective units. Optical smudge checking should be for the manufacturer to check during assembly, it is difficult enough to check everything else that was supposed to be QC'd at the factory. I make sure every unit is checked before I ship them that includes the Tektite units as well, I doubt if many other dealers take the time to check every unit before they ship, since they were suppose be working when they leave the factory in the first place.
Thanks
Bob

This was copied from one of my other posts: Pretty much sums things up!!!


"At this point, most of you have probably figured out by now, this is definitely a hobby for someone, a tax shelter, or a CIA/NSA shell company. Crap, I've probably been flagged now. Lol... All jokes aside, you would probably stand a better chance of contacting someone at the CIA than Peak.

Maybe one day, Robyn (M) and Curt (007) will take a break from chasing down Jason Bourne and respond to a few folks!

Peak is well aware of it's short comings BUT COULD CARE LESS. As the old adage goes, "actions speak louder than words". In a nutshell, this company is what it is and it's not going to improve. Great products and people, but that's where it ends."

Caveat Emptor!!!!!!!!

Just to be clear, aside from the dirty reflector, I have no other complaints with my NP300A. It is an amazing light that has fast become my favorite. Yes, I wish the reflector wasn't so dirty as I think its performance would be even better, but it is still a really great light. In fairness to Bob, he gave me the option of returning the light for a refund and I chose to keep it as is. However, I was shocked and disapointed to see such an obvious quality issue on a light at that price level.
My hope is that Curt will read this post and evaluate and address any QC breakdowns at Peak.

I must say that while I was considering an NP300A, I am rather put off by the quality control comments in this thread.
Thank you all, for the heads up, I think I'll try a Tektite when I want a larger light.

UPDATE 6/4/12: I got my NP300A back from Peak and no longer have the issues I had. I'm an extremely happy customer and have purchased a few Peaks since. As long as they keep up the new QC I'll happily buy more!!!



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sassaquin said:

Just to be clear, aside from the dirty reflector, I have no other complaints with my NP300A. It is an amazing light that has fast become my favorite. Yes, I wish the reflector wasn't so dirty as I think its performance would be even better, but it is still a really great light. In fairness to Bob, he gave me the option of returning the light for a refund and I chose to keep it as is. However, I was shocked and disapointed to see such an obvious quality issue on a light at that price level.
My hope is that Curt will read this post and evaluate and address any QC breakdowns at Peak.

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You read my mind. I too am in love with this light. I love everything about it. The build quality, overall feel and performance of the NP300. It's just plain and simple solid. It's quite possibly one of the best lights I've ever had the privilege to own... until I see the smudges on the reflector.

I agree that it was nice of Bob to offer a refund, but as consumers we should be made aware of what we are paying for. If a $60 Logan and Vesuvius came in brand new condition, so should a $175 NP300A. It's difficult to hide or dismiss at this point, after all this isn't the first time it's happened. Looking down the bezel takes... oh I don't know, 2 seconds? It really makes a big difference to a customer who just forked over $190 (plus shipping). Anyone can see that.

It's funny because Curt put in all that amazing attention to detail, but very conveniently missed the reflectors. Kinda hard to miss, in light of the fact that it's the most important part after the emitter.

jorgen said:

I must say that while I was considering an NP300A, I am rather put off by the quality control comments in this thread.
Thank you all, for the heads up, I think I'll try a Tektite when I want a larger light.

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No problem.

UPDATE 6/4/12: I got my NP300A back from Peak and no longer have the issues I had. I'm an extremely happy customer and have purchased a few Peaks since. As long as they keep up the new QC I'll happily buy more!!!



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Deja vu?

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?322389

sassaquin said:

Just to be clear, aside from the dirty reflector, I have no other complaints with my NP300A. It is an amazing light that has fast become my favorite. Yes, I wish the reflector wasn't so dirty as I think its performance would be even better, but it is still a really great light. In fairness to Bob, he gave me the option of returning the light for a refund and I chose to keep it as is. However, I was shocked and disapointed to see such an obvious quality issue on a light at that price level.
My hope is that Curt will read this post and evaluate and address any QC breakdowns at Peak.

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After seeing the dirty reflector on my NP300A one too many times, I decided to email Peak about correcting the problem and received a reply from Robyn to send the lights (My El Capitan has a dirty reflector also)back to them and their tech will make them perfect. Tomorrow, I will be sending my lights off to Arizona to get a facelift and hopefully they make it back sometime early next year. Looks like Peak's Customer Service is trying to turn things around.

I'm very glad to hear that Sassaquin, that is very encouraging news. If things pan out well I may send in my NP300A and I will retract the negative commentary I left about Curt in my previous post.

dudemar said:

I'm very glad to hear that Sassaquin, that is very encouraging news. If things pan out well I may send in my NP300A and I will retract the negative commentary I left about the light in my previous post.

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I'll keep you posted with any updates.

My mailman dropped off a wonderful Christmas present today, my NP300A SS and El Capitan came back from sunny Arizona all spiffy. Robyn and the folks at Peak did an incredible job cleaning up/replacing the reflector in my night patrol and replacing the body on my El Capitan. The reflector in my NP300A is almost a mirror finish now with no fingerprints, smudges or cloudiness and the brightness is definitely improved.
Robyn's communication was great as she emailed me when she received my lights and also letting me know when they shipped (Priority). Overall, my warranty experience with Peak was perfect and I hope that this is a sign that Peak's customer service is making a comeback.