JeffInChi
Enlightened
The title says it all. I was on a domestic call and the intoxicated husband wanted to try to get one last swing on his wife while the police were there - which didn't happen. What did happen, is while I was holding my flashlight to illuminate the house (which had no working light bulbs):shakehead, the husband lunged at the wife and I tackled him down to the ground and cuffed him without any more incident, and placed him under arrest. Unfortunately, I dropped the light onto the ceramic floor during this brief altercation.
Well, the light stayed on, and the body, bezel, and tailcap guard are still in near new condition. However the tough "sapphire lens" I read about, is cracked from one end to the other:
of course, this affects the beam:
Now a little rant; how can this flashlight be intended for military or military-type purposes if the lens cracks after a 3-4 foot drop? Am I asking too much from this light/lens? Should I just be happy that the light still works and the finish is still intact? Should I be glad that it only cracked and not shattered? I have an Inova t5-mp that survived a 25-30 foot drop onto asphalt and the light remained intact and in working condition with only a slight chip on the bezel to show for it. I can understand a non-tac, non-military, walk-the-dog, path illuminating light might not be built to take a beating, but I'm seeing lights like the Fenix Tk40 being boiled/froze/dropped/dragged on the ground while tied to a truck on a gravel road/etc and the light still works and the lens isn't cracked. I've even seen a Nitecore d10 dropped about 6 feet from a bed repeatedly and still funtion flawlessly with lens intact.
Rant off, now for something more constuctive. What should I do now? I ordered the light from bugoutgear.com about a month ago and I still have the receipt. Should I contact them to see if they'll replace it? Is there an aftermarket lens that will fit on the Jetbeam iii M? If so, where can I purchase it and how do I replace it? Do need a special tool to unscrew the bezel? The new "artifact" in the light really doesn't bother me. It's the fact that it's a brand new light to me and I'm worried about water getting in there as well as the lens shattering the next time a strong breeze comes along
I'm not bashing Jeatbeam or the iii military in anyway and I dont' want to flame and start a Jetbeam vs. whatever thread. I like this light alot and use it everyday - and I want to continue to do so. Therefore, I'm going to chalk this up to just an akward rare drop that caused just the right pressure/shock to crack the lens. I just can't beleive such a slight jolt cracked the lens, and I'm more angry that I have to go through the motions to replace it more than anything. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jeff
Well, the light stayed on, and the body, bezel, and tailcap guard are still in near new condition. However the tough "sapphire lens" I read about, is cracked from one end to the other:
of course, this affects the beam:
Now a little rant; how can this flashlight be intended for military or military-type purposes if the lens cracks after a 3-4 foot drop? Am I asking too much from this light/lens? Should I just be happy that the light still works and the finish is still intact? Should I be glad that it only cracked and not shattered? I have an Inova t5-mp that survived a 25-30 foot drop onto asphalt and the light remained intact and in working condition with only a slight chip on the bezel to show for it. I can understand a non-tac, non-military, walk-the-dog, path illuminating light might not be built to take a beating, but I'm seeing lights like the Fenix Tk40 being boiled/froze/dropped/dragged on the ground while tied to a truck on a gravel road/etc and the light still works and the lens isn't cracked. I've even seen a Nitecore d10 dropped about 6 feet from a bed repeatedly and still funtion flawlessly with lens intact.
Rant off, now for something more constuctive. What should I do now? I ordered the light from bugoutgear.com about a month ago and I still have the receipt. Should I contact them to see if they'll replace it? Is there an aftermarket lens that will fit on the Jetbeam iii M? If so, where can I purchase it and how do I replace it? Do need a special tool to unscrew the bezel? The new "artifact" in the light really doesn't bother me. It's the fact that it's a brand new light to me and I'm worried about water getting in there as well as the lens shattering the next time a strong breeze comes along
I'm not bashing Jeatbeam or the iii military in anyway and I dont' want to flame and start a Jetbeam vs. whatever thread. I like this light alot and use it everyday - and I want to continue to do so. Therefore, I'm going to chalk this up to just an akward rare drop that caused just the right pressure/shock to crack the lens. I just can't beleive such a slight jolt cracked the lens, and I'm more angry that I have to go through the motions to replace it more than anything. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jeff
