Modern_Major_General
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2006
- Messages
- 140
I've had the opportunity to use both the Pelican 7060 LAPD and the newest version of the Inova T4 on the job, and I thought I'd fill you in with my impressions. I'll compare each light in the area's that I have experience in:
-Construction: The Inova is metal with a glass lens, the Pelican is polymer with a metal heat sink and a plastic lens. This is old news that I'm sure your all aware of. Both lights seem durable enough, and as long as you don't intend on using them underwater they should survive getting wet.
-Tint: The Inova has a warm tint, almost yellow. The Pelican has a cool tint, almost blue. When either light is compared to an incandescent light source, they look white. I prefer the Inova's tint, because I think it more closely matches sunlight.
-Overall output: Both are very close, and very bright. One of the manufactures is lying about the output of their light. If the Inova is really 175 lumens, than the Pelican is more than 130, and if the Pelican is really 130 lumens, than the Inova is less than 175. The fact that the tint of both lights are so radically different doesn't help picking one out over the other either. If I had to guess, I'd say that the Pelican marginally beats out the Inova in overall output. I will say that both lights are so bright that I have been using them instead of the ally lights on my car to look down the many dark alleys in my beat.
-Throw and Beam Quality: Pelican throws further, the smooth reflector produces a tight hot spot. The smooth reflector also produces several rings, especially around the hot spot. The Inova's textured reflector produces a very smooth beam and a much broader hot spot, but doesn't throw as far. Thats not to say the Inova doesn't throw, the beam still shines a good distance, and the broad beam lights up a large area.
-Runtime: I haven't run either down to an empty battery, and really don't intend to. I can say that both lights can last two 8 hour graveyard shifts without recharging, and with no noticeable drop in brightness. This is a lot more than I can say for the old incandescent rechargeable I used to use at work which didn't last half a shift before going dim. Both lights also use Lithium-Ion rechargeable batteries.
Special Features: The Pelican has dual switches. The dual switches are nice, but the tail cap switch is so sensitive it's easy to activate by mistake when you sit down with the light on your belt. I carry mine in a cargo pocket, so this doesn't affect me too much. Both of the switches have momentary capability. The Inova has a single digital switch with low, strobe, and momentary functions. The button is different than what your probably used to, but it doesn't take much to master it.
Size/Carry Options: Like I said, I carry my light in a cargo pocket, but I thought I'd comment on what I've seen some other people do. Some guys I work with use the included holster for the Pelican light, but the smaller guys like me don't because the light is a little on the bigger side. Plus, there is the accidental tail switch activation problem when using the included holster. I'm not aware of any other holster that is available for the Pelican. As for the Inova, I can say that it does not fit in the ASP baton holsters, which a lot of guys used to hold their old Stingers. I'm not aware of any good quality holsters available for the Inova, but as a quick solution you can drop it into a PR24 ring holder. The Inova is noticeably smaller, but due to it being metal it is not noticeably lighter.
Conclusions: I don't think that either is clearly better than the other, it depends on what your looking for in a light. I bought the Inova myself when it first came out, and this past week my whole department was issued the Pelican (I guess I missed that memo). If I could go back, I would not have bothered buying the Inova for the simple fact that I would get the Pelican for free. Since I already got both, I guess I could go for the hat trick and get the new Stinger DS with C4 LED just for fun.
As a final note, both these lights kick the tar out of the original Stinger LED with Luxeon III at 80 Lumens. I mean, the comparison isn't even fair.
-Construction: The Inova is metal with a glass lens, the Pelican is polymer with a metal heat sink and a plastic lens. This is old news that I'm sure your all aware of. Both lights seem durable enough, and as long as you don't intend on using them underwater they should survive getting wet.
-Tint: The Inova has a warm tint, almost yellow. The Pelican has a cool tint, almost blue. When either light is compared to an incandescent light source, they look white. I prefer the Inova's tint, because I think it more closely matches sunlight.
-Overall output: Both are very close, and very bright. One of the manufactures is lying about the output of their light. If the Inova is really 175 lumens, than the Pelican is more than 130, and if the Pelican is really 130 lumens, than the Inova is less than 175. The fact that the tint of both lights are so radically different doesn't help picking one out over the other either. If I had to guess, I'd say that the Pelican marginally beats out the Inova in overall output. I will say that both lights are so bright that I have been using them instead of the ally lights on my car to look down the many dark alleys in my beat.
-Throw and Beam Quality: Pelican throws further, the smooth reflector produces a tight hot spot. The smooth reflector also produces several rings, especially around the hot spot. The Inova's textured reflector produces a very smooth beam and a much broader hot spot, but doesn't throw as far. Thats not to say the Inova doesn't throw, the beam still shines a good distance, and the broad beam lights up a large area.
-Runtime: I haven't run either down to an empty battery, and really don't intend to. I can say that both lights can last two 8 hour graveyard shifts without recharging, and with no noticeable drop in brightness. This is a lot more than I can say for the old incandescent rechargeable I used to use at work which didn't last half a shift before going dim. Both lights also use Lithium-Ion rechargeable batteries.
Special Features: The Pelican has dual switches. The dual switches are nice, but the tail cap switch is so sensitive it's easy to activate by mistake when you sit down with the light on your belt. I carry mine in a cargo pocket, so this doesn't affect me too much. Both of the switches have momentary capability. The Inova has a single digital switch with low, strobe, and momentary functions. The button is different than what your probably used to, but it doesn't take much to master it.
Size/Carry Options: Like I said, I carry my light in a cargo pocket, but I thought I'd comment on what I've seen some other people do. Some guys I work with use the included holster for the Pelican light, but the smaller guys like me don't because the light is a little on the bigger side. Plus, there is the accidental tail switch activation problem when using the included holster. I'm not aware of any other holster that is available for the Pelican. As for the Inova, I can say that it does not fit in the ASP baton holsters, which a lot of guys used to hold their old Stingers. I'm not aware of any good quality holsters available for the Inova, but as a quick solution you can drop it into a PR24 ring holder. The Inova is noticeably smaller, but due to it being metal it is not noticeably lighter.
Conclusions: I don't think that either is clearly better than the other, it depends on what your looking for in a light. I bought the Inova myself when it first came out, and this past week my whole department was issued the Pelican (I guess I missed that memo). If I could go back, I would not have bothered buying the Inova for the simple fact that I would get the Pelican for free. Since I already got both, I guess I could go for the hat trick and get the new Stinger DS with C4 LED just for fun.
As a final note, both these lights kick the tar out of the original Stinger LED with Luxeon III at 80 Lumens. I mean, the comparison isn't even fair.
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