Inova X1

[BC0311]

The LED Museum, Thank you for the excellent information.

Mine are enroute due Tuesday. I like it that the LED dome is protected from crud and scratching. I dropped an Arc AAA into the mud and painstakingly cleaned it with rubbing alcohol and compressed air.

I need to buy one of those lens cleaning brushes like Flashlightlens.com sells to keep my lenses and reflectors more clean. I think the brush and one of those camera and optics cleaning cloths will do the job for all of my lights. I don't recall the name or material of the cloth but it can be washed out and used indefinitely. Available at Camera stores. I bought a couple and gave them to my sons for their cameras and binoculars.

BC

 

[Larry1582]

It looks like the X1 does not come with a nylon belt holder like the X5. Is that correct? Would it fit in a nylon holster desinged for a mini-mag?

 

[Chris M.]

Actually it does - it`s the same elasticated nylon type, but a little smaller of course. If you like the X5 one you won`t mind the X1 one either, it`s an identical design.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[The_LED_Museum]

My X1 did not come with a holster, or any other accessories except a Duracell Ultra AA cell. Neither did my two X5s. But my X5T came with a durable nylon belt holster. I don't use belts though, so I can't test the holster with the light. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

 

[yaesumofo]

Neither of my X1's came with anything but a light and a foldout manual inside the plastic (hard to open) package.
Yaesumofo



[ QUOTE ]
Chris M. said:
Actually it does - it`s the same elasticated nylon type, but a little smaller of course. If you like the X5 one you won`t mind the X1 one either, it`s an identical design.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[The_LED_Museum]

You have to cut the package open with a good knife or a razor blade to get the goodies out.

Someone else who reviewed one of these claimed to have not needed knives or other sharp, pointed instruments to get the package open; maybe Inova changed the packaging since then.

 

[road__kill]

I purchased several of these and none of them have a holster.
Did anybody get a holster with theirs?

 

[Empath]

Deleted. No longer needed.

 

[Bill.H]

Regarding the enclosed holster and packaging... it sounds to me like the UK version is packaged differently than the US version.
Chris from Torchreviews got the holster and easy open package, looks like the others above didn't.

Can you guys confirm this? (mine isn't here yet /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

Craig: nice job, as usual. Thanks. FYI: I have a little cardboard container of camera lens cleaning tissue, it might be what you need. Very inexpensive at a camera store.

 

[DanM]

LED Museum you are great, I love your reviews.
The beam on the X1 takes a little getting used to, but I
like it for what it is. A real tight beam with no spill.
Outside the little light has great throw for its size. Almost like a large lazar beam.
Inside its great for looking into a PC for mother board
settings and such.
Not everyone will like it, but every flashaholic should
have one or two or three.

 

[Lux Luthor]

OK. I did some tests in the woods. Bear in mind, though, I no longer live in upstate NY, and don't have access to the Adirondacks anymore (which sucks!), but I did find some reasonably dark spots in Connecticrap.

I don't think this light is for everyone. It's inbetween short range flood and longe range throw, but I think it's a backpacker's dream. Ten hour runtime on 1AA, small and compact, with nice lanyard attachment point, and throws at least 100 feet. You need to combine it with short range flood, though, as it has almost no side spill (there is actually a faint corona that's probably not worth mentioning). I think in real dark conditions you could use it out to 150 feet (remember, my throw figures are for backpackers in the woods with well adjusted eyes). Still, I think Inova's 65 foot throw estimate is conservative.

I also think it's useful for leisurely walks in the suburbs. I took a couple of those with an Arc AA in one hand and the X-1 in the other. The X-1 fills in those little spots that the Arc can't reach, and for those areas it's really not necessary to use something like a 2D M@g. If you can get by with leaving your real long throw torch at home, the X-1 is in fact much more comfortable to carry. A walk down a few neighborhood side streets comes to mind as an application. A walk through a large park does not.

Overall, I like it a lot, and it wil be a keeper for me. But as I said, it may not fill a niche in everyone's lighting needs.

 

[Lux Luthor]

[ QUOTE ]
DumboRAT said:
Lux Luthor,

Out of curiosity, which carrier delivered your light? UPS? USPS?

Thanks -- I ordered mine at about the same time as you, got a shipping confirmation on Monday night (27th) but haven't gotten it yet (nor have I received an answer to my inquery from the retailer), just wondering how it's traveling.

=)

Allen
aka DumboRAT

[/ QUOTE ]

It was USPS priority mail, and I ordered from the same place as Craig (Meridian Tactical). Got mine Friday, even though I expected it Wednesday (MT is in MA, the next state). I was worried too, but I've noticed that priority mail is sometimes fast, sometimes slow. It's the luck of the draw.

Also, I didn't get a case either. As Bill said, seems like Chris (in the UK) is the only one that got one.

Oh, and I had to rip my blister pack open with a knife like the rest of us in the states. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Chris M.]

Strange - I`d have thought the package would be the same. Wonder why not? Mine was definately easy to open and came with a belt holster, for all intents and purposes identical to the larger X5.

I`ll have to add a note about the holster on the X1 page next time I update the TRS. I did get mine very early on - wonder if my supplier got pre-release samples instead of the full production versions, or if the UK/European versions are just different?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[itsme1234]

Mine was easy to open too, and came with the useless holster (from toolshop.de, Germany). Useless because I don't want to risk loosing the light after I paid 44+$ for it. From what I see the prices in UK are more or less the same (41-42$+ no matter how you do the conversions, not including shipping). And the same light is around 20$ or so in US, isn't it ? 20$ including a profit for the manufacturer _and_ for the dealer. Shipping from US in a larger box can't be more than 1$ if you ship more than a couple of lights. So I have to conclude that at least one proposition is true:

a. the customs + VAT = 100% (don't think so)
b. the dealers in EU are very greedy
c. the dealers in EU are very inefficient.

Now back to the Inova X1: mine has 2 small black spots at the very edge of the beam - but it's really ok, I can see the spots only against a white wall. It's big, all right, but it has

a. throw
b. tail-cap switch
c. a big enough hole for a lanyard

I would be more than happy to know for sure how waterproof it is (15 feet would do nicely).

Ah, and about the coating on the lens: yes, it's high tech, maybe it's nice to have - but it won't last long in an EDC light.

 

[B@rt]

Most sites that sell the X-1, list them as being waterproof to 150 feet. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Hope this helps,

 

[itsme1234]

I strongly suspect those specifications to be a copy/paste (from X5) "error". Or maybe some X1s are more waterproof than other (don't think so) ?

 

[road__kill]

Mine says "water resistant" on the package and on the instructions it says "waterproof construction". No mention of feet anywhere in respect to waterproof. And it sound like some people not in the USA received a holster with their X1. I purchased a dozen of them last week and none of them had holsters. They seem to be pretty indestructible and I think they are well worth the $20 or so. I haven't had enough time to torture mine yet but if they hold up as good as the X5's I will be happy.

 

[DumboRAT]

Still waiting for mine, thanks, Lux.

Allen
aka DumboRAT

 

[DumboRAT]

Looks like a simple mis-communication between me and Meridian -- the order was processed as a pre-order because the red LED variant, which I wanted, had not yet been released.

The good guys at Meridian replied on a Sunday to my Friday late-afternoon e-mail status inquiry. That's what I consider dedicated, excellent customer service follow-up.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Allen
aka DumboRAT

 

[AR15Fan]

I just got my X1 today. I love the size, fit, and finish. On par with all Inova products. This light will probubly find a home in my gunsmithing tool kit. The spotlight like beam will be good for peering into AR lowers and chambers.