Inova x5t torture test

[notos&w]

well i was gonna test my new x5t today but didnt get too far.
it survided being dropped, thrown and run over by a honda accord but when i froze it in a glass of water the test was over.
it worked, even while frozen solid but when i defrosted it the batts were wet. i doubt the claims of waterproof to 150' when it cant take 6 inches.

oh well, wonder how they'll respond to warranty repairs on a dinged and dented model.

BTW does anyone else's light stay on (barely) when it shouldnt be? if i turn it just past on i can see the led's are still emitting. this continues until past the point when the tailcap no longer works. cant be good for battery life.

 

[ChrisA]

i do carry an 'old style' inova for about 3/4 year now. it's always with me and gets a lot of use alongside my e2e. out of curiosity i took it on a recent diving trip and it performed flawlessly. we were no deeper than 120 feet but the light was accidently dragged over the ground and being smashed against rocks several times. in my opinion it's a very solid and nearly maintance-free light. i just lube the o-ring once in a while and put in some 'fresh' (used batteries from the surefires) batteries and that's it.

chris

 

[JackBlades]

SADIST!
Did you freeze it in a container of water? Perhaps the O-ring shrunk just enough to allow the expanding water inside the ice envelope force it's way past the O-ring?

My tail switch works fine. The momentary pushbutton will work within about 1.5 turns out after the LED's shut off from constant-on.

 

[notos&w]

jackblades,
i didnt think about the o-ring shrinking (or at least to the point it would matter) but any pressure created by the expanding water would be almost immeasurable. unless ive been told incorrectly, water expands in the path of least resistance which would be up instead of out in an open container. any increase in pressure would be minimal compared to that of several atmospheres.

also, the tailcap was partially exposed so i could push the switch. while the frozen water did extend above the o-ring, i think the led's are the cause of the leak. they appeared to be frozen behind the bezel. there was (still is) a substantial amount of water let into the casing. light still works though.

i have played w/ the light for a while and noticed that occassionally it will cut completely off w/ 1/2 turn (like the manual says) but other times it takes 1.5 for it to shut off completely. the only way to be sure is to look into the leds. it makes for a pain in the rear.

ill post what inova says in response.

 

[brightnorm]

Originally posted by ChrisA:
i do carry an 'old style' inova for about 3/4 year now. it's always with me and gets a lot of use alongside my e2e. out of curiosity i took it on a recent diving trip and it performed flawlessly. we were no deeper than 120 feet but the light was accidently dragged over the ground and being smashed against rocks several times. in my opinion it's a very solid and nearly maintance-free light. i just lube the o-ring once in a while and put in some 'fresh' (used batteries from the surefires) batteries and that's it.

chris

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I call it the "Inova Classic", and just like with "new" Coca-Cola and "Classic Coke", I believe that Inova got it right the first time.

I have three "Classic" models, and I have nothing but praise for them. I use them on land only. They have been absolutely dependable, indestructible, brighter than my Inretechs or Reactors, tiny and sleek, and when properly lubed, with a 1/4" strip of skateboard tape around the bezel (actually rather cool looking), easier and more convenient to turn on/off than a tail switch.

Brightnorm

 

[notos&w]

inova said "that light needs to come back.

will update.