Jetbeam Jet III ST or other...?

[Chrispy]

Hi,

I'm looking for a light that will be my EDC and I think the Jet III Pro ST could be it, but the last reviews I've seen are about a year old and I wonder if there are alternatives I should be aware of.

I currently carry a Nitecore EX10 Smart PD and love it. I like it's form, UI and output, however I want to fill in the gap between this and my Fenix TK30.

My intent is to EDC the new light with the EX10 as back-up and when I go out with the TK30 use the new light as back-up. As I run the EX10 on CR123A primaries and the TK30 will be run on 18650s I want a light which run on both types of cell.
I'm thinking about investing in RCR123s so support for these would be good too.

Form factor and UI are next most important criteria. I want, as far as is possible, a cyclindrical light. No pronounced crenalated bezel, fins or anti-roll lumps / bumps etc. It must be able to tail-stand as I use my EDC in this way daily. Of my lights my favourite UI is the Nitecore piston drive, least favouite the Nitecore extreme.

Less important is beam. If this is my EDC, there'll be some situations where I'll want more throw or spill that I've got available no matter what light I'm carrying, however, I'd favour a warm tint.

So, have I already found the light best suited to my needs, or are there other lights I should consider?

Also, can someone confirm if the warm tint Jet III ST is still available - I've not found it for sale anywhere, certainly not anywhere in the UK.

Many thanks.

 

[JML]

The ST is a great light. If you want throw, go with the smooth reflector, and if you want a nicer, more even beam pattern, go with the OP reflector. The body has just enough knurling and patterns to be very comfortable, yet secure in your hand. It is available in a warm tint.

But it will NOT tailstand.

 

[bandersnatch]

The L-Mini II is my favorite 1x18650 light; you might look into it (see review here)--it's super small, it does tailstand, it has a nice UI (though not customizable), and has a great beam (though not exceptional output). Unfortunately they are out of stock on shiningbeam.com; they should be reappearing soon however.

 

[gnicky11]

I can confirm that the Jet-III Pro ST does indeed tailstand (quite well). I have the BVC R2 OP and really like the light. The BVC (broad voltage circuit) runs on 1x18650 or 2xRCR123. On 18650, it's semi-regulated, so will gradually dim as the battery runs own. With 123s, regulation is flat, which caught me off-guard when it switched off on me.

The light is great to hold and the flexibility of the programming is awsome. The only problem I have had is when I have inadvertantly gone into programming mode by switching the modes too fast (only happens when I'm "playing" around with the light). With 123s, the memory timing is much shorter, and accidentally going into programming mode is less likely.

 

[JML]

Well, I "stand" by my statement. :laughing: We may both be right.

Mine won't tailstand securely. The rubber cover sticks out past the tail. When off, the light will look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and it'll fall over if you breathe on it. On, it's a little bit better, but will fall with the slightest provocation or shake of the surface it's on.

To me, to say a light will tailstand is to mean it will do so without any movement. My Jet-III Military will do so, because the switch cover is recessed beneath the stainless tail bezel.

Mine was the first production run of the BVC version, with the 2-stage Military pill (non-IBIS), and it's entirely possible that the switch and/or cover was changed since then. Mine came with one clickie, a forward one. The manufacturer's website claims it will tailstand, so maybe the newest ones will.

The tail of mine is just like the one in this picture from BugOutGear; you can see the tailswitch cover stick out past the tail:

The manufacturer's website says it will stand, and the first picture below supports that statement. Obviously, the picture above this paragraph and the pictures below cannot be of the same version of the product. The second picture below, from the manufacturer's site, shows a switch cover that's flatter than the one on any of my JetBeams, so perhaps they have changed the switch and/or cover.

 

[PurpleDrazi]

I have one of the older models and it came with two switches.

One reverse clicky, which *does* tailstand.

The other is a forward clicky which doesn't

PD

 

[gnicky11]

Very thorough response (with pics) - clearly will not tailstand with the forward clickie. I have the newer model that only comes with the reverse clickie (no leaning for me).

I'm pretty new to this, am am very happy with my Jet-III ST and Jet-III M (and Quark mini btw). Tailstanding and I/F were both important parts of my decisions.

Thanks to CPF for ensuring I get great lights - no thanks to CPF for getting me a bit hooked. I thought my Jet-III M would be all I need. Now I realize I need at least 3 more lights...

 

[Chrispy]

Cheers for the input guys; the L-mini looks interesting, so many thanks for the link. Exactly what I was hoping for, something tho use as the basis for a comparison. However, availability of the L-mini seems to be a big issue, so I think I'll go with the Jetbeam.

An order has been placed!

 

[JML]

I think you will not be disappointed. But you made me order a second one! :thumbsup:

 

[Chrispy]

Well JML, I'm pleased to say that I'm not disappointed - Although I've only had it a couple of days I'm very impressed and I can already understand why someone might want two of these lights.

Something tells me this won't be my only Jetbeam light!

 

[JML]

Something tells me this won't be my only Jetbeam light!

Hah! My signature doesn't show that I have two Military lights (one warm and one R2), and the ST on the way is a warm one (I have an R2).

If you use primaries, I strongly suggest the Olight 2-battery magazine. If you remove the hangar loop from the positive end (cut and sand smooth) it will fit perfectly in any of these JetBeams.

 

[JML]

I just got my second ST, a warm OP IBS version. It will tailstand, unlike the first.

The tailcap is longer than my older one, which helps with the tailstand, and the switch cap is flatter.