Picked up Inova 5.8 Watt XO3 at Target today

[lightinsky]

Nice build quality. Have an T3 Tiros and have always enjoyed it. The reflector XO3 5.8 Watt I purchased today is about 85-100 lumens when comparing it to my G2 with KL5 Lux head. I think that the XO and XO3 don't have too much difference other than throw where the XO3 out shines the XO based on my observations. The XO seems a little more floody but the XO3 has both floodiness and greater throw. Get one for fun.

 

[ampdude]

How much did it set you back? The Target here still has a bunch of the old style "3.8W" XO3's.

 

[lightinsky]

The Inova 5.8 Watt XO3 is going for $54.99 at Target here in MA. Great light for the money. Someone has to light up trees around my neighborhood might as well be me. LOL.

 

[Gunner12]

I compared one at target to my EastwardJY Cree(I got the whole set, battery, charge and light for $35 at Dealextreme), High blow it away and Low is pretty close, but that is through the plastic case. The Inova pretty good for a Luxeon K2.

 

[asdalton]

I picked up the 3.9 W version (with K2 and reflector) today. It has the same throw as my older TIROS XO3, but with more sidespill and more total output. I'd estimate the output at about 60 lumens.

It's nice being able to check the tint of these while still in the store.

 

[lightinsky]

If you still have the packaging you can go to Target and exchange it for the 5.8 watt one.

 

[Tessaiga]

I compared one at target to my EastwardJY Cree(I got the whole set, battery, charge and light for $35 at Dealextreme), High blow it away and Low is pretty close, but that is through the plastic case. The Inova pretty good for a Luxeon K2.

If I read you correctly, are u saying the DX U2 on high blew the Innova away??

 

[Gunner12]

Blow away was a bit exaggerated. The Inova was still in it's plastic case which blocked part of the light, and the batteries were probably a bit depleted from other people testing it. Both are great lights.

 

[asdalton]

If you still have the packaging you can go to Target and exchange it for the 5.8 watt one.

I like the output of this one for my purposes, especially considering the runtime cost of running the emitter at 5.8 watts. If I need more muscle, I have my Surefire L5 or Cree'd L6.

 

[woodrow]

If I read you correctly, are u saying the DX U2 on high blew the Innova away??

I have the new T3 and most Cree lights will be 30% brighter. The Inova's should be very tough dependable lights though.

 

[chevrofreak]

I have the new T3 and most Cree lights will be 30% brighter. The Inova's should be very tough dependable lights though.

I'm really wondering what the runtime will be. 5.8 watts is a lot of power, and my guess is that it will chew through a pair of CR123's in about an hour.

 

[woodrow]

If I remember right, my T3 (3x123a) went a little over 1&1/2 hours before it dropped out of regulation. This is a guestamate of time (but pretty close I believe) and it was not one constant burn, but a couple. The k2 leds seem to use some juice to produce the light they do.

 

[lightinsky]

According the Inova's website the specs say 2 1/2 hours of regulation for the XO3. I haven't tested mine yet but will let you all know if I do what results I come up with.

 

[chevrofreak]

If I remember right, my T3 (3x123a) went a little over 1&1/2 hours before it dropped out of regulation. This is a guestamate of time (but pretty close I believe) and it was not one constant burn, but a couple. The k2 leds seem to use some juice to produce the light they do.

Ahh yes that's right, they're a 3 cell light now. I forgot.

 

[Patriot]

If I read you correctly, are u saying the DX U2 on high blew the Innova away??

I was just about to ask....The K2 driven at 5.8w should do really well, somewhere in the area of 140 emitter lumens. I know it won't be as efficient as the Cree though.

 

[lightinsky]

Yes the T3 is now taking 3 123 lithim batteries but the XO3 still only takes 2 123 lithium batteries. The difference in length is .2 of a inch very miniscul or unnoticable. Don't know why the T3 takes 3 and the XO3 takes 2 but they both are 5.8 watts and approximately 100 lumens. The run time is 2 1/2 hours for the XO3 but not sure why the T3 isn't any better in runtime.

 

[billy-bob]

Nice build quality. Have an T3 Tiros and have always enjoyed it. The reflector XO3 5.8 Watt I purchased today is about 85-100 lumens when comparing it to my G2 with KL5 Lux head. I think that the XO and XO3 don't have too much difference other than throw where the XO3 out shines the XO based on my observations. The XO seems a little more floody but the XO3 has both floodiness and greater throw. Get one for fun.

Fast forward to June 10th and it looks like Target had Inova cut the wattage to 3.9 watts on the XO3 but still maintain the $54.95 price tag. The package boldy states 3.9 watts and a model # XO3MT-WB.

Has anybody compared the old 5.8 watt to the new 3.9 watt?

Thanks.

 

[Fenris]

Are you sure that it's not the old TIROS X03 you're looking at instead of the new one?
Not all Targets have the new models.

 

[luminata]

I am not sure whether the Inovas I compared at Target were Xos or Xo3s I cant get all the variations straight but what I do know is the lower watt one was briter and whiter tint than the high watt model both had reflector. what this tells me is if you cant compare them you could get a big time dud thinking your getting a power house 5 watter . every one had a differnet tint and diffenrent level of output (its possibly due to low batteries but I tried ones way at the back and they just recently got these new ones in so how long could other customers have been lighting these things up to see output ?)

 

[The Toecutter]

The 3.9w and the 5.8w are the same light.

5.8w is the newest packaging. They released the new reflectored k2 emitter in 3.9w packaging, then re-calculated the wattage to 5.8w.

It's not a bad light. Pretty white. But I found the size to output ratio unacceptable, so I had to return it. In other words, it wasn't bright enough for a 2 cell light of that size.