Inova XO3

saabluster · Jan 24, 2007

I just got this light because everyone talks about how well it throws. :thumbsdow
I just don't see the attraction. I tested it against my Fifthunit Kenbar which I've modded and frankly there is no comparison. The beam on the Kenbar has a tighter spot and throws WAY farther. I did a ceiling bounce test using my light meter and the Kenbar on high is exactly 4 times brighter. Its so bright that when you shine it at a page you can't even see the black print. Only light. I noticed one site said the XO3 puts out 82 lumens. Am I to assume that mine is putting out 328 lumens or are Inovas claims WAY beyond reality?
Its not a stock light. I put 3v rechargables in it to up the voltage as it was designed for 18650s. It also has a cree xre P3. Also I think I stumbled on a little treasure. I took the the reflector out of a 3watt brinkman light I bought at Target. It works very well with the cree and actually has a tighter beam than the tiros optic XO3. And all that while having much better spill. If you're a modder I would Highly suggest you try this out.

Also for those wondering they were both tested with fresh batteries. I have been running this light everyday for the last 3 months and the cree seems to be holding up quite well and that is with me putting freshly charged RCR123As in it every day. I like for it to be as strong as it can be at any given moment.

saabluster · Jan 30, 2007

Ah yes. The sounds of silence. So NOBODY has an opinion? Maybe the title of the thread was not sexy enough. Oh well the loss is yours.

Valpo Hawkeye · Jan 30, 2007

The latest XO3's at the Target nearest me are actually reflectored now, no TIROS. I've never been impressed with the XO3 no matter how you focus it. It's too big for too little output.

Bill97z · Jan 30, 2007

YUP, I returned mine too. I got the XO which I like MUCH BETTER. It has a huge amount of spill (more than the X5!!!) and lights up a whole room. Throw is pretty good too, not as good as the X3, but it's a much different beam. I am very satisfied with the XO...in fact I love it much more than my X5.

Danbo · Jan 30, 2007

For the money, it's a good light. There are better lights out there, of course, but they cost a good bit more. Inova lights are built like tanks, for not a lot of money. I sold my XO3, because I didn't care for the beam pattern.

GreySave · Jan 30, 2007

I have an XO3 and I would have to agree that the output appears over rated. I find the beam useful because it is tight enough to shine down tight places without lighting up what is on the side. There are times when I do not want any side spill, and it is used and useful for that specific purpose. It is not what I would call a great light, but it is not priced as a great light either. Yet it is tough, water resistant, and offers decent runtime for the output. It suits my needs, but I can see how it would not be to everyone's taste.

Lee1959 · Jan 30, 2007

I personally like the X03, the combination of throw, brightness, durablity, and price is hard to match in a stock light. I personally will be sorry to see the new non-Tiros versions take over Inovas line.

I do not mod, more than the SMJLED for Minimags, so I do not even consider the modded lights.

Daylo · Jan 30, 2007

Having owned several lights including a couple HDS, Peak, and several Surefires I have to say Inova is still one of my favorites. I have several X and T series lights and they are all built like tanks and give off light that compares to others twice their cost. I don't think they can be beat in the quality per dollar comparrison and they are American made to boot. Don't know about the rest of you guys but I'm sure looking forward to getting my hands on some 2007 Inova hardware. :rock:

daveman · Jan 30, 2007

I can understand criticism aimed at Inova's (XO3) output; it's not impressive by today's standard, particularly in light of (no pun intended) Cree's XR-Es. But I have kept my X5 and XO3 after all these years because of their impecable fit and finish as well as that solid feel they give off in the palm of my hands. Would I buy one of them today for the same price? No, because there are much brighter/longer lasting lights available now, and Inova's failure to adopt to the new Cree-based leds doesn't help their products either; however, the quality of their lights are second to none, cannot be matched even by the likes of Surefire, only Peak is SOMEWHAT close to Inova's level.

Lee1959 · Jan 31, 2007

I cannot say that not going to a Cree LED is a fault in Inovas market. Cree's are still a new and rather unproven technology. In terms of durability and longevity they simply need time to prove themselves, like any new technology. Inovas are known for bulletproof durability for hard use lights. They will not jump into something until it is proven to be as durable as they need it to be.

Yes, this puts them behind in some aspects perhaps, but keeps them in their core market of durable rugged dependable lights. At least that is how I see it, I would rather risk my neck on an Inova, rather than a light with a new unproven technology.

AndyTiedye · Jan 31, 2007

I wouldn't. The Inova XO3 has more rings than Saturn.

Lee1959 · Jan 31, 2007

The Inova XO3 has more rings than Saturn.

What do rings have to do with a dependable light? That is simply a fussy asthetic issue which has no effect on the lights ability to save ones neck.

Valpo Hawkeye · Jan 31, 2007

Lee1959 said:
What do rings have to do with a dependable light? That is simply a fussy asthetic issue which has no effect on the lights ability to save ones neck.

You're correct that rings don't matter when you're in a bind. However, in everyday use, which is the majority of the time, they sure are annoying. I don't use my E1L very much for the simple fact that it has one ring on the perimiter. It just bugs me.

Lee1959 · Jan 31, 2007

I guess it all depends upon what you want and need in a light, I have used the X03 100s of times and never once thought about any rings in the beam. Matter of fact, I have never thought about that in any light period. To each their own...

Atomic_Chicken · Jan 31, 2007

Greetings!

I personally prefer the X02 to the X03... I don't notice a huge amount of difference in output between the two, the battery life is better on the X02, and the X02's I have cost me less than half as much as the X03 at the Costco closeout! I don't really even notice the rings on either light when I'm using them - my attention is toward the center of the beam - which is pure and smooth.

Best wishes,
Bawko

bullinchinashop · Jan 31, 2007

saabluster said:
I just got this light because everyone talks about how well it throws. :thumbsdow
I just don't see the attraction. I tested it against my Fifthunit Kenbar which I've modded and frankly there is no comparison. The beam on the Kenbar has a tighter spot and throws WAY farther. I did a ceiling bounce test using my light meter and the Kenbar on high is exactly 4 times brighter. Its so bright that when you shine it at a page you can't even see the black print. Only light. I noticed one site said the XO3 puts out 82 lumens. Am I to assume that mine is putting out 328 lumens or are Inovas claims WAY beyond reality?
Its not a stock light. I put 3v rechargables in it to up the voltage as it was designed for 18650s. It also has a cree xre P3. Also I think I stumbled on a little treasure. I took the the reflector out of a 3watt brinkman light I bought at Target. It works very well with the cree and actually has a tighter beam than the tiros optic XO3. And all that while having much better spill. If you're a modder I would Highly suggest you try this out.

Also for those wondering they were both tested with fresh batteries. I have been running this light everyday for the last 3 months and the cree seems to be holding up quite well and that is with me putting freshly charged RCR123As in it every day. I like for it to be as strong as it can be at any given moment.

You're pissed because a STOCK light that costs less than $60 doesn't blow away your MODDED light? A light modded with a cree?!
If you Payed $18000 for a car with a 4 cylinder engine would you be mad if it didn't smoke a $40000 car with a turbo & intercooler?

saabluster · Feb 1, 2007

bullinchinashop said:
You're pissed because a STOCK light that costs less than $60 doesn't blow away your MODDED light? A light modded with a cree?!
If you Payed $18000 for a car with a 4 cylinder engine would you be mad if it didn't smoke a $40000 car with a turbo & intercooler?

Well, I don't recall being pissed but... sure OK lets say I'm pissed. I was mostly let down by the hype about its beam being "laser like".

I think its funny how people seem to think $60 is cheap for a flashlight. Just because there are even more expensive flashlights does not mean that is cheap. Cheap to me is the $18 I paid for the Kenbar. Now I should expect that a flashlight that costs 3 times as much should be better at least marginally. And yet its not! Keep in mind I'm talking about a stock Kenbar. The X03 is not brighter. It does'nt throw as far. Its not as moddable. Its not as versatile(the beam can be adjusted from spot to flood)(you can use 18650s or cr123s). The run time is not as good as the Kenbar with an 18650. The beam itself is not as nice with all its rings. And I can't say that I've sacrificed much at all in the area of quality.

Lets see the X03 was more expensive than the Kenbar by far so I assume it would be the "$40,000 car". And yes I would be pissed if I bought a $40,000 car with turbos and intercooler(X03) and it got smoked by an "$18,000 car" (the kenbar). So what were you trying to prove with that analogy?
By the way I appreciate your staying on topic.

PhantomPhoton · Feb 1, 2007

There's no comparing modded lights to stock lights... unless you're a really poor modder.
There's no use comparing a stock Lux3 to a newer K2 or a new-fangled bleeding edge Cree-based emitter.

I like my X03.
Nobody gave a damn about the rings on the light when I fired it up after the lights went out one day when I was at work.
It put light where I needed it and in an indoor situation I could just ceiling bounce it to put up enough light for people to move safely even in large rooms.
It ran at full brightness for a couple hours while I helped clear the building.
It shot a beam straight to the bottom of the pool as I ensured there was no one left in there.
Its been in my backpack pretty much every day since I first bought it... the first batch available from brightguy. It's been bumped and banged, dunked and dropped a few times and still looks and works like new.
It's been probed and wiped and fiddled with by countless TSA agents and come out working every time!
For the price, and for the time when it was introduced it was a damned good light. I trust my X03 to work for me whenever I need it.
Quality construction and dependability are worth more money. Take for example a Surefire light.

That said, we all have preferences. There's no shame in returning a product that doesn't suit you.

bullinchinashop · Feb 1, 2007

saabluster said:
Well, I don't recall being pissed but... sure OK lets say I'm pissed. I was mostly let down by the hype about its beam being "laser like".

I think its funny how people seem to think $60 is cheap for a flashlight. Just because there are even more expensive flashlights does not mean that is cheap. Cheap to me is the $18 I paid for the Kenbar. Now I should expect that a flashlight that costs 3 times as much should be better at least marginally. And yet its not! Keep in mind I'm talking about a stock Kenbar. The X03 is not brighter. It does'nt throw as far. Its not as moddable. Its not as versatile(the beam can be adjusted from spot to flood)(you can use 18650s or cr123s). The run time is not as good as the Kenbar with an 18650. The beam itself is not as nice with all its rings. And I can't say that I've sacrificed much at all in the area of quality.

Lets see the X03 was more expensive than the Kenbar by far so I assume it would be the "$40,000 car". And yes I would be pissed if I bought a $40,000 car with turbos and intercooler(X03) and it got smoked by an "$18,000 car" (the kenbar). So what were you trying to prove with that analogy?
By the way I appreciate your staying on topic.

Now if a stock Kenbar spanked your XO3 I understand your being disappointed. I thought your issue was with the modded Kenbar being brighter.
And you're right $60 is a lot for a flashlight. So many people here lately have been going on and on about flashlights that cost $150 and more that I kinda lost perspective.
I'm not sure why so many people rant & rave about the XO3. I've got a T3 and my Palm Blazer
(http://www.goldengadgets.com/product_info.php?pName=fpk2-palm-blaze-luxeon-k2-white-led-flashlight&cName=led-flashlights-highpower-leds)
just stomps all over it. Less money,smaller size,brighter and more usable beam. And it throws even better than my T3 and matches my Nuwai ALX-352L (https://www.amondotech.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1189)
The T3 is good in small-medium size areas (say a garage,living room). It will light the entire room up. But in larger rooms (Say a warehouse,parking garage) it would be kinda useless. It would carve a path of light out in front of you but it wouldn't give you any light to the sides.

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