reactor 3 & inova x5 which one is brighter ??

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HI. does anyone have both reactor3 & inova x5 ??
Reactor 3 & inova x5 which one is brighter ??
pls help. Thank you.

Ken <font color="black"> </font>

The Reactor III is definately brighter. In fact, so is the original Reactor especially when driven by Lithium AA's.

The Inova X5T is more of a flood and especially suited for indoor use whereas the Reactor or Reactor III is well suited for outdoor use.

I especially like the Reactor III without the resistor that is in the tailcap. I just swapped the tailcap from an original Reactor with the tailcap on the Reactor III. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

ChrisM,
Can the resistor in the Reactor 3 tailcap be removed or bypassed? Any idea what taking it out does to the current draw? Is the LED in any danger of making magic smoke? I've got one and of course I'd like to make it brighter, but it still has to last me awhile.
Thanks,
Kirk

I don't own a CMG Reactor III, but I do own a Reactor and with 2 AA Energizer E2 lithiums it is brighter than the Inova X5T. My Reactor came directly from CMG as a replacement for a defective one I had sent back and it is very white (not the pee green color that everyone hates). CMG's customer service is great, so if there's ever a problem with your light, they'll make it right.

Contrary to ChrisM, I reserve my CMG Reactor for indoor use and carry an Inova X5T everywhere as my EDC light. The reason for this is that the CMG Reactor does not have an "off" detent, so it is very easy to activate accidentally in your pocket or pouch unless you remove the batteries first. I think CMG corrected this problem on the Reactor III, but since I don't own one, perhaps someone can chime in and confirm it.

The Inova X5T is rugged, water-resistant and has a lockout tailcap feature which prevents accidental activation while carrying it in your pocket or pouch. I personally like it because it's smaller than the CMG Reactor and easier to carry.

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Cosmic Superchunk said:
Contrary to ChrisM, I reserve my CMG Reactor for indoor use and carry an Inova X5T everywhere as my EDC light. The reason for this is that the CMG Reactor does not have an "off" detent, so it is very easy to activate accidentally in your pocket or pouch unless you remove the batteries first. I think CMG corrected this problem on the Reactor III, but since I don't own one, perhaps someone can chime in and confirm it.

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The newer Reactor 2 and the even newer Reactor 3 both have seperate detents for "on" and "off", so they shouldn't go off inside your pocket or bag nearly as easily as the first run of Reactor 2's without an "off" detent can.

The very first Reactor 2 that I tested has no "off" detent, and has that very characteristic "rotten dog urine green" color to its beam. The next Reactor 2 and the Reactor 3 I got (both in Sept. 2002) had good color and had seperate "on" and "off" detents.
I'm guessing that if you ran out and got another Reactor 2 today, it would have detents in both positions. I can make no guarantees on the color though...it could be snow-white or that yucky old pee-green.

Even the newer Reactors are still not as solid in keeping the lock to turn the unit off. I find I will usually never use the Reactor unless I'm going camping. Just not an EDC light... It's too easy to turn it on if it's twisting in your jean pockets...

My Reactor has a detent "on" and "off" and it is very hard to twist the head. In fact i can hardly twist it with one hand.

Sam

My reactor 3 rocks. I got mine a month ago and I still have the original batteries in them. Its got a nice beam, not too tight, nor floodlike. A bit on the greenish side around the outside and pure white in the center. This is my everyday task light around the house, yard and whenever i take the dog outsite. The Inova is nice too. But it's more for close up things and not for distances. Since I got the R3 the X5 is now the glovebox light. It being lithium powered, I know it will work if I ever need it. To answer the question, the R3 is brighter than the x5.

Does anyone know if the R3 can take NIMH?

I removed the ressitor from my reactor 3 It is much brighter...
Did anyone test how long the battaries last?
I mean how long does it run on full brightness?
With the ressitor it suppose to run for 24 hours on full brightness, and I wondered would removing the ressistor would make a much shorter runtime on full brightness?

Thanks in advance,

Samuel Shuster

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external said:

I removed the ressitor from my reactor 3 It is much brighter...
Did anyone test how long the battaries last?
I mean how long does it run on full brightness?
With the ressitor it suppose to run for 24 hours on full brightness, and I wondered would removing the ressistor would make a much shorter runtime on full brightness?

Thanks in advance,

Samuel Shuster



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Samuel,

No unregulated light using nonrechargeable batteries will run for any appreciable time at "full brightness" Even the original Classic Inova X5 couldn't achieve this on lithium 123's but it did provide good performance; down only 7% from full brightness at 3 hrs and 13% at 4 hrs.

My original Reactor3 (unresistored) on lithiums was very bright for the first hour or so, rapidly dimming and eventually being outperformed by the Reactor 2. I bought four Reactor II's and was quite disappointed with their color and brightness. My two Reactor III's were only slightly better.

If you want steady brightness in an LED light you might consider the Surefire E2e with KL1, the Lambda Illuminator, and the MadMax/Bad Boy dropins among others.

As a long burn, not too bright survival light an unresistored direct drive luxeon light is hard to beat. Even if you are packing the most sophisticated, expensive LED light as you head up the trail a Mag/Inretech or Reactor II is good insurance.

Brightnorm