AardvarkSagus
Flashlight Enthusiast
JETBeam Jet-III M
Submitted for consideration for the review forum
JETBeam shows off their versatility with the Jet-III M. It's designed to be an all-around utility light with it's fingers into all the various markets, but does being a jack of all trades make it an unfortunate master of none?
JETBeam Jet-III M
Meat and Potatoes
The Jet-III M is just about the size of any other typical 2xCR123A light, however it packs the punch that until very recently was reserved for much larger incarnations. Housed within its expertly crafted exterior is an R5 bin Cree XP-G LED with all the benefits that we have come to know and love from this bastion of quality. On High, the JET-III M produces a stunning 355 lumens of blinding output. Whether you are navigating a dark room, a vast warehouse, or the great outdoors, such a quantity does a fantastic job illuminating your way.
Cree XP-G
Utilizing a precise smooth reflector, JETBeam has succeeded in making this light into a relative thrower. In spite of the tighter focus of the hotspot though, it still is floodier in practice than it appears thanks to a very wide light-blending corona to the beam. The final result is an excellent multi-purpose beam designed for mid-range distances that is still somewhat capable in extremes of the spectrum.
JETBeam's user interface for the Jet-III M has to be one of the most versatile aspects. No matter what level of light you would prefer, it is available to you with JETBeam's "Infinitely" variable, user-selected mode. In practice, the Jet-III M is strictly a two mode light, with the bezel tightened position occupying the standard max output. The bezel loosened position however is where the magic happens. This level is programmable to any brightness from "barely find a keyhole in the dark" all the way up to the maximum volume of light. There is even an entire gamut of strobes, beacons and SOS's to choose from if that suits your taste better than a constant output. Activation of the programming mode isn't unnecessarily difficult, nor is it easy to accidentally access. This deliberate location seems very well thought out and executed.
The fit and finish of the Jet-III M is superb as any JETBeam I have yet seen. The machine work is both expertly designed and implemented. The light is very attractive and solid feeling. The anodizing is a flawless pewter gray color that is seen on relatively few lights outside of JETBeam's lineup. The spring steel double direction belt clip is a very nice touch, though I still would have liked to see a quality holster included by default once a light reaches this size.
JETBeam Jet-III M
Constructive Criticism
Nicely shaped though the beam is, there is still a number of minor artifacts in the beam. JETBeam does offer your choice of smooth or textured reflector and in my opinion, the textured reflector is probably going to be the better option between the two. The smooth doesn't create too many distractions during actual use, but it is still noticeable.
When changing the user selected mode of the Jet-III M, the light requires you to enter the programming menu and switch the light off for 3-6 seconds when the desired output was reached. The longer 6 second time is required for the lower voltage input when using an 18650 cell, but in my experience this would often stretch to more like 10-12 seconds before it would actually remember your choice. Earlier than that and you would just find yourself in the next stage of the programming menu, often times strobing yourself unexpectedly. For the impatient, 10+ seconds feels like quite an eternity with no light. Thankfully most people will find a good mode that suits their needs and rarely stray from it, but it is still an enormously annoying wait.
JETBeam Jet-III M
Conclusions
A well constructed general use light with a whole lot of style. My gripes on this one are admittedly quite minor because I am quite pleased with it over all. I think it looks fantastic and operates beautifully. The programmable 2nd level is especially useful. This is the type of light that you get when you don't know what your needs really are. It will safely cover all the bases.
Provided for review by the kind folks at JETBeam.
Submitted for consideration for the review forum
JETBeam shows off their versatility with the Jet-III M. It's designed to be an all-around utility light with it's fingers into all the various markets, but does being a jack of all trades make it an unfortunate master of none?
JETBeam Jet-III M
Meat and Potatoes
The Jet-III M is just about the size of any other typical 2xCR123A light, however it packs the punch that until very recently was reserved for much larger incarnations. Housed within its expertly crafted exterior is an R5 bin Cree XP-G LED with all the benefits that we have come to know and love from this bastion of quality. On High, the JET-III M produces a stunning 355 lumens of blinding output. Whether you are navigating a dark room, a vast warehouse, or the great outdoors, such a quantity does a fantastic job illuminating your way.
Cree XP-G
Utilizing a precise smooth reflector, JETBeam has succeeded in making this light into a relative thrower. In spite of the tighter focus of the hotspot though, it still is floodier in practice than it appears thanks to a very wide light-blending corona to the beam. The final result is an excellent multi-purpose beam designed for mid-range distances that is still somewhat capable in extremes of the spectrum.
JETBeam's user interface for the Jet-III M has to be one of the most versatile aspects. No matter what level of light you would prefer, it is available to you with JETBeam's "Infinitely" variable, user-selected mode. In practice, the Jet-III M is strictly a two mode light, with the bezel tightened position occupying the standard max output. The bezel loosened position however is where the magic happens. This level is programmable to any brightness from "barely find a keyhole in the dark" all the way up to the maximum volume of light. There is even an entire gamut of strobes, beacons and SOS's to choose from if that suits your taste better than a constant output. Activation of the programming mode isn't unnecessarily difficult, nor is it easy to accidentally access. This deliberate location seems very well thought out and executed.
The fit and finish of the Jet-III M is superb as any JETBeam I have yet seen. The machine work is both expertly designed and implemented. The light is very attractive and solid feeling. The anodizing is a flawless pewter gray color that is seen on relatively few lights outside of JETBeam's lineup. The spring steel double direction belt clip is a very nice touch, though I still would have liked to see a quality holster included by default once a light reaches this size.
JETBeam Jet-III M
Constructive Criticism
Nicely shaped though the beam is, there is still a number of minor artifacts in the beam. JETBeam does offer your choice of smooth or textured reflector and in my opinion, the textured reflector is probably going to be the better option between the two. The smooth doesn't create too many distractions during actual use, but it is still noticeable.
When changing the user selected mode of the Jet-III M, the light requires you to enter the programming menu and switch the light off for 3-6 seconds when the desired output was reached. The longer 6 second time is required for the lower voltage input when using an 18650 cell, but in my experience this would often stretch to more like 10-12 seconds before it would actually remember your choice. Earlier than that and you would just find yourself in the next stage of the programming menu, often times strobing yourself unexpectedly. For the impatient, 10+ seconds feels like quite an eternity with no light. Thankfully most people will find a good mode that suits their needs and rarely stray from it, but it is still an enormously annoying wait.
JETBeam Jet-III M
Conclusions
A well constructed general use light with a whole lot of style. My gripes on this one are admittedly quite minor because I am quite pleased with it over all. I think it looks fantastic and operates beautifully. The programmable 2nd level is especially useful. This is the type of light that you get when you don't know what your needs really are. It will safely cover all the bases.
Provided for review by the kind folks at JETBeam.
