2005 Inova T2 - specs and comparison to today's units

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and have a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer.

I have an Inova T2 purchased in 2005 and am trying to find out some basic information about it such as:

a) what LED is used inside this flashlight?
b) what is the wattage of the LED?
c) what is the light output in lumens?

and lastly,

d) how does my 2005 T2 compare with a brand new 2013 model T2?

Are there any significant improvements in light output (that I can observe with my own eyes in a real world scenario)? If such improvements exist, do they warranty replacing my T2 with a new one?
I like the uniform width of my T2, so could I replace it with a 2013 T1 and still achieve an improvement in light output?

Thank you in advance for any help!

Oh, and also, where can I get specs of old Inova flashlights (now discontinued models) for myself? Is there a resource on the web which covers this information?

flashlightreviews.com
Put your cursor on "Reviews" at the top and it will lead you to the old Inova T1, which also includes the T2 and T3.

Inova does't state what LED they use, however I assume it would be a Cree. The older models used Luxeon chips which had a significantly lower efficiency and output.
Old T2 had an output of about 80-100 lumens whereas the new T2 has over 200 lumens. So there should be a significant increase of output.

As for warranty goes, I don't think they offer lifetime warranty, you could try but don't count on a replacement for your 2005 T2.

Listed specs on Inova lights back then were way off. This was pre ANSI standard time. On many lights, wattage was listed, not lumens. The T1 and T2 both used the Luxeon I emitter. The T3 used the Luxeon III. The T2 was about 25 lumens out the front with around a 6 hour runtime. The new T2 is a two level light that puts out 243 lumens on high for 3 hrs. 25 mins.. On low, it puts out 22 lumens for 34 hours. On low, the newer one will be near the same brightness as the 2005 one on it's only setting and run for 34 hours (over 5.5 times longer at around the same brightness). Seems like it's about time for an upgrade. The savings in the cost of batteries and increased brightness are well worth the cost. However, shop around and make sure that's the light you want first. There are a lot of high power, high quality lights available now. Be aware that the 2005 T2 used an optic and had a tighter beam than the newer T series lights that long ago abandoned the tight beam optic for a diamond turned metal reflector with a wider and more useful beam. If you like the tight beam optic, a new T2 is going to be a vastly different light.

Firstly, thank you all for your replies.

I managed to find the packaging for my old T2. It states 2 watts, 40 lumens. The information on flashlightreviews.com states that "The Luxeon I, used in the T1 and T2, is designed to handle 350mA of current and produces around 25 Lumens at those current levels." So how come Inova can claim a 2005 T2 has a 2 watt LED and produces 40 lumens?

ylui replied stating that the old T2 outputted 80-100 lumens; where did you get this info from?

Either way, both ylui and Hooked on Fenix confirm that the new T2 will provide in excess of 200 lumens (as does the mfg info). It seems that I would definitely benefit from an upgrade with my T2, I just need to decide whether to purchase a new 2013 T1 or T2, given the body thickness issue. How does the new 2013 T1 compare (mfg states 211 lumens for the T1 versus 243 for the T2). Will I see with mny own eyes this brightness difference? Do these flashlights both use the same LED emitter? If so, how come their outputs are different when they both use 2 x CR123A lithiums?

On a separate note, do the same improvements apply to the current X1 as well? I own a 2005 X1 with the glass coated optics that produces the very definite circle of light with a blue edge. Again the old unit doesn't quote lumen output or wattage on the packaging (nor does flashlightreviews.com), versus the new one which states 55 lumens on high. Flashlight reviews hasn't been updated for the X1 since 2007, so it does not contain any info for the newest edition. Does anybody know what the wattage and output where for the original X1? How does that compare with the latest version?

In both cases, I have read and understood the change in the light distribution pattern caused by the replacement of optics with reflectors. This seems to be the better way to go, from a usability perspective, even if the optics system did look cosmetically better? Somehow, I always liked the optics as it makes you feel like you've got good engineering and quality for your money.

The new T1 and T2 both use the same l.e.d. The T2 will be brighter on low and high because it has a little more current going to the l.e.d. and it has a larger head so a little less light might be lost and it should throw better as well. As far as the X1 goes, the first generation was unbelieveably dim and had a tight beam. The only good thing about it was build quality (that was in some ways lost in the later generations). The second generation X1 had a Nichia CS l.e.d. that gave it maybe 4 times the brightness of the original and about 8 hours to 50% brightness. The issue was weak tailcap threads that eventually failed making the light useless at this point. It was a great light until that happened. Generation 3 fixed the tailcap threads but had issues with the glued in lens falling out. The brightness was double the last version, but runtime had decreased to under 2 hours (and it didn't work well with rechargeables). Generation 4 didn't have the tailcap issue or the lens falling out issue and was about 25 lumens (double that of Generation 3), but I think this was the generation that got away from coated glass lens and switched to a plastic lens. Generation 5 is the current X1 and is rated at 55 lumens. Still has a plastic lens and is now made in China. It is a two level light which can be a plus or minus for you. In my opinion, the Generation 2 X1 was the best. If they fixed the tailcap issue and left the glass AR coated lens and just updated to the newest Nichia 5mm l.e.d., this would be a great light today. As it stands, the beam on the newest generations are too tight and throwy for that type of light. Runtime is too short, and the two levels are still missing the most useable range for that type of light (15-30 lumens). This light would have been best IMHO as a reasonably priced, well built AA version of a Fenix EO1. As it stands today, it is poor competition for the Fenix/Olight/Quark etc. brands that use better l.e.d.s, are brighter, have better runtimes, and have better build quality (HAIII anodizing, AR coated glass lenses, gold plated contacts, user replaceable parts, etc.). I suggest shopping around because the market for 1AA lights has many better options available now.