Just got a Beta QR... Some first impressions

Hi guys,
I have been collecting flashlights, Lord help me, for a couple years now I guess, and I've had some really great ones and some normal ones, and a few in between. Just to let you know what I consider really good: my favorites are a Ra Clicky and Muyshondt Aeon. I love my Haiku, but not as much as those two. Just preference maybe for the earthier feel and designs of the first two. I have a Surefire 6p that I never liked that much, as I found it too bright for 'normal' use. But now I understand its purpose. I recently got an Incendio and like it a lot for the price, not bad at all and pretty cool. Well made in its price point and cool features/functionality. I was happy with it immediately.

I have others as well, but you get the idea.

OK... I went on a binge last week and bought a few lights, one of them was the Beta QR.

I just received it. Granted, its not super expensive, but it is pricey for what it is.

I read several salivating reviews of this light and so I bought it. But I also read several reviews that gave it a 'meh' and 'what's the fuss all about?'

I fall in with the 'meh' camp.

It's a nice design. The QR works fine. Other than that...

The threading is the least nice I have ever felt on a 'fancy' light. Threads should be smoother. The turn of the head is also not particularly tactile or smooth--it feels kind of pedestrian, even mildly gritty (?) like a Mag light or something. So right off the bat, the fit and finish was very disappointing. I'm not a scientist, or a light builder, but even to look at the interir of the housing... it looks very, very pedestrian. It does not inspire you to think, wow, look how well made this is, like a Ra or Aeon or Haiku or even an Incendio. Yes, the Beta is MUCH lower priced than the first 3 mentioned, but the Incendio is about the same price as the Beta, and I think, a vastly more impressive light.

Disappointing, considering this is supposed to be a light designed by one man with extremely high standards, etc etc.

Now the light... Nichia 219... with high and low... very nice, but the head is so slippery to turn... its kind of annoying! Where's the grippy-ness that a head-turn switch needs? Why is the head slippery? The notches don't have any functionality, they just look nice.

It's the first light I ever kind of wanted to return the second I used it. The slippery head makes no sense at all and is a shocking oversight.

I would say this is 'something wrong' in the functionality.

I have found almost every 'fancy or supposedly excellent light I bought up til now, to live up mostly or even to exceed its hype... several mentioned above. Usually the fit and finish are pretty amazing, and you can feel it right away. They usually have the feel of something extremely well-made inside-out. Or they have that special something you can see or feel and appreciate.

This light, kind of the opposite. Sorry.... It feels sort of 'off the shelf'.

It's all right. I wrote this up to have the potential buyer do as much research as possible to see if this is really the light he/ she wants.

The QR is cool. The exterior design is very cool. Nichia 219 also very nice. These three features may be the main reasons to own the Beta QR. But this light could use a re-think on a fit and finish and functional level.

I may return it or contact Jason to see what he thinks.

Thanks.

I just took delivery of one of these as well just a couple days ago. And I think you may have a bad example that slipped through QC. Mine is fantastic. I don't find it slippery to turn. The threads are nothing spectacular, but they're smooth, not gritty at all. The QR is loose, but retains the light and works fine, so it doesn't bother me. And for the size and the fact that it runs off of ONE triple A battery, I don't think this light can be beat at this price point with the same functionality. I agree, you should contact Jason and see what he thinks.

Also, what finish did you get it in, maybe that can account for the slipperiness. Mine is the Electroless Nickel.

medicburke said:

Also, what finish did you get it in, maybe that can account for the slipperiness. Mine is the Electroless Nickel.

Click to expand...

I was wondering the same. I have the Cu and find the fit/finish to be very nice. Not in any way gritty and I don't find it slippery.

My only real issue is the length. It's pretty long with the QR attached. Much longer than the Eiger lug I actually keep on my keys. I also wish Jason had designed it to accept 10440s. Again, the Eiger does.


The Beta is a great light, but doesn't actually see much use here.

Ken

Nickel version. I don't see how this light can function well, unless the head piece turns with extreme ease... as the surface is so slippery. But we will see. I contacted Jason. Thanks guys. But then again, I am 'unenlightened.'

Update: out of respect for Jason, I'm just updating this thread. So I talked to Jason via email and he was very kind offering full refund etc. I decided to keep trying the light and -- if you turn the head more than say an 8th of a full turn, that's more than you need. I was turning it half a turn to activate. Now with a tiny movement, I activate it. It's perfectly fine. You don't need a great grip on it to do that tiny movement back and forth. However, I still feel that it is a slippery surface and I wouldn't personally design it with a slick surface like it has... And although I am keeping the light and do like it well enough, I feel it is not a particularly 'exciting' light and the hype is probably a little unmatched by the light. It is cool. It is nice. But... Functionality on-off is only acceptable but could be improved. Thanks.

I have the copper version, and the threads were gritty.
I had to clean and relube it 5 times before it started to turn smoothly.
I used nyogel everytime to clean and relube.

I have the copper version. I do like the light but mine sometimes will miss a mode and not light at all. Seems to happen quite often. After another turn or so I can always get it to work but just kinda annoying for a $65 keychain light.

I would've added grooves to the head, or a hexagonal ridge like the Peak lights, if I had been the original designer.

YoU know, if you had decided that you didn't want to keep it at the end, I was going to make an offer for it.