Hello all. I'm putting together a modest collection of budget lights and would appreciate your opinions on the Jetbeam Imk. It is only about $15 or so and seems to put out respectable lumens at three levels. I would probably use AA only because of short run times and heat build up with the 14500. My main question is : are the super high output 1AA lights practical or are they just a toy to impress your friends ? Is the Jetbeam a decent light for the money? Thank you.
1 AA question
- Thread starter pennzy
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Whether a light is practical pretty much depends on your needs for the light.
The Jetbeam is pretty amazing to me especially for the $13 I paid for them but they are also hardly the only option near that range too.
If you need 480l from a small aa light then sure it is great and if you just need 130 or whatever it claims from a standard primary battery it is still a rugged and nicely designed little light if you like it.
I like the threaded tail especially as it lets me mount the light when I can not with most others and the twist operation is really nice and smooth for a light in its price range.
I also like the Thrunite T10 for just a few bucks more though as I can get it in a MW tint,it has a forward clicky switch and twists and has a real Moonlight mode and a better clip too.
All of these things add up to the Thrunite being more practical for me but I have a few of both and have no plans to get rid of any at all.
My friends are like Cavemen about lights and are only impressed by ultimate output but they don't use my lights,I do so who cares what they think?
The Jetbeam is pretty amazing to me especially for the $13 I paid for them but they are also hardly the only option near that range too.
If you need 480l from a small aa light then sure it is great and if you just need 130 or whatever it claims from a standard primary battery it is still a rugged and nicely designed little light if you like it.
I like the threaded tail especially as it lets me mount the light when I can not with most others and the twist operation is really nice and smooth for a light in its price range.
I also like the Thrunite T10 for just a few bucks more though as I can get it in a MW tint,it has a forward clicky switch and twists and has a real Moonlight mode and a better clip too.
All of these things add up to the Thrunite being more practical for me but I have a few of both and have no plans to get rid of any at all.
My friends are like Cavemen about lights and are only impressed by ultimate output but they don't use my lights,I do so who cares what they think?
Like I said I have both!
I use the low & FF more than anything else probably while inside and I prefer the Ti version clip that can not snap off as well as the NW Tint and rear click switch of the Thrunite overall.
For outdoor use maybe the Jetbeam will be more handy but I still really like to have a real Moonlight mode if I can.
I have a feeling that for the price you will end up trying both,a pretty common side effect to reading this Forum!
If you use the highest output mode a lot, then you're better off with a 18650 size light. If you use the lower modes most of the time with an occasional turbo output for short bursts, then that is a good use of the 14500 battery.
Absolutely. The Jetbeam Jet I MK is a great value with XP-G2 LED, well regulated efficient driver and good mode spacing. If you're OK with a twisty light, I personally don't think the price to value can beat with anything else right now. I run this light with an Eneloop battery.
Blackbeard
Enlightened
its a great little light, but so much better with 14500, I dont think I would go back to AA unless its an emergency, after seeing what it does on 14500., haven't noticed it getting overly hot either
swan
Banned
A 14500 and a standard eneloop actually have a similar amount of of energy both around 2.4 Wh so you should see the same runtimes on med and low.
StorminMatt
Flashlight Enthusiast
Not necessarily. An Eneloop is going to need a boost driver to drive an LED. Boost drivers are typically rather inefficient when the voltage source is low. This reduces runtime compared to a higher voltage battery driving the same LED through a more efficient buck or linear driver. Also, a higher capacity 14500 (such as a Sanyo UR14500p) stores about the same energy as an Eneloop Pro.
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No, not really. It depends on how well the electronic driver is designed. Some lights do a better job than others with their capability of utilizing an AA or 14500. In the case of the Jet I MK, I personally think they do a better job with AA than with 14500.
One issue with an AA light that can do both 14500 and the 1.5v cells has to do with the fact that the LED has a forward voltage drop of around 3.0 volts. Thus the driver needs to do boost for the 1.5v cells and it has to do buck for the 14500 lithium ion cells. I have found the efficiency to be similar if done well. Take the Nitecore MT10A for example. It's very well regulated and efficient with an AA. But they use PWM for the 14500 battery and so that kind of turns me off with that one running a 14500, even though its bright as heck on turbo. The Fenix LD11 and new LD12 do a good job with the 14500 battery and I prefer it to an Eneloop. The Jetbeam Jet I MK with a 14500 is bit more jumpy at the low and med mode in my light box than an Eneloop which indicates that it must have some sort of "not so well regulated" mode of operation for doing buck. The high mode is stable and looks like it might be direct drive and I'm getting around 600 lumens. I just don't see the point of it. (Mostly it just be for the showy aspect of how dang bright the little light can be). That will drain the battery quickly. So that leaves two modes for me with a 14500 battery. I just think the Jet I MK is better suited for an AA battery for all around use and it is very well regulated and efficient with one. I love the Jet I MK.
The other thing that was pointed out is that both an Eneloop and a 14500 battery have about the same amount of energy. Thus if both boost and buck driver capability are of the same efficiency, then you will get the same run time at the same output. However an Eneloop battery cannot source the current for the really high outputs so that is the advantage of the 14500...........you get about the same run time at the lower outputs as an Eneloop but you also have that turbo mode for the momentary need of a very high output. However a 14500 battery that is driven really hard will need to be charged back up soon. So my point is that a 14500 battery is great as long as you don't need the turbo mode very often, because that will just drain the battery quickly.
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Thanks for your insights.I will use my 18650 for the times I want to light up the back yard. I will use my AAA thrunite for helping my aging eyes see small things. What I want is a AA pocket light for walking outside .It would be nice if it had a decent brightness for a extended run time. The medium level of the Jetbeam sounds about perfect.Any other suggestions welcome.
