JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

[coors]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

I just got my shipping info from DX today, so hopefully I'll have some White label Trustfires to compare too.

I'm also eagerly looking forward to reading your findings with the Trustfires. My mother and father just came from afar for a visit this week and I demonstrated this lights output to dad, outside at night. My dad has about 50 flashlights already, but I ended up giving him my Jetbeam II IBS, WF-138 charger, 3x rcr123s and a 6x cr123 battery case. I'm planning to get myself another one of these lights again, as soon as possible.

coors

 

[selfbuilt]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

20 minutes runtime means that you are discharging the cells with 3C current and that is too much for them. I think it would be safer to use only default high with RCR123 batteries.

I agree - I've done the runtimes with each of my batts just to see what I get, but I do NOT recommend running them this way in everyday use.

Note too that all my runtimes are done under a cooling fan. I doubt its very good for the emitter to be running on 100% for any length of time on the IBS series lights.

Be safe :candle:

 

[JJV]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

I agree - I've done the runtimes with each of my batts just to see what I get, but I do NOT recommend running them this way in everyday use.

Note too that all my runtimes are done under a cooling fan. I doubt its very good for the emitter to be running on 100% for any length of time on the IBS series lights.

Be safe :candle:

Selfbuilt, thanks for the review. Just got my Jet II today.

Question for you: when setting the brightness, I know you shut the light off at the brightness you want for your initial on. How do you select it for modes B and C (as you described it, 33% for a, 66% for B, and 100% for C)?

I think I am doing something wrong as I keep going back tot he factory reset or the strobe mode and I can't figure out where I am blowing it.

Thanks!

 

[mr.snakeman]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Selfbuilt, thanks for the review. Just got my Jet II today.

Question for you: when setting the brightness, I know you shut the light off at the brightness you want for your initial on. How do you select it for modes B and C (as you described it, 33% for a, 66% for B, and 100% for C)?

I think I am doing something wrong as I keep going back tot he factory reset or the strobe mode and I can't figure out where I am blowing it.

Thanks!

It sounds like you´re doing the same thing that I did with my new light. It seems that the timing of the 3 half clicks is critical to being able to get into the hidden area. Remember that turning on the light (full click) will put you in "A", no matter what is programmed in "A" (I`d inadvertently programmed in strobe during one of my programming tries).

3 half clicks in rapid sucession (under one second) should put you in the hidden zone- wait a few seconds to see if the light begins to go through the low to high run (btw, this is on a loop so if you miss marking what level you want, just wait, it comes around again), if so, you are in, if not, turn off and try again. Once in remember to turn off the light (full click)as soon as the level you want has been reached. Check by turning on: if it`s what you want, great, just one (half- not on-off) click to get into "B" and repeat (if "B" turns out o.k., remember 2 slow half clicks to get into "C" from start). Just remember that if you don´t get it right in "B" or "C" turning on the light will always start you off in "A" which means that you must half click (once) to move to the next mode. Hope this helps.:wave:

 

[JJV]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

It sounds like you´re doing the same thing that I did with my new light. It seems that the timing of the 3 clicks is critical to being able to get into the hidden area. Remember that turning on the light will put you in "A", no matter what is programmed in "A" (I`d inadvertently programmed in strobe during one of my programming tries).

3 clicks in rapid sucession (under one second) should put you in the hidden zone- wait a few seconds to see if the light begins to go through the low to high run (btw, this is on a loop so if you miss marking what level you want, just wait, it comes around again), if so, you are in, if not, turn off and try again. Once in remember to turn off the light as soon as the level you want has been reached. Check by turning on: if it`s what you want, great, just one click to get into "B" and repeat (if "B" turns out o.k., remember 2 slow clicks to get into "C" from start). Just remember that if you don´t get it right in "B" or "C" turning on the light will always start you off in "A" which means that you must click (once) to move to the next mode. Hope this helps.:wave:

Thanks! Setting A is the easy part. Once I get to the other modes, how do I "lock in" the settings there? Say I choose around 33% for A. I turn it off, wait, turn it back on, and I am good. (All this is true.) Now I want to set B to somewhere higher than 50%. I turn the light on, press softly once to get to B, then...what? Press 3 times to get to the brightness mode? OK, let's say I do that...get to my desired brightness setting...then how do I keep that setting? Press once again to get to the next mode? That's where I am having a tough time.

Thanks again!!

 

[mr.snakeman]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Thanks! Setting A is the easy part. Once I get to the other modes, how do I "lock in" the settings there? Say I choose around 33% for A. I turn it off, wait, turn it back on, and I am good. (All this is true.) Now I want to set B to somewhere higher than 50%. I turn the light on, press softly once to get to B, then...what? Press 3 times to get to the brightness mode? OK, let's say I do that...get to my desired brightness setting...then how do I keep that setting? Press once again to get to the next mode? That's where I am having a tough time.

Thanks again!!

Full click as soon as you reach the level you want. Turn on, half click 2 times (not too fast) and you are in "C" mode, repeat and enjoy.

 

[Nake]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

To keep the setting you want, click it off or soft press the button in for about 4 sec.

 

[selfbuilt]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Now I want to set B to somewhere higher than 50%. I turn the light on, press softly once to get to B, then...what? Press 3 times to get to the brightness mode? OK, let's say I do that...get to my desired brightness setting...then how do I keep that setting? Press once again to get to the next mode? That's where I am having a tough time.

Not quite - yes, turn on the light and soft-press to move over to "B" and then press 3 times quickly to get it to start ramping. To select the output you want assigned to B, you need to turn off the light. You also need to leave it off for a few seconds before turning it back on - once you do turn it back on, you will be in A. Soft-press over to B and you should see what you just set.

I suspect the problem is you aren't waiting long enough for the light to "memorize" the new setting when you turn it off. If you turn it back on within a few seconds of setting "B", the circuit interprets it as just another soft-press (which would get you into strobe modes). If this happens, just start over - the secret is to give it a few seconds off once you've set the desired mode.

EDIT: wow, two other fast responses while I'm writing my long-winded post!

 

[mr.snakeman]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Not quite - yes, turn on the light and soft-press to move over to "B" and then press 3 times quickly to get it to start ramping. To select the output you want assigned to B, you need to turn off the light. You also need to leave it off for a few seconds before turning it back on - once you do turn it back on, you will be in A. Soft-press over to B and you should see what you just set.

I suspect the problem is you aren't waiting long enough for the light to "memorize" the new setting when you turn it off. If you turn it back on within a few seconds of setting "B", the circuit interprets it as just another soft-press (which would get you into strobe modes). If this happens, just start over - the secret is to give it a few seconds off once you've set the desired mode.

EDIT: wow, two other fast responses while I'm writing my long-winded post!

Thanks selfbuilt, forgot to emphasize the waiting time necessary after turning off the light (newbie error).

 

[JJV]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

FINALLY I got it to work!! Thanks to everyone for their input!!

 

[mr.snakeman]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Glad to be of help (I hope).

 

[coors]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

20 minutes runtime means that you are discharging the cells with 3C current and that is too much for them. I think it would be safer to use only default high with RCR123 batteries.

I had read at one time while researching about RCR123 batteries that RCR123s should not exceed 2C current draw and that even at 2C there would be a rapid loss of capacity. One of the cells that I was using in the Jetbeam Jet II IBS is failing very rapidly. In another light I've been doing some runtime tests and the one particular cell that I stupidly(!!!) used in the Jet II IBS with the head removed (as a candle) on 100% output for 12.5 minutes, is now only giving about 1/3 the runtimes of the other cells... whereas before it was the equal of the other cells. Also, when I picked the flashlight up, after 12.5 mins @ 100% without the head, it was so hot that it could not be picked up at all. It was so hot that I was very afraid of the battery blowing up, so I got the battery out and cooled it right away and it never blew...but it's no longer any good either. The heatsinking properties of the head of the Jet II IBS definitely helps, keeping the light running much cooler. If I were to run a Jet II IBS as a candle again, it would be at well below the 50% output. Also, even before the 100% candle episode, I noticed that all 6x of these new cells were only charging to 4.11v...whereas before doing 100% runtime testing in the Jet II IBS these cells were all charging to 4.19v.
Anyway, I do not even know what 2C or 3C even means. The only 2x things that I know how to do with my multimeter is to read current at the tailcap and cell voltage. So, can someone explain what 2C, 3C, etc. means, please?


coors

 

[Steve L]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Hi coors,
2C means 2 times the capacity of the cell(mah), 3c is 3 times the capacity.
Ex: An AW RCR123s capacity is 750mah, 2c would be 1.5 amps(1500ma) max draw from the battery.

 

[selfbuilt]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

In another light I've been doing some runtime tests and the one particular cell that I stupidly(!!!) used in the Jet II IBS with the head removed (as a candle) on 100% output for 12.5 minutes, is now only giving about 1/3 the runtimes of the other cells... whereas before it was the equal of the other cells. Also, when I picked the flashlight up, after 12.5 mins @ 100% without the head, it was so hot that it could not be picked up at all. It was so hot that I was very afraid of the battery blowing up, so I got the battery out and cooled it right away and it never blew...but it's no longer any good either. The heatsinking properties of the head of the Jet II IBS definitely helps, keeping the light running much cooler.

Good point about the heat in candle-mode - I can see how the head might be providing a significant heatsink for this light. Personally, I have my concerns about heat build up in these IBS lights given how hard they are driven (i.e. ~3C), and don't recommend you run them at max unattended without some sort sort of passive/active cooling.

As for battery capacity over time, I know my runtime testing has been pretty hard on some cells. As my analysis in post #2 shows, my older blue-label AWs have lost about half their charge capacity. For Li-ion longevity, you are best running at lower discharge rates (<2C) and topping up frequently (i.e. don't wait until the protection circuit kicks in).

 

[coors]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Hi coors,
2C means 2 times the capacity of the cell(mah), 3c is 3 times the capacity.
Ex: An AW RCR123s capacity is 750mah, 2c would be 1.5 amps(1500ma) max draw from the battery.

Thanks very much for the explanation, Steve!

 

[coors]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about running these lights on high, Selfbuilt.

coors

 

[1dash1]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Selfbuilt:

Great pictures! I've tried my hand at posting a few pictures and you make it seem so easy.

Tremendous run-time graphs! I deal with professionally produced reports in my engineering field and these are wonderful.

Excellent reporting! Thorough and insightful coverage.

It makes me think about my own collection's pluses and minuses. It gives me a greater appreciation of what's out there. It makes me a wiser consumer. Thanks!

 

[BeamJunkie]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

Okay, finally got my white label Trustfire's in the mail. First thing I noticed was that the white labels are significantly longer, however, I managed to fit them in the Jet II. After reading a previous post that the white labels were delivering 40 minutes of runtime on max, I was optimistic. I was hoping that I just had a bad (brand new;only 12:30 mins on max) AW RCR123. Well the disappointment continues. Here's a list of my results on max:

No Name Blue Label RCR123 #1 2:30 mins
No Name Blue Label RCR123 #2 2:30 mins
Battery Station RCR123 2:15 mins
Brand New AW RCR123 12:30 mins
Brand New Trustfire 880mah RCR123 #1 11:45 mins
Brand New Trustfire 880mah RCR123 #2 14:50 mins

In every case the light just shut off, and in the case of the two new Trustfire's, the voltage immediately after was 0.00 (pcb kicking in).

These results are no where near other reviewed results and definitely not even close to Jetbeams advertised results. I think my Jetbeam II has some issues.

 

[selfbuilt]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

After reading a previous post that the white labels were delivering 40 minutes of runtime on max, I was optimistic. I was hoping that I just had a bad (brand new;only 12:30 mins on max) AW RCR123. Well the disappointment continues. ... I think my Jetbeam II has some issues.

That seems a likely explanation at this point, given the number of RCR batteries you have tried. Out of curiosity, what are your runtimes on primary CR123A?

Oh, and thanks for the positive comments 1dash1.

 

[BeamJunkie]

Re: JetBeam Jet-II & *Jet-III PRO* IBS Review - RUNTIMES, COMPARISONS + FOCUS SHOTS!

The runtimes on the only primary I tested seemed somewhat normal. However, since I do not have any way to measure light output, it is difficult to determine when 50% was achieved. The primary kept going and going until it was extremely dim and I stopped the test. Voltage at that point was down to 1.5 volts. The rechargeable's are the only ones that shut down completely from max brightness to nothing. I tried to send an email to [email protected] today to discuss my findings and the e-mail got kicked back as undeliverable. Also, there is no contact e-mail address on their website.