Jetbeam Jet-IM & Jet-IIM (XP-L HI, 1x18650, 2x(R)CR123A) Review

candle lamp

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Messages
1,572
Location
South Korea
The Jet-IM and Jet-IIM are the latest models from Jetbeam, with a Cree XP-L HI, running on 1x18650 or 2×(R)CR123A batteries.

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The lights come in a display packaging with information and specifications. Included are the light with removable clip (attached), spare o-rings, manual and warranty card. The Jet-IM comes with a micro USB cable.
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Manufacturer Specifications from Jetbeam website & manual :
1. Jet-IM
• Specifically designed for military, law enforcement, adventure and hunting
• Tail cap lock function - cap can be turned to prevent accidental switching on/off
• Cree XP-L HI LED with max output of 1100 lumen
• Latest high performance optical system, max beam distance up to 230 meters
• Built-in efficient power management circuit which allows a max runtime of 150 hours
• Micro USB port allows convenient charging of 18650 battery from any USB source
• Overheating protection - prevents overheating of case and ensures extended lifespan of LED
• Material of body : Aero grade aluminum alloy with hard anodized finish
• Reflector : Precise smooth reflector
• Toughened ultra-clear mineral glass with double-sided anti-reflective coating
• Waterproof - IPX8
• Impact resistance 1 meters
• Length : 150.1mm
• Diameter of head : 33.5mm
• Diameter of tail : 25.4mm
• Weight : 151grams (without battery)

2. Jet-IIM
• Specifically designed for military, law enforcement, adventure and hunting
• Tail cap lock function - cap can be turned to prevent accidental switching on/off
• Cree XP-L HI LED with max output of 1100 lumen
• Latest high performance optical system, max beam distance up to 230 meters
• Built-in efficient power management circuit which allows a max runtime of 150 hours
• Overheating protection - prevents overheating of case and ensures extended lifespan of LED
• Material of body : Aero grade aluminum alloy with hard anodized finish
• Reflector : Precise smooth reflector
• Toughened ultra-clear mineral glass with double-sided anti-reflective coating
• Waterproof - IPX8
• Impact resistance 1 meters
• Length : 150.1mm
• Diameter of head : 33.5mm
• Diameter of tail : 25.4mm
• Weight : 151grams (without battery)

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The hard (type III) anodizing is a matt black and consistent throughout with no blemishes or flaws on Jet-IM. The dark gray anodizing is also very good (type III) on Jet-IIM. Labels on the both lights are not as bright white (i.e., light gray) as some other lights, but those actually help to make them less obtrusive. There is knurling on the battery tube of the Jet-IIM, but no knurling on the Jet-IM.
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Both lights have 3 parts (i.e. head, body, and tailcap).
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The Jet-IM comes in a silver stainless steel crenelated bezel which is removable and allows light to shine through when left placed head down. The light has the dual-switch control in the head and the tailcap. The mode-changing side switch is electronic switch. It has a reasonable amount of tension when pressed. The USB charging port is on the opposite side of the side switch, and it is protected from water and dust by a small rubber cover. You will see a small LED indicator between the side switch and the charging port. The indicator shows battery power and charging state. When it blinks, this indicates the battery need to be replaced. There is a spring mounted on the positive contact board in the head, so flat-top cells should work fine in the light. The Jet-IM has reverse polarity protection to protect from improper battery installation (i.e., the electronics of the light has in-built reverse polarity protection).
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The Jet-IIM comes in a silver stainless steel crenelated bezel which is removable and allows light to shine through when left placed head down. The head has a number of machined design elements such as cutouts which seem to be mostly for good grip when twisting body and aesthetics. There is a spring mounted on the positive contact board in the head, so flat-top cells should work fine in the light. The light has reverse polarity protection to protect from improper battery installation (i.e., the electronics of the light has in-built reverse polarity protection).
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The Jet-IM uses toughened ultra-clear glass lens with double-sided anti-reflective coating. The purple hue is reflected on the lens. The aluminum reflector has a smooth pattern. Surface finish on the reflector was very good from visual inspection, and well-centered XP-L HI LED sits at the bottom of the reflector cup.
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The manual says Jet-IIM uses toughened ultra-clear glass lens with double-sided anti-reflective coating as well. But I could not see any hue is reflected on the lens. The aluminum reflector has a smooth pattern. Surface finish on the reflector was very good from visual inspection, and well-centered XP-L HI LED sits at the bottom of the reflector cup.
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There are three ridges along the body of the Jet-IM with two flat faces where manufacturer & model name printed on. The Ti-coated stainless steel clip is removable. Overall grip is good as the clip and the exterior design enhance grip. The body accommodates 2x(R)CR123A's and (un)protected 18650 cells without issue. The wall thickness of the body is 2.2mm. The light feels solid.
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The battery tube (i.e., body) is mostly covered in a knurling with two flat faces where manufacturer & model name printed on. The Ti-coated stainless steel clip is removable. Knurling is not so aggressive, but overall grip is good as the clip and the exterior design enhance grip. The body accommodates 2x(R)CR123A's and (un)protected 18650 cells without issue. The wall thickness of the body is 3.4mm. The light feels very solid.
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The clip is head-facing, and not reversible for both lights. Is is not so sturdy in my view. The battery tube has a notch on its end, but there's no protruded piece of the clip. This means the clip rotates on the body freely. The pocket clip has an anti-roll feature. You are able to remove it easily without removing the o-ring on the body.
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The screw threads are square-cut of good quality. Threads on both ends are well machined, and those on the rear end being anodized for tailcap lock-out. As supplied, threads on both ends are well lubricated. Threads on either ends on the body mate well with the head and tailcap with no issues of cross-threading or grinding. I found the tail side threads are not perfectly anodized on Jet-IIM.
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The tailcap exterior is composed of two regions – a base (the grip ring and just above region where a pictogram of a lock is marked) and a control ring and switch. The tailcap switch is an electronic switch. The switch cap protrudes out the rear end, so the light isn't able to tailstand. The switch has a bit stiff tension with average travel and tactile clicking feedback. Both tailcaps are physically interchangeable between the lights.
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You can grip the body of the light with your thumb and index finger on the control ring. There are three firm and clear detents on the control ring. Mode switching (lock & unlock) is controlled by turning the control ring clockwise and counter-clockwise.
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User Interface
1. Jet-IM
There are two state - tactical state (head fully tightened against the body) and general state (head slightly loosened).

1-1. With the head fully tightened, activation yields High only.
• Lock-out
Turn the control ring to middle position to lock out. At this point, the light won't come on by the tail switch until you turn the control ring colckwise or counter-clockwise again.
Alternatively, a reliable way to lock-out the light is to simply unscrew the base region of the tailcap a little.

• Activation
To activate the light, first turn the control ring clockwise (i.e., to the right, when looking down on it). Turn on-off by the tailcap switch. Note that mode change is controlled by the tail switch only (i.e., you can't use the side switch for mode changing under tactical mode. If you turn the control ring while the light is on, nothing will happen.

When turning the control ring counter-clockwise, you can press and hold the tailcap switch to activate for momentary mode. Again, you can't use the side switch for mode changing under tactical mode.

1-2. With the head lossened
• Lock-out
Turn the control ring to middle position to lock out. At this point, the light won't come on by the tail switch until you turn the control ring colckwise or counter-clockwise again.
Alternatively, a reliable way to lock-out the light is to simply unscrew the base region of the tailcap a little.

• Activation
To activate the light, first turn the control ring clockwise (i.e., to the right, when looking down on it). Turn on-off by the tailcap switch. Mode changing is controlled by the side switch in the head. Click the side switch to change modes when on. Mode sequence is High -> Med. -> Low -> Ultra Low -> Strobe -> SOS, in repeating sequence. The light has mode memory, and remembers the last constant output mode used when you turn the light off and back on, even after a battery change.
Even if you turn the control ring while the light is on, you're able to use the side switch (i.e., it will change modes while continuously on).

When turning the control ring counter-clockwise, you can press and hold the tailcap switch to activate for momentary mode. You can use the side switch for mode changing with the tail switch pressed under genearal state.

2. Jet-IIM
There are two state - tactical state (head fully tightened against the body) and general state (head slightly loosened).

2-1. With the head fully tightened, activation yields High only.
• Lock-out
Turn the control ring to middle position to lock out. At this point, the light won't come on by the tail switch until you turn the control ring colckwise or counter-clockwise again.
Alternatively, a reliable way to lock-out the light is to simply unscrew the base region of the tailcap a little.

• Activation
To activate the light, first turn the control ring clockwise (i.e., to the right, when looking down on it). Turn on-off by the tailcap switch. If you turn the control ring while the light is on, nothing will happen.

When turning the control ring counter-clockwise, you can press and hold the tailcap switch to activate for momentary mode.

2-2. With the head lossened
• Lock-out
Turn the control ring to middle position to lock out. At this point, the light won't come on by the tail switch until you turn the control ring colckwise or counter-clockwise again.
Alternatively, a reliable way to lock-out the light is to simply unscrew the base region of the tailcap a little.

• Activation
To activate the light, first turn the control ring clockwise (i.e., to the right, when looking down on it). Turn on-off by the tailcap switch. Switch acts as a reverse clicky switch, so you need to fully press and release to activate the light (i.e., click and release).

However, you are able to switch modes by either full off-on clicks of the switch, or a partial soft-press and release. Mode sequence is High -> Med. -> Low -> Ultra Low -> Strobe -> SOS, in repeating sequence. The light has mode memory, and remembers the last constant output mode used when you turn the light off and back on, even after a battery change.

When turning the control ring counter-clockwise, you can press and hold the tailcap switch to activate for momentary mode.
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Charging in the Jet-IM
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A LED indicator shows you two charging status. It will blink once every 1.5 sec under charging condition. When charging is complete, the indicator will show solid green.
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I did charging test with a protected 18650 (2600mAh) in the light, using the USB adaptor (output DC5.0V, 2A). The voltage before, under and after charging are as follow :
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I used the Xtar USB Detector "VI01" to measure charging current and input voltage.
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The resting voltage of the 18650 was 3.20V. As shown in the above table, the initial charging and input voltage were respectively 0.89A and 5.10V. So, the max. charging current was around 0.9A.

After 2hrs 56mins, the indicator went solid green. But the current was 0.38A (i.e., under charging state). The resting voltage of the 18650 was 4.03V only at this point, and the indicator showed solid green even after.

After 6hrs, the resting voltage was 4.20V. I left the charged 18650 cell in the light to see if the light does charge it continuously or not. After 15hrs 27mins, the resting voltage of the cell was 4.24V. This probably means the light will charge the cell continuously or the light will charge it to a certain voltage (i.e., around 4.2V) safely. However I can't tell the light properly stop charging, as the cell in the light was an protected one (i.e., Maybe the PCB in the cell did, maybe it didn't). I emailed the maunfacturer, but no reply from them.
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Standby Current Drain

Due to the electronic switch design, both lights are drawing a small current when the batteries are installed and the body tube fully connected. This current are 80.7μA and 67.1μA for Jet-IM and Jet-IIM respectively. Those would give you about 3.6 years and 4.4 years for a 18650 (2600mAh) before each light would be fully depleted. This is not a concern. But I would recommend you store the light locked-out at the body tube when not in use for a long period.
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From left to right, VicLite 18650(2600mAh) protected, Armytek Predator X v2 (XM-L U2), Jetbeam Jet-IM (XP-L HI), Jetbeam Jet-IIM (XP-L HI), Olight M23 (Dedomed XP-L), Fenix TK16 (XM-L2 U2).
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Overall grip is fine. As expected, Jet-IIM has better grip than Jet-IM.
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Measured Dimensions & Weight
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The lights are good size to hold, and feel comfortable when held in hand. Overall build quality is high.
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PWM
1. Jet-IM
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2. Jet-IIM
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No sign of PWM at any level of the light, leading me to conclude the light is actually current-controlled. I notice there is no buzzing sound at all output levels.
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Runtime

The runtime to fall to 10% of its initial output from 30 seconds after the point the light is first turned on (i.e., based on ANSI FL-1) for High & Med. output is as follow :

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Both lights step down on High after around 3 mins., and this seems to be a timed drop-down, not a thermal sensor feature. Regulation is maintained after step-down. On Med. level, the lights maintain perfectly flat regulation for an extended period, before dropping.
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Overall output-runtime efficiency seems good.
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Beamshot
1. White door beamshot (about 50cm from the white door) on max. output on 1x18650 (2600mAh) VicLite protected cell
- ISO125, F/8.0, 1/25sec, Auto white balance
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- ISO125, F/8.0, 1/100sec, Auto white balance
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- ISO125, F/8.0, 1/800sec, Auto white balance
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- ISO125, F/8.0, 1/2000sec, Auto white balance
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The lights have a small sized bright hot spot. Its size seems to be almost same as other XP-L HI lights, but a bit bigger than XM-L. The hotspot is well focused. A soft corona surrounding the hotspot is very slightly yellow. The spill beam is smaller than others. Beam quality is good, free from noticeable artifact. The overall beam tint is very close to pure white on my samples.
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2. 7m Indoor Beamshot on max. output on 1x18650 (2600mAh) VicLite protected cell
- ISO125, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
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3. 85m Outdoor Beamshot on max. output on 1x18650 (2600mAh) VicLite protected cells
- ISO125, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
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The Jet-IM and Jet-IIM are good thrower for the class, given the size of the head.
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Overall Impressions

• High Build quality
• Electronic tailcap lock/unlock function
• Standby current drain due to the electronic tailcap design
• Low battery warning indication function in the Jet-IM
• Charging 18650 in the Jet-IM doesn't seem perfect
• Anti-roll indentations on the body
• The light can't tailstand
• Electrical reverse polarity protection function
• Mode memory for constant outputs (except Strobe & SOS)
• True flat-top batteries work fine
• Timed step-down feature on High
• Output-runtime efficiency seems good
• True Moonlight mode is not available
• No sign of PWM flickers at any output modes
• Physically tailcap lock-out
• Neither lanyard nor holster is provided
• Good throw given the size of the head
• Beam pattern is good
• Overall tint is pure white


Jetbeam Jet-IM & Jet-IIM were provided by Jetbeam for review.
 

bwalker

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 6, 2016
Messages
104
Location
Texas
Can the strobe be activated in tactical mode or only from general mode? Is it correct that strobe can only be activated sequentially from normal mode? If so it doesn't seem very practical to not have instant access to strobe.
 

AdrianBryce

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 27, 2019
Messages
6
Really good informative review, I just wondered why so many of the images were blurred?

Thanks.
 
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