# Urnabeam Beacon Review: New Compact Throw King? (Update: New selector ring model!!)



## RichS (Sep 11, 2008)

The Urnabeam Beacon has been flying under the radar and I’m not sure why. I haven’t seen or heard much about it, but it’s a nice light in a comprehensive rechargeable package for around $90 or $80 w/ free shipping for CPF’rs (http://www.liotec.com/CPF-page.htm). John at Liotec was nice enough to provide me one to review, so here we go..








In all honesty I expected about the same performance as several other lights I have in the same form factor w/ a Q5 after seeing the specs listed for the light (below). But fortunately, there were some surprises in store for me..

*Specs*


Specification: High efficiency electrocircuit
Output / Runtime: 230 lumen @ 150 minutes
Construction: Aircraft grade aluminum CNC machined, 
hard anodized finish
O-ring sealed
high transparency optical lens
Switch: Tactical button switch
charge and recharge protected Li-ion battery
*Construction*

When I opened the box and took the light out, it didn’t have that sleek or tactical look that just grabs you right off the bat like maybe a CL1H. But the more I handled the light, the more I realized how well this light was designed.

The first thing I really appreciated with this light was the knurling. Of all my lights, the aggressiveness of this knurling is second only to my SureFires. I would classify the grip as excellent, but slightly less skin-ripping than the various SureFire lights I own. This is good, because it has a very compact body for an 18650 light. You won’t drop this light…


The next very obvious thing you’ll notice with this light is the huge reflector for a light of this size. Looking at the light you wouldn’t guess it because it looks very average in size, but I would place a bet that this light has the largest reflector of any light in this form factor. I thought the CL1H had a pretty big reflector, but it’s not even close! After seeing this, I had an idea of what I was going to see in the throw department. More on that later..



















Compared to a CL1H:





The light is hard anodized in black with a slight sheen, and threads are all anodized as well. The anodizing was even and matching throughout, and there were no nics or blemishes that I could see. I was happy to see that the threads were also very nicely lubed, with no gritty feel whatsoever when unscrewing the tailcap or head.



















I’m a Wolf-Eyes fan, and one of the big reasons is the inner brass tube used for carrying the current. I really like that design, as it allows the threads to be anodized for protection and allows for great conductivity. This light has the same design with an inner tube for transferring the current, but I’m not sure what metal the inner tube is made of. It looks like polished stainless, but I can’t be sure. It’s this type of extra attention to design for reliability that I appreciate in a light.
















This light has a forward-clicky tactical switch, which has a nice tension without being hard to press. It has some tactical feedback when clicking for constant on, but not as much as I normally like. It feels much closer to a Wolf-Eyes switch than a SureFire.


Overall this light has a solid, well balanced feel, and is lighter than you would expect. I actually carried it in my front pocket very comfortably due to its compact size and design. 

I asked about upgradeability because it doesn’t appear that the module is removable. I was told that you would have to replace the head to upgrade, but I’m not sure what the cost would be for a new head on this light.

As for the holster, at first I was very happy with it due to the strong nylon construction and the velcro + snap belt closure. However, it doesn't fit the light very snug. It is too long, and there is slack at the bottom of the holster. If you squeeze it in, you can fit the light completely down in the holster which would make the lid overlap too much for the velcro to attach.


*Performance*

The light I tested is the single-stage version, but Liotec will be carrying a multi-stage version in a couple of weeks. I’m not exactly sure of the bin, but it is very white leaning slightly to the cool side. The Cree emitter is perfectly centered in the reflector (see pics), and has virtually no gap between the emitter and the reflector hole. As I already mentioned, the reflector in this light is huge for a light of this form factor, so I was prepared to see some serious throw – and I did. The reflector is an OP. I don’t know if an SMO reflector is available in this light, but it would be in the thrower class (probably up there with the Regalight) if one was available. As far as heat, the light got only slightly warm after about ten minutes of continuous run.

I compared the Beacon with the following lights in a couple of outdoor shots:


WE Sniper Q5 – AW 18650
Urnabeam Beacon Q5 - AW 18650
CL1H OP 3SD – AW 18650
Solarforce R2 (SF 6P clone) – 2xCR123











These first set of shots were against a white garage wall at 40 ft to compare the size and intensity of the hotspot. They were taken using manual exposure with fstop 2.8 w/ 1 step underexposed. The Beacon was the clear winner here, with a very intense hotspot that was surprisingly brighter than even the CL1H. There have been very few lights of this size I’ve seen or had that compared to the CL1H in brightness, but this one definitely surpasses it – at least in the hotspot. 

*WE Sniper Q5 on left / Beacon Q5 on right - 40 ft*






*Solarforce R2 on left / Beacon Q5 on right - 40ft*






*CL1H on left / Beacon on right - 40ft*





These second set of shots were at a tree at 140 ft. It is clear again that the Beacon maintained the brightest intensity at that distance, but the CL1H seemed to light up more of the area directly around the hotspot, and also had a larger and brighter spill. The Sniper had the largest spill by far, but a very week hotspot. The Solarforce did fine, but it's supposed R2 emitter didn't impress.

*Control Shot - ambient light - 140 ft*






*WE Sniper - 140 ft*





*Solarforce R2 - 140 ft*





*CL1H 3SD Q5 WC - 140 ft*





*Urnabeam Beacon Q5 - 140 ft*





*Sniper-->Solarforce-->CL1H-->Beacon*






Overall the Urnabeam Beacon is a high quality light with a well thought-out design. It has class-leading throw characteristics due to the very large reflector, with plenty of bright spill for close to medium use due to the OP surface. This light comes with the complete rechargeable package which will benefit those who would like a rechargeable light but don’t want to purchase all the extras to get it. In my humble opinion, this is definitely one light that needs to get on the radar as it offers a complete package, high quality construction, and at least in throw, stands above the rest.

*UPDATE:*

I was just found out that there is a new generation 3-stage Beacon coming out in about 3 weeks. It has a very cool selector ring on the tailcap that allows you to select the desired mode: High -> Low -> Strobe.

It looks like a very cool integrated design. Here's a pic of the new model:


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## copperfox (Sep 11, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*

Seems like Urnabeam did their homework with that reflector; the beam is very nice.


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## MrGman (Sep 11, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*

Very nice, but we don't see is the spill of each light to compare. The Urnabeam may have more light in the hot spot at the cost of less overall spill compared to some of the other lights. Can you make some beamshots that show the spill. 

Still overall a very nice package deal indeed. What is also important is if I drop it on a concrete floor will it still work. Some do and some don't. Concrete floors tell no lies. :huh:


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## RichS (Sep 11, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*



MrGman said:


> Very nice, but we don't see is the spill of each light to compare. The Urnabeam may have more light in the hot spot at the cost of less overall spill compared to some of the other lights. Can you make some beamshots that show the spill.
> 
> Still overall a very nice package deal indeed. What is also important is if I drop it on a concrete floor will it still work. Some do and some don't. Concrete floors tell no lies. :huh:


The spill can be seen pretty clearly in the 140 ft shots on the ground in front of the target tree, and on the sheds on the right and the white garage on the far left.


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## cal..45 (Sep 11, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*

thanks for this interesting and informative test. looks like the dereelight stays the winner for me in that contest, it provides the best compromise between flood (spill) and throw. 


regards, holger


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## sims2k (Sep 12, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*

Thanks for the comparison. Very interesting new light. I will wait for the multi-mode version though. Low mode is important to me.


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## sol-leks (Sep 12, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*



sims2k said:


> Thanks for the comparison. Very interesting new light. I will wait for the multi-mode version though. Low mode is important to me.


I was thinking the same, great light but just seems like its missing something at that brightness and price.


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## DM51 (Sep 12, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*

Good review, and an impressive light. Moving this to the Review section.


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## RichS (Sep 12, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*



cal..45 said:


> thanks for this interesting and informative test. looks like the dereelight stays the winner for me in that contest, it provides the best compromise between flood (spill) and throw.
> 
> 
> regards, holger


Thanks holger, I appreciate it.

I agree, the CL1H does provide a more balanced beam as it diverts more of the light to the spill. The Beacon absolutely leans toward throw with it's huge reflector pushing more light into the spot. It all depends on what you are looking for. One point I would like to make though, is that there are quite a few lights in this form factor that provide a pretty even mix between throw and spill. This light is definitely set apart by it's extreme performance on the throw side. The nice thing about it is that they used an OP reflector for still very bright side spill, and they kept the hotspot very large and usable unlike some of the big thrower class lights with needle-sized hotspots that were designed for just pure throw.


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## RichS (Sep 12, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*



sol-leks said:


> I was thinking the same, great light but just seems like its missing something at that brightness and price.


Completely agree - the vast majority will want the multi-mode version - like I mentioned it will be available in about 2 weeks. This review informs you of the build quality of the light, and some of the features that set it apart, such as the large reflector for great throw. You can see by this review what this thing can do on high - just figure in the multiple modes and you'll be good to go.


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## JohnB (Sep 13, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*

Great Job with the review Rich. We will have Multi mode available in the coming weeks. I will you all know when they come in.


Thanks
John


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## WadeF (Sep 14, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*

If throw is your goal, drop a smooth reflector in the CL1H and it will surpass the Urnabeam, but I find the OP reflectors are better for most jobs.


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## RichS (Sep 14, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*



WadeF said:


> If throw is your goal, drop a smooth reflector in the CL1H and it will surpass the Urnabeam, but I find the OP reflectors are better for most jobs.


Probably true Wade, until you drop a smooth reflector in the Beacon. It's hard for the CL1H to compete against the larger, deeper Beacon reflector design when it comes to throw. I asked John about the availability of a smooth reflector for the Beacon, and he is checking into it. I figure it is only a matter of time before they make one available. 

But considering most will want to use the OP reflector since it is better suited to all-around use, I don't think the availability of an SMO reflector for this light is a big issue. The Beacon provides the maximum throw in this size class _with an OP reflector_ for a smooth beam and bright spill.

Not to take anything away from the CL1H (I'm also a big fan) :thumbsup:, but the designers of this light found a creative way to squeeze a huge, well-focused reflector into a light that fits in your pocket.


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## WadeF (Sep 14, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*

I have the Urnabeam Hunter and it will out throw some of my other lights with CL1H sized reflectors. However, something like a Fenix TK11 with a smooth reflector, or CL1H with smooth reflector, will beat it for throw, and be smaller lights. 

I like my Urnabeam Hunter, but I have an early version with the older switch / circuit which I'm not terribly fond of. 

If a smooth reflector was a available for the Urnabeams it would be a different story, but I haven't seen one available, and my Urnabeam is sealed up so tight I don't know how I'd go about changing it.

Also the reflector looks similar to the reflector used in the Regalight WT1, when they were available. They came with smooth and op reflectors, and with the smooth they really throw.


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## toby_pra (Sep 16, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: New Compact Throw King? (Outdoor Beamshots - vs. CL1H)*

This light is maybe quite bright...but it looks like a SF 6P...:thumbsdow

But thanks for the nice review! :naughty:


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## RichS (Sep 16, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*



WadeF said:


> I have the Urnabeam Hunter and it will out throw some of my other lights with CL1H sized reflectors. However, something like a Fenix TK11 with a smooth reflector, or CL1H with smooth reflector, will beat it for throw, and be smaller lights.
> 
> I like my Urnabeam Hunter, but I have an early version with the older switch / circuit which I'm not terribly fond of.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks for the insights Wade. That's really all I was saying - apples to apples (OP vs. OP reflector -or- SMO vs. SMO reflector) the Beacon will have the most throw due to it's deceptively large and deep reflector in such a compact light. This light seemed like a sleeper to me in regards to it's throwing ability since I hadn't heard much about it. I really hope John is able to get a SMO version for ultimate throw some are looking for. But I still think that the great throw it has while maintaining the multi-purpose beam thanks to the OP reflector is the best option for this light.

As far as dis-assembly, the light has a retaining ring in the front that can be removed with the proper tool. Someone else posted a review of the Beacon where they said they removed the reflector and module pretty easily: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/202911

-Rich


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## RichS (Sep 16, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: New Compact Throw King? (Outdoor Beamshots - vs. CL1H)*



toby_pra said:


> This light is maybe quite bright...but it looks like a SF 6P...:thumbsdow
> 
> But thanks for the nice review! :naughty:


 
Really, you think so?? I guess the knurling placement is the same as the 6P, but the head is very different in size and design, and the tailcap is somewhat different..it's definitely not a 6P clone.

Like I said in my review, it definitely didn't initially strike me as an especially sleek/tactical looking light, but after handling the light the very functional design and high quality build did impress me.


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## WadeF (Sep 16, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*



RichS said:


> As far as dis-assembly, the light has a retaining ring in the front that can be removed with the proper tool. Someone else posted a review of the Beacon where they said they removed the reflector and module pretty easily: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/202911
> 
> -Rich


 
Glad to hear you can take it apart. My Urnabeam Hunter doesn't have a retaining ring and I don't see a way to open it. It reminds of me a SF 6P Defender as it has a pretty aggressive strike bezel.


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## JohnB (Sep 16, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*

WadeF
I think you should be able to take the head off even on the old Hunter to get at the LED. 



WadeF said:


> Glad to hear you can take it apart. My Urnabeam Hunter doesn't have a retaining ring and I don't see a way to open it. It reminds of me a SF 6P Defender as it has a pretty aggressive strike bezel.


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## toby_pra (Sep 17, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: New Compact Throw King? (Outdoor Beamshots - vs. CL1H)*



RichS said:


> Really, you think so?? I guess the knurling placement is the same as the 6P, but the head is very different in size and design, and the tailcap is somewhat different..it's definitely not a 6P clone.


 
No, it dont looks like a clone, you are right. 
But i think its a little bit similar, esspecially the Body and Tailcap, no freshy design. :candle:


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## RichS (Sep 17, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: New Compact Throw King? (Outdoor Beamshots - vs. CL1H)*



toby_pra said:


> No, it dont looks like a clone, you are right.
> But i think its a little bit similar, esspecially the Body and Tailcap, no freshy design. :candle:


I would agree - apparently the light was designed with performance in mind rather than flash.


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## RichS (Sep 19, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: New Compact Throw King? (Outdoor Beamshots - vs. CL1H)*

I just spoke with John at Liotec, and he said that he will have the multi-mode versions of the Beacon in stock next week. He said they will be *High ->Low ->Strobe*.

-Rich


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## WadeF (Sep 19, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: vs. CL1H, WE Sniper, Solarforce R2 (Outdoor Beamshots)*



JohnB said:


> WadeF
> I think you should be able to take the head off even on the old Hunter to get at the LED.


 
My Hunter appears to be glued together. I could probalby try and break the glue and get it open, but I would risk damaging the light and was afraid to do so.


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## RichS (Sep 26, 2008)

*Re: Urnabeam Beacon Review: New Compact Throw King? (Outdoor Beamshots - vs. CL1H/Sni*

I was just found out that there is a new generation 3-stage Beacon coming out in about 3 weeks. It has a very cool selector ring on the tailcap that allows you to select the desired mode: High -> Low -> Strobe.

It looks like a very cool design. Here's a pic of the new model:


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## copperfox (Sep 26, 2008)

Is the new one a forward clickie? Will it be offered without the charger & 18650 cell?


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## JohnB (Oct 1, 2008)

I am waiting for more information on the specs. Everyone at the factory is out on holiday this week. As soon as I know I will share with everyone.

Thanks



copperfox said:


> Is the new one a forward clickie? Will it be offered without the charger & 18650 cell?


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## ntalbot (Nov 12, 2008)

That selector ring is awesome! Now if they could just make a version with low-med-high instead of high-low-strobe. Even non-flashaholics would do fine with that UI. How low is the low?

Nick


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## VF1Jskull1 (Nov 13, 2008)

makes me want to get one too... i have two 18650's sitting unused so i'd like to buy just the light...


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## JohnB (Nov 13, 2008)

Hi Guys

I only have 5 on hand with the selector ring for now and more coming later on. Please PM if interested. We also have the Digital regular Beacon in stock with high-low-strobe

I will find out if we can special order the sequence

Thanks
John


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## Chao (Nov 21, 2008)

Firstly, thanks RichS for let me post my brief review here, I bought this Beacon light from Liotec after saw this thread, mine is the new version with the "stage control ring".








The main feature of this light is the stage control ring, just rotate it to select high-low-strobe, you can easily change high-low-strobe when the power is on, the ring works with its forward clicky is very convenient. The momentary-on also works well in different stages.

This light has great throw as shown in RichS’s nice outdoor shots in above, the lux readings (at 1m) I have are 11650 lux with primary cells and 11450 lux with 18650, here I showed my indoor beamshots compare with Jetbeam military (SMO, 10470 [email protected]) and Olight M20 (SMO, 12200 [email protected])

5m shots (because of the big OP reflector, the beacon has a smooth beam without much ring around the hot spot, and also keep good throw)











10 m shots
P3D Q5, just for control




















In this runtime graph, the performance of 18650 battery is nice, not flat regulation, but I think it’s already good.

I like this Beacon, especially the U.I, very easy to use, also thanks John for offer discounted price for CFP members:twothumbs


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## RichS (Nov 21, 2008)

Chao said:


> Firstly, thanks RichS for let me post my brief review here, I bought this Beacon light from Liotec after saw this thread, mine is the new version with the "stage control ring".
> 
> The main feature of this light is the stage control ring, just rotate it to select high-low-strobe, you can easily change high-low-strobe when the power is on, the ring works with its forward clicky is very convenient. The momentary-on also works well in different stages.
> 
> ...


 
Excellent information Chao, thank you! I know other's were looking for a runtime graph and lux readings so thanks very much for providing this. So 11,650 lux with an OP....sweet!! :twothumbs


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## eyeeatingfish (Nov 22, 2008)

This is better than my review! I too got a few samples for a police department test and the light is a good solid light. Simple and sturdy. I didnt even realize it had these extra features till i read this. This light is a good tactical light, it throws great for a light its size or even bigger than it.


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## artec540 (Nov 22, 2008)

Nice review of what looks like an interesting light.

An interesting, new to me, control for the three modes. Two big advantages, it seems to me, are that you can tell what mode it will be in before you turn it on and you can change modes either before or after you turn it on.

If it's such a great thrower, I'm curious why no-one has mentioned the Dereelight DBS, which I thought was the acknowledged throw champion of lights about this size. Actually, although there are probably dozens of lights around that I've never heard of, I've been gathering good throwers (DBS, Olight M 20, Tiablo A9, Raidfire Spear, Aurora, MRV SK) and I haven't come across any of those that were used as comparisons! Not a criticism, just a comment on what a variety of more or less similar lights there are around. 

I'd be interested in the Beacon if a smooth reflector were available. I don't care about rings or irregularities, all I want is the range.


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## RichS (Nov 22, 2008)

artec540 said:


> Nice review of what looks like an interesting light.
> 
> An interesting, new to me, control for the three modes. Two big advantages, it seems to me, are that you can tell what mode it will be in before you turn it on and you can change modes either before or after you turn it on.
> 
> ...


Hi artec540 - the reason that I didn't include the DBS or Tiablo A8 in this comparison is that it is not in this light's size class. This light is the size of the CL1H which is the smaller, more pocketable of the Dereelights, which is about the size of a SureFire 6P. The DBS or Tiablo will of course win in a pure throw contest because of the size of the heads on those lights. Those lights are about an inch longer with a much bigger head. This light retains a very small footprint that truely makes it pocketable, while maximizing the size of it's reflector for throw. That's why I claimed that this light is "king of throw" in it's size class with an OP. With a SMO it would come close to matching the throw of the larger DBS, Tiablo throwers. If you are just looking for max throw and size is not an issue, go for the DBS, Tiable, or high output HID like the 24W Boxer or POB. Just don't expect to easily drop any of those in your pocket like the Beacon..


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## VF1Jskull1 (Nov 24, 2008)

nice.... this is the news i've love to here and see... now i'm on the fence on getting the jetbeam military (love the look and material of the light)... the wife's gonna have a few words with this that deciscion... thanks for the reviews and runtime charts.


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## JohnB (Nov 25, 2008)

Great info Chao

Thanks for posting it so quickly!

John


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## copperfox (Nov 25, 2008)

Approximately how many lumens is the low mode? And does anyone know the rate (Hz) of the strobe?


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## Chao (Nov 25, 2008)

copperfox said:


> Approximately how many lumens is the low mode? And does anyone know the rate (Hz) of the strobe?



Mine look like around 30 lumens in low level, I will try take a side by side beamshot compare with other light.


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## VF1Jskull1 (Nov 26, 2008)

nothing scientific here but to my eyes the low mode seems lower than 30 lumens... i guess i'm so used to seeing 150 plus lumens that 30 lumens seems dim (my fenix L0P seems brighter).... the strobe frequency is as high or slightly higher than my nitecore extreme but significantly higher than my fenix P3D. the switch requires way more effort to operate than either the extrem or p3d. it is similar to my wolf eyes 9 series lights...


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## Chao (Nov 27, 2008)

VF1Jskull1 said:


> nothing scientific here but to my eyes the low mode seems lower than 30 lumens...



I think your estimation is right, I just took a shot of Beacon low level and compare with L0DQ4-low (11 lumens), their output look identical.


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## NoFair (Nov 27, 2008)

Nice review:thumbsup:

Light looks great as well:twothumbs

Sverre


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## PhantomPhoton (Nov 27, 2008)

The tailcap selector ring looks great. 18650 is :twothumbs! Decent construction and nice looking knurling also add appeal. However, the big hang up for me is the fact that the light engine is not modular... and that's a killer in my book. 

Not being able to (easily/ conveniently) upgrade the light to a more efficient emitter in the future, as well as use superior currently available tint and beam patterns; it cancels out many of the positives of the light. :mercy:


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## artec540 (Nov 30, 2008)

RichS said:


> Hi artec540 - the reason that I didn't include the DBS or Tiablo A8 in this comparison is that it is not in this light's size class. This light is the size of the CL1H which is the smaller, more pocketable of the Dereelights, which is about the size of a SureFire 6P. The DBS or Tiablo will of course win in a pure throw contest because of the size of the heads on those lights. Those lights are about an inch longer with a much bigger head. This light retains a very small footprint that truely makes it pocketable, while maximizing the size of it's reflector for throw. That's why I claimed that this light is "king of throw" in it's size class with an OP. With a SMO it would come close to matching the throw of the larger DBS, Tiablo throwers. If you are just looking for max throw and size is not an issue, go for the DBS, Tiable, or high output HID like the 24W Boxer or POB. Just don't expect to easily drop any of those in your pocket like the Beacon..



Thanks for the explanation....... it makes perfect sense. 
I already have both a Tiablo A 9 and a DBS and I've just bought a used CL1H, so I shall be able to get any necessary upgrades to give it the greatest throw it can provide. I don't know yet which version it is, which reflector it has or which pill but I'm sure Alan will be able to supply whatever I need.
I had Boxer and a Xenide 25 W but they were both just too big for my purposes, though certainly they both had excellent range....... especially the Xenide. I have a Jillite Eznite which is just a terrific light and irrespective of size has a formidable throw. It's nice and short, 5 inches, less than the DBS, A9, Spear or any of that class, but it's a bit too plump to carry in one's pocket, almost 1.75 inches, while the others are too long! I guess I'm very fussy! I'm really looking forward to the CL1H and thinking it may replace the Jillite Qohelet T (5.4 x 1.45) I'm carrying at the moment. We'll see!


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## copperfox (Feb 10, 2009)

I've had the selector ring model of the Beacon for a few months now. Here are my observations.

Pros:
Momentary (forward) clicky
Bright on high
Great throw
VERY sturdy feeling, has some heft to it
Selector ring won't accidentally change modes while you handle the light
good knurling
No crenelated bezel

Cons:
Low mode has visible PWM
Low mode is too low for me. It appears to be 10lm. I would prefer a more "general" mode of ~40ish lumens.
Tailcap requires considerable effort to click on and is recessed far enough inside the tailcap so that clicking on requires the tip of the thumb.
Selector ring is very tough to rotate; definitely requires two hands
Tailcap is larger in diameter than the rest of the body


On low, judging by a ceiling bouce test, the Beacon is equal in overall brightness to my wife's Fenix E01. 

If Urnabeam could at least fix the PWM of the low mode and make the tail switch easier to access (give up tail-standing ability) then I'd consider this light a keeper. I would also like a clicky that requires slightly less effort and a brighter low mode. Oh, and the holser that comes with this light must only fit the regular tailcap edition because it really doesn't fit the fat bottom end of my selector ring model.


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