Jet lites - any users with comments?

[bikerRob]

8/24/04 >> Ah but the days are getting shorter. I'm doing some shopping for a new light system. The last light I bought is simply not working out. There seems to be some problems with digital switches that I don't like. Anyone out there ever use one of the Jet lite systems. I'm looking into the Jet lite "Phantom". I'm not sure if I believe all the raving reviews on MtBreview.com . I just want a light with a little more run time with a simple on/off switch to use on my helmet. The 12W Jet Phantom claims to have about 3 hrs run time and that would be great. I like the light I'm using to come on or go off instantly when I hit the switch. Hence my reason for not going with HID. Anyone out there use one of the Jet lites?

[riderx]

I like the light I'm using to come on or go off instantly when I hit the switch. Hence my reason for not going with HID. Anyone out there use one of the Jet lites?Haven't used the Jet Rob, but if the only reason you aren't going w/ the HID is the instant on/off, I'd reconsider. My L&M HID takes all of about 2 seconds actual time to come on and shuts off instantly.

[MTBeers]

I've had it for several years now with zero complaints.
Long life, bright light, and the switch is on the light so, click and it's on or off.
Back when HID's were coming out, but way too expensive to consider, I was doing a 12hr race and I kept getting asked if I had a HID, that's how bright and blue the light was. Now I'm sure it doesn't compare as much, but I still like it.
Also, when I placed my order over the phone directly through Jet, I spoke with the owner (don't remember his name now) and he was super helpful, even overnighted me the light with a prototype battery so that I could do a race that weekend, and then swapped out my battery when I got back.
Highly recommended. :D

[bikerRob]

My L&M HID takes all of about 2 seconds actual time to come on and shuts off instantly.
8/25/04 >> Hmmm...interesting...The L&M has two power modes though...do you have to cycle through the two power modes when you turn the light on(off) or is the on/off a separate switch? In comparison, both systems weigh about the same. Of course the HID will be brighter but that's not a big issue with me. Both systems are getting good reviews. Run times are comparable. The Jet cost is about $220. The L&M is about $350-$380. If I return my other light I'll be able to swap out even on the Jet. Hmm..HID is tempting though.:cool:

[Muddy1]

Yep, I have the Phantom and short of an H.I.D., its the brightest out there. I've had mine for a year now and the only problem that I had was that the switch on the light was not in line with the plunger so that if I didn't hit it just right, it wouldn't turn on. I called Jet Lites and they overnighted me a new light before I even had to send back the original one. Runs perfectly since. :)

I'm very pleased with them, especiallly for the price and unless I was going to use an H.I.D., I wouldn't consider any other lights out there. Definitely great lights and great customer service.

[rpiontek]

8/24/04 >> Ah but the days are getting shorter. I'm doing some shopping for a new light system. The last light I bought is simply not working out.

I recently picked up a set of HID from lumelighting.com, and they seem pretty nice, though the only thing I have to personally compare them to is a set of Vistalights. The lume lights seem pretty sweet, and under $300 shipped w/fast charger, and abou $50 less with the overnight charger. I don't see why you'd be doing much on/off switching that the delay would be a problem, but it does take a few seconds to warm up. My only complaint is that the batteries are too big and heavy to go in a jersey pocket, which I was hoping would be an option. But, they seem to be bright enough to run on the bar, even in twisty singletrack.

[rpiontek]

8/25/04 >> Hmmm...interesting...The L&M has two power modes though...do you have to cycle through the two power modes when you turn the light on(off) or is the on/off a separate switch?

I didn't really see the power modes on the L&M as a desireable feature because I think it only gets you an extra 30 minutes. And, what they don't tell you is the light quality won't be as good on the low setting, but I don't know how much. I read a review of the new NR HID/LED which has 3 power settings, and they seemed to think the lowest setting was not even worth using.

[riderx]

8/25/04 >> Hmmm...interesting...The L&M has two power modes though...do you have to cycle through the two power modes when you turn the light on(off) or is the on/off a separate switch? Single switch that does on/off and 2 light modes. Not really a big deal and honestly, there is such a minor diff. in brightness between the two that it's hard to notice. Both modes are BRIGHT!

[dmofot]

I think the NiteRiders just try to incorporate too much unwanted technology into their lights instead of concentrating on the basic light. When they work their great, but when you have a fully charged light that says it's attached to a dead battery, even though you just took it off the charge, somethings amiss.

If I was getting a new light I would definitely consider Jet, but also L&M and Lume. I also think I would go HID for the runtime alone.

DT

[Squirrel Girl]

I got to use my new Lume HID for the second time last night at Wakefield. It's great. I love it. Handlebar mounted. I got the slow charger since it was something like $50 cheaper.

Note, if you buy a Lume, and you go through mtbreview, you can get a code to use for a discount. On a light that expensive, it was worth it.

What I want to know is that they recommend not running the light for more than 10 minutes without actually riding to avoid heat buildup. I also want to take the light in a cave to wow my caver buddies (battery's too heavy to make a good caving light, but it would be an interesting novelty). Is stationary in a 60-65 degree cave gonna suck out more heat than riding 5 mph on a trail in 80-85 degree outdoor weather?

B

[bikerRob]

9/22/04 >> Okay, well I finally decided to get the Jet Phantom. So far I'm pleased with what I'm seeing. I went with the 12w (spot beam pattern)smart switching lighthead version to use on my helmet. The output from this light is very, very bright. Much brighter than say, a spot beam Niterider. My first test included a very fast forest road descent thru the Frederick watershed. Nothing got past the Jet to surprise me. I saw every rut and every pot hole way before I got to the point where I had to react. It performed well on single track too. Already some leaves are falling on parts of the watershed and as everyone knows, leaves hide a multitude of obstacles. In some spots it looked like someone had painted the trail in 3-D camouflage but still the Jet excelled by clearly showing were all the hidden ruts and rocks were before I got to them. So far so good but I have yet to do a run-time test of the battery. The smart switch feature works great too. Press the button once (on lighthead) and light comes on at full power. Press and hold two sec. and light turns off, or quick press to power down to two more lower levels. There was no noticeable "yellowing" of the light at lower levels just a lower intensity light. All levels of light can be useable in certain situations. Only one problem so far with this light...it is a bit heavy. Comparable to HID in weight probably. I got mine from an internet retailer...$208..not a bad deal. I ordered the SB version and got a smart switching lighthead by accident ( I think )...I'm still smiling.. :D (note: if I don't get the 3 hr. run time on the 13volt NiMH Battery I'll let you all know.)

[liltommy]

Rob,
From which site did you purchase. I'm in the final decision process and am looking for the best prices.

Is the 12w suitable or should I splurge for the 20w?

Any updates since your last post?

Tommy

[bikerRob]

Rob,
From which site did you purchase. I'm in the final decision process and am looking for the best prices. Is the 12w suitable or should I splurge for the 20w?..Any updates since your last post? Tommy

9/28/04 >> Tommy, The site I got mine from is called "Mountains Plus". ( see link ) http://gallery.bcentral.com/GID1197026P3123258-Lights-Headlamps/JetLites-Phantom-Single-Beam.aspx . Wither to go with the 12W vs. the 20W is a personal choice based upon riding style. The 20W uses more of a "flood pattern' beam and is much brighter. I bought the 12W because I wanted a more intense spot beam to detail terrain further up the trail ( between 50-100ft.)...( Because I use mine in combo with a bar mounted flood pattern light, I already have enough light close up near my bike ( 6-20ft.) The combo work great together. If you chose the 20w flood you shouldn't need a bar mounted lamp, however any obstacles further up the trail might not be as clear as with a spot beam. If you go to MTBreview.com there is a link comparing lights that give you some photos. They show the Jet Phantom and it appears to look almost like a HID light. Although it wasn't mentioned, they probably used the 20w flood bulb for the test. (see link) http://www.mtbr.com/spotlight/lightshootout/
So far I've used the light twice and it seems to be performing very nicely. However I have a couple more observations since last week that I think are worth noting. The battery I have has a series of five LED's to show battery charge. You push the button on the battery and the LED's light up. My last ride of 1 hour, 15 mins. left me with three LED's, still not down to half a charge so I guess that's a good thing. Also, when I set the helmet mount up I had to reposition it near the middle of the helmet because of the lamp weight. Putting it on front of the helmet made the helmet feel unbalanced. Lastly, the wire connectors are a little hard to work with without a light source but once you get the plugs matched up ( very small two prong fork M/F ) there is an outer connector sleeve that screws together and keeps the wires from coming apart, a very nice feature. ( supposedly Jet is changing this for the 05' versions ) Just be sure to get the "smart switching feature", it is well worth the extra money. Regardless of what size bulb you chose you can always buy the other one directly from Jet if you wish to switch out. ( Note: If you're in the market for a good lite weight bar mounted system I put a review on MTBreview.com for the Marwi Nightpro Elite. This is a helmet mounted light better used bar mounted*)

[bikerRob]

10/04/04 >> ( Review continued from last Post ) Sunday I had another chance to put the Jet Phantom though another test run while riding at the Fred. watershed. Conditions were almost like last week with the exception of there being even more leaves to obscure hidden obstacles. I also took another route that ran through some heavy rock gardens and once again ended my ride with a very fast forest road downhill along Mountaindale Rd. Total run time under lights was about an hour and fifty minutes.
After I got back to the car I let the light run ( on high ) while I changed clothes and put my bike stuff away ( about another ten minutes). While riding the 'shed I did use some of the lower power settings while climbing hills ( probably about 40 min.). I still had three LED's showing when I got back to the car so I continued running the light after I got home. I ran the light another hour and a half ( on high ) and it still looked pretty bright. At this point I had the battery down to one LED and decided to end the test. The manufacturer ( Jet ) cautions against putting the battery though "a deep discharge" as this could reverse the polarity of the battery. Total run time was 3 and a half hours using various power settings...not bad and I probably could have gone longer. :D

[liltommy]

Thanks partially to Bikerobs review I took the plunge and ordered a phantom, but with a 20w bulb as I don't have a handle bar mount to supplement this one. When I finally get it I'll let everyone know what I think about it.

As I don't consider myself an experienced biker yet, and this is my first light, I'm sure I'll give a fresh perspective.

On a side note, I'm still trying to figure out how to tell the wife about the $200+ "flashlight" I bought for my bike.

Tommy

[jks9199]

On a side note, I'm still trying to figure out how to tell the wife about the $200+ "flashlight" I bought for my bike.

Tommy

It's essential safety equipment so that you aren't killed...;)

(Or just avoid telling her how much it cost... Can you tell I'm not married?)

Jim