Preface
Jetbeam recently upgraded their SSR50 model with a XHP70.2 LED to give a much higher output whilst still retaining its powerbank feature.
Is this upgraded model worth getting?
Packaging & First Impressions
This is what the light will come with as shown below.
- The threads and o-rings were well lubricated. Threads were smooth and clean (no gritty feeling).
- The side electronic switches require a rather firm and deliberate press to activate and helps in preventing any unwanted activation of the light.
- Anodizing of the light is uniform without any missing specs.
- Holster provided is of decent quality and should withstand day-to-day abuse without issue.
- The “half” holster protects the head and part of the body (including the side electronic switches) only.
- No lanyard and/or pocket clip is provided with this light.
- Battery compartment holds the provided proprietary 7.2V/5000mAh battery with sufficient room for a slightly thicker battery width. There is no battery rattle even when shaken vigorously from side-to-side.
- The included battery will work in either direction in the battery tube (the positive and negative ends are on both sides of the battery).
Note:
- Before using the flashlight for the first time, remove the yellow insulation sheet from the battery’s terminal first (unscrew tailcap first).
Front:
Back:
Side:
Box Contents:
Quick Overview (Manufacturer Specifications)
- Body Material: Black HAIII Aluminium
- LED: XHP70.2 P2 1C bin
- Battery Format: 1 x Jetbeam 7.2V/5000mAh Li-ion Battery Pack
- Output & Runtime (with Jetbeam 5000mAh Li-ion Battery Pack):
- Eco (30 lumens / 113h)
- Low (150 lumens / 35h 45min)
- Mid (400 lumens / 13h 12min)
- High (1000 lumens / 5h)
- Turbo (3650 lumens / 1h 45min)
- Max Beam Distance: 483m
- Beam intensity: 58,400cd
- Waterproofness: IPX-8 Standard (2m)
- Impact Resistance: 1m
- Dimension: 273mm (length) x 37.5mm (body diameter) / 64mm (head diameter)
- Weight: 428g (excluding batteries)
- Battery reverse polarity protection
- Accessories Included:
- 1*Jetbeam 7.2V/5000mAh Li-ion Battery Pack
- 1*USB Adaptor
- 1*USB-C Cable
- 1*Spare O-ring
- 1*Holster
- MSRP: ~$177 (Scroll here to see Where to Buy for better prices.)
UI (User Interface)
UI for this light is suitable for a Bug-Out Bag (BOB) or walking/hiking light/search & rescue light as it is rather straightforward to use.
Switching ON and OFF is done by the side electronic switches on the light, so no momentary activation is possible.
There are 2 side electronic switches – MASTER switch (further from the head) will access Illumination modes and AUXILIARY switch (closer to the head) will access Flashing modes.
From OFF:
- HOLD (MASTER) [~0.5 sec] – LED will switch ON to last brightness level used (last mode memory).
- HOLD (AUXILIARY) [~0.5 sec] – LED will switch ON to STROBE, 1 Click (AUXILIARY) again to get SOS.
- HOLD (MASTER & AUXILIARY) [>~3 sec] – LOCKOUT mode is enabled when light blink 2 times; HOLD (MASTER & AUXILIARY) [>~3 sec] – LOCKOUT is disabled and light will switch ON to last brightness level used.
- When LOCKOUT mode is enabled, the light will blink 2 times if either side switches are depressed.
From ON (Illumination or Flashing Modes):
- 1 Click (MASTER)- Mode change – light cycles through (ECO, LOW, MID, HIGH, TURBO -> ECO, LOW, MID, HIGH, TURBO).
- 1 Click (AUXILIARY)- Mode change – light cycles through (STROBE, SOS -> STROBE, SOS).
- HOLD (MASTER or AUXILIARY) – Light will switch OFF.
Note:
- Battery Capacity Indicator on Tailcap – 1 Press Silver Button and the blue battery level indicators (4 in total) will show the current battery charge left.
- 4 LEDs ON (>80% battery capacity)
- 1 LED ON (>20% battery capacity)
- 1 LED FLASHING (<20% battery capacity)
Form Factor
For flashlights that are intended to use for a BOB or walking/hiking/search & rescue light usages and for possibly an extended period of time, form factor is extremely important.
This light is rather hefty in weight and size, but still feels relatively well balanced in a medium sized hand (not head/tail-heavy). Switching between overhand and underhand holding method is still easy with its form factor. The knurling on the light enables the light to be sufficiently “grippy”, even with wet hands/gloves.
Like the Streamlight Protac HL 5-X, it fits perfectly under the arms when requiring for hands-free usage.
It fits snugly in the “half” holster and is able to tail-stand perfectly without the slightest wobble.
Charging Process
With the provided USB-C Cable and USB Adaptor, the battery was charging at ~3.48A, which is probably one of the fastest charging flashlight we have ever reviewed.
The light is capable of operating on all modes (Illumination and Flashing Modes) when charging (at the expense of a slower charging rate). However, it is recommended to use “ECO” or “LOW” only, to ensure that the battery does get charged.
The blinking BLUE indicator (any of the 4 indicators) depicts charging in progress and 4 BLUE indicators lit (non-blinking) depicts charging has completed.
Discharging – Power Bank Function
This is probably one of the key specialty of this flashlight – the ability to use it as a backup Power Bank with the USB output port.
The flashlight was able to discharge at a max of ~1.49A, which is much higher than the stated 1A.
To start the discharging or Power Bank feature, 1 Press the silver button on the tailcap.
The Blue Battery Indicator LEDs will constantly glow to indicate the remaining battery left.
Beam Style/Beamshots
For the beam profile of the Main LED, the spill, corona and hotspot is somewhat predictable due to the fairly deep Orange Peel Reflector. Hence even with the larger sized LED used, the beam is still sufficiently “throwy” for recognising items in the near to mid-range distance.
The above beam profiles are a rough interpretation of what is seen when white wall hunting.
The Main LED has a fairly large hotspot with a ring of corona and a rather wide usable (circular) spill. It also helps that the XHP70.2 led is perfectly centred in this sample. There is a slight ring in the main beam when whitewall hunting but is not visible in real world usage.
All of the beamshots taken below are done so with the following camera settings (ECO: 0.6sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, LOW: 1/2sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, MID: 1/3sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, HIGH: 1/5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB & TURBO: 1/10sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB).
Some pictures have been adjusted slightly to depict as close as to what is seen in real life. The distance of the light from the door is 4.6m.
Control shot:
ECO (30 lumens):
LOW (150 lumens):
MID (400 lumens):
HIGH (1000 lumens):
TURBO (3650 lumens):
Mode (Output) Spacing
Mode spacing appears to be progressively brighter to the eye and the modes are well spaced enough to be able to know which mode one is currently in. With that in mind, TLR tend to view mode spacing as battery life indicators (amount of runtime left) rather than the specific output (lumens).
It would be nice if Jetbeam would incorporate a MOONLIGHT mode for those bedtime runs or during which having 30 lumens is still too bright for the night-adjusted eyes. However, as this isn’t marketed for indoor usage, it is understandable why a moonlight mode is omitted for this instance.
Tint & CRI
Jetbeam did not disclose the tint (color temperature) and/or the CRI (Color Rendering Index) for the LEDs used in their light. For this light, a guesstimate would be in the 6500K and 70CRI ballpark.
There are tint shifts throughout the beam profile. The hotspot is cool white whilst the corona possess a slight yellow-green tint; and the spill having a slight purple tint. This is however, not as noticeable in real life.
Waterproofness
The light was subjected to warm water submersion, followed by cold water submersion and left under room temperature running water tap whilst running on TURBO.
No signs of water intrusion in the head, switch or body was seen.
Lockout Capability
No mechanical lockout but electronic lockout is possible when needed, like during transportation in a bag.
See above “UI (User Interface)“, on how to activate and deactivate electronic LOCKOUT.
Note:
- It is recommended to switch the light to ECO mode before Electronic LOCKOUT as it will resume to that mode after LOCKOUT has been disabled.
- Charging the flashlight will not disable Electronic LOCKOUT.
Quick Comparison to Previous Generation
| Description | Jetbeam SSR50 XHP70.2 | Jetbeam SSR50 XM-L |
|---|---|---|
| LED Used | XHP70.2 | XM-L |
| Reflector Used | Orange Peel Reflector | Smooth Reflector |
| Max. Output | 3650 Lumens | 1000 Lumens |
| No. of Output Modes | 6 Modes | 3 Modes |
| Charging Method | USB-C Charging | Proprietary Wall Charger |
| Charging Port Location | Tailcap | Side of Flashlight |
| Discharging Port Location (Power Bank) | Tailcap | Battery Pack (Unscrew head to access port) |
| Battery Indicator Levels | Yes, On Tailcap. | No, low battery indicator only. |
Scale Comparison (Ruler)
Summary
To sum up, we believe that the most important part of any review is if given the chance to purchase the same light for our own EDC or to gift to our loved ones out from one’s pocket (wallet), would we still do it?
For this light, it is a YES if the tint shift and size are not an issue for your usage.
The relatively straightforward UI, direct access to STROBE, quick charging with the non-proprietary USB-C cable & USB adapter, power bank feature and a makeshift emergency window breaker (owing to the size/heft of the flashlight) are all plus points for this flashlight.
Some might feel like the proprietary battery used might be a major disadvantage but it helps serves as a complete flashlight package (flashlight + battery + charger) either as a gift or a workplace flashlight.
Here are some of the other high output (with longer style bodies) flashlight options we have reviewed recently.
From Left to Right: 18650 battery, Streamlight Protac HL 5-X and Jetbeam SSR50.
As with all gears, two is one and one is none.
Stay safe,
The Lite Review
Disclaimer: Light was provided for by FastTech for this review. No other compensation was provided.
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Jetbeam SSR50
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