The filtration system addresses specific operational needs. It is lightwieght and operates literally 'on the run.' The time factor is a consideration as is the cost. Inovas are fair lights, but have the individual quality control mentioned. I had one that died almost immediately while it's mate lasted nearly 3 months of daily, though brief use. Play with it in different situations and then upgrade. My greatest feat with a micro light involved changing out a fried starter motor on a remote road AT NIGHT. Crawling under a car is bad enough, trying to juggle tools, torch and the part a nightmare. I simply duct taped one photon to the starter, and a second onto my finger. Your U2 is a splendid knife for it's size. I have on stashed in my PSK tin.

Thanks for the response.
My post wasn't about Inova microlights in particular, more about microlights in general. (The mis-understanding is more to do with my bad English, and the photo used as an example)
However, I now won't be buying Inova! I'm still to be convinced that I need a microlight anyway, although thier hardly expensive..maybe..

Signalling, reading maps, attracting fish, and finding your way around your personal survival kit on a dark night <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I own that exact light and it bright enough to do a lot more than that. It would (and has) lit hiking trails in the woods and stairwells in the office.

Microlights as a whole are a good idea; some are better than others. My old boss bought several Innova lights as pictured. When they came in, one was already on in the blister pack, & we could NOT turn it off (didn't want to use the boot heel options since we did return it). While they make other lights that are great, their microlights are not up to par, IMHO.

The Photon II (from LRI), on the other hand, is the gold standard (I have P1, P2, & P3), & much prefer the P2. They're amazingly bright, ridiculously lightweight, and there when you need them. I have one on each of my 3 keychains, plus others in use around the house.

As others have pointed out, they have a lot of utility: checking for brown recluse spiders before I crawl under a desk to look at a PC, for instance, is a BIG one! So is having one instantly available when the lights go out (either at home, or at work).

The P2 I use most has spent a rainy night submerged in a puddle (worked great even wet, & only needed drying off, inside & out).

Try one; I think you'll like it.

David

Thats interesting .. I have done a beam teast with the photon 2 and the inova micro side by side and my samples were identical .. if anything the inova was slightly brighter. the only difference between them was the photon is not waterproof and is slightly smaller.

as a matter of fact, we did have a lousy weather today over Paris.
It may rain tomorow...

<img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

5mm LED lights including the coin lights and the Arc AAA are all pretty much the same in terms of brightness. The difference is in size, construction quality, etc. The Arc AAA uses a common, easy to change battery and is tough as heck (hard anodized aluminum) but it's kind of a large light and was expensive even when it was still being made. Now that they're scarce and sought after, prices are through the roof.

The Photon II is about the smallest and most lightweight of the CR2016-powered lights, and it has a constant-on switch which is missing from some lights. Its main weakness is not-so-good water resistance, plus you need tools (tiny Philips screwdriver) to change the batteries. However, it's still the classic example of this type of light. The Inova Microlight (version with constant-on switch) is a bit bigger and uglier, but perhaps an improvement. It's more water resistant and you can change the batteries without tools.

The best deal in these things is the Countycomm $1.00 lights (they come in bags of 20):

http://countycomm.com/light10.htm

It's worth buying a bag of 20 of them since you'll find yourself constantly handing them out as gifts. They're always appreciated. They are like the P2 in needing tools to change the batteries and in not being so water resistant, but they're quite easy to operate. Their main extra weakness is they can turn on by accident if you drop them or slam them against something. If you put one in a PSK, I'd advise putting a piece of scotch tape over the switch to keep it from turning on by accident.

These small lights are amazingly handy. They do get dimmer as you use them, but they'll run for several hours before getting too feeble. They start out comparable to a typical old-fashioned penlight. Even after several hours, they're more than bright enough to find your way around a dark room or stairwell. If you've ever been caught in a lightless situation you'll know how important that can be.

The Hydration Technologies osmosis membrane is implemented in the new US MRE.
US army food... just add urine (BBC NEWS)

Yum ... LOL <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />