The Element Manta Strobe is a replica of the S&S Precision Manta Strobe beacon from Element.
In the last article, I already told you about a replica of the minimalistic V-lite beacon from Element, which I have been using for several years. The reason for purchasing this signal beacon was a significantly expanded list of features and a replaceable battery. But first things first, as usual, a short list of the main features of the Element Manta Strobe.
- One infrared mode and five modes for visible diodes.
- Switching modes by simultaneously pressing two buttons.
- Built-in vibration motor notifies when IR mode is on.
- Main material: ABS plastic.
- Power supply: 3V CR123 1 pc. OR 3,7V 16430 1 pc.
- Available body colors: Black, Tan.
- Available diode colors: Red + IR, Green + IR, Blue + IR.
- Dimensions: 5.5 cm x 9 cm x 3.5 cm (width \ height \ depth).
- Weight (without batteries): 58 g.
The following review presents the Element Manta Strobe beacon in a Tan package and a Red + IR diode combination.
The Element Manta Strobe comes in a transparent blister, molded for the device and its accessories. In most cases, there will be a sticker on the front of the blister that matches the color of the visible diodes. In my case, this is a red circle in the upper left corner of the blister. In addition to it, there is no particularly important information on the front, except for the name of the product and the manufacturer's logo.
The back side of the blister is much more informative and contains information on color variations of the body and diodes, brief instructions on activating and switching modes, as well as a photo of a signal beacon indicating all controls. We will return to them a little later.
Inside the blister you will find the following items: the Element Manta Strobe, a small self-adhesive Velcro from 3M cut to the shape of the base of the device, a cardboard insert with a guide for working with the beacon, and a small piece of thin safety cord. The CR123A battery, which can be seen inside the device in the photo above, unfortunately, is not included in the package, but was installed by me to check the device's functionality upon receipt.
Structurally, the Element Manta Strobe is a printed circuit board on a plastic base wired for five LEDs (three infrared and two visible), a small compartment for CR123A or 16430 batteries and three buttons enclosed in a transparent plastic case with a maximum dimensions of 5.5 cm x 9 cm x 3.5 cm (width \ height \ depth). These dimensions also accommodate a cover with a button that closes the battery compartment.
A complete 3M Velcro is attached to the plastic base. Please note that the base has a concave area for which there is a special slot in the Velcro, allowing it to be glued over the entire area. The adhesive of the Velcro is moderately sticky, but for better fixation, I would still advise you to warm it up before gluing, otherwise, with good adhesion of the Velcro on the beacon and the surface where it is attached, the Velcro may peel off from the beacon itself with a strong or sudden jerk.
At the back of the rotating beacon there is a roll-up cover that provides access to the inside of the battery compartment. For some reason I don't understand, this lid is silver in the Tan version of the beacon, although neither the black version of the case, nor, even more so, the original Manta Strobe ot S&S Precision has such a discrepancy. One gets the impression that a similar lid is used on other Element products, and in order to unify the production, they did not change it, but simply screw it on as is called. If this is critical for you, you will have to paint yourself. The shape of the cover also differs from the shape of the original device, but this does not affect the functionality in any way.
As you already understood, thanks to the presence of this cover, you can easily change batteries, which Element V-lite, for example, cannot do in principle. Hence the increased service life of the Element Manta Strobe.
On the cover of the battery compartment there is an impressive black button that is responsible for turning on / off the power. When pressed in a blinking mode, three infrared LEDs are turned on, which the Element Manta Strobe will inform you with three short vibrations. This is done in order to prevent the complete depletion of the battery when the device is accidentally activated, or in order not to give out your location when you do not want to be seen in the IR spectrum. Thanks to vibration, the moment of activation will not pass unnoticed.
Two more buttons (side switches) are located on the side of the case. To change the IR mode to visible light and switch the beacon blinking frequency, these buttons must be pressed simultaneously. This is done in order to, again, reduce the likelihood of an unintentional change in mode or frequency when the case contacts the elements of the environment. When the buttons are pressed for the first time, the beacon will switch from IR mode to blinking mode in visible light (in my case, red), about which it will again notify you with a triple vibration. Further pressing of the buttons allows you to cyclically increase the blinking frequency. There are five modes of blinking in visible color. To switch back to the IR glow mode, turn off the device using the button on the battery compartment cover (tail cap) and turn it on again.
The Element Manta Strobe has a small cut-through in the front of the base. It is designed to pass the complete cord and additional fixation of the beacon to the rails of the helmet or equipment where it is mounted. Thus, you get a safety leash that protects your beacon from loss in case the Velcro for some reason cannot keep it.
The photo below shows a working Element Manta Strobe attached to the helmet.
For all its compactness, the Element V-lite does not have a replaceable battery, which significantly limits its service life. For me, this was perhaps the main reason for switching to the Element Manta Strobe, which uses the same CR123A battery as my Princeton Tec Remix Pro MPLS helmet-mounted flashlight. As a result, I managed to unify the power supply of all my helmet-mounted devices, with the possibility of exchanging batteries between them, in case of urgent need. In addition, the Element Manta Strobe is significantly brighter than the V-lite, making it easier to detect at a greater distance. The choice of the blinking frequency in the visible spectrum and the presence of IR diodes are a nice addition.
For situations where you want to be seen in poor visibility conditions or in the dark, the Element Manta Strobe is perfect. This does not have to be hostilities or operations supported by low-flying aircraft, but it can also be cycling, jogging in the dark, evening skiing on the slopes of ski resorts, search and rescue activities, as well as other activities and active leisure. ...
Source: https://secretsquirrel.com.ua/snaryazhenie/obzor-signalnogo-majaka-element-manta-strobe/
Author: MAD
