Sigelei Telescope, Style 8

Sigelei has gone a little nuts with the Telescope mod in recent days.  After the success of the original version, they made a few revisions.  Then they started offering alternative tubes for the mod.  Now, at last count, the mechanical Telescope mod was available in no less than 29 different versions.

A Telescope in Name Only

Strategically Placed to Hide the Tooth Marks

Granted, many of those 29 versions bear very little resemblance to the original Telescope.  Our new #8, for example, isn’t even a telescoping mod: it is composed of sectional tubes which can be swapped in and out to accept a range of battery sizes, from an 18350 up to an 18650.  It also doesn’t have the bottom-mounted button typical of the Telescope. instead using a GG-style side-mounted button.

It’s a nice-enough looking mod, with a brushed stainless finish and chromed top and bottom caps.  It would have been better-looking if we hadn’t received it from the factory with several scratches and gouges in it, as if they’d let a dog gnaw on it before packing it away in the padded box.  We don’t know how typical that sort of thing is with this version of the Telescope, but if we’d purchased ours from a vendor we would have traded it back in for one that looked less like a chew toy.

Voltage loss across our mod was not bad, but not the best we’ve seen, and certainly not the most consistent: generally .1 to .4 volts. It probably would have been better had the mod actually contained the brass contacts the factory had claimed it would have, but when we looked inside we found otherwise: the contacts appear to be either chromed or stainless.  We also at one point noticed some significant heating of the button when used, but that was just before it flew off the mod while we were trying to use it; it seems to have improved now that we’ve put it back in and tightened it like they should have at the factory after their games of fetch.

The Scores

Build Quality: 4/10

At first glance this appeared to be a fairly well-made mod.  The threading is decently smooth and the seams between tube sections are barely visible.  However, the Sigelei QA department apparently doesn’t check for little things like deep, obvious gouges in the metal, or switches that are on the verge of launching into orbit.

Looks: 8/10

We can’t really complain about the looks of the mod (other than the finish flaws we’ve already mentioned).  It’s got clean lines and the two-toned look contrasting the polish of the caps with the brushed finish of the tubes is a very attractive look.

Flexibility: 6/10

While the Sigelei Telescope #8 can handle a range of battery sizes by swapping tubes in and out, we do think it’s possibly a bit disingenuous of Sigelei to use the “Telescope” name on a made that doesn’t have a telescoping feature.  The mod accepted a Kick with no issues.

Performance: 6/10

Performance of the mod was good, if not great. Our Sigelei Telescope did not contain the brass contacts the supplier claimed it would, which may have improved this score.

Price: 4/10

We’ve found the Sigelei Telescope at retailers like Stormy’s Vapor Cellar for $59.99.  If that price were to drop $10 or $20 we’d certainly rate this much higher, but considering the quality control issues we’ve encountered with this mod, we think there are far better mods out there for less.

Overall Score: 5.6

Sigelei Telescope, Style 8