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Detailed
Information:
The 1730L is a very interesting little flashlight.
It is designed to be stored in an automobile and used
as a flashlight under normal circumstances. In case
of a crash, it has a sharp steel point on the end to
break automotive glass and a seatbelt cutter hidden
under the tailcap which can be pulled off with some
effort.
The body of the light is anodized, machined aluminum
on the outside. The spike at the end of the tailcap
is reported to be steel. The seatbelt cutter housing
appears to be a cast metal of unknown type with a sharp
steel blade tucked inside in a manner which would prevent
accidental contact. Giving the tailcap half of the body
a good tug while holding on to the head of the light
will remove the cover to expose the seatbelt cutter.
The cover is held in place by a tight fitting O-ring
around the base of the seatbelt cutter. The tailcap
contains a sharp steel point for breaking glass and
a hole where a lanyard can be attached.
The bezel contains a clear plastic lens, a silvered
plastic reflector, and a single white 5mm LED. The LED
does not produce very much light at all and would be
marginally usable in anything but extremely dark situations.
The beam pattern is unusual with an off-center projection
of the LED die in a dim circle of light.
The switch is a simple click switch under a rubber
cap which protrudes above the surface of the body just
below the head of the light
To get to the 3 LR44 batteries, first pull off the
seatbelt cutter cover. Then grab the seatbelt cutter
and unscrew it from the head-half of the body. The button
cells will drop out. Insert 3 new button cells negative
first and replace the seatbelt cutter and the cover.
O-rings can be found at most of the potential areas
of water entry, the exception being the battery compartment
where it is sealed by the seatbelt cutting mechanism.
What I Liked: Not too much.
What I Didn't Like: I don't trust
its water resistance, Very dim light, Seatbelt cutter
cover difficult to remove, Easy to stab yourself in
the hand with the sharp pointed end when trying to replace
the seatbelt cutter cover, Batteries were a pain to
replace.
Other Things I Noticed:
Conclusions: I would call this
light a "Jack of all trades and a master of none."
I really didn't care for it very much. It's functional,
produces light, and should work as a automotive rescue
tool, but that's about it.
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