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This 41 LED light is like many new LED lights coming
out recently. By using a number of 5mm LEDs for producing
light, these LED lights are now competing well with
traditional incandescent flashlights in terms of output.
Some of these lights use boost circuits or resistors
depending on the power source.
The body of the light is made of anodized aluminum.
The body has 7 deep grooves machined into the sides
for grip and the body has flat plateaus running lengthwise.
The tailcap has a checkered ring around its
circumference, and there is a rubberized ring with ridges
in a groove running around the head. The body wall is quite thick - well built.
The finish is a flat light gray. At the
very front of the light is a polished silver reflector which
contains the LEDs, sitting behind a plastic lens. Both the bezel ring
and tailcap are removable. The tailcap is flat so that
it can stand on end and has a lanyard attachment point
in the form of a drilled, recessed post. The rubber covered push button
click switch for operating the light is on the body
just below the head. Two modes of operation are available: 21 LEDs on,
or 41 LEDs on.
At the front of the light you will see the polished
silver reflector where the LEDs reside, sitting behind a
clear plastic lens. The bezel ring can be removed which
reveals that the reflector/LED unit is attached to the
switching mechanism by three thin wires. There appears
to be no O-ring between the lens and the bezel ring which
results in no water resistance and the lens/LED assembly rattles
in the head. I suspect that there was supposed to be an
O-ring in there, but it was missed during assembly.
Output is in the form of a substantially bluish
tinted white spot of light. The spot is fairly wide
and tapers off a little around the edges. A nice soft spillbeam
surrounds the main spot followed by a distinct ring on the very
periphery of the spillbeam. There are two modes of operation:
21 LEDs on (the center LEDs) or 41 LEDs on (the center LEDs plus the
outer ring of LEDs). Oddly enough, when switching between
the two modes there appears to the eye to be only a slight
increase in brightness.
Beam at one meter at target center
Runtime Plot: YIKES! 20 minutes of 50% and a major
dropoff in output. 41 LEDs rip right through those four
little AAA cells.....
Runtime
completed with Duracell batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
The switch is on the side of the light, sits in a slight
recess, and is covered by a domed rubber cap. This cap
protrudes above the surface of the light and so could
be subject to accidental activation. The head of the
light is larger than the body, so resting the light
on its side on a flat surface will not cause the switch
to touch anything. The clickie switch is a "reverse
clickie", turning the light on after it clicks
and is released.
The light is sealed from the environment by an O-ring
at the tailcap, but not at the bezel.
I'd give it a splashable at the maximum. If water gets
inside just disassemble as much as possible without
tools and let it dry before using again.
Ergonomics: A pretty normal sized small light. Not
too large, not too small. A too large to be carried
comfortably inside the front pants pocket. This is more
of a "carry it in your car or dufflebag" light
than a "carry it on your person" light.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Use 4 AAA cell alkaline batteries for powering this
light. Batteries need to be inserted into the special
carrier inside the body tube. Simply remove the tailcap,
drop out the carrier, put in 4 AAA cells with the negative
(flat) side against the springs (2 point up, two point
down) and drop the whole carrier in with the contacts forward. Reattach
the tailcap and you're ready to go.
Accessories: None
What I Liked: Generally tough/impact
resistant, Very bright output, Fairly easy battery change,
Stands up
What I Didn't Like: Very short
battery life, Water resistance questionable, I really
don't like the use of battery carriers - one more thing
to lose or break,
Other Things I Noticed:
Conclusions: Fair quality light
with very bright output, but only for a very short time.
I did have one problem with the light - pressing the
switch at an angle multiple times caused the switch
to stop functioning. It was easy, however, to take it
apart by removing the rubber cover and fix it myself.
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