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The GNF-008 from Advancedmart is powered by 3 AAA cells
and uses a non-Luxeon 1 Watt LED for illumination. The
supplier mentions that this LED is known as the "Sapphire"
and was developed by HP originally for use in traffic
signs. The light comes in a nice foam filled presentation
box.
The body is made of anodized aluminum with a silver
finish. There are decorative flutes on the head which
tapers to the body tube. On the body is a wide band
of checkering. The tailcap has ridges for grip and has
a recessed drilled post for lanyard attachment (included).
The switch is on the side of the body just below the
head. Quality of the light is, in general, pretty good.
At the front of the light you will find a recessed
plastic lens with a non-Luxeon 1 Watt LED inside a smooth
reflector. Despite the use of a smooth reflector, the
beam is quite nice and produces a fairly tight spot.
Let's take a close-up look at this non-Luxeon
1 Watt LED:
The LED itself - the top is almost flush with the surface
of the board.
12 little gold bond wires are visible, which means...
...there are actually 6 LEDs inside this one module.
(module lit with very low power)
Output Description: This new LED produces a bluish
tinted beam with some slight artifacts in the center
and some very slight rings which result from the use
of a smooth reflector. The beam is good and tight with
sufficient sidespill for seeing the ground at your feet
when you have the light beam pointed forward. Overall
output isn't stunning, but it is pretty good. My readings
show it has about the same output as... you guessed
it... six regular LEDs!
Beam at one meter at target center
Runtime Plot: 50% at about 40 minutes, 25% at just
under 2 hours. This LED drains those poor little AAA
cells dry quickly. The runtime was completed with included
"non-name brand" alkaline cells. I expect
the light will perform better with name brand cells.
Give the batteries a little time to rest and they fire
up good and bright again, at least for a little while.
Runtime
completed with included Pairdeer alkaline batteries.
More information on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: The switch is a simple rubber covered "reverse
clickie". Press in and release to turn the light
on. After it is on, press gently to blink the light
for signaling. Press again until it clicks for off.
The top of the rubber cover does not sit flush with
the body of the light. Accidental activation is unlikely,
but remove the batteries when packing to avoid this
possibility.
Seals: Well, let's crack this baby open and see what
kind of seals it has in... *whoops*! Upon opening the
top I found that the O-ring was split. So much for water
resistance... Advancedmart will replace lights that
you buy from them within 90 days of purchase if defective,
so this would be covered by their policy. With intact
O-rings the light would be "Splashable" by
my ratings. If it gets wet inside, just open as much
as possible without tools and let it dry before next
use.
Ergonomics: It's a good size all the way around. Not
really small enough to carry comfortably for a long
time in a front pocket, but a good size for the hand.
The checkering around the body provides sufficient resistance
for a good grip without being overly abrasive. The tailcap
grooves give sufficient grip for easy removal.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: 3 AAA cell batteries are placed in an above-average
quality battery carrier. To change the batteries, simply
remove the tailcap, drop out the carrier, put in 3 AAA
cells with the negative (flat) side against the springs
(2 point up, one points down) and drop the whole carrier
in, positive first. Reattach the tailcap and you're
ready to go.
Accessories: A nylon wrist lanyard is included and
attached.
What I Liked: Water resistant (with
good O-ring), LED is naturally impact resistant, Lightweight,
Stands up
What I Didn't Like: Fairly short
battery life/no regulation, Uses a carrier for the batteries
- one more thing to lose.
Other Things I Noticed: Broken
O-ring out of the box, About as bright overall as a
6 LED light.
Conclusions: A good light, but
a bit underpowered with AAA cells. I'd love to see this
same LED with 2 AA cells and a boost circuit.
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