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The Advancedmart 0.5 Watt Keychain (LED-005S) is a
really cute little keychain/pocket light that really
performs well. It has a silver finish, is knurled for
grip, and has a clickie switch on the tailcap. The LED
is one of the newer 8mm 0.5 Watt LEDs and inside is
a boost circuit to drive the LED for many hours on a
single AA cell.
The body is made of anodized aluminum with a silver
finish. Near the head are 3 decorative rings machined
in the aluminum followed by a wide band of knurling
which is only slightly aggressive and provides a very
good grip. Another ring of knurling surrounds the tailcap
for ease of removal when it comes time for a battery
change (not too often!) The tailcap has a drilled tab
for the keychain attachment (included) and has a domed
clickie in the center of the tailcap.
At the front of the light you will find a recessed
plastic lens with the 8mm 0.5 Watt LED inside a smooth
reflector. Despite the use of a smooth reflector, the
beam is quite nice. Inside the head of the light is
a DC-DC boost circuit to power the LED with the single
AA cell in the body tube. The circuit also regulates
output to some degree, keeping the light from simply
dropping off as it normally would without the circuit.
Output is in the form of a bluish tinted beam which
has a distinct wide central spot surrounded by a distinct
corona. Only very slight imperfections in the beam were
found. This particular 8mm LED was a bit less purple
than many of the 8mm LEDs I've reviewed so far.
Beam at one meter at target center.
Runtime Plot: Well, I can tell you that this one surprised
me a bit. 6 hours to 50% was more than I was expecting.
After about 8½ hours output drops off completely
as the boost circuit can no longer draw current from
the now dead battery.
Runtime
completed with included "Tianqiu" alkaline
AA battery. More information on runtime plots is available
HERE.
Runtime Plot: Special request. Energizer
L91 AA lithium cell: more output and steadier output.
Runtime
completed with "Energizer" lithium AA battery.
More information on runtime plots is available HERE.
The switch is domed so that it matches the contour
of the tailcap. It is a reverse clickie - the light
doesn't come on until after the switch is clicked. Some
people don't like this setup, but in a pocket/keychain
light it can be very beneficial. If the button is pressed
by accident the light doesn't come on unless it goes
all the way in and clicks. This helps prevent accidental
draining of the battery while packed or in the pocket.
Pressing the light's tailcap on a flat surface until
the switch is flush with the opening in which it sits
does not turn on the light. Activation can only happen
if the switch is pressed in beyond the end of the tailcap,
thereby reducing accidental activation even more.
The light has an O-ring seal on the tailcap, but it
is not well lubricated. You may want to throw a little
silicone grease on the ring to help keep it in good
condition. As for water resistance, I'm not too sure
about the tailcap switch, but I'd say it's splashable
at a minimum.
Ergonomics: It's a bit big for a keychain light, but
it is very lightweight. The knurling provides good grip
and the clickie is easy to activate with the pad of
my thumb. No real issues here.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
A single AA alkaline cell powers the light. To change
the battery simply unscrew the tailcap and drop out
the old cell. Place a new one in positive first and
reattach the tailcap.
A keychain attachment is included and attached to the
light.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Tough/impact resistant, Long battery life, Good output,
Easy battery change, Lightweight
What I Didn't Like: Not much at
all.
Other Things I Noticed: Whitest
beam of the 0.5 Watt LEDs I've seen yet.
Conclusions: Fantastic little keychain/pocket
light. The long runtime could come in very useful in
many situations. If you are a fan of the Infinity Ultra,
you'll probably take a liking to this one as well.
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