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The Aurora 1.5 Watt LED flashlight has a unique combination
of features that make it stand out in it's own right.
This little critter uses a single 123A lithium cell
for power, has a lens to focus the light from its LED
into a tight spot, and uses a Nichia Jupiter LED which
has 6 bond wires inside. Two bond wires are needed for
a single LED, so we apparently have three LEDs stuffed
into one big LED capsule. Since it takes more than 3V
to run an LED, there has to be a boost circuit in there
as well. Combine this with a nice clickie side switch
and a beautiful finish and you have a very slick little
LED light.
The body of the Aurora 1.5 Watt is aluminum with a gray
finish. There are decorative notches around the head and
there are similar notches around the tailcap for grip when
removing the tailcap for battery changes. Around the center
of the head and body you will find checkering to improve
grip. A flat panel machined into the side of the body tube
serves as an indicator for the location of the switch. The
tailcap is flat which allows it to stand on end and it comes
with a removable wrist lanyard attached.
The head of the light contains one of the new Nichia
Jupiter 1.5W LEDs. This is Nichia's next generation
of LEDs with high output capability. There is a convex
lens inside that focuses all of the light into a round
spot. Behind the LED there is a DC-DC boost circuit
to increase the voltage from the123A cell to power the
LED.
The convex lens inside the head focuses all of the
light into a tight round spot with some rings surrounding
the spot which serve as a spillbeam. The spot has a
distinct slight bluish tint and a deeper blue outer
edge. The outer rings provide enough light for navigation
in the environment when the main spot is projected forward.
Unfortunately the rings were too dim relative to the
main spot for the camera to image well in the photographs
below.
Beam at one meter at target center and at target edge
to show spillbeam.
Runtime Plot: Not too shabby at all! Over 2 hours to
50%, and pretty good output maintenance for the first
1½ hours.
Runtime
completed with "Sanyo" 123A battery. More
information on runtime plots is available HERE.
The switch is a simple rubber covered clickie. Press
for on, press for off. A gentle click is heard when
used. This particular switch is known as a "reverse
clickie". Press till it clicks for on, then press
gently if you want to blink the LED on and off.
The light appears to have good seals. The seal at the bezel
end is unknown, but the tailcap has a good O-ring in place.
I'd give it a "dunkable" at worst. If it gets wet inside, just
disassemble as much a possible without tools and let it dry
before using again.
Ergonomics: Small but easy to use. No problems here at all.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
A single 123A lithium cell powers the light. No runtimes were
given by the sender and no packaging was included which would
indicate manufacturer estimates of runtime. Batteries were
not included. To power the light simply unscrew the tailcap
and drop in a 123A cell positive first. Reattach the tailcap.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Tough/impact resistant, Semi-Regulated,
Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight, Stands up
What I Didn't Like: Nothing
Other Things I Noticed: Nothing
Conclusions: Sweet little light!
I like this one. Nice "cuteness" factor and good output.
The spot isn't so tight as to make it unusable, and yet
not so broad as to make it wash out. Using a lithium cell
with good cold resistance and 10 year shelf life makes this
one a great choice for briefcase, purse, car, or emergency
kit.
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