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The CentraLED (model 100LED) is a new product from
Central
Tools. It's not really a flashlight, but is instead
designed as a portable, rechargeable worklight. The
CentraLED has many high-end features that you would
not normally expect from a worklight including a new
high output LED array from Lamina Ceramics, a custom
projection-type lens from Illumitech, and a regulator
circuit to maintain constant output throughout much
of the life of the batteries.
Body: The body of the unit is, well, hard to
describe.
On one side you will see the blue body plate and several
rubberized nubs attached to protect the body from abrasion.
This is the side where you'll find the on-off click
switch.
On the opposite side you will find that the body is
entirely black rubberized plastic which contains two
powerful neodymium magnets in raised areas and a raised
bump to make a tripod-like configuration for attaching
the CentraLED to a metal surface.
On the "bottom" there are two more neodymium
magnets in raised areas in the black rubberized plastic,
again to facilitate attaching the unit to a metal surface.
A quick but important warning about those magnets.
They are strong. If you set the CentraLED near your
credit cards, video tapes, floppy disks, TV set, monitor,
or anything else damaged by magnets, you can pretty
much say "good-bye" to it. It also likes to
attach itself very quickly to metal surfaces it gets
near, so keep fingers out from between the CentraLED
and the metal surface you wish to attach it to. Hold
it firmly by the edges when attaching to a metal surface.
Magnetically mounted to toolbox and breaker panel
On one corner edge is a hook that can be used to hang
the unit, and on the opposite corner edge is the attachment
point for the power supply.
Last, curling over the top is the flexible neck which
supports the illumination head.
Bezel/Head: The head of the CentraLED is designed
to be removed and replaced with a new head with different
colored LEDs if the user wishes to do so. When looking
at the side of the head you will see that there is a
neoprene rubber shroud that protects the lens and head
from impacts, a basket-like outer shell, and an inner
finned aluminum heatsink to dissipate heat from the
LEDs. From the front you see the Illumitech lens and
inside you see the Lamina Ceramics LED light engine.
This light engine has 7 LED clusters (yellow, distorted
by lens, below) and inside each cluster are 6 individual
LED chips. This results in 42 separate pinpoints of
light when you turn on the unit. The head nests inside
of the hook when not in use to protect it and keep it
compact during storage and transport.
The entire head sits on a flexible stalk which allows
for a fair degree of movement. Between the positioning
of the magnets and hook, and the flexibility of the
head, you should be able to set the unit up so that
it projects light right where you need it.
 
Output: You can tell that the CentraLED uses
a lens from a company that makes custom projection lenses
based upon the specific application required. The result
of combining the custom lens with the 42 LED array is
a smooth wide spot of light that is darn near perfect.
There are some slight rings in the beam, but in actual
use they are not noticeable at all. The color of the
beam is a gorgeous white which is very easy on the eyes.
It's really hard to describe just how well this product
lights up a subject area, so let's just say that I think
this is going to "raise the bar" for LED-based
illumination products. Yes, I really am that impressed
by the output.
Beam at one meter at target center and at less than
0.5 meter.
Runtime Plot: If you need an example of good
regulation for a light, this is it. Very steady output
after a very slight initial drop. Over 3 hours of continuous
brightness, followed by a fairily rapid drop over the
next hour.
Runtime
completed with internal rechargeable batteries. More
information on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: The switch is a simple rubber covered
clickie on the blue side of the unit. Press until it
clicks for "on", press again until it clicks
for "off".
Seals / Water Resistance: To be honest, I just
don't know. It seems to be "splashable" at
the least, based on construction.
UPDATE: I received a note from a reader who was in
contact with the company... here was the response from
the company representative when they inquired if the
CentraLED was waterproof:
The CentraLED is water resistant but not waterproof.
The rubberized coating of the housing provides a reasonably
good seal around the periphery. There are two natural
openings on the main body where water can work its
way in - one is the DC jack, and the other is the
slot where the hook articulates. Since these areas
are fairly small, it would take a period of time for
any appreciable amount of water to work its way in,
and, it would be dependent on the orientation of the
unit relative to the direction of rainfall. For example
if you pointed the DC jack end of the body directly
at the sky, water would generally work its way in
more quickly. In addition you should avoid setting
the unit down in a puddle deep enough to flood these
areas. If a scant few drops manage to work their way
in, there's nothing to worry about, assuming the unit
will be brought indoors and given a chance to dry
out normally.
As for the lamphead and flexible stalk - the construction
of the lamphead provides a reasonably good inherent
seal, and trace amounts of water that may get under
the unsealed flexible stalk cover have no route to
the interior.
I have personally used a prototype CentraLED in
a light to medium rain for a period of about one hour
with no problem whatsoever. But it is best to keep
in mind that the unit is simply not fully waterproof.
Ergonomics: It's not designed to be carried
around, but I was expecting it to be a lot heavier.
You could easily carry it around like a flashlight and
use it to light your walking path (something I find
it is very good at).
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: Another area of innovation found
in the CentraLED is the power source and power storage.
It has internal NiMH rechargeable batteries that take
about 6 hours to charge with the included 110V "intelligent"
charger and provide up to 4 hours of light. The unit
has a small LED on one edge that turns red when charging
and green when fully charged. It can be left on the
charger for a few days, but should not be left on the
charger indefinitely.
When you first pull out the charging transformer, you'll
notice that the wall transformer has an unusually long
cord. This is because, unlike many charging systems,
this system will allow you to run the light directly
from the 110V transformer if you need to. While in this
state the batteries stop charging and then resume charging
when the light is turned off.
The CentraLED can be powered and charged with a 12V
power cable as well (optional accessory.)
Accessories: The CentraLED comes packed in a
hard-side plastic foam-filled case for storage and transport.
The 110V power supply/charger is included and you can
optionally get a 12V power cord and user-swapable colored
LED heads (not available at time of review).
What I Liked: Great spot of light,
lots of light, good color temperature, runs directly
from the charger block if needed, good runtime, compact,
flexible neck allows the light to be directed where
you need it, designed for 110V or 12V, multiple mounting
options (magnets/hook).
What I Didn't Like: Nothing.
Picky Little Things: Be careful
of the magnets - they are very strong. Not sure of water
resistance.
Conclusions: I've been using the
sample I received for over a week now and I'll tell
you, this is a great worklight for around the house
and yard. Whether under the sink, next to the barbecue
grill, on the porch, in the crawlspace, in the garage,
or up in the attic, the CentraLED does a superior job
of putting a lot of light right where you need it. Highly
recommended.
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