Short Description:

The CMG Infinity is a single LED task light produced by CMG Equipment. The Infinity is billed as a "task light". It is a bit large to serve well as a keychain light. Two lights were reviewed. One had a white LED, the other a blue-green LED. Various other LED colors are available as well. The lights reviewed have a machined aluminum body and a black finish. Current models are anodized aluminum and are available in 3 colors; black, grey, and light blue.

Turning the light on is accomplished by tightening the head until it comes into contact with the battery inside. Knurling is found on the head and about 1/2" below the head on the body to improve grip when turning the light on and off. The Infinity runs on a single AA cell battery. Unscrew the head of the light to turn it off and to change the battery.

The Infinity contains "patented circuitry" inside the head to regulate the voltage provided to the LED. This results in a 41 hour advertised battery life.

The light employs an O-ring seal to give it an advertised 10' waterproof depth. The LED is recessed in the head for protection.

Included in the package are a nylon lanyard and a pen-like clip that attaches around the barrel of the light. The light model reviewed included a black and white glow-in-the-dark lanyard.

This review is an update to the original Infinity review. The primary difference between the two is the coating on the aluminum body. The size and operation appear to be identical. "Generation 1" was powder coated while "Generation 2" is anodized for greater durability. "Generation 2" lights also come with a pen-like clip to attach the Infinity to your clothing.

Beam at 1 meter on Beam Target (White Infinity)

Reviewer's Impressions:

The CMG Infinity fits the bill if you are looking for a long lasting, short range task light that can handle a good share of abuse.

The Infinity's strong-suit is its very long battery life, and as a result, its LED is not very bright when compared to other single LED lights designed for high output. If this is what you are looking for, you can check out the "o4" by CMG.

The Infinity uses a single AA cell for 41 hours of light. Batteries are cheap and easy to find. While many people may not like the dim output, this would serve well in a dark tent or cave when the eyes have become partially dark adapted, or for close-up work in other situations.

The exact composition of the "patented circuitry" inside the Infinity is unknown. Since LEDs run on 3.6 volts and the light employs only a 1.5 volt AA battery, a step-up circuit is obviously part of the system.

The Infinity is made entirely of machined aluminum and feels very sturdy in the hand. The case has sufficient knurling to make the light very easy to turn on and off. The outside of the aluminum is anodized to give its outer finish some durability. Knurling has been added to ease the process of twisting the light to turn it on and off.

The light is watertight, as advertised, and is able to withstand drops with no significant effect on operation.

In use, you'll notice that when the light is off the battery rattles around inside the case. This could easily be fixed by using a foam battery retainer ring similar to what is found in the Arc brand of lights. This is really only an annoyance and has no effect on the operation of the light.

I also noted that the LED was a bit off center in the bezel of both samples. This is simply a manufacturing slip and has no real effect on the usefulness of the light.

Personally, I am finding the white Infinity is becoming one of my personal favorites for walking around inside the house at night. Its light is adequate for most nighttime tasks without overwhelming your night vision or waking others.

+ + + Pluses: Very durable, watertight, very long battery life, easy to find & cheap batteries, recessed LED

- - - Minuses: A bit large for a single LED light, battery rattle when off, dim output (not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your needs)

UPDATE: August 2002

I was using the white Infinity to read at night and after about 30 minutes it suddenly went out! I turned it off, then on again, and it would flicker on, then off, then back on again with no discernable pattern. It appears that the light can develop a faulty connection between the bottom of the head of the light and the outer edge of the printed circuit board which serves as the negative contact for the light. If this happens to you, you have two means of recourse. You can contact CMG and they should make good on the light. The other option is for do-it-yourselvers, and it worked fine for me. Unscrew the head and place it LED down on a solid, non-marring surface (like a 2x4). Take a flat-bladed screwdriver and place it on the edge of the bottom of the head and give it a whack with a hammer, just enough to dent in the edge. Do this in several points around the head. This will make solid contact between the outer edge of the PCB and the aluminum head of the light. Of course, you may void the warranty, but it's a quick fix and the light hasn't given me any problem since. Despite this issue, the light remains a "Top Pick" with 4 Stars due to the limited lifetime warranty that will cover problems such as this if you don't want to fix it yourself.

In this picture you can see I dented the light at 4 points around the outer edge and havn't had a flicker since.