What follows are "mini-reviews" of all of the Coast lights I received in a large batch. Pertinent information is included with each model.

This is work in progress. More details and information to be added later.

There are some common features you will find with all Coast lights. They are, for the most part, made of Type II anodized aluminum. Those with side switches have a protruding small click switch below the head, while those with tailcap switches have a cone-shaped tailcap with the switch at the center. Generally they all have a series of holes around the bezel that allow sidespill light to be seen at 90 deg to the user. Anodized aluminum lights are generally available in both black and silver.

Several of the lights had issues with the O-rings. Upon disassembly the O-rings snapped in half. This seems to be a common issue. All of the lights should be considered "Splashable" at best. The lack of a dive rating on the "dive" lights has me a bit concerned. I'd consider those "dunkable".

They would all rate, in my opinion, as Fair to Good quality lights. They do have a couple of lights with very unique and useful features while several others had fatal, or near fatal, problems. Problems usually had to do with either poor assembly, or wiring/soldering issues.

Coast uses the most imaginative language when describing their products. In some cases, these terms need translation to to the common terms we all use. Here's some examples of their terminology and the generally equivalent common terms:

"Light Chip" = LED, generally this seems to refer to 5mm LEDs

"Digital Power Light Chip (DPLC)" = LED, generally seems to refer to 1 Watt or greater

"computer calculated lens" or "strongly focusing axial collimator" or "Light Centering Collimator (LCC)" = collimator lens

"eco-friendly Nickel-hybrid accumulator" = NiMH rechargeable battery

"Power Transformer Technology" = boost circuit

In an attempt to market products, companies sometimes use new terms to describe the features their product has in order to distinguish them from those same features (and benefits) that the competition has. I've had several people ask me enthusiastically about the apparently new technology Coast uses (an assumption based on the new terminology) only to be very disappointed when I explained that the folks at Coast had not come up with some magical new technology that was vastly different from all the rest. They still use LEDs, collimator lenses, and sometimes boost circuits or regulator circuits to produce light.

Coast LL1012 "V2 16 Chip Flashlight"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Type II anodized aluminum. Knurling around the center of the battery tube and the tailcap provide grip.

Bezel/Head: Sixteen 5mm LEDs provide light in this direct-drive LED system

Output: The white light produced by the LEDs has a slightly bluish hue but still produces good color rendition. The hue is detectable when compared against a near sunlight-white source, but is not really noticeable during normal use.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Side clickie below the head.

Seals / Water Resistance: Splashable - no issues

Ergonomics: 18.4 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Three C sized cells power the light. 300 hour advertised runtime.

Accessories: None

Impressions: I'd say this is a good quality, inexpensive, straightforward 16 LED light. Good for general use, expect diminishing output over time.

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Coast LL7840 "David 15 or DigiTac I"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Type II anodized aluminum. Knurling around the center of the battery tube and the tailcap provide grip.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam. Luxeon I LED.

Output: Very white, coherent but wide beam.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Tailcap clickie.

Seals / Water Resistance: Splashable. No O-ring issues.

Ergonomics: 2.2 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Powered by a single AA cell and boost circuit.

Accessories: Belt Sheath and Lanyard included.

Impressions: One of the Coast lights I'd recommend for use in more than just "general" application. A good light, but I do have some water resistance questions about the switch.

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Coast LL7446 "3 Watt Power Chip"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Type II anodized aluminum. Knurling around the center of the battery tube and the tailcap provide grip.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam. Luxeon III LED.

Output: White light, great throw and good overall output. The beam was slightly off center.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Side clickie. No issues.

Seals / Water Resistance: O-rings. No issues.

Ergonomics: 18.3 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Three C cells power the light for an advertised 400 hours.

Accessories: Belt Sheath and Lanyard included.

Impressions: Since this is a direct-drive LED light, expect the output to diminish over time. The advertised 400 hours is fine, considering that 375 of those hours you'll probably have feeble and almost useless light output. For the first few hours you'll get a good amount of light and that's all that most people need.

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Coast LL7461CA "V2 P-Chip Camo"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Smooth with a woodland camouflage pattern.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam.

Output: Surprisingly centered beam. Nice white output. Luxeon I LED.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Side click switch. Very hard to activate on this sample.

Seals / Water Resistance:

Ergonomics: 5.4 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries:

Accessories: Belt Sheath and Lanyard included.

Impressions: I was fairly underwhelmed by this particular light. It's very heavy for its size and the light output just didn't seem all that spectacular.

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Coast LL7457 "Frogman P-Chip Dive"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Polymer with no real texturing. Oval shape provides comfortable grip.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam. Luxeon I LED.

Output: Good white light, but very off center beam. This is uncorrectable due to the alignment of the internal floating LED module and the lens.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Unscrew the head for on, tighten for off.

Seals / Water Resistance:

Ergonomics: 8.2 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: 4 AA cells.

Accessories: Lanyard included.

Impressions: This is one of those "almost there" lights. It has good features, but it's not quite up to the standards I was expecting. With that big metal head, you would expect that the LED system would use the metal as a heatsink to get the heat out from the inside of the watertight body. Unfortunately the metal LED module has no contact at all with the metal head. This was a missed opportunity on the part of Coast. Otherwise, it is a bright light with good output, but having the metal head seems of little use and it adds a lot of weight to the light.

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Coast LL7730 "V6 P-Chip Stainless"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Smooth stainless steel all the way. Very impressive looking.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam. Luxeon I LED.

Output: Good bright spot of light. Lots of output for it's size.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Side clickie. Did not work at all until I completed some repairs.

Seals / Water Resistance: O ring broke upon opening to put in batteries...

Ergonomics: 5.7 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: 3 AAA cells in a special carrier. Ick.

Accessories: Belt sheath.

Impressions: This light required some significant repair to get it working. The internals were twisted to the point that the switch did not work. After disassembly with a pair of split-ring pliers I was able to get it functioning. Overall it is very sleek looking and well machined, but was poorly assembled.

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Coast LL7734 "V10 P-Chip Stainless"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: All smooth stainless steel.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam. Luxeon I LED.

Output: Wide spot, good color tint.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: The head is the switch. Loosen for on, tighten for off.

Seals / Water Resistance: O-ring seal. No issues.

Ergonomics: 3.2 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Three AAAA cells in a special carrier.

Accessories: Belt sheath.

Impressions: I would not recommend this light solely for the fact that it uses three AAAA cells, which have very low power capacity and can be difficult to find. Machining is very nice, though.

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Coast LL7526 "V16 Pen Light"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Smooth and very tiny!

Bezel/Head: Single Nichia LED recessed in the tube.

Output: Bluish and yellowish tints could be seen in the beam, but it provides good output for its size.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Twist the grooved top for on/off.

Seals / Water Resistance: O-rings. No issues.

Ergonomics: 0.4 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Two BR435 power the light. Unscrew the top to drop out the cells.

Accessories: None.

Impressions: If you want a super slim penlight, this is it. Good luck finding the batteries. I'm told that these cells are used in some types of fishing lures so you may be able to find them at sporting good stores.

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Coast LL7848 "David 19 or DigiTac II"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Type II anodized aluminum. Knurling around the center of the battery tube and the tailcap provide grip.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam. Luxeon I LED.

Output: Great output and beam. Very smooth. Squarish profile.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Tail click switch.

Seals / Water Resistance: O-ring seals. No issues.

Ergonomics: 2.6 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: A single AA cell powers the light.

Accessories: Belt Sheath and Lanyard included.

Impressions: Another Coast light that I would recommend for more than just "general" use. A good light with good throw and output for it's size. I like the fact that it runs on a single AA cell. One of the better made Coast lights.

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Coast LL7736D "V² 6 Chip Dual Color"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Type II anodized aluminum. Knurling around the center of the battery tube and the tailcap provide grip.

Bezel/Head: 5 white LEDs in a ring around a single red LED, independently switched. All are recessed in a cloverleaf reflector. No lens out front to protect the reflector or LEDs.

Output: The white LEDs do have a slight bluish hue. No surprises there. Output was more than expected.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Two side click switches protrude from the case, one on either side.

Seals / Water Resistance: O-ring seals. O-ring broke upon disassembly.

Ergonomics: 3.2 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Three AAA cells in a special carrier.

Accessories: Belt Sheath and Lanyard included.

Impressions: Although I don't like the use of 3 AAA cells to power lights, this light is growing on me. I do like the ability to select either the 5 white LEDs or the 1 red LED independently. Unfortunately, this is one of the lights in which the O-ring broke upon disassembly.

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Coast LL7736CA "Camo Tactical P-Chip"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Knurling around the center of the battery tube and the tailcap provide grip. A woodland camouflage coating covers the entire body.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam. Luxeon I LED.

Output: Smooth, but slightly off-center spot.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Tail click switch.

Seals / Water Resistance: O-ring seals. No issues.

Ergonomics: 3.8 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Three AAA cells in a special carrier.

Accessories: Belt Sheath and Lanyard included.

Impressions: Nothing negative to say. Good overall output. Handy pocket light.

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Coast LL7468 "Revolution Headlamp"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Single elastic strap around the head. Fully adjustable. Battery pack in rear.

Bezel/Head: Luxeon I LED in a 90 deg tilt framework with a collimator lens. Switch on top is protected from accidental activation when the LED module is fully raised.

Output: Slightly off center, squarish spot.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Click switch in the front, continuously variable output lever in the rear on top of the battery box. Very clever.

Seals / Water Resistance: Minimal. Keep dry.

Ergonomics: 4.0 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Three AAA cells.

Accessories: Velcro closure belt pouch.

Impressions: Now THIS one I like! The continuous variability of the light output is very handy. Coast could have turned this headlamp into a real contender by improving the waterproofing (no seal around bezel lens, wires not sealed, etc), and by beefing up the wiring inside. The wires are TINY. But the overall concept is really good.

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Coast LL7451 "Micro Headlamp"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Protruding LED module in the front, but it is very tiny. Battery box with two blue "tail-lights" that illuminate when the headlamp is turned on. Single fully adjustable elastic strap.

Bezel/Head: One 5mm LED in a metal tube. 80 deg tilt adjustable.

Output: Bluish tint, wide beam. Smooth. Not very bright, but what do you expect from a single 5mm LED?

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Single click switch on rear.

Seals / Water Resistance: Minimal. Keep dry.

Ergonomics: 1.5 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: One AAA cell powers the light.

Accessories: Velcro closure belt pouch.

Impressions: This headlamp I really wanted to like, but again, the use of low-standard parts and poor quality control has gotten in the way. The LED in the head flickered and often would not work. Wiggling the head caused the LED to turn on and off. I fully disassembled it which included removing the glue holding the LED in place and found that the minuscule wires they used were poorly soldered to the LED.

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Coast LL7450 "Double Barrel Headlamp"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Fully adjustable 2-strap system. Bezel area is 80 deg tilt adjustable.

Bezel/Head: Collimator lenses are used to provide a spot beam from a separate 5mm LED and Luxeon I LED. Both are independently switched and the unit comes with a special clip that covers the switches for storage and transportation.

Output: The 5mm LED produces a very distinct but wide spot while the Luxeon LED has a more penetrating beam and produces much more light.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Two independent switches. One on top, one on the bottom.

Seals / Water Resistance: Minimal. Keep dry.

Ergonomics: 5.2 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Three AAA cells.

Accessories: Velcro closure belt pouch.

Impressions: A very clever design, but a bit heavy up front. Two output levels allow for great battery conservation and great light output when you need it.

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Coast LL7536RHL "2 Color Headlamp"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Fully adjustable 2-strap system. Bezel area is 80 deg tilt adjustable.

Bezel/Head: 5 white LEDs in a ring around a single red LED, independently switched. All are recessed in a cloverleaf reflector. No lens out front to protect the reflector or LEDs. Two switches - one on top, one on the bottom.

Output: The white LEDs have a slightly bluish tint, and provide good, wide coverage. The red LED is a spot with some artifacts in the beam.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Two independent switches allow the white or the red LED to turn on separately.

Seals / Water Resistance: Minimal. Keep dry.

Ergonomics: 4.7 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Three AAA cells power the light.

Accessories: Velcro closure belt pouch.

Impressions: This light is similar to the 2-color handheld light, except that this sample didn't work right. I had a heck of a time getting it to function long enough to take the readings and beam pictures. When using either switch, all the LEDs would come on. I traced this back to a wiring issue, but I can't get the light fully apart to diagnose it. Very frustrating.

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Coast LL7486 "Micro P-Chip Dive Light"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Polymer with no real texturing. Oval shape provides comfortable grip.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam. Luxeon I LED.

Output: Good spot of light, decent output.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Unscrew the head for on, tighten for off.

Seals / Water Resistance: O-ring seals. No dive rating given.

Ergonomics: 3.8 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Four AAA cells.

Accessories: Lanyard included.

Impressions: This is one of those "almost there" lights. It has good features, but it's not quite up to the standards I was expecting. With that big metal head, you would expect that the LED system would use the metal as a heatsink to get the heat out from the inside of the watertight body. Unfortunately the metal LED module has no contact at all with the metal head. This was a missed opportunity on the part of Coast. Otherwise, it is a bright light with good output, but having the metal head seems of little use and it adds a lot of weight to the light.

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Coast LL7448 "PTT Power Chip Torch"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Type II anodized aluminum. Knurling around the center of the battery tube and the tailcap provide grip.

Bezel/Head: A collimator lens is used to provide a spot beam. Luxeon I LED.

Output: Slightly greenish tint in the sample tested, but great throw. Beam was slightly off center.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Very sensitive tail clickie switch.

Seals / Water Resistance: O-ring seals. No issues.

Ergonomics: 11.9 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Two C cells power the light.

Accessories: Belt Sheath and Lanyard included.

Impressions: A good light for general use, and a little beyond. I found the tailcap switch to be a little too sensitive and the slightest touch caused the light to flicker on.

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Coast LL7538 "Alien Head Keychain"

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Smooth metal. Comes in a nice "flying saucer" case.

Bezel/Head: Eyes light up and main beam turns on for about 10 seconds when the switch (on back) is pressed. Auto-off.

Output: The white light produced by the LED is slightly bluish.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Rear click switch. On only. Auto off 10 seconds.

Seals / Water Resistance: Unknown

Ergonomics: 1.8 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Two CR1632.

Accessories: Keychain clip.

Impressions: Heavy for it's size, but very cute. A great gift!

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Coast LL7560 "V8 Turbo Torch" Keychain

Provided for review by the kind folks at:

Body: Type II anodized aluminum.

Bezel/Head: Single 5mm LED in a reflector with a lens in the front.

Output: The white light produced by the LED is slightly bluish.

Beam at one meter at target center

Switch: Protruding click switch. Can be covered with the clip to prevent accidental activation.

Seals / Water Resistance: Splashable.

Ergonomics: 1.6 oz. with batteries (need to convert to grams?)

Batteries: Three AG13 button cells.

Accessories: Pocket clip, keychain.

Impressions: Another keychain light underpowered by button cells that have a very short lifespan. Ick. The protruding switch is just asking for accidental activation unless you cover it with the clip every time.

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