|
Detailed
Information:
Dorcy was one of the more mainstream flashlight manufacturers
to invest early in the "new" technology of LED lights
for consumers and they now have a line of LED
lights - some with voltage boost circuits, some without
- which include AAA, AA, and C cell powered 5mm LED
lights. All of them are of rather good quality and quite
affordable, bringing LED lighting to the masses. They are now showing up in mainstream stores
such as Wal-Mart and Target (where I got this light).
Target also carries the 1-AAA 1 LED; 2-AA 4-LED; and 2-C
8-LED lights. The prices are much lower than most LED lights available out there, and the quality actually isn't bad at all.
The body of the Dorcy AA is made of aluminum with a colorful Type II anodize.
They are available in body colors of gold, silver, red,
and blue. This anodize is relatively durable but will
mar fairly easily if kept in contact with hard objects
like keys or pocket change. Around the center of the
body is a ribbed rubber grip and a thin ring of the
same material surrounds the head. The head is permanently
attached and cannot be twisted or otherwise moved. The
head is slightly larger in diameter than the rest of
the body, making it a little awkward to keep in a pants
pocket.
The bezel consists of three 5mm white LED recessed
in a silvered plastic reflector. Having the LEDs recessed
in small cylindrical silvered compartments increases
the throw of the LEDs slightly, giving them a more directional
nature. The head is sealed with a plastic lens to protect
the LEDs and reflector. Behind the LEDs is a tiny step-up
circuit that allows the LEDs to run on a AA battery
which would otherwise not provide enough voltage to
drive the LEDs. Not having inexpensive, small driver
circuits was one of the roadblocks to the use of LEDs
in consumer flashlights and Dorcy was one of the early
adopters of a simple and inexpensive circuit to make
LED lights run on any number of cells. Usually you would
find that inexpensive LED lights take 3 cells, which
is an unusual number and makes the body of the light
rather long, or 4 cells and the energy of one of the
cells is all but completely wasted by a resistor.
Runtime Plot:
Runtime
completed with Duracell batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
The switch is built into the tailcap and you can either
twist the tailcap for constant-on use or you can press
the button on the end of the tailcap for momentary (blink
on-off) use. A hang ring is attached to the momentary
pushbutton and it helps prevent the switch from coming
apart when you remove the tailcap for battery changes.
The switch also has a "lock-out" capability. Simply
unscrew the switch 1½ turns from the point where it
turns off and the push button switch cannot activate
accidentally.
The light is sealed with O-ring in the tailcap and on the pushbutton to prevent the entry of water, but I don't
know how far I would push it. If you drop it in a puddle,
shake it off and keep going, but I would later open
it up just to be sure no water got in. If it is moist
inside, open it up and let it dry out before using further.
A single AA battery drives the light. Runtimes are not given, but the AAA version runs about 4 hours before 50% brightness. The AA battery in this light has double the output capacity, 3x the number of LEDs to drive, but this light only puts out about as much light overall (per my readings) as the AAA version. This means that the LEDs are probably being driven at more efficient levels. So for runtime, I would expect around 6-7 hours, if not more, before 50% brightness is reached. Brightness will diminish in intensity throughout the effective life of the battery. To change the battery simply remove the tailcap and drop out the old battery. Drop in a new battery positive-first and close it back up again.
What I Liked: Water resistant, No bulb to blow, Step-up circuit and anticipated long battery life, Relatively Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight
What I Didn't Like: Slightly cheesy construction, but not too bad overall.
Other Things I Noticed: The switch was a touch temperamental
for two reasons. First, there were some rough spots
that seem to have cleared up with use. In a pinch, the
switch mechanism could be easily disassembled and "tweaked"
if necessary. Additionally, inside the battery tube
is a piece of paper that indicates proper polarity for
the battery. Take this piece of paper out and throw
it away! I found this piece of paper interfered with
the reliability of the switch.
Conclusions: A fantastic little
pocket flashlight for the money. Great for finding things
dropped in the dark or serving as a backup pocket light.
Bright enough to use in any application where you would
use another small LED flashlight, they're convenient,
small, and fairly durable. Hang one on your backpack,
give them to the kids (no bulbs to blow!), or use them
camping as an "around the campsite" light. If you (or
the kids) lose it you're only out about $10.00.
|
