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The Dorcy L.E.D Super 1 Watt uses a single 123A lithium cell,
a Luxeon LED, and a boost circuit to produce a good amount of light
for over 2 hours.
Body: The body of the light is anodized aluminum and
is surprisingly hefty. In fact it has a very solid feel in
the hand unlike many other single 123A cell lights I have tested.
It has six large, smooth grooves machined into the body tube,
several plateaus machined into the head and short longitudinal
grooves all around the tailcap for grip. Machining appears to
be rather good.
An unusual feature of
this light is either artifact of the machining process or the
anodize process. When held up to the light the body appears to be
faintly covered with longitudinal stripes of pastel rainbow colors.
Whether intentional or not, it looks really interesting.
Bezel/Head: The head of the light contains a slivered
reflector and a plastic lens for protection. Inside you can
see the Luxeon LED. Hiding somewhere inside there is a DC-DC
boost circuit which does a pretty good job of regulating output
(see Runtime, below).
Output: The white light produced by the LED
is a good color temperature and produces good color
rendition. No real tinting was visible in the light produced
by this particular sample. The beam was a smooth spot of light with
a distinct corona and spillbeam.
Beam at one meter at target center and at target edge
to show spillbeam.
Runtime Plot: Surprised? I was! 2 hours, 23 minutes
to 50% output followed by a long tail of lower output. The
boost circuit inside the light does a really good job.
Runtime
completed with Energizer brand batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: The switch is a rubber covered reverse
clickie. Press until it clicks for on, press gently
for blinking after it is on. The tailcap is curved and
the switch protrudes slightly so it really won't stand
on end without help.
Seals / Water Resistance: O-rings protect the light
at all possible points of water entry except for the switch which
uses a rubber cover for a seal. Splashable at the least - likely
dunkable.
If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible
without tools and let it dry before using again.
Ergonomics: Small and convenient in size. A bit
larger than some single 123A lights, but smaller than others. No sharp
surfaces. Very solid feel. The switch is almost completely
recessed in the tail and requires pressure from the tip of a finger
or thumb to activate.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: One 123A cell powers the light. I
would recommend Titanium
brand cells for $1.00 each (here's
a review) or BatteryStation
or Surefire
brand cells for less than $2 each. I would not recommend purchasing
these cells at retail stores since they cost $10 a pair
or more in most retail stores!
To change out the battery: unscrew the tailcap, drop
out the old cell, place in new cell observing proper
polarity. Reattach the tailcap and you're ready to go.
Accessories: Battery included.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Tough/impact resistant, Semi-Regulated/good battery life,
Good output, Easy battery change.
What I Didn't Like: Nothing
Picky Little Things: Nothing
Conclusions: A surprisingly high
quality light from Dorcy. Not to offend Dorcy or anything,
but generally their products are not really considered high-end.
This little light breaks the mold and really can act as
low-cost competition for some of the very good single-cell 123A
Luxeon lights out there without a large compromise in quality
on the part of the buyer. If it came in a presentation case
and cost twice the price, I'd be willing to bet a lot of folks would buy one.
A great purse/briefcase/pocket light at a good price.
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