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The Fenix E1-47 is a very special Fenix. The folks
at Fenixgear.com have taken the stock E1 and removed
the Nichia Power LED, replacing it with a super efficient
UWAJ Luxeon III. The result is an E1 with the same output
and about an extra hour of runtime! As with the stock
E1, it is powered with a simple, easy to find AAA alkaline
or rechargeable cell, and is very small and lightweight.
It has a type III anodize hard coat finish for protection.
The modified E1-47 is only available in black. Some
of the pictures from the E1 silver model is used in
this review for reference only.
Body: The body of the Fenix E1-47 is machined
aluminum with type III hard anodize finish and is available
in black only. The outside of the body has knurling
machined into the surface of the head to help with grip
and you will also find flat panels around the central
area of the body for texture and to display of the company
logos. The tailcap has two holes and a notch cut into
it. This allows a small split ring to be attached to
one of the holes and it can then folds over through
the groove, allowing the light to stand on end.
Tail picture - silver E1 shown for example
Bezel/Head: The head of the E1-47 includes a
coated glass lens, a metal reflector, a UWAJ Luxeon
III, and a regulator circuit, all permanently installed.
The lens is slightly recessed which serves as some protection
from impact and abrasion. The LED is centered well in
the reflector. The Fenix-Store did a very nice job of
retrofitting the light with the Luxeon LED.
Output: Output is very good for a single AAA
alkaline cell. Using an alkaline cell, output is regulated
and the light maintains constant brightness as long
as the battery can support it.
The white light produced by the LED has a very slight
purplish hue and allows for good color rendition. A
smooth spillbeam surrounds the central spot. The entire
beam is very smooth with no noticeable artifacts.
Beam at one meter at target center
Runtime Plot: Runtime with an alkaline AAA cell
is shown below. Considering the fact that the light
is using an alkaline AAA cell, which is poorly suited
to provide power to a high output LED, output and runtime
is very good thanks to the efficiency of the UWAJ Luxeon
III. You will get good regulation for about 2 hours
followed by declining output. Runtime with NiMH is advertised
as 3 hours, and Lithium L92 should give about 5 hours.
Runtime
completed with Rayovac brand batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: The head of the light is the switch.
Tighten for on, loosen for off.
Seals / Water Resistance: The light is protected
from the environment by an O-ring and a sealed bezel.
Fenix advertises the light as "waterproof"
with no specific depth rating. I would call it "dunkable"
but not "diveable". I would recommend lubricating
the O-ring with a teflon based lubricant. This may be
found in many hardware stores (and Radio Shack) in a
precision applicator and is often labeled as "Super
Lube". I find it works extremely well.
If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible
without tools and let it dry before using again.
Ergonomics: Nothing special to report here,
except that it is very small and easy to carry in the
pocket or on a keychain.
Size compared to a common 2 AA aluminum light, sliver
E1 shown for example purposes
Batteries: For batteries, this light is approved
by the manufacturer (per the packaging) for use with
AAA alkaline or rechargeable NiMH. All others are at
your own risk. The input voltage for the Fenix is 0.9V
to 1.6V only.
To change out the battery: unscrew the head, drop out
the old cell, place in new cell observing proper polarity.
Reattach the head and you're ready to go.
Accessories: Several accessories are included
with the light. Inside the package you will find a spare
O-ring, key ring and lobster-claw type clip.
What I Liked: Waterproof, Tough/impact
resistant, Bright, Easy battery change, Very good battery
life, Lightweight, Stands up
What I Didn't Like: None
Picky Little Things: None
Conclusions: The Fenix E1-47 is
a fantastic update to a great keychain light. Leave
it to the Fenix aficionados at Fenix-Store to raise
the bar and improve upon an already good light. For
comparison, this little 1-AAA light puts out more light
overall than a 2-AA Minimag with new cells, but fits
on your keychain. Well done!
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