|
Detailed
Information:
The body of the Gerber LX 3.0 sports a gorgeous Type
II anodized matte finish. The surface appears to have
a very slight granularity to it which makes it look
very modern and sleek. Around the head and tail are
6 notches cut in the curved surface which facilitate
grip and add to the overall appearance. Two flat panels
are cut into either side of the light body which help
with grip and make the light very comfortable to use.
Overall the unit is very well built and shows a high
degree of quality.
Inside the head is the typical (for a Luxeon) internal
reflection collimator lens. The lens is slightly recessed
in the head for protection. The LED is a Luxeon III
high dome emitter which is capable of much greater output
than the common Luxeon I. The LED appears to be directly
driven from the batteries with no regulation circuit.
Output is in the form of a very pleasing white light.
The beam itself consists of a round hotspot in the center,
surrounded by a diamond shaped spot, surrounded further
by a wide, round spillbeam.
The switch is the tailcap. Twist for on and off. There
is also a lanyard hole in the tailcap for convenience.
The head is permanently attached to the light, so no
worries there. The tailcap has an O-ring which is generously
lubricated with silicone grease. The light is advertised
as "water resistant".
Ergonomics: The shape of the light and its size makes
it very comfortable in the hand. The slightly granular
texture to the finish makes it very grip-able.
3 AA batteries power this light. Runtime is advertised
at 50 hours. An independent 3rd party has tested the
runtime of the light and found it reaches 50% brightness
after about 3 hours and has what could be called a "standard
alkaline discharge curve for an LED"; a rapidly
descending curve with a long "tail" of low
output. I would recommend a battery change after about
4 hours if you have the luxury of extra batteries. You
may get 50 hours of light out of the LX 3.0, but the
latter 46 hours will be very dim. In an emergency situation,
some light is better than none, so at least you'll have
some light available for a long time.
It has been strongly recommended by one vendero that
the user NOT use lithium AA or damage to the LED will
likely result. However, on Gerber's website FAQ, the
following can be found:
Q: Can I use Lithium batteries in your products?
A: In all our lights EXCEPT the Reactor 3.
No additional accessories come with the light.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Tough, Bright, Easy battery change, Stands up, Well
built.
What I Didn't Like: No regulation.
Other Things I Noticed:
Conclusions: Very high quality
construction, beautiful finish, great output. A very
worthwhile light to get.
Impressions: I've been comparing
this light to my other lights and I have pretty much
determined that this is one of the better lights I have
reviewed. In fact, I would put it up there in the ranks
of the lights I think will see the most use in my household.
The light from the LX 3.0 is about the purest white
light I've seen. There are only 2 other lights that
I have which, when compared to any other Luxeon Star
lights, appear truly white. This one even appears to
be slightly whiter that those two. Convenient size,
feels good in the hand, easy to operate, good runtime,
cheap batteries. Overall it may not get "5 Stars"
but it's a winner in my book. Except for the fact that
it's a little too large to easily carry on your person
a day-to-day basis, I don't think anyone will be disappointed
in this light.
|
