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The Gerber TX 3.0 is available from PocketLights.com
The Gerber TX 3.0 is a very tough general
purpose light. It is made from Type II anodized aluminum
with a black matte finish. 3 AA alkaline
batteries power the light for many hours. Inside the
bezel is a direct driven Luxeon III LED which is shockproof
and provides a bright spot of clean white light. The
tailcap is a tactical type clickie; press gently for momentary,
press until it clicks for constant on. 3 AA batteries
are included and are replaced by removing the tailcap.
The body of the Gerber LX 3.0 sports a Type
II anodized matte finish. The surface appears to have
a very slight granularity to it. Around the head and tail are
flat panels 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 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.
Beam at one meter at target center
Runtime Plot: Runtime is advertised at 50 hours. 50%
brightness is reached after about 1½ hours and
it has what could be called a "standard alkaline
discharge curve for an LED"; a rapidly descending
curve with a long "tail" of low output. You
may get 50 hours of light out of the TX 3.0, but the
many of those 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.
Runtime
completed with included "Gerber" batteries.
More information on runtime plots is available HERE.
The switch consists of a small rubber covered clickie
in the center of the tailcap. Press gently for momentary
use, press harder for constant on. The clicking action
is very difficult to detect and it may click on without
your knowing. Rotating the tailcap backward 1/2 turn
locks out the mechanism preventing accidental activation.
As for water resistance, 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.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
3 AA batteries power this light. To change out the batteries simply
unscrew the tailcap, drop out the old cells and drop in the new ones, positive
first.
It has been strongly recommended that the user NOT
use lithium AA or damage to the LED will likely result.
An elastic and nylon belt sheath is included with the light.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Tough, Bright, Easy battery change, Well
built.
What I Didn't Like: No regulation, Clickie has poor feedback
Other Things I Noticed:
Conclusions: Very high quality
construction, beautiful finish, great output. Clickie is a bit soft for my liking,
but many folks won't have a problem with it.
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