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This is an update to the original
review. The Lumaray FL6 has undergone an LED upgrade
and a design change.
Available from Lumaray.com
The Lumaray FL6 is a very unique LED flashlight. The
folks at Lumaray decided to take 6 bright Nichia CS
white LEDs, package them in some very tough polymers,
place collimating lenses at a precise distance from
each LED for a concentrated beam, create a very unique
locking mechanism for the battery compartment, and then
add a serious dose of futuristic style to their design
for good measure. The result is a very unusual flashlight
that looks like it stepped straight out of a sci-fi
movie. There are four colors available: Gunmetal Grey,
Black, Yellow/Gray, and White (click
HERE to see the different colors side-by-side, you'll
have to scroll down). I selected the Yellow/Gray for
review since I figured all the other reviewers would
be reviewing black or gray bodied lights. I have heard
folks mention that some flashlights look like "light
sabers". Not the Lumaray. The grey Lumaray looks more
like a Klingon particle beam weapon with an attitude.
The white version looks like it would be right at home
on a Storm Trooper's utility belt, or would match your
I-Pod (hmmmm... standard Storm Trooper equipment: white
Lumaray, I-Pod, Blaster...?). The black version just
looks sleek and dangerous. The yellow/grey one looks
like a piece of industrial safety equipment - a tool
meant to be used, but "used for illumination"
is about the last thing you would think of.
Body: Aside from its unique design, the Lumaray
FL6 is made from polycarbonate, a high impact and chemical
resistant resin made by GE called "Xenoy",
and stainless steel springs. Very tough stuff all the
way around. The somewhat hexagonal anti-roll head includes
the 6 recessed lenses for the LEDs. Just below the head
is the locking mechanism that holds the head to the
body.
The junction between the head and the
body is sealed with 2 O-rings for water resistance. The
body is round with a cross-drilled circle pattern and
slight texture for grip.
On the very end is a molded in X-shape
that allows the light to stand on end when placed
on a flat, level surface.
Bezel/Head: As mentioned, the head contains
6 fairly Nichia CS white LEDs and 6 collimating lenses
to take the light from the LEDs and focus it into a
fairly coherent beam. Behind those lenses is an application
of glow-in-the-dark material which glows brightly for
many hours after exposure to light from the LEDs.
 
Bezel face-on in normal light and in the dark to show
glow after activation
Output: Output is in the form of a narrow beam
which produces a smooth spot of white light with a bluish
corona. There is essentially no spillbeam produced.
You see what you point the light at, and that's about
it unless your target includes surfaces that scatter
the light into the surrounding area. At close range
this can make navigation a little difficult since you
have to keep moving the light around to see what's at
your feet. At longer distances it provides a smooth
illumination of the target surfaces.
Beam at one meter at target center and at target edge
to show spillbeam.
At very close range the 6 spots created by the LED
lenses don't have time to converge and you have 6
completely separate spots of light with no fill between
them.
Beam extreme close-up to show 6 separate LED spots.
Runtime Plot: No regulation here - just 3 C
cells powering 6 LEDs. Since the 6 LEDs don't really
draw that much electricity from the fairly large C cells,
you can expect a very long period of illumination from
this light. Initially bright, output diminishes over
time.
Runtime
completed with Duracell batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Runtime
completed with Duracell batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: The head of the light serves as the
switching mechanism. Twist one direction for on, the
other way for off. Inside the head are flexible angled
contacts that touch a stainless steel wire molded into
the inside of the body and runs from top to bottom.
At the bottom of the battery tube a removable stainless
steel spring serves as the negative contact for the
batteries.
Between the head and the body tube are three O-rings.
Two of the O-rings serve as seals to prevent the entry
of water into the body, which results in a watertight
depth rating of about 15 meters (50 feet). The third
O-ring protrudes into the body of the light through
slots cut in the O-ring groove. This third O-ring actually
acts as a battery stop so that when you drop out the
cells they don't all fall out onto your feet. Instead
they stop traveling down the tube when they contact
the O-ring, allowing you to shake the tube and remove
one cell at a time.
Ergonomics: The Lumaray is very comfortable
in the hand and is rather lightweight for a 3-C cell
flashlight. The cross circle pattern in the body provides
sufficient grip.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: The three C cells are changed by
unlocking the head from the light using the very unique
Lumaray mechanism. First, with the light facing upwards,
you rotate the locking mechanism below the head to the
right until it stops. Then, placing your thumb and forefinger
of one hand on two of the mechanism grip plates, and
a finger from your other hand on the third grip plate,
you pull all of them straight down. This causes the
lock tabs under the head to cam outward and release
the head of the light which then pops up. Remove the
head by pulling straight up. Leaving the rotating mechanism
in the unlocked position you drop out the cells one
by one (thanks to the Lumaray battery retainer) and
replace with new. Then press the head back in place.
A taper at the base of the head allows the locking surface
to slide under the three locking tabs. When the head
clicks back into place, rotate the locking mechanism
to the left until it stops. Although all of this sounds
complex, it is deceptively simple.
Head of Lumaray with locking mechanism unlocked and
pulled down,
opening the locking tabs and allowing the head to pop
up.
Accessories: Although no accessories come with
the light, the tail is designed to accept lanyards through
the openings.
What I Liked: Water resistant to
50 feet,
Tough/impact resistant, Long battery life,
Bright clean spot of light, Easy battery change,
Relatively lightweight for a 3 C cell light, Stands up
What I Didn't Like: Nothing
Picky Little Things: Lack of a
spillbeam to light the ground at your feet when walking.
Lack of diffuse light for very close work.
Conclusions: The Lumaray FL6 can
clearly illuminate targets well out of the reach of
non-lensed LED lights. It has a very cool design and
overall is a very good light. This is one of the few
times where a really interesting looking light doesn't
just try to sell itself on its looks and actually performs
quite well. Great for medium range tasks which take
advantage of the tight spot of light it produces. If
you have an older version Lumaray, the heads of the
new version fit on the old body, but not vice-versa.
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