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The Nite Ize LED Upgrade bulb is designed for Maglite
C and D cell flashlights and will operate in lights
using 2 to 6 C or D size alkaline cells. Externally
it looks very similar to a normal bulb, except for the
fact that the "filament" is really an LED.
It is not designed to be a very bright upgrade, but
it will run for a very long time with a decent amount
of output.
Body: The body of the LED upgrade bulb is simply
a PR bulb base with the epoxy LED capsule perched on
top. Overall it appears to be well made and since it
is an LED, it should prove to be very durable in use.
Bezel/Head: The front of the LED capsule is
designed to spread the light out in order to take some
advantage of the flashlight's reflector. The light-producing
die inside the capsule sits a little low relative to
the filament of a regular bulb, so in focus-free flashlights
you may encounter a wider beam than normal. It works
very well in adjustable focus lights such as the Maglite.
Output: The white light produced by the LED
is surprisingly white with no real tinting. A very slight
bluish hue may be noticed when comparing the bulb's
output against a sunlight-white source, but it is not
noticeable in practical use.
Intended for use in the Maglight, you can see below
how the bulb takes advantage of the smooth, adjustable-focus
reflector. The light can be focused into a very tight
spot, or spread out into a wide beam. Just like with
the normal bulb, if you focus the light out too far,
you will see the infamous "rings and holes"
which are common with adjustable-focus smooth reflector
flashlights.
Beam at one meter at target center, narrow and wide
focus.
Runtime Plot: The runtime plot is amazing. After
24 hours I stopped the test and the light output never
dropped below 92% starting output. This would make an
excellent power outage bulb, lasting days on just two
D cells, and probably running for weeks with 4-6 cells.
The generally wide beam would also make it a great upgrade
for small lanterns which depend on a wide throw of light
in all directions. Rayovac makes some inexpensive 4-AA
cell lanterns that can be found at Walmart, which work
well with this bulb.
Runtime
completed with Rayovac brand batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: n/a
Seals / Water Resistance: n/a
Ergonomics: Size photo shown below. It is essentially
the same size as a normal PR base bulb.
Size
Batteries: The Nite-Ize bulb can be powered
with anything from two to six cells. Although intended
for use with the Mag 2-6 C or D cell flashlights, it
will work with nearly any size cells, compensating for
the voltage from 3 to 9 volts.
Accessories: No accessories come with the bulb.
What I Liked: Very long runtime,
good output (put does not come anywhere near the original
bulb)
What I Didn't Like: Doesn't work
all that well in fixed-focus lights.
Picky Little Things:
Conclusions: If you are looking
for a very long running bulb that produces adequate
light for most normal tasks, this is a great upgrade
bulb. Especially nice is the fact that it can be placed
in flashlights which utilize anywhere from two to six
1.5 volt cells, making it very versatile. If you look
around, you may be able to find a good 2 cell AA fixed-focus
flashlight that works well with this bulb, but it works
best with adjustable focus lights.
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