The PC8 Outdoors from NitePalm

The PC8 Outdoor is a new product from NitePalm. This interesting device has a flat case with eight LEDs; 4 white, 2 red, and 2 green. There are 7 lighting modes which are selectable via two switches, one on either side of the device. The PC8 uses three common AA cells for power. There is also "Police" model which uses white, red, and blue LEDs and has slightly different lighting modes.

Body: The body is ultrasonically welded polycarbonate, which is naturally impact resistant. On the upper face of the PC8 you will see the 8 LEDs laid out with the four white LEDs on the outer perimeter and the four colored LEDs near the center. The switches are on either side. One is white, which activates the white LEDs; the other is blue, which activates the colored LEDs. The lower section of the PC8 is corrugated to match the contours of the three AA batteries stored inside. On the back you will find the battery compartment door which is fastened in place with three Phillips screws.

Bezel/Head: The eight LEDs are recessed in the face of the PC8, which provides a fair degree of protection from impacts. The white LEDs are set in a quadrilaterally symmetric pattern (at the points of a square) to produce overlapping beams for smooth illumination. The red and green LEDs are set in a similar fashion in the middle of the bezel area with the green LEDs at the top and bottom, and the red LEDs at the left and right.

Output: As mentioned, there are 7 possible illumination options. The white LEDs can all be turned on high, low, or flashing. The red LEDs can be turned on or made to flash, as can the green LEDs. Output from the white LEDs is slightly bluish, but produces a smooth flood of light in the direction pointed. The flashing white strobe feature serves well as an attention-getter. The red and green beams are ringy and a bit more focused than the white light, and are very bright. For reference, white light is good for general, all-around use. Red light is excellent for preserving natural human night adapted vision. Green light is exceptionally poor for preserving natural human night adapted vision, contrary to current popular myth. Green is usually used by hunters because some game animals apparently to not see green light very well. Green is also supposedly good for use with military style night-vision equipment which, I’m told, does not suffer from a brightness “bloom” when encountering green light. This also appears to be the root of the myth that green light is good for preserving night vision.

Beam at one meter at target center. Output is brighter than shown.

Runtime Plot: Runtime certainly isn’t lacking with the PC8. In 24 hours, 50% starting output was not reached with the four white LEDs set on high.

Runtime completed with Energizer brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is available HERE.

Switch: To turn the PC8 on, you need to press and hold one of the two switches. After about ½ to 1 second, the light turns on (either white or the colored LEDs depending on the switch). Continued pressure on the switch moves the light to the next mode. Releasing the switch at any time causes the light to stay in the mode selected. Pressing again does not advance the modes, but instead turns the light off. You can select either the colored LEDs or the white LEDs, but not both at once.

The modes are as follows:

White: High, low, flash
Color: Red, red flash, green, green flash

The switches are a bit difficult to get used to, and frankly I was not too pleased with their operation. Don’t expect the light to turn on quickly when you need it. Turning the light off is very rapid when you press the switch, but turning the light on requires a significant pause while holding the switch before the LEDs turn on. Likewise, after turning the light off, if you decide you need the light on again you will need to wait at least 1-2 seconds before pressing the switch again or it simply won’t respond at all. The same goes for switching from the white LEDs to the colored LEDs. You would need to turn it off, wait 1-2 seconds, press and hold the other switch for about 1 second, and then the light turns on. Overall, I’d say they need a bit of fine-tuning to improve the convenience of their use.

Seals / Water Resistance:

The unit should be considered “water resistant” or “splashable”. If it gets wet inside, just open it up as much as possible and let it dry before next use.

Ergonomics: I’d say that it handles quite easily and with the exception of the significant pause before turning on, the switches seem to be simple to operate. It is a bit unusual in that you are holding the wide face of the light toward the subject you are illuminating.

Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light

Batteries: Three AA cells power the PC8. The battery compartment door is on the side opposite the LEDs, at the bottom. To open the compartment you will need a Phillips screwdriver. I’m never in favor of needing tools to open the battery compartment because that means there is one more thing you have to take with you if using the light for extended periods, such as for camping. Also, the batteries on either side really need to be snapped into place in the contoured sides of the compartment. This is a little difficult to do, and it is even more difficult to get them back out again. If the battery compartment door were larger, it would be a simple matter to put the cells in and out, but sadly this is not the case..

Accessories: Along with the light you should receive three AA cells and a very nice belt sheath with a spring clip on the back which allows the light to be both carried and operated while on the belt.

What I Liked: Long runtime and decent light output. Several different modes of operation.

What I Didn't Like: Switches require a press-hold-pause operation to turn the light on and a delay between turning off and then on again. Battery compartment needs tools to open and the cells on the sides are difficult to insert and remove.

Picky Little Things: It would be really nice if you could turn on all the LEDs at once for maximum light output, or if they all were used in a flashing pattern for alerting others.

Conclusions: The NitePalm PC8 is a fair flashlight. Although good in concept and possessing some very handy features, the PC8 has a few characteristics that I found to be detrimental to its ease-of-use. Several different lighting options, and a very nice belt carrier improve its appeal, but inconvenient switches and battery compartment hinder its usability. Having the option of white, red, or green light with you is a nice feature, and the strobe modes are good for getting the attention of others.

Quick Facts Table: