Supplied by Wayne Smith.
Purchase information can be found by clicking here.

The OSRAM "Golden Dragon" lantern is a fairly straightforward product. It is a compact lantern which utilizes four AA cells for power and a single OSRAM "Golden Dragon" high output LED for light. It is compact, it is bright, it has two output settings, and despite the fact that it is not a Luxeon, it's still subject to the "Luxeon Lottery".

Body: The very top of the body has a top cap with a fold-down metal hang loop. Below that is a clear globe with an inverted cone reflector suspended at the top and a translucent dome at the bottom which houses the LED. Below the clear globe is a single click switch on the body and a rubberized plastic ribbed cover that extends the length of the body. At the very bottom is a set of twist-out/fold-in feet which provide a stable platform for the lamp and hide quite well under the lamp when folded.

Bezel/Head: Inside the clear globe you find the inverted silver cone reflector and the translucent dome that houses the LED. The LED lights the dome and the light is reflected off of the silver cone reflector to send the light out in all directions.

Output: The swath of light projected out from the lantern is very smooth. Unfortunately in the sample I received it is also very purplish. Ick. This simply goes to show you that even non-Luxeon LEDs are subject to the infamous "Luxeon Lottery" where you can never quite tell what tint of white you will be getting. I seem to be on a purple kick lately - all the LED's I'm getting seem to have a significant purple tint. I did contact the supplier and they told me that the ones they have tried were very nice white. Typical.

The lesson here is that you need to accept the fact that you may not be getting a perfectly pure white lamp. If you don't like the idea of getting one that's a little purple, blue, green, yellow, etc., then you shouldn't get one.

Filtered sunlight on left, lamp on right. Notice slight purplish shade of light around lamp globe.

Due to the shape of the lamp, Overall Output readings could not be taken.

   
Beam at target center and direct comparison to River Rock lantern (right).

Runtime Plot: Very nice. This runtime plot was run with the lamp on "high". Almost 6 hours until it drops off in output. It looks like there may be a regulator circuit of some sort in there.

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

Switch: The switch is a click switch on the side of the light just below the clear globe. Press once for full-on. Press a second time for the battery conserving 25% setting. Press a third time for off. That's it.

Seals / Water Resistance: I'd give it a "splashable" rating. Other than the tight fit of the parts, I'm not too sure about water resistance. If you drop it in the lake, open it up and dry it out before using it again.

If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible without tools and let it dry before using again.

Ergonomics: From a usage standpoint it is very simple and straightforward. The only tricky part is extending the feet on the bottom. When you push out on one of the feet a plate at the bottom rotates and swings all of the feet outward. Pushing in at an angle forces all of the feet back again. Push too hard and you start to unscrew the baseplate from the body, opening the battery compartment.

Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light

Batteries: Four AA alkaline cells power the light. No other battery type is mentioned in the packaging. Unscrew the bottom plate and out drops the battery carrier. Put the cell in as indicated by the markings on the carrier and insert the carrier. Reattach the bottom plate (be careful, it likes to cross-thread) and you should be ready to go.

Accessories: No additional accessories are included with the light.

What I Liked: Two modes of operation, Very compact, Good battery life, Bright, Easy battery change, Fairly lightweight, Stands up

What I Didn't Like: Not sure about water resistance, LED has a very distinct purple tint in the sample I tested.

Picky Little Things: Battery carrier - Ick. I don't like battery carriers. One more thing to lose or break.

Conclusions: The Osram Golden Dragon lantern is a good all-around lantern. It is quite bright and is the most compact lantern I've worked with yet. It should work well for power outages, outdoor activities, and camping excursions. It's not super-spectacular, but does what it's supposed to do and does it well.

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