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Available from PeakLEDSolutions.com
This little critter is the first Luxeon LED light offered
by PeakLEDSolutions. Up until now their offerings have
all been 5mm LEDs driven by a boost circuit. This light
incorporates a much brighter Luxeon LED and uses a regulator
circuit in tandem with a single 123A lithium cell to
produce steady output for 2 1/2 hours. Three body materials
are also available - Type III anodized aluminum (reviewed),
Solid Brass, and Solid Stainless Steel.
The body of the Atlantic is machined aluminum with
a Type III anodize finish - very tough stuff. Three
bands of checkering surround the body and the head has
a unique spiral groove that runs from the base to the
front of the bezel. There are 6 flat facets machined
into the side of the head that serve as anti-roll stops
when the light is placed on its side. At the tail end
of the light is a removable keyring/lanyard attachment
post. It can be unscrewed from the body to provide a
flat bottom for tailcap standing. An O-ring provides
resistance to prevent the tail post from unscrewing
by itself, but the body is sealed regardless of whether
the post is in place or not.
The bezel contains a reflector, Luxeon I LED, and a
regulating circuit to provide constant energy to the
LED over the usable life of the battery. The smooth
silvered reflector provides a surprisingly nice beam.
Output is in the form of a smooth spot with a wide corona. The color temperature of the LED is high, but it does provide for good color rendition across the spectrum.
Beam at one meter at target center.
The runtime shows the effect of using a current regulator circuit on a light. Notice the almost perfectly flat output for 2 1/2 hours before the light starts a steady, rapid decline to a low level of output. It should maintain a low level of output for many hours, providing backup light for you to find your batteries!
Runtime
completed with included "Sanyo 123A" battery.
More information on runtime plots is available HERE.
To turn the light on and off, simply twist the bezel.
Tighten for on, loosen for off. Turning resistance is
provided by a single O-ring in a groove. In my opinion,
it's a little loose. I'd like to see the O-ring make
more solid contact so the head doesn't turn quite as
easily as it does. It seems that, based on the other
Peak lights I have, this is a common occurrence with
the aluminum bodied lights, but not with the brass ones.
I tried using other O-rings, but I could not find one
that would fit.
The light is completely sealed with O-rings and other
rubber seals for water resistance. I'd classify it as
dunkable. Shake it off and keep going.
Ergonomics: It's a tiny little light but easy to use. Easy to grip, easy to operate.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
A single 123A lithium cell powers the light (included). As always, I'd recommend getting them from an online retailer such as BatteryStation.com where they can be had for 1.25 each. If you want to pick them up at a retail store, go ahead, but be ready to pay $10 for a pair! To change the battery just unscrew the head, drop out the old cell, and place a new one in negative first.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Tough/impact resistant, Regulated, Good battery life,
Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight, Removable lanyard lug
What I Didn't Like: Head turns a bit too easily for my liking, but it doesn't just flop around or anything like that.
Other Things I Noticed: Nothing
Conclusions: Great little pocket light. Very bright, long lasting steady output, and built pretty tough. Extremely lightweight.
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