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Available from PeakLEDSolutions.com
This light incorporates a Luxeon LED and uses a regulator
circuit in tandem with a single 123A lithium cell to
produce steady output for about 2½ hours. Three
body materials are also available - Type III anodized
aluminum (reviewed), Solid Brass, and Solid Stainless
Steel.
(packaging example - unit shown is not the same as unit
reviewed)
The body of the unit is machined aluminum with a Type
III anodize finish - very tough stuff. Three bands of
checkering surround the body. 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 current regulating circuit (the best kind of regulator) to provide constant energy to the LED over the usable life of the battery. The smooth silvered reflector provides a surprisingly nice beam.
Output: Very nice. Overall output is very good. The
beam itself 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 and at target edge
to show spillbeam.
Runtime Plot: Very good runtime and very good regulation.
One interesting fact that I noticed is that as the battery
is very depleted, the LED strobes very rapidly as the
regulator tries like heck to get more juice from the
cell. This keeps that long "tail" going, providing
emergency light.
Runtime
completed with included "Sanyo/GE" 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 which is quite
sufficient to prevent accidental turning.
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, Semi-Regulated, Good battery
life, Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight, Removable
lanyard lug
What I Didn't Like: Nothing
Other Things I Noticed: Nothing
Conclusions: Great little pocket
light. Bright, long lasting good output, and built pretty
tough. Extremely lightweight, very compact. A solid
pocket light with sufficient light and runtime for almost
any common task. Less output but longer runtime than
the Carribbean model
in the same form factor.
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