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The Pelican L-4 1830 LED flashlight is pretty much
exactly what it appears to be - a penlight. It uses
three diminutive AAAA alkaline cells for power, is made
of polymer, and is water resistant.
Body description: The body of the 1830 is polymer and
is molded into an octagonal profile to help prevent
it from rolling off of smooth surfaces. The head area
of the light is larger in diameter than the body tube
in order to accommodate the LED and the threading used
to attach the head to the body. The entire body has
a very slight texture. The end opposite the head has
a shirt-pocket clip and a rubber covered clickie similar
in appearance to a ball point pen.
Bezel/Head: The head is simply a place for the LED and
resistor. Unscrew the head to reveal the inside of the body tube.
There is no reflector and no lens. You will only find the LED
which is well recessed in the head for protection. Being recessed also
helps prevent the light from being observed from the side when operated.
Output description: The white light produced by the
LED is a high color temperature and produces fairly good color
rendition weighted toward the blue end of the spectrum.
A slight bluish tint is plainly visible when compared against
a near sunlight-white source. The beam is a directional flood and
provides a smooth wash of light which is brighter in the center.
Beam at one meter at target center
Runtime Plot: This graph shows a classic standard alkaline runtime
plot. Output diminishes over time, but since we are only working
with one LED at fairly low output the tiny AAAA cells last a
long time. They do not, however, last as long as Pelican has
decided to state on the package. 50 hours is the advertised
runtime. Our testing shows that you should expect around 8 hours
of continuous use before reaching 50% starting output and about
15 hours before reaching 25% starting output.
Runtime
completed with "Duracell" brand batteries.
More information on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch description: The switch is a rubber covered clickie.
Press to click the light on and off. Press gently for blinking.
Seals / Water Resistance: The light is water resistant
and has an O-ring seal to protect the juncture at the
head of the light.
If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible
without tools and let it dry before using again.
Ergonomics: It has the same basic ergonomics as a ball point pen
with a wider tip area. It is easy to operate the switch and can be easily
held between the teeth or over the ear for hands-free lighting due to its
light weight and small diameter.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: Three AAAA cells power the light.
To change out the batteries: unscrew the head, drop
out the old cells, place in new cells observing proper
polarity. Reattach the head and you're ready to go.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Tough/impact resistant, Long battery life,
Good output for size, Easy battery change, Lightweight
What I Didn't Like: Batteries may
be difficult to find.
Conclusions: The Pelican 1830 does
exactly what it is supposed to do. It fits well in the shirt
pocket and provides good light for close tasks. Since the body
is polymer, it is naturally resistant to conducting electricity which
is a big advantage for those people who need a penlight and work with
electronic equipment that they may need to poke the light into.
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