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The Pelican SabreLite 2000 is a a xenon bulb incandescent
flashlight which uses 3 C cells for power. It is dive
rated to 500 feet and produces a very tight beam of
light.
Body: The SabreLite has a polymer octagonal
shaped body which is available in bright yellow or black.
The light operates on 3 C batteries that are placed
in a carrier which provides polarity protection. Operation
of the light is achieved by tightening and loosening
the bezel. Inside the light are catalyst pellets to
prevent the buildup of hydrogen gas which is a natural
byproduct of battery use. The body is vented to prevent
pressure from building up inside the light but the vent
is one-way so that water cannot enter.
On the outside of the body, near the rear,
is a large belt clip with a split ring and lanyard attached.
This gives many different options for attaching the
light to your gear. The clip, however, is so large that
it interferes with holding the light no matter how you
position it in your hand.
Bezel/Head: The head of the light
contains the xenon bulb/reflector assembly. The reflector
is very slightly textured to help smooth out some of
the beam artifacts.
Output: Output is in the form of a tight beam.
Distance illumination ability is quite good, but the
spillbeam around the central hotspot is a bit ringy.
I also noticed that the hotspot in the center of the
beam was a little off center in this light.
Beam at one meter at target center.
Runtime Plot: Hmmm... looks like something was
wrong with the batteries or the connection.
Runtime
completed with Energizer alkaline batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: Turning the light on and off is achieved
by twisting the bezel. Nothing special going on here,
except that Pelican recommends that you unscrew the
bezel one full turn to make sure that the light doesn't
come on accidentally. I have set a similar Pelican light
on its face only to have it turn itself on as the weight
of the battery carrier overcame the spring inside the
light and made contact. Store it on its side to help
prevent this from happening.
Seals / Water Resistance: Pelican's special
"umbrella vent" allows gas buildup inside the light
to escape while preventing the entry of water when submersed.
Large O-rings seal the light.
Ergonomics: Unfortunately the clip really gets
in the way of holding the light in the hand comfortably.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: Three C cells are used to power the
light and they are not included. To change the batteries,
remove the bezel completely and drop out the battery
tray that contains the batteries. The battery tray is
designed rather poorly in my opinion. It contains all
of the contacts for the inside of the light but it doesn't
retain the batteries well at all. Be careful they don't
fall out of the carrier as you try to insert it into
the light.
What I Liked: Waterproof, Tough/impact
resistant, Long battery life, Bright, Good output.
What I Didn't Like: The clip is
the most annoying thing about this light, and the other
Sabrelights made by Pelican. It is too big and makes
holding the light difficult - it should have been designed
more flush with the body. Sure it clips onto your belt
easy, just push it on; but then try to get it off! There's
no counter lever to push to release the clip and the
tab on the body forces you to mess around with 2 hands
to release the clip from your belt.
Plus, the battery carrier needs to go. Awkward design
plus the whole thing can move forward and make contact
with the contact ring on the bezel, turning the light
on.
Other Things I Noticed: Nothing.
Conclusions: Great output, but
poor clip design and poor battery carrier design holds
this light back making it inconvenient to use and maintain.
Excellent for sending a very tight beam of light toward
a subject.
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USA