Pelican Little Ed Recoil LED (3610)

Provided for review
by the kind folks at:

 
 
4 Stars
Very Good
         

Light Type: Luxeon LED
Light Class: Outdoor / Rough Use

The Pelican Little ED Recoil LED model 3610 is a unique departure from most other lights in that it uses a Luxeon high dome LED which points back at the user. The light is then collected by a solid reflector which projects the light forward. It essentially works like a satellite dish. This type of light projection is becoming a little more common and is useful in that it produces a very tight beam. This light is basically an adaptation of the 2410 Recoil LED with a 90 degree adapter for the head which includes a clip and split-ring for attaching to Fire/Rescue turnout gear.

Body description: The Little ED Recoil has a polymer, roughly octagonal, flattened body which is available in bright yellow or black. The body is constructed of Lexan resin with a polycarbonate shatterproof lens with an hard nylon shroud. All very tough stuff. The light operates on 4 AA batteries that are placed directly into the light. Access to the battery compartment is via the removable head. Operation of the light is accomplished with a lever switch on the side of the light below the head. Inside the light are catalyst pellets to prevent the buildup of hydrogen gas which can result from incorrect battery polarity insertion. This light includes an umbrella vent on the side opposite the switch to allow the venting of pressure without allowing liquid inside. A lanyard comes attached to the tail.

     

Bezel/Head: The bezel and reflector design is where you find the majority of the innovation is on this light. Basically it works on the same principal as a radar or satellite dish. The Luxeon LED sits on a bar that spans the front of the reflector and points backwards, toward the reflector. The reflector is one piece and collects all of the light from the LED and projects it forward past the LED. All of the light is concentrated into a relatively small area, making this design one of the few able to illuminate targets at a rather long distance with an LED light source. A new addition to the Pelican lights is the glow in the dark bezel which allows for easier location of the light when turned off.

Output description: The white light produced by the LED is a high color temperature and produces good color rendition weighted slightly toward the blue end of the spectrum. A slight tint is detectable when compared against a near sunlight-white source, but this tinting is not noticeable during normal use. The beam is very tight with little noticeable spillbeam. This makes it excellent for penetrating fog, smoke, and other particulate haze. It also helps greatly underwater, where much of a light's output is lost to suspended solids.


Beam at one meter at target center

Runtime Plot:


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

Switch description: On the side of the light just below the head is a hard plastic lever switch. Push to the side to activate the light. Return to its original position to turn the light off. There does not appear to be a lock-out ability built into this light.

Seals / Water Resistance: O-ring seals and a special umbrella vent protect the light from the entry of water. Keep the main o-ring lubricated any you should have no problems with water entry.

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

Ergonomics: The body has a flat profile which makes it very "back pocket-able". The switch is oversized and very easy to operate. The O-ring seal grips the head very well and so it takes a bit of torque to remove the head for a battery change. The body has minimal grip enhancing surface texture, so use the attached wrist lanyard if there is a risk of dropping and losing the light.


Size

Batteries: Four AA cells power the light. As with many other Pelican lights, the designers seem to feel the need to add additional parts to the battery compartment which could be engineered out. This light is no exception. In addition to the head and light module, there is a special contact plate that drops out of the light and must be placed on top of the inserted batteries for the light to work. This plate converts the two contact areas of the side-by-side AA cells to a single contact area that is compatible with their lamp module design.

To change out the batteries: unscrew the head, remove the light module, remove the contact plate, then drop out the old cells. Place in new cells observing proper polarity. Reinsert the contact plate (it only goes in one way) and the light module. Then reattach head and you're ready to go.

Accessories: Lanyard (attached); batteries are included.

What I Liked: Waterproof, Tough/impact resistant, Long battery life, Bright penetrating beam, Easy battery change, Easy to operate switch, glow in the dark bezel.

What I Didn't Like: Additional contact plate in the battery compartment - one more thing to lose.

Other Things I Noticed: Nothing

Conclusions: Exellent light for producing a penetraing beam of light. Uses common AA cells which are easy to find and cheap to replace. Can be attached to turnout gear, belt, pack straps, etc for a forward facing beam.


Quick Facts Table:

Item Reviewed.......................... Pelican Little Ed Recoil LED (3610)
Review Date ............................. November 2006
Country of Origin ...................... USA
Case Material ........................... Polycarbonate
Case Features .......................... Flattened profile, Lanyard on tail, 90 deg head
Case Access Type .................... Unscrew head
Switch Type ............................. Lever switch below head
Reflector Type ......................... Textured, silvered
Lens Type ................................ Polycarbonate
Bulb Type ................................. Luxeon LED
Beam Type ............................... Spot
Beam Characteristics ............... Tight square spot, minimal spillbeam
Throw (Lux) at 1m (click for description) ~ 1580 at beam center. (39.75 Comparison Chart equivalent)
Overall Output (click for description) ~ 1680 (16.80 Comparison Chart equivalent)
Battery / Power Type................ 4 x AA alkaline cells
Battery Life (advertised) ........... 32 hours
Battery Life (test results) ........... 5 hr 36 min to 50% starting output
Environmental Protection ......... O-ring seals, umbrella vent
Weight (oz.) with batteries ....... 10.8 oz. (need to convert to grams?)
Special Items of Note ............... Additional contact plate in battery compartment
Warranty .................................. Limited lifetime
Retail Info ................................ Available from Action-Lights.com
 

 

 
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