Short Description:

The Eclipse is made by Princeton Tec and is available for purchase from PocketLights.com. The Eclipse is a keychain / clip light that can be attached to zipper pulls, backpacks, duffel bags, etc. It has 5 modes of operation: high, medium, low, slow blink, fast blink, and comes in a variety of case colors. The unique feature of the Eclipse is that it can be removed from the clip for easy use. This is necessary in the design due to the effort needed to actually clip or unclip the unit to anything. More on this later.

The body of the Eclipse is plastic with a rubbery switch cover and a rubbery plastic seal inside the light. Overall it is smooth and very sleek looking. The entire unit has a slight texture. On the back is a large battery cover that simply pops off with the use of a fingernail or small screwdriver. By holding the clip area and twisting the light the forward part of the Eclipse snaps off allowing it to be used separately from the clip. Pressing the two parts together snaps them back into one piece. The clip is a bit awkward to use. There is a small locking tab on the inside of the clip that requires the clip to be pressed inward to release the moving portion of the clip. I found that it works best if you press in and twist so that the part of the clip that is on the inside of the loop is moved to the outside of the loop. A gentle push or twist then allows the unit to be clipped to something. It is definitely a two-hand effort, regardless. The seals in the body are advertised to make the unit waterproof, but testing has shown that the unit is "dunkable" only. Do not leave submerged or operate underwater.

The bulb is a standard white 5mm LED. The beam is a smooth wide directional flood; typical of single LED keychain lights.

The switch is a rubber covered click switch that changes the modes in series. The switch resides in a slightly recessed oval for some protection against accidental turn-on. The mode changes are obvious for high/medium/low. For the slow blink mode the LED flashes twice quickly. This is presumably because the slow blink is so slow that an impatient person would probably hit the button again thinking that it didn't cycle. The slow blink is about 1 blink every 2 seconds (30/min). The rapid blink is about 1 blink every 1/2 second (120/min). Two seconds after selecting a mode, depressing the switch will turn the unit off.

Additionally, the unit has a 7.5 minute auto shutoff feature, so that if it is activated accidentally in your pocket or pack it will turn itself completely off. If using the unit for more than 7.5 minutes, you will have to reactivate the light.

Batteries used are two 2016 coin cell lithium batteries which provide a total of 6V to the unit. They are easily replaced via the battery compartment door on the back.

Accessories: Batteries are included and installed. No other accessories are included.

Reviewer's Impressions:

The Princeton Tec Eclipse is a very versatile little clip light. The fact that it separates from the clip for easy maneuverability is, as stated earlier, both a handy feature, and a necessity due to the work involved in clipping or unclipping the unit to anything. It takes 2 hands and a little bit of coordination. At least you don't have to worry about the unit unclipping and getting lost all by itself. The utility of the unit is very nice. The lower modes of brightness help preserve battery life and the blink modes can allow the unit to serve as a small location beacon.

Fit and finish were good. All surfaces were clean, smooth fits with no rough or sharp areas.

Quality / Durability / Construction: The unit seems well made. It is able to withstand the normal drops/tosses/bangs without difficulty. The LED is exposed and could be subject to damage if dropped, but the unit is so lightweight I would expect little more than marring of the surface of the LED.

Output is typical of a single white LED. The fact that it can be dimmed is a welcome addition.

Beam quality is good and is typical of a single white 5mm LED.

Water resistance is good, but I did not find the unit tested to be "waterproof" as advertised. It withstood a quick dunk, but rattling it around in the basin of a full sink resulted in water getting into the unit. It was easily dried out by removing the battery compartment door and batteries, shaking out the unit, and letting the unit sit under a high-intensity lamp for 1/2 hour.

Important Things to Note: I found the Eclipse to be a little big for a keychain that is kept in the pocket. I clip my keychain to my belt so it was fine for that.

Improvements: None that I can think of. It's a surprisingly feature-packed little clip light.

+ + + Pluses: Water resistant, Selectable light levels, 2 blink modes, Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight

- - - Minuses: Not waterproof, Clip is a bit awkward

Quick Facts Table: