NOTE: This light is now being called the "Impulse" by Princeton Tec.

Short Description:

The Eclipse 2 is made by Princeton Tec. The Eclipse2 is a keychain / clip / hatclip light that can be attached to zipper pulls, backpacks, duffel bags, baseball hats, etc. The Eclipse 2 replaces the original Eclipse which, it appears, will no longer be made. 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 and includes a hat clip which the main lighting unit can be attached to in place of the gear clip.

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 seals in the body allow the body to take splashes and rain. 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.

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. Includes both gear clip and hat clip.

Detailed Information:

The Princeton Tec Eclipse is a very versatile little clip light. The fact that it separates from the clip for easy maneuverability is a handy feature. It can be removed from the gear clip and attached to the hat clip for hands-free use. 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.

As mentioned earlier, the Eclipse 2 is the replacement for the Eclipse. The only difference is the inclusion of a hat clip and a significant change in the gear clip. The new clip is a huge improvement over the previous plastic clipping mechanism.

New vs. Old Clip

Eclipse2 attached to hat clip

The new clip is a metal gate that pivots inward when pressed like a standard lobster-claw type gear clip. This makes the light much easier to attach to and remove from your gear, although removal may not be necessary since the light can be unsnapped from the clip.

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.

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

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.

Water resistance is good, but it is not"waterproof". 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.

Changing the batteries is accomplished by removing the compartment door on the back with a small screwdriver or other pointy implement. Just pop it off, drop the old batteries out and insert new ones using the same polarity as the ones you just removed. Snap the cover back in place.

Battery compartment door.

What I Liked: Water resistant, Selectable light levels, 2 blink modes, Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight. Hat clip and new gear clip work very well. Auto shut-off keeps the batteries from going flat in your pocket.

What I Didn't Like: Not waterproof. A touch large for carrying in the pocket.

Other Things I Noticed: 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.

Conclusions: A surprisingly feature-packed little clip light.

Quick Facts Table: