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Reviewer's
Impressions:
For a single white LED light, the Impact is really quite
impressive. Since almost all of the light of the LED is projected
forward by the lens and reflector system, it actually sends
a decent beam to an acceptable distance for general use. If
you are used to "normal" incandescent lights with
their beam throw, this would look familiar in the way it casts
a "hotspot" of light at the subject. This is quite
different from other LED lights which send more of a flood
of light into the surrounding area.
Fit and finish of the light is very good. The lens and reflector
came out of the package unmarred and clean as a whistle. The
body is perfectly formed by the mold and the rubber shrouded
bezel fits tightly on the body. As a result of the tight fit,
it does take two hands to turn the light on and off.
Quality and durability are very good. There are no filaments
to break and the body is practically indestructible. You can
do almost anything with this light. The only slight concern
is the convex lens which protrudes so far forward that it
almost touches the surface the light is on when set down face
first. Use caution when out camping to avoid marring the lens.
Place the light on its side, not its face.
Output is surprisingly good for a single LED light. Since
all of the light is projected into a tight spot (but not so
tight as to make it unusable), you can actually use it at
a decent distance, unlike many other single LED lights. For
comparison, I was able to make out the same detail at the
same distance using either the Impact with its projection
system, or the Tektite Expedition 300 - a 7 LED light with
no specialized projection system. Of course, the Expedition
300 lit up a larger surface area while the Impact only lit
a tight circle.
Beam quality is good. The center of the beam is white with
a bluish thin ring surrounded by a wide band of dim light.
Surrounding this are several very faint rings which become
almost unnoticeable at a distance.
Water resistance is excellent with an advertised depth rating
of 500 feet. Since Princeton Tec specializes in dive lights,
I would never worry about getting this light wet.
The biggest factor for considering this light is, I believe,
the battery life. Since 4 AA batteries are driving only a
single white LED, you can expect several DAYS of light from
this device without having to worry about a battery change.
It's not very bright, but the spot of light it creates is
about as bright as the output from lights boasting 7 LEDs
and a much shorter relative battery life.
The only possible improvement to the light would be a regulator
circuit to give constant output. But when you have 6 days
worth of light off a set of batteries, why bother....
(Rating updated April 2003 to reflect ongoing testing
and update to rating system.)
+ + + Pluses: Waterproof, Tough/impact
resistant, Long battery life, Easy battery change
- - - Minuses: Not exceptionally bright
(only 1 LED), Cannot stand on end
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