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Detailed
Information:
The Impact XL is really a nice upgrade over the original
Impact. Designed for moderate light output and long
battery life, the XL delivers. The XL uses the same
reflector as most other PT AA cell lights and the Luxeon
Star bulb is a "side emitter" style which
takes advantage of the reflector. The result is very
usable spot of light. Unlike normal 5mm LED lights,
this configuration gives decent throw for its output.
The body of the unit tested is black translucent plastic
with rubber grips on the top and bottom surface. The
batteries are loaded into the body in 2 rows side-by-side.
This gives the body a flat appearance. Polarity indicators
are molded into the plastic inside the body for battery
insertion. Inside the bottom of the light is a simple
strip of metal for battery contact. At the tail end
of the light is a rubber loop for attaching the included
lanyard.
The bezel consists of a clear polycarbonate lens surrounded
by a rubber shroud. Behind this you will find the reflector/bulb
assembly. The bulb is simply a Luxeon I side emitter
LED built into a PR base. The PR based bulb can be removed
from the reflector assembly and is labeled "4 cell"
on the side. Therefore it can conceivably be used in
any 4 alkaline cell light.
Output is in the form of a very nice color temperature
spot of light. The shape of the spot is a little unusual,
but is typical of side emitter Luxeon Star LEDs when
used with a reflector. It appears to be a star-like
spot with rays converging in the center and a ring of
light just outside the central spot. Since the color
temperature is lower than 5mm LEDs, it appears to be
almost sunlight white and gives good color rendition
across the visible spectrum. I was a little surprised
by the output in that it was a bit dimmer than I expected.
However, since the Luxeon Star is housed in a plastic
body there is no way to eliminate excess heat that would
be produced by driving the LED at higher levels. Regardless,
output was more than enough for navigating the house
and back yard.
Water resistance is excellent with an advertised depth
rating of 100 meters. Since Princeton Tec specializes
in dive lights, I would never worry about getting this
light wet.
Switching the light on and off is accomplished by twisting
the bezel. Tighten for on, loosen for off. Due to the
use of tight O-rings for water resistance, 2 hands are
needed.
Ergonomics: With the addition of rubber grips to what
is essentially the classic Princeton Tec body, the light
is very comfortable to carry and use.
The Impact XL takes 4 alkaline AA batteries for power
and will run "50+ hours" according to the
manufacturer. To change the batteries, remove the bezel,
remove the reflector assembly, and drop out the old
batteries. Drop in new batteries while observing the
polarity as indicated on the inside of the light. Reassemble
in reverse order. The reflector assembly is keyed so
that it will only go in one way.
What I Liked: Waterproof, Tough/Impact resistant,
Long battery life, Easy battery change. Also, they have
changed the battery contacts inside their lights to
springs so that even flat-negative-contact batteries
like Energizer will work well.
What I Didn't Like: Not exceptionally bright,
Cannot stand on end
Other Things I Noticed: A little bit of light
"backwashes" though the translucent case.
Not really a problem and it can help you locate the
light if it falls in the mud face first.
Conclusions: A BIG improvement over the original
Impact flashlight from Princeton Tec. Very good color
rendition, very comfortable to use, and exceptionally
waterproof. Not as bright as a comparably sized incandescent,
but it will keep shining long after the incandescent
has burned through its batteries. I like it and believe
it is an excellent addition to the Princeton Tec family
of lights.
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