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The Siren Apollo FX is a 5 Watt LED flashlight driven
by two unprotected 3.6V 800mAh rechargeable Lithium
Ion batteries. It includes two batteries and a "Nano"
charger, which charges one cell at a time.
Body: The body of the Apollo FX appears to be
made of anodized aluminum. The type of anodize is unknown,
but I suspect Type II based upon a scratch test I conducted.
It has heatsink-like fins around the head, and notched/grooved
rings under the head and just above the tailcap. There
are grooves running around the body for grip and the
tailcap is checkered. On the end of the tailcap is the
protruding push-button switch and a small hole for lanyard
attachment.
Bezel/Head: The head of the light is permanently
attached to the body, but I am told that this will not
be the case for future manufacturing runs of the light.
Inside is a smooth reflector protected by a plastic
lens. Deeper inside is a 5 Watt LED of unknown origin.
It almost looks like a Luxeon, but the LED die has the
bond wire going directly to the center of the LED which
is not the way that all the rest of my current Luxeon
V LEDs are made.
Output: This strange LED makes a rather strange
light as well. Unlike the Luxeon V LEDs I have worked
with thus far, this LED produces a slight but distinctly
bluish center in the center of the spot surrounded by
a greenish-yellow ring. Note that this tinting is not
reflected in the picture below due to color correction.
The quantity of light produced is significant, and this
light is designed to take full advantage of the 7.2
Volts produced by the two rechargeable 123A cells.
Beam at one meter at target center and at target edge
to show spillbeam.
Runtime Plot: R123A: Great output for about
40 minutes and then it crashes. The rechargeable Lithium
Ion cells can release their energy quickly and produce
higher voltage, but they don't store as much energy
as primary 123A cells.
Runtime
completed with included rechargeable batteries. More
information on runtime plots is available HERE.
***NOTE: It appears that I let the runtime
test go too long (several hours) and one of the rechargeable
cells died! These unprotected lithium ion cells are
apparently susceptible to total failure if over-discharged.
Once you see the light dimming, turn it off and charge
the cells immediately. If the light on the charger doesn't
turn on when the cell is inserted and plugged in, it's
dead.
Also note that there were NO instructions with this
light at all, and certainly no warning about over-discharging
the cells. This is a significant oversight by the manufacturer/packagers.
The only way I found out about the susceptibility is
by researching these rechargeable cells separately.
Runtime Plot: Normal (Primary)
123A: Not too shabby at all!
Runtime
completed with "Titanium"
brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is
available HERE.
Switch: The switch is a rubber clickie (reverse
type) which protrudes from the tailcap. Press until
it clicks for on, press again until it clicks for off.
Seals / Water Resistance: O-rings and rubber
seals protect the light from the entry of the environment.
It is advertised as dive capable to 50 feet.
If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible
without tools and let it dry before using again.
Ergonomics: Nothing special to report. Easy
to use and operate.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: Two rechargeable 3.6V 800mA R123A
cells power the light. The extra voltage produced by
the rechargeables allows the 5 Watt LED to be driven
at a higher level than with normal 123A cells. However,
normal 123A cells seem to work just fine in the light
as well.
To change out the batteries: unscrew the tailcap, drop
out the old cells, place in new cells observing proper
polarity. Reattach the tailcap and you're ready to go.
When using the included rechargeable cells,
keep in mind that these cells WILL be damaged by over-discharge.
As soon as you notice the light dimming significantly,
turn it off and keep it off until you can recharge the
cells. Also note that the charger only charges one cell
at a time...
Normal 123A cells do work, but at reduced
brightness. I would recommend Titanium
brand cells for $1.00 each (here's
a review) or BatteryStation
or Surefire
brand cells for less than $2 each. I would not recommend purchasing
these cells at retail stores since they cost $10 a pair
or more in most retail stores!
Accessories: A nylon belt sheath is included
in the package.
What I Liked: Bright, Waterproof,
Can use normal or rechargeable 123A cells.
What I Didn't Like: No instructions
regarding recharging cells. No instructions warning
against over-discharge of the cells. No instructions
at all.
Picky Little Things: I am quite
curious as to what kind of LED is in this unit, but
I don't think it's a Luxeon. Not sure.
Conclusions: A good light, but
no instructions about proper use and charging of the
cells bothers me a lot. I ruined one of the rechargeable
cells accidentally since there were no warnings about
over-discharging the cells. The ability to use rechargeable
cells is great, and they do allow you to use the light
without worry of going through lots of expensive 123A
cells and dumping their empty husks into a landfill.
Output is quite bright and even with normal 123A cells
it does put out good light.
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