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The Lambda PR SMJLED Bulb is designed for two-alkaline-cell
flashlights. Externally it looks very similar to a normal
bulb, except for that the "filament" is really
an LED sitting on a riser post. It is not designed to
be a very bright upgrade, but it will run for a very
long time with a decent amount of output. This bulb
was supplied by reader Donald S., along with a Rayovac
Industrial 2-D flashlight to serve as a host for the
bulb. This particular flashlight also has a voltage
indicator on the side to let you know when the batteries
are becoming exhausted.
Body: The body of the LED upgrade bulb is a
PR bulb base with the LED capsule perched on top of
a spacer flange. Inside is a DC-DC boost circuit to
power the LED at a brighter level than is normally possible
with two alkaline cells. Overall it appears to be well
made and since it is an LED, it should prove to be very
durable in use.
Bezel/Head: The front of the LED capsule is
designed to spread the light out in order to take some
advantage of the flashlight's reflector. The four light-producing
die inside the capsule sits at about the same height
as the filament of a regular bulb, so in focus-free
flashlights it should work as normal. It works well
in adjustable focus lights such as the Maglite as well.
Output: The white light produced by the LED
is has a distinct purplish tinting, which is noticeable
in practical use. Output is actually right around that
of a typical 2-D cell
$0.99 Eveready by my readings.
Intended for use in any 2-cell light, you can see below
how the bulb takes advantage of the flashlight's built-in
reflector. In this case the faceted Rayovac reflector
produces a surprisingly tight beam with plenty of sidespill.
Just like with the normal bulb, if you put this bulb
in an adjustable focus light and adjust the light out
too far, you will see the infamous "rings and holes"
which are common with adjustable-focus smooth reflector
flashlights.
Beam at one meter at target center, narrow and wide
focus.
Runtime Plot: The runtime plot is amazing. After
60 hours I stopped the test with the light dropping
below 50% at about 40 hours. This would make an excellent
power outage bulb, lasting days on just two D cells.
The generally wide beam would also make it a great upgrade
for small lanterns which depend on a wide throw of light
in all directions. Rayovac makes some inexpensive 4-AA
cell lanterns that can be found at Walmart, which work
well with this bulb, provided you wire it to only use
2 cells, or use two dummy cells.
Runtime
completed with Duracell brand batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: n/a
Seals / Water Resistance: n/a
Ergonomics: Size photo shown below. It is essentially
the same size as a normal PR base bulb.
Size
Batteries: The SMJ PR bulb can be powered with
two alkaline or NiMH cells.
Accessories: No accessories come with the bulb.
What I Liked: Very long runtime,
Output similar to typical 2-D cheapie flashlight bulb.
What I Didn't Like:
Picky Little Things: Purplish tint
to beam.
Conclusions: If you are looking
for a very long running bulb that produces adequate
light for most normal tasks, this is a great upgrade
bulb. Especially nice is the fact that it can be placed
in any flashlight which utilizes two 1.5 volt cells,
making it very versatile. Since it's output is about
that of a standard 2-D cell bulb, you gain tremendous
runtimes and the unbreakability of an LED without losing
any significant amount of light.
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