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The "COP" Lithium xenon flashlight is made
of a fairly thick aluminum body with a nice external
anodize finish. It runs on two 123A lithium cells. The
beam produced is focusable by turning the bezel. Unfortunately
a myriad of problems were encountered in using the light,
all of which appear to be the result of low-cost construction
and poor design.
The body is, as mentioned, made of thick aluminum.
All of the external surfaces appear to be well done.
There is a band of knurling around the center of the
body for grip. The knurling is not overly aggressive,
but more aggressive than a common Mag light. There is
a band of knurling around the tailcap as well. Around
the head is a hex-nut-like structure that serves as
an anti-roll device.
The reflector seems to be coated metal and is fairly
well done. The lens is plastic. The top of the bezel
has 5 crennelations to allow light leakage if the unit
is stood on its head. This serves as an indicator that
the light is still on. Inside the head is a bulb retention
plate which takes one of those unusual wide-base bulbs.
Just below this plate is a wavy washer that serves as
a spacer and contact for the bulb plate. As soon as
I disassembled the light to take a closer look at the
bulb, this wavy spacer broke. This is the standard disassembly
that would be required to change the bulb... Add to
the fact that upon disassembly I found metal shavings
and metal sliver particles all over the desk - not a
good thing. The machining of internal threads is rough
and metal powder and shavings are everywhere.
Output wasn't too bad while it worked. The beam was
focusable and could produce a decent hotspot with a
wide corona and could be broadened out to cover a larger
area with a flood of light.
Beam at one meter at target center
Runtime Plot: The light went for just over an hour
when it suddenly dropped off. Odd behavior for a lithium
powered light - there should have been a smooth curve
as it dropped. In many cases this behavior might indicate
the presence of a regulator circuit, but not this time.
The bulb blew! Completely dead, and with no spare available
testing could not be completed.
Runtime
completed with Battery Station batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
The switch has a compass built in as the pressure switch.
Click on, click off. Unfortunately the compass would
jam at an angle inside the housing if pressed at a slight
angle, which was followed by pressing around its edges
until it would pop free again.
Water resistance appears decent. There are O-rings
throughout the housing, including at the lens, head,
tailcap, and switch.
Ergonomics: It is really a nice sized light. Comfortable
to use, not heavy.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: Two 123A lithium cells power the light,
but since the bulb blew, I don't know how long the light
will actually run until 50% output is reached.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Thick body, Nice external finish
What I Didn't Like: Poor machining
of internal parts, Metal shavings and slivers everywhere,
Bulb blew after just about an hour of use, Internal
parts break upon disassembly, Generally poor internal
construction.
Other Things I Noticed: A compass
built into the switch? Why? It makes it look like a
cheezy children's toy instead of a serious lighting
instrument
Conclusions: Not recommended. A
fine example of a fairly good body design made practically
unusable due to the use of cheap components and poor
quality control, or just plain poor workmanship, at
the factory.
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