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Reviewer's
Impressions:
The Underwater Kinetics 2L has got to be the simplest
123a battery powered light I have encountered. Its real
advantage is its use of the cold resistant, long shelf
life lithium batteries. It can sit in your glovebox,
disaster kit, or boat for years and still work when
you turn it on.
The body of the 2L is ABS plastic, as is all of the
other UK lights. It is a simple one-ended tube with
a wire spring at the base and a wire contact that runs
the length of the inside of the body. On the side is
a molded lanyard attachment with a split ring and plastic
clip attached. The outside has a fine pebbled texture
for grip.
The bezel is a clear polycarbonate lens with a rubberized
cover to help protect the light from impacts. The lamp
module includes the reflector, a contact ring and the
xenon bulb. Tightening the bezel causes the contact
ring on the lamp assembly to contact the wire inside
the body and complete the circuit. The lamp assembly
produces a nice white light. Output is bright, but as
a result of using a smooth reflector there are a number
of beam artifacts including rings and bright/dark patches
in the spot.
There are 2 O-rings that seal the bezel. When replacing
the bezel after a battery or lamp change, press the
head down past the first ring and then start to tighten
while applying pressure to engage the threads. The second
O-ring is actually covers a vent which releases any
pressure that may build inside the light.
Battery life is advertised at 4-5 hours
per pair of 123A lithium cells. These batteries are
very expensive in retail stores and instead should be
purchased from an online retailer like BatteryStation.com.
Please excuse the brevity of this review, but there
really isn't much more to say about the 2L. A good,
bright emergency kit/glovebox light. Simple in design,
and as a result, very reliable. Great for clipping onto
your gear as a backup light due to its light weight
and shelf life.
+ + + Pluses: Waterproof, Impact resistant,
Good battery life, Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight,
Long shelf life, Very small for its output
- - - Minuses: Beam not very smooth
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