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The Underwater Kinetics Q40 eLED Plus (Q40+, henceforth)
is a compact LED diving light which runs on common AA
alkaline batteries. The body and form factor is very
similar to the regular UK Q40 xenon.
Body: The body is made of impact resistant ABS.
Very solid construction. You should be able to beat
this light up pretty good without any problems. On the
side are loops formed in the plastic for straps or a
lanyard and rubber straps are hooked around the body
for attaching the light to a dive mask. Texturing is
molded into the body for grip.
Bezel/Head: The lamp module contains a Luxeon
LED, an integrated lens system in front of the emitter,
and a regulator circuit to provide constant light output
for about 3 hours with diminishing light provided thereafter.
Another lens is found in the end of the bezel. The combination
of these lenses results in a 13 deg. beam out of water
and a 20 deg. Beam under water. The bezel has a rubber
shroud for protection from impacts. The module also
contains a hydrogen catalyst to try to neutralize any
hydrogen gas that builds up inside the light during
use.
Output: Output is very good, producing a fairly
tight and bright spot. It is permanently focused, so
no adjustments are ever necessary. By the way, this
light is advertised as a 2 Watt light, so I think they
are using a Luxeon III LED and under-driving it so it
doesn't overheat in the polymer casing.
The white light produced by the LED
is a high color temperature and produces good color
rendition.
A slight bluish tint is detectable when compared against
a near sunlight-white source, but this tinting is not
really noticeable during normal use.
Beam at one meter at target center
Runtime Plot: Expect about 2.5 hours of regulated
output and 3 hours to 50% starting output with a lower level
of diminishing output thereafter.
Runtime
completed with Duracell brand batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: The head of the light serves as the
switch. Twist for on/off.
Seals / Water Resistance: It's a dive light, so it should
be considered fully waterproof. Advertised as watertight to 500 ft.
The only possible point of entry for water is through the O-ring
sealed head attachment point.
If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible
without tools and let it dry before using again.
Ergonomics: Nothing really to report here. I found
it was easy to use, operate and handle.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: The Q40+ takes 4 AA batteries. Simply
unscrew the bezel all the way and remove the lamp module
to insert the batteries. Battery polarity is indicated
on the body of the light.
Accessories: Batteries and a mask attachment
strap are included.
What I Liked: Waterproof,
Tough/impact resistant, Regulated/good battery life,
Bright, Easy battery change
What I Didn't Like: Nothing
Picky Little Things: Nothing
Conclusions: An excellent, small, bright
dive light which has applications across the spectrum of uses.
I think that a lot of people would find this light to be
a great companion in low-light situations. The fact that
it is fully dive capable means that it can handle a wide
variety of environments without worry of failure due to
internal contamination. Great all-around-use light.
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