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Body: The body of this light is made of aluminum
with a "clear" anodize, giving it a silver
finish. Around the center of the body and around the
tailcap there are bands of knurling to facilitate grip.
The entire body also has a fine grooved texture which
also helps with grip. Machining and finish work is a
bit course. Not bad on the outside, although there are
a few minor digs, dings, and scratches. Inside it's
a bit more rough. The head has four deep grooves around
the tube and the tailcap has a recessed lanyard attachment
which allows the light to stand on end.
Bezel/Head: The head of the light has a plastic
lens which is recessed significantly into the bezel
for protection from impacts. Beneath the lens is a deep
silvered smooth reflector. Below this you will find
a rather strange LED. With the help of the members of
CandlePowerForums.com we were able to identify this
little critter.
Here is a close-up of the LED with the
reflector removed:
I had never seen one like this before.
As it turns out, this appears to be a 1 Watt LED from
Ningbo Zhaoyang Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd.
More
Information
Output: The white light produced by the LED
is a high color temperature and produces good color
rendition weighted toward the blue end of the spectrum.
A slight bluish tint is noticeable, although it is not
visible in the photograph below.
Beam at one meter at target center.
Runtime Plot: Not too bad; a little over an
hour to 50% starting output. Typical alkaline curve
for 3 AAA cells and a resistor.
Runtime
completed with Rayovac brand alkaline batteries. More
information on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: The switch is a typical rubber covered
clickie, reverse type. Click on, click off. When on,
you may push on the switch for momentary blinking if
desired. It provides both auditory and tactile feedback
when in use.
Seals / Water Resistance: It has a nice O-ring
to seal the tailcap, but none at the junction between
the head and the body. I'd call it "splashable".
If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible
without tools and let it dry before using again.
Ergonomics: Generally it's a good size and it's
easy to operate. Nothing special to report in this area.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: Three AAA cells power the light and
must be placed in a special battery carrier. The picture
below shows the "Sunturn" brand "super
heavy duty" cells that came with the light inside
the carrier. These cells were replaced with alkalines
for testing.
To change out the batteries: unscrew the tailcap, drop
out the carrier and pop out the old cells, place in
new cells observing proper polarity. Reinsert the carrier
and attach the tailcap and you're ready to go.
Accessories: A nylon wrist lanyard is included
and is attached.
What I Liked: Good output.
What I Didn't Like: Water resistance
questionable.
Picky Little Things: Machining
is not the best.
Conclusions: A good general purpose
light. It uses an unusual LED but produces plenty of
bright light.
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