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UER Store
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sweet UER decals:
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 ArmchairExplorer
 
Location: Vancouver
 |  | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 40 on 6/26/2005 1:18 AM >
|  | | | Posted by lowkey
Hmmmmmmmmmm 3.5 hrs vs 40-50 hrs?
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Gerber's '50 hour' claim is 150% bullshit. Independent tests indicate that the LX3 will drop exponentially to 50% output in three hours and will provide little in the way of useful light after four. Since it's not regulated, brightness drops off very rapidly.
The choice is not between 3.5 and 50 hours; it is between 3.5 hours at constant brightness and 4 hours of rapidly diminishing brightness.
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ArmchairExplorer
Location: Vancouver
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 41 on 6/26/2005 1:33 AM >
| | | | Posted by unicycler
Although a $50 flashlight? To me that just seem ridiculous, |
You're not familiar with Surefire lights, are you? ;) At $400 for the top-line light, Surefire's prices really are ridiculous. I won't bring the $7,000 (no typo) Megaray MR-175 into this....
It's really worth it to spend $40-$50 on a good LED flashlight. They're a lot brighter than a Mag, run at constant brightness for 4-5 hours (Mags dim out pretty quick), never need replacement bulbs, and are virtually immune to shock. You can drop a Streamlight PP Luxeon six feet onto concrete and it will still work. Try that with a Mag.
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lowkey
Gender: Male
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 42 on 6/26/2005 1:35 AM >
| | | | If you're going to site "independent tests" please site and link to them. Otherwise, my bullshit meter goes off.
From REI website:
As for brightness and battery life, REI tested the Gerber and reported:
Battery Life: 39hrs at 70F (7.5hrs at 0F)
Brightness at halflife: 162 f.c. at 70F (38.5f.c. at 0F)
For comparison, REI reported that the D cell Maglite tested at:
2 Cell:
Battery Life: 12.3hrs at 70F (4.6hrs at 0F)
Brightness at halflife: 110 f.c. at 70F (24f.c. at 0F)
3 Cell:
Battery Life: 13.3hrs at 70F (5.15hrs at 0F)
Brightness at halflife: 220 f.c. at 70F (76f.c. at 0F)
4 Cell:
Battery Life: 15.9hrs at 70F (6hrs at 0F)
Brightness at halflife: 308 f.c. at 70F (96f.c. at 0F)
And just to be complete the 2-AA MiniMaglite tested at:
Battery Life: 5.6hrs at 70F (1hrs at 0F)
Brightness at halflife: 44 f.c. at 70F (40f.c. at 0F)
So as far as brightness goes, the Gerber LX 3.0 only surpasses the 2 D-Cell Maglite and the 2-AA MiniMaglite however for battery life it wins hands down.
And last there's the size difference. I can keep the smaller Gerber with me more often. Then again i can't use it as a club like you can the 4 Cell Maglite.
f.c. == foot candles
And while we're on the subject, lets look at rechargeable batteries. They will generally have a lower voltage than similar sized alkalines. For example AA alkalines provide 1.5V while rechargeable AA generally provide only 1.2V. This difference is enough to make for a noticable difference in brightness.
Also remember that generally rechargeable batteries will have higher mAh ratings than alkaline. Looking at a Duracell alkaline AA, it lists 1500 mAh. While the Energizer rechargeable (that i happen to have) lists 2500 mAh. (Note: I have seen premium alkaline batteries that have up to a 2500 mAh but you wont find them at your local grocery store).
If i use my Energizer rechargeable batteries, I can expect almost double the battery life but only just over 2/3 the brightness.
Or if i want maximum brightness, I have use regular alkaline batteries and then I want my investment to last as long as possible (i.e. battery life LEDs win).
Note: For the record, I trust REI because they do have a 100% money back guarantee if I'm not fully satisfied and my personal experience has generally confirmed their testing.
Links:
Gerber LX 3.0: http://www.rei.com/product/47875548.htm
MiniMaglite 2-AA: http://www.rei.com/product/810.htm?
Maglite 2-D Cell: http://www.rei.com/product/812.htm
Maglite 3-D Cell: http://www.rei.com/product/797.htm
Maglite 4-D Cell: http://www.rei.com/product/815.htm
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lowkey
Gender: Male
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 43 on 6/26/2005 2:52 AM >
| | | | More info on the brightness/battery life issue.
I found this website with a lot of good reviews: http://flashlightreviews.com
And while they do not have a runtime graph for a Gerber LX 3.0, they do have one for a Gerber TX 3.0 which is a very similar flashlight (unregulated LED).
See Gerber Tx 3.0 review here:
http://flashlightr...ews/gerber_tx3.htm
The graph is about half way down and shows that at 1 hour 34 minutes, the light has dimmed below 50% of the original.
For comparison, we can look at their runtime explained page:
http://flashlightr...time_explained.htm
Among the expample graphs, there is one for the Maglite 3-D (but no review that i could find) and here we see that it reaches 50% brightness at 1 hour 2 minutes.
There are also examples of regulated output flashlights on the same page. They maintain 75% of original brightness for extended periods then die quickly.
For comparison, the SureFire L1 Digital review shows that it drops below 50% at 1 hour 58 minutes (having spent most of its time at about 80%).
http://flashlightr...urefire_l1gen2.htm
I recommend checking out the site (http://flashlightreviews.com), it has a lot more information, graphs and reviews.
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lowkey
Gender: Male
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 44 on 6/26/2005 3:19 AM >
| | | | And for comparison the Streamlight PP Luxeon:
http://flashlightr..._propolyluxeon.htm
3 hours 41 minutes until it dropped below 50% but it sinks all the way to 5% which it holds for a few more hours.
Gerber TX 3.0 and the Maglite 3D were above 25% for over 6 hrs.
So when regulated die they die fast.
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lowkey
Gender: Male
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 45 on 6/27/2005 12:58 AM >
| | | | OK, after last nights discussion i performed a completely unscientific experiment with my Gerber LX 3.0 (yes i recently bought one).
With a fresh set of batteries, I left it running and took walks around my house and just outside every hour or so to see how usable the light it produced was.
For the first hour and a half, the light was almost painfully bright especially off any reflective or mirrored surface. For this period the handle got slightly warm to the touch. The beam worked very well inside and outside seemed to reach out about 70 yds.
At about 1.5 hrs, it dimmed but was still very bright just not painfully so anymore. For inside work, this was almost the best level. Bright but not too bright. Also the handle cooled. As for the beam, inside it worked almost better but outside only seemed to reach about 50 yds. It seemed to hold this brightness for the next 3+ hrs.
At about the 5 hr point it dimmed again. This time it dropped to about what a standard 2D cell flashlight produces. Still a very usable amount of light indoors but outdoors it really lost much of its reach. At this point I would guess that it was usable outdoors for 25-30 yds.
At 7hrs it was still about the same as 5hrs, and thats when i got sleepy and decided to continue the test another night.
Initial conclusions, with usable light still at 7hrs I'm pretty impressed. A little disappointed how the reach degrades but....
I'll continue testing over the next few nights to see when it stops producing a usable amount of light.
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ems_ranger
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 46 on 7/19/2005 2:51 AM >
| | | | Pelican makes several LED lights - the little ed is a 1 watt focused led beam using aa in either a straight or 90 degree angle, the m8 also has a very bright focused beam - uses c batteries. These IMHO are the best LED's to date. Long life, durable, real bright fairly cheap - $40-60. Have several mags - the pelican led's are brighter and last longer. Streamlight uses multiple leds w/ a softer, less bright light. LED's are the future.
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The Bean
    
Location: Austin TX
Gender: Male
Some dude with a camera
| |  | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 47 on 7/19/2005 4:41 PM >
| | | | I was only able to find a review of their M6 LED (http://www.flashli.../pelican_m6led.htm) - but Pelican in general makes a good light.
Most of the real bright LED flashlights now use Luxeon LEDs - which are virtually indestructible and extremely bright. My only complaint about my Dorcy Luxeon (http://www.flashli...s/dorcy_luxeon.htm) is if I drop it, it goes out (comes right back on when I pick it up). I'm guessing it's due to the flimsy battery pack that's held in by a flimsy spring. It was only $25 though.
Now if you want an insanely bright LED flashlight, check out http://www.batterystation.com/tac12l.htm - I was drooling over that one last night. 12 watts of Luxeon goodness.
[last edit 7/19/2005 4:43 PM by The Bean - edited 1 times]
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distorteddreams
Location: Richmond, VA
Gender: Male
Extra Caffeinated
| |  |  | | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 48 on 7/19/2005 5:59 PM >
|  | | | I bought my two aluminum flashlights for 10 dollars (total) at Walgreens. They are Innovage's LED flashlight pack with a small 3 LED flashlight powered by 3 AA's, and a large 6 LED flashlight powered by 3 D's.
It seems to me that the smaller one is just about as bright as the larger one because maybe it focuses the light better, but the larger flashlight has bad batteries in it and that easily could effect the brightness.
Hell, for 10 dollars the mini light was well worth the price, the bigger one is two bulky for my tastes but we'll see if better batteries will change my opinion.
Does anyone have any tips for improving brightness of LED flashlights wether by improving the lens or by getting a certain type of battery? Also, I cannot find an indication of the wattage of the LED's, how can I figure that out?
If anyone is intrested, heres a link to a site that sells these lights for 7 dollars.
http://www.shop.co...ashlight-p15992277
[ insert ambiguity here ] |
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yaggy
Location: Tunnel #8
Gender: Male
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 49 on 7/19/2005 7:10 PM >
| | | |
Another nice side-feature of using an LED light:
The blueish light makes for great "fill" light if you're taking a picture with limited sunlight and want to brighten a small area. The white balance of sunlight is very close to the light of the LEDs, unlike a maglite or similar.
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The Bean
Location: Austin TX
Gender: Male
Some dude with a camera
| | | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 50 on 7/19/2005 11:22 PM >
| | | | Posted by distorteddreams
Does anyone have any tips for improving brightness of LED flashlights wether by improving the lens or by getting a certain type of battery? Also, I cannot find an indication of the wattage of the LED's, how can I figure that out?
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You can't, unless it's stated on the package or the light. Your run of the mill LED is in the milliwatt range.
If you want a brighter LED light, you need to go with a quality flashlight - preferably one using a Luxeon LED (and they'll advertise that on the packaging). "Innovage" is obviously trying to make people think they're related to Inova (a high end flashlight maker).
Check out http://www.flashli...s_index_luxeon.htm for some real LED flashlights.
One fairly easy one to obtain is the Dorcy I mentioned in my last post in this thread - most larger Target stores carry it for $20-$25. It's not waterproof due to the switch design though - the rest of the body is, so I just covered the switch with a couple of layers of electrical tape.
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distorteddreams
Location: Richmond, VA
Gender: Male
Extra Caffeinated
| | | | | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 51 on 7/24/2005 4:51 AM >
| | | | I've seen some LED head lamps sold fairly cheap at Dick's Sporting Goods for camping, does anyone own one? Can anyone testify if they are as useful as I think they'd be? Or do you prefer regular flashlights? Or a combonation?
[ insert ambiguity here ] |
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Crispy Critter
Location: Chicago
Gender: Male
It is now pitch dark. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 52 on 7/27/2005 5:58 PM >
| | | | Another useful 1-watt Luxeon-based light is the Cateye EL-500 bicycle headlight. It has a very well-made quick-release handlebar bracket, and it has a magnetic switch and good seals to make it waterproof. It throws a powerful beam, and operates on 4 AA batteries. Claimed battery life is 30 hours (sound familiar?).
"And here you thought the worst thing you could do was pee on the third rail." -Cecil Adams |
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distorteddreams
Location: Richmond, VA
Gender: Male
Extra Caffeinated
| | | | | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 53 on 7/27/2005 8:26 PM >
| | | | Posted by state of bean
One fairly easy one to obtain is the Dorcy I mentioned in my last post in this thread
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Good call, I got one and its really nice especially for 17 dollars at WalMart.
I'm thinking about buying this 1 watt LED head lamp I saw also to use in combonation with the Dorcy.
[ insert ambiguity here ] |
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The Bean
Location: Austin TX
Gender: Male
Some dude with a camera
| | | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 54 on 7/28/2005 1:36 AM >
| | | | Oh wow, $17? Retail was $25 for mine at Target 
Sad thing is.. even after my employee discount (10%) it was still more than walmart.
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Raider
Not Gay
Location: Whitby, Ontario, Canada
Gender: Male
<Intelligent>
| |  | | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 55 on 8/1/2005 2:11 AM >
| | | | The only drawback I find with my LED flashlight is that it needs to be extremely dark for the beam to have an effect. If there is a slight amount of light it doesn't seem bright at all...
[13:54:15] <Agent_Skelly> Well, a friend of mine I had "benifits" with last fall was 420 lbs
[13:54:51] <Raider> Wow.... that is large.... now she doesn't crush you or anything? Not to be rude but seriously I'd suffocate
4:15:42] <bobtheallmighty> in my experiance there are very few things that are irregular when it comes to sex >_> |
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The Bean
Location: Austin TX
Gender: Male
Some dude with a camera
| | | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 56 on 8/1/2005 3:06 AM >
| | | | Pick up one with a Luxeon LED in it... you'll change your mind real quick 
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DocHolliday
Location: Olde Virginia
Gender: Male
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 57 on 8/2/2005 6:07 PM >
| | | | This is what I carry. I also carry a Uke Mini-Xenon, that is bright.
http://www.garrity...tails.php?recid=83
I love the battery indicators on it.
In Order To Protect, We Must First Learn To Destroy.
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggy.'
until you can reach for a rock.
- John Wayne |
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pr437p441
Location: Gent
Gender: Male
| | | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 58 on 8/7/2005 12:19 PM >
| | | | I bought a 9 led flashlight yesterday, it's brand is 'cross', haven't found anything about it yet.. I guess it's a rather unknown brand :p
However, it was the only led flashlight I found and it was really cheap (15 euros), it works with 3 1.5V D batteries. Tried it out last night, and I really like its brightness, it gives a decent amount of light too. I guess I did an okay deal
http://www.urbanexplorationfront.tk |
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Dages
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information.
Location: Midwestern US
Gender: Male
| | Re: LED Flashlights
<Reply # 59 on 8/7/2005 2:04 PM >
| | | | I have a Coast Tac Torch
http://www.pumakni...e&b=40&pl=23&p=530
It's small, battery efficient, and imo, way better than a mag light. Plus the fact that the light isn't that gross yellow color given off by regular flashlights.
I've been using it for four months and replaced the batteries once. I'd say the first set got around 30 hours before weakening. It just takes standard AAA(3) So it's easy to replace.
edit: i found a better link.
[last edit 8/7/2005 2:05 PM by Dages - edited 1 times]
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