ALX-1213N RECHARGEABLE LUXEON FLASHLIGHT

ALX-1213N Rechargeable Luxeon Flashlight, retail $TBA (goldengadgets.com...)
Manufactured by (Unknown) for Golden Gadgets (www.goldengadgets.com/)
Last updated 05-15-04




This is a fairly hefty, almost all aluminum flashlight that uses a 1.2 watt Luxeon Star LED and a rechargeable NiCd battery to power it. This light uses a low-dome ("batwing") white-emitting Luxeon Star LED, still affixed to it's hexagonal (six-sided) PC board.

You can also remove the bezel (head) and use the flashlight "candle style", though you should be aware that the LED is somewhat recessed, so using the flashlight as a flood light might be more useful.


SIZE



To use the flashlight, charge the battery and then install it in the flashlight first (see below), then you'll be ready to go.

Once the battery is charged and installed, pressing the rubberised button on the barrel until it clicks and then releasing it turns the flashlight on, repeating the action turns the flashlight back off.

There is no momentary or "signalling" mode available when the flashlight is off; however you can blink the light while it is already on by partially depressing the button. If you don't mind the "backwards" feel, you can blink the light this way.



To charge the battery, remove the flashlight's tailcap, and slide the battery out. Place it in the charging cradle, oriented so that the flat (-) side of the battery faces the springier of the two contacts and the cradle's charger jack; and the button (+) positive end faces the less springy (more flat) contact.

Plug the cord on the "wall wart" charger into the jack on the end of the charging cradle, and plug the "wall wart" itself into any standard US 110-120 volts AC outlet. A red LED indicator on the charging cradle should now come on; this indicates the battery is charging.

After approximately 2 1/2 hours, check the charging cradle to see that the red LED has gone out and the green LED has come on. If so, the battery is fully charged, and may be removed from the charging cradle and reinstalled in the flashlight.

To install the battery in this flashlight, unscrew and remove the tailcap, and set it aside. Insert the battery in the barrel, button (+) positive end first. Screw the tailcap back on, and go use your spiffy new flashlight.

Measures 359mA with a freshly-charged battery; using the DMM's 2A scale both to help minimise shunt resistance error and to achieve a good resolution (+-1mA). Open-circuit voltage on the battery was measured at 4.01 volts after just a couple minutes usage.

The battery is a 3.6 volt 1,200mAh NiCd (nickel cadmium) cylindrical type.




This photograph shows the battery, charging cradle, and "wall wart" transformer.

The flashlight comes with a wrist lanyard, already attached to a small fixture inset into the tailcap of the light. This lanyard can be looped all the way around the flashlight, enabling you to hang it from small-diameter pipes, tent poles, thin tree branches, or other objects where it might be difficult or impossible to reach the end of.

The beam has a nice white color, with no purple, blue, yellow, or "rotten cat urine green" coloration anywhere in it. The beam has a slight "doughnut" configuration, in that at the center of the hotspot it is a bit dimmer than the remainder of the hotspot. I have since discovered that this flashlight is slightly focusable, by turning the top of the bezel (head) counterclockwise (as if unscrewing it). This will eliminate the doughnut configuration, but at the cost of a slight decrease of overall beam quality.
Turning the bezel 1 1/4 turns from the fully tightened position appears to eliminate this doughnut configuration with minimal disruption to the rest of the light's beam, and without sacrificing water resistance.

Speaking of water resistance, this flashlight is weather-resistant, and should be reasonably water-resistant too. When the tailcap was removed, the flashlight relieved of its battery, and the flashlight was suctioned, it held a vaccume. So I'm confident it won't leak through the bezel (head). I also tried suctioning the head-end of the flashlight, and while I could not achieve as much of a vaccume as I was able at the tail end, it did not leak there either, so the tailcap also appears to be sealed well too.
So if this flashlight fell into a puddle, creek, or other shallow water, just shake it off and keep going.

The barrel of this flashlight has knurling (texturising) on it, and the head & tailcap have a 9-sided shape to them, so retention (the ability to hold the flashlight when your hands are cold, wet, or oily) should not be a problem.

This flashlight comes with a gusseted nylon belt holster. Since I do not use or own pants that require a belt, I cannot test this accessory in the manner in which it was intended. The flashlight fits in the holster bezel up, and a Velcro flap closes over the top, so the flashlight cannot fall out of the holster or become lost.



Beam photo at ~12".
Measures 650,000mcd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.



Beam photo on a wall at ~6'.



TEST NOTES:
Samples of the ALX-1213N and S1705 flashlights were provided by Golden Gadgets, and were received on 04-07-04, and are in their initial stages of testing. As of 12:22pm PDT on 04-07-04, the battery is on the charger. At 3:15pm PDT, the battery was removed from the charger (fully charged, as evidenced by the green LED blazing happily away on its charging cradle) and installed in the flashlight. Now I can do more work on this page, like getting beam photographs, a light measurement, and maybe even a current measurement. :-)

If you decide to order one of these flashlights, enter the coupon code LEDMUS to save 15% on them.


UPDATE: 05-15-04
I have heard that this may be a Nuwai product.
Nuwai does make good flashlights, but may not be labelled as Nuwai products in the United States.


PROS:
Decent light output
Beam is slightly adjustable
Durable housing
Water-resistant, possibly even waterproof to shallow depths
Rechargeable - never have to buy disposable batteries for it


CONS:
Battery must be removed from flashlight for recharging


    MANUFACTURER: Possibly Nuwai, for Golden Gadgets
    PRODUCT TYPE: Handheld rechargeable flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: 1.2 watt Luxeon Star LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Central hotspot w/dimmer interior; dimmer corona
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/off on barrel
    BEZEL: LED and reflector protected by plastic window
    BATTERY: NiCd rechargeable, 3.6 volt 1,200mAh
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 359mA
    WATER RESISTANT: Yes
    SUBMERSIBLE: Unknown/TBA
    ACCESSORIES: Wrist lanyard, nylon belt holster, battery, cradle, and charger
    SIZE: 178mm L, 35mm D
    WEIGHT: 265g with battery
    WARRANTY: Unknown/TBA

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





ALX-1213N Rechargeable Luxeon Flashlight * goldengadgets.com...






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