DORCY LS FLASHLIGHT

Dorcy LS Flashlight, retail ~$26 (www.dorcy.com)
Manufactured by Dorcy (www.dorcy.com)
Last updated 09-25-04




I found this flashlight on ebay a few days ago, and bought it.

This flashlight uses three AAA cells held in a carriage to help keep the length of the flashlight down, and a 1.2 watt Luxeon Star LED at the bottom of an almost-smooth reflector to produce its beam. The flashlight is mainly aluminum, with a plastic (acrylic?) lens to help protect the LED and reflector, and the pushbutton switch on the barrel has a rubber or rubber-like covering over it.


SIZE



The flashlight came to me almost ready to use. I had to cut it out of a thin, flexible styrofoam wrapper, and install the included Duracell alkaline batteries.

Press the button on the barrel once to turn the light on. Press it again to get the light to flash at about a 3Hz rate, and press it a third time to shut it off.



The batteries are in a cylindrical carriage inside the flashlight body.

To change them, unscrew and remove the tailcap, and throw it away...O WAIT, YOU'LL NEED THAT!!! So just set it aside instead. ;-)
Tip the open end of the barrel into your hand. A black plastic carriage should come out. Remove the three expired AAA cells from this carriage, and dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.

Insert three new AAA cells into the carriage, orienting the cells so that the flat (-) negative end of each one faces a spring in the compartment for it. When the carriage is full, insert it back into the flashlight barrel, so the metal collar and pin on the carriage go in first. Screw the tailcap back on, and you're finished. Aren't you glad you didn't throw that tailcap away now? ;-)

Due to the way the flashlight is constructed, I cannot take any voltage or current readings.

There is no bulb to change, so we don't have to go there. ;-)

As of 04-19-04, I'm running it through the battery discharge analysis machine, and should have a chart up later tonight or sometime tomorrow.


And here's the chart I promised yesterday. :-)
This chart was done with Polaroid alkaline cells.

As of 04-30-04, I'm running this test with NiMH rechargeable AAA cells, and should have a chart up here shortly. This test will be to 25% intensity, so the batteries are not damaged by overdischarge.


And here's the chart.
The test was started at 8:18am and ended at 9:58am.
So that about an hour and 40 minutes to the 25% intensity point.
Sorry about the right hand side of the chart not being fully-formed. The flashlight did not last two full hours, so the software used to create the chart did not draw the lines on the right hand side. I'll see if I can fix that, but no promises.
(Edit, a few moments later)
I fixed the chart by adding the final reading three more times to the end of the original .ME1 file, then running the plotting program on it again. The red line running horizontally to the end of the chart may be ignored.



The flashlight seems reasonably durable. It is made mainly of aluminum.

It is not that water-resistant though. When I relieved the flashlight of its battery carriage and suctioned the tail end, the flashlight very readily admitted air through the switch, and to a lesser extent, through the bezel. So you'll want to keep this flashlight away from ponds, lakes, riversides, snowbanks, puddles of elephant pee, fishtanks, sinks, tubs, toilet bowls, or other places where water or water-like liquids might be found.

The flashlight has a knurled (texturised) section on the barrel, and a ribbed tailcap. So I don't think retention (the ability to hold onto the flashlight) will be much of an issue.

The button on the side of the barrel is easy to find and use, but it has no lock-out function, so it is possible for the flashlight to turn itself on in your pocket, or in a box, duffle bag, or other storage location if something presses against it. The switch rubber is slightly recessed, so it isn't quite as vulnerable to accidental turn-on as a fully exposed switch might be. You'll still want to be reasonably careful though.

Because the switching mechanism is completely digital, there is no momentary or signalling mode available. There is a blink function, so you can attract attention that way though.

The bezel (head) unscrews and comes off, allowing you to use this flashlight "candle style" if you wish. What little water resistance there is will be lost though, so please be extra, extra, extra careful around water if you do this.

This flashlight uses a low-dome (batwing) Luxeon Star LED, still mounted to its aluminum heatsinking board. So you'll find the "candle style" beam to be in a bit of a ring configuration; brighter on the outer perimeter than it is in the center. For most purposes though, this will not be an issue whatsoever. But I strive for accuracy here at The LED Museum, so I think you ought to know.



Beam photo at ~12".
Measures 367,000mcd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.



TEST NOTES:
Unit was purchased on ebay for $26.00 on 03-11-04, and was received today, 03-15-04.
Click this link to view seller's other items - including these flashlights.


UPDATE: 03-16-04
After reading a thread about a light just like this on Candlepower Forums, I'm becoming more and more convinced that this IS a Dorcy product.


UPDATE: 09-25-04
A fan of the website has indeed confirmed that this is a Dorcy product, and provided this web page finalising that confirmation.


PROS:
Nice, sturdy metal case feels good in the hand
Decent brightness
Uses batteries that are common and relatively inexpensive


CONS:
Not waterproof or submersible
Plastic window (lens) could become scratched


    MANUFACTURER: Dorcy
    PRODUCT TYPE: Handheld flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: 1.2 watt Luxeon Star LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Circular hotspot with ring, dimmer corona outside that
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/blink/off on barrel
    BEZEL: Aluminum; LED and reflector protected by plastic window
    BATTERY: 3 AAA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: Light splash resistance only
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: 3 AAA cells
    WARRANTY: Presumed lifetime

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





Dorcy Luxeon Flashlight * www.dorcy.com






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