LIGHT BURST

GE Light Burst, retail $1
Manufactured by Unknown for General Electric (www.ge.com)
Last updated 03-02-07




These two GE Light Burst flashlights are small, incandescent flashlights that can be hung from a keychain or placed in a purse.

One of the units uses one AAA cell; the other uses two AAA cells. Both have an incandescent light bulb in their business-ends, and both are at least bright enough to find dropped articles, keyholes, and other objects in close proximity to you.

They are nice looking plastic flashlights, but their beams leave a bit to be desired. See below for more details.


SIZE
(Left) 1-cell Light Burst. (Right) 2-cell Light Burst.



To use the Light Burst, feed it (see below) and then it'll be ready to go.

For the 1xAAA version, press and hold the black panel on the front of the flashlight for as long as you need the light; release it to turn the light back off.

For the 2xAAA version, press and hold the small black button just under the reflector assembly for as long as you need the light; release it to turn the light back off.

There is no continuous mode available for either Light Burst, so please do not expect to find one.



Changing the batteries in each of these two Light Bursts is a bit different, so I will describe each flashlight's battery changing procedure.


1xAAA Version: Remove the battery door by using a very small, thin object like a small eyeglass screwdriver or the tip of a knife to place in the opening at the top of the battery door and pry the battery door off with it. Set the battery door aside.

Remove the AAA cell from its compartment, and dispose of or recycle it as you see fit.

Insert a new AAA cell in the chamber, flat-end (-) negative facing down - toward the spring for it in the chamber.

Place the battery door back on, orienting it so the notch or opening faces the top of the flashlight, and press in on it until it clicks.


2xAAA Version: Remove the battery door by first unscrewing and removing the small phillips screw from one end of the black battery door, using a small phillips screwdriver. The #0 screwdriver with the 1.6mm tip worked for me. Set the screw aside, lift the battery door off, and set it aside too.

Remove the two used AAA cells, and dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.

Insert two new AAA cells in the battery compartment, orienting them so the one closest to the keychain attachment goes in flat-end (-) negative first, and the second one goes in button-end (+) positive first.

Place the battery door back on, and screw in the screw you removed earlier.

There. That wasn't very difficult now, was it?




Photograph showing the bezels (business-ends) of the Light Bursts.

The Light Bursts appear to be at least reasonably durable. They should do fine in a pocket or a purse, but they are made out of a relatively hollow feeling plastic, and could become broken if dropped or stepped on.

I did strike each one five times against a steel rod, and neither one became broken or malfunctioned. Very few flashlights are damaged or destroyed by this test however; maybe I need to come up with something even more punishing.

The Light Bursts are sprinkle-resistant, but they are not waterproof or submersible. You probably don't want to drop a Light Burst in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, docks, seasides, puddles of frog pee, snowbanks, piles of slush, mud puddles, toilets, tubs, sinks, fishtanks, pet water dishes, or other places where water or water-like liquids might be found. If it gets wet inside, remove the battery door and battery or batteries, and set the pieces in a warm, dry place for a few days just to be sure it's all the way dry inside.
If it fell into seawater or if something went potty on it, douche the parts out with fresh water before setting them out to dry to flush out the salt and so it doesn't smell like seashells or piss when you're ready to use it again.

The thing that bums me out most about these flashlights isn't their lack of water- or pee-resistance, it's the quality of the beams they produce.
The 1-AAA version produces a noticeably yellow, pitiful, weak "beam" that has very little "throw" even in a dimly-lit area.
The 2-AAA version produces a noticeably brighter and whiter beam, but the "hotspot" so to speak is short and wide; not at all consistent with any flashlight I've ever used. But for $1 each, I guess it isn't that big of a deal. If you need light for a close range task, these flashlights will certainly do.



Beam photo of 1-cell Light Burst at ~12".
Measures 2.58cd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.



Beam photo of 2-cell Light Burst at ~12".
Measures 6.11cd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.
This is a peak reading, taken from the brightest portion of the beam.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrometer plot of the bulb in the two-cell version.
USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.



TEST NOTES:
Samples were sent by a website fan along with two other flashlights, and were received late on the afternoon of 08-20-04. Sender purchased them at a dollar store in the eastern United States; and they cost - what else - $1 each.

The product's packaging has a sticker on it which reads "Made in China".
For some users, it really does matter where a flashlight was made, that's why I put that on this web page.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: Unknown, for GE
    PRODUCT TYPE: Small handheld flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: Incandescent bulb
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Varies, depending on which Light Burst model is used
    SWITCH TYPE: Varies, depending on which Light Burst model is used
    BEZEL: Plastic; lamp and reflector protected by a transparent plastic cover
    BATTERY: 1xAAA cell or 2xAAA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown
    WATER RESISTANT: Light sprinkle-resistance only
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: None
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





GE Light Burst Flashlights *






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