GUIDE GEAR LUXEON
LANTERN/FLASHLIGHT

Guide Gear Luxeon LED Lantern/Flashlight, retail $29.97 (www.sportsmansguide.com...)
Manufactured by (Unknown) for Sportsman's Guide (www.sportsmansguide.com)
Last updated 07-21-04






This device looks a lot like an ordinary LED flashlight, but the bezel (head) can be slid upward to expose a 1.2 watt Luxeon Star SE (side-emitting) LED, giving the light additional functionality as a lantern or area light. When the bezel is slid upward (see second photograph above), a clear plastic cylinder also rises with the bezel, so the LED itself is not exposed to the elements.

It comes in a silvery colored aluminum body, with a black plastic tailpiece. It also comes equipped with a swivelling metal loop, which can be swung up behind the tailpiece to use this light as a hanging lantern, or swung around to the other side of the barrel to use as a tilt-bail or stand.

The three AA cells this lantern/flashlight feeds from are not included with it, so be sure you have them or go buy some before you try this lantern out.


SIZE



To use the flashlight/lantern, feed it first (see below), and then you'll be ready to go to town.

Press and release the pushbutton in the center of the unit's tailpiece until it clicks to turn it on; press and release it again until it clicks to turn it off.

There is no momentary or signalling mode available when the unit is off; however you can blink it while it's on by pressing the button less firmly (before it clicks). If you don't mind the "backwards" or "reverse" feeling, you can blink the unit this way if necessary or if desired.

You can use this device as a flashlight by using it as-is, or as a lantern or area light by pulling up on the bezel (head) until it stops. This will expose a 1.2 watt Luxeon Star SE (side-emitting) LED, covered by a transparent clear plastic cylinder to protect it from the elements.

Use the metal loop on the light to hang it from something (swing it up so it's above the tailpiece), or use it as a tilt-bail by swinging it up and then over to the other side of the barrel and setting the unit on a table or other reasonably flat surface on this bail.
You can use the unit in lantern or flashlight modes with this tilt-bail.



To change the batteries, unscrew and remove the black tailpiece, throw it to the floor, and stomp on it with spiked golf shoes...O WAIT!!! YOU'LL NEED THAT!!! So just set it aside instead. ;-)

Remove the battery carriage from the barrel, and relieve it of the used batteries if necessary.

Insert three new AA cells in this carriage, orienting each cell so the flat-side (-) negative faces the spring for it in its chamber.

Orient the battery carriage so the large, flat, metal, circular terminal goes in first, and turn the carriage until it fits into the barrel of the unit.

Screw the tailpiece firmly back on, and there, you're done.
Aren't you glad you didn't stomp on that tailpiece now? ;-)

Measures 570mA on my DMM's 2A scale, and the Toshiba alkaline AA cells I fed it.



This product is reasonably durable, in that it won't just fall apart when you use it. I beat it against a steel rod ten times (five on the bezel, and five on the tailpiece), and did not cause it to break or otherwise malfunction. There are some scuffs on the bezel. These scuffs were largely removed by briskly rubbing with cotton cloth, but these marks were not entirely removed.

The unit is weather-resistant, but it is NOT submersible. When I removed the tailpiece, relieved the unit of its battery carriage, and then performed that dreadful suction test, significant leakage was detected somewhere around the bezel. So you definitely don't want to drop this product in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakesides, oceansides, swimming pools, puddles of lion pee, irrigation ditches, snowbanks; or use it in heavily rainy (ie. downpour) weather.

If you dropped the unit into water or water-like liquids or suspect it may have become flooded, remove the tailpiece and battery carriage, dump the water out of the barrel if necessary, and set the pieces somewhere warm and dry for a few days, and it ought to be alright.
If it fell into seawater or if something peed on it, douche the pieces out with fresh water before setting them out to dry.

The product comes with a soft cloth drawstring pouch with a locking device on the strings. So you can place it in this pouch, slide the locking device toward the pouch opening, and the product will not come out of the pouch on its own or through casual handling.



"Beam" photo (in lantern mode) in a tub enclosure.
The unit was set on the front edge of the bathtub.



Beam photo (in flashlight mode) at ~12".
Measures 1,301,000mcd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.
This high reading is in large part due to the narrow hotspot.
I don't have an instrument for measuring beam angles, so I cannot provide that.



TEST NOTES:
Test sample was purchased on the very early afternoon of 07-12-04 because a Candlepower Forums member wanted it evaluated, and was received on the afternoon of 07-19-04.

According to the instructional material, this product is made in China. Since some people care where a product is made, I mentioned it on this page.


UPDATE: 07-21-04
The hanger easily comes off if you position it over the tailpiece (as you might when hanging the lantern). Pull the wire ends out of the tailpiece horizontally (sideways, as the lantern is upright with the light head facing down), and it should come right off. You can replace it just as easily.


In this photograph, I'm pulling the hanger wire in the right-side opening straight out.


PROS:
Water-resistant
Uses batteries that are common and relatively inexpensive


CONS:
A bit large; however since it was meant to be both a flashlight and a lantern, this will not figure into my rating.


    MANUFACTURER: Unknown
    PRODUCT TYPE: LED flashlight/lantern
    LAMP TYPE: 1.2 watt Luxeon Star SE (side-emitting) LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: (In flashlight mode) Wide spot; central hotspot surrounded by ring
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/off on tailpiece
    BEZEL: LED and reflector protected by clear plastic
    BATTERY: 3x AA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 570mA
    WATER RESISTANT: Yes, splash- and weather-resistant at minimum
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: Hanging loop/tilt bail already attached, cloth drawstring pouch
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





Guide Gear Luxeon LED Flashlight/Lantern * www.sportsmansguide.com...






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