CLIP N LITE

Clip N Lite, retail $12.00 (www.monekegear.com...)
Manufactured by Moneke Gear (www.monekegear.com)
Last updated 01-29-11




(In reference to the package I received from Moneke Gear on the afternoon of 03-07-08):
{sung like the Foreigner song "Feels Like the First Time"}


Wel, thuh kompenie thaat maiks thuh Clip N Lite kant spel thuh werd "light", but they still make a decent product.

This is an LED light that is designed specifically to be clipped to the bill of a baseball hat or any other surface with an edge thickness of up to 0.75". It can be rotated a full 180° on its X axis, so it can shine its light in just about any direction you choose.

The Clip N Lite comes in an all-plastic body, has five LEDs (colors described below), and a two-function pushbutton switch that turns on the three center LEDs, the two outer LEDs, or (the all-white version only) all five LEDs on at once.
It powers these LEDs with a pair of CR2032 lithium coin cells.

The three center LEDs are angled down 35 degrees for better lighting when working up close.


SIZE



To use the Clip N Lite, clip it to the bill of a baseball hat. The unit can then be rotated side-to-side with a range of exactly 180° with a stiff ratcheting mechanism that produces both a clearly audible "click!" sound and a tactile sensation that you can feel.

The clip can open (and attach to) objects up to 0.75" (19.0mm) in thickness.


Photograph of the Clip N Lite clipped to a baseball hat.

To turn the three center LEDs on, push and release the button on the underside of the unit near its right edge.
Press & release the button again to turn the three center LEDs off and turn the two outer LEDs on.
Press & release the button a third time to turn the unit off.

With the version using all white LEDs, the second press of the button turns all five LEDs on.



To change the batteries in the Clip N Lite, just follow these steps:
  1. Turn the Clip N Lite upside-down so that the battery door is showing and the LEDs are facing you.
  2. Slide the battery door off, and remove it.
  3. Carry it to the dustbin (garbage can), turn around, walk the other way, and set it near the Clip N Lite.
  4. Remove the two used CR2032 cells from the compartment.
    Dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.
  5. Place two new CR2032 lithium coin cells in the compartment, orienting them so the one on the left is oriented button-side (-) negative up, and the one on the right is oriented flat-side (+) positive up.
  6. Slide the battery door back on (sliding it firmly until it clicks all the way closed), and be done with it.
Current usage measures 36.7mA (center three LEDs) and 41.0mA (outer two LEDs).
The all white model measures 72.1mA with all five LEDs ablaze.
Current on all modes was measured on my DMM's 400mA scale.

The product comes with a spare battery carrier already preloaded with two CR2032 lithium coin cells. The spares carrier is small enough to be tucked comfortably into any pocket; and since the batteries are totally enclosed, you can also place it into a purse or bag and not have to worry about metal objects like coins and keys shorting the batteries out.


The spares carrier, compared in size with an AAA cell.




The Clip N Lite appears at least reasonably durable, and it is. Even though it is of all-plastic construction, its small size means it should be tough. So I administered "The Smack Test" on it. When I performed that terrible smack test (fifteen whacks against the concrete floor of a patio: 5 smacks against the top, 5 smacks against the left side, and 5 against the right side), no damage whatsoever was found.
No optical or electrical malfunctions were detected either.

Water-resistance is very poor at best. When the end with the LEDs was suctioned, air had no problems whatsoever in passing through. There are no environmental seals (like O-rings) visible on it, therefore water, milk, diet vanilla Pepsi, cold (or hot) coffee, urine, ice cold fizzy root beer, disposable douches, disposable enemas, tranny fluid, gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, brake fluid, motor oil, or other liquids could get inside. So please try not to drop it in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceansides, docksides, snowbanks, puddles of skunk pee, tall cold glasses (or short lukewarm glasses) of milk, slush piles, mud puddles, tubs, root beer floats, toilet bowls, cisterns, sinks, cups of coffee (hot *OR* cold), fishtanks, dog water dishes, old yucky wet mops, wall-mounted porcelain urinators, puddles from leaky water heaters, near busted garden hoses, or other places where water or water-like liquids might be found.

A little rain or snow probably wouldn't hurt it though, so you need not be too concerned about using it in lightly to at most moderately bad weather. Because the majority of the product would be protected by the bill of the baseball hat, rainfall should not be damaging to the unit at all. Just try not to drop your hat (with a Clip N Lite affixed to it) into water or water-like liquids.

If it fell in water and you suspect it got flooded, disassemble it as you would for a battery change, dump out the water if necessary, and set the parts in a warm dry place for a day or so just to be sure it's completely dry inside before you reassemble and use it again.

If it fell into seawater, got thrown into a glass of milk, if it fell in a root beer float, if somebody squirted a Massengill brand post-menstrual disposable douche or a Fleet brand disposable enema at it (and hit it with the douche or the enema), or if somebody or something peed on it, rinse all the parts out with fresh water before setting them out to dry. You don't want your light to smell like seaweed, sour milk, flowers, fresh butts, or rotten piss when you go to use it next. Besides, salt (from seawater, disposable douches, disposable enemas, or uranation), lactic acid (from moo juice), glycerol (from antifreeze), or sugar (from root beer & ice cream) can't be very good for the insides.

The unit can rotate 180° on its X axis (horizontally (side-to-side)), so it can be directed (aimed) pretty much anywhere you need light.

The three center LEDs are angled down 35° in relation to the two outer ones; this is done intentionally (on purpose) so that the unit provides better illumination for working up close to something.

As promised earlier, a bit about the LED colors; first press of the button and second press of the button respectively:
  • All five white LEDs. Center three come on first, then all five LEDs come on.
  • Red & white LEDs. Three red LEDs in center come on first, then outer two white LEDs come on.
  • Green & white LEDs. Three green LEDs in center come on first, then outer two white LEDs come on.
  • Multicolor & white LEDs. Three multicolor LEDs in center flash in a pseudo-random fashion come on first, then outer two white LEDs come on.
This product is not just for clipping to baseball hats; any object smaller than 0.75" (19.0mm) such as open automobile hoods lends it well to providing light in places where it might normally remain dark and/or when you cannot or will not use a baseball hat.



Beam photograph (all white LEDs) on the test target at 12".
Measures 55,100mcd (three center whites) and 48,300mcd (all whites) on a Meterman LM631 light meter.

The disparity here is because five LEDs consume considerably more current than three LEDs,
and the coin cells this light uses for power simply cannot deal with that kind of load.



Beam photograph (green LEDs) on the test target at 12".
Measures 31,500mcd (center greens) and 21,100mcd (outer whites) on a Meterman LM631 light meter.



Beam photograph (red LEDs) on the test target at 12".
Measures 21,300mcd (center reds) and 20,400mcd (outer whites) on a Meterman LM631 light meter.



Beam photograph (party model) on the test target at 12".
Measures 23,600mcd (outer whites only) on a Meterman LM631 light meter.



Beam photograph (white LED model) on a wall at ~10 feet.

Those rectangular graphic things in the upper left quadrant of this photograph are marquees from:

Atari ''Tempest''
Nintendo ''R-Type''
Super Tiger...er...uh...Konami ''Super Cobra''
Midway ''Omega Race''
Sega ''Star Trek''
Williams ''Joust''
Venture Line ''Looping''
Universal ''Mr. Do!'s Castle''
Jaleco ''Exerion''
Gremlin/Sega ''Astro Blaster''
Gottlieb ''Q*bert''

upright coin-op arcade video games from the 1980s.

That graphic toward the right is:
A "BIG SCARY LASER" poster sent by www.megagreen.co.uk

Below the "Big Scary Laser" poster is a calendar my sister gave me.

That clock to the right of the "Big Scary Laser" poster is an Infinity Optics Clock.

And those faint green spots are from a Laser Stars unit.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs (white) in this light.


Spectrographic analysis
Same as above; newer spectrometer software & settings used.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs (red) in this light.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs (green) in this light.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs (RGB) in this light.

USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.


ProMetric analysis
Beam cross-sectional analysis (white LED model).
Image made using the ProMetric System by Radiant Imaging.


WMP movie (.avi extension) showing the party light model in action.
This clip is approximately 4.01 megabytes (4,043,324 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than ninteen minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.
I cannot provide it in other formats, so please do not ask.

That sound you might hear is an episode of "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" playing on the boob tube.
This product is not sound-sensitive; the sound may be ignored or muted if desired.




Video clip on YourTube showing the patterns produced by the party light model.

This clip is approximately 9.0743234564 megabytes (9,264,314 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than forty five minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.




Another video clip on YourTube showing the patterns produced by the party light model.

This clip is approximately 11.466369478763 megabytes (11,604,300 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than fifty seven five minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

I cannot provide any of these videos in other formats, so please do not ask.








TEST NOTES:
Test units were sent by MonekeGear on 03-04-08, and were received on 03-07-08.

Product was made in China.
A product's country of origin really does matter to some people, which is why I published it on this web page.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: Moneke Gear
    PRODUCT TYPE: Clip-on light for baseball hats
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 5 (color varies by product ordered)
    BEAM TYPE: Varies by LED color ordered/used
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/mode change/off on underside
    CASE MATERIAL: Plastic
    BEZEL: Plastic; LEDs & reflectors inset into hosels for them
    BATTERY: 2xCR2032 lithium coin cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 36.7mA to 72.1mA
    WATER- AND PEE-RESISTANT: Sprinkle-resistant at minimum
    SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
    ACCESSORIES: Four CR2032 cells, spare battery carrier
    SIZE: 3.35" (88.5mm) long, 1.6" (41mm) wide, ~0.55" (~14mm) deep (not incl. protrusions)
    WEIGHT: ~1.50 oz (~42.54g) w/batteries
    WARRANTY: Lifetime

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





Clip N Lite * www.monekegear.com...






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