HAWKEYE LED FLASHLIGHT

Hawkeye LED Flashlight, retail $TBA (www.dorcy.com)
Manufactured by Dorcy (www.dorcy.com)
Last updated 01-14-08




The Dorcy Hawkeye is a small handheld LED flashlight that uses a 1.2 watt Luxeon LED at the bottom of a smooth reflector, feeds on three AAA cells contained in a side-by-side carriage in the barrel, and comes in an almost all-aluminum body.

What makes this flashlight different though is that it has two color filters in the tailcap, so you can easily turn the white light red or blue.


SIZE



To use the Hawkeye, feed it the included batteries first (see directly below), and then you'll be ready to roll.

Press the button on the side of the barrel until it clicks and then release it to turn the light on.
Do the same thing to turn the unit back off.

There is no momentary or signalling mode available when the Hawkeye is off, however you can blink it while it's on by partially depressing the button and holding it that way for as long as you need the flashlight off. If you don't mind the backward or reverse feeling of this, you can blink the Hawkeye this way if desired.

There are two color filters in the Hawkeye's tailcap if you wish to use them. If so, unscrew and remove the tailcap, and remove the red or the blue filter. Screw the tailcap back on. Unscrew and remove the black plastic ring from the front of the flashlight, drop the filter in, and screw the black plastic ring back on.

The Hawkeye comes with a belt holster; however it was not included with this sample so I am not prepared to tell you how to use it.



To change the batteries in your Hawkeye, unscrew and remove the tailcap, being careful to not drop those color filters out, and set it aside.

Tip the black plastic battery carriage out of the barrel and into your hand. If necessary, remove and dispose of or recycle the used cells if they are present in this carriage.

Insert three new AAA cells into the carriage, one in each compartment. Orient each cell so the flat-end (-) negative faces a spring for it in its compartment.

Once the carriage is full, insert it into the flashlight's barrel, aiming it so the metal collar on one end goes in first. Screw the tailcap back on (put the filters back in first if they came out), and be done with it.

Due to the way the flashlight was constructed, I am not able to obtain a current usage reading for you.




Photograph of the Hawkeye's "business end", showing the reflector and the LED.

The flashlight appears to be reasonably sturdy. Ordinary flashlight accidents should not be enough to do it in. I administered the smack test on it (ten whacks against the corner of a concrete stair; five whacks against the side of the tailcap and five whacks against the side of the bezel), and found the expected damage. There is some gouging on the sides of the tailcap and bezel where it was struck. No optical or electrical malfunctions were detected.

The flashlight appears to be weather- and water-resistant at the very least. When I removed the tailcap, relieved the barrel of its battery carriage, and then performed that dreadful suction test, no leakage was detected. So if it fell into shallow water, just shake it off and keep going. And you need not be concerned about using it in rain or snow. And if it fell next to the mailbox and the dog pissed on it, just take the garden hose to it or douche it off under the faucet...good as new! Being water- and pee-resistant is new for a Dorcy product, and makes an already good product even better.

Grip is aided by a texturised rubber sleeve over the barrel, and some longitudinal flutes milled into the bezel and tailcap.

Light output (with no filters in place) is impressively high, and the actual light is a pure white, with no pink, yellow, blue, purple, or "rotten porpoise urine green" tint to it.



Beam photograph (white) at ~12".
Measures 828,000mcd



Beam photograph (red) at ~12".
Beam is not white in the center as depicted in this photograph.
Measures 69,500mcd



Beam photograph (blue) at ~12".
Beam is not white in the center as depicted in this photograph.
Measures 44,600mcd



Beam photograph (white) at ~15'.



Beam photograph (red) at ~15'.
Beam is not pink in the center as depicted in this photograph.



Beam photograph (blue) at ~15'.
Beam is not white in the center as depicted in this photograph.

That red thing in the three 15' photographs is from an American DJ Laser Widow.

All measurements were taken on a Meterman LM631 light meter.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (no filters) in this flashlight.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (red filter) in this flashlight.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrographic analysis of the LED (blue filter) in this flashlight.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.


ProMetric analysis
Beam cross-sectional analysis.
Image made using the ProMetric System by Radiant Imaging.



TEST NOTES:
Product was purchased from a website fan and was received late on the morning of 08-12-05.

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: 06-24-06
I performed three spectrographic analyses of this product and published the charts on this web page.


PROS:
Reasonably durable construction
Decent intensity
Color filters are easy to use
Water-resistant and even submersible to shallow depths


CONS:
Uses a battery carriage - one more thing to lose or break


    MANUFACTURER: Dorcy
    PRODUCT TYPE: Handheld flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: 1.2 watt white Luxeon LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Medium-narrow spot with ringy corona
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/off on side of product
    BEZEL: Metal; LED and reflector protected by plastic window
    BATTERY: 3xAAA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: Yes
    SUBMERSIBLE: Yes, to shallow depths anyway
    ACCESSORIES: 3xAAA cells, 2xcolor filters, belt holster
    WARRANTY: 1 year

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





Hawkeye LED Flashlight * www.dorcy.com






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