LEDs - Gallium Indium Nitride UV, violet, purple, blue, aqua, turquoise, green, white. Also Gallium Arsenide and others. New LED MUSEUM! GaN, InGaN, SiC, GaAs, GaP, GaAlP, ZnSe, flashlight, flashlights.

COLOR-CHANGING
FLASHLIGHT MODIFICATION

Color-Changing Flashlight Modification
Manufactured by Jeffery Rice (R.I.P.)
Last updated 04-23-10

This flashlight was originally a Dorcy 2xAA 4xLED flashlight until J.R. from Candlepower Forums got his hands on it.

Now, it sports bright red and bright yellow LEDs (0.5 watt LEDs) behind a glass convex (magnifying) lens - and has a little trick up its sleeve that no other flashlight that I'm aware of has: if you install the batteries one way, a bright red light emerges, and if you install the batteries the other way, a bright yellow light emerges!!!

It also has something that no other flashlight has - red glow epoxy in the head that can actually be charged from either the yellow or red LEDs!!!

SIZE

Use this flashlight as you might normally use a Dorcy 2xAA flashlight. That is, turn the tailcap clockwise (tighten) until it lights. Turn it counterclockwise (loosen) around half a turn and it ought to shut off.

To get a shot of light anytime, push the black plastic end of the tailcap, and light should pour out of the other end. Release the button and it should shut off.

Although the instructions for the original Dorcy 2xAA flashlight say that you should have the tailcap unscrewed 1/2 turn from "on" to get this momentary operation, I had better results with the tailcap unscrewed about 1/8 of a turn from "on". Your mileage may and probably will vary. Just experiment to find out how you like it best.

There is no LOTC (Lock Out TailCap) function on this flashlight, please do not look for or expect to find one.

If you install the batteries positive (+) button-end first, the flashlight will emit red light; and if you install them negative (-) flat-end first, yellow light will be emitted.

There is a 'SECRET' low level mode to this flashlight. If you look in the tailcap you will see that one of the 4 'lugs' is missing. There is a 91 ohm resistor under there. If you twist the tailcap back 1/8 turn or so from the on position, and do a light press on the side of the black part, 1 side will be low output. There used to be a 'bump' of epoxy on this sweet spot for that purpose.

To change the batteries in this flashlight, just unscrew & remove the tailcap, and dump the dead batteries in the nearest garbage can. Or dump them in the dead battery box if your community has a battery reclamation program in place. Insert two new ones in the barrel, positive (+) button-end first (for red light) or negative (-) flat-end first (for yellow light). Replace the tailcap, and back it off a bit after the flashlight turns on.

See, easy as that.

Current usage measures 107.2mA (red) and 92.7mA (yellow).

(Left or top) Photograph of the light's "business-end", showing the two LEDs and the lens.
(Right or bottom) Photograph of the red glow material in the end of the light.
Photograph is out of focus because the camera's autofocus mechanism does not function in low light.

Because this is a one-of-a-kind product, I will not perform "The Toilet Test" or "The Smack Test" on it. If I do these tests and somehow manage to destroy the flashlight, I would not be able to obtain another.
I know you like to see me try to drown or break things, but ain't gonna happen today folks.

Dominant wavelength (where you would point to on a color chart) appears to be approximately 628nm (red) and approximately 587nm (yellow). This means the red is what I'd call "HeNe laser red" (a *very* slightly orangish-red) and the yellow is an amberish shade of yellow.

Beam photograph (red) at ~12".
Measures 8,240mcd (high) and 1,030mcd (low) on a Meterman LM631 light meter.

Beam photograph (yellow)at ~12".
Light is a lot less reddish than what is depicted in this photograph.
Measures 13,460mcd (high) and 1,330mcd (low) on a Meterman LM631 light meter.

Remember, wider viewing angles always, always, ALWAYS equal lower mcd values.

Spectrographic analysis

Spectrum of the red LED.

Spectrographic analysis

Spectrum of the yellow LED.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.

TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on Ebay and was received on the afternoon of 09-12-05.

UPDATE: 10-08-05
The glow epoxy glows strongly when exposed to the ~587mn radiation of the yellow LED for just a couple of seconds; this glow is not long-lasting though and fades to a very dim orange-red within just several minutes.

UPDATE: 02-18-08
I am saddened to report that the creator of this light, Jeffrey Rice (aka "Wildrice" on Candlepower Forums) passed away on 02-01-08.
This web page is in Jeff's memory.
Even though this product was babied because it is not a commercial product, I'll be even more careful with it now.

UPDATE: 04-23-10
I went to perform repeat spectroscopy of its LEDs; and attempt spectroscopy of its unique red "glow" epoxy, and found that I no longer have it.
As far as I'm able to determine, it became lost or accidentally disposed of in late-2008 when I had to discard a large percentage of my belongings prior to moving out of California.

PROS:

CONS:

N/A

Color-changing LED flashlight

Red and amber 0.5 watt LEDs

Wide spot with sharp perimeter

Pushbutton momentary on tailcap; twist tailcap continuous on/off

Plastic; glass lens protects LEDs

2xAA cells

107.2mA (red), 92.7mA (yellow)

Splash- and weather-resistant at absolute minimum

NO WAY HOZAY!!!

None

None (user-modified product)

Product is of a homemade nature, and will not be rated.

Color-Changing Flashlight Modification *

Do you manufacture or sell an LED flashlight, task light, utility light, or module of some kind? Want to see it tested by a real person, under real working conditions? Do you then want to see how your light did? If you have a sample available for this type of real-world, real-time testing, please contact me at ledmuseum@gmail.com.

Please visit this web page for contact information.

Unsolicited flashlights, LEDs, and other products appearing in the mail are welcome, and it will automatically be assumed that you sent it in order to have it tested and evaluated for this site.
Be sure to include contact info or your company website's URL so visitors here will know where to purchase your product.

This page is a frame from a website.
If you arrived on this page through an outside link,you can get the "full meal deal" by clicking here.