Scepter

Scepter, retail $11.00 (http://www.glow-bug.com)
Manufactured by (unknown)
Last updated: January 23 2001

LED Light


The Scepter is a very small, bullet-style keychain light. It uses a white LED and four tiny LR-41 button cells, encased in a sturdy, chrome-plated metal case.

Size reference



The Scepter should be ready to use right out of the pack. Since this was a loaner and didn't come with its packaging, I don't know for sure. Assuming so, just push the grey button to get light, and let it go to turn it off. The soft rubber button is easy to press, and makes a tactile "click" feel when it is pressed. The light has a hole in the tailcap for hanging on a keychain.


4xLR44
The Scepter uses some odd-sized and very small LR-41 button cell batteries. One thing I found quickly was that these batteries are difficult to place inside the light without getting them all twisted up inside the barrel. The easiest way to go about this is to stack all of the batteries up on a table button-side up, and lower the flashlight barrel directly over the stack. Then pick up the light, using your fingers to close around the bottom so the batteries don't fall out, and screw the tailcap back on once you have the light facing open-end up.

Although the flashlight is made to use four cells, it works just fine with only three.



This is one tough little flashlight, and there's absolutely no reason for it to become destroyed during normal use.
It brushes off bumps, dings and falls as if they never happened.

The LED is recessed in the end of the housing, giving it protection against scratches or breakage.

The only possible weakness I found was the switch: it uses the same type of circuit board and switch as a laser pointer, and it is just possible that if the switch is forcibly pressed in (and probably repeatedly), that something inside could crack or the switch could break. However I don't forsee this to be a problem because one would have to make a concerted effort to destroy the flashlight in this manner, and would not occur during everyday use.

The flashlight has a heavy, solid feel in the hand, which was somewhat unexpected from a light this tiny. It also looks cool, and one should not be ashamed to carry it around on their keychain or on a zipper pull.

The flashlight does not appear to be water resistant, so keep this one away from the toilet bowl or other bodies of water. :)

LED Light
Beam photo.



The beam of this light is of the same shape but just a little brighter than the beam from a white Photon II with new batteries. It has an odd violetish coloration to it that some people may find annoying, but normally it should not be a problem.

One issue that came up is the possibility of very short battery life. This is because the tiny LR-41 button cells have a small capacity (probably less than 100mAh) and the light drives its LED at far higher currents than that. The batteries may also be difficult to find. The most common (and cheapest) button cells are LR-44 size, which are commonly used in laser pointers and can be found for about 30 cents apiece. I have not yet found anybody who carries the LR-41 size used in the Scepter, so once they go dead I don't know what to suggest.

To get a feel for the size, the whole flashlight fits down the barrel of a standard bullet-style laser pointer!


TEST NOTES:

Testing was incomplete as this was a loaner.


PROS:
Bright, case is very durable, no tiny screws to screw with.

CONS:
No 'constant on' function, possibility of short battery life, difficult to find and/or expensive batteries.


          MANUFACTURER: Unknown
          PRODUCT TYPE: Mini keychain flashlight
          LAMP TYPE: LED, 5mm, white
          No. OF LAMPS: 1
          BEAM TYPE: Central hotspot, diffuse corona
          SWITCH TYPE: Momentary pushbutton on/off
          BEZEL: None. LED inset in metal cowling
          BATTERY: 4 LR41 button cells
          CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Peaked at 90 milliamps with quick fall-off
          WATER RESISTANT: Unknown, probably weather resistant
          SUBMERSIBLE: Unknown
          ACCESSORIES: Unknown
          WARRANTY: Unknown




                PRODUCT RATING:

                DURABILITY: 10
                BRIGHTNESS: 10
                USEABILITY: 8
                BATTERY LIFE: 7
                BATTERY AVAILABILITY: 3

                OVERALL SCORE: 38




Scepter * www.glow-bug.com



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