21-LED FLASHLIGHT

21 LED Flashlight, retail $TBA (URL not known)
Manufactured by (Unknown Chinese manufacturer)
Last updated 11-01-04




This is a small, handheld flashlight that uses 21 5mm white LEDs to produce its light. A pair of CR123A cells in the barrel powers those LEDs, and a rubberised pushbutton switch on the tail turns the LEDs on and off.

It comes in an all-aluminum body, but it is not entirely water-resistant. See below for a bit more information about this.


SIZE



To use this flashlight, be sure it has batteries in it first (see below), and then you'll be ready to roll.

Push the tailcap button until it clicks and then release it to turn the flashlight on.
Push the tailcap button until it clicks and then release it again to turn the flashlight off.

There is no momentary or signalling operation available when the flashlight is off, but you can blink it while it's on by partially depressing the button (you don't need to push it hard), and holding it that way for as long as you need the flashlight off; and releasing the button to turn the flashlight back on.

There is no clip or lanyard hole (well, none that I can see anyway), so you cannot affix a lanyard to this flashlight or clip it into a pocket.



To change the batteries in this flashlight, unscrew and remove the tailcap, throw it in the {vulgar term for poop}bowl, and flush it away...O WAIT!!! YOU'LL NEED THAT!!! So just set the tailcap aside instead.

Tip the two used CR123A cells out of the barrel and into your hand, and dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.

Slide two new CR123A cells into the barrel, button-end (+) positive first, and screw the tailcap back on.
Aren't you glad you didn't flush away that tailcap now?

Current draw is 496mA, measured on my DMM's 4A scale.




Photograph of the bezel, showing the 21 LEDs.

The flashlight appears durable, but after my whack test of ten whacks against concrete (5 against the bezel and 5 against the tailcap), some minor damage was found on the tailcap where the flashlight was struck, and more significant (but still relatively minor) damage was found on the bezel. The flashlight also flickers when shaken, which it did not do before.
I tried another set of batteries just to be sure that wasn't it, and the flashlight still flickers when shaken. So no, that wasn't "it".

So it probably isn't SUPER durable, but it should be fine after falls onto carpeting, lawns, gardens, woods, or other relatively soft surfaces.


Here's a photograph showing the damage on the flashlight's bezel.

The flashlight is splash-resistant, but it is not waterproof or submersible. So please try not to drop it in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceansides, docksides, puddles of dog pee, slush piles, mud puddles, tubs, toilet bowls, cisterns, sinks, fishtanks, dog water dishes, 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 mildly to at most moderately bad weather.

If it fell in water and you suspect it got flooded, remove the tailcap and batteries, 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 or if somebody or something peed on it, douche the parts out with fresh water before setting them out to dry. You don't want your flashlight to smell like seashells or piss when you go to use it next. Besides, salt (from seawater or wee-wee) can't be very good for the innards.

The light that comes out of this flashlight has a slight bluish tint to it, but in my opinion, it is not objectionable. If you showed the beam to a group of people and asked them what color it was, I guarantee you that the vast majority of them would holler out "WHITE!!!". A few of them might shout "VERY LIGHT SKY BLUE!!!", but most of them will answer "WHITE!!!".



Beam photo at ~12".
Measures 168,800mcd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.



TEST NOTES:
Test unit was sent by a Candlepower Forums member, and was received on 10-14-04.


UPDATE: 10-15-04
If the spring in the tailcap is lengthened (stretched) slightly, the flickering no longer occurs.


UPDATE: 10-31-04
Two instances today when I used this flashlight, it kept going out and back on. It didn't flicker or dim, it went all the way out, apparently all by itself. And I don't know where the bad connection might be.
This will definitely knock a star or so off its final rating, which I expect to give it in less than two weeks. This flashlight definitely won't make it into The Trophy Case.


PROS:
Decent brightness
Aluminum housing itself is reasonably durable
LEDs recessed for protection


CONS:
Flashlight did not pass my "smack test"
Splash-resistant, but NOT waterproof or submersible
Flashlight blinks off unexpectedly


    MANUFACTURER: Unknown
    PRODUCT TYPE: Small handheld flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm white LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 21
    BEAM TYPE: Narrow flood with soft perimeter
    SWITCH TYPE: Rubberised pushbutton on tail
    BEZEL: Metal; LEDs recessed into individual cells
    BATTERY: 2xCR123A cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 496mA
    WATER RESISTANT: Splash-resistant at best
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: None that I know of
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





21 LED Flashlight * (URL not known)






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 or send your potential victim to:

Craig Johnson
c/o The LED Museum
1090 Lakefront Dr. #618
Sacramento CA. 95831-5632
ph. Please e-mail for phone number (costs me $0.50 a minute, use only if urgent)

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