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INDIUM RECHARGEABLE TORCH

Indium Rechargeable Torch, retail Ł49.99 ($78.11)* (www.angusnoble.com)
Manufactured by Angus Noble (www.angusnoble.com)
Last updated 03-28-12

* IMPORTANT: Pricing is accurate as of 08-17-10. Please visit the Currency Calculator for the latest currency conversion rates from British pounds to US dollars.

The Indium is a flattish, circular LED flashlight (or "torch" for UK viewers). It comes in an all-aluminum body, has six white LEDs on its front, powered by a Li:ION (lithium ion) rechargeable battery inside.
It's about the size and shape of a hockey puck, though you should not throw it on the ice and bat it around with hockey sticks.

Those two little gold colored contacts on the top are the switch - well, half of it anyway. The other half is your moistened finger. Yes, it's a touch switch, no need to smack the Indium hard to use it.

SIZE

The Indium comes ready to use right away. As with all rechargeable devices, it is advised that you feed it before first use, but it does work right out of the package.

If your fingers are not naturally slightly moist, moisten one with your tongue, wipe it off on your pants, and touch the two gold colored contacts on the top of the Indium. One touch turns the LEDs on at full power, another touch turns the LEDs to half power, a third touch turns them on in blink mode (all the LEDs blink in unison at approximately 8 flashes per second), and a fourth touch turns the Indium completely off.

This is a touch switch; there's no need to smack your Indium hard in order to make it work.

There is no momentary or signalling mode available in the Indium; please do not look for or expect to find one.

The Indium uses an internal Li:ION rechargeable battery, so I won't have to tell you how to change batteries. I can tell you how recharge the Indium though.

To use the USB charger, first be sure your computer has a USB port, and that it delivers power (I believe most do). Plug the flat end of the cable into any free USB port on your computer, and plug the other end of the cable into the receptacle for it on the top of the Indium.

USB receptacles are "hot swappable"; that means you do not need to turn your computer off when plugging in or unplugging the cable.

Full charging of a completely flat Indium will take ~4 hours.

I do not have the AC charger (I believe it requires 220-240 volts AC), so I cannot tell you how to use it.

Runtime on high mode is advertised at 4 hours, and on low at 8 hours.

Open-circuit voltage of the battery measures +4.18 volts.

Photograph showing the six LEDs, the touch switch, and the charging receptacle.

The Indium not only appears durable, it IS durable. When I administered the smack test (ten whacks against the corner of a concrete stair; five against the bottom and five against the side), physical damage was very minor - some very light scuffing on the bottom where it was struck - and no optical or electrical malfunctions occurred at all.

The Indium appears to have a Type III hard anodizing on it ("HA-III" as us flashaholics know it). I tried to cut through to bare metal with the blade of a Swiss army knife, and I was not successful.
Would I really try to cut up a brand spanken new flashlight?
You bet your sweet patootie I would, if it's in the name of science.

According to the instructional material that was provided, the Indium has seals to help keep out nasties like water, mud, jelly, honey, milk, lime Coke, coffee, pee, grape Fanta, suntan lotion, gasoline, and other unwanted liquids.; but it is NOT designed to be used or placed underwater.
I ran this unit under the faucet and then dried it off with a paper towel, and no malfunctions were detected. So you do not need to be concerned about using it in the rain or snow, and shallow water landings shouldn't kill it either. And if the dog goes to the bathroom on it, just douche it off with the garden hose or run it under the faucet - good as new.

The Indium is supplied with a cord that serves as a lanyard. Instructions are provided that tell you how to affix the cord in a clove hitch knot around the groove on the outer perimeter of the Indium.

Here's a diagram that shows you how to make a clove hitch.
This photograph is off the back of the instructional material supplied with the Indium.

Beam photo (high) at ~12".
Measures 94,400mcd.

Beam photo (low)at ~12".
Measures 46,500mcd.

Both measurements were taken on a Meterman LM631 light meter.

Spectrographic plot

Spectrometer plot of the LEDs in this flashlight.

Spectrographic plot

Spectrometer plot of the LEDs in this flashlight (high mode); newer spectrometer software & settings used.

Spectrographic plot

Spectrometer plot of the LEDs in this flashlight (low mode).

Spectrographic plot

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this flashlight (high mode); yet newer spectrometer software & settings used.

Spectrographic plot

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this flashlight (high mode); spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 440nm and 490nm to pinpoint peak native emission, which is 459.482nm.

Spectrographic plot

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this flashlight (low mode); yet newer spectrometer software & settings used.

Spectrographic plot

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this flashlight (low mode); spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 440nm and 490nm to pinpoint peak native emission, which is 459.166nm.

USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.

ProMetric analysis

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

This is a video on YourTube showing the three different modes of the Indium.

This clip is approximately 6.275777983482 megabytes (6,469,192 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than thirty two minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

TEST NOTES:
Test unit was sent by A.N. of www.angusnoble.com on 01-13-05, and was received on the afternoon of 01-20-05.

UPDATE: 01-30-05
The touch switch seems a bit finicky; the Indium won't come on at all much of the time, and it tends to skip modes when it does come on. That is, it will often go directly from "high" to "blink", skipping over "low" entirely.

When I just now tried it, the Indium did work properly the first three cycles, and then skipped "low" on the fourth.

A couple of days ago, I charged it from the USB port on my laptop computer, and then measured the battery voltage at +4.18 volts, hot off the charger.

UPDATE: 02-01-05
After plugging the USB charger into my laptop and connecting the Indium, my laptop's screen displayed a window that read something to the effect of the device connected to the USB port was drawing too much current.

Let me try that again and see what happens...BBS...

Here's a photograph of part of the laptop's screen, showing that something overloaded the USB port. The Indium was the only thing connected to that port, so I can safely place the blame there.

I'm hoping that this is a fluke, and won't occur with the other Indiums out there.

UPDATE: 02-04-05
I received a replacement Indium today, and it appears to charge correctly. That is, the "too much current" error box does not appear on my computer's screen. More later...

UPDATE: 02-06-05

Here's a photograph of both Indiums together; proof that I really do have a second one.

The second one appears to charge correctly.

PROS:
Most different and unique flashlight I've ever seen
Durable
Reasonably water-resistant
Rechargeable - never buy disposable batteries for it
(United States users) Comes with a USB charger so you can just charge it from your PC
Decent brightness for a little six-banger

CONS:
Form factor may take some getting used to
Does not stand on its side without rolling away (there goes at least half of one star)
Unusually flaky switching mechanism (and there goes at least one of the other stars)

Angus Noble

Rechargeable LED torch

5mm white LED

Moisture-activated on/mode change/off

Metal; LEDs slightly recessed into individual cells for them

Internal Li:ION rechargeable

Unknown/unable to measure

Yes

USB charging cord, lanyard string

1 year

Indium Rechargeable Torch * www.angusnoble.com

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