PHOTONENPUMPEŽ V8 (2)

PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 (2), retail $TBA (http://www.led-lenser.com...)
Manufactured by LED LENSER Optoelectronics (http://www.led-lenser.com)
Last updated 01-30-07




The LED-LENSER PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 is a small, keychain-style LED flashlight. It is made of metal; possibly brass.

It has a white LED in its "business end", and feeds from 3 LR44 button cells.


SIZE



The PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 comes in two known variations - one with English instructions and one with German instructions. The English variation apparently comes with the batteries outside the flashlight, mounted in a cut-out compartment in the box; while the German variation comes with the batteries pre-installed and no cut-out in the packaging for them. For the sake of discussion, let's assume you received the light pictured here - the German "PhotonenpumpeŽ". In this case, just whip it out of the box and start using it right away.

The PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 has a dual-function switch under a small rubber button on the barrel. Press it lightly to get a momentary light; releasing pressure turns it off. Pressing the button more firmly will allow it to "click" and locks the light in the on mode. Pressing firmly again turns it off. This is a nice feature to find in a small, bullet-style keychain light.



To change the batteries in your PhotonenpumpeŽ V8, unscrew the tailcap until it comes off, then dump out the dead batteries. Dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.

Drop three new LR44 button cells into the barrel, button-end (-) negative first, and then screw the tailpiece back on.

Alternately, stack the cells on a table flat-end (+) positive down, and lower the barrel of the light over them, then pinch it off with your finger while picking the light up so the batteries don't fall out. Then screw the tailcap back on. Many button cell lights are prone to having cells go in cockeyed; this is one way to avoid that.

The PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 comes with a spare switch rubber, in case the one on the barrel becomes lost. The spare is located inside the tailcap, under the spring.

Current consumption measures 54.6mA on my DMM's 400mA scale.



Overall, the PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 seems reasonably durable, but there are a couple of weak points that should be mentioned. For one, there is no "lens" on the LED-LENSER PhotonenpumpeŽ V8. The end of the flashlight, including the deep reflector and LED, are exposed to the elements.

I smacked the PhotonenpumpeŽ against the concrete floor of a patio fifteen times (ten against the side of the bezel, and five on the side of the tailcap) and was not able to damage the flashlight in any manner, other than causing some very minor gouging to the bare Metalweregarurumon - er - the bare Metalstingmon - um that's not it either...the bare Metallillymon...er...uh...wait a sec here...THE BARE METAL (guess I've been watching too much Digimon again! - now I'm just making {vulgar term for feces} up!!!) on the sides of the tailcap and bezel where it was struck. No optical, mechanical, or electrical malfunctions were detected.

The PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 is lightly splatter-resistant at maximum, but it is not water resistant or submersible. Although there's an O-ring present on the tailcap, there is no environmental protection whatsoever on the front half of the flashlight, so water, milk, diet Pepsi, coffee, urine, root beer, or other liquids could get inside. So please try not to drop it in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceansides, docksides, puddles of giraffe pee, glasses of milk, slush piles, mud puddles, tubs, root beer floats, toilet bowls, cisterns, sinks, cups of coffee, fishtanks, dog water dishes, old yucky wet mops, wall-mounted porcelain urinators, 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 moderately bad weather.

If it fell in water and you suspect it got flooded, disassemble it as you would for a battery change, 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, got thrown into a glass of milk, fell in a root beer float, got dropped into a gas tank, or if somebody or something peed on it, douche all the parts out with fresh water before setting them out to dry. You don't want your flashlight to smell like seaweed, sour milk, or piss when you go to use it next. Besides, salt (from seawater or urination), lactic acid (from moo juice), sugar (from root beer & ice cream), or gasoline can't be very good for the insides.

The "reflector" is just a plastic platform that's been chrome plated like a model airplane part. This will probably be the first thing to go, but the reflector only has a minimal function in this light; it is mostly for aesthetics. Some side spill is generated by it and the metallic inside of the bezel, but not a whole lot. The true function of the "reflector" is to act as a retainer for the LED to prevent it from falling out or wiggling loose.

There are a series of small openings encircling the bezel (head); these holes allow you to see if the PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 was left on when it is placed face-down on a flat surface like a dresser, table, shelf, etc. so you can subsequently turn it off. Some users may find the spill light from these holes annoying; a little black electrician's tape will take care of that quite easily & inexpensively though.



Beam photograph on the test target at 12".
Light color is less bluish than it appears in this photograph.
Measures 27,700mcd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrometer plot of the LED in this flashlight.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from WWW.TWO-CUBED.COM.





TEST NOTES:
Test unit was sent by a website fan on 01-16-07, and was received on the afternoon of 01-26-07.


UPDATE: 01-30-07
When I went outside to check the mail (the mailboxes here are ~1 block away), on my way back in the house, I heard this distinct metallic "clink"; and on the floor just inside the door, I saw the bezel of my PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 on the floor. Good thing it fell off there, rather than outside someplace where I may not have heard it and where a shoe or a wheelchair wheel could have (probably *WOULD* have) flattened it. I screwed it back on my PhotonenpumpeŽ where it belongs...as they say, no harm, no foul.

I do not abuse or manhandle my keychain at all; this simply should not have happened.


PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: LED-LENSER Optoelectronics
    PRODUCT TYPE: Keychain flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm white LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Medium spot w/dimmer corona
    SWITCH TYPE: Rubberised pushbutton momentary/on/off on barrel
    CASE MATERIAL: Metal; possibly brass
    BEZEL: Metal; LED recessed in bezel
    BATTERY: 3xLR44 cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 54.6mA
    WATER RESISTANT: Splatter-resistant at maximum
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: 3xLR44 cells, split ring, swivel, spare switch rubber
    SIZE: ~66mm long; 14mm diameter
    WEIGHT: ~37g w/batteries
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





PhotonenpumpeŽ V8 (2) * http://www.led-lenser.com...






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