28xNUV LED FLASHLIGHT

28xNUV LED Flashlight, retail $29.95 (http://store.advancedmart.com...)
Manufactured by (Unknown) for AdvancedMart (www.AdvancedMart.com)
Last updated 06-20-06




This 28-NUV (near-ultraviolet) LED flashlight, sold by Advancedmart, does not have a formal name that I know of, so I'll just call it a "flashlight" on this web page.

It comes in an aluminum body, has 28 deep violet LEDs in its bezel (head), uses three AAA cells in a carriage in its barrel, and has a rubbery pushbutton on/off switch on its barrel.

The batteries (three AAA cells) are not included, so you'll have to buy some or have some on hand before you can use this flashlight.


SIZE



To use this flashlight, feed it first (see directly below), and then you can go to town.

Press the button on the barrel until it clicks and then release it to turn the flashlight on.
Press the button on the barrel until it clicks and then release it to turn the flashlight off.
Yes, it really is as easy as that.

There is no momentary or signalling mode available when the flashlight is off, however, you can blink the flashlight while it is on by partially depressing the button. If you don't mind the backward or reverse feeling of this, you can blink the flashlight this way.



To change the batteries, unscrew and remove the tailcap, throw it to the ground, and stomp on it with old or used bowling shoes...O WAIT!!! YOU'LL NEED THAT!!! So just set it aside instead.

Tip the black plastic battery carriage out of the barrel and into your hand. If necessary, remove and dispose of or recycle the used AAA cells from it.

Insert three new AAA cells into the carriage, orienting each cell so its flat end (-) negative faces the spring for it in each chamber.

Slide the now-full battery carriage into the flashlight barrel, orienting it so the raised "button" on one of the two end contacts on the carriage goes in first. Finally, screw the tailcap firmly back on.
Aren't you glad you didn't stomp on that tailcap now?

Current consumption measures 366mA on my DMM's 4A scale.



The flashlight appears to be reasonably sturdy, *** BUT IT IS NOT!!! *** When I administered the smack test on it (ten whacks against the floor of a concrete patio; five whacks against the side of the tailcap and five whacks against the side of the bezel), I found the expected damage. There is some gouging on the sides of the tailcap and bezel where it was struck. More importantly, the flashlight no longer functions.

This flashlight is splash- and weather-resistant at absolute minimum, but it is not submersible. So please try not to drop it in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceansides, docksides, puddles of white rat 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 moderately bad weather.

If it fell in water and you suspect it got flooded, disassemble it as you would for a battery change, unscrew and remove the bezel (head), dump the water out of the barrel and bezel 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 all the parts out with fresh water before setting them out to dry. You don't want your flashlight to smell like seashells or urine when you go to use it next. Besides, salt (from seawater or pee) can't be very good for the insides.

There are some raised rectangles milled into the barrel, and some longitudinal fluting on both the bezel and tailcap, so retention (the ability to hold onto the flashlight when your hands are cold, wet, or oily) shouldn't be much of an issue.

There is a large "DANGER" label on the barrel; this is the largest warning label I have seen affixed to any NUV LED product.



Beam photograph on the test target at 12".
Wavelength is too short to be measured with the instruments at my disposal.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrometer plot of the NUV LEDs in this flashlight.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from TWO-CUBED.



TEST NOTES:
Test unit was sent by J.W. of AdvancedMart on 05-15-06, and was received on 05-27-06.

Product was made in China. A product's country of origin really does matter to some people, which is why I published it on this web page.


UPDATE: 06-10-06
I have been informed that a replacement is now on the way; the "0 Stars - Urinate On It" rating I gave this product will be removed and I'll also remove it from "The Toylet Bowl" section on this website when I receive and evaluate the replacement.


UPDATE: 06-20-06
I received the replacement unit a little while ago, exactly as promised. And as promised, I removed that crappy rating I gave it *AND* removed it from "The Toylet Bowl" section on this website.

One of the LEDs is out in the replacement (it was like this as soon as I installed the batteries), so I'm 100% certain that I will not be awarding this unit five stars when all is said and done.


UPDATE: 06-20-06
No you aren't seeing things.
Yes, a same-day update.
I have determined what caused the failure in the original.
When I removed the bezel of the replacement 28xNUV LED flashlight and then reattached it, the light failed to light just like the original. After bending the contact loop inside the bezel outward (toward the inner wall of the bezel) and reattaching the bezel, the light came back on.
I did the same thing with the other one, and it started working again too.

The LED that was out in the replacement came back on after I nudged it with a screwdriver; this tells me the soldering job was incomplete - the LED itself was not faulty.


PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: Unknown
    PRODUCT TYPE: Handheld "money detector" light
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm NUV LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 28
    BEAM TYPE: Medium spot w/dim corona
    SWITCH TYPE: Rubberised pushbutton on/off on barrel
    CASE MATERIAL: Aluminum
    BEZEL: Metal; LEDs & reflector protected by plastic window
    BATTERY: 3xAAA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 366mA
    WATER RESISTANT: Yes, splatter-resistant at minimum
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: Small lanyard
    WARRANTY: 90 days

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





28xNUV LED Flashlight * http://store.advancedmart.com...






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 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.


WHITE 5500-6500K InGaN+phosphor 
ULTRAVIOLET 370-390nm GaN 
BLUE 430nm GaN+SiC
BLUE 450 and 473nm InGaN
BLUE Silicon Carbide
TURQUOISE 495-505nm InGaN
GREEN 525nm InGaN 
YELLOW-GREEN 555-575mn GaAsP & related
YELLOW 585-595nm
AMBER 595-605nm
ORANGE 605-620nm
ORANGISH-RED 620-635nm
RED 640-700nm
INFRARED 700-1300nm
True RGB Full Color LED
Spider (Pirrahna) LEDs
SMD LEDs
True violet (400-418nm) LEDs
Agilent Barracuda & Prometheus LEDs
Oddball & Miscellaneous LEDs
Programmable RGB LED modules / fixtures
Where to buy these LEDs 
Links to other LED-related websites
The World's First Virtual LED Museum
Legal horse puckey, etc.
RETURN TO OPENING/MAIN PAGE
LEDSaurus (on-site LED Mini Mart)



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.