X-LIGHT W/FREEDOM CONTROLLER

X-Light w/Freedom Controller, retail $8.95 (www.photonlight.com...)
Manufactured by LRI (www.photonlight.com)
Last updated 09-25-06




The X-Light with Freedom Controller is the "economy" version of the popular Photon Freedom brand of micro flashlight. Housed in a transparent case, the X-Light features a bright LED and fully digital functions accessible from a single pushbutton switch on top of its body. A pair of CR2016 batteries powers all the exotic colors; while a single CR2032 powers the red, orange, and yellow versions. There is a glow-in-the-dark material impregnated in the switch; this helps you find the X-Light in the dark.


SIZE



The new X-Light is almost ready to use right out of the package.
First thing you'll want to do is hold the X-Light's button down for 20 seconds (until the X-Light turns off) to remove it from "demonstration mode". Then you'll have full use of all the X-Light's features.

To turn the X-Light on, just press and release the button on the top of the flashlight. To turn the X-Light back off, press and release the button again.

To dim the light once it is turned on, simply press and hold the button to dim the light to the desired level.

Pressing and holding the button when the light is already off will turn it on at the lowest level and allow you to gradually increase the brightness to give you just the amount of light you need.

When needed, the four safety strobe functions (fast, medium, slow, & SOS) can be accessed by continuing to hold the button down. Once the light has dimmed or brightened fully, it will proceed to cycle through the various strobe functions. Simply release the button when you reach the desired beacon mode.

Momentary or "signaling" mode can be accessed by tapping the button several times in rapid succession. In this mode, you can send morse code messages to somebody, or just squeeze it to get a shot of light whenever you need it. To exit this and return the X-Light to normal operation, simply press and hold the button for several seconds until the light turns off.



Changing batteries in the X-Light is pretty much a tool-free process. Unless you consider a penny or a dime as a "tool".

Take your "tool" and stick it in the slot provided on the rear, and twist. The bottom cover should pop open at the rear. Now, slide the cover towards the rear, and it should pop off. You should *not* need to remove the keyring attachment.

Slide the old cells out, and dispose of or recycle them as you see fit. Place two new CR2016 cells in the tray. Place the first cell all the way in the tray, button end (-) facing down. Slide the second cell in the same way, being sure it goes under the gold colored retainer. The light will turn itself on if you have done this correctly.

Slide the cover back on, lifting the back end as high as it will go without removing the ring, and slide it forward until it stops. Snap the rear back together, and you're finished.

It's actually a lot easier than this description makes it sound, and it will become second nature to you quite rapidly.




Photograph of the front of the new X-Light, showing the LED.

Like its older brothers, it's not made of glass-filled polyurethane, but it does seem at least *REASONABLY* durable. Dropping it doesn't seem to phase it, and stepping on it (on medium-pile carpeting) simply turns it on and off. However, I wouldn't want to throw this one in the street and practise running over it with your motorcycle. The poor thing wouldn't be very happy with that, and would sit there looking up at you with its beady little LED and wonder why you're murdering it.

It does not appear to be *THAT* water-resistant; there are no O-rings or other means of environmental protection visible, so water, milk, diet Pepsi, coffee, urine, root beer, or other liquids could get inside through the seam that runs all around the outside. So please try not to drop it in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceansides, docksides, puddles of porcupine 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 lightly to at most 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, 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), or sugar (from root beer & ice cream) can't be very good for the insides.

The button on this new X-Light is impregnated with a GITD (Glow In The Dark) compound; exposing the flashlight to light will cause the button to emit a green glow in the dark, helping make the flashlight easy to find.

Here is a photograph showing the GITD in action.
This photograph depicts this glow significantly brighter than it actually is.



Beam photograph on the test target at 12".
Measures 47,900mcd (maximum) and 21mcd (minimum).
Both measurements were taken on a Meterman LM631 light meter.


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



TEST NOTES:
Product was sent by B.A. of LRI and was received on 05-12-06; it was subsequently lost in a move I made on 05-27-06 (it was apparently stolen from a package I sent via UPS just before I left Seattle); a replacement was sent by the same person and arrived on 06-26-06.

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


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:
Inexpensive
Digital switching
Versatile functions
No need to keep squeezing to keep lit
Tool-free battery change



CONS:
Batteries can be expensive & hard to find in an emergency
Construction not quite as durable as the Freedom Micro - but it DOES cost less


    MANUFACTURER: LRI
    PRODUCT TYPE: Mini keychain flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm white LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Medium spot with dimmer corona.
    SWITCH TYPE: "Computer dome switch" with digital signal processing.
    CASE MATERIAL: Plastic
    BEZEL: LED slightly recessed in a channel.
    BATTERY: 2 CR2016 lithium coin cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: Light weather/spash resistance only
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: Batteries, spring-loaded clasp
    WARRANTY: Lifetime


    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star RatingStar Rating





X-Light with Freedom Controller * www.photonlight.com...






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