28xLED NIR FLASHLIGHT

28xLED NIR Flashlight, retail $9.99 ()
Manufactured by (Unknown)
Last updated 01-19-12




This is a small handheld light that uses 28 LEDs to produce a NIR (near infrared) beam at 860nm.

It comes in an aluminum body and operates from 3 AAA cells.

The primary use for a NIR source like this is to provide illumination at night when you're using night vision equipment


SIZE



Press the black tailcap button firmly until it clicks and then release it to turn the flashlight on - nothing will appear to happen, but most digital still & video cameras plus night vision equipment should be able to "see" it. Some users may also be able to detect a faint, dull cherry red glow, but I cannot guarantee that *EVERYBODY* will be able to. With a peak wavelength of 860nm, it is right at the edge of human visual perception

Repeat the same action (re: the tailcap button) to turn the it off.

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



To change the batteries in your NIR LED flashlight, unscrew and remove the tailcap, dash 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 water-cear transparent plastic battery carriage out of the barrel and into your hand. If necessary, remove and dispose of or recycle the used cells if they are present in this carriage.

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

Once the carriage is full, insert it into the flashlight's barrel, aiming it so the button on one end goes in first. Screw the tailcap back on, and be done with it.
Aren't you glad you didn't stomp on that tailcap now?

Current usage measures an incredibly high 2,620mA (2.620 amps) on my DMM's 4A scale.
This equates to ~93.57mA per LED.
Most infrared LEDs operate at high currents (50mA to 100mA) to begin with, so these LEDs aren't overdriven as much as it might appear.



This flashlight appears at least fairly durable, but it is NOT!!! When I performed that terrible smack test on it (ten whacks against a concrete sidewalk: 5 smacks against the side of the bezel and 5 smacks against the side of the tailcap), the expected damage was found. There is some minor gouging to the bare Metalsalamon - er - the bare Metalgatomon - um that's not it either...the bare Metalangewomon...er...uh...wait a sec here...THE BARE METAL (guess I've been watching too much Digimon again! ) on the sides of the tailcap and bezel where it was struck. More importantly, the flashlight quit working.

As for water-resistance, it is weather-resistant, but not waterproof or submersible. When I removed the tailcap, relieved the flashlight of its battery carriage, and performed that dreadful suction test, a very large leak was detected. No leakage at all was detected in the tailcap when tested in this manner. So while I don't think you'll have any trouble using in rain, snow, or other foul weather; dropping the flashlight into water or water-like liquids probably wouldn't be very good for it.

Because of a critical failure that has occurred during testing, I have little choise but to issue that dreadful "Zero Stars - Whip Out Your {vulgar slang term for male ding-a-ling; rhymes with "wrecker"} or Sit on the Toliet and Uranate On It" rating to it at once.

O WAIT!!! I see the problem now, and fixed it with a pen!!! So that rating will not indeed be issued after all!!!
The contact plate inside the flashlight shifted over; once I pushed it back so the spring was positioned near the center, the unit started to function once again.



My camera cannot provide a beam photograph; so this is of the LEDs themselves when the flashlight is on.



Here is the flashlight illuminating an IR detector card; as you can see, the LED wavelength is too short.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the LED in this flashlight.
The peak wavelength appears to be ~860nm.
According to another expert, the wavelength peak could be 880nm.


Spectrographic analysis
Same as above; different spectrometer used.


Spectrographic analysis
Same as above; yet newer spectrometer software & settings used.

USB2000 Spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.


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




A video of this light attempting to nock the Syma S107G R/C Coaxial Helicopter out of the air.
You can guess who wins...if you guessed "the NIR LED light" then WRONG SOONG! WRONG SOONG!! {from the Star Trek: TNG episode "Brothers}......er...uh...I mean, "You guessed incorrectly!"
Even with 28 NIR LEDs emitting a wavelength of 860nm (spectrographically measured) in the near-infrared part of the spectrum falling directly onto the heli's sensor, nothing at all untoward happened to it!

This video is approximately 1.47745648291 megabytes (1,591,485 bytes) in length; dial-up users please be aware.
It will take no less than eight minutes to load at 48.0Kbps.

I cannot provide this video in other formats, so please do not ask.





TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on Ebay on 07-09-07 and was received on the afternoon of 07-16-07.

Because of a critical failure that has occurred during testing, I have little choise but to issue that dreadful "Zero Stars - Whip Out Your {vulgar slang term for male ding-a-ling; rhymes with "wrecker"} or Sit on the Toliet and Uranate On It" rating to it at once.

O WAIT!!! I see the problem now, and fixed it with a pen!!! So that rating will not indeed be issued after all!!!


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:
Handy-dandy source of high-intensity NIR radiation
Uses batteries that are common and relatively inexpen$ive


CONS:
Not too water-resistant and not submersible at all
Unit *MAY* be prone to failure after a fairly short fall -- but it is repairable with no tools necessary other than a ballpoint pen.


    MANUFACTURER: Unknown
    PRODUCT TYPE: IR LED Flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm NIR LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 28
    BEAM TYPE: Medium spot
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/off on tailcap
    CASE MATERIAL: Aluminum
    BEZEL: Metal; LEDs inset into hosels for them
    BATTERY: 3xAAA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 2,620mA (2.620 amps)
    WATER- AND PEE-RESISTANT: Splatter-resistant at maximum
    SUBMERSIBLE: NO WAY HOZAY!!!
    ACCESSORIES: None
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





28xLED NIR Flashlight *






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