LED-LENSER V2 TRIPLEX

LED-LENSER V2 Triplex, retail $(see below) (http://www.led-lenser.com)
Manufactured by LED LENSER Optoelectronics (http://www.led-lenser.com)
Last updated 08-05-02




The V2 Triplex by LED-LENSER is a heavy, almost all-aluminum flashlight featuring 3 white LEDs and a traditional barrel mounted pushbutton switch; powered by a pair of CR2 lithium camera batteries. The light comes with a small wrist lanyard and a padded nylon belt holster so you can carry it anywhere.


SIZE:



The Triplex comes ready to use; just pick it up and turn it on. The small rubber pushbutton can be pressed partway in for momentary use and signalling; or pressed until it clicks to allow for hands-free operation. Pressing the switch again until it clicks turns the unit off.

The Triplex comes with a thin wrist lanyard affixed to a small split ring; this can be threaded through the eyelet in the tailcap or you can leave it off. The light also comes with a nice looking protective nylon belt holster with a tastefully embroidered logo on the flap and a padded interior pouch. A belt loop on the back allows you to thread just about any common belt through it and wear it anywhere you go. The flashlight fits the holster properly with no buckling or crimping of the edges.



To change the batteries in your Triplex, unscrew the tailcap & set it aside. Dump out the expired batteries, and slide two new CR2 lithium cells into the barrel, button end (+) first. Screw the tailcap firmly back on, and that's that.

Battery availability may have regional variances. CR2 cells are not available in downtown Seattle (not even at Radio Shack), but I've been told most other cities have them, and Wall-Mart also has this battery if you live near one. Expect to pay at least $5 to $7 apiece, or $10 to $14 for a pair if you buy them locally; you may find a better deal on the internet if you have a charge card or a good friend with one.



At first glance, this light appears to be well-constructed. It has an all-aluminum housing, and has a heavy and substantial feel in the hand. And then I got a look at the business end. Oh oh!!, they used a cheap, chrome plated styrene plastic assembly (think model airplane parts) as a bezel, and there is no protective lens or window on the end. However, the LEDs are deeply recessed into individual cells within this bezel, and may not be at as much risk as one would think. My new Nikon decided to eat it today (04-23) so unfortunately I do not have photos of this part of the flashlight just yet.

The Triplex has several O rings in its construction, but it is probably not submersible. The tailpiece appears to have a good seal, but not the head assembly. A suction test showed leakage, but not nearly as much as I thought there would be. So I'm reasonably confident I can say "weather resistant", it's just not totally waterproof and you should try not to drop it in a place where you can't *immediately* fish it out.

The flashlight also has a slippery feel to it, as there is no knurling anywhere except on the tailcap. Its narrow "wasp waist" does give your fingers somewhere to go however (your forefinger "naturally" curves around & underneath at the waist), so it's a bit less likely to slip and fall as a flashlight with a smooth barrel and no gripping points anywhere along it.

With these points out of the way, let's talk about what's good.
The overall construction of the unit appears quite good, and all of the parts fit together correctly with no unevenness or unexpected seams. The entire battery barrel can be removed in case you need to clean it out or dry it out; this can be done by taking the end cap off and then unscrewing the barrel from the flashlight just behind the switch.

When you install the batteries, you can drop them straight down the barrel and they will "float" down to the bottom like an elevator car. No loud clunks or thuds here. Also, if you examine the tailcap, look behind the spring. See that little black thing rattling around back there? That's actually a spare cover for the pushbutton switch. There have been scattered reports of these coming off other LED-LENSER flashlights that use them, so including a spare is a really nice touch.



Beam photo. Measured 37,200mcd on new batteries.

The beam from the Triplex is slightly wider and with a more sharply defined perimeter than is typical for lights using several Nichia LEDs and no reflector. There is also a slightly higher amount of light being projected to the sides, as the reflector cells each LED is mounted in capture some of the LED's waste light and put it to use. The beam is reasonably smooth, and has a noticeable central bluish patch and a faint inner ring of slightly reduced intensity; however in my opinion this is not objectionable and does not affect the flashlight's usage.

Flashlight has turned out to be surprisingly bright for a little "three-banger". If you can find a source for CR2 stubby batteries, this really isn't that bad of a light. It looks like something that came out of the space program.


TEST NOTES:
This product is slated to become available from Lee Valley Tools, http://www.leevalley.com in the near future.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:
Heavy, sturdy feel in the hand; does not rattle when shaken.
Decent brightness for 3 LEDs.
Comes with spare switch cover.
Attractive, modern design is pleasing to look at.


CONS:
Uses bizarre, expensive & hard-to-find batteries.
No knurling or texture on barrel.
Switch covers can become dislodged & lost; however a spare is included.
Not watertight.


    MANUFACTURER: LED LENSER Optoelectronics
    PRODUCT TYPE: Small handheld torch
    LAMP TYPE: LED, white
    No. OF LAMPS: 3
    BEAM TYPE: Medium with defined but defocused perimeter
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/off/flash
    BEZEL: LEDs countersunk in individual reflectorized cells
    BATTERY: 2 ea. CR2 lithium photo battery
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION:
    WATER RESISTANT: Yes
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: Batteries, wrist lanyard, padded nylon holster, spare switch cover
    WARRANTY: Not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating









LED-LENSER V2 Triplex * WWW.LED-LENSER.COM






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