night caching, LED flashlights anyone?

March 19, 2002

i'm a night person and most of my hunts have been at night. geocaching at night adds more of a challenge.

i have been using LED flashlights for several months now. i love them! i have about 10 different types of white led lights. i'm wondering if any other geocachers were using LED lighting?

URBO

south fl

ke4mcl

1.9k · March 19, 2002

i rather like the petzel Teka for around town night caching, but for when I have done cache hikes in the woods I used a Petxel Mega Zoom headlamp, not a led though

Now where did I set my GPS???

March 19, 2002

I have a Brinkman LED Light that I use on most Night runs. It is small, and lite, and provides a good ammount of light on 2 AA Batteries, which last a long time..

The Downside is the color of the light has a definate blue cast to it, and at night, colors are fairly hard to distinguish in its light, especially Reds.. This sometimes complicates distinguishing details at night I find.

A big improvement in them will be when they comeout with a natural sunlight LED.

Buck8Point

-------------------------

If I can't Fix it, It's Definately Broke.

March 19, 2002

Has the price come down at all on LED flashlights?

I remember looking into them when they were first coming out, but they seemed a little pricy for what ya got.

I suppose I could do a price search, but I'm in the middle of the "hide a cache" report

-fractal

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

N 45° 30.ish

W 122° 58.ish

March 19, 2002

Has the price come down at all on LED flashlights?

I remember looking into them when they were first coming out, but they seemed a little pricy for what ya got.

I suppose I could do a price search, but I'm in the middle of the "hide a cache" report

-fractal

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

N 45° 30.ish

W 122° 58.ish

March 19, 2002

I have two, a Black Diamond head mount and a Brinkman. The Brinkman was left on for 48 hours and was still going strong. Love them!

March 19, 2002

I use a Princetontex LED for Kayaking and caching. Have a Petzl Zoom but with standard bulb. A friend has the zoom with a LED bulb in it, but can't remember where she got the bulb. I havn't been able to find them.

March 19, 2002

I have been contemplating a light for my night searches. I am leaning toward the army surplus 90 degree angle light with red and blue lenses. I dont want white light as it attracts too much attention when I want to be as stealth as possible. I may look into the LED variety now that I have seen some opinions of it though.

Thanks

5k · March 19, 2002

I currently use a 2-AA Maglite. It's incredibly durable, so probably won't need replacement any time soon. I've also got a AAA Mag and a 6-D Mag.

Can someone compare the LED lights to a 2-AA Mag? Right now I don't have much motivation to go and buy a new light, but if they're that good, I just might.

Jamie

1.9k · March 19, 2002

Battery life is the issue, LED lights have battery lifes that are flat astounding. Beyond ANY standard light

Now where did I set my GPS???

March 19, 2002

I also am fond of the Mags. I remember somewhere seeing about led replacement bulbs, darn if I can remember where. Anybody got a suggestion?

I use a Photon Micro light II for work- it has an incredible amount of light, and the battery lasts forever.

JoeyBob

March 19, 2002

I went out with a 3-D Maglite once and it was so bright, it took me several minutes to readjust to the dark. Soon after, I found the Brinkmann Rebel LED flashlight at Walmart. Runs on 2 AAs, comes with red, amber, and blue filters plus a belt clip. It is a little on the blue side. It just seems really blue because most artificial light is on the yellow side. The only problem is that it's not waterproof. Overall, a great little flashlight.

rdw

March 19, 2002

I prefer the CMG Infinity LED flashlights...they're only slightly larger than a "AA" battery and they run about 40 hours on one battery.

For more light output, the Photon LED lights can't be beat. They don't run as long though...I had a Photon III and had to send it back for repair/replacement because the switch came apart (unsoldered from the circuit board) inside the light. Still waiting to see if they fix it or send me a new one...

My Photon II seems really durable and I haven't had any problems with it...Did I mention I REALLY like the CMG Infinity lights?

JM-99

March 19, 2002

I prefer the CMG Infinity LED flashlights...they're only slightly larger than a "AA" battery and they run about 40 hours on one battery.

For more light output, the Photon LED lights can't be beat. They don't run as long though...I had a Photon III and had to send it back for repair/replacement because the switch came apart (unsoldered from the circuit board) inside the light. Still waiting to see if they fix it or send me a new one...

My Photon II seems really durable and I haven't had any problems with it...Did I mention I REALLY like the CMG Infinity lights?

JM-99

March 19, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by JoeyBob:
I also am fond of the Mags. I remember somewhere seeing about led replacement bulbs, darn if I can remember where. Anybody got a suggestion?

I use a Photon Micro light II for work- it has an incredible amount of light, and the battery lasts forever.

JoeyBob

If you find the LED bulbs for the Mag, please let me know!

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

March 19, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by JoeyBob:
I also am fond of the Mags. I remember somewhere seeing about led replacement bulbs, darn if I can remember where. Anybody got a suggestion?

I use a Photon Micro light II for work- it has an incredible amount of light, and the battery lasts forever.

JoeyBob

If you find the LED bulbs for the Mag, please let me know!

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

5k · March 19, 2002

What about light output with these things... aside from the off-color light (does that bother you?) is the light output good enough to see well, or is it a compromise between light output and battery life?

I'm the kind of guy that likes a lot of light. I like my Mags because of their light output and their durability. Will I be disappointed if I were to bring an LED light into the woods after I'm used to my Mag?

Regarding the replacement bulbs... I've heard some stuff about that, but the difference is that an LED does not use a reflector, that's why LED lights are not adjustable. So unless someone comes up with something pretty amazing, LED lights probably won't work in a standard flashlight.

Jamie

1.9k · March 19, 2002

as i said before, a LED is what I use for URBAN caches, but for in the woods I use a non-LED light, you just need more light in the woods.

Now where did I set my GPS???

March 20, 2002

quote:
Regarding the replacement bulbs... I've heard some stuff about that, but the difference is that an LED does not use a reflector, that's why LED lights are not adjustable. So unless someone comes up with something pretty amazing, LED lights probably won't work in a standard flashlight.

Here is someone selling LED bulbs http://www.theledlight.com/ledbulbs.html (I came across this while looking for something else)

Nick.

March 20, 2002

I expected my first post to be about my first cache, but I'll jump in here instead. My gear weeniness is sure to surface eventually anyhow

I'll use one quote and then summarize some other points...

quote:
Originally posted by Jamie Z:
Will I be disappointed if I were to bring an LED light into the woods after I'm used to my Mag?

Maybe. LED's tend to cast a soft, diffuse light vs an incandescent's bright centre with rings. LED's generally light up less area than normal lights.

quote:
Regarding the replacement bulbs... I've heard some stuff about that, but the difference is that an LED does not use a reflector, that's why LED lights are not adjustable. So unless someone comes up with something pretty amazing, LED lights probably won't work in a standard flashlight.

Jamie

Depends on who makes the replacement. I don't have the URL's handy(pocketbrite, maybe?), but their are replacement LED's that use reflectors. Just not very well. An item you might be interested in is the Princeton Tec Impact. 4AA, SINGLE LED, special reflector design that gives a 50 yard beam.

I've seen the CMG and Photons mentioned, great little pocket lights. The Photons are not waterproof, not sure on the CMG. I have a nighthawk 2 mircolight(green LED) that would be perfect for reading maps, sorting through a cache, etc. It has a velcro strap to loop around your finger.

Being a hiker, I tend to focus on headlamps. The Petzl Tikka and Princeton Tec Aurora are 3 LED lightweight headlamps. The Aurora wins in my book as it has an adjustable angle, several brightness settings and is waterproof. The PT Matrix has interchangable regular and LED modules, and will accept colored lenses for either module. Black Diamond makes several models, the Moonlight being a 4 LED one. There are several smaller companies that make 7-10 LED headlamps for climbers.

If you need serious, stop-the-deer-in-its-tracks light, both Petzl and PT have options. The newest PT offering is the switchback. It has 2 AA's in the head unit and an optional 4 C belt pack. 3LED's, and a dual filament incandscent. Petzl's Duo is also well regarded.

Incandscent vs LED. LED's put out less light, but are basically indestructable. You don't worry about a broken bulb with LED's. I have no trouble hiking at night with a single Photon, YMMV. I find that the Aurora or Moonlight are more than adequate for night use.

-Rob

March 20, 2002

I expected my first post to be about my first cache, but I'll jump in here instead. My gear weeniness is sure to surface eventually anyhow

I'll use one quote and then summarize some other points...

quote:
Originally posted by Jamie Z:
Will I be disappointed if I were to bring an LED light into the woods after I'm used to my Mag?

Maybe. LED's tend to cast a soft, diffuse light vs an incandescent's bright centre with rings. LED's generally light up less area than normal lights.

quote:
Regarding the replacement bulbs... I've heard some stuff about that, but the difference is that an LED does not use a reflector, that's why LED lights are not adjustable. So unless someone comes up with something pretty amazing, LED lights probably won't work in a standard flashlight.

Jamie

Depends on who makes the replacement. I don't have the URL's handy(pocketbrite, maybe?), but their are replacement LED's that use reflectors. Just not very well. An item you might be interested in is the Princeton Tec Impact. 4AA, SINGLE LED, special reflector design that gives a 50 yard beam.

I've seen the CMG and Photons mentioned, great little pocket lights. The Photons are not waterproof, not sure on the CMG. I have a nighthawk 2 mircolight(green LED) that would be perfect for reading maps, sorting through a cache, etc. It has a velcro strap to loop around your finger.

Being a hiker, I tend to focus on headlamps. The Petzl Tikka and Princeton Tec Aurora are 3 LED lightweight headlamps. The Aurora wins in my book as it has an adjustable angle, several brightness settings and is waterproof. The PT Matrix has interchangable regular and LED modules, and will accept colored lenses for either module. Black Diamond makes several models, the Moonlight being a 4 LED one. There are several smaller companies that make 7-10 LED headlamps for climbers.

If you need serious, stop-the-deer-in-its-tracks light, both Petzl and PT have options. The newest PT offering is the switchback. It has 2 AA's in the head unit and an optional 4 C belt pack. 3LED's, and a dual filament incandscent. Petzl's Duo is also well regarded.

Incandscent vs LED. LED's put out less light, but are basically indestructable. You don't worry about a broken bulb with LED's. I have no trouble hiking at night with a single Photon, YMMV. I find that the Aurora or Moonlight are more than adequate for night use.

-Rob

March 20, 2002

got a keyring led light from a geocache - like it a lot but wish it has a on-off switch instead of a momentary on. I ordered a photon 6 led headlamp from ebay - havn't gotten it yet. Do I really need led lights - no but I just like the idea.

As for converting flashlights to led - mst likely not your best option. The bulbs are expensive (also check ebay for replacement bulbs) and are not optoimized for the light.

March 20, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by Jamie Z:
Can someone compare the LED lights to a 2-AA Mag? Right now I don't have much motivation to go and buy a new light, but if they're _that_ good, I just might.

Jamie

No problem. In *general* incadecent lights are brighter on a NEW set of batteries. The advantage comes in when the batteries are half-dead. Your Mag will cast a pale sickly yellow beam which is almost unusable, while the LED light will still be just as white, but dimmer. This is the real advantage to LED lights.

My favorite light of all time is from www.arcflashlight.com . Their ARC-AAA light is BRIGHTER than the Mag AAA light, smaller, and will get 5 hours of run time from a single AAA battery. Words just can't describe the quality of this light. It is a little expensive, though at nearly $30, but well worth every penny. It actually incorporates a DC-DC converter in the head. It is also waterproof to 3 feet and nearly indestructible. I carry one on my keychain (untill I lost it, that is ) No, I do not own stock in the company. I do, however, feel that this company does to LED lights what Surefire does for incadecents.

The CMG Infinity looks like a larger ARC-AAA, but uses an AA battery. It is dimmer, so you get 40 hours of battery life. Unless you need the life, though, I would go for the ARC-AAA

The Photon series isn't too bad either, but they take expensive and hard-to-find button cells, and the brightness drops off rapidly with use. For some models you also need a tiny screwdriver to change the batteries.

By far the best site on the web to go for LED flashlight information is the LED museum. http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/ They have a review of nearly every LED light made. There is a forum for flashlight lovers. http://www.candlepowerforums.com Check out their LED page.

[This message was edited by harrkev on March 20, 2002 at 06:23 AM.]

March 20, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by Jamie Z:
Can someone compare the LED lights to a 2-AA Mag? Right now I don't have much motivation to go and buy a new light, but if they're _that_ good, I just might.

Jamie

No problem. In *general* incadecent lights are brighter on a NEW set of batteries. The advantage comes in when the batteries are half-dead. Your Mag will cast a pale sickly yellow beam which is almost unusable, while the LED light will still be just as white, but dimmer. This is the real advantage to LED lights.

My favorite light of all time is from www.arcflashlight.com . Their ARC-AAA light is BRIGHTER than the Mag AAA light, smaller, and will get 5 hours of run time from a single AAA battery. Words just can't describe the quality of this light. It is a little expensive, though at nearly $30, but well worth every penny. It actually incorporates a DC-DC converter in the head. It is also waterproof to 3 feet and nearly indestructible. I carry one on my keychain (untill I lost it, that is ) No, I do not own stock in the company. I do, however, feel that this company does to LED lights what Surefire does for incadecents.

The CMG Infinity looks like a larger ARC-AAA, but uses an AA battery. It is dimmer, so you get 40 hours of battery life. Unless you need the life, though, I would go for the ARC-AAA

The Photon series isn't too bad either, but they take expensive and hard-to-find button cells, and the brightness drops off rapidly with use. For some models you also need a tiny screwdriver to change the batteries.

By far the best site on the web to go for LED flashlight information is the LED museum. http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/ They have a review of nearly every LED light made. There is a forum for flashlight lovers. http://www.candlepowerforums.com Check out their LED page.

[This message was edited by harrkev on March 20, 2002 at 06:23 AM.]

March 20, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by SirRalanN:
i rather like the petzel Teka for around town night caching, but for when I have done cache hikes in the woods I used a Petxel Mega Zoom headlamp, not a led though

Now where did I set my GPS???

I'd have to agree, The Petzl Tikka and Zipka are great products. I have a pair of Tikka's in my backpack and they have saved my bacon many times.

-jjf

5k · March 20, 2002

Thanks for the replies guys. The LED lights certainly sound intriguing. I'd like to try one out.

Two things really made me interested in them in the first place. A friend of mine who has hiked the AT told me about a guy that he met on the trail who did a fair amount of night-hiking. This guy used one of those keychain lights.

quote:
Orinally posted by k2dave:

got a keyring led light from a geocache - like it a lot but wish it has a on-off switch instead of a momentary on

My friend told me the guy would hold the light between his teeth to keep it on. Apparently he used the same battery for the entire hike.

So... I did a little research and found a website with flashlight reviews on it (I have since lost the link) and this guy talked about an LED light that he kept turned on for something like eleven straight days with only a minor loss in light output.

I sure would like to see on in action.

Dekkerd, thanks for your well-thought out post.

Jamie

5k · March 20, 2002

Thanks for the replies guys. The LED lights certainly sound intriguing. I'd like to try one out.

Two things really made me interested in them in the first place. A friend of mine who has hiked the AT told me about a guy that he met on the trail who did a fair amount of night-hiking. This guy used one of those keychain lights.

quote:
Orinally posted by k2dave:

got a keyring led light from a geocache - like it a lot but wish it has a on-off switch instead of a momentary on

My friend told me the guy would hold the light between his teeth to keep it on. Apparently he used the same battery for the entire hike.

So... I did a little research and found a website with flashlight reviews on it (I have since lost the link) and this guy talked about an LED light that he kept turned on for something like eleven straight days with only a minor loss in light output.

I sure would like to see on in action.

Dekkerd, thanks for your well-thought out post.

Jamie

March 20, 2002

I use an led flashlight called "Impact" made by Princeton Tec. It uses 4 AA batteries and the batteries will last for 150 hours. It is also designed to take a pretty good fall onto concrete without breaking. (I think the salesman told me 12' onto concrete) It is about 5.5" long and come s with a carrying strap. Best flashlight I've ever owned.

3.1k · March 20, 2002

I use them when I'm backpacking and have to read at night. But to see clearly while treking at night I switch over to regular bulbs. I can't see the terrain as well with those LED's.

1k · March 20, 2002

I have a Petzl Tikka ... Plenty of light for walking, camp work .. or reading ... I like the softer light ... doesn't seem to kill my night vision when I turn it off ... For any heavy duty light needed ... I always have my trusty AA, Maglite.

5k · March 20, 2002

After reading all the intelligent comments, I think for me, a good solution would be an LED headlamp and a Mag backup for the few times I need to light up something real good.

Do they work well in concert? That is, do the different colors of light not work well with your eyes in the dark?

Jamie

March 20, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by Jamie Z:
After reading all the intelligent comments, I think for me, a good solution would be an LED headlamp and a Mag backup for the few times I need to light up something real good.

Do they work well in concert? That is, do the different colors of light not work well with your eyes in the dark?

Jamie

Should be no problem In fact, you might be able to put fresh batteries in the Mag light, and transfer them to the LED light when they become too weak for the Mag. The only problem with this is that you may find a whole pocket-full of batteries waiting to go into the LED light.

For what it's worth, the most popular LED lights appear to be:

Photon series, ARC-AAA, CMG Infinity, Lightwave Series, Anything by Princeton Tec, EternaLight series, and the C. Crane Expedition/Trek seies.

If you get any one of these lights, it would be hard to be disappointed, as long as you know what you are getting. The above list ranges from quite dim (CMG Infinity) to incredibly bright (Trek 1900). These are all well-known and proven brands of high quality.

9.2k · March 20, 2002

The white LEDs have come a long way recently (check out the article in Scientific American several month back). But I still consider them too wimpy for night caching. I keep a 4.5v Mag light for when I start running out of daylight. But if I'm purposely going out for night caching, I use my 32 watt duel beam NiteRider setup. Attach the lights to a headband, drop the 12v NIMN battery in my backpack, and I'm ready to go.

2.6k · March 20, 2002

For x-mas I got a pair of LL bean head lamps that have both LED and regular lamps in the same headlamp. I can switch back and forth depending on what I need.

I had problems with it once. The battery compartment allowed for the battery to slide a bit and was not making contact. I just bent the connector out some and fixed the problem.

george

1.3k · March 20, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by urbo:
i'm wondering if any other geocachers were using LED lighting?

I keep an LED flashlight in my backpack because it doesn't weigh very much and you never know when you need to look deep into a rock crevice or a hollow log. I find that it is not as bright as the Craftsman lantern that I use for nighttime caching.

5k · March 20, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by StayFloopy:
I keep an LED flashlight in my backpack because it doesn't weigh very much...

At Ultra-light Hiking dot com, they take a couple pokes at the AA Mini-Mag for just that reason. They say: "Our motto: A flashlight should not be heavier than the batteries it holds!"

In fact, they have an interesting chart here comparing several popular flashlights.

While I'm not a weight nazi, I don't think there is any reason to carry more weight than necessary. But the dadgum Mag is so durable!

How much are these LED lights ya'll are talking about?

Jamie

March 20, 2002

Just got my photon fusion (PF) led headlamp - here's my take comparing it to my princeton tec quest (PQ) headlamp:

PF (LED) - 3AA batts, heavier but not bad, light mounted higher, detachable headstrap, 4 levels of brightness, other modes (strobe, sos) - not happy with brightness/mode selector. llghts up a much wider area at a useful illumination. center bright spot not as bright but covers wider area - slightly blueish.

PQ (inc) - 2AA batts, more compact / lighter. light mounted closer to eye level, non detachable headstrap, on/off only. bright center spot is the only useful spot of illumination. center spot has 2x the distance of PF.

For hiking I would think a very good combo would be the PF led headlamp and a handheld flashlight. The headlamp would let you see your surroundings and the flashlight would allow you to focus on an object - or see distant objects.

For close up work I still would go with the PQ (inc)since I can focus the beam where I need it and really don't need the surroundings.

Still early though

March 20, 2002

I have started searching out a lot of caches at night recently, and I prefer the 3-D maglight for a couple of reasons... 1) It's Bright, 2) It's heavy, hard, and long enough to thwack ya with! My first few night caches were solo, and I'll certianly affirm that the flashlight gave me a better sense of security. (As though I'd actually run into another person at 2am in the middle of a woods). Now that I'm often seeking night caches with my new caching pal, LATimer, it only makes sense to continue to carry it... a couple of good thwacks, and he stops hollering at me when I'm driving

March 20, 2002

I have started searching out a lot of caches at night recently, and I prefer the 3-D maglight for a couple of reasons... 1) It's Bright, 2) It's heavy, hard, and long enough to thwack ya with! My first few night caches were solo, and I'll certianly affirm that the flashlight gave me a better sense of security. (As though I'd actually run into another person at 2am in the middle of a woods). Now that I'm often seeking night caches with my new caching pal, LATimer, it only makes sense to continue to carry it... a couple of good thwacks, and he stops hollering at me when I'm driving

March 20, 2002

I bought a Brinkman from Walmart. More out of curiosity than anything else. I justify it by the fact that the batteries last a lot longer and I can use expired alkyline batteries, even though I don't have anymore since going to NiMH.

Steve Bukosky N9BGH

Waukesha Wisconsin

March 20, 2002

I'm a die hard LED user. At this point I've lost count of the number of LED lights that I have.

In addition to several single bulb units of various colors, I have the following favorites...

Turtlelite II - 2 bulb, 4 AA

A 4 bulb 3 AA light

I can hit tree tops with both of the above lights. Both have survived ten foot drop tests. I'd put either of them up against most C or D cell flashlights.

A 3 bulb headlamp that runs on 3 AAA batteries

A 3 bulb yellow camp lantern.

An LED light that plugs into the USB port of my laptop.

An LED pen for writing in dark.

2 PAL lights - See below for more info.

Ok so maybe I've gone a bit overboard but let's look at some of the facts about LED lights.

No filament to break

Batteries last about 14 times longer

LED bulbs will burn for 11 years continuosly

For more LED information including reviews of just about every LED flashlight made, check out http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/

[This message was edited by st_richardson on March 21, 2002 at 05:23 AM.]

March 21, 2002

I have an original Photon (yellow) that has survived 2 small boys. It rides my keychain, and is on the original 3 year old battery. The Photon II (white) led light is 2 1/2 years old, still on the original battery. I haven't noticed the light dimming very much on the II, and I use it almost daily. The I is starting to get pretty dim, but my kids play with it all the time. I keep the II attached to a Leatherman Micra, which always comes in handy. One of my coworkers has the C. Crane led light- big one- and it will blind you across the room. I might buy his, as he has 2 more, just need to justify this to my wife.

JoeyBob

March 21, 2002

I have an original Photon (yellow) that has survived 2 small boys. It rides my keychain, and is on the original 3 year old battery. The Photon II (white) led light is 2 1/2 years old, still on the original battery. I haven't noticed the light dimming very much on the II, and I use it almost daily. The I is starting to get pretty dim, but my kids play with it all the time. I keep the II attached to a Leatherman Micra, which always comes in handy. One of my coworkers has the C. Crane led light- big one- and it will blind you across the room. I might buy his, as he has 2 more, just need to justify this to my wife.

JoeyBob

March 21, 2002

A couple of recommendations:

Photon or Pelican (has a new brand name now) are super bright for the size.

PAL light - excellent LED with high/low setting

CMG - green bulb is the brightest

MagLite - old standby

Of the group the CMG takes the roughest bounces.

March 21, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by m2fun:
A couple of recommendations:

...PAL light - excellent LED with high/low setting...

The PALs are great! I have 2.

They make a great pocket flashlight.

The 4 settings are.

Always on - Dim light makes it easy to find in the dark. Great for camping. Uses about the same amount of power in this mode as the shelf life of the 9V battery! I believe the battery would last a year or two in this mode.

Low

High

Strobe - Great for emergency. I believe it can be spotted for over a mile.

[This message was edited by st_richardson on March 21, 2002 at 05:17 AM.]

March 21, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by JoeyBob:
...One of my coworkers has the C. Crane led light- big one- and it will blind you across the room....

JoeyBob

Is that the one with 10 bulbs that uses 3 C batteries? That one looks like you could run over it with a truck! - I have it's little brother with 4 bulbs that uses 3 AA batteries. I can only imagine how much light the big one has.

March 21, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by m2fun:
A couple of recommendations:

Photon or Pelican (has a new brand name now) are super bright for the size.

PAL light - excellent LED with high/low setting

CMG - green bulb is the brightest

MagLite - old standby

Of the group the CMG takes the roughest bounces.

If you like the Photon and CMG, I would DEFINATELY take a look at the ARC-AAA ( www.arcflashlight.com ). This is like a CMG that has been shrunk down to take an AAA, but it is brighter. The whole light is the size of an AA battery. It is brighter than a photon that has been running for two minutes, and this baby will maintain that brightness for 5 solid hours. This used to be an every-day-carry item for me until I lost it.

March 21, 2002

White led's are somewhat blueish. What would happen if they build a flashlight with lets say 3 white led's and one yellow. Wouldn't that help color correct the light?

Also why would someone want anything other then white light besides perserving night vision or IR use? I see a lot of other colors offered - who is buying them and for what?

March 21, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by k2dave:
White led's are somewhat blueish....

I've noticed that they appear that way also. I wonder if some of the blue tint is an illusion because we're so use to filament bulbs that tend to be yellow bias.

I think the LED museum does spectrum light tests.

[This message was edited by st_richardson on March 21, 2002 at 08:26 PM.]

March 21, 2002

There is a reason for the blue color...

The "white" LEDs are actually blue LEDs with phosphor (similar to what is used in a flourecent tube) added to the die. At a certain point, the phosphors are giving off all of the light that they can. If you run the LED a little brighter, then the blue color increases brightness without a cooresponding increase in the other colors...

Also, there is some variation in how much phosphor gets added. Nichia ranks their LEDs based on color & brightness. The ones that are closer to white are more expensive and harder to find.

I like the slight bluish tint myself.

night caching, LED flashlights anyone?

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