Ozark Trail 50 Lumen - Budget Light Extraordinaire!

[Sovende]

Never expecting anything really "new", I usually cruise the flashlight section of my local WalMart on General Priciples (just in case 😉). The selection has narrowed over the years to a few basic brands (MagLite, Ray-o-Vac, EverReady, Bushnell to name a few) plus their Ozark Trail brand. While there today, I actually stopped to have a closer look at the $1 OT 50L (Ozark Trail 50 Lumen, very original 🙄) lights heaped in a bin. What I was most interested in was the type of AAA carrier (55mm vs 65mm). I wasn't surprised to see the shorter version (like most of the el cheapo lights) but did notice that there was a fair amount of space (taken up by springs) at both the LED end and the tailcap end of the battery tube. I was thinking that the barrel just might accommodate a 18650 Li-ion battery as well as the longer version of the 3AAA holder. If so, it could be a more versatile light and for a $1, it was worth it to try. Once home, I found that a 18650 Li-ion battery and the longer 3AAA carrier did indeed fit. The plastic sleeve for the 18650 fit nicely too!

RE: the flashlight itself, it's very basic. Single LED emitter, single function (on/off) tailcap switch and primarily plastic construction. I have no idea if the output is anywhere near 50 L (and truly doubt it) but it's bright enough for basic up close use. It's neither a "thrower nor a flooder" but that might be a virtue 😉. It comes in a variety of colors (I bought the "olive drab" since it was the most tacticool 😎). Also included is a very short lanyard/wrist strap that will prove to be almost useless. A "550" cord fob is definitely in the works. Batteries are included but as one might expect, are the cheapest of the cheap Zn-Carbon type. I suppose the low draw of the single LED might allow them to last a while but I'll prolly soon replace them with a 18650 or 3AAAs (Ni-MH rechargables) in the longer carrier).
For anyone that's interested, the light is just over 4" long and just over 1" in diameter. It I should essentially a perfect cylinder. To be sure, it's not a "tactical" light! ( Don't let Nick Bolton drive a HumVee or a tank over it 😜). Neither can I imagine that it's waterproof but as long as it's not submerged, it's prolly rain resistant!
For $1, it clearly is a "Budget" light! As I've mentioned it does have some good qualities. I'm almost talking myself into getting another one 😳. I think I would opt for one of the brighter colors (yellow or orange) for easy of finding it if I drop it in the weeds when I'm out takin' a leak at Midnight while camping 😜. No big loss if I don't find it tho.
Sovende

 

[Lynx_Arc]

A 50L 18650 light that can tailstand would be good for a bug out bag IMO you could use mediocre capacity 18650s in it and it would run a long long time. I think originally the light cost $10.

 

[Sovende]

A 50L 18650 light that can tailstand would be good for a bug out bag IMO you could use mediocre capacity 18650s in it and it would run a long long time. I think originally the light cost $10.

This light IS able to tailstand but the lanyard ring allows it to teeter a tiny bit. My lanyard "upgrade" should take care of that. Using it in a short duration bug -out-bag might be OK (regardless of the battery capacity) but I'll have to do a few "run time" tests before it's used in any situation where reliability is important. To be clear, this light wasn't found in the "clearance" aisle! It wasn't blister packaged and was NEVER priced at $10. I could be wrong about the Ozark Trail branding but I think not. I'm making that assumption based on the Ozark Trail logo imprinted near the light head and the "OT -50L" imprinted near the tail.
Sovende

 

[Lynx_Arc]

This light IS able to tailstand but the lanyard ring allows it to teeter a tiny bit. My lanyard "upgrade" should take care of that. Using it in a short duration bug -out-bag might be OK (regardless of the battery capacity) but I'll have to do a few "run time" tests before it's used in any situation where reliability is important. To be clear, this light wasn't found in the "clearance" aisle! It wasn't blister packaged and was NEVER priced at $10. I could be wrong about the Ozark Trail branding but I think not. I'm making that assumption based on the Ozark Trail logo imprinted near the light head and the "OT -50L" imprinted near the tail.
Sovende

I was just going by what I gleaned of the internet about a "50L" Ozark Trail light. As I've gone to 18650s as my "normal" choice for things now I'm always looking for cheap items that either are native 18650 or can be adapted to use them but my issue is trying to find 18650 area lights that are designed such that you can swap out batteries readily otherwise I have to build in a charging circuit and port or a less elegant solution. I have 2 cheap 3AA COB work lights I got locally for $3 each that I was hoping to convert to 2x18650 but there is not enough room for even 1 18650 in them I think and certainly no way to easily remove the battery without taking the light totally apart. I purchases single 18650 battery holders in case I do find a suitable host. A single mode light may make it possible to mod it for a lower output easily to like a 5-10 lumen long running light by adding a resistor.

 

[Sovende]

I was just going by what I gleaned of the internet about a "50L" Ozark Trail light. As I've gone to 18650s as my "normal" choice for things now I'm always looking for cheap items that either are native 18650 or can be adapted to use them but my issue is trying to find 18650 area lights that are designed such that you can swap out batteries readily otherwise I have to build in a charging circuit and port or a less elegant solution. I have 2 cheap 3AA COB work lights I got locally for $3 each that I was hoping to convert to 2x18650 but there is not enough room for even 1 18650 in them I think and certainly no way to easily remove the battery without taking the light totally apart. I purchases single 18650 battery holders in case I do find a suitable host. A single mode light may make it possible to mod it for a lower output easily to like a 5-10 lumen long running light by adding a resistor.

Well, to be sure, your knowledge, experience and skills are WAY above my pay grade 😳. At this point I'm a "off the rack, drop-in" modder! I only have a few 18650 batteries and lights that accept them but I'm keen on finding ways to use them in lights that start out with "old school" battery arrangements. Happily, a 18650 battery is a "drop-in" mod for the OT-50 L.
Sovende

 

[Lynx_Arc]

Well, to be sure, your knowledge, experience and skills are WAY above my pay grade 😳. At this point I'm a "off the rack, drop-in" modder! I only have a few 18650 batteries and lights that accept them but I'm keen on finding ways to use them in lights that start out with "old school" battery arrangements. Happily, a 18650 battery is a "drop-in" mod for the OT-50 L.
Sovende

I'm nothing compared to some modders here that have replaced circuit boards and LEDs and milled stuff on a lathe. The only light I've added a resistor in was long ago in the early days of white LEDs when you could only buy 5mm LED lights I bought one and found out the hard way that using nimh in it fried LEDs as the light was direct drive. I replaced the LEDs on the circuit board with ones I bought from another member and soldered a 3 ohm resistor onto the tailcap spring and isolated the spring from the tube and instead of the 8 LEDs getting about 50-80ma each I dropped it to 15ma each. Runtime increased about 5-6 times as long it got about half as bright though.
If the light you are talking about here only cost $1 and you can swap in a better LED and get about 100 lumens out of it that would probably be perfect for most uses even though runtime would drop some I like one mode lights sometimes for a quick blast of light to be put in a drawer or another strategic place. It would be perfect in my garage as I'm currently using alkaleaks in the 2 lights there that occasionally leak on me and I have to toss the batteries in the trash and clean them up and toss more leakalines in em.

 

[Sovende]

I'm nothing compared to some modders here that have replaced circuit boards and LEDs and milled stuff on a lathe. The only light I've added a resistor in was long ago in the early days of white LEDs when you could only buy 5mm LED lights I bought one and found out the hard way that using nimh in it fried LEDs as the light was direct drive. I replaced the LEDs on the circuit board with ones I bought from another member and soldered a 3 ohm resistor onto the tailcap spring and isolated the spring from the tube and instead of the 8 LEDs getting about 50-80ma each I dropped it to 15ma each. Runtime increased about 5-6 times as long it got about half as bright though.
If the light you are talking about here only cost $1 and you can swap in a better LED and get about 100 lumens out of it that would probably be perfect for most uses even though runtime would drop some I like one mode lights sometimes for a quick blast of light to be put in a drawer or another strategic place. It would be perfect in my garage as I'm currently using alkaleaks in the 2 lights there that occasionally leak on me and I have to toss the batteries in the trash and clean them up and toss more leakalines in em.

You're still an electronic wizard compared to me 🙄. I never really got into the electronic hobbyist scene 🙁. Prolly could have but never actually applied myself to the craft. Oh well.
You're right tho, for a dollar, I could tear one down and see what upgrades could be applied. There's no doubt that I currently have plenty of "free time" available 😬.
I'm curious tho as to why a person like you is still using "alkaleaks" when relatively inexpensive Ni-MH rechargeables are available? I too, still use alkaline batteries in situations that require a full 1.5 v and don't sit unused for long periods of time. I have to say that I haven't had any serious leak issues with their use.
The use of 18650 Li-ion batteries is a new area of focus for me but Ni-MH rechargeables seem to work well in my lights that sit waiting to be used. Ya, alkalines are cheap but I kinda hate pitching them into the landfill 🙄.
Sovende

 

[Lynx_Arc]

You're still and electronic wizard compared to me 🙄. I never really got into the electronic hobbyist scene 🙁. Prolly could have but never actually applied myself to the craft. Oh well.
You're right tho, for a dollar, I could tear one down and see what upgrades could be applied. There's no doubt that I currently have plenty of "free time" available 😬.
I'm curious tho as to why a person like is you still using "alkaleaks" when relatively inexpensive Ni-MH rechargeables are available? I too, still use alkaline batteries in situations that require a full 1.5 v and don't sit unused for long periods of time. I have to say that I haven't had any serious leak issues with their use.
The use of 18650 Li-ion batteries is a new area of focus for me but Ni-MH rechargeables seem to work well in my lights that sit waiting to be used. Ya, alkalines are cheap but I kinda hate pitching them into the landfill 🙄.
Sovende

The lights in the garage are throwaway lights that get banged up and dropped etc I often don't use them for years and no sense in putting expensive nimh batteries in a $3 plastic light that is now cracked and an old 6v incan lantern with 4D cells in an adapter. I aim to replace both lights most often I take a light to use when I go to the garage from in the house. If either light was a decent light I would probably use nimh in it.

 

[snakebite]

If your $1 light gets intermittant carefully solder where the strip meets the front and rear contact rings.
Otherwise these are decent.
Switch is even ok.
Its a weak spot on other such lights.
No annoying flicker.

 

[The Hawk]

If it works as well as the Ozark Trail cooler and can holders that I have, I might have to check this out.

 

[unclearty]

I stopped by Wallyworld this morning...went to the flashlight area and found a good sized box full of the 50L lights. They were marked at 81 cents!..Tried 1 there..worked fine...grabbed 2 to experiment with. When I checked out, they rang up for 25 cents each !! Plan to stop tomorrow and grab a few to upgrade and keep around to hand out.

 

[The Hawk]

I stopped by Wallyworld this morning...went to the flashlight area and found a good sized box full of the 50L lights. They were marked at 81 cents!..Tried 1 there..worked fine...grabbed 2 to experiment with. When I checked out, they rang up for 25 cents each !! Plan to stop tomorrow and grab a few to upgrade and keep around to hand out.

Now that is what I call a win! Excellent job.

 

[6.5CM]

Yeah but can it accommodate a USB plug and rechargeable batteries? Otherwise I'll pass.