Coleman 4AA Exponent® Pack-Away®

[PhantomPhoton]

I'll definitely be in for a cree exponent when they become available, and of course, groupbuys are always good. Keep us posted.

[Weylan]

Blacklight,

You were going to post some more specs?

Any group news on a group buy option? Did you get any more info from the PR person?

[Blacklight]

I swear I still am going to, I have just been so busy, I am very sorry. this week is a write off too. i will try to get specs in by next week on the enhanced cree units, they will be avaiable in June. On a group buy, I have to look into it, because I am not sure how we would handle it (I have only been here for a little over a year and have never looked into this before). I know you have been waiting for weeks on me to get the info and look, sorry, I have just been so busy, and have not had time.

[Weylan]

how about connecting us to the PR person? I am sure one of us can help start the ball rolling if you put in a good word for us.

[Weylan]

Blacklight: Oh, I know how it is to be busy. and we look forward to hearing more from you.

Also, We do understand and I was just checking to see how you had not forgotten us.

I also wanted to say I really like the formfactor of the 2 LED light with the slide up back. This was awsome. I just wish it had the option to be brighter. It looks ideal, it just needs help. If you have more options for that WE will be very happy.

I have a candle light that is very similar in projecting light forward and not blinding you. And this is a wonderful alternative. I can see it is just not bright enough at times. So the Cree option in this form factor would be almost perfect if it had low level and high level outputs.

There is nothing worse then trying to cook and you can't see what you are cooking. Then having dead batteries is bad because the batteries do not last long is also bad.

[leprechaun414]

Ditto for a group buy option

[chimo]

This looks like a great product. Count me in on any group buy!

Paul

[knifebright]

these should be great with a cree. I wish i had saw this thread moments ago cause i just bought a exponent 3xaa 1 watt luxeon. Though i have just implanted a seoul in there and though its pretty darn cool for me now i bet the cree version with the forward optical pattern will be even cooler. Oh well my Seoul coleman exponent will have to tide me over for now.
jimmy

[LowBat]

these should be great with a cree. I wish i had saw this thread moments ago cause i just bought a exponent 3xaa 1 watt luxeon. Though i have just implanted a seoul in there and though its pretty darn cool for me now i bet the cree version with the forward optical pattern will be even cooler. Oh well my Seoul coleman exponent will have to tide me over for now.
jimmy

Sounds interesting; please bring your modded x-ponent to Big Basin next month.

[luminiferous]

I just received my Coleman Exponent Lantern. It is really a neat design. I like it a lot. I have not had the chance to use it in the dark yet. I have been upgrading my computer (what a headache). I will update this post. But the design itself is really neat. It's smaller than I thought. I hope lithium batts are OK to use with it (Yes lithium not lithium ion).

Rob,

Would you mind posting a pic of the beam with the Luxeon K2?
Similar to the way flashlightreviews.com does it, as in this review...
www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/osram_gd.htm
Not critical that it has the concentric circles though.

[276]

they talk about the new cree version in outside buyers guide, its rated at 95 lumens, for 12 hours on low, 5 hours on high and 12 on strobe.

[NutSAK]

That sounds sweeeet....

[Sarratt]

Will the new lantern with the Cree be available in Canada ?

If so, when. In time for this summers camping season would be great.

[luminiferous]

Will the new lantern with the Cree be available in Canada ?

If so, when. In time for this summers camping season would be great.

I would say no. I'm sure Blacklight could tell you for sure, but my experience in the last 8 years living here is that Coleman Canada is almost always a year or more behind Coleman USA in releasing product and typically do not release new products in the middle of the season. Part of the reason is the whole French packaging, French instructions, French safety labels, CSA approval, etc, etc. Canadian subsidiaries are also typically much smaller than their US counterparts and so they wait for the US to do their initial market testing for them. I know this from personal experience. I would say cross border shopping is the way to go if you want it for this season.

I'm purchasing mine from Sports Authority and will pick it up from my buddy's house in California when I go there in a few months. If you know someone in the US that you'll be visiting before you go camping, that might be an option for you.

REI ships to Canada, but you'll pay $15 in shipping plus duty!
If you search for a while, you might find a retailer that offers a good price and uses "Boarder Free" so there are no surprises. Campmor.com offers "Boarder Free". You could send them an email and ask if they'll be stocking the lantern later in the year.

I've decided to purchase what is available now with the Luxeon K2 because I am not 100% confident that the new version will be on shelves when I get there and I won't have time to shop around. Even with the shipping to California and state tax, the price at Sports Authority is less than anywhere else thanks to the $10 discount I receive for using Google Checkout for the first time. If I want to mod it with the CREE P4 at a later time, I can get them at Arrow Electronics Components in Mississauga for about $7. There's a store in Kanata as well. 84 Hines Rd, Suite 100, Kanata - www.arrownac.com

[Sarratt]

Thanks for all the advice / information luminiferous.

Regarding shopping on-line across the border --- I just got burned getting a replacement Headlight from PrinctonTec so that's the last time I do anything like that.
(not that it was completely P.T.'s fault and I do now have a great light).
Perhaps a store like Lebarons might get some. Or another smaller outfit.

Regarding your tip on modding. The longer I read this forum the more I realize that I should get into modding. Unfortunately I'd have to start at the beginning with zero technological knowledge. Still, looks to be an interesting hobbie -- 'till someone looses an eye.

[hank]

Hey, fantastic to see Blacklight here from Coleman; I hope you'll consider a topic in the Manufacturers area to take questions and announce things.

[wwglen]

As I wrote in another thread about this:
.
.
.

Go to the Coleman store.

Click on the Family Store link at the top of the page.

Put in FAMILY as the code.

Go to Lights --> Battery Powered --> 4-AA Pack away

It now shors up as $17.50 instead of $35

I am waiting for the CREE version

wwglen

[LowBat]

Wow that is some discount! However, I'm not related to a Coleman employee and wouldn't feel right using it. Perhaps if Blacklight says that is our way of having a group buy I'd use it, but 50% off does seem too much of a discount.

[wwglen]

Actually from what I read elsewhere it is more of a "FAMILY and FRIENDS" discount.

This code has been avaliable for about a year and if they were too concerned about it floating on the internet they would have changed it.

Also MOST of the things on the Family and Friends are in the 15-30% range. Just goes to show the markup on the flashlights.

wwglen

[NutSAK]

I received a K2 Coleman 4AA Pack-Away lantern yesterday.

I'm not pleased with it at all. The build quality is excellent--it's very well designed. However, the beam is terrible. All of the light is thrown down below the base of the lantern itself (not in an outward pattern), and the beam is much more artifact-filled than the River Rock lantern. It appears that the reflector "cone" was designed with the wrong angle to bend the light 90% from the source emitter. If you sat the lantern on a table, it would light up only the surface of the table around the lantern, and not the area around the table.

I will try to get some beamshots up tonight to illustrate what I mean.

EDIT: After some time spent using this lantern, my opinion of it is more positive. See additional comments below.

[hank]

Hm, guess it's personal preference, that light pattern is exactly what I would want and expect from a Coleman lantern generally:
--- sit it on the table to light up the table
--- hang it from well overhead to light up a bigger area

What you'd expect --- having them send light straight sideways --- is the problem that made the old gas mantle lanterns such nuisances to everyone else in the campground, the glare.

Glad to hear it doesn't do that, myself.

[hank]

This is nice: 5305A704 Amber Campsite LED Marker Light

This would be handy: 5319-760 4AA WatchTower™ LED Lantern (motion detector)

Wishlist: the motion detector and campground lantern LED lights, with amber LEDs
and the campsite LED marker for a rechargeable 7.2v ("9v size") instead of button cells

[NutSAK]

--- sit it on the table to light up the table

Sure, it will light the surface of the table, but since the lantern only stands 5" tall, it will not light anything ON the table. I agree that it would do well if it were hanging high above the table, but that is impractical in many cases.

To each his own, I guess...

[hank]

Ah, that makes sense. We put our candle lanters, similar size, up on a water bottle, or use some sticks and string to give it 'legs', if we lack a tree, umbrella or mosquito canopy over the table. Of course light aimed down is a feature, when the source is at eye level!


Aside to Coleman --- angled louvers for your bright gas mantle lanterns are popular in campgrounds where people are stargazing. Unpainted aluminum heating vents work.

So (grin) --- do you all think of us as Friends of the Family?

[hank]

Oops

[luminiferous]

Sure, it will light the surface of the table, but since the lantern only stands 5" tall, it will not light anything ON the table. I agree that it would do well if it were hanging high above the table, but that is impractical in many cases.

To each his own, I guess...

Would appreciate seeing those beam shots when you have a chance.

[NutSAK]

I will try my best to have them up for the weekend.

[Blacklight]

I received a K2 Coleman 4AA Pack-Away lantern yesterday.

I'm not pleased with it at all. The build quality is excellent--it's very well designed. However, the beam is terrible. All of the light is thrown down below the base of the lantern itself (not in an outward pattern), and the beam is much more artifact-filled than the River Rock lantern. It appears that the reflector "cone" was designed with the wrong angle to bend the light 90% from the source emitter. If you sat the lantern on a table, it would light up only the surface of the table around the lantern, and not the area around the table.

I will try to get some beamshots up tonight to illustrate what I mean.

In one of my first posts I had commented, that some will not be happy with the artifacts in the pattern. Unfortunatly with the LEDs that where available at development, there just was no way to keep the small size (its about half the size of any other lantern on the market when it is closed). With the new CREE XR-E P4 bin we have more than enough light, so we may go back and texture the globe to reduce artifacts, but that would be for next year honestly. The lantern is ment to be very small, so if the light came directly out the sides, it would hurt your eyes, plus not light up any better for you honestly. The best use for this lantern is to hang it in a tent or from a near by tree, in July Shipments with the CREE LED it will be more than enough light for you. If you are still unhappy I am sorry, but its always a balance of design, weight, size and light, we do our best. I appreciate your insights though, we take it all in as we work on the next lights. August be watching for this lights little brother, the press release will be right around the Summer Outdoor retailer show, I hope you find it interesting.

Once again, thank you for the insights.

On group buy, I would do as posted above, use the friends and family for PERSONAL use. This is a great price on this product, if you want to try it out.

I think I owed someone some spec info in here, but I have been so busy, and traveling as well (I know I keep using this cop out, I am sorry). Please let me know what you are looking for Spec wise and I will try to respond next week.

[Phaserburn]

Thanks for all the input, Blacklight! I'm really looking forward to the Cree version of this light. I will be sure to pick one up. Will you be able to post when it's available?

[NutSAK]

I apologize, Blacklight. I was too harsh with my first comments about the lantern. I've had a chance to use the lantern a bit now, and it does work very well when hanging overhead.

I was comparing it to the River Rock, and that was unfair, as the intended use of the Coleman lantern is clearly different. These two lanterns actually compliment each other well, as the River Rock could be set on a surface for lighting on that surface, and the Coleman could be overhead for area lighting.

I'm still going to post a beam comparison, as I think that will illustrate the points you have made.