hmmwv
Newly Enlightened
As expected, I got great service from brightguy - and received my 3-led batonlight today. Here's some preliminary notes for the inquisitive out there -
1 - the head assembly does unscrew (clear lexan) - it is sealed with an o ring greased with silicon grease.
2 - after unscrewing, a small (3/8" dia, or about 1 cm) pc board comes out - the 3 leds are soldered to the pcb, one lead of each is soldered to the center terminal, the other is soldered to the ring terminal, thus all 3 leds are in parallel. The PCB touches the first N cell and forms the positive connection. The PCB has a ring around it that contacts the barrel. Simple and elegant design.
3 - the tube is hollow - 3 N cells fit nicely down the tube. No other batteries would work in this configuration, AAs are too large in diameter. If you decide to try rechargable N cells, you will likely get a substantially reduced light output - this is clearly a 3-N alkaline flashlight.
4 - the "tailcap" is actually about 1" (3 cm) long - the last 1/3" or so is a swivel for the keychain and has no electrical function. Idiots like me will sit there and try to unscrew the swivel until they figure out that the joint is an inch down the barrel, and that the swivel doesn't unscrew for a reason. Duh...
5 - the tighter you screw down the "tailcap", the easier the pushbutton on the end works. Unscrew it a full turn and the pushbutton doesn't work at all (locked out)
6 - since the whole light can be field stripped in under 30 seconds, it lends itself nicely to someone with a soldering iron, LEDs, and a desire to change the design. Just remember that the two LED terminals have 4.5V across them with 3 ea. N cells. The LEDs are in parallel, the N cells are in series.
7 - with new N cells, it runs 195 - 205 mA for the 3 LEDs - that's almost 70 mA per LED! Yes -- it's very bright for a 3 led light. The lexan lens tends to diffuse the light and improve the beam quality, a la surefire. No rings, no hot spots, no dark spots, no 3 images from the 3 leds - just a nice white spot.
7.5 - well - it's not pure white - it's the standard nichia blue-wite-purple color - you've grown accustomed to it in LED lights by now so you know what to expect.
8 - the light *IS* a kuboton - if you don't know how to use one, you should buy a book and practice. You'll find that this is a very "daily carry" light.
9 - the negatives:
9A - seems like the screw on tailcap is pretty loose - it may turn on accidentally - will check this over the next week
9B - If it unscrews, the button on top no longer functions - If this becomes a problem, I'll drill and tap the tailcap and insert an allen setscrew to keep it in position. This would mean using an allen wrench to change the batteries, but I'll consider other alternatives first. This is only as a last resort if the end cap comes loose after daily carry on my keychain.
The Positivies
10A - Beautiful finish - quality workmanship!
10B - Just the right size
10C - really bright for an LED light
10D - Something that will end up on my keychain
10E - made out of metal, not plastic I don't consider lexan plastic - too strong!
10F - o-ring seals everywhere!
10G - MADE IN THE USA - not some china shop
10H - lifetime warantee
10I - plenty of room in the LED compartment for those of us who wish to experiment
10J - serial numbered
10K - long runtime, cheap to operate.
I'll post pictures of it disassembled later on - I highly recommend this one!
1 - the head assembly does unscrew (clear lexan) - it is sealed with an o ring greased with silicon grease.
2 - after unscrewing, a small (3/8" dia, or about 1 cm) pc board comes out - the 3 leds are soldered to the pcb, one lead of each is soldered to the center terminal, the other is soldered to the ring terminal, thus all 3 leds are in parallel. The PCB touches the first N cell and forms the positive connection. The PCB has a ring around it that contacts the barrel. Simple and elegant design.
3 - the tube is hollow - 3 N cells fit nicely down the tube. No other batteries would work in this configuration, AAs are too large in diameter. If you decide to try rechargable N cells, you will likely get a substantially reduced light output - this is clearly a 3-N alkaline flashlight.
4 - the "tailcap" is actually about 1" (3 cm) long - the last 1/3" or so is a swivel for the keychain and has no electrical function. Idiots like me will sit there and try to unscrew the swivel until they figure out that the joint is an inch down the barrel, and that the swivel doesn't unscrew for a reason. Duh...
5 - the tighter you screw down the "tailcap", the easier the pushbutton on the end works. Unscrew it a full turn and the pushbutton doesn't work at all (locked out)
6 - since the whole light can be field stripped in under 30 seconds, it lends itself nicely to someone with a soldering iron, LEDs, and a desire to change the design. Just remember that the two LED terminals have 4.5V across them with 3 ea. N cells. The LEDs are in parallel, the N cells are in series.
7 - with new N cells, it runs 195 - 205 mA for the 3 LEDs - that's almost 70 mA per LED! Yes -- it's very bright for a 3 led light. The lexan lens tends to diffuse the light and improve the beam quality, a la surefire. No rings, no hot spots, no dark spots, no 3 images from the 3 leds - just a nice white spot.
7.5 - well - it's not pure white - it's the standard nichia blue-wite-purple color - you've grown accustomed to it in LED lights by now so you know what to expect.
8 - the light *IS* a kuboton - if you don't know how to use one, you should buy a book and practice. You'll find that this is a very "daily carry" light.
9 - the negatives:
9A - seems like the screw on tailcap is pretty loose - it may turn on accidentally - will check this over the next week
9B - If it unscrews, the button on top no longer functions - If this becomes a problem, I'll drill and tap the tailcap and insert an allen setscrew to keep it in position. This would mean using an allen wrench to change the batteries, but I'll consider other alternatives first. This is only as a last resort if the end cap comes loose after daily carry on my keychain.
The Positivies
10A - Beautiful finish - quality workmanship!
10B - Just the right size
10C - really bright for an LED light
10D - Something that will end up on my keychain
10E - made out of metal, not plastic I don't consider lexan plastic - too strong!
10F - o-ring seals everywhere!
10G - MADE IN THE USA - not some china shop
10H - lifetime warantee
10I - plenty of room in the LED compartment for those of us who wish to experiment
10J - serial numbered
10K - long runtime, cheap to operate.
I'll post pictures of it disassembled later on - I highly recommend this one!
