Brightstar P4(?) LighthawkLed Lantern Review/Cree Beamshots Pic heavy

[woodrow]

Hey everyone,
I just received Brightstar's Lighthawk Led Lantern from the nice folks at Brightguy. (they are a great company to buy from...great customer service...and fast shipping with a tracking #) The lighthawk lantern has been out for a while now in xenon, but the led version is what I was waiting for.

First, it comes in a nice box with instructions for use. They are general instructions, for the 4, & 6 cell incan versions, but they include a spec card for the led version.

First, as the name implies, it is LIGHT!!! It only weighs 1.9 pounds...batteries and all. Secondly, I like that it uses Lithium batteries (4 I am guessing) so it will not have the nimh discharge rate or the nicad memory effects. The light has a swivel head that really stays put unless you move it.

It also has alternating red and white flashing leds on the back that are controlled with the main (only) switch. Simply move the switch forward to turn the main beam on without the rear leds flashing. Move the switch to the middle position to turn all lights off. Move the switch to the rear position to activate the main beam and the rear (pretty freakin bright) strobing led locator/warning leds.

I can see how the locating flashers would be great for a fireman in a smoke filled house to be easily followed by his buddies, but I also see uses for the rest of us when using the light to walk down a busy road, or using the light to change a tire.

The light is 10" long, 3" wide (body), 3&1/2" at the bezel, and 5" tall. You seriously cannot believe how light this thing is when you pick it up. It just feels like something you could carry for hours without being bothered by it.

Ok, now for the important issues. First, it it BRIGHT! It is rated at 100 lumans by Brightstar, but either they are underestimating their output #'s or, my other lights are over estimating theirs. (both are most likely true.) I do not know (and brightstar does not say in the instructions or anywhere else) what kind of led it has in it, but here is a picture. Maybe you all will be able to tell.

The led produces a very white, not purpleish beam and the beam looks like that of a Ultrafire C2 or Streamlight Propoly light. It has a bright center spot, with the hugest spillbeam of any of my led lights. Even bigger than the C2's wide beam. It has great reach as well. I think the Pelican 7060 is a little bit brighter overall, and it has a bigger spot and brighter spill, but the Lighthawk's spill is twice as wide as the 7060's. This makes it nice for walking in a cluttered area, or outside, because the spill is right in front of your feet. Not out ahead of you 5 or so feet like the 7060 or D-mini.

Overall, I really like the light. This is the light I wish the Streamlight SurvivorLED should have been. (and I bought 2 of them) It is about twice as bright as the Survivor and not much heavier. It will run for longer and uses lithium batts not nimh's. It is at least as bright as my C2 and D-mini Cree lights and almost as bright as the 7060 which has been rated up to 175 lumans. Plus, it will run (manufactures #'s) for 7 hours on a charge and gives you a low battery warning about half an hour before shutdown. It at $173.00 is not a cheap light, but worth every penny in my opinion. This light is impressive for the average flashlightaholic and it will be impressive for professionals who must trust their lives to it as part of their equipment. Seriously, check one out. I think you will like it. I will post beamshots shortly.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

[woodrow]

Re: Brightstar LighthawkLed Lantern Review/Cree Beamshots Pic heavy

OK,
Here are a few more pictures of the light, and then some beamshots. Sorry not all on one thread, but I had nightmares of server problems erasing everything.

Here is the base the light slides into.

It the 4 pins go in easily and it locks into place. To remove, you just push down the two buttons to the left. (one is on the other side of the light) It goes on and off the base very simply and easily. The charging light turns from red to green when charging is finished.

Here is a pic of the low battery indicator.

And here is the light next to The 7060 and C2

Now for some beamshots. Indoor only right now, I want to borrow a buddie's mag light for some long range outdoor shots. The first are taken about 50' at ISO 80 and the camera is locked at f/2.8 and 1 sec of exposure.

First the Lumapower M3 on 2 E2 lithium AA's and turbohead attached with the smooth reflector.

Next, the Pelican 7060

Finally the LighthawkLED

As I mentioned before, I think the Pelican is slightly brighter, but the beams are very differnt.

Here are some shots against my garage door about 30' away. These were purposly underexposed to show spot intensity. The first shot is of The D-mini (3.7v AW SMO reflector) , C2 (2x3.7vAW) and the LighthawkLED. Camera is at f/2.8 at 1/15 sec.

The next set are of the D-mini, LighthawkLED and 7060. Same distance and settings.

Again, though the LighthawkLED is not (I do not believe anyway) a Cree light, it easily holds its own with them. I will post some outdoor beamshots in a day or two. But for only playing with it for a few hours, I really like the light. I might even like it more than the 7060, just for its Incredible runtime, and the fact that while I know it is heavier, it just does not feel like it when I carry it.

Here is a link to a video with the lighthawk. I just found it and have not watched it yet, so I do not know if the led version is shown.
http://flashlight.com/lighthawk.asp

Again, thanks for taking the time, and thanks to Brightguy for getting the light out to me so fast.

brad

 

[jtice]

Re: Brightstar LighthawkLed Lantern Review/Cree Beamshots Pic heavy

Excellent writeup Brad ! well worth the wait

I ended up getting the Incan version a couple weeks ago from Brightguy also, and I am equally impressed with it.
As usual, Brightguy was great to deal with, and was happy to answer a few questions I had.
Greg was even kind enough to order me a 6 Cell Yellow Incan version, as they didnt stock those.

Mine is rated at 3.5 hours of runtime, and the same to charge it.
The first day, I replaced the stock bulb with a Pelican ROP Low bulb.
This made a nice improvement, it was a bit brighter, with a better beam.
I did notice a bit of dimming over time, so the Incan version isnt regulated.
But it is fairly flat output due to it using Li-Ion cells.

When I first grabbed the light out of the box, I thought the battery pack wasnt in it! Its that light.
Seems well built, and the tilting head makes it very versatile.
I like that I can sit it down on its bottom, or on its tail end, and tilt the head where I need it.

I would Love to mod it so the rear leds could come on by themselves, and not flash.
It would be the perfect light for me then. But, there is just one circuit in the light,
that seems to handle everything, so I think its beyond my abilities to mod.

Here are a few pics I took of mine.

~John

 

[woodrow]

Re: Brightstar LighthawkLed Lantern Review/Cree Beamshots Pic heavy

jtice,
Thanks for your pics. Your light looks pretty cool. Click on the video link I put at the bottom of my review. It is of some firefighters using the light (incan version) and comparing it to SL lightbox and Vulcan's. They really like it.

I am glad you like your light!

 

[woodrow]

Re: Brightstar LighthawkLed Lantern Review/Cree Beamshots Pic heavy

Big thanks to taschenlampe, Kilovolt and light emitting dude for helping identify what kind of led this is. It looks like according to the pictures they linked to, that it is a Seul P4 led. Makes the brightness and runtime make sense now.

 

[jtice]

Re: Brightstar LighthawkLed Lantern Review/Cree Beamshots Pic heavy

Opps, yea forgot to mention, thats a Seoul LED

Yea, saw that vid before I got mine, it made me want one even more

The light should see alot of use, its alot of light for a 3 to 3.5 hour runtime.
I used it camping last week, not bad at all! Cut through fog fairly well also.

~John

 

[woodrow]

I did not have my lantern with me tonight, and I realized that no matter what light I am carying, it should always be in my trunk. Heres why....

Tonight we got one of our rare, but torrential rains. Since it is so dry here, water has no where to go, and can create a 1' deep river going across the 2 lane road I drive on to go home. If I had to stop (tonight I did not) the lighthawk's rear flashing leds would be a nice touch warning the trafic coming up on me in the heavy rain, that they might need to stop.

I did not mention this before, but the light is waterproof for 24 hours in 1' of water according to the manufacture. I can believe this, because in the led version, the bezel does not even unscrew. I also like the flashing lights in case I would use the light to assist someone else on the side of the road. Plus, from what I hear, my beloved Pelican 7060 does not do so well if submersed in water...heavy rain is untested as of yet. Regardless, the bright flashers and able to run for hours at a time make this light unique compared to anything else I currently own. Plus, the light can throw as well, and should go through rain and fog well.

 

[jtice]

Good to hear you didnt NEED it this time.

I have really been enjoying my Incan version,
and I have even thought about getting another one to keep in my truck,
I have an Inova T4 as my truck light now, the Lighthawk would be a great addition.

~John

 

[woodrow]

Good to hear you didnt NEED it this time.

I have really been enjoying my Incan version,
and I have even thought about getting another one to keep in my truck,
I have an Inova T4 as my truck light now, the Lighthawk would be a great addition.

~John

Being in New Mexico, I worry about leaving lights in my car in the summer... heat doing bad things to glue's ect. I think, any light designed to be used in a fire should be able to handle the heat in my trunk.

Also, thanks for the pics of the inside of your light. Things just look pretty well built in it. Its nice to see.

 

[jtice]

I have worried about the heat harming my T4 also.
There have been days I jumped into the truck, and it was so hot I couldnt touch it.
The LED shouldnt care too much, it is still within its specs,
the glues, well they could get soft, but at least in the Lighthawk, they dont seem to be anywhere that would really matter.
Orings seal the light for the most part, not glue.
The Li-Ion cells are probably the most unhappy, though I think they are still within specs also.
How this effects their lifespan though, I am not sure.
Isnt the trunk of a call always cooler than the rest though?

~John

 

[Lobo]

Wow, thanks for the very nice review Woodrow. I like the fact that you often review lights that are not that widely known, but probably should be since they seem to be really good, as in this case. Keep the good work up.

 

[Mockingbird]

:candle: BrightGuy must have sold you the only they had. It still isn't listed on their site. BTW isn't 2 meters less than 7 feet?

 

[woodrow]

Lobo, thanks for the kind words. Mockingbird... I don't totally understand their lux #'s myself. I need to buy a lux meter and then I can check. Maybe next month.

 

[woodrow]

:candle: BrightGuy must have sold you the only they had. It still isn't listed on their site. BTW isn't 2 meters less than 7 feet?

The light is on their site now.
http://www.brightguy.com/products/Bright_Star_Lighthawk_LED_Lantern_4_Cell.php

Seriously, check the light out if you have the funds. I have never had another light like it.

 

[AlexGT]

I think brightguy has a typo on the price, Retail price is $173.50 and his price is $179.95 LOL! WTF!

 

[woodrow]

I think brightguy has a typo on the price, Retail price is $173.50 and his price is $179.95 LOL! WTF!

I was charged 173.50. Either way, the light is built well enough that it seems worth the price regardless.

brad

 

[Mr. Blue]

Brightguy's ad says it's regulated...is it? Current or voltage?...looks like a killer lantern

 

[woodrow]

I do not have the equipment to do a computer runtime graph, but according to the manufacture, the LED version is regulated. The Incan version is not.

 

[Mr. Blue]

thanks...have you run it long enough to tell if it stays steady for 7? hours

 

[woodrow]

No, only perhaps a couple at the most. To my eyes, the beam did not dim. I will pick up a lux meter in the next few weeks and then have a better idea.