Curious_character
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2006
- Messages
- 1,211
A month or two ago at Costco I picked up a 4-pack of Garrity 9-LED lights. The price was $13 and it included 12 Duracell AAAs! I was so impressed by the lights -- and price --, I had my wife pick up a second 4-pack, and it started my interest in LED flashlights. I didn't see them the next time I went to Costco, so I figure they were a one-time purchase. But I just stumbled across the very same flashlight on the web, at http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=306909 ("Garrity 9-Led Rescue Flashlight"). They're closer to $10 apiece -- way more than Costco -- but in my opinion they're still worth the money. They're just about the ideal around-the-house flashlight. I've given away most of the ones I got to family members.
They're unregulated and run from three AAA cells like a lot of the cheap lights. The pattern is fairly broad, but surprisingly bright -- on alkalines I measured 252 lux at one meter initially, dropping to 146 in 1/2 hour. NiMH performance is similar until the NiMH reaches its end. Light dims with time, of course, like any unregulated light. Using the brightness at 1/2 hour as a reference, it reaches 50% in 4 hours after turn-on, 25% in 7 when running on alkalines; it stays above 50% but drops rapidly at 3 hours when running from 900 mAh NiMH cells. Switch is a clicky on the tail. Light is small and light weight (under 3 oz. with batteries) and has a rubber coating. With the rubber and light weight, it could probably survive being dropped.
So far I've lit off 6 of the 8, and all work without problems.
I'm sure there are many, many lights around with similar performance and price. This just happens to be one I got a chance to take a really good look at.
On the off chance there might be some still around at a Costco somewhere, the package said Costco item #100316, Garrity part number 2694.
c_c
They're unregulated and run from three AAA cells like a lot of the cheap lights. The pattern is fairly broad, but surprisingly bright -- on alkalines I measured 252 lux at one meter initially, dropping to 146 in 1/2 hour. NiMH performance is similar until the NiMH reaches its end. Light dims with time, of course, like any unregulated light. Using the brightness at 1/2 hour as a reference, it reaches 50% in 4 hours after turn-on, 25% in 7 when running on alkalines; it stays above 50% but drops rapidly at 3 hours when running from 900 mAh NiMH cells. Switch is a clicky on the tail. Light is small and light weight (under 3 oz. with batteries) and has a rubber coating. With the rubber and light weight, it could probably survive being dropped.
So far I've lit off 6 of the 8, and all work without problems.
I'm sure there are many, many lights around with similar performance and price. This just happens to be one I got a chance to take a really good look at.
On the off chance there might be some still around at a Costco somewhere, the package said Costco item #100316, Garrity part number 2694.
c_c