Energizer Arcwhite

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Just picked up one of these today at Wal-Mart. I'm really impressed. I don't have much experience yet with flashlights, but this has the brightest lamp of any I've owned. The fluorescent tube is really cool too. Says the batteries will light the tube for 7 hours; not bad. All that being said, though, after having used nothing but white LEDs for personal lighting for some time, that yellowish light from the krypton bulb really is annoying. My main question is, first, are xenons the lamps that are brilliant white (kinda bluish)? And if so, does anyone know if they make one that I could stick in this flashlight?

 

[DavidW]

The xenon bulbs can have a yellow hue too. Depending on the charge of the battery.

I haven't found a suitable xenon PR bulb for AA batteries. The carley lamps are best used in C and D cell flashlights. I recomend the halogen bulb from a Tec-40. You don't have to buy the whole flashlight. Just find an online dealer that sells the Princeton Tec line and see if they have a Tec-40 halogen replacement. They're made for AA batteries. They run about $5-$7.

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb

 

[Doug]

I tried a dual LED (white) with a PR style base (the same style bulb used in Mags, and the ArcWhite) and it worked great! I suggest trying that ... or, heck, a 3 or 4 LED ... but the 2 LED should provide the most light to battery ratio...

Doug

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Doug, thanks for mentioning that, I hadn't even considered going the LED route with it. A 4-LED replacement would still last longer than the standard bulb on a set of batteries, right? With that 2-LED that you tried, does it have a pretty good...throw (terminology?-- does the beam go a long way) ? Also, regarding the halogen Tec-40 bulb (thanks, DavidW) how does it compare to the halogen in brightness? Does it affect battery life?

 

[Doug]

With the LED in place, it was not as bright, and does not throw as far (LEDs are not known for their throw). But the beam quality is far better (very even). I think it compliments the florescent tube nicely.

Remember, the benefits/strengths of LEDs are: 1) beam quality, 2) low battery usage.

Doug


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pepopl:
Doug, thanks for mentioning that, I hadn't even considered going the LED route with it. A 4-LED replacement would still last longer than the standard bulb on a set of batteries, right? With that 2-LED that you tried, does it have a pretty good...throw (terminology?-- does the beam go a long way) ? Also, regarding the halogen Tec-40 bulb (thanks, DavidW) how does it compare to the halogen in brightness? Does it affect battery life?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[Brock]

I swapped the Tec-40 lamp for the one in the ARC white. It is brighter and whiter and uses a little more power than the origional lamp. The concern I have with the TEC-40 lamp in there is heat build up. It gets hot with the standard lamp and it might melt the reflector or lens if you get it much hotter. Of course if you are using it for a couple of minutes at a time this shouldnt be an issue.

Brock - http://www.uwgb.edu/nevermab/flash.htm