eternaLight Ergo 3 Red/White

[UnknownVT]

Just got my eternaLight Ergo 3 with Red/White option at the clearance price of $26.00 +$5.50 shipping from TheLEDlight.com

I must say I am having fun with this LED light/gadget and am impressed with its functionality.

Size comparison

The two outer LEDs are the Red ones.

Comparison beamshots

The Xnova 5LED 1AA has a more concentrated hotspot and is brighter -

FWIW - I thought I'd try a comparison with all the LEDs at Full power on the eternaLight - that's 2 Whites and 2 Reds -

Red at Full power

However the eternaLight is really more interesting because of its dimmable settings - for each color there are 10 dimmer settings -
but with all 4 LEDs there are actually 13 dimmable setting and also allows the selection of a single individual LED (but only at the "lowest setting")

A little bit of explanation is needed for this comparison - that's a 20 for $20 LED pocket light from CountyComm - driven by only 3V (ie: a single 2016 or 2032) so it is DIM light, for more info please see this thread -
joys of a DIM flashlight


This low level is really pretty low compared to an ArcAAA

So how low is the lowest setting in Red?

Here's a more meaningful comparison -

What these comparison beamshots don't show is the usable quality of the white beam - no, I don't mean the tint - it is in fact a bit too blue/cool to me - it's the spill - a very wide spill indeed without an overly contrasting hotspot to my eyes, so its (flood) coverage is really good.

The "Bowling Pin" 9LED 1x CR123 is noticably brighter and it has just as wide a flood coverage - but because of the difference between the hotspot and side spill I do not see as well as using the eternaLight Ergo 3 on the whites (or white and red).

Having the reds on with the white is kind of "strange", but somehow the light takes on a warmer feel and seems less harsh. I definitely can see the red or perhaps "pink" -
I'm as yet undecided on combining the red and white - but kind of like it......

 

[Flying Turtle]

Thanks for the nice shots, Vincent. I've been considering this one for a while. Looks like it might be a nice step-up from my Derringer.

Geoff

 

[Phil_B]

Being a recent covert to Eternalights this is great to see.Well done for great beamshots. Interesting to note that the Little Xnova equits itself well too.
Phil.

 

[UnknownVT]

Many thanks for the kind comments.

Here's a bit I don't quite understand - look at the estimated battery life given in the manual -

Notice that the battery life is considerably LESS with 2 Red LEDs than it is with two White LEDs.

What gives?

- my understanding was Red (and other longer wavelength LEDs like Yellow and Orange) use a lower Vf and much less power than the shorter wavelengths like green and including White?

Can someone please explain this?

Thanks,

 

[UnknownVT]

The JugShots - showing coverage -

2 White LEDs

2 White and 2 Red LEDs

2 Red LEDs

[Note: the JPG compression seems to mess up the definition of RED images - so this image is saved at much lower compression/higher quality - so the file is quite a bit bigger for the image size...]

since these are multiple LEDs and spread apart - it is not possible to really position the protractor "correctly" - so it's there just as a sort of indicator.

Regardless of whether one can measure the angle - it's pretty obvious that the light coverage is pretty wide, and very useful.

In comparison - this is the JugShot of the Bowling Pin 9LED 1x CR123

It also has pretty wide coverage - but the hotspot is much brighter than the sidespill so the coverage doesn't work as well for me as the eternaLight Ergo 3 on the two Whites only, or 2 whites and reds.....

The RED JugShot is deceptive - as I find very little real usable side-spill - the main light is in the hotspot - the two prongs of light near the top of the jug is where the main usable light actually comes from.

For completeness - shots of the insides -

 

[UnknownVT]

Just for completeness - in this thread -

Re: Supercharged eternaLight

A couple of CPF members brought up that they had backspill from their eternaLights - an Xray and EliteMax - once I cleared up that it wasn't just the Translucent bodies these models had - I realized that the JugShots above would only show sideways sidespill and not the up/down spill when holding the light normally/"horzontally" with the buttons up.

The solution to capturing these guilty backspill was to tape the eternaLight "sideways" in the jug -

 

[UnknownVT]

[ QUOTE ]
UnknownVT said:
Here's a bit I don't quite understand - look at the estimated battery life given in the manual -

Notice that the battery life is considerably LESS with 2 Red LEDs than it is with two White LEDs.

What gives?

- my understanding was Red (and other longer wavelength LEDs like Yellow and Orange) use a lower Vf and much less power than the shorter wavelengths like green and including White?

[/ QUOTE ]

Just for completeness in this thread -
I posted this same question in its own thread -
Red uses more power than White LEDs?

and forgot to update this main thread with -

I wrote e-mail to Techass.com and got this reply:
-----------------------------------------------------------
From : @techass.com
Sent : Monday, January 31, 2005 9:28 PM
To : V T
Subject : Re: Red uses more power than White LEDs? - eternaLight Model 3 Ergo Red/White

Dear VT,

It is because the circuit was designed for the voltage of the white, blue, green or UV leds. The RED and Yellow cut off lower so more current is drawn.

Best regards,

Tom

---------------------------------------------------------

V T wrote:

Dear Tech Associates,

I have recently purchased an eternaLight Model 3 Ergo Red/White Option -

According to the supplied manual it seems that the 2 Red LEDS have HALF the battery life of 2 Whites (or greens).

It has always been my understanding that LEDs of longer wavelengths like red, orange and yellow use significantly less power than the equivalent White or shorter wavelength (blue, green) LEDs.

So how come on the eternaLight the Red LEDs seem to use TWICE the power of the White LEDs?

Please see these two threads on CPF:

Red uses more power than White LEDs?
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=854074

eternaLight Ergo 3 Red/White
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=843051

Appreciate any explanation on what seems like an anomoly to me.

Thanks,
------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Sigman]

I love my red/white eternaLight Ergo 3 and actually prefer my green/white Ergo 3 though! You got a GREAT price on yours as well!!

GREAT beamshots BTW, thanks!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

 

[UnknownVT]

[ QUOTE ]
Sigman said:
I love my red/white eternaLight Ergo 3 and actually prefer my green/white Ergo 3 though!

[/ QUOTE ]

Many thanks for the nice comments.

Why do you prefer the Green/White option, please?

Thanks,

 

[UnknownVT]

I had previously posted this in this other thread: Re: 26Kmcd on Ebay, anyone try these?
so to keep things in one place - I thought I had better post it in this thread too.
----------------------------------------
DIM - or why I might not upgrade a Flashlight.....

One of the thoughts I had was to upgrade my recently acquired eternaLight Model 3 Ergo Red/White Option with these 26Kmcd LEDs.

I mean more light for the same power - what's not to like?

Call me "DIM" - but that's precisely why I've decided not to do it, for now.

Here's the reasoning - yes, these 26Kmcd LEDs are brighter than the stock LEDs in the eternaLight Ergo 3 R/W, also being the Red/White Option there are only 2 white LEDs - so the job is simpler, plus with only 2 white LEDs my R/W eternaLight won't be as bright as the regular eternaLights that use 4 white LEDs
- all the more reason to do it, right?

Not quite - go to the other end of the brightness - the lowest white setting - at 10 clicks down and only a single white LED (remember I have the R/W option and max brightness in White starts with only 2 White LEDs) - this approximates to the DIM 20 for $20 pocket light from CountyComm that I get by using a 2032 or a single 2016 (see review link above)

Here's the DIM 20 for $20 (on 1x 2016) compared to the 26Kmcd LED on 1x 2016 -

as can be seen the 26Kmcd is noticably brighter......

Just as it's brighter than the eternaLight Ergo 3 R/W on its LOWEST (1LED) setting

In fact the 26Kmcd is so bright even on a single 2016 that it's approximately the same brightness as my eternaLight on its next to Lowest (2LEDs) setting -

So basically I would lose the LOWEST brightness setting on my eternaLight.

Yes, I would gain a boost in the highest brightness - but even on the stock LEDS the eternaLight is already brighter than my Dorcy 1AAA on a fresh battery. In fact the eternaLight at the next level down at 66% is about the same as the Dorcy 1AAA....

So although it would be nice to have a brighter flashlight - I personally would NOT want to lose the lowest DIM setting
- so call me "DIM".......

Again notice I did the lazy thing by taping the 26Kmcd LED to a single 2016 coin cell for these comparisons.

and from this thread:
Supercharged eternaLight (now w. Pics)
-------------------------------------------
[ QUOTE ]
RonM said:All went well and as can be expected the light is brighter, with more throw but less side spill. I'm happy with the mod.

[/ QUOTE ]

Many thanks for this report, and starting this whole thread Ron.

You may have seen the other thread on the 26Kmcd LEDs -
Re: 26Kmcd on Ebay, anyone try these?
that I am still hesitant about upgrading my Ergo 3 Red/White - one of the reasons as I explained was the loss of the lowest levels of brightness.

The other thing that bothered me was the possible loss of side-spill.

You've confirmed this.

What I like about my eternaLight Ergo 3 R/W is the great side-spill coverage. It seems to illuminate the whole room for me. The intensity ratio between the hotspot and the side-spill seems good too - so the side-spill is really usable.

I find on the 2 white LEDs (remember I have the R/W option) at full brightness on the supplied LEDs is already brighter than the Dorcy 1AAA (with fresh battery) they are about the same brightness when the eternaLight is set to 66% brightness - even then I think the eternaLight is a just a bit brighter - but not enough to go down to the next (33%) level...... So for me for indoors use I find the eternaLight at about 66% or 33% level just about optimum that allows me to see well with wide coverage.

So although I'd love a brighter flashlight - I now have two good reasons not to do the upgrade/mod - even though it is simple and I'm not actually that lazy...... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Lightmeup]

Does your Ergo 3 have a rubber gasket that fits between the two halves of the case when you open it up? I have an ErgoMarine and it has a gasket, but I couldn't tell from your photos whether your Ergo 3 has one, or perhaps you did not include it in the photo?

 

[Sigman]

[ QUOTE ]
UnknownVT said:Why do you prefer the Green/White option, please? Thanks,

[/ QUOTE ]
--------------------
The eyes are more sensitive to green anyway, but mine especially sort of go "Ahhhhhhhh" when using green at night vs. white (which really lights things up and affects nightvision) or vs. red (which REALLY keeps nightvision).

My nightvision is certainly kept with the green and it illuminates more of course than red is what I'm trying to communicate.

 

[Sigman]

[ QUOTE ]
lightmeup said:Does your Ergo 3 have a rubber gasket that fits between the two halves of the case when you open it up?

[/ QUOTE ]
--------------------
All of my eternaLights (from Ergo 3s to the Elite Max) have the gasket.

 

[UnknownVT]

[ QUOTE ]
Sigman said:
[ QUOTE ]
lightmeup said:Does your Ergo 3 have a rubber gasket that fits between the two halves of the case when you open it up?

[/ QUOTE ]
--------------------
All of my eternaLights (from Ergo 3s to the Elite Max) have the gasket.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, that grey thing in the photo of the light opened (in 5th post down - #845053) is the gasket.

Look especially at the close up of the circuit board and LEDs - that grey gasket fits over the LEDs.