everled review and discussion

[turbodog]

I hadn't bought a light in a week or so, so I decided to order an everled and a opalec from brightguy. Before buying the everled, I looked for reviews/etc on it, and came up short. I did read Craig's review, before you ask.

I put this up here to show other people a few things I missed in the reviews, and to ask why doesn't this thing get more coverage here?

Other reviews say that the bulb is good for 1-6 cells. However, the box/manual says that full power is only realized after using 3 or more cells. This leads me to believe that this thing is only using a "downboy" type regulator. I hope to take some time to setup my multimeters and monitor it with different input voltages. Sadly I do not have a light meter though.

I put it in a 4 cell d mag, and am HIGHLY pleased with the color output and beam focusability. It would be nice if I could get my hands on a spacer to move the bulb further up in the holder. I think this would allow better and tighter focusing, as the focus tightness reaches maximum before the cam mechanism "bottoms out". This seems to me to put the bulb in the wrong spot for best focusing from the parabolic reflector. Even with this, I could easily and clearly light up stuff from 150' away.

Probably the best way I could describe it is to say that if you didn't know it was an led bulb in your mag/etc, you could not tell the difference.

Others are welcome to flame, oops, I mean comment on all this.

As to the second objective I have... why doesn't this bulb get more exposure here??? We're all wanting high power led lights with good throw, focusability, heatsinking, etc. Unless I am way off here, this thing fits the bill pretty darn well. Spend about $40 for the bulb and take a standard mag (1-6 cells) c or d size batts and you have a pretty darn good setup. I don't see a huge reason someone could not make this thing in a 5 watt version. There is enough physical room to work to even add an adjustment pot (aka madmax).

So what gives... is this a "too easy" solution. Sometimes I think we all like doing things the hard way.

Also, back to color for a second. I REALLY love the color temp on this thing. It doesn't have the washed out blue look of so many other led lights. I compared it to the opalec module, my badboy 400, and my arc lsh. Colors look more vivid with it. What's up with that? That is partly what I meant when I said you would not know it was an led if you could only see the beam.

edit: The emitter and brass part were exactly as pictured on various web sites, but the positive battery contact was off center and sloppy, with manufacturing residues present. The engraved "everled" on the side of the bulb was filled in with some white powder that looked like powdered sheetrock or something. It still fit in the light fine though.

 

[pedalinbob]

i am intrigued with the everled as well. dont have one yet.

i wondered if it might work better with a high dome instead of a side emitter.

i am primarily interested in fitting our tec-40's with them, but have read differing opinions on the beam: some good, some bad.

again: anyone with an opinion on the tec-40 and everled????

also, the older model everled was polarity sensitive: reverse polarity=fry it.

the new ones supposedly have resolved this issue.

Bob

 

[Quickbeam]

I was promised one for review in March.

I was told in early November that I'm in the system to have a sample shipped.

Still waiting.

As soon as (if) I receive one I'll post the review on my site.

 

[turbodog]

Well, I must have gotten an old one. Instructions say to not reverse the polarity. As far as high dome... the whole thing about these guys is the side emitter. That's what allows focusing. I put it in a tec 20 for a minute... beam looked almost exactly like the halogen bulb.

 

[James S]

I have one of the first production run. It has a side emitter and has worked pretty good in all but one or 2 strange lights I have that are wired with the correct polarity.

The beam quality is almost identical in every case to what a regular bulb would be, but it's color, brightness, runtime and ruggedness are superior to that bulb.

I've used it in several Mags and it's worked just fine. Right now it's in a 2AA glow powder plastic molded flashlight where it works great too.

In some flashlights there is a very strange sort of halo effect around the regular beam that is not there in the standard bulb. This isn't a problem, but if you're looking for specifics.

If you have a non-polity protected one it is VERY important to check it first. It can survive a second or 2 (at least mine has /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif ) When you first turn it on, pay attention and if it doesn't light instantly turn it off and check the polarity again.

All in all I'm quite happy with mine.

EDIT: more info on the circuit. It is a boost/buck system. Below the drive voltage of the LED it will boost the voltage. It is slightly brighter on 3 or more cells than with 2, but not so significantly that I would go out and get a 3D Mag if I already had a 2D one.

Some folks here did specific readings on the output, but the summary is that it gets a little brighter somewhere between 2 and 3 cells and doesn't get any significantly brighter all the way up to the limit.

But it's not just a downboy type converter, it is actually boosting the voltage if you have only 2 cells.

 

[Empath]

There has actually been extensive discussion and review of the EverLed. I'm not sure why you ask why it's not discussed more.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

Does anyone know if you can use rechargeable batteries with the everled? I have five C NiMH's in my 4D Mag.

Bill

 

[Big_Ed]

I put an Everled in a Mag 3-C. I love it. I'll probably buy another 1 or 2. The fact that it's regulated is great. I love the idea that the light will maintain most of it's brightness throughout the life of the batteries.

 

[turbodog]

Hmmm... I searched and could not find a whole bunch on it. I did find some stuff, but did not ever find a mention of the fact that it needs 3 cells or above to achieve full brightness. My original plan was to run it in a cut down 1 c mag lite.

 

[illumiGeek]

[ QUOTE ]
pedalinbob said:
i am intrigued with the everled as well. dont have one yet.

i wondered if it might work better with a high dome instead of a side emitter.

i am primarily interested in fitting our tec-40's with them, but have read differing opinions on the beam: some good, some bad.

again: anyone with an opinion on the tec-40 and everled????

also, the older model everled was polarity sensitive: reverse polarity=fry it.

the new ones supposedly have resolved this issue.

Bob

[/ QUOTE ]

I got one last month and it still comes with the reverse polarity damage warning.

As for the results in a PT40, I have tried it, but I believe my EverLED is defective, so I don't know how much help my opinion will be. The beam pattern is a nice diffused spot with decent throw. There is a single diffused, irregular ring around the central spot, and a good amount of spill. (BTW: my PT40 has the stippled reflector...)

Beam color and brightness are a real disappointment (I believe mine is bad, and have written to LED Supply about this). Brightness is not comparible to an average Krypton or Halogen lamp, and the color has a sickly yellow-green tint.

I have a home-made 1W Luxeon "bulb" that totally smokes the EverLED in both brightness and color. After mentioning this in another thread and reading what other CPF members have to say about it, I now believe my EverLED is performing very poorly and recently emailed LedSupply about my disappointment. Hopefully they will take care of me.

Aloha, iG