bwaites
Flashlight Enthusiast
The Indium is a new light which JSBurley's may bring here from Great Britain.
It is an interesting concept in lighting technology.
The light itself is a Duncan YoYo sized disc that is slightly covex on both sides, though more on top than bottom.
The body itself appears to be made from anodized aluminum and the back is smooth. The edge of the light sports a circumferential groove deep enough to hold a lanyard if tied with a clove hitch as described in the accompanying literature.
The face of the light has 6 dimples, inside of which, and offset by 60 degrees from the larger dimples, are the LEDs. The area in the middle holds two brass appearing pins which serve as electrical conductors to turn the light on and make adjustments.
At the exact center is the charging pin.
Apart fromt the twin brass contacts and the uniqueness of the shape, the charging method is unique to my experience with flashlights.
The Indium recharges using the accompanying cord which attaches to your computers USB port.
The Indium is turned on by simultaneously touching the two exposed brass pins with one finger. There is some skin moisture variation in individuals, and skin moisture is what allows the miniscule electrical charge that turns on the Indium to work. In my office, no one could turn it on without first wetting their fingers. (I live in a high desert environment where the average winter/spring humidity is probably around 30%.) I am sure this could be adjusted, but at the risk of making the light more sensitive to accidental activiation, and I don't think that would be a good tradeoff.
The 6 LED's appear to be 5mm Nichia or Nichia clones. The LED's in my unit are whiter and brighter than the white LED's in my Inova X5T or Pila tailcap, both of which are bluer. They are not quite as white as my MJLED equipped MiniMag, though they produce slightly more light overall, with more diffusion and less throw.
They are not as white as the BadBoy/TWOJ LuxIII equipped MiniMag that is my best MM incarnation so far. They obviously produce no where near as much light.
The Indium has a couple unique features that make it ideal as an emergency light. One, there is a two level lighting available, with a second touch dimming the light. I would reverse this process if I were to design the light. Second there is a strobing flash, available with a third touch. This would be ideal for a lost hiker/camper or disaster victim.
I have 2 complaints, the first is that the light only runs 4 hours on high and 8 hours on low before needing a recharge. The second, that Low is lower than high, but seems like it is more than 50% as bright, I would like a lower low.
A very cool little light, maybe the ideal office disaster light, depending on what type of cell the rechargeable is. (I am reliably informed it is a rechargeable lithium.)
It won't run forever, but it will run long enough to get to safety under all but the most extenuating circumstances.
It must be carried in a pocket where there are no other metallic items, since any conductive contact with the brass pins can turn the light on.
Bill
It is an interesting concept in lighting technology.
The light itself is a Duncan YoYo sized disc that is slightly covex on both sides, though more on top than bottom.
The body itself appears to be made from anodized aluminum and the back is smooth. The edge of the light sports a circumferential groove deep enough to hold a lanyard if tied with a clove hitch as described in the accompanying literature.
The face of the light has 6 dimples, inside of which, and offset by 60 degrees from the larger dimples, are the LEDs. The area in the middle holds two brass appearing pins which serve as electrical conductors to turn the light on and make adjustments.
At the exact center is the charging pin.
Apart fromt the twin brass contacts and the uniqueness of the shape, the charging method is unique to my experience with flashlights.
The Indium recharges using the accompanying cord which attaches to your computers USB port.
The Indium is turned on by simultaneously touching the two exposed brass pins with one finger. There is some skin moisture variation in individuals, and skin moisture is what allows the miniscule electrical charge that turns on the Indium to work. In my office, no one could turn it on without first wetting their fingers. (I live in a high desert environment where the average winter/spring humidity is probably around 30%.) I am sure this could be adjusted, but at the risk of making the light more sensitive to accidental activiation, and I don't think that would be a good tradeoff.
The 6 LED's appear to be 5mm Nichia or Nichia clones. The LED's in my unit are whiter and brighter than the white LED's in my Inova X5T or Pila tailcap, both of which are bluer. They are not quite as white as my MJLED equipped MiniMag, though they produce slightly more light overall, with more diffusion and less throw.
They are not as white as the BadBoy/TWOJ LuxIII equipped MiniMag that is my best MM incarnation so far. They obviously produce no where near as much light.
The Indium has a couple unique features that make it ideal as an emergency light. One, there is a two level lighting available, with a second touch dimming the light. I would reverse this process if I were to design the light. Second there is a strobing flash, available with a third touch. This would be ideal for a lost hiker/camper or disaster victim.
I have 2 complaints, the first is that the light only runs 4 hours on high and 8 hours on low before needing a recharge. The second, that Low is lower than high, but seems like it is more than 50% as bright, I would like a lower low.
A very cool little light, maybe the ideal office disaster light, depending on what type of cell the rechargeable is. (I am reliably informed it is a rechargeable lithium.)
It won't run forever, but it will run long enough to get to safety under all but the most extenuating circumstances.
It must be carried in a pocket where there are no other metallic items, since any conductive contact with the brass pins can turn the light on.
Bill