Looking for a really great LED lantern

[jcalvert]

" I just dont like the green finder led pulling juice all the time, but I've seen you can some how disable this."

Any instruction for how you do this?

I don't know of a way to disable the light. I would suggest going to the modification section to search the topic or start a thread.

But I really don't understand what the big deal is about the beacon. I bought my first of these lanterns a year and a half ago, have used it numerous times for hours at a time, have kept the batteries in it for emergencies with the beacon still going and it's still nearly as bright today as the day I bought it. Although I should probably change the batteries in the near future.

I look at it this way, outside of camping for instance, if you do as we do and have the lanterns ready to go strategically placed around the house, then if a power outage occurs, you're ready to go. And if an outage occurs at night, then the beacon could conveivably help my wife and kids locate them If I'm not home.

On fresh alkaline batteries, the lantern is designed to last two+ years with the beacon draining an inconsequential amount of juice relative to having the lantern just sit around without a beacon. Otherwise, if your not going to have an occasional use between camping outings, or having it/them ready for emergencies, then you should be removing the batteries anyway before they go sour and leak which could easily happen within two years.

If the beacon's flash bothers anyone that much, (which I can't imagine unless you're staring right at it at eye level, all day long), rather than going to the extent of tearing apart the lantern to disable the beacon, I would just turn it backwards or I would suggest simply cutting a small, neatly cut piece of electrial tape, which is available in green as well as black, and simply cover the beacon.

But that's just me!

John

 

[Gto19]

Thanks guys just bought the rayovac 300

 

[etc]

Looks interesting. Still cheap on Amazon. Gets really good reviews too:

http://www.amazon.com/Rayovac-SE3DL...ageNumber=2&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

 

[jcalvert]

Looks interesting. Still cheap on Amazon. Gets really good reviews too:

http://www.amazon.com/Rayovac-SE3DL...ageNumber=2&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

etc,

Head to the manufacturer's website for the Rayovac lantern, virtually unknown in the U.S., because they make products only under other company's brands/labels and then head to the "New Products" page to see what else thay have. You may be surprised at what you find for illumination products.

Favour Light, http://www.favourlight.com/1/#products/LT-1813D

All the best,
John

 

[pae77]

etc,

Head to the manufacturer's website for the Rayovac lantern, virtually unknown in the U.S., because they make products only under other company's brands/labels and then head to the "New Products" page to see what else thay have. You may be surprised at what you find for illumination products.

Favour Light, http://www.favourlight.com/1/#products/LT-1813D

All the best,
John

Does the Favour Light company actually sell products direct to consumers? :confused:

It doesn't appear so from looking at their website but perhaps I'm missing something.

 

[umc]

+ 100 on the rayovac sporstman extreme. I have 6 of them I think. I bought one and couldn't resist picking up another and another and another, you get the idea. They really are the best led lantern out there, I spent a ton of time on the lantern forum here and the results are and have been in, its this lantern as the winner.

As far as disabling the beacon you have to take the lantern apart to do so. There is a thread here somewhere where someone took readings on the beacon and from what I remember it was concluded that it would last pretty much forever.

 

[Imon]

I've never really paid attention to the flashing green locator LED on my Sportsman Extreme.
Initially it is annoying but, perhaps, like me, it'll quickly take a backseat in your consciousness and you'll really never notice it again. As for the battery drain issue, I don't think it's large enough to be significant and if you do leave it in there long enough for it to drain your battery, they would have probably already leaked.
I have my Sportsman Extreme propped up on top of my bedpost above my head and I use it as a light to read before I go to sleep. It been used about 30-40 minutes almost every night for half a year and I'm still on the same set of batteries. Granted, I have it on "low" mode but it's still bright enough to read by. :)

Also, be aware that while 300 lumens may be quite impressive for a flashlight because it is directional a lantern has to spread that light out 360 degrees. It might actually seem somewhat dim outside.

 

[batmanacw]

Two more options include the Black Diamond Orbit and Apollo. Both are excellent lanterns.

All of my lanterns are based on AA batteries running eneloops. The Apollo gives the best quality light of any lantern I have ever seen. Its very easy on the eyes and has a low setting that should run much longer than they quote on the package.

The Orbit is a great little light. Same light quality and a nice low.


I also love the coleman High Tech mini lantern. I have personally run it for over 100 hours on low with eneloops. The light is a little more harsh, but the globe is well diffused so its not bad at all.

I have away my coleman mini hiker and river rock lanterns after buying these lanterns.

I don't care to start stocking D or C batteries or carrying them to a camp site. My lanterns are part of my survival strategy, so I have the means to charge the batteries for years after the power goes out.

 

[batmanacw]

Ok so the Rayovac 300 seems to be a big leader right now. I just dont like the green finder led pulling juice all the time, but I've seen you can some how disable this.

I had seen a Dorcy LED at ****s that had 2 leds & a third amber LED for super low light, which I think is a great idea:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GNC9A4/?tag=cpf0b6-20

It's only 160w light, which is obviously a big difference from the Rayovac.

Does anyone know of any other higher lumen lanterns that also have this amber light for super low light situations?

I'm also highly considering the cranking style of lanterns, but I've read mixed reviews. A lot of the lanterns in this particular area seem to be junk & the cranking feature doesnt seem to last very long.

Are there any higher end, heavy duty, long lasting cranking LED lanterns out there?

This one was suggested:

http://windupradio.com/FPindigolantern.htm

For 60 seconds of cranking, you get almost 3 hours of light - thats a pretty good ratio for the effort.

But it doesnt state how many lumens it is? I'm sure its not upwards of 300 like the Rayovac though.

I also love the idea of the Coleman Quad LED lantern, but it takes 8 D batteries & seems pretty heavy. It would be something great to keep around the house, but think its too much weight for camping.

I dont know, I guess I'm still on the fence yet. I'd love to find one that accepts batteries, (3-4 D batteries MAX) is rechargeable like the Coleman 4D LED Classic - XPS is, but also has a crank feature with a low light amber LED.

Does my perfect lantern exist out there?

Cranking lights is for people who don't have anything else to do. In a camping situation its fine, especially if you have kids. My lanterns are for emergency use. I have means to charge the batteries via solar power for years. When I need those lights to perform, I won't have time to play with them. Also, small, bright, and light with multimodes is the way to go for me.

 

[sol-leks]

Coleman also makes a 4AA xponent packaway lantern which is a bit more compact and a bit brighter.

 

[ama230]

Has anybody had a hands on on the favour light 6D 400lumen led lantern as this looks like my next purchase it looks like the ultimate lantern as I already have the 300lumen and love it. Seems like it has a little longer life due to two extra d's. Also the spot light on the front is awesome as it runs for a month on this and is still bright as 26 lumens.

I just emailed them and well see how much they want.

Also I want that cree xpe induction charging light they have as I had just ordered the coast m7r and then this shows up, wtf. The only downside is the minh 3.6v 1800mah battery, wonder if its removable?

 

[jcalvert]

Does the Favour Light company actually sell products direct to consumers? :confused:

It doesn't appear so from looking at their website but perhaps I'm missing something.

pae77,

No, that was always my problem after I figured out that Favour Light was behind the little River Rock lanterns I use to buy at Target and which you can still find on some websites under a different brand label, maybe eGear.

You see, FL either only manufactures or is the main marketing arm of a larger manufacturing corporation in Taiwan. They don't sell direct and have never responded to one of my emails.

So what I do is if I see a product on the FL website, I try to find that product sold in the U.S. under some other U.S. based brand. Like with the Rayovacs, the model numbers usually match identically with FL model number. When I first saw the FL version of the Rayovacs on FL's website, I started the search that ended a few miles away at my local Lowes, then Amazon for the Minis.

I'm doing the same thing now with some of their higher end flashlights, but cannot find a dealer for them in the U.S. I did however find an English written Taiwanese website retailer that carries the flashlights and they have responded to my intitial email query. They said they would get back with me if they could provide a list of any U.S. based dealers.

If anyone has had any better luck with higher-end flashlights from FL's website, please forward the information with a PM. Thanks!

John

Has anybody had a hands on on the favour light 6D 400lumen led lantern as this looks like my next purchase it looks like the ultimate lantern as I already have the 300lumen and love it. Seems like it has a little longer life due to two extra d's. Also the spot light on the front is awesome as it runs for a month on this and is still bright as 26 lumens.

ama230,

I just emailed them and well see how much they want.

Also I want that cree xpe induction charging light they have as I had just ordered the coast m7r and then this shows up, wtf. The only downside is the minh 3.6v 1800mah battery, wonder if its removable?

Boy I would like that lantern also and again I've tried to get FL to respond to numerous emails without success. However, a while back, I did a google search and found that specific lantern somewhere in Europe, but I failed to save the information. However, I tried another search again today and I couldn't find the same site. Oh well.

If you find it, will you let me know if it's available for shipping to the U.S. along with the website link. I would appreciate that. Thanks!

John

 

[JohnnyScience]

Hmm. The rayovac is still the leader.

I like the cranking idea for a SHTF situation.

You guys say you have means to charge your batteries for years... what are you using, a solar charger? But dont they have to be special batteries then?

 

[jcalvert]

Hmm. The rayovac is still the leader.

I like the cranking idea for a SHTF situation.

You guys say you have means to charge your batteries for years... what are you using, a solar charger? But dont they have to be special batteries then?

JS,

Only one poster, "batmanacw" says >>>"I don't care to start stocking D or C batteries or carrying them to a camp site. My lanterns are part of my survival strategy, so I have the means to charge the batteries for years after the power goes out. " and later says "I have means to charge the batteries via solar power for years."<<<

So he would have to answer your question regarding special batteries.

You earlier posted that, >>>"This one was suggested:

http://windupradio.com/FPindigolantern.htm

For 60 seconds of cranking, you get almost 3 hours of light - thats a pretty good ratio for the effort.

But it doesnt state how many lumens it is? I'm sure its not upwards of 300 like the Rayovac though"<<<

From the Freeplay webpage directly,

>>>Light Source:
5mm Ultra Bright white LED cluster
10mm Single Ultra Bright white LED

Shine Time:
Cluster
Fully recharged battery - 70 hours (night light)
Fully recharged battery - 2 hours 45 minutes (max-bright)
60-second wind - 3 hours (night light)
60-second wind - 6 minutes (max-bright)
Single LED
Fully Charged - 40 hours
60 second wind -1 hour
Adapter Charge rate:
12-15 hours -100% capacity<<<

So for a one minute of cranking, you'll get 6 minutes of "max-bright" "shine time" or a three hour night light of a few lumens at best.

JS, it wouldn't hurt to have an emergency back-up, wind-up lantern. My brother-in-law has the very same lantern he received as a low-budget Xmas gift. But I can assure you that having cranked it myself for well over a minute that the amount of "max-brigh, shine-time" lumens you get is rediculously low. I be suprised if it reached 50 lumens.

So if you want to sit around camp and crank a Freeplay every six minutes for no more light than the Rayovac Extreme Sportsman Mini lantern on the low setting, then by all means.

You asked what most of us thought was a serious inquiry with, >>>"I dont want to spend over $60 if I dont have to...

But I do want a very durable, bright, high quality lantern with possible multi functions."<<<

The Freeplay is a cute little back-up, but if your serious about getting a "durable, bright, high quality lantern with possible multi functions.", the overwhelming majority have provided you with a serious solution that runs on only (3) "D" cell batteries for what seems like forever.

I personally don't think we can help you any further. You should give the Rayovac a try for less than half of your budget at $25, or get a much more expensive alternative like a BD Titan (4 "d" cell) lantern with less ouput and runtime for a bigger, heavier lantern and outside of your budget at Amazon; http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002UPWCAO/?tag=cpf0b6-20, or plan on cranking the night away.

I hope we have helped you make a decision. Have fun camping, this is a great time of the year for it!!!

John

 

[EXCALIBUR1]

jcalvert,

Thanks for all the great information about the Rayovac lanterns. I already have a Rayovac Sportsman Extreme 300 lantern and use it for camping and emergencies. I just ordered two Rayovac Sportsman 70 Mini lanterns. You can never have too many lanterns and flashlights.:thumbsup:

 

[jcalvert]

jcalvert,

Thanks for all the great information about the Rayovac lanterns. I already have a Rayovac Sportsman Extreme 300 lantern and use it for camping and emergencies. I just ordered two Rayovac Sportsman 70 Mini lanterns. You can never have too many lanterns and flashlights.:thumbsup:

Ex,

Exactly, we have already needed ours for thunderstorm and ice storm related blackouts. With four of us in the house, we are all within reach of a Mini in our seperate bedrooms and the 300L's are in the living room and basement for extended blackouts. We just take the camping card games indoors and use the Rayovacs in the same way!

All the best,
John

 

[jcalvert]

Has anybody had a hands on on the favour light 6D 400lumen led lantern as this looks like my next purchase it looks like the ultimate lantern as I already have the 300lumen and love it. Seems like it has a little longer life due to two extra d's. Also the spot light on the front is awesome as it runs for a month on this and is still bright as 26 lumens.

I just emailed them and well see how much they want.

Also I want that cree xpe induction charging light they have as I had just ordered the coast m7r and then this shows up, wtf. The only downside is the minh 3.6v 1800mah battery, wonder if its removable?

ama230,

FYI. The Taiwanese retailer emailed me back with info on one of the flashlights I was interested in, but only the one. Turns out it's the River Rock distributor/dealer that sold those 3xAA lanterns at Target, but are no longer available, which is OK because the Rayovac Mini (also made by Favour Light) is better anyway: http://www.riverrockledlights.com/store.php.

I replied with a thank you and requested info on that 400L lantern we're interested in. Maybe they'll respond with a U.S. based source.

As for the flashlights that RR carries from Favour Light, although the specs are nearly identical, the pictures are bit different. I wonder if FL makes minor cosmetic changes for each country or continent or for some other reason.

Here's both the FL version and RR version of 750L flashlight I'm thinking about:
FL: http://www.favourlight.com/1/#products/ALC-2512L
RR: http://www.riverrockledlights.com/shop/tactical_lights/6v_tac-ops_t4_led_flashlight_r-ac42l.php.

I'll let you know if they provide info on the 400L lantern (DC regulated BTW).

And just to tease you, check this one out, even though it's CFL, it's 600L's and rechargeable.

We must stop the madness!!! (I just really wanted to use that icon).

John

 

[RobertM]

All of my lanterns are based on AA batteries running eneloops. The Apollo gives the best quality light of any lantern I have ever seen. Its very easy on the eyes and has a low setting that should run much longer than they quote on the package.

The Orbit is a great little light. Same light quality and a nice low.


I also love the coleman High Tech mini lantern. I have personally run it for over 100 hours on low with eneloops. The light is a little more harsh, but the globe is well diffused so its not bad at all.

I have away my coleman mini hiker and river rock lanterns after buying these lanterns.

I don't care to start stocking D or C batteries or carrying them to a camp site. My lanterns are part of my survival strategy, so I have the means to charge the batteries for years after the power goes out.

Would you say the Apollo is bright enough to see around a small campsite? Bright enough to see everything to pack-up a campsite at night?

Thanks,
Robert

 

[jcalvert]

Would you say the Apollo is bright enough to see around a small campsite? Bright enough to see everything to pack-up a campsite at night?

Thanks,
Robert

Robert,

IMHO, no. It's a really nice quality-made product, like all BD's products, but it's $50 retail ($30 something when on sale) for only 56 lumens.

http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/lighting/apollo?utm_source=msn&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=black%20diamond%20apollo&utm_content=Apollo_Copy3Deep&utm_campaign=Product-Lighting

It makes for a really nice tent light because it dims down to a night light mode for the kids. It's also stable on the uneven terrain your tent may be laying on with its long legs, of course it can be hung, and has available for purchase a seperate recharging kit for another $30.

I tried it out and I really liked it inside the tent, but for the price, I took it back and I will take the Rayovac Mini LED lantern all day long (for around $14 on sale at Amazon) inside the tent and out.

However, I always rely on my Princeton Tec Remix Pro headlamp for everything from reading inside the tent (or the house) to walking around the woods (or the neighborhood) and the Rayovac Sportsman Extreme 300 lumen lantern for around the campsite. Especially for setting up or breaking camp in the dark.

I hope this helps!

John

 

[bthrel]

After reading here I just purchased a Rayovac Sportsman Extreme 300. I don't like alkaline batteries at all so I plan to use AA eneloops in the D adapters. Probably need to do a runtime test to see how long I can count on it since the D's have more capacity than the AA's

Brian