Lowe's Coast Microchip 60 hour 1.45 watt INdustrial flashlight

[degarb]

I really can't review this light since it is now returned to the store.

I was skeptical--30 lumens and 60 hours--so I called Coast. "How can 4 AA with 4.8 watt-hr do 60 hours at 1.45 watts? Is this a breakthrough from Ohm's law?" I asked. "Well, it has a microchip and ....", some babbling answer...Lumiled... So, I bought the $40 light, in hopes we have a miracle microchip.

Pro's it had a metal head with tightly built plastic body for heat sinking but still light; beam was tight and focused; water proof to many meters;pretty color plastic. Cons: Light dimmed to pen light after little more than hour on first test, then continued to run a barely visible light for next 60 hours.

Lowes had a good return policy (can look up check reciepts.)

 

[soffiler]

Many flashlight marketers play games with the specifications, and Coast is one of the most egregious offenders, in my humble opinion. Take for example the Coast #7438 Focusing Lenser - the package claims 3.44 watts, 60 lumens, and up to 85 hours of runtime - running off 3xAAA! Now, the Focusing Lenser happens to be a fantastic host for a Seoul P4 mod and throws one of the biggest hotspots in the LED business. But runtime is realistically 60-75 minutes when measured to the point where it drops to 50% of initial stable output. I haven't tried to run it for 85 hours but I suspect there might be a photon or two still dribbling out by then.

(That's part of the beauty of alkalines... as they deplete, they build up internal resistance, cutting down their own output and extending runtimes at reduced output levels)

Heck, even Surefire isn't immune to the marketing game. When the G2L and 6PL were announced earlier this year, there was talk of 12 hour runtimes and 80 lumens. Turns out 80 lumens is correct, and runtime is pretty nice at 3+ hours, but testing has revealed they're down under 5 lumens by the 12 hour mark.

 

[degarb]

Heck, even Surefire isn't immune to the marketing game. When the G2L and 6PL were announced earlier this year, there was talk of 12 hour runtimes and 80 lumens. Turns out 80 lumens is correct, and runtime is pretty nice at 3+ hours, but testing has revealed they're down under 5 lumens by the 12 hour mark.

I almost bought one. Do they have a useable 50 lumen mode for 7-8 hours?

 

[awberke]

I almost bought one. Do they have a useable 50 lumen mode for 7-8 hours?

It is a single mode flashlight, twist on, momentary button.

 

[soffiler]

I almost bought one. Do they have a useable 50 lumen mode for 7-8 hours?

As awberke said above, the SF G2L (and 6PL, same LED dropin) are single-mode 2x123 lights w/ twisty and momentary button.

chevrofreak did runtime testing, posted here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=176621&highlight=G2L

Notice the rapid drop in G2L output, but a longer runtime vs 6PL. This is actually a thermal protection circuit cutting output to control temperature. However, this was tested with the original plastic bezel on the G2L, whereas now they are shipping with an aluminum bezel so I'd expect better heat management and less thermal limiting, so, the new G2L probably acts more like the 6PL. It's 3 hours 18 minutes to drop to 50%. My personal opinion - by the time you drop to 10% of initial output you're very, very done, and that occurs around 5 hours. Those early claims of 11-12 hours, which were attributed directly to SureFire, are just another case of the marketing department playing games with numbers. That said, I like the G2L quite a lot.