Pocket Size Foursome

[georget98]

My long lost Tekna Mono-Lith recently surfaced behind a suitcase at the back of a closet.

This was my first EDC "high tech" 123 powered light which I bought around 1985 -- I thought it was pretty cool so I thought I'd compare it with some other lights I have that are around the same size.

First the lights from left to right: <ul type="square"> [*]Tekna Mono-Lith (123) [*]Duracell AA flashlight (1-AA) that came free with an 8 pack of AA Duracells [*]Princeton Tec Blast (2-AAA) [*]Arc LSH-S (123) [/list]

All beamshots were taken from about 8 feet and reasonably accurate as to pattern and color.

Tekna (the great nebula in CPF)

Duracell (the rings of Duracell)

PT Blast (getting better)

Arc LS (what can I say)

Finally all but the LS together

 

[Phaserburn]

All you need to do is superimpose a spaceship of somesort on that last one to have the opening/closing credits of almost any sci-fi show. Jupiter II, Galactica, Enterprise... you pick.

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

My Duracell light has a Lithium AA and a piece of Scotch Tape on the lense. I also fooled around with the bulb to center and better focus it. It does great as a go to the can light etc.

I'll bet that Tekna could be bettered with some fooling and a piece of Writeright....

 

[The_LED_Museum]

That PT Blast beam looks like a SNR (supernova remnant). Maybe you could call it SNR-2003-1. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[paulr]

I got a light that I think is identical to the Duracell light, bundled with an awful zinc-carbon AA cell and a fairly nice ballpoint pen, all for 99 cents. I guess the AA light accounted for about 50 cents of that.

The bezel wouldn't stay on the light! It's like its diameter was slightly too large. I'd screw it down but the spring pushing up on the battery would pop it loose.

I threw away the zinc-carbon cell and put in an alkaline, then squirted a blob of hot-melt glue into the bezel threads and shoved the bezel back on, and it didn't pop off any more. I haven't tried removing it--it's probably on permanently now. That effectively makes it a disposable light, still not bad for under a buck including the alkaline battery. With the alkaline battery the runtime should be at least 4 hours or so. Total light output is a bit more than my Arc AAA, I'd say, though of course the beam pattern is awful. I'll keep it around, it will probably come in handy sometime. This kind of light is good for giving away to strangers during blackouts, etc.

It's interesting that the AA light is about the same length as the other lights which use shorter batteries. It's like they didn't really try to make the other ones small.

 

[BobVA]

I've got one of those Tekna's as well. I carried it as an emergency light on my motorcycle in the early 80's. Still lights up one the OEM battery, too.

I was wondering if it would make a good mod host, or perhaps should be preserved in the interest of flashlight history :-)

(What would be a REAL find would be one without the shiny red highlights on the lettering rubbed off. Perhaps I'll see one at the next flashlight Concours de Elegance....)

 

[paulr]

I guess I remember the Mono-lith now. What kind of bulb does it use?

There's another thread where several people mention they have Splash-Lites they bought in the 1980's that still work fine on their original lithium cell. I bought my Splash-lite used a few months ago, so I don't know whether the cell in it is original or not.

 

[georget98]

[ QUOTE ]
paulr said:
I guess I remember the Mono-lith now. What kind of bulb does it use?

There's another thread where several people mention they have Splash-Lites they bought in the 1980's that still work fine on their original lithium cell. I bought my Splash-lite used a few months ago, so I don't know whether the cell in it is original or not.

[/ QUOTE ]

I remember replacing the battery some time in the 1980's but when I refound the light there was no battery at all.

The bulb is a prefocused screw base 2.2 volts .25 amps, I assumed it's a bype 222

 

[jenks]

Georget98
Is that the bulb out of a Splash-Lite or out of a Micro-Lith?
My Micro-Lith has a 3 jaw bulb holder that clamps around the base of the smooth based bulb. The bulb is not prefocused and the base looks about 3/16 in diameter. The packaging is long gone(but my letering is still red!) but I seem to remember FB1 on the package.
There are no markings on the bulb...
Thanks

 

[Gene]

PlayboyJoe beat me to it as piece of diffused WrightRight on those lenses makes a world of difference! I have one of those Duracell 1XAA and also have a lithium in it and WrightRight on the lens. It's not a bad little light and not as cheap as one would suspect for free!

I also had many Tekna minis in '80's. In fact I traded off the last couple of micros and a "Splash-Lite" recently. The very first 123 celled lights! Man, can you believe 123's in those days were $7.95 apiece! Rugged little suckers but worthless beams.

 

[kubolaw]

[ QUOTE ]
BobVA said:
(What would be a REAL find would be one without the shiny red highlights on the lettering rubbed off. Perhaps I'll see one at the next flashlight Concours de Elegance....)

[/ QUOTE ]

Like this?

Hmm, I guess it's not so shiny anymore, but the red is still there! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I guess I never liked the beam so I hardly used this one (even though I was really excited when I bought it 'lo those many years ago ...

John

 

[danielo_d]

Neat lil light... Especially considering it's from awhile back!