Power draw ebay AA lights

[RogerO]

I have three different $1-2 ebay single AA lights. I checked the power drawn at the tail today and found one at 169 ma, one at 90 ma, and one at 79 ma. All were sold as "3 watt" and for what they are produce an acceptable amount of light. Any idea of why the difference and why even the highest appears to draw only one quarter of a watt?

Also has anyone taken out the LED and driver? How hard is it and does anything have to be broken/cut?

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I have three different $1-2 ebay single AA lights. I checked the power drawn at the tail today and found one at 169 ma, one at 90 ma, and one at 79 ma. All were sold as "3 watt" and for what they are produce an acceptable amount of light. Any idea of why the difference and why even the highest appears to draw only one quarter of a watt?

Also has anyone taken out the LED and driver? How hard is it and does anything have to be broken/cut?

You get what you paid for, they cannot make and sell and ship true 3 watt LED lights for $2 or less, just not economically profitable. You are getting generic 5mm LEDs perhaps half watt LEDs or 5mm that can handle 40ma overdrive at 169ma with circuit losses and such the LED probably is getting about 30-50ma. It takes a more expensive circuit and heatsinked emitters that cost more to build a true 3 watt type light and even at that most 1AA lights cannot push 3watts to the emitter that cost less than $20, that would be roughly 1 amp to the LED which cheapo LEDs cannot handle, drive circuits would have to draw close to 3 amps from the battery to drive it at that level.
So you can rate it at the draw from the battery, from the current delivered to the LED, or the type of LED used. Or the "style" of light similar to 3watt LED light designs.

 

[mcnair55]

And what do you think the major makers do with there product that do not meet there specs?They throw nothing away they sell them on cheap.Many auto bulbs are now made in China by the top manufacturers in the world and mis made bulbs although working are sold on.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

And what do you think the major makers do with there product that do not meet there specs?They throw nothing away they sell them on cheap.Many auto bulbs are now made in China by the top manufacturers in the world and mis made bulbs although working are sold on.

If it doesn't have a known brand label you just have to beware the stats on the package could be completely bogus. When I buy anything that is an off brand I do my homework and if possible inspect/try it or buy it from a place I can get my money back plain and simple. A lot of stuff on ebay is cheap knockoffs of brand name products sold here in the US and YMMV widely. Chinese factories are set up to make a name brand product and someone gets ahold of it, reverse engineers it cutting corners to make it easiser and cheaper and markets it for sell in China (and on ebay). The $2 lights can be useful for the price, but essentially are cheap and disposable. I have some husky 1AA lights that are nice for the price I paid 2/$3 but rather unimpressive compared to a decent outdated luxeon 1 flashlight.
Stereos have the same problem of inflated power stats, lawnmower manufacturers were sued in a class action suit over inflated horsepower ratings, air compressor makers inflate their horsepower ratings. Vacuum cleaners are rated by how many amps they draw (current) but told instead this is "power" which is an outright lie as an innefficient vacuum can draw more current yet have less suction power. Stereo amps are rated at times at pmpo (peak maximum power output) which basically says at the most optimum note for an instant it can put out a zillion watts which is meaningless to actual usage.
welcome to the real world of false advertising, ebay is home to it.

 

[mcnair55]

If it doesn't have a known brand label you just have to beware the stats on the package could be completely bogus. When I buy anything that is an off brand I do my homework and if possible inspect/try it or buy it from a place I can get my money back plain and simple. A lot of stuff on ebay is cheap knockoffs of brand name products sold here in the US and YMMV widely. Chinese factories are set up to make a name brand product and someone gets ahold of it, reverse engineers it cutting corners to make it easiser and cheaper and markets it for sell in China (and on ebay). The $2 lights can be useful for the price, but essentially are cheap and disposable. I have some husky 1AA lights that are nice for the price I paid 2/$3 but rather unimpressive compared to a decent outdated luxeon 1 flashlight.
Stereos have the same problem of inflated power stats, lawnmower manufacturers were sued in a class action suit over inflated horsepower ratings, air compressor makers inflate their horsepower ratings. Vacuum cleaners are rated by how many amps they draw (current) but told instead this is "power" which is an outright lie as an innefficient vacuum can draw more current yet have less suction power. Stereo amps are rated at times at pmpo (peak maximum power output) which basically says at the most optimum note for an instant it can put out a zillion watts which is meaningless to actual usage.
welcome to the real world of false advertising, ebay is home to it.

I am well aware of the above and totally agree and my statement I also stand by as I have knowledge of what is done with non spec parts.

 

[Paul_in_Maryland]

...lawnmower manufacturers were sued in a class action suit over inflated horsepower ratings...

Lawmower makers were sued because they were advertising the engine's maximum horsepower, a figure never reached because every lawnmower engine is derated to prevent the blade from reaching too high a tip speed.

Rather than advertise the derated horsepower, the makers now advertise torque, a measure that is at once more accurate and more meaningful.

 

[Tuikku]

Today I saw a very similar light compared to these ebay 1$ lights at local market for price 6.90€. [8,7$]
Well, at least it was packed in plastic and had 1 AA battery with it.