'Responder' by Koehler-Bright Star

[The_LED_Museum]

\'Responder\' by Koehler-Bright Star

Has anyone tried one of the Division 2 Responder rechargeable torches from Koehler-Bright Star yet?

I just got one in a very mangled box (thank you UPS) and it's very nice. It uses either a rechargeable pack or 4 "C" alkalines.
The bulb is a 4.0 watt quartz iodine type, and the flashlight generates 60,000 BCP.

The light has a UL rating for use in hazardous areas (numerous haz ratings are listed on the flashlight body) and it comes with two extra bulbs inside the head in addition to the one in-use.

Construction is predominantly nylon, with a Sanoprene lens ring, a polycarbonate lens, and something called "Ultem 1000" making up the reflector inside the head.

Supposedly survives 30 foot drop test, is waterproof, and weighs 1 pound fully loaded.

I'll get some pictures when I get a chance. But I wanted to know if anyone else has or has used one of these and what they thought of it.

Say... come to think of it, doesn't Koehler also make sinks and toilet bowls?

 

[Frank]

Re: \'Responder\' by Koehler-Bright Star

That's Kohler. They make a bunch of stuff - plumbing fixtures, engines & furniture.

 

[kb0rrg]

Re: \'Responder\' by Koehler-Bright Star

Thanks for the report. How does the light output compare to other light you own?

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Re: \'Responder\' by Koehler-Bright Star

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by kb0rrg:
Thanks for the report. How does the light output compare to other light you own?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The light compares favorably to my Trek 6000, when the Trek is used with a smooth reflector. The Responder's light is whiter and seems just a touch brighter near the middle than the Trek's.

The Responder's batteries already had about an hour of steady-on usage when I compared the two.

The flashlight - and other junk.

Side view. Looks more like a mining torch than any conventional flashlight.

Disembowelling the head reveals the in-use bulb in the center and two (not one) spares nestled inside.

Beam on the target, as compared to the Trek 1900 (19 overdriven white LEDs).
Distance for this furry picture, about 22".
The area I normally set up the tripod for this shot is still a debris field, so I had to shoot by hand this time.

Responder's beam is clearly visible even when I tried to drown it out with the camera strobe.
This is from about four feet away.

I'll be posting info and more accurate beam pictures on the website probably by the 1st of the month.

 

[Unicorn]

Re: \'Responder\' by Koehler-Bright Star

I've seen an ad for this light that rated it at 60,000 cp using alkalines, but only 45,000 cp using the ni-cad batteries. Have you noticed any difference in the brightness between the two?

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Re: \'Responder\' by Koehler-Bright Star

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Unicorn:
I've seen an ad for this light that rated it at 60,000 cp using alkalines, but only 45,000 cp using the ni-cad batteries. Have you noticed any difference in the brightness between the two?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I haven't had a chance to try, nor am I likely to be able to.
I was only sent the basic model, with alkaline cells pre-installed. I did not receive the NiCd pack or the charger.

But the NiCd pack that goes with this flashlight is 4.8 volts, 1.8aH.
So the light probably will be a bit dimmer with the NiCd pack than with primary batteries.