Streamlight 4AA LED self-destructs while Reactor outruns Mag/Opalec

brightnorm

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Oct 13, 2001
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Despite its limitations I decided to run test the CMG Reactor against the new Streamlight 4AA LED. My purpose was to choose a (relatively) small LED light other than the Inova X5 that would remain brighter than the Attitude or the Opalec for at least five or six hours, and still have a relatively bright reserve of several hours.

The non-instrumented and relatively informal test was intended to give a general idea about how both the Streamlight and the Reactor performed over a period of at least eight hours. I chose that figure because Brock's chart shows that the Mag/Opalec maintains 100% regulated brightness for that period before dropping off.

I started the test at 1:37AM. Both lights were loaded with fresh lithium AA's (1.77v) and placed on the kitchen table next to a Mag/Opalec ("Magalec"?). The Opalec was loaded with fresh lithiums and kept off. I would only use it periodically to compare with the other lights. I went back to work at my desk for about 45 minutes until I returned to the kitchen for a snack. The Reactor was cool to the touch but the entire rubberized head of the Streamlight was very hot, though the lens was somewhat cooler.

I went back to work and perhaps dozed a bit. When I woke it was 5:39AM and I went to check the lights. The kitchen was filled with a subtle burnt odor. The Streamlight had died while the CMG was still much brighter than the (fresh) Opalec. The rubberizede head of the Streamlight was too hot to touch, but the body was relatively cool. The LED's had turned the color of burnt amber, or of a light rosin. Using a cloth I unscrewed the very tight head. The metalized reflector/heatsink (I thought it was aluminum but it flexes with pressure applied to the sides when the unit is on its side) was still too hot to touch, and the area that contained the "countersunk" LEDS was reticulated within the inner periphery of the LEDS, appearing like crinkled aluminum foil. This effect was especially noticeable within the depressed central portion of the reflector, and I can't say whether this was pre-existing or a result of the test. To put it directly: those LED's were fried.

The Reactor was still significantly brighter than the (fresh) Mag/Opalec and was cool to the touch.

Fast forward to 11:30 AM, my next observation. The (cool) Reactor was still brighter than the fresh Opalec. This was after ten hours of running. The Opalec starts to drop after eight hours, but this one had been run for a total of perhaps 30 seconds over the course of the test and was still not as bright as the Reactor, although they were noticeably closer in brightness than before.

The next check was at 12 hours. The Reactor was now dimmer than the (fresh) Opalec and perhaps slightly brighter than a fresh ARC AAALe, with greater reach because of the collimeter. At this point I stopped the test.

Conclusions:

1) Do not use lithiums with the Streamlight 4AA LED (unless my results were highly atypical)

2)The Reactor out shines and out runs the Streamlight 4AA LED, the Opalec, the Inova X5 and the Attitude for at least 10 hours, and probably altogether. Since some of my conclusions are extrapolated rather than directly measured, I invite others to confirm or adjust them.

3)I will not replace my Streamlight 4AA, and I look forward to receiving my ARC LS 2nd.

4)My Reactor is a keeper.

Brightnorm
 
I'd be interested to see what happens if you send the Streamlight back to Streamlight. Doesn't the PT Surge come with a warning not to use lithiums?
 
Brightnorm,

That SL 4AA LED has a lifetime warranty. Get a new one for free (unless you got that one for free).

The Reactor is 3AA, right?

For those of us who don't want to afford $7.50 per load, what would the comparison be for alkalines--I posted a run time with the 2009 dated batteries that came with the SL.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=003059

I also note there that the light got up to 111F on the bezel after an hour running with alkalines!

If you smelled smoke, I'd suspect the resistors or circuit board...not the LEDs.

Cheers,

Richard
 
Originally posted by MarcV:
That was disturbing news. Thank you, Brightnorm, for your sacrifice.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Ditto...Thanks.
 
Originally posted by rlhess:
...The Reactor is 3AA, right?
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Richard and Albany Tom: The Reactor takes two AA's. I completely forgot about the warranty and threw the d**n thing in the garbage ouside. Unlike with the Surge, I don't recall any anti-lithium warning.

Craig: The "angry sky blue" is how I would characterize the beam, though maybe I'd substitute "ghastly or surreal" for "angry". I never noticed any blue in the LEDS themselves, though didn't really examine them until after the "incident".

Maybe its "sour grapes" but when I first got the light I was disappointed with its ergonomics (that switch!), the relatively large size and the neon yellow/green color which is fine for underwater or emergency use, but rather garish for a land light.

Brightnorm
 
Originally posted by rlhess:
...For those of us who don't want to afford $7.50 per load....
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Richard,

This almost slipped by me; that is a terrific price for lithium AA's. Tim Flanagan was able to get me a similar deal months ago but I haven't seen prices like that for a while. Do you have a reliable source of well post-dated lithiums at this price?

Brightnorm
 
Brightnorm,

Thanks for your sacrifice. I thought the Streamlight 4AA might be a real nice canditate for Lithiums, but I guess not.

Was your Reactor "Puke Green" or a nice white color?

Can you dig your Streamlight out of the trash? I am sure that Streamlight would be interested in seeing the damage caused by lithiums.

There was no specific warning for not using lithium batteries, but it does state this:

BATTERY REPLACEMENT
Remove facecap, LED assembly and expired batteries. Replace with 4 fresh "AA" size alkaline batteries, negative end first, observing polarity.

Also, under specifications, it says:

BATTERIES" 4 "AA" size alkaline

We will all observe a moment of silence for your loss! <grin>.

See if you can fish it out, 24 bucks is 24 bucks, and you get a brand new one.
 
Originally posted by BuddTX:
...Was your Reactor "Puke Green" or a nice white color?...Can you dig your Streamlight out of the trash?....
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Thanks Budd,

Unfortunately I threw it into the City trash container. I went by and didn't see the bag I put it in.

The Reactor isn't too bad a color, a bit pukish but not regurgitatingly so, not nearly as disturbing (to me) as the unpleasantly blue, aggressively pushed Streamlight beam. Perhaps Nichias have reached their practical evolutionary limit. Whatever happened to those "superbright" Nichias and what good are they anyway unless they are more efficient than current ones?

I think Luxeons are just at the beginning of our journey!

Brightnorm
 
Brightnorm,

If they haven't collected it, you should go thru the garbage and retreive it!

I don't buy lithiums that often I thought the last time I bought them they were $2.50 or so a cell. I buy small quantities at Radio Shack. The only thing I use them in are the camera electronic flashes and I go through 12 or so cells per year.

123s make much more sense cost-wise for flashlights, I think, now that you can get them cheeeeep on eBay...or do the CR223 disassembly thing (I don't do that).

Cheers,

Richard
 
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