Curious_character
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2006
- Messages
- 1,211
I just got a couple of these Sylvania 4AA lanterns via a group buy. They're identical to the Osram Golden Dragon lantern reviewed here. The light pattern is quite reasonably even, the lantern is remarkably small, and it looks like they'll be very handy.
Of course, I couldn't resist doing some modifying. I had some Cree P4 bin emitters pulled from lights I'd upgraded to Q5, so I put them into the lanterns in place of the original emitters. The result was an increase by a factor of 3 in the measured light output, with only a 10% decrease in run time. I'm not able to do a very good job of measuring the total light output, however, but the intensity difference is roughly the same in a few directions I checked, so the increase in total light is also around three times. It's certainly a worthwhile increase for a simple mod. Even putting in a Luxeon should improve the output of the original emitter by a factor of 1-1/2 to 2.
Here's the light output and run times of the original light with Eneloop NiMH cells, and modified lights with alkaline and Eneloop cells, with measurement made directly broadside to the light:
I'm not able to do a run time test which goes beyond the length of the night because my test range isn't light tight. Judging by the battery current drain, the light should run for about 30 hours on low with Eneloop cells, and 6 or more times as long as on high with alkaline cells.
The initial light level drop with both battery types looks suspiciously like the result of LED heating. There's a metal slug in contact with the LED, but at around one watt dissipation, it would get pretty hot. I suspect that a better heat sink would reduce the output level drop, but there isn't any good way to get the heat out of the lamp. So the drop is probably unavoidable.
Especially after the mod, these are very nice and handy little lanterns.
c_c
Of course, I couldn't resist doing some modifying. I had some Cree P4 bin emitters pulled from lights I'd upgraded to Q5, so I put them into the lanterns in place of the original emitters. The result was an increase by a factor of 3 in the measured light output, with only a 10% decrease in run time. I'm not able to do a very good job of measuring the total light output, however, but the intensity difference is roughly the same in a few directions I checked, so the increase in total light is also around three times. It's certainly a worthwhile increase for a simple mod. Even putting in a Luxeon should improve the output of the original emitter by a factor of 1-1/2 to 2.
Here's the light output and run times of the original light with Eneloop NiMH cells, and modified lights with alkaline and Eneloop cells, with measurement made directly broadside to the light:
I'm not able to do a run time test which goes beyond the length of the night because my test range isn't light tight. Judging by the battery current drain, the light should run for about 30 hours on low with Eneloop cells, and 6 or more times as long as on high with alkaline cells.
The initial light level drop with both battery types looks suspiciously like the result of LED heating. There's a metal slug in contact with the LED, but at around one watt dissipation, it would get pretty hot. I suspect that a better heat sink would reduce the output level drop, but there isn't any good way to get the heat out of the lamp. So the drop is probably unavoidable.
Especially after the mod, these are very nice and handy little lanterns.
c_c
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