Worldwide first regulated solar rechargeable keychain LED light

[remuen]

Added 04-24-02:
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I renamed this thread to its original name because the group buy is closed. You will still find some general informations about this group buy here in this thread
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Yesterday I bought a solar rechargeable keychain LED light with a lithium solar rechargeable cell in a tools shop. It's manufactured by a small Swiss company. I couldn't find a web site with this product.

picture added later
Therefore here some details:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI> Manufacturer: AVEXA AG, CH-9630 Wattwil, phone + 41 71 988 41 22, fax +41 71 988 41 24
<LI> Product name: Free Light Solar Flashlight
<LI> Size: 5.5 x 3 x 0.9 mm
<LI> price: SFr 31 -> about $19.40
<LI> lithium solar rechargeable cells, overcharge protected
<LI> glass solar panel
<LI> water resistant
<LI> 4000mcd white LED (with a blueish tint). Seems to be overdriven, because it is only slightly dimmer than an ARC AAA
<LI> runtime fully charged more than one hour
<LI> one day sunlight for a full recharge
<LI> momentary push button switch
[/list]

I will try to get some more informations about it and will post them here.

 

[remuen]

In the meantime I had contact with the manufacturer of this nice little flashlight. He has confirmed me that Free Light is the worldwide first and up to now only solar rechargeable keychain flashlight. Another proof that Swiss companies can produce also other high tech and high quality products than only watches and SAK

I've have got some more details on Free Light:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI> they use a Nichia R Rank (4800 - 5600 - 6800 mcd at If=20mA) driven with max. 30mA
<LI> the lithium cell is a Panasonic Vanadium Lithium cell which can be recharged up to 10'000 times
<LI> Free Light uses a DC/DC converter
<LI> The runtime is about 2 hours without the need to recharge it (not as mentioned in my first post only 1 hour)
<LI> Free Light is waterproof (IP68) and not only water resistant
<LI> all components are high quality industry standard
[/list]

Unfortunatly they do not have a real website but at least they show a picture of Free Light at www.avexa.ch. Maybe somebody will blame me for this but here is a email adress to contact the guy who has answered my fax: [email protected]

Added later: Another picture is showed on page two of this thread

Craig (the LED Museum):Who will be the worldwide first flashlight tester who will test this unique keychain flashlight?

Btw, Avexa is searching for distributors in the USA. Interested dealers or flashaholics shall contact them directly.

Added 04-14-2002:I've got a new email from Avexa with a correction: The LED in the Free Light is a Nichia R Rank (4800 - 5600 - 6800 mcd at If=20mA) and not as first mentioned in this post a Nichia S Rank LED. There was a mistake in the first email I've got from them.

 

[MY]

Seems too good to be true - the size must be bigger than other keychain lights.

 

[remuen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MY:
Seems too good to be true - the size must be bigger than other keychain lights.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If I'm true the existence of this keychain light is also true

because it is just beneath my left hand on the desk.

MY, you're right, the Free Light is bigger than other keychain lights - it is about 55 x 28 x 9 mm. But it fits better on my keyring than the ARC LE. And here in Switzerland the Free Light is about $4 cheaper than a Photon I .........

 

[Darell]

Rene -

Any chance that you can post a picture of the actual light? The picture you linked to doesn't do a whole lot for me. Sounds like a GREAT product! I'd love to have one.

...and... does it ONLY have a momentary switch? Be tough to use it for 2 hours without a continuous switch!

 

[remuen]

darell:
I^ve got another picture from Avexa showing the solar panel side of the Free Light. As I don't have a website I'll send it to you by email.

The Free Light has unfortunatly only a momentary switch but if using it as a keychain light IMO it is acceptable even a continious function would be more comvenient.

To all interested in this keychain light:
I've got two emails in which some fellows asked me to buy this keychain light for them and send it to the USA. I'm not a flashlight dealer

but would be willing to do this. But let me first check the shipment costs to the USA. And I have to think how we could handle the payment ....

Btw, according to the last email I got from Avexa they start some activities to find distributors in the USA.

 

[Darell]

Please send me the picture, and I'll post it here. I'd be interested in purchasing one of these as well, if you iron out the details...

 

[jeff1500]

That's a nice design.

 

[Lonewolf]

If enough people are interested maybe one of the dealers will be willing to stock them. I know I would like one as well.

 

[jeff1500]

I wonder what the circuit looks like?

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Was that price in American Dollars? Also would you mind asking your contact if they plan on making one with a constant on switch?

 

[Spidey82]

I would want one, but seriously a constant on switch would be nice.

Remuen,
does the company accept suggestion????

well i still wan one.....
photon without need to change batt.......


Linfeng

 

[remuen]

You are keeping me busy with such a lot of things to answer:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by darell:

Please send me the picture, and I'll post it here.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You should have got this picture. Would be very nice if you could post it for all others interested in this keychain light

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jeff1500:

I wonder what the circuit looks like?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't know which chip they are using. The Free Light is completly glued and sealed so there is no chance to open it without destroying it. In this case I can imagine that they don't use one of the switcher chip we know (eg ZXSC300, LT1932, MAXxxxx) as this light needs also some charging functions for the lithium cell. Looking at the size of this keychain light it must be a SMD circuit.

Btw, have you tried to solder such a SMD board in the meantime?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Waynerd:

Was that price in American Dollars?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
As I wrote in my first post I payed SFr 31.- (that's Swiss Francs). This is about $19.40 (= USD but I'm not sure about the actual exchange rate).

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Waynerd:

Also would you mind asking your contact if they plan on making one with a constant on switch?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I do hope they will join us here in the CPF so all suggestions can be placed here.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Spidey82:

I would want one, but seriously a constant on switch would be nice.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You're right even one needs it only occasionly

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Spidey82:

does the company accept suggestion????
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't know because I know the product and the company only since three days. But at least I got very fast answers on my questions even it was saturday and sunday. I suggested them to become CPF members so let's see what happens


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Spidey82:

well i still wan one.....
photon without need to change batt.......
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This sounds as you have once tried to change the battery of photon in the darkness

.D

. Lucky guy if you had a replacement battery in the pocket and if you have such a good night vision that you can do this ....

 

[Darell]

Wow! Excellent use of UBB code for your replies!

I'm sorry to say that the pictures haven't arrived in my mailbox yet. Here's my email just in case:

[email protected]

I'm happy to put them up when I see them. My email has been giving others a bit of a problem lately, so it may very well be my pop account at fault.

 

[B@rt]

I'm happy to put them up when I see them. My email has been giving others a bit of a problem lately, so it may very well be my pop account at fault.

excuses excuses....

 

[remuen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by darell:
Wow! Excellent use of UBB code for your replies!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for this compliment

. IMO it's much easier to read this kind of posts - especially when they are a bit longer than usual and dealing with different topics.


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by darell:

I'm sorry to say that the pictures haven't arrived in my mailbox yet. Here's my email just in case:

[email protected]

I'm happy to put them up when I see them. My email has been giving others a bit of a problem lately, so it may very well be my pop account at fault.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'll send it again. I'm now in the office and do not have the pic (it is only one picture) on this computer.

 

[remuen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by darell:
I'm sorry to say that the pictures haven't arrived in my mailbox yet. Here's my email just in case:

[email protected]

I'm happy to put them up when I see them. My email has been giving others a bit of a problem lately, so it may very well be my pop account at fault.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've sent you the picture again from two different accounts (also two different providers). Hope this time it works correct.

 

[remuen]

The last three days I've played with this Free Light. I'm not a flashlight reviewer but I took the whole risk of loosing the money I payed for it and made a few simple but hard tests.

<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>First of all: Holding this keychain light in the hand you will get the impression of a very high quality product - as almost all Swiss products like Omega or Rolex watches or the Victorinox swiss army knives are high quality products

. The Free Light has an excellent finish. Avexa did not use a cheap plastic material but a material which feels like a hard rubber. It also does look very solid - and it is very solid. I let it drop a view times on the stone floor in the bathroom and neither the glass of the solar panel has broken nor something else went into the wellknown flashlight heaven. The light still works perfectly.

<LI>Then I put the Free Light in a pot of water (10cm) and under water I switched it several times on/off. It didn't impress this keycain light so it must be more than only water resistent (according to the manufacturer it is waterproof IP68).

<LI>The brightness of the Free Light is as already mentioned in an earlier post only slightly lower than the one of the ARC AAA (not the ARC LE) and also a bit dimmer than the Photon with new batteries in the first minute of use. The LED light has a bluish tint as eg. the ARC AAA or the Photon I I own has.
The most tricky thing in my test was a short runtime test. After ten minutes of continious runnig (then I had to stop because of 'burning' finger muscles

) the LED had still the same brightness - at least for my eyes because I have no light meter. This is the result of the dc-dc converter used in the Free Light. It doesn't dimm as a Photon and all other keychain lights I know (except the ARC LE/AAA). If it would only have a continious on switch function this feature would be much more valuable ...

<LI>The best of all is obviously the solar panel with the built in vanadium lithium cell and the electronic circuit (dc-dc converter and overcharge protection). If you ever have tried to replace a battery in a Photon and then putting it together so the switch works as it did before you know what it means to have such a keychain light where you don't have to do this ... You will always have the possibility to put your keyring somewhere in the light so the battery can be recharged.

I didn't test the claimed runtime of up to 2 hours with a fully charged cell. Let us believe that the vanadium lithium cell has enough capacaty and the efficiency of the dc-dc converter is high so it will give us a bright light for at least more than one hour.

<LI>The weak points? The missing continious on function as mentioned several times before and the LED which is not protected against becoming scratched. But the LED of the Photon my wife carries on her keyring is also not protected and the lense of the LED looks still quite good after she has used it now for a couple of months. And a last minor thing: To remove the blue strap to carry the Free Light without a keyring you need a pair of scissors with the effect that you can't use this strap again ....
[/list]

My personal conclusion:The Free Light is a big deal for this price!!! Astonishing that a Swiss product of this high quality level can be so cheap! As I am not a flashlight reviewer I have no star ratings but will give four and a half smilies of five (five smilies only if it would have a continious on function)

.). And this personal rating is not because it is a Swiss product - it gets it only because it is an excellent manufactured and outstanding product!

 

[Bushman]

mabey TTS would consider being a USA dealer for this product... I would take one if they had it!!~

 

[Darell]

Well, the JPG finally arrived. Yay. Sure wish I knew what was going on with my email!