Fallen in love with Photon

Two weeks ago, visiting Eglin Air Force Base...I abandoned my last-priority plans to pick up a NV-Green Covert Photon if I ever won the lottery, because an Exchange had the new 2X Brighter White Photon Freedom with no covert hood, for 12.95, no tax thanks to it being a military base. Since that day, the light has never left my person, and I vow to get this light or one of its cheaper brothers into the pockets of my friends and relatives the next tme a holiday allows it. At this very moment, it's on the included quick-release necklace without the keychain clip. It looks like a surfer necklace. A surfer necklace with manual brightness control, strobe modes, and enough tiny power to get around in a crowded basement. My friends don't know I'm wearing a flashlight, and they don't have to, this is the perfect light for my lifestyle. It's masculine (Can be hidden under shirt) jewelry that serves as an EDC light along with a Surefire which I take out for anything the Freedom can't handle.

The keychain clip IS on my keychain, keeping that wonderful magnetic hat-clip on hand. An EDC headlamp. Finally.

No complaints so far about the design of the light or its performance. But why settle for perfection? I want the whole deal. I'm looking around hardware stores for something to use for a removable covert hood, imagine having both a covert model for detail work in the dark...then being able to just pluck it off so you can light up a darkened stairwell for your friends or soon-to-be-friends the next time the power goes out. Any suggestions on what to use for this will be welcome.

I've heard that the Freedom is pretty splash-friendly, and just needs to dry out even when it does dunk itself out, but I'm looking into waterproofing it myself if I get my hands on some silicone grease. If anyone has done this themselves, any warnings or suggestions would help.

Accessories...who am I kidding, the magnetic hat-clip and necklace are the greatest flashlight additions I've ever seen, I can't imagine anything else to buy for this light except for new batteries for when the included pair runs out. But if anyone has ever done anything creative with a Photon whether it be a way to carry it or something that the Freedom works nicely with...well, this is the internet, no local law can stop you.

And lastly...anyone know when the other colors will get the 2X Brighter Nichia treatment? I'm happy with white, who isn't, but later down the line it wouldn't hurt to have a night-vision friendly red or nightclub-style blue with this level of brightness. By now you guys are probably wondering what I'm hooked on, and why I spent fix money on a flashlight...No, I'm just sleep-deprived, and very satisfied with a purchase and want to do as much as I can with this increasingly useful little light.

Love my Freedom Max in white.

I'm never without it.

If you find something to function as a covert nose you may never want to take it off. I have the NV Green w/covert and I'd never go back to the bare LED.

Some have used heat shrink tubing for home brew covert -- you should try it -- taking it off may not be as important as you think.

The NV green is a great light. I have a 2x white freedom on my keychain, the NV's are in cases and on special lights. The freedom is certainly one of the best deals in the flashlight world, under-rated too.

I have a NV green and a yellow freedom. Both are very neat lights. Although the yellow is not blindingly bright, the battery lasts a looooong time. I've had it on full power the last two nights as I slept and it still appears to be as bright as when the batt's were new!!! I didn't need a white 2X freedom cause when I need white I go for the Arc-P, but for colored lights the freedom is my favorite!!! Doug

I took both Photon Freedom and Arc AAA P with me in the pool. Only Arc survived the "extreme" experience. Photon is good light but not in the same league as the Arc. Just my 2c.

vvk, does the photon work now after it has dried out?? I thought if they got wet you just take them apart and let them dry out. Then they should work. Doug

...Photon is good light but not in the same league as the Arc. Just my 2c.

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That is very true but that's not really a bad thing for the user.

Don't get me wrong but the Photon:

• Costs considerably less than the ARC
• Weighs less than the ARC
• Is smaller than the ARC
• May be had with the LED in other useful colors in addition to white.
• Has variable output and additional signal modes, unlike the ARC
• Is made from radically different materials and is powered by an entirely different chemistry than the ARC

Aside from the fact that they both use LEDs, their main commonality pretty much stops with the fact that they will both fit on a keychain. They should both be ok for that use. Apples and oranges.

They are indeed in a different league. IMO they are both the best lights in their own leagues.

Fellas, you're getting me all excited about this light. Couple of quick questions:

Where is the best place to purchase 2x white - direct, or from which distributor?

Is the covert nose on the white removable? If not, which do you like best?

Thanks for any info! Didn't really intend on ordering anything today, but....oh well....

The covert nose is permanently attached, I would personally save yourself two dollars by buying the standard version and using heat-shrink tubing.

Then again, I have no clue where to GET heat shrink tubing myself...but if it works, I'd have both versions at my disposal without the extra cost.

cd-card-biz, there is a nib one on BST right now for a good price, maybe you could check that out. Neither of mine are covert models, doesn't bother me for how I use em though. My yellow is a narrow beam and the NV green is wide. Doug

Thanks for the info. And thanks dtsoll for the heads-up on the one up for sale on BST. Snagged it!

You can get a bag of assorted sizes of heat shrink tubing at Radio Shack.

I just did the "heat shrink covert treatment" on my Photon just now, as I was reading this thread.

Works great!

dtsoll said:

vvk, does the photon work now after it has dried out?? I thought if they got wet you just take them apart and let them dry out. Then they should work. Doug

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I was thinking about replacing my EDC light - Arc AAA P with the Photon covert as it is smaller and lighter. But since I have already tested the Arc in the pool and in the really hot jacuzzi in Puerto Ricco (Arc passed the test with flying colors) I decided to the same with the Photon.

1. 1st it was the pool. I turned the Photon on a couple of times and it worked without problems.

2. then it was the time for a plunge in the jacuzzi and Photon appeared to still work

Unfortunately, after a couple of minutes I noticed that the Photon has turned itself on and was not responding when I was clicking on the button

I dried it entirely and it was working OK the next few days. But after taking another bath in the pool (no Jacuzzi test) the light died - I let it dry for a couple of hours and changed the batteries but with no success.

After the unfortunate demise of the Photon I swim with my beloved Arc only

BTW I tried the pool and jacuzzi tests with Fenix L1p (cr2 tube) and it survived without any problems.

The circuit inside the Photon is a battery, two wires, and a led. Pushing on the top (or bottom) completes the circuit. Since it is not waterproof, when you get in the water, water itself completes the circuit. No amount of pushing the switch will remove the water, so the life remains lit. Doesn't mean much, just thought I would illuminate the sitution.

I'm not really getting the reasoning to purposely "swim" in a pool with a light.
adrift in the ocean on porta potty raft like tom hanks I could understand. VDG

Love the Photons! The Flex-Beam accessory gizmo is a hoot and very useful. It's a gooseneck that mounts the lights with a velco dot and the base can be either magnetic or suction cup -- both are included.

Well, got some heat-shrink tubing just in time to covert-ize my Freedom so I could check my watch during the first showing of Superman Returns. Nobody spun around and yelled to turn it off, so it must have worked.

Then again...everyone was a bit busy looking at the guy with the cape...Not sure why.

Shortly after that, a friend asked about my new necklace, and in turn walked away with Photon's website written down on a napkin. The necklace attachment really does make it look like a pendant, with the LED hidden in the shrink-tubing it looks like a cross between a surfer medallion and something from the Chinese Zodiac. Which, also describes most of my girlfriend's jewelry collection, she doesn't mind my wearing it one bit. She borrowed it for a few hours when she had to get something from the car, she then walked back in, ripped the necklace off me, made me clip it back onto the necklace, then walked around showing it to her friends, including an off-duty bartender.

...I just paid for a wholesale-priced flashlight. Why do I feel like a member of a rich cult-society wearing this thing around? It's kinda' nice, Da Vinci Code really made my weekends look boring...but still, I need to write some jokes about this thing.

Cool. I love the ARC AAA but it's way too heavy for my neck. (I don't know how some can carry Infinity sized lights on their neck.)

The PF is the only light I can carry that way. On a short length of SS bead chain I don't even notice I'm wearing it.

cd-card-biz said:

Where is the best place to purchase 2x white - direct, or from which distributor?

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From me, of course - you'll save a bundle on them!

Oh and I know it sorta looks like photonlight.com is the manufacturer but it's not - it's just another retailers site.

The name of the manufacturer is LRI and they don't even have a website (if you can believe that)

Link to Photon Section:
http://www.batteryjunction.com/phledfl.html