EternaLight / Elite X-Ray Why no recent postings?

Although a newbie to this forum, I have been an enthusiast since childhood (I'm 54 now). I've got my Surefires (U2, A2), Inovas, Arc's, etc ad nauseum. I love them all. Here is the thing. My EDC has ALWAYS been my little Elite X-Ray EternaLight from Technology Associates www.techass.com . I wear it to bed and it never leaves me unless I'm in the shower. I am somewhat restricted because of a medical problem, so getting around the house from one dark room to another, etc, or just needing enough light to see my medications throughout the night (you get my point) would be impossible with another illumination device. It comforts me to know, after our last power outage of 2 days, that it will provide excellent run time (along with the U2...what else to you need!). I think it is highly under-rated. I have used all of the programmable functions, especially the strobes in helping the new delivery person or visiting nurse to find my house, etc. Try programming any other torch. You're walking at night...fine...turn on the strobe (you have your choice of at least 2 or 3 attention getting ones). Why are there no recent posts, and why don't the biggies (like SF) incorporate some programmable features into their lights (a strobe at least). The days of having to manually strobe via the tail cap have got to be over soon. Am I the only one who is thinking this way?

I agree 100% with you. Today, the lights that get the attention are brighter, bigger, more expensive. You know: the SureFire U2 and Kroma, which I can't afford.

Way back in 2001, I won an auction for an Eternalight Marine for a whopping $8. It wasn't on eBay; it was an auction site that seemed to have almost exclusively computer components. I stumbled across it, and put the only bid on the Eternalight. Two dollars, plus $6 shipping, directly from Technology Associates.

Four 5 mm white LED's might seem like old technology today, but the EternaLight remains the only light with such a huge amout of really easy to use programmed features.

I still use that old Eternalight all the time. Even in the summer, it fits in a shirt pocket. It has seen me through several long power outages like no other light can.

I put mine in the window on those rare occasions when I order a pizza. The delivery guys *always* comment on it. when I told them on the phone 'just look for the flashing light', I think they were expecting some sort of light bulb flashing!

The Eternalight may not be as popular as a wallet draining SureFire, but if I could own only one flashlight, it would be an EternaLight.

Perhaps because the EternaLight line is what we might call a "mature product" - there haven't been any huge changes to it recently, and its design is not terribly modification-friendly. Some may have upgraded theirs when the double-bright Nichia CS LEDs came out, but that's probably about it.

I completely agree with you that it's a great light - very practical and useful, and still fun to play with. It's just that there's not much going on with it currently to sustain a conversation.

Great replies everyone! There is just one more thing I wanted to say. I will never understand why they (the company or patent holders..whatever) didn't move forward on their design! It was a "brilliant" (no pun intended) concept and all they had to do (as if I'm some all-knowing expert) was update the led's, even with the form factor, it seems with a tiny mod they could have worked in enough space for a couple 123s in order to power "better" lights. I really thought there was no end in sight for further development. Oh well, sometimes you just can't, or, "should not" fix something that ain't broken?

Jim B. "And that's all I got to say 'bout that" (From Forrest Tucker?)

I'm still a big believer in EternaLight products!! Don't ask me how many I own or how many I've given away as gifts!

I own an ErgoMarine and I'll always keep it. Great for power failures, camping, long life safety beacon and short to medium distance illumination duty. It would be nice to see a run of second generation lights with the new, brighter Nichia LEDs.

I have 1/2 a DOZEN in all spots in my home--garage, cellar, kitchen, car....all over. Great emergency light and, reasonably-priced (for lunatic flashoholics at least!!) to not have heart failure if dropped or (gasp!), lost. Even the techno-challanged such as myself have not seemed to have too much difficulty. Those of you who may have "heard" my comments/questions through PMs probably have a better idea of my "techno-abilities"!

I wish for two areas of improvement on this series of lights however---getting the leather carrying cases back on the website so I can clip one one my belt and, possible incorporation of an oval reflector to better direct the beam and reduce the "hindglare"--the glare I feel I get unless I position the light far out in front of my body.

Karl

There's a simple way to reduce the glare: hold the light vertically in your hand and extend your thumb about 1/2 an inch in front of the light. It feels comfortable in your hand and prevents the back scatter from hitting your eyes.

jboydjr said:

Although a newbie to this forum, I have been an enthusiast since childhood (I'm 54 now). I've got my Surefires (U2, A2), Inovas, Arc's, etc ad nauseum. I love them all. Here is the thing. My EDC has ALWAYS been my little Elite X-Ray EternaLight from Technology Associates www.techass.com . I wear it to bed and it never leaves me unless I'm in the shower. I am somewhat restricted because of a medical problem, so getting around the house from one dark room to another, etc, or just needing enough light to see my medications throughout the night (you get my point) would be impossible with another illumination device. It comforts me to know, after our last power outage of 2 days, that it will provide excellent run time (along with the U2...what else to you need!). I think it is highly under-rated. I have used all of the programmable functions, especially the strobes in helping the new delivery person or visiting nurse to find my house, etc. Try programming any other torch. You're walking at night...fine...turn on the strobe (you have your choice of at least 2 or 3 attention getting ones). Why are there no recent posts, and why don't the biggies (like SF) incorporate some programmable features into their lights (a strobe at least). The days of having to manually strobe via the tail cap have got to be over soon. Am I the only one who is thinking this way?

Click to expand...

Rumor has it (that's all I can say)- that Streamlight has a line of microprocessor-controlled lights coming in 2007. There are already several Streamlights that are micro-controlled; the new Survivor is a good example (see thread on Streamlight Survivor LED)

PB, thanks for the tip! I guess I just have never given the light the 90 turn and oriented it in a side pointing up fashion for some reason. Thinking too much Star Trek phazer action it seems! Well, this works...and works well! Thanks.



Karl

I put Nichia CS LEDs in both of the used Derringer and used Marine models I purchased. They put out a decent amount of light with this mod. They do however look like a mini stun-gun or Star Trek phazer. I even scared someone once when I pulled the Marine model out of my pocket.

My little Derringer is one light that always goes with me on trips because of its versatility. The only changes I'd like to see in it would be a little water resistance and maybe 2 AA power.

Geoff

Hello Jboydjr,

I am a big fan of the EternaLight lights as well. I use mine mostly while camping, but it comes in handy around the house as well.

Tom

eternalights was way ahead of it's time. but since then technology has marched, while eternalight is basically the same design. incremental improvements have been made, but rest of compitition has made logrimic changes.

and this is coming from an long time admirer of enternalights. I've got several, including one of the earliest models and latest.

sadly when I pick out lights to use, enternalight never gets used.

I have 2 EternaLights, and love them. They are very versitile. My Ergo 3 is in my pickup truck , and my Ergo X-ray is the one I take when I travel, or go camping. I just turn on the internal locator led and it's easy to find in my bag or next to the bed in a hotel room.

I do wish they would make a luxeon version, or at least convert one or two of the led's to a luxeon. I also wish I didn't need a screwdriver to change the batteries, but I can live with that. I just use lithiums so I don't have to change them very often.

No doubt, they are the coolest flashlights in my collection. I love showing them off.

I have 2 Ergos and 2 Derringers and like them very much. The X-Ray and Ergo are in the vehicles, Derringers in house and for travel. Like others have said they have been pretty static. I would still buy a couple more if they upgraded the LEDs.

Just so you all know, we truly appreciate the continued support.
We are currently and have been for sometime, installing Nichia CS LEDs in all Ergo and Elite models - they come that way - no special ordering or extra charge. We also offer BLASTER (16 LED) versions of the EliteMax for an extra $10 when you order an EliteMax (CPF members only) - of course battery life is reduce to 1/4. As for why there are no further innovations? Let me explain:

When we first produced the EternaLight in early 1998, we were picked up by a catalog company which ordered many of them. After they finally placed their largest order, they BK'd and we got $400 out of $18,000. That slowed our startup operation down. Later, we had finally found an investor who had the foresight and money to accelerate our company. Unfortuantely, he had a bad fall down some stairs and died.

Not too long after that, another catalog company, Gadget Universe, placed a large Christmas order with us. They paid for it a bad check. Our check along with about another $19 million to other vendors remains owed by that company's president to the LA county DA. The company's president resides in Greece where he continues to operate the company comfortably without bars.
I have more black cloud stories than these. I was at one time thinking of changing the company name to "Black Cloud Ventures". Had we had a little more luck, we may have been able to grow to the size we needed to take the next step but that just didn't happen.

The product was starting to mature so we knew we had to get into the mass market. We developed the Derringer specifically for this. Mass market means Target, K-Mart, WalMart and only a few others now. After a few offers to play with these boys we determined we would have had to been able and willing to risk up $1.5 million on the first sample orders. We were neither. I have been unfortunate enough to not have anyone of any wealth in my family so every penny I've had to make from scratch. Derringers can sell for as little as $4.99 retail in WalMart quantities. Ergo's could go for $14.99 and EliteMax could probably sell for $24.99 at Walmart quantities. It's not that we're ripping people off, but we're not producing them in WalMart size quantities. We had a facility at one time capable of more quantities but still nothing even close to what those stores require. And now, it's pretty hard to do those quantities out of our garage. Buyer's in these big companies are not FlashaHolics. In fact, most of them are just $15/hr morons. If you're not already a big name with a big game good luck even getting an appointment those guys. So, maybe you can understand why new product development is a turn-off. We spent over $100,000 developing just the Ergo. We made it back and then some but given today's market and competition, new product development is just too risky without a big seller as your partner. We have prototype eternalight luxeons, and other products. We even developed the CobraLight for another company. But find me the money to push this thing into the hands of the masses and I'll show you the light.

In the meantime - we are what we are - working stiffs, making and selling lights in our spare time. It's hard to sell the average consumer on the benefits of the EternaLight unless you already own one. Many of you can probably relate. I've seen quite a few comments on here in the past from people who thought the EternaLight was waste of money until they got their hands on one.

About once a week I'll search on here for "eternaLight" and see who's posting what. You guys keep us alive, you really do. Thank you!

Well, after reading this thread and quite a few others, I made the jump and ordered a 4X EliteXRay. Can't wait for mine.

Always thought the EternaLight seemed gimmicky, but now that I've plunked down the cash I'm excited to try it out. I think I'm more excited to get this one than I was when I bought a Surefire L2, actually.

It seemed like a gimmick light to me too when I read about it..
I bought both my kids Derringers last year so they would have lights to call their own. That's where it started.. My 4 year old has the entire sequence of modes memorized and loves to show it off.. My daughter is the same way. When they hear the word "flashlight" their Derringers is what they think of. We spend every weekend in the rough, and there is never a moment you won't see them without the lights hanging from their necks on colorful lanyards.
I thought it was kinda cool, so I ordered my Elite Max, and it is the one light that comes on every outdoor trip, in the camper it quietly and inexpensively illuminates the bathroom in a non alarming tone of Blue, in the bush it is used to read by and generally be there just because you know it is always there to provide any style of light you may require. It won't scare off a pack of hungry coyotes but it will assist in reading a book without disturbing the surroundings, that, and it's really fun to play with.

To me, it's like the ARC AAA...EVERY FLASHAHOLIC (oh and let's not forget the "Gadgetaholics"!!) should have at least 1!! They are so practical, versatile, and with the long runtimes....why do I beat the ole' proverbial dead horse? Because this tecnology is indeed WORTHY & affordable as well!!!