luxlover
Banned
I have been a great fan of Pelican lights since I bought my first one, the Super SabreLite, in Dec. 1987. Ever since reading McGizmo's "preview" thread and other threads pertaining to the 7060 LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) light kit, I became very interested in this low priced "complete lighting solution." Being the curious guy (= techno-weenie!) that I am, I compiled a few technical questions and called Pelican. Today, after playing phone tag for three days, I had the pleasure of speaking to a project engineer involved with the design of the light kit. The results of the informative conversation I had will adopt a Q&A format.....
Q: I have not seen from Pelican any other LED based light with a docking station charging system. Is the 7060 Pelican's first one?
A: Yes, it is. The other lights using a docking station charging system are in the Black Knight series, which are incandescent based.
Q: Is the advertised output of 130 lumens in bulb lumens from the emitter manufacturer, or torch lumens derived from in-house measurements at Pelican?
A: The output is 130 usable lumens out the front (torch) as measured in-house.
Q: Does the 18650 Li-Ion cell used in the supplied battery pack have the same dimensions as the ones we are commonly using in our other lights?
A: Yes it does. It is a commonly available 18650 cell. However, for proper alignment within the body's battery compartment, so as to maintain proper polarity, it is enclosed in a proprietary sleeve and case and is indexed to align with the charging port.
Q: Does the Cree emitter being used exhibit any "ringiness" in it's beam pattern?
A: Yes it does. As a result of the LAPD's request for a light with a high level of light collimation for maximum throw with little need for sidespill, Pelican has chosen a smooth reflector. However, they realize that an orange peel surface would be a better choice to eliminate the "ringiness." Although there is no plan to offer an orange peel reflector at this time, Pelican will most probably offer this to the consumer market at a later date. They are currently concentrating on building light kits, and both the LAPD and consumer market lights will include a smooth reflector.
Q: Is the tint of the Cree emitter, on the cool side or warm side?
A: The LAPD has requested a cooler tinted light, because their experience has taught them that lights with a cooler tint can more easily penetrate tinted glass on vehicles they have stopped. This allows the officers to more easily determine whether the occupants are concealing any weapons.
Q: Is the light submersible to any degree, not necessarily in a "deep diving" sense?
A: The light was designed specifically for LAPD police officers, was never intended for diving, and will take on water if it is submerged to a depth of one meter or more. However, it is "water resistant" and will not flood when used during a downpour of rain or dropped in a puddle of water.
Q: When will these lights be available to the consumer market?
A: Mid July. This is because Pelican is manufacturing 10,000 light kits for the LAPD, and will be manufacturing another 20,000 to 30,000 for the consumer market.
Q: Since the rated runtime is 90 minutes, for how many of those minutes will the 130 lumen output be maintained?
A: For all of the 90 minutes. A regulation circuit was designed to allow all of the battery's power to be maintained at the rated 130 lumen level. There is no minimal, usable or any other output level on this light. To notify the user that a cell is dangerously low in power, a pattern of blinking light will appear at the point of battery depletion to prevent irreparable damage to the cell.
Q: How is the front end of the light, such as reflector, emitter and regulation circuit, assembled?
A: All three parts are housed as a modular unit inside the metal finned heatsink section beneath the head. Replacement of any of those parts requires sending the light back to the factory for an entire heatsink section replacement.
All the answers lead me to believe that this light will be well received by CPF members. Add the encouraging outcome of my conversation above to McGizmo's "preview" thread, especially his measurement of 10,870 lux at one meter, and this light promises to be a versatile light with killer throw and a much appreciated "free lumens" type of maintenance.
Q: I have not seen from Pelican any other LED based light with a docking station charging system. Is the 7060 Pelican's first one?
A: Yes, it is. The other lights using a docking station charging system are in the Black Knight series, which are incandescent based.
Q: Is the advertised output of 130 lumens in bulb lumens from the emitter manufacturer, or torch lumens derived from in-house measurements at Pelican?
A: The output is 130 usable lumens out the front (torch) as measured in-house.
Q: Does the 18650 Li-Ion cell used in the supplied battery pack have the same dimensions as the ones we are commonly using in our other lights?
A: Yes it does. It is a commonly available 18650 cell. However, for proper alignment within the body's battery compartment, so as to maintain proper polarity, it is enclosed in a proprietary sleeve and case and is indexed to align with the charging port.
Q: Does the Cree emitter being used exhibit any "ringiness" in it's beam pattern?
A: Yes it does. As a result of the LAPD's request for a light with a high level of light collimation for maximum throw with little need for sidespill, Pelican has chosen a smooth reflector. However, they realize that an orange peel surface would be a better choice to eliminate the "ringiness." Although there is no plan to offer an orange peel reflector at this time, Pelican will most probably offer this to the consumer market at a later date. They are currently concentrating on building light kits, and both the LAPD and consumer market lights will include a smooth reflector.
Q: Is the tint of the Cree emitter, on the cool side or warm side?
A: The LAPD has requested a cooler tinted light, because their experience has taught them that lights with a cooler tint can more easily penetrate tinted glass on vehicles they have stopped. This allows the officers to more easily determine whether the occupants are concealing any weapons.
Q: Is the light submersible to any degree, not necessarily in a "deep diving" sense?
A: The light was designed specifically for LAPD police officers, was never intended for diving, and will take on water if it is submerged to a depth of one meter or more. However, it is "water resistant" and will not flood when used during a downpour of rain or dropped in a puddle of water.
Q: When will these lights be available to the consumer market?
A: Mid July. This is because Pelican is manufacturing 10,000 light kits for the LAPD, and will be manufacturing another 20,000 to 30,000 for the consumer market.
Q: Since the rated runtime is 90 minutes, for how many of those minutes will the 130 lumen output be maintained?
A: For all of the 90 minutes. A regulation circuit was designed to allow all of the battery's power to be maintained at the rated 130 lumen level. There is no minimal, usable or any other output level on this light. To notify the user that a cell is dangerously low in power, a pattern of blinking light will appear at the point of battery depletion to prevent irreparable damage to the cell.
Q: How is the front end of the light, such as reflector, emitter and regulation circuit, assembled?
A: All three parts are housed as a modular unit inside the metal finned heatsink section beneath the head. Replacement of any of those parts requires sending the light back to the factory for an entire heatsink section replacement.
All the answers lead me to believe that this light will be well received by CPF members. Add the encouraging outcome of my conversation above to McGizmo's "preview" thread, especially his measurement of 10,870 lux at one meter, and this light promises to be a versatile light with killer throw and a much appreciated "free lumens" type of maintenance.
I never consult with any marketing entity if I want "facts."
