Bright 9V Twin LED Light For Under $20

Found a little twin LED 9V light that is not much bigger than the 9V cell itself:




See that little gray nub? It's actually an On/Off switch:



But the best thing about it is you slide it LEFT for "low" and RIGHT for "high" beams. Center is "off".

On low beam, it's well bright enough for restroom or midnight snack runs:




But on high beam it is almost too bright for dark-adjusted eyes:






And the maker has thoughtfully (and wisely) had its web site imprinted on the inside:



You can even see the "patent pending" notification.


On low beam against a fully charged Freelight, it is quite a bit dimmer:




But the tables are turned when you slide the switch to the right and activate the high beam:



Bear in mind that all tests were done using an alkaline 9V cell. The internal circuitry is actually set up for use with lithium 9V batteries for even greater brightness, as well as extended run times.

You can buy this cool little light for just $19.95 right HERE.

Very nice! Very tempting...
I don't see any warranty info on the site. Anything mentioned with the Pak-Lite you received?

Uh - no, sorry, I got this from another Flashoholic to try out.

Okay, this is just my observation based on the pics and the info on their website, but how on earth can this light be billed for outdoor use when the LED lamps and battery are exposed? Sure, the LED unit itself may be water resistant, but what about the battery? What if you're caught in heavy rain or are treking through the woods in humid conditions for an extended period of time? These are not good conditions to carry around an exposed battery. What's to prevent corrosion of the battery? Also, what about if you drop the unit head first? It looks like the lamps can be easily subjected to damage and could also result in the unit popping off the battery on impact. I also don't like the open area around the switch as it seems that sand, grit or other small debris can get in there and interfere with the switch's operation.

This light is just not my idea of something suitable for outdoor use, not by a longshot. I'm also not too sure if I'd want to use this thing indoors either. Anyway, my idea of an outdoor light needs to have some sort of protective casing around the LED lamps as well as the battery, offer some degree of water and impact resistance (for both the LED unit and battery), have some sort texture on the case or handle and have a lanyard aperture or at least a sheath so one can attach the light to a belt or pack. Sorry for the harsh criticism, but this Pak-Lite just looks incomplete and doesn't grab me at all. For the price, I'd go with a PALight.

Nice little light!

Very interesting and different. If there was a cover, it could make a nice EDC light.

Are they both Nichia LED's?

(And of course, is there a MOD in the works?!?!?!?)

This exact same light was something I brought up on 11/20, being sold by CCrane for $34.95 I believe. Good thing I didn't buy it then. Maybe at this price of under $20 I'll get one, might give my Eternalight a run for it's money for compactness and maybe run-time (definately fit easier in luggage). I don't think I would worry too much about the leds being exposed seeing how they are also in the Eternalight and still work, I'll just make sure they're not being banged around.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Looks like it would be a good tent light for backpacking or motorcycle camping.

A fellow had them on eBay for $10 each, but he only had about 10 feedbacks, so I was leary. It was a "Dutch Auction" and he had 1000 to sell. I'll have to check back to see if they are still available. I emailed him and let him know there may be a market here, but haven't heard or seen anything from him. That was a couple months back...

I've got to agree that at $20 I'd go for a PALight first...now for $10, I think it would be nice have a couple for an emergency.

ab made me 3 similar ones...

NICE pics Mr. B!!

Anyone have an idea of what the runtime on one of these would be? Just wondering.

-Mike

EDIT: Never mind, I just checked out the website and it had it.
(Low Setting: 1,200 hours, High Setting: 200 hours)

Not at any decent brightness, though.
I'm assuming the high is probably two leds in series with a dropping resistor. My rechargeable Nimh 9volts are 170mA.
Thus I would guess that the lithium one is ~ 300mah.
We know the brightness will drop with battery voltage, so at 25mah, I would guess this would be fully bright for 3-5 hours followed by several more hours of useful light followed by a few days of very little light.

I very well could be wrong.
Does anyone have one that could prove me wrong? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Mine is on it's way. I would guess 4 to 6 hours of good light on the full level, then maybe a hundred or so at a much reduced level. The intresting thing will be to see how long it runs on low, it should make a great marker light or nightlight.

Just my luck.... I just started purchasing the parts to build a few lights JUST LIKE THIS! I got held up not being able to find the mini SP3T like I wanted. I think it would have been over $10 in parts for each one anyway.

I guess I'll have to buy one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif

Sigman,
Have you heard anything from the guy on E-Bay?

PALight seems a better deal

The Pak-Lite seems interesting but, the PALight seems a better value at $20.00.

Nope, never received a reply from my initial email to him. I'll try and "rouse" him again...if I can find the address.

Re: PALight seems a better deal

IMO palights are good but I don't know if I would rely on one for rugged enviroment. My family has had 3, one arrived with flickers and 1 has developed flickers. I like the light and will get more, but might hesitate if they didn't have the Life warranty.
I do agree that the more features would be a plus vs the Pak Light. It seem the Palights are just shy of being waterproof, if they would do that it would be a big plus.

Re: PALight seems a better deal

Wits...email James at PALights.com, or give them a call. If you have problems they'll take care of you! They've always pulled through for me!

Re: PALight seems a better deal

what is nice about using 9v bats is that with low draws, they appear to have a kind of "regulated-like" discharge curve. well, at least that was how it was explained to me.

also, with the palight or that new little 9v in the discussion, you can get a lithium 9v, which has double the capacity (1200mah) of a regular alkie. they are expensive batteries, though.

i believe Brock did a runtime test of the pal, and got about 6 hours af flat output with an alkie...perhaps you could double this with a lithium?

hmmm. i think someone pointed out that the pal will lose some effeciency due to the electronics, so maybe the little pak-lite is more efficient.

i still like the pal! useful little bugger.

Bob

Re: PALight seems a better deal

[ QUOTE ]
Sigman said:
Wits...email James at PALights.com, or give them a call. If you have problems they'll take care of you! They've always pulled through for me!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup! I first got my PALight a few years ago, before James' company took over. I think the second day I had it, it just died on me. Sent it back and got a new one.

A couple of months ago, it mysteriously burnt out a brand new Duracell Ultra 9V in a single week. Opened it up and it had a strong burnt electronics smell. Contacted James, sent it back..and got a new one!

I don't have a history of flawless operation of a PALight...but I have experienced a history of a great warranty and customer service!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: PALight seems a better deal

Looks cool and has a home-made look.
I would buy it for $10.00
My 2 cents.