New Energizer 1 LED 2AA Flashlight is a big surprise

Energizer just came out with a new 1 LED 2AA flashlight. Saw it at Target, 1 for $5 or 2 for $9. I bought it on a whim because it looks like a couple other inexpensive Eveready flashlights I have. The package says it lasts 50 hours on Energizer Alkalines and I was dubious about the claim. I have a flashlight test set up here that I built and ran a runtime test on this flashlight (with Rayovac Alkaline batteries) to see how long it really lasted. Boy was I amazed. The flashlight is regulated (the pcb is between the LED and the + battery terminal) and got 24 hours of flat regulation :huh: using alkalines before it headed for moon mode. After 4 days total, it was still putting out useable light. I stopped the test because I was afraid the batteries might leak before the flashlight quit. As soon as I can figure out how to insert pictures & graphs in messages I will upload them. The following Amazon link is the only place I could find a pic of it. The flashlight is not even on the Energizer website.

Amazon.com: Energizer-Eveready 03212 EVLL21S P/C 1 2AA LED W/1215 BATTERIES LED Eveready Energizer Flashlight: Home Improvement


Edit: Finally figured out how to put pictures in a message. Pix of this flashlight and runtime charts are in message 11.

wow... amazing for a <$10 deal!

although obviously it probably won't be super bright im guessing.

Awesome runtime. Could be a great loaner light, or gift to a non flashaholic.

Sounds like an interesting long runner, especially for the price. Not sure if I saw this at my Target. I'll double check. Thanks.

Geoff

It has 1 5mm white LED. Using my integrated sphere: It's brighter than a GIU or Tempo. It's brighter than a SL Microstream and SL Stylus Pro using NMH's in them. Comparing hotspots: brighter than GIU, dimmer than the Microstream. It has an aspheric lens in the center (over the LED) of the overall lens. It has 1 big round hotspot with a couple light/dark rings around it. Light output has a purplish tint to it. I'm impessed that for $5 it has a regulated circuit in it. I'm more interested in runtime and battery type than brightness. Probably 98% of my flashlight use is in less than 4 feet here at home or in the car. So I'm not really looking for super bright light.

Sounds like a good emergency light. Might also be a good light to send the kids to camp with.

How sturdy, and water-resistant does it appear to be ?


Does it look like it could be dropped onto concrete, and still operate ?



Note -- i'm NOT asking you to perform these tests.

Just looking for your assessment.


:thanks:

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I bought one of these at my local supermarket a few months before I began the journey that led me to this site and flashaholicism.

I wouldn't knock someone else's recommendation (and I'm not.) But I will probably just give mine away to a neighbor. I suspect that most people here would be happier with other choices, an Akoray 106, to name one example, even though the price is higher.

Just my 2 cents......

Burgess said:

How sturdy, and water-resistant does it appear to be ?


Does it look like it could be dropped onto concrete, and still operate ?

-

Click to expand...

Well it is plastic and the head might pop off if dropped on concrete. I have had similar types of flashlights do that before. Only has 2 1/2 plastic threads holding the head on. No idea if the regulator pcb would survive it or not. Water resistance, not sealed at all so not dunkable or for underwater use. If it did get wet inside, spray it out with an airhose or canned air should do it. Splash or rain resistant maybe. It's only a $5 flashlight. I'm very surprised that it has a regulated output at that price.

I have pictures I'm trying to upload, but can't seem to make it work. Photobucket has the pictures, but can't figure out how to get them to show up in a message here. A link of some sort, but have tried several to no avail.

ok, I think I have the pic thingy figured out. Here's a pic of the combo version package.



The regulated circuit pcb:





Here are the runtime graphs. Samples were taken in 1 second intervals. I use 2 cds photocells in series to record the light intensity. So the units on the left are in ohms. The lower the resistance the brighter the light. So the graphs are basically inverted compared to other light output charts. I don't have a lux meter and this was the simplest way to get the information that I wanted which was to see how long a flashlight was in regulation (if it had a regulator) and how long it lasted altogether.


The 4 day graph:




The 1st day graph. Very good regulation

You used Rayovac batteries to test an Energizer branded light.

I bought one of these for work. They were using an old 2D cell and going through a four pack of D cells a month. They have been on the same set of AA's that it came with for over 9 months. This light including the batteries costs about the same as they were paying for a four pack of D cells.

I have noticed that Energizer uses the Nichia GS LEDs in their lights using 5mm LEDs. This is true with their $2.99 keychain light and the 2AAA penlight. I would guess these would use the same LED.

I like the GS LED in that is is really bright and despite its blueish oblong hotspot, it has a high CRI that puts other 5mm LEDs to shame.

Not sure I would like the keychain light because it uses 3 A76 cells, but these seem to outlast runtime of lights using the 2 2016 lithium cells.

Hey guys, I was wondering why it had a resistor when it only takes two AA batteries, the vf for the LED to output such brightness has to be more than that right? Usually I only see transistors and a coil for a boost circuit...

So I have a theory for the regulated circuit (I'm not an expert in electronics), I'm guessing there's a coil from the other side of the head lamp you posted? Which is the boost circuit, to draw voltage more than it's required and then pass through the resistor to have a "fixed" current input to the LED. That's probably why you're getting 24 hours constant brightness, until the batteries are drained to a certain point... (I may be wrong)

d1337 said:

You used Rayovac batteries to test an Energizer branded light.

Click to expand...

Yes, that is kinda funny, but I'm doing a series of flashlight tests now and wanted the same brand of batteries for all of them. I ran a series of battery tests several years ago comparing the different battery sizes (AA, AAA, D, and 9V) to see how long each brand (Rayovac, Energizer, Duracell, Radio Shack, Kirkland), battery type (alkaline, NMH, lithium primary) and size lasted relative to each other under the same load(s). I collected the data with a DVM that had a RS-232 output, entered the data into Excel, and analyzed the data to see what I could find. It was very time consuming, but yielded very interesting results. I factored in how much each battery cost with the Excel data and came up with numbers that told me which battery type and brand had the best cost vs time ratio. Or forget the cost, which battery runs the longest. Or which battery would run at the highest voltage the longest. There are many ways to look at all the data. I printed all the spreadsheet results out and arranged them in many different ways.

pseudoblue said:

Hey guys, I was wondering why it had a resistor when it only takes two AA batteries, the vf for the LED to output such brightness has to be more than that right? Usually I only see transistors and a coil for a boost circuit...

Click to expand...

It was hard to take a pic of the boost/regulator circuit. I haven't been able to remove the lens/end cap from the reflector and pcb part to get a better angle. There is 1 coil, 1 transistor , 2 caps, 1 diode and 1 resistor mounted on the pcb. You only noticed the resistor which was the easiest part to see in the picture. The coil is to the right of the red wire and left of the long resistor lead in the center of the pic. The coil has 3 legs on it and the body (black) is laying on the pcb.

Here's a different view:

Nice find!

Though, You gotta love how they put "LED Technology" on the bezel :laughing:

Just went to Lowes to get a paint brush. Spotted a cute blonde at the checkout so of course jumped in behind her to enjoy the view. After a moment she realized I was eyeing her...perhaps to much and she looked at me...so I had to look away. Well what did my eye`s fall on...the light being talked about in this thread.

But different in that it has a MAGNET (seeing the joy in my eye`s at finding this silly little light the girl realized I was strange and beat a path for the exit...but who cares :ironic!

So for $5.97 I picked one up http://images.lowes.com/product/039800/039800055330.jpg

Ugg. From the linked image, it looks like it comes with carbon zinc batteries.

So will you throw the batteries away or do you have a use for them?

flatline said:

Ugg. From the linked image, it looks like it comes with carbon zinc batteries.

So will you throw the batteries away or do you have a use for them?

Click to expand...

Myself, I`ll just run them into the ground. Then I`ll put some lithium in it and throw it my truck to loan out to folks or for doing things that would scrap up my nicer lights. For the moment I just stuck it on my refrige. This is one of those light you don`t lose easy...and don`t care if you do.