dmattaponi
Enlightened
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2009
- Messages
- 349
I've been looking for a nice, single AAA light that might serve as my general purpose EDC. Looking primarily at the runtime tests of the 4Sevens Preon Revo, Fenix LD01, and Preon 1, on these forums, I'll admit that I was disappointed, and I didn't see anything that made me feel that purchasing one of these three would give me a light signficantly better than my Fenix E05, especially since I was most interested in the medium setting runtimes. Medium is what I seem to use the most, and I also like that the Fenix lights generally come on in medium instead of low. The medium level, runtime tests that I looked at didn't seem to hold up to the numbers advertised on the packaging, and none of those runtime numbers seemed signifiantly improved over what I already have in the E05.
So I had the day off work, and I thought Id turn my E05 on and leave it on to see how long the battery would hold out. The light contains an Energizer Lithium battery thats been in the light since before Thanksgiving. Ive used the light regularly throughout that time, for short periods of time (to examine something in low light, to find the keyhole when my wife turns the porch light off on me, and many miscellaneous other things). Anyway, I turned the light on at 2:12p.m. The light output remained pretty much unchanged (to my eyes) for 3 hours. What surprises me though, is that it is now 8:49 (6hrs running), and the light is still running. Its no longer useful light, but Im really surprised it hasnt gone out completely. On a fresh battery, I think the E05 would hold out just as long as any of the ones mentioned above on the medium setting, and yet the E05 seems to have a semi-bad rap for not having a long enough runtime for many. Based on my experience, I think the rap might be unfair.
Now, I dont know how people that know what they are doing, do runtime tests, and I do realize that what I did does not constitute a legit runtime test. Like I said, the light gave off about 3 hrs of good light, so my claim of 6+hrs above isnt realistic in a real world environment, but I do find it interesting nonetheless. Maybe this is typical on led lights. This is the first time Ive left one on to see how long it would last. Maybe this is typical behavior for an led?
Edit to add: Went out completely sometime between 9:15 and 9:30.
So I had the day off work, and I thought Id turn my E05 on and leave it on to see how long the battery would hold out. The light contains an Energizer Lithium battery thats been in the light since before Thanksgiving. Ive used the light regularly throughout that time, for short periods of time (to examine something in low light, to find the keyhole when my wife turns the porch light off on me, and many miscellaneous other things). Anyway, I turned the light on at 2:12p.m. The light output remained pretty much unchanged (to my eyes) for 3 hours. What surprises me though, is that it is now 8:49 (6hrs running), and the light is still running. Its no longer useful light, but Im really surprised it hasnt gone out completely. On a fresh battery, I think the E05 would hold out just as long as any of the ones mentioned above on the medium setting, and yet the E05 seems to have a semi-bad rap for not having a long enough runtime for many. Based on my experience, I think the rap might be unfair.
Now, I dont know how people that know what they are doing, do runtime tests, and I do realize that what I did does not constitute a legit runtime test. Like I said, the light gave off about 3 hrs of good light, so my claim of 6+hrs above isnt realistic in a real world environment, but I do find it interesting nonetheless. Maybe this is typical on led lights. This is the first time Ive left one on to see how long it would last. Maybe this is typical behavior for an led?
Edit to add: Went out completely sometime between 9:15 and 9:30.