ThorFire & Etekcity 18650 powered lanterns

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A few CPFers wrote reviews of other Thorfire lights, and as I recall they were generally favorable, and the company offers a decent warranty.
One reviewer of the etekcity lantern mentioned this which I think is significant...

There is a battery compartment in the top of the unit that is incorrectly identified in the instructions as being 2xAA when in fact it is 3xAAA. This serves as a backup for when your main lithium ion rechargeable batteries run low and you're somewhere where you can't charge them. It's VERY important that you do NOT leave the AAA batteries in the top of the lantern during charging. They don't explain why in the instructions but I'm guessing it's because the charging system is fairly rudimentary

Click to expand...

Someone mentioned that it uses 15 leds.
I imagine that they are the 5mm type, which are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, they are inefficient compared to SMD or Cree XML etc.

Some info on emitters:
found what I believe to be fairly accurate information.
1. Cree 5mm round white LEDs are about 30 lumens per watt efficient
2. Cree surface mount LEDs are about 65 lumens per watt efficient
3. Cree XM-L2 LEDs are about 116 lumens per watt efficient even when driven at 3 amps!

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Lanterns are good for outdoor use, and tail stood flashlights are generally considered better for indoor use.

The problems with lanterns is that they produce a glaring light. Typically multiple emitter lanterns produce less glare. The Steamlight siege and similar, and the CL25R that you just mentioned, do use multiple emitters, but they at least are of the SMD (Surface mounted diode) type, that are more efficient than the cheap 5mm round ones.

Regarding lanterns, I like the energizer folding lantern with light fusion technology for its ability to diffuse it's light without much glare. If it had a 4D cell option, it would truly be awesome.

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