UK 4AA eLED, first impressions

Jumi

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Jul 24, 2002
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Hei. I ordered eLED to my local battery store a week ago and they called today that it had arrived. Had to pick it up at lunch time. They had ordered just one of them eventhough they sell lot of regular 4AAs and bulbs for firefighters. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

I got blue translucent body with ON/OFF/Momentary push button. It has side emitting star and aluminium reflector.
Star is epoxied into plastic body and to reflector. There is about 2 millimeters cap between star and reflector so no metel to metal heat transfer /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
It has somekind of power regulator circuit to insure constant brightness. I can see two side small board inside and few components. I'll measure mA draw with it's new batteries and 4 nimhs and used batteries when I get home.
Sorry, I don't have Dcamera so no beam pictures.
It has 4 catalyst pellets in lamp module.
Only dark place at work was toilet so I'cant tell you how well it throw but the beam is narrow and white compared to my 2*123/ 1*li'ion Ansmann mod which use original luxeon optik and now draws 800mA from used 123s.
UK has small bright hotspot, From 10cm(4inc) to the paper, hotspot is 0.8cm. Round sidespill is 6cm.
I'll tell you tomorrow how it compares to normal UK 4aa.

Juha
 

Jumi

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Finland
Ok. Some more info.
With new duracell plus 6.35V mA draw was 168mA
4-Nihms 5.42V 181mA
Empty alkalines 5.21V 150mA
3Empty alkalines 3.74V 65mA
2*123 lithium 6.3V 165mA

Since I don't need a light that last 10 hours with one charge I decided to modify the circuit to draw more.
Dremel with cutting wheel and blade knife were very useful tools to first remove the reflector then star. Then I pulled out positive and negative contacts. Now circuit was loosen and I took it out.
It has 7 smd resistors, 4 transistors/regulators, 4 capasitors, a diode and a coil. I found 2 resistors that affected a lot to light output before I broke the circuit.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif Clever me. I think I broke one of the transistors. I didn't wanna loose my /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sleepy.gif so I add 3.5 Ohm resistance and put the parts together without the circuit. I epoxied star with small aluminium pieces to reflector. Now it pulls 450mA from nimhs and 540mA from fresh alk. After ten minutes of use with nimhs aluminium pieces are too hot to touch, but that doesn't bother me because most of use is outdoor in winter times.
I might try to add some more heatsink later.

Juha
 

paulr

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I'd like to know how the stock version compares with other LED lights such as the BB400 or Arc. Any idea? I'm not familiar with the Ansmann. Thanks.
 

Jumi

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Finland
Well, it's hard to say because I only have 3 luxeon lights: Reactor with 3*2/3aa, Ansmann mod (Now draws only 400mA) and this, now modded UK. Now the hotspot is almost square, very usable light for snowmobiling as a backuplight.
( I hope it won't get much use in that purpose, because you only need flaslight when you're lost, stuck or in sled feilure at wrong time, night)

Juha
 

vcal

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Dec 16, 2000
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San Gabriel Valley
Jumi, the initial current measurements that you took sound suspiciously low. (@ 160-180mA, the light output had to be unimpressive-maybe like an Inretech running on 2 standard alkalines).

Were those readings taken at the LED terminals, or were they inclusive of the circuit? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 

Jumi

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Yes, as standard it has nice white beam and long burntime.
Brightness is Ok, but could be better. It seems like it's been designed to use 1w at full batteries.
The text behind the star is P2KV 0000651 and 4702LXFW1C, dont't know how good is it?

Juha
 

Jumi

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Doug: The readigs were taken from battery holder before circuit. I calculated (by phone, so not exact) that from input voltage 6v and 160mA, circuit efficiency 80 and 90% the led gets 230-260mA) And it was whiter and brighter than that mod drawing 400mA with orig. optik. Too bad that I'cant make any more measurements, can't afford to another one.
I'll try to fix that circuit but with my skills it doesn't look promising.

Juha
 

GerdK

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Dec 23, 2003
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Hello!

I've got a few questions about this light. You said that the LED is glued into the aluminium reflector, right? So the epoxy is used to transfer the heat of the Luxeon LED into the aluminium reflector?

About the throw of this light: Can you compare the throw of the UK to other popoular lights? Is the throw maybe roughtly comparable to a Minimag, a PT Rage? Would the eLED suitable for illuminating things that are, for example, 25m away?

What about the beam quallity? Are there any rings or blotches or is the beam "perfect"?

Greetings,
Gerd
 

Velcro

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The Netherlands (NL)
[ QUOTE ]
evanlocc said:
mind to show picture of it.
thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

und4aays.jpg
 

asdalton

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Dec 12, 2002
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I just ordered one of these today. I know that it won't be as bright as the Arc LS or Badboy 400, but I've been looking for a medium-brightness LED light that has regulation and a reasonably white beam. Until recently, virtually all regulated flashlights have been either single-LED keychain lights, or else bright and short-runtime LS lights.
 

paulr

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Vcal, that's 160-180 ma at 6 volts, not 3 volts like a reactor.
 

Jumi

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Finland
It had lot of use in weekend and here is some what I found. The plastic used in the body feels more slippery than my eX- rated 4AA, If i find thin neopren i'll glue pieces of it in those sides where eX-version has text but this eLED is smooth.
The head was not hot in outdoor use.

Velcro: Thanks for the pic.

GerdK: The Led was not glued to reflector, as you can read from the first post. There was epoxy in most those caps between star and reflector but not everyone.
I can compare the throw to minimag and rage tonight in car basement which is 30m.
Beam quality is perfect. The rings are in reflector
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif not in beam.

Juha
 

asdalton

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Dec 12, 2002
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I got my UK 4AA eLED today, and I like it a lot. I think that this flashlight has made the Streamlight 4AA 7LED obsolete, since the UK light fills the same brightness/size niche and is superior in almost every way (as far as I can tell).

The Streamlight has a lower price and probably has a higher initial brightness on fresh batteries. However, the UK's beam is white, longer throwing, and regulated. The UK is also smaller and has its switch in a more convenient position.

The brightness is advertised as being better than five 5-mm white LEDs, and this claim is reasonable. My SL 4AA 7LED provides about the same amount of light on partially used batteries, and my SL TT 3C provides more light than the UK when the TT is running all six LEDs on fresh batteries. My Badboy 400/Q2 is 2-3 times as bright, proving that the UK is not a scorcher but rather a medium-brightness, medium-runtime utility light.
 

pedalinbob

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Dec 7, 2002
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Michigan
i am very interested in this light, thanks for the info.

Brightguy has them for $20!!!

i wonder what the lux readings are? my streamlight 4aa 7led hits 135 lux.

Bob
 

03lab

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berlin.de
I'm getting one for sure. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Only $20 ?! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/buttrock.gif Does Brightguy ship overseas? Are you ordering from them Bob?
 

Badbeams3

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Sep 28, 2000
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The comment "narrow beam" leaves me scared. I can still feel my shock at the X-1. I want a wide beam...especialy from a utility light.

Ken
 

Raven

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Oct 16, 2002
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Holding my breath for beamshots /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Raven
 
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