A good book light or area lamp

A lot of LED book lights and area lamps (lanterns) use 5 mm LED bulbs in them.
Now, for the lanterns, it really doesn't matter because all LED lanterns have a diffusion lens or something like that; I don't remember the actual name.
Did any one ever buy a LED book light that has artifacts in its beam? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif Instead of using 5 mm LED bulbs, why not use 10 mm LED bulbs? IMHO, they don't have artifacts and they are for close-range view.

Before I lost it, I used the UK 4AA ELED as a reading light. I would prop it on my chest and the enormous side spill would illuminate the pages very well. I got tired of waking up with marks on my forehead from falling asleep with my Tikka on my head.

This is my favorite after trying several of varying types.

VOYAGER BOOK LIGHT

Brightnorm

I just bought one of those 1 dollar book lights and modified it. I stuck 20 Nichia's in it, and ran them at a much lower current for higher efficiencies, and tossed in a home made switcher.

Brightnorm, thanks for the reminder. I'd been meaning to get one of these for a long time. This application really calls for a line source of light instead of a point source, although sticking twenty or so LEDs in a line might approximate a line. CCFL forever!

Got mine online from an outfit called Lazar's Luggage.

Walt Brand

Interesting-- haven't wandered into a Radio Shack store in at least a couple of years, so: I wandered. Right at the hand-over-yer-dough desk, hanging on pegs, were a whole flock of Phorm Light Voyagers with little LCD-panel alarm clocks built into the light heads... for $15. Only this variant isn't called a Light Voyager, it's a Light Traveler. Zact same light, just a bit thicker where the alarm clock is built in.

So now I have two of these things, and all I can say is, it would've been nice if they'd used a CCFL tube as long as the one in the Arc White (now updated with a lensed LED in place of the old Krypton bulb as the Double Bright), but it's still more than bright enough for the job, and the clever flip-n-fold stand-slash-battery holder makes it usable as a teeny table light. Runs fine on nimh cells. And oh yes, the Voyager and Traveler are equally bright.

I should point out that only SOME of the Radio Shack stores in my area are selling the light for the above price. What's life without instability?

Walt Brand