OK to buy Photon Fusion now?

arab

Enlightened
Joined
Sep 5, 2001
Messages
310
Location
Ireland
I just read in Craig's web site that Photon have a revised battery latch cover available for it's Fusion light.

There is also an update on Photon's web site where they talk about a new belt clip as well as a convenient bag for storage.

So is this an indication of the availability of a Mark II Photon Fusion? I recently asked my favourite (cheapest!) Photon dealer - Vicomptel - for a price on a Fusion. They will sell me one for $55 which is a lot less than the $82 charged by Photon. (The shipping to Ireland is + $10). So the questions are:

1) How does the Photon compare to others - both headlights and Eternalights, etc
2) Was the only problem the battery cover? I see from Craig's review that he had a few blow up!
3) Any other forthcoming lights that I should hold off for?
4) Any better prices

Craig - Have you plans to complete the battery life tests (NOT hastling you - honest!)

Alan from Ireland
(edited)
 

APW

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Mar 14, 2001
Messages
104
Location
Sheffield, UK
OK,intro ... I've broken the latch twice, at the moment just held the latch tight by using kitchen foil + cling film, it works.


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR> 2) Was the only problem the battery cover? I see from Craig's review that he had a few blow up!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

NO

1. I saw a big crack on the battery compartment

2. I saw some cracks all over the hinge that holds the battery cover (that hinge is just to small)

3. Very very slow falling apart mechanism of the hinges that holds the main lamp module (if you twist the light up and down a lot as head lamp)

I use NiMh AA and almost changing the batteries twice a week for 4 months now.
I also mentioned this to photon and they said will look into it.

It's the QC problem. May not apply to other units.

Cheers,
Andy
 

The_LED_Museum

*Retired*
Joined
Aug 12, 2000
Messages
19,414
Location
Federal Way WA. USA
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by arab:

1) How does the Photon compare to others - both headlights and Eternalights, etc
2) Was the only problem the battery cover? I see from Craig's review that he had a few blow up!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The beam cannot be properly compared with any other light, because the Fusion uses a mixture of wide-angle and narrow-angle LEDs. Even metering it gives a falsely low reading.

The problem wasn't the cover; it was the battery box assembly as a whole. I'm expecting a replacement battery box for my unit probably this week or early next week, so I'll be able to see first hand what corrective measures have been taken. As for defective electronics, I believe that problem was taken care of a long time ago.

As for finishing the test - I'll have to obtain and install a third computer before I can do the really long running tests, because the recording DMM software runs in a full DOS window and cannot be interrupted once started; and that would leave me with no way to take pictures of new products or run the ProMetric beam profile analyzer during such a test. If you wish, I can do a series of *informal* tests using my eyes and a clock instead of having it metered continuously.
 

Gandalf

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 3, 2001
Messages
802
Location
USA
I called Photon on Friday, 4/12, and was told that they *still* don't have the new battery case covers.

But yet again, as they have for the past several months, I was told they would be available in about 2 weeks.
tongue.gif
mad.gif


And odds are, most dealers will have a fair number of units with the 'old style' battery boxes, for some time to come.

Oh yes: if you ask the person who answers the phone at Photon, they will likely tell you they have the new parts in stock. (I've been told this *twice* now).

Once you get past the front desk, it's always 'we'll have them in about two weeks'.

Obviously, two weeks in Photon's universe is measured quite differently than two weeks in the rest of our corner of the galaxy....
tongue.gif
 

BuddTX

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 27, 2001
Messages
2,521
Location
Houston, TX
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by The LED Museum:
As for finishing the test - I'll have to obtain and install a third computer before I can do the really long running tests, because the recording DMM software runs in a full DOS window and cannot be interrupted once started; and that would leave me with no way to take pictures of new products or run the ProMetric beam profile analyzer during such a test.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Do you know you can "boot to DOS"? As long as you are not running NTFS on your HD, (only FAT, FAT16, and FAT32), you can still access all your HD programs. Just make a startup disk, or even just format a disk and choose the "copy system files" and you can have a full, uninturupted DOS session.

Also, in Windows 95,98, 98se, and ME, you can play with the properties of the DOS window to never suspend when moving from the active window, or to never activate screen saver or to never go to low sensitivity.

With W2K and XP, there is no "real" DOS, so a hard core DOS program somtimes has trouble running in those environments.

However I run some hard core DOS programs at work, and am finding that they actually run better in a W2K system than a 98se system. Don't ask me why, I would have bet money that a 98se system with "real DOS" would have run a DOS app better!
 
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