Two new Photon products

The_LED_Museum

*Retired*
Joined
Aug 12, 2000
Messages
19,414
Location
Federal Way WA. USA
Just received two new lights from LRI.

One is the new "X-Light" which is the new economy keychain light with that palm pilot type marking on the top that was discussed awhile back. The sample I received has a blue LED and a transparent/transluscent blue case. The light has a PCB and epoxy "blob" IC chip and a computer dome type momentary pushbutton switch. Press it once, light comes on. Press it again, light goes off.
The basic PCB design is similar to that used by the Photon 3 and it also has the same type of battery retainer strap. Although it appears impossible to do at first glance, the slide-and-snap type of battery cover *can* be removed & replaced without taking the keyring off, and no tools are needed to change its batteries.

Then, there's the new purple Photon 3. This light uses a similar microcontroller as the older (recent) white P3, but there have been some programming refinements to answer to some of the most common complaints people had about the P3. Mode change time has been reduced from 3-4 seconds to 2 seconds, modes can be changed whether you start with the light on or off, and the annoying "auto off" blinking has been replaced with a ramp-up. There also appears to be a battery tester at the termination of an auto-off cycle like the Fusion has, but I'll have to run the batteries down in order to verify this. The LED appears to have Cree's characteristic chip geometry, and emits at approximately 401 to 402nm. While this is a bit longer (bluer) than I might have liked, it is still within the useful range.

I'll be putting up pages for these (and 7 other flashlights I got this morning!) as the week progresses.
 
D

**DONOTDELETE**

Guest
I will have to try the 2 second mode change before I know if it is really an improvement.I find myself holding the rear switch on sometimes. (out of habit from using Photon 2s)I can usually remember to let go before 4 second pass and I end up going to the next mode.I imagine the 2 second change will beat my slow reflexes and I will end up chucking the light against the wall.
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At least I will save a few seconds cycling back through the modes to get it back where I had it.
troy
 

Quickbeam

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 19, 2001
Messages
4,329
Location
FlashlightReviews.com
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>...(and 7 other flashlights I got this morning!) ...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Showoff!
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So the new P3's with the new circuitry are in production, then? Any idea where I can get one without getting an old one by accident?
 

JollyRoger

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 21, 2001
Messages
875
Location
Berkeley, CA
I think they probably still have a lot of stuff with the older design. When I talked to Bryan a while back, he said that this purple one would be the first P3 to have the newer changes, but that it would be a while until the stock for the existing P3's (other colors) was depleted. I just got an orange P3 from William at TTS with the new switch, but no new electronics....

Hopefully soon, though....I like the ramp up and the 2 second delay b/w modes!
 
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