Photon questions ...

About 8 months ago I bought a Photon 3 light for my wife to take on walks. She hasn't used it in a while and it no longer works. I suspect that it's just the battery, I'll grab another at radio shack. But just in case that doesn't solve the problem, are there any other known problems with these lights? I wouldn't think there's too much to go wrong, the LEDs last forever, and the rest is just some tiny electronics and battery contacts.

I think mine is the photon 3 but I'm not positive. Is there an easy way to tell which I have?

Are there any new versions? If so, what does it add?


Can I safely assume that none of the Photon lights are regulated?


Thanks guys!!


Christopher

Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

under the batteries.

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

i had a photon 3, then i got a 2 because it has the constant on mechanical switch which makes it infinitely more valuable. the modes never really worked for me, and the strobe modes were weak and dissatisfying, was very disappoined with my 3. then the time came around for my 2 to run out of batteries, so i went out and got 1 batttery, to later find out it needs 2 after opening it..my fault i admit for not reading, but u figure 6v is too much at first until u know how much current they can, or cat provide.. when i unscrewed it i didnt really like what i saw, it is very cheaply made, and paying what i did for it, i think like $20 at the time was hardly worth this quality of work, i mean it's useful and everything, but the the whole switch for the light depends on the fact that one of the LED leads is bent in a direction that prevents contact and all the switch does is push it down onto the batteries which are sandwitched between the 2 LED leads. it's useful, but i almost started crying that they actually resorted to just bending a lead instead of running their own battery contacts and securing the LED to the housing somehow. for the price i paid, not impressed at all, considering my T1 was $35.

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

As mentioned, it will say "Photon 3" on the circuit board visible when the battery is removed. The board will also list the address and a date. If it says 2002 or later, you should most likely have a reliable light. A certain percentage of the earlier versions of the Photon 3 had several known problems with the chip including unexpected battery drain. The LEDs, etc. are reliable. Photon (LRI) will replace any defective lights under their excellent warranty program.

The light may have just been left on or been accidentally turned on by being bumped and that may have run down the battery. Put a new battery in and see how it goes. Batteries are available at many stores that sell batteries or you can order from the site listed below at a pretty good price that includes free shipping in the US.

There is a newer light called the Photon Freedom. It is very similar, but the control interface has been made far more intuitive. It has only one button, it allows continuous dimming instead of just 3 levels and it always comes on in full brightness instead of in the last-used mode. It also comes with a couple of neat accessories. It is excellent. Check it out at www.photonlight.com

Yes, you can assume that none of the coin cell lights are regulated.

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

[ QUOTE ]
Lurker said:
it always comes on in full brightness instead of in the last-used mode.

[/ QUOTE ]

In my opinion, this is a regression! For what it is, though, the Photon Freedom is a very well made little device!

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

From my website, here's a little snippet of text (37 words) from my Photon Freedom Micro web page:

Pressing and holding the button when the light is already off will turn it on at the lowest level and allow you to gradually increase the brightness to give you just the amount of light you need.

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

My white Photon 3 now only works like a photon 1. The back button does nothing. I guess I should send it back in.

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

Just e-mail the Photon folks about your problem. My initial Photon 3 was defective (wouldn't turn off). They sent me a new one along with a mailer to return the bad one. Very easy to deal with.

Geoff

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

[ QUOTE ]
The_LED_Museum said:
From my website, here's a little snippet of text (37 words) from my Photon Freedom Micro web page:

Pressing and holding the button when the light is already off will turn it on at the lowest level and allow you to gradually increase the brightness to give you just the amount of light you need.


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, that works fine - but it's annoying to have to do it over and over again each time you turn on the light. Once you find the right brightness, it's nice to just have it dialed in. I did this about 37 times while reading star charts over the weekend, and while I got used to how long to hold the button to get the right amount of light, it would've been nifty to just click the button and have it be at the right brightness.

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

I dig the Inova microlight, and I have a photon 3.

the Inova is easier to use, has a more useful beam, and is quite bright.

All of the photon's operational modes are cool, but not necessarily practical for day to day use for the average person.

the inova lights with the semi-transparent housing are useful even for opening a lock in a dark environment because light shines out from the entire body of the tool, not just from the business end.

flick the constant on switch, and then switch to using your other keys, and the ambient light produced by the body of the light is more than sufficient.

and as far as color goes, i recommend the green.

=]

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

[ QUOTE ]
MrBenchmark said:
...it's annoying to have to do it over and over again each time you turn on the light. Once you find the right brightness, it's nice to just have it dialed in.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. The interface would be perfected if the light remembered and came on in its last-used setting. As it is, the interface is optimized for the majority of people who use the light in full-brightness mode most of the time. Of course it is nice that anyone can pick up the Freedom light and use it the first time without a manual, unlike the Photon 3.

If LRI changed the interface so that a double tap would turn the light on in its last mode, the interface would still be simple and fool-proof, but would also satisfy those who want easier access to the special features.

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

I've had two Photon 2 microlights, four Photon 3 Microlights, in various colors. I just got two new Photon Freedoms.

I've been really happy with all of them. The switch on the Photon 2 may be low tech, but I've been using mine for years and it still works exactly as it did when it was new. I never found the Photon 3's switch difficult. It seemed very simple and easy to use, but maybe it's because I read all instruction manuals cover to cover before using any product I get. I definitely think the White LED lights are the most useful in general. The turquoise and a few othjer colors may be brighter, but they tend to make everything look monochrome. I work with a lot of devices that use multi-colored LEDs to give status information, and I couldn't tell if they were red, yellow, green or amber until I started using the White LED light. Of course I use a Red LED light to preserve night vision, etc, but for all around use, I've decided white light is best.

Regarding the two new Photon Freedoms I bought... I got one with a White LED and one with an Orange LED. The white was the same brightness as my other white Photons. The orange, however, was extremely dim. It didn't even come close to putting out the amount of light my red Photon 3 does. The Orange Photon Freedom was so dim that I thought the battery was dead, so I replaced it, but that didn't change the intensity at all. I sent it back to LRI. I'm going to guess it was defective, but I asked them to send me a red Photon Freedom instead anyway.

I think the blinking modes on the Freedom are more useful than the Photon 3's, but I found it hard to hit the mode I wanted using the new control system of the Freedom. The dimming feature of the Freedom is nice, but the Photon 3's three brightness levels always worked well for me. On the whole I like the Photon 3 interface better, but The Freedom has better functionality.

The best thing about the Photon Freedom is the hands free clip. Initially I thought, "Free clip. Whoop de doo." Then I started using it. They're awesome! Make sure you get a clip with magnets on the bottom. I got one with magnets and one without. The magnets make it a heck of a lot more useful.

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3 ...

IMHO, a Photon should be a requirement for all keyrings.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3

I have had the Photon, Photon II, and Photon III. I had the same problem as the orginal post. I left it in my pocket and after a week it was dead and I hadn't used it that much. Best guess was that it had turned itself on in my pocket and run down.

So when I put a new battery in it, I put it in the timed mode. So that if it turned on, it would tuen off after one minute. I didn't have the dead battery problem again. But I did find I wasn't using the extra modes because of the hassle of switching back and forth.

So a Photon II bought from ebay is a better deal.
Or I would suggest getting an even better light that twists on like this one -
Peak 1 watt light

He is doign a presale now here are costs -


package 1: 1 light, 1 battery, charger head, shipping: $90. $9 goes for cpfrf
package 2: 1 light, 2 batteries, charger & body, shipping: $120. $12 to cpfrf

Many people are ordering them, including myself since it will be the brightest light of that size you can get. The Photon will not even be in the same league, just a dull glow compared to it.

Re: Just popped it open, definitely says Photon 3

I own, as I'm sure everyone here does, lots of flashlights, and I use different ones depending on the task. I have a Gerber Ultra Infinity with the on/off twisting bezel, and I like it a lot. But it's not my keychain flashlight. It's too big and heavy to keep in my pants' pocket comfortably. It's also not convenient for one handed operation. Sure you CAN use it with one hand (if you don't have carpal tunnel syndrome) but it's not quick and easy. The Photon weighs almost nothing, takes up very little space, and is made for one handed operation. It's the best pocket flashlight I've found, given the criteria that are important to me. On the other hand, I keep a Surefire 6P, which is the antithesis of the Photon, in my briefcase. My briefcase weighs close to 20 pounds anyway and has lots of room inside, so I might as well go for a big, heavy, powerful light.

I've given about two dozen Photon III's as christmas gifts, and none of my friends has had any trouble with them. I'm not saying they can't turn on accidently, but from my experiences it doesn't seem like a big problem to me. YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY, OF COURSE.

Another thing about the Photons I like is the price. I've heard people say they've paid upwards of $20 for a Photon, but that's a ripoff. If you want a Photon, I suggest buying it here: http://alphanet.zoovy.com/category/photon_microlights_by_lri/
Photon I: $8
Photon II: $10
Photon III: $12
Photon Freedom: $13
I haven't seen them that cheap anywhere else. The shipping charges aren't exhorbitant, and they're very nice to deal with.

I think one of the main sources of complaints about the Photons is that they are really good. People want whatever little extra thing that, in their mind, will make them "perfect", and they see it as a drawback.

I just hate to see anyone, or any flashlight, get a bad rap.