A new (to me) LED flashlight

[Azurerana]

I was at a sports show today, and got suckered in by a 3 3/4 inch long, 1 inch diameter 3 AAA 12 LED flashlight. This is called a Two Boys LED Torch-- they have this identical model, plus some 8, 17, and 28 LED varieties (all 3 AAA, about the same size, though with a larger lens area for more LEDs) at www.glowbug.com. It is knurled aluminum, silver colored, has a cloth carry strap, and an end of the flashlight pushbutton on/off switch. This 12 LED little guy was $7.00, and it is incredibly bright. It claims to be weatherproof (survives wet, and has an O-ring like a minimag) but is not rated as waterproof as in underwater swimming. The push button on the end seems pretty watertight too.

Light comparison: this flashlight gives a bright spot of diffuse blue-white light about 5' in diameter vs about 1.5' for a focused standard 2AA minimag. The total area lit is about the same, but the peripheral light is probably 2-3x as intense. I would say the total light output is about 2-3x of the minimag. I have no idea yet what the battery life is. I'm not really thrilled with the pushbutton on/off, but if it gets accidentally turned on in the pack, you will know it.

Hey, for $7, it's probably worth a shot.

[NZcaver]

Does your new LED flashlight look anything like this?



These have been available cheap on eBay for quite a while. A couple of years ago I bought a similar 21 LED flashlight off an eBay seller in Hong Kong. It looks like this -



It was cheap (like $10 including shipping), and I thought what the heck. Sure enough - I got what I paid for. When I got the light, it worked perfectly. A day later, 2 of the LEDs were dead. I actually went to the bother of replacing the dead leads myself, but within a couple of weeks another 2 LEDs were dead, and several more were noticeably dimmer. The switch became temperamental too. Eventually I gave up and threw it away.

I don't mean to sound discouraging - I just hope you have better results with your one.

[Brian Roebuck]

Congrats Azurerana on getting an LED light! I hope it is a better built unit than what NZ ordered. You never know it could be a decent piece of gear. I do know glowbug lights were always first class units so if this is a copy or an overstock item you will probably enjoy using it. As for LED lights Lynn complained she doesn't see as well with her Princeton Tech Apex as she does with her old "nitelite" coonhunter style incandecent rig. So maybe it will be back to using it until we can afford a couple of Sten lights or whatever. I seem to never be satisfied with lights although for me the Apex is close.

[Azurerana]

drbeaner said:

As for LED lights Lynn complained she doesn't see as well with her Princeton Tech Apex as she does with her old "nitelite" coonhunter style incandecent rig. So maybe it will be back to using it until we can afford a couple of Sten lights or whatever. I seem to never be satisfied with lights although for me the Apex is close.

As mentioned before in the other thread, I find LED headlights not a good thing, for much the same reason as Lynn, plus being constantly blinded by them doesn't endear me to fellow cavers. A flashlight, OTOH, you have more control over than a headlight.

This is the model from glowbug: Light

I'll keep you informed. The 'real price' on the light was $9, as with the glowbug one-- it was at the end of the last day, and the vendor was trying to dump stock instead of haul it.

[L Roebuck]

Let us know how the Two Boys LED Torch holds up to the cave environment, Azurerana.

drbeaner said:

As for LED lights Lynn complained she doesn't see as well with her Princeton Tech Apex as she does with her old "nitelite" coonhunter style incandecent rig.

And I thought I was just grumbling while I stumbled around the cave last Saturday. Humm...but that particular cave does have lightsuckers.

Anyway the Princeton Tech just does not illuminate the cave passage enough for me. I really do like to see and so a bright caving light is primo! To me the Apex just seems very diffused for regular caving but on the other hand it is great for reading wall inscriptions.

[NZcaver]

pretzlgirl said:

Anyway the Princeton Tech just does not illuminate the cave passage enough for me. I really do like to see and so a bright caving light is primo! To me the Apex just seems very diffused for regular caving but on the other hand it is great for reading wall inscriptions.

Wow - most complaints (if any) about the light output of the Apex is that it's too bright! Particularly for close-up reading, and that I can agree with. If you don't like it so diffused, have you tried caving with the single bright LED on low power? I find that beam a bit tight for most of my cave-walking, but you might like it.

[L Roebuck]

nzcaver said:

Wow - most complaints (if any) about the light output of the Apex is that it's too bright! Particularly for close-up reading, and that I can agree with. If you don't like it so diffused, have you tried caving with the single bright LED on low power? I find that beam a bit tight for most of my cave-walking, but you might like it.

Yes, I have tried the single bright LED. Most recently was just this past Saturday. Unfortunately, the light just didn't illuminate very well and so I was a caving stumble bum all day.

[NZcaver]

pretzlgirl said:

nzcaver said:

Wow - most complaints (if any) about the light output of the Apex is that it's too bright! Particularly for close-up reading, and that I can agree with. If you don't like it so diffused, have you tried caving with the single bright LED on low power? I find that beam a bit tight for most of my cave-walking, but you might like it.

Yes, I have tried the single bright LED. Most recently was just this past Saturday. Unfortunately, the light just didn't illuminate very well and so I was a caving stumble bum all day.

Yeah, I've heard a few people wishing that both modes (single LED and 4 LED) could be used at the same time. Of course then you get *no* battery life! ;D

[L Roebuck]

I have to add that in the lighter colored limestone caves the Apex seems to work okay. But in the darker red clay caves the Apex just wasn't enough light output for me. I know picky picky.
But when I know the nature of the cave we're going to - I can always use my old trusty nitelight.

[naclydogg]

pretzlgirl said:

I have to add that in the lighter colored limestone caves the Apex seems to work okay. But in the darker red clay caves the Apex just wasn't enough light output for me. I know picky picky.
But when I know the nature of the cave we're going to - I can always use my old trusty nitelight.

might be more the color of the light rather than how bright it is. I know that the mountain bikers say that they prefer halogen lights over led. With the led they say that there is less depth perception. I guess the slight yellow tint with the incandescent gives them better depth perception. I was thinking of buying the apex, maybe i will rethink it. Put a bigger bulb in my zoom and carry more batteries

[Brian Roebuck]

I think I might save my pennies and buy a Sten Light. I have heard nothing but praise for those monsters. If it is all they say it is it might just be the last cave light I'll ever need.

[Azurerana]

The vendor of the litle lights I originally posted about has been solicited to come to MVOR.