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9xLED TORCH

9xLED Torch, retail Ł8.75 ($17.23)*
Manufactured by (Unknown)
Last updated 02-09-07

* IMPORTANT: Pricing is accurate as of 02-06-07. Please visit the Currency Calculator for the latest currency conversion rates from British pounds to US dollars.

This is the 9 white LED flashlight I purchased on Ebay not that long ago. It comes in an aluminum body, has 9 white LEDs in its bezel (head), uses three AAA cells in a carriage in its barrel, and has a rubbery pushbutton on/off switch on its tailcap.

SIZE

Feed the torch its included AAA cells first, and then you can go to town.

Press the rubberised tailcap button until it clicks and then release your finger and the flashlight will come on. Press and release it the same way again to turn the flashlight off.

There is no momentary or "signalling" mode available when the flashlight is off; however you can blink the light while it is already on by partially depressing the button. If you don't mind the "backwards" feel, you can blink the light this way.

This flashlight comes with a small lanyard; not attached to the torch. It is not quite long enough to go all the way around the product, so it cannot be hung from a long tree branch, water pipe, or other long skinny object with no readily-accessible "end".

To change the batteries, unscrew and remove the tailcap, throw it in the garbage can (dustbin), and take the bag to the outside garbage so the garbage man (dust man) will haul it away next week...O WAIT!!! YOU'LL NEED THAT!!! So just set it aside instead.

Tip the black plastic battery carriage out of the barrel and into your hand. If necessary, remove and dispose of or recycle the used AAA cells from it.

Insert three new AAA cells into the carriage, orienting each cell so its flat end (-) negative faces the spring for it in each chamber.

Slide the now-full battery carriage into the flashlight barrel, orienting it so the button on the metal contact on one end of the carriage goes in first. Finally, screw the tailcap firmly back on.
Aren't you glad you didn't dispose of that tailcap now?

Current consumption measures 74.4mA on the DMM's 2A scale.

I hate to have to do "The Smack Test" and deface such a nice looking flashlight; but I must do so in the name of science...so I beat the living tweedle out of it (ten whacks against the floor of a concrete patio; five whacks against the side of the tailcap and five whacks against the side of the bezel), and found the expected damage. There is some minor gouging on the sides of the tailcap and bezel where it was struck. No optical or electrical malfunctions were detected. It still produces the same predominantly circular medium spot that it did when I removed it from its package for the first time.

This flashlight is splash- and weather-resistant at absolute minimum, but it is probably not submersible because there's no O-ring between the barrel & tailcap. So please try not to drop it in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceansides, docksides, puddles of gila monster pee, slush piles, mud puddles, tubs, toilet bowls, cisterns, sinks, fishtanks, dog water dishes, or other places where water or water-like liquids might be found. A little rain or snow probably wouldn't hurt it though, so you need not be too concerned about using it in moderately bad weather.

If it fell in water and you suspect it got flooded, disassemble it as you would for a battery change, dump the water out of the barrel if necessary, and set the parts in a warm dry place for a day or so just to be sure it's completely dry inside before you reassemble and use it again.

If it fell into seawater or if somebody or something peed on it, douche all the parts out with fresh water before setting them out to dry. You don't want your flashlight to smell like seashells or urine when you go to use it next. Besides, salt (from seawater or pee) can't be very good for the insides.

The light output is considerably less than what I'd expect out of a device with nine LEDs in it.
One of the LEDs in the array is a distinctly green in color; not white like the others.

Photograph of the front of the torch, showing the badly-colored white LED.
Note how the LED at the 12:00 position is distinctly tinted green; it does not emit pure white.

Beam photograph on the test target at 12".
Measures a truly pitiful (for 9 LEDs) 21,300mcd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.

Spectrographic plot

Spectrometer plot of the LEDs in this flashlight.

Spectrographic plot

Spectrometer plot of the "green" white LED in this flashlight.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from WWW.TWO-CUBED.COM.

TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased on Ebay on 01-31-07, and was received on the afternoon of 02-06-07.

Product was made in China. A product's country of origin really does matter to some people, which is why I published it on this web page.

UPDATE: 02-09-07
The product has a cheap, hollow feel to it even when it's loaded with AAA cells. I realise that this is somewhat of a subjective opinion, but it feels lighter & cheaper than any other flashlight tested to date.

PROS:

CONS:

MANUFACTURER: Unknown
PRODUCT TYPE: Small handheld torch (flashlight)
LAMP TYPE: 5mm white LED
No. OF LAMPS: 9
BEAM TYPE: Medium spot w/soft fall-off to corona
SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/off on tailcap
CASE MATERIAL: Aluminum
BEZEL: Metal; LEDs & reflector protected by plastic window
BATTERY: 3xAAA cells
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 74.4mA
WATER RESISTANT: Yes
SUBMERSIBLE: *POSSIBLY*, to very shallow depths at minimum
ACCESSORIES: Small lanyard, 3xAAA cells
WARRANTY: Lifetime

PRODUCT RATING:

9xLED Torch *

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