BRITE BINER


Brite Biner, retail $2.99 (www.wallgreens.com)
Manufactured by (unknown) for Batz Corporation (no URL known)
Last updated 02-16-05




This unknown brand key ring LED carabiner is a small white LED flashlight that looks like a carabiner that climbers use - though you should never use it as a climbing device.

It can be attached to your keys, backpack, cellular telephone, GPS receiver, etc. with a spring-loaded "gate" built into it or with the split ring (removeable, if desired).

It is powered by four AG3 button cells, and has a twist-bezel switch to activate and deactivate its LED. And except for the LED itself, it is made out of aluminum. The sample I'm evaluating for you today is anodized a bright green; these lights are available in other colors too.

I don't know how to properly pronounce "carabiner", so I don't know with absolute, positive, 100% certainty if I should pronounce this as "brite byner" or "brite beener".

(Edit 02-16-05): I have since heard from a reliable source on Candlepower Forums that "carabiner" should be pronounced "kerra bee' ner".


SIZE



The flashlight is ready to use as soon as you remove the insulating tab from the bezel (head). You do that by unscrewing and removing the bezel, and pulling that disc-shaped plastic thing off from the contact inside the bezel.

To use the flashlight, turn the bezel (head) clockwise to switch the LED on, and turn the bezel counnterclockwise to switch the LED off.

There is no constant-on mode available; please do not look for or expect to find one.

The carabiner flashlight can be clipped to a keyring, duffle bag, backpack, etc. using the spring-loaded "gate" on the carabiner part of the flashlight's body. As I understand, this "gate" is on the opposite side of the "gate" on a real carabiner; perhaps this was done so that you could not confuse the two and get in trouble later when the flashlight becomes broken under the load. You must NOT use this as a climbing device; I cannot emphasise this enough.



Unscrew and remove the bezel, dash it to the ground, and stomp on it with spiked baseball shoes...O WAIT!!! YOU'LL NEED THAT!!! So just set it aside instead.

Tip the sleeve containing the four AG3 button cells out of the barrel and into your hand. Remove the used cells from this sleeve (use a ballpoint pen if necessary), and dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.

Insert four new AG3 cells into the sleeve, button-side (-) negative facing the narrowed end of the sleeve. Insert the full sleeve so the flat-side (+) positive end of the cells go in first. Then screw the bezel back on. Back it off slightly when the flashlight springs to life - you don't want to waste four brand spanken new batteries ya know.
Aren't you glad you didn't stomp on that bezel now?



As I stated before, you must NOT use the flashlight as a climbing device; I simply cannot emphasise this enough. It is meant for use as a flashlight, not as a climbing device.

Having said that (again), the flashlight *does* appear to be reasonably sturdy. Ordinary flashlight accidents should not be enough to do it in. I administered the smack test on it (ten whacks against the corner of a concrete stair; five whacks against the fat part of the barrel and five whacks against the side of the bezel), and found the expected damage. There is some gouging on the fat part of the barrel where it was struck. No optical or electrical malfunctions were detected.

The flashlight has a bright green Type II anodizing on it. I was able to scratch through the finish with the blade of a Swiss army knife. It is more than reasonably durable though. So it should stay looking new for a long time, even if it goes up against keys, tools, or other flashlights during storage or transportation.
Would I really try to cut up a brand spanken new flashlight?
You bet your sweet patootie I would, if it's in the name of science.

There is an O-ring on the barrel that gets covered by the bezel when it's screwed down. This was broken, disintegrated, or missing altogether on several samples I examined at the Wallgreens store at 87th and Greenwood just north of downtown Seattle where I purchased this one. So I don't know the water-resistance level of the Brite Biner. It's very lightly splash-resistance at minimum, but I won't know for certain until I administer "the toilet test" on it.



Beam photo at ~12".
Measures 13,970mcd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.





TEST NOTES:
Test sample was purchased at Wallgreens on 02-15-05.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: Unknown mfg.
    PRODUCT TYPE: Keychain flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm white LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Wide spot
    SWITCH TYPE: Twist bezel on/off
    BEZEL: Metal
    BATTERY: 4xAG3 button cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: Very light splash-resistance at minimum
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: Batteries, medium split ring
    WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





Brite Biner * www.wallgreens.com






Do you manufacture or sell an LED flashlight, task light, utility light, or module of some kind? Want to see it tested by a real person, under real working conditions? Do you then want to see how your light did? If you have a sample available for this type of real-world, real-time testing, please contact me at bdf1111@yahoo.com.

Please visit this web page for contact information.

Unsolicited flashlights appearing in the mail are welcome, and it will automatically be assumed that you sent it in order to have it tested and evaluated for this site.
Be sure to include contact info or your company website's URL so visitors here will know where to purchase your product.


WHITE 5500-6500K InGaN+phosphor 
ULTRAVIOLET 370-390nm GaN 
BLUE 430nm GaN+SiC
BLUE 450 and 473nm InGaN
BLUE Silicon Carbide
TURQUOISE 495-505nm InGaN
GREEN 525nm InGaN 
YELLOW-GREEN 555-575mn GaAsP & related
YELLOW 585-595nm
AMBER 595-605nm
ORANGE 605-620nm
ORANGISH-RED 620-635nm
RED 640-700nm
INFRARED 700-1300nm
True RGB Full Color LED
Spider (Pirrahna) LEDs
SMD LEDs
True violet (400-418nm) LEDs
Agilent Barracuda & Prometheus LEDs
Oddball & Miscellaneous LEDs
Programmable RGB LED modules / fixtures
Where to buy these LEDs 
Links to other LED-related websites
The World's First Virtual LED Museum
Legal horse puckey, etc.
RETURN TO OPENING/MAIN PAGE
LEDSaurus (on-site LED Mini Mart)



This page is a frame from a website.
If you arrived on this page through an outside link,you can get the "full meal deal" by clicking here.