DORCY 1-LED FLASHLIGHT


Dorcy 1-LED Flashlight , retail $12.99 (www.dorcy.com/41-4220.htm)
Manufactured by Dorcy (www.dorcy.com)
Last updated 08-06-05




This is a nice looking metal flashlight, as such things go. The Dorcy 1-LED flashlight has a brushed aluminum body with ribbed rubber inserts on the body and on the head to help you keep a grip on things.

It features one 5mm white LED behind a convex (magnifying) lens in the head and runs on just two AA cells, which are included with the flashlight when you buy it. So you don't have to run out and get batteries for it.


SIZE



To use the Dorcy flashlight, first you have to get it out of the plastic hell it comes in. To do that, just slit the package along the length of one side with a sharp knife or a pair of household scissors - then get the flashlight, holster, and two Energizer brand alkaline AA cells it comes with out of the package. Install the batteries (see below) and it's ready to go.

To get the flashlight to turn on, turn the tailcap clockwise (tighten) until it lights. Turn it counterclockwise (loosen) around half a turn and it ought to shut off.

To get a shot of light anytime, push the rubber end of the tailcap, and light should pour out of the other end. Release the button and it should shut off.

The Dorcy flashlight comes with a nylon belt holster. The flashlight fits this holster bezel-up. This holster fits belts up to ~1.75" wide. I do not own or use pants that require a belt however, so I cannot test this accessory in the manner in which it was intended to be used.



To change the batteries in the Dorcy flashlight, just unscrew & remove the tailcap, and dump the dead batteries in the nearest toilet - I mean - garbage can. Insert two new AA cells in the barrel, positive (+) button-end first. Replace the tailcap, and back it off a bit after the flashlight turns on. The flashlight is designed so you can't accidentally overtighten the tailcap; the light will come on when you tighten it all the way, but no harm will be done.

Current usage measures 89.1mA on my DMM's 400mA scale.



The flashlight appears 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 side of the tailcap and five whacks against the side of the bezel), and found the expected damage. There is some gouging on the sides of the tailcap and bezel where it was struck. No optical or electrical malfunctions were detected.

This flashlight is splash- and weather-resistant at absolute minimum, but it is not submersible. It failed "The Suction Test", both at the barrel and the tailcap. It did not fail the test miserably, but it failed nonetheless. So please try not to drop it in creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceansides, docksides, puddles of white tiger 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 and bezel 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 potty) can't be very good for the insides of the flashlight and the inverter circuitry that drives the LED.

The beam is reasonably smooth and white. There is some blue fringing at the edges of the spot; however this is normal for a lensed LED and is nothing whatsoever to be concerned about.



Beam photo at ~12".
Measured 60,200mcd at 12" using a Meterman LM631 light meter.



TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased at Schucks Auto Supply (at 104th St. and Aurora Ave. here in north Seattle) while I was looking for a Mini-Mag flashlight on the morning of 08-06-05.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:
Feels good in the hand
Relatively cheap and commonly available batteries
Reasonably durable construction
Uses step-up circuitry so you only need 2 cells, not 3


CONS:
Not all that water-resistant; definitely not submersible


    MANUFACTURER: Dorcy
    PRODUCT TYPE: Small handheld flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm white LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Medium spot w/sharp perimeter and very dim corona
    SWITCH TYPE: Twist tailcap on/off, momentary tailcap button
    BEZEL: MJetal; plastic optic to protect LED
    BATTERY: 2x AA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 89.1mA
    WATER RESISTANT: Splatter-resistant at minimum
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: 2 alkaline AA cells, belt holster
    WARRANTY: 1 year

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating









Dorcy 1-LED Flashlight * www.dorcy.com/41-4220.htm






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.