Check here for reviews on the best flashlights and emergency items. This blog is similar to many flashlight forums, except I provide a normal user experience as well as helpful video reviews
The led lenser P5 is one of the smallest flashlights in the led lenser lineup, but still extremely powerful with it's 105 lumen output. It's powered by one 1.5 volt AA alkaline cell, which sends power to a microprocessor to step up voltage to a cree led. Ahead of the led is an innovative optics system, incorporating both a powerful lens and a smooth reflector. The lens allows the P5 to cast light in an intensive spot up to 426 feet away, while the reflector allows the light to cover a wide, full moon shaped area of around 30 feet in the users immediate viewing zone. The cree led in the p5 cast a cool blue light, much like you would see in a high kelvin (6000k +) H.I.D. bulb. Some users may see this as an advantage, for it's ability to efficiently light up things far away, but some will also note the false color rendering of the bluish white tent. As far as the beam quality in both spot and flood modes, there is a slight ring noticed around the outer area. It is more present in the spot mode, covering the immediate area around the main hot spot, but not so much as to affect the quality of light. The body of the P5 is made up of high quality, anodized aluminum alloy, with led lenser logos, optics sticker and serial number along the sides. The anodizing should be good enough to halt sever scratching, but even better protection comes from the included belt holster. As for the operation of the light, turning it on comes by way of a click switch, located at the tail end of the unit. The switch allows the user to access both momentary and constant on operation modes with ease. On the head of the lenser, you'll find the speed focus system, which allows a user to quickly switch from flood to spot in mere seconds. The system is operated by clinching the head with your index finger and thumb, then sliding up and down to change modes. I found the operation of this system to be quick and easy, with very secure and fluent motions. Along the sides of the P5 is a textured grip, in a grid configuration. This allows a user to safely operate the light in any type of situation.
My Experience with it
Over the course of two weeks using my P5, I found it to have elements I both loved and hated. As for the love, the 105 lumen output seems to be even more than the factory claim. This is probably a direct result of the superior optics located in the head of the unit. Not only does it allow for the most possible light output of the led to be projected, but it also allows the P5 to throw like much larger lights. I compared the output of the P5 to my favorite 2 AA flashlight, producing just under 100 lumens. The 2AA should have had the advantage, with both a larger reflector and more cells, but the P5 simply blew it away. I used my back yard as a testing ground and found that the P5 easily reached out well over 100 feet, while my 2AA was only able to achieve around 60. Some other likes of the P5 include its small size, allowing me to easily carry it with me on a daily basis and store it in a drawer. As for my dislikes, the P5 lacks the ability to use NIMH (nickle metal hydride) rechargeable cells. You'll definitely want to use rechargeable batteries, since the P5 only has a 3 hour battery life (of which you'll get 1 hour of bright light). So using the P5 will get expensive with frequent use. The second dislike is the fact that it's not water proof. The P5 is only rated to resist water, meaning it can be rained on, but not submerged. This will make me think twice about using it as an EDC light when fishing or camping. As for the rest, the P5 makes a nice light, that will give it's user years of trouble free operation (just as long as they don't drench it or use rechargeable cells). It's build quality and design will make it a popular light for years to come, so if you want one, go out and get it! It may be expensive, but I found it to be worth every penny.
You can find the P5 at www.coastportland.com and a variety of online and retail locations.
The dorcy 500 lumen spotlight is among one of the brightest led lights I have ever used. It uses 3 powerful cree led emitters, putting out about 167 lumens a piece. The light has a 500 foot throwing capability, making it as bright as most halogen spotlights on the market. What I like about the 41-1080 is it run time, it will run for over two and a half hours, while a standard halogen light will only last around 15 minutes. I also like it's low maintenance cost, it uses a inexpensive sla battery and never needs a bulb replacement. As far as the design, it's practically the same as any other spotlight, meaning I got used to it almost immediately after I got it. The only thing unusual was the extremely long battery life. Speaking of the battery, it only takes 8 hours to fully charge, from the wall adapter and 3 from the car adapter. In comparison, the average recharge times of a standard spot light are 24 hours from the wall adapter, 6 from the car adapter. The 41-1080 should prove to be more reliable than a standard spotlight, not only from the led bulbs, but also from a special battery saving chip. The chip in the dorcy automatically shuts the output down, when the battery reaches it's low voltage cut off point. This means that the battery will never over discharge, giving you years more performance over a standard halogen light. The dorcy 500 lumen spotlight is truly a great upgrade from a standard halogen light. Not only does it perform better, but in most cases the higher performance doesn't equal higher price. The dorcy goes for about the same price as a two to three million candle power spotlight. You can find this light at dorcydirect.com as well as amazon.com.
The dorcy 41-4416 is a flashlight with the brightness and strength of much more expensive flashlights. It features an anodized aluminum frame, 200 watt cree emitter, momentary operation switch as well as uses common AA batteries. The light comes in between $20-$30 and for the price, it's worth every penny. I took over a week to test my review unit, performing battery drain tests as well as light output over time. It gave me around 3 hours of really bright light and 2 hours of usable light. I like the fact that this light uses ubiquitous AA alkaline cells, versus more expensive cr123a or other less common / more expensive battery types. This makes using the dorcy cheap and easy, with AA cell being found in most stores. The 41-4416 should prove to be very reliable over the years, thanks to a simplistic design. There are no buttons to wear out and everything operates via a simple twist operation. Since the metal gear is like it's name implies, (metal) it can be dropped without much damage and can also be used as a self defense weapon. Most users would keep it in the nightstand drawer or car glove compartment. Even though this is a powerful metal light, it is not much larger than a standard 2 AA light. It comes in at 7.5 inches in length and 1 inch in width, making it easy to pocket and take with you at night. As far as the warranty, this light comes with a 1 year free replacement, which I guess you'll never have to use. This truly is a great light for the money, 200 lumens, metal construction and 55 years of experience from a well known company......You just can't ask for anything more in a light.
You can pick up a metal gear 41-4416 of your own, from dorcydirect.com or amazon.com......You won't be sorry!
When I started out with my inexpensive solar project, I always dealt with trying to find more efficient items to run off of 12 volts. I searched the web for small dc powered devices (fans, lights, laptop power adapters) instead of items needing a power hungry dc to ac inverter. The problem, not a lot of everyday household items have 12 volt equivalents that are cheap. An average 120 volt ac table lamp can be purchased most places, for less than $15.....an average 12 volt dc camping / rv lamp will run you $30-$50 (depending on model). After searching around on ebay, I still found prices for 12 volt lights too high, so I decided to make my own. I came across these new 12 volt led bulbs with E27 bases (the standard base for a 120 light bulb). They were initally designed for an rv, but I figured they would work just as good with my solar system. The bulbs weren't too expensive, $20 for 2x 3 watt bulbs (that put out as much light as a 13 watt cfl). I already had unused 120 volt lamps laying around, so I saved myself on the lamps purchace. For $20 I now had something that was brighter than expensive name brand camping lanterns and had a deep cycle battery supply vs dinky internal batteries. I didn't even have to do much work!, all it took was cutting off the standard wall plug and soldering on a 12 volt cigarette lighter adapter. Now I have a light that I can use just about anywhere and I didn't have to spend a boat load of money to get it!
In closing, I'm just a simple guy, going green and trying to save a buck along the way.
