Benm
0
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2007
- Messages
- 7,896
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While not a laser, i'd like to give this light quick review here, since i'm quite imrpessed for it, especially since it was only $37 shipped (from https://intl-outdoor.com/emisar-d1s-thrower-p-926.html). I got the black version with the cool white LED.
Here are some images of it, with a MXDL flashlight and a cig for size comparison - The MXDL may pretty familiar for LPF members as it was once a popular host to put dvd/bluray modules in, running off 2 16350 cells - the Emisar runs of a single, unprotected, 18650 cell.
It's fairly ridiculous at first, it's shorther than the mxdl, but the head/reflector is just 2 mm less wide than that on a maglite 6D. It's at least as deep, and very smooth. The resulting light pattern is a very bright central hot spot, nice corona around it, and usable spill light as well if you would use this when walking outdoors or anything.
It also has a ridculously bright 'turbo' mode, claimed to be 1300 lumen. Here is a beamshot onto the ceiling (about 2.5m distance, flashlights on the floor) with the Emisar and the MXDL (which has a upgraded Cree led in it).
This turbo mode runs at a LOT of power though, even with my multimeter leads and contact resistances in the way it draws 2.3 amps from the single cell. The mxdl draws 0.44 amps from 2 cells in series for comparison)
This flashlight is far, far, far too small to heatsink the dissipation at that power level, and has thermal throttling built into it's firmware. If you leave it on turbo it'll dim after a few minutes to keep the temperature down, though this can apparently be adjusted in software: the problem not being the LED overheating, but you burning your fingers holding the light.
If you run it a 'reasonable' output level (say 300 lumen or so) this is no problem at all though, so it's fine as an everyday flashlight too.
In normal operation mode it has a seamless ramp up from very dim (may just 2 lumen or so) to turbo-level 1300 lm output level. As everything is controlled by software there is no tail switch that carries any current, just a side button that controls a microcontroller inside.
Most of it works very well and intuitively. The only quirk i found is this: you can single click the flashlight to resume previous power level, or to turn it off. From normal mode, or off, you can double click to go straight to full on turbo mode. Also, double clicking from turbo mode takes it back to previous normal mode. But if you single click it in turbo mode it will turn off... and then turn on again at turbo mode even with a single click (so it forgets the 'normal mode' setting then).
They found another good application for the turbo mode though: "beacon" where it briefly flashes at full power every second or so, and given the light output it would certainly be a useful beacon for something like a road (or even runway...) obstruction.
TL/DR:
So to sum it up:
Pros:
- affordable
- very nice beam profile with long throw (could illuminate buildings 500 meters away)
- extremely compact
- no switches in the direct current path
- overall excellent engineering, they couldn'd have gotten much more from somethng this size
- nice white light with no tinge to it (despite choosing the cool white, it doesn't look blue)
Cons:
- only fits unprotected 18650 cells, while it can electrically run off protected ones
- overheats quickly in maximum power mode (few minutes before it dims)
- no lanyard attachment point
- chances of accidentally starting it in turbo mode, don't stare down barrel while fumbling with buttons
Kudos to the person that designed this flashlight, apart from a few firmware oddities i doubt you could have done a better job at this price point.
Here are some images of it, with a MXDL flashlight and a cig for size comparison - The MXDL may pretty familiar for LPF members as it was once a popular host to put dvd/bluray modules in, running off 2 16350 cells - the Emisar runs of a single, unprotected, 18650 cell.
It's fairly ridiculous at first, it's shorther than the mxdl, but the head/reflector is just 2 mm less wide than that on a maglite 6D. It's at least as deep, and very smooth. The resulting light pattern is a very bright central hot spot, nice corona around it, and usable spill light as well if you would use this when walking outdoors or anything.
It also has a ridculously bright 'turbo' mode, claimed to be 1300 lumen. Here is a beamshot onto the ceiling (about 2.5m distance, flashlights on the floor) with the Emisar and the MXDL (which has a upgraded Cree led in it).
This turbo mode runs at a LOT of power though, even with my multimeter leads and contact resistances in the way it draws 2.3 amps from the single cell. The mxdl draws 0.44 amps from 2 cells in series for comparison)
This flashlight is far, far, far too small to heatsink the dissipation at that power level, and has thermal throttling built into it's firmware. If you leave it on turbo it'll dim after a few minutes to keep the temperature down, though this can apparently be adjusted in software: the problem not being the LED overheating, but you burning your fingers holding the light.
If you run it a 'reasonable' output level (say 300 lumen or so) this is no problem at all though, so it's fine as an everyday flashlight too.
In normal operation mode it has a seamless ramp up from very dim (may just 2 lumen or so) to turbo-level 1300 lm output level. As everything is controlled by software there is no tail switch that carries any current, just a side button that controls a microcontroller inside.
Most of it works very well and intuitively. The only quirk i found is this: you can single click the flashlight to resume previous power level, or to turn it off. From normal mode, or off, you can double click to go straight to full on turbo mode. Also, double clicking from turbo mode takes it back to previous normal mode. But if you single click it in turbo mode it will turn off... and then turn on again at turbo mode even with a single click (so it forgets the 'normal mode' setting then).
They found another good application for the turbo mode though: "beacon" where it briefly flashes at full power every second or so, and given the light output it would certainly be a useful beacon for something like a road (or even runway...) obstruction.
TL/DR:
So to sum it up:
Pros:
- affordable
- very nice beam profile with long throw (could illuminate buildings 500 meters away)
- extremely compact
- no switches in the direct current path
- overall excellent engineering, they couldn'd have gotten much more from somethng this size
- nice white light with no tinge to it (despite choosing the cool white, it doesn't look blue)
Cons:
- only fits unprotected 18650 cells, while it can electrically run off protected ones
- overheats quickly in maximum power mode (few minutes before it dims)
- no lanyard attachment point
- chances of accidentally starting it in turbo mode, don't stare down barrel while fumbling with buttons
Kudos to the person that designed this flashlight, apart from a few firmware oddities i doubt you could have done a better job at this price point.