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Do you remember the large bulky flashlight you had as a kid or the one your dad struggled to see by as he changed a tire on the side of the road? If so, you probably also remember the dim yellowish light that got dimmer by the minute, the frustration and fear that came when the light completely disappeared, and the subsequent whack of the flashlight in attempts to get it turn on again. With LED technology, those old, outdated flashlights are no more.What is LED Technology ?
First introduced in 1962, a light emitting diode (LED) is a chip of semiconducting material that is made by a similar process used to create computer chips. When an electrical current passes through the layers that make up the chip, it is converted into light. Several LEDs can be placed close together to achieve various illumination outputs. The diode or diodes are encapsulated in a transparent case of either epoxy or silicone to hold them in place and prevent damage.
The first LEDs were red and used primarily as indicator lights on various electronic devices. These LEDs were dim and inefficient, but the technology improved and LEDs became available in various colors, shapes, and sizes.The first real breakthrough that paved the way for LEDs to be used for flashlights and general illumination came in the early 1990s when an engineer names Shuji Nakamura created a blue LED. Using a micro-thin phosphor coating, light from the blue LED is able to be converted to white light. Between 2000 and 2005, LED brightness reached new levels, providing unique opportunities for flashlights and other light sources.
What Makes LED Lighting the Smart Choice ?
LEDs provide many advantages over the traditional incandescent bulb that so many of us have been used to using in our lamps and flashlights for well over a century. Unlike the incandescent bulb, LEDs so not use filaments, which produce a yellow light, emit a significant amount of heat, and are extremely susceptible to breaking. In fact, nearly 90% of the energy consumed by an incandescent bulb is emitted as heat rather than visible light.
| LED bulbs generate only trace amounts of heat, making them safer and more energy efficient. |
| LED bulbs produce more light per watt, making them nearly 5 times more efficient |
| LED bulbs produce twice as many lumens for more intense, brighter light |
| LED bulbs produce a more natural light for truer color and they don't attract insects |
| LED bulbs last thousands of hours more and stand up to being frequently turned on and off |
| LED bulbs use much less power so battery-powered devices last significantly longer |
| LED bulbs have no filament or moving parts, which makes them robust and resistant to shock |
| LED bulbs are environmentally safe with no hazardous chemicals or special handling |
| LED bulbs are fast responding and light up quickly to provide full brightness immediately |
What Exactly is a Lumen Anyway?
Most of us can relate to the light from a 25 or 60 watt bulb. However, watts are used to measure electrical use, not light output. Today, light output is measured in lumens. When looking at energy consumption of various light sources, we often talk about lumens per watt. For example, an incandescent bulb can reach about 17 lumens per watt, while the more energy efficient LED lights can achieve as much as 25 to 64 lumens per watt. That's what makes the LED nearly four times more energy efficient.
A single lumen is approximately the amount of light put out by a single birthday candle when standing one foot away. Likewise, a 100-lumen light source is about as bright as 100 birthday candles.
Why Buy an LED Flashlight?
Flashlights are a definite necessity in our lives, lighting the way at night, providing task lighting in dark spaces, or illuminating wide areas during a search mission. In many instances, flashlights can save lives. Before the mid 1990s, all flashlights consisted of an incandescent bulb, batteries, a switch, and a holder. They served their purpose for the most part, but most of us know that they often failed, broke, or provided inadequate lighting.
Most of today's flashlights are now using LEDs due to the aforementioned benefits, and they are available in different sizes, styles, brightness, and quality. There are many inexpensive LED flashlights on the market for residential use, which are far better than the old incandescent but not ideal for more critical tasks. These typically offer about 5 to 10 lumens of light output.
In contrast, a few manufacturers are now making extremely high-quality, high lumen flashlights that are ideal for on-the-job use by technicians, outdoor professionals, and military, police, and emergency personnel. Higher quality flashlights range from 50 to 250 lumens or more. Military-grade LED flashlights for search and rescue, crowd control, or for incapacitating an adversary can reach as high as 1200 lumens.
Will an LED Flashlight Last Longer?
Due to the inherent nature of LEDs and the reduced amount of power required, an LED flashlight of the same lumens of an incandescent flashlight will always last longer. In fact, battery life for LEDs is often measured in days rather than hours. In addition, as a battery charge falls below normal, LEDs don't go out-they just get dimmer. Often, the residual light lasts a long time and can still illuminate many tasks. At the same time that bulbs have been technologically advancing, so have batteries. That means that today's LED flashlights will last even longer than most of us ever thought possible (see sidebar on Advanced Battery Technology).
Which LED Flashlight Should I Buy?
First and foremost, it's important to buy an LED flashlight from a reputable manufacturer. The flashlight you choose should be compact enough to fit in your pocket or tool belt, rugged enough to withstand being dropped or banged, powerful enough to give you the light you need for your task, reliable enough to last, and efficient enough to avoid constant battery replacement or recharging.
Fenix is one of the top brands of LED flashlight and offers the best price-performance ratio of any LED flashlight on the market. These flashlights keep a constant brightness without bothersome shadows due to their ultra clear optic glass lens, and they are extremely reliable and energy efficient. Fenix offers several models and lumens of LED flashlights with practical features such as various brightness adjustments, strobe mode, SOS mode, a durable finish, waterproof to IPX-8, and more.
The LD01 from FenixPowered by just a single AAA battery, this nifty little flashlight is small enough to fit on a key chain and has high illumination of up to 80 lumens. Powerful enough to light the way and small enough to have with you at all times, the LD01 is potentially a life-saving device that can light a dark hallway in an emergency or help you see if your car breaks down at night. Or it can be simply used for walking your dog at night. Even if it never saves your life, it is an incredibly useful flashlight. It features a new optimized reflector for better beam shots, an upgraded circuit for higher output and longer runtime, and three different light outputs.
Click here for more information on Fenix LD01 or to place your order for this product.
The E20 from FenixOne of the simplest and brightest LED flashlights on the market,this is the ideal tool for the cabling installer/technician or anyone needed to really see well in dark spaces. It offers the best value in a small, dependable, and powerful light without all the fancy functions like strobe and SOS. The E20 has a constant brightness of 109 Lumens and runs off of two AA batteries. It has an adjustable-focus head for both focus and floodlight applications with a throw beam that reaches over 100 meters. It is waterproof to IPX-8 standards, slip resistant, and made of durable aircraft-grade aluminum. Click here for more information and to place your order.
Click here for more information on Fenix E20 or to place your order for this product.
The PD30 from Fenix The perfect combination of brightness and compact size, the PD30 is the flashlight that does it all whether you are working in dark spaces, stranded on the road, or hiking at night. Small enough to fit in a pocket, it features two modes of output-general mode at 10, 70, or 125 lumens with an SOS feature or turbo mode at 235 lumens with a strobe feature. Ideal for everyday use, in an emergency, or even by police with its pocket-sized traffic cone accessory that is much more visible to motorists than a conventional flashlight and traffic cone. It uses two CR123A lithium batteries for longer life, is waterproof to IPX-8 standards, and features a push-button tail cap switch. Click here for more information or to place your order.
Click here for more information on Fenix PD30 or to place your order for this product.
The MC10 from FenixAvailable soon, the MC10 is a combination of a headlamp, camping light, and L-shaped flashlight. It's easy to carry and lightweight while offering three levels of lighting output up to 125 lumens. Its 90-degree tilting head provides all directional illumination for a variety of tasks. It can clip right to on to your hat or shirt collar for hands free work up in a dropped ceiling or while fixing a computer in poor lighting conditions. Ideal for the technicians, camping, hiking, or any other function, the MC10 is truly the multipurpose LED flashlight.
Click here for more information on Fenix MC10 or to place your order for this product.
Fenix offers several other types of LED flashlights geared toward police, fire, and emergency personnel, hunters and outdoor sportsmen, and many other occupations. Some of the tactical models can even be mounted on a rifle and have a finger actuated on/off switch that can be positioned near the trigger. With everything from the small, compact to the headlamp and the ultra high impact, Fenix has an LED flashlight to meet your needs and your wallet.
Advanced Battery Technology
Most of us are familiar with the old conventional alkaline Duracel AA, C, or D size batteries after all, we always had to make sure to pack plenty of extras for the camping trip for those old incandescent flashlights. Today's lithium-ion rechargeable batteries offer much more power, so you don't get left in the dark!
Lithium-ion batteries have a longer shelf life than other rechargeable batteries. They offer a higher density, which means they can store more power in a smaller size and lower weight. They are lightweight, safe and reliable, and able to better stand up to cold environments. Lithium-ion batteries can be formed into a wide variety of shapes and sizes to work with several different types of devices.
Two common types of rechargeable lithium-Ion batteries include CR123A and 18650. These batteries are revolutionary power houses compared to older technologies and represent a great leap forward for LED flashlight owners. While they cost a bit more than conventional alkaline batteries, they have a much longer run time and can be recharged hundreds of times. They have a low self-discharge rate, which means that once they are charged, they hold their charge longer than other types of rechargeable batteries. These are truly the best batteries you can buy for maintaining reliable light for a longer period of time.Many LED flashlights can still use conventional alkaline batteries, but the most advanced LED flashlights call for these lithium-ion batteries. The CR123a batteries produce 3 volts of power per battery for most of their useful life while the 18650 produces 3.7 volts. Unlike incandescent bulbs, LEDs do not get brighter with more power so it's best to choose the battery recommended by the vendor of your flashlight.
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| Disclaimer: We have provided this article as general installation advice to our customers. We make no claims about the completeness or the accuracy of the information as it may apply to an infinite amount of field conditions. It is the responsibility of the person or persons using this information to check with all concerned parties, owners and local authorities, etc. before doing an installation. Users of this information agree to hold Atcom Inc. harmless form liabilities of any kind relating to the use of this information. |
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