LED Flashlights
Flashlights are a fascination of mine. Consequently, I have owned quite a few of them. One thing I particularly enjoy are high-quality flashlights, such as those of the maglite brand. I found that though expensive, they make up for the price by being reliable and robust enough to withstand even severe working or outdoor conditions.
Flashlight troubles
The only parts that can fail in a normal, incandescent flashlight were the batteries (always have some handy) or the bulb itself. Incadescent Bulbs is the fancy name given for "normal" lightbulbs, the ones we all know. A short wire is running between two contacts in the inside of the bulb, and glows when electricity heats it up. The bulb poses a special problem if you need an outdoor light or work somewhere where the flashlight might get dropped or smacked accidentally.
This explains the problems one encounters with this type of bulbs: * Short lifespan because the wire "burns through" after a while. Well, all this heat is not without effect.
- More heat than light. About 80% of the energy are given over to heat, not light. With very bright flashlights you will notice that the batteries do not last long.
- Fragility. The - very thin - wire is vulnerable to shocks and might break if the flashlight is dropped or smacked against a hard surface.
From dim light to bright lights - LEDs take the stage
By far the biggest trend in flashlight design has been the development of flashlights with LED (light emitting diode) light sources in the last few years. Before those recent developments, LEDs were shunned for lighting purposes because of their relatively low light output. Therefore they were mostly used to provide signal lights for electronic devices. Howver, recent advances in LED flashlight technology have resulted in much higher outputs than in the past. A company called Lumileds has developed high powered LEDs ranging from 1 watt to 5 watts in power that develop enormous output levels and are much more efficient with battery consumption than typical incandescant light bulbs. With the bright light now available from LEDs, their other advantages can now be enjoyed as well.
Big advantages in a small package
As LEDs are basically cased in their plastic body, LED lights are virtually indestructible. This is a definitive security advantage, especially in task lights or helmet mounted lights such as used in underground working conditions or outdoor sports such as rock climbing or cave exploring.
An led is very lightweight and small. This makes pen lights, task lights and reading lights possible. Headlamps are reduced in weight, even though they might use an array of LED lights, such as the Septor Super-Bright Headlight made by Streamlight. LEDs are significantly more energy efficient than traditional lightbulbs. This means they can operate longer on battery power, which makes them perfect for use in portable lighting, flashlights or even hand-powered devices. You can get a flashlight that uses only 1watt of power and is more than sufficient for everyday use.
LEDs can give off colored light without the use of color filters. This is especially useful for signal lights.
The solid body of an LED can be designed to focus its light. Incandescent and fluorescent sources often require an external reflector to collect light and direct it in a useable manner. This makes LED light devices more compact, lighter and cheaper than traditional devices.
LEDs do not change the color when dimmed, unlike incandescent bulbs, where the light turns yellow when the current is reduced.
LEDs have an extremely long life span: typically ten years, twice as long as the best fluorescent bulbs and twenty times longer than the best incandescent bulbs.
When it fails, LED lighting fails by dimming over time, rather than the abrupt burn-out of incandescent bulbs. You will have ample time to replace the LED, during which the light is still usable. No bad surprises.
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