Photon MicroLite Bargain

“I had mentioned in the last day or so that I picked up a Photon MicroLite at a local outfitter, and that I got what I felt was a good price - $15.99. Having checked REI over the weekend, their price was $19.95. So I felt pretty good.

I was checking out another bulletin board (forgive me, Matt!), and a few posts there discussed this and a few others. One of them had a link to www.Bizrate.com, so there I went, and guess what?

They had the Photon II listed at $10.20 (on sale, from $12.00), and in every bulb color you could want. If you're interested, check it out. They have a few others in that genre, a bit cheaper. I just ordered a couple for the car, a BP friend, and a babe I'm tryin' to impress!!! LOLOL!!!

OK, people, don't jump all over me on that last comment... I was just kidding. Really. Honest.”

“HONEST!”

“Dang my post didn't go up I guess. I'd said YOU DA MAN OBI WAN!!!! I just got 2 of 'em at a local Knoxville Outy Shop at 20 a pop. I could take these back and get 4 of 'em for practically the same price!!

You are sure these ain't the cheaper photon lights eh?”

“Obi:

I went there and con't find them for $10. Do you have a direct link?”

“Yeah me too Obi Wan, can you plz guide me there, I couldn't find them at $10 or $12 clams! I saw the $15 price summers and the one at REI for $20, but nuttin that shows what you've found. Tell me what all to click to get me there!”

“I don't mean to rain on your parade, but you can make your own LED light for under 2 bucks. You just need an LED and a battery.

$20 bucks seems like a rape.”

“That's what I'm sayin'! Show me the money, Obi Wan! You're my only hope!”

“www.botachtactical.com

That oughta do it...”

“Newsflash!

When you cut and paste the above address, you'll see a link to "MicroLite" - click on THAT one...

BTW, I just went to the site, and they're not on sale anymore - they're $12.00 now (I got mine at $10.20 - 15% off). Don't know what's up, but they have an 800 number you can call - TODAY! - and maybe they'll give you a break... tell 'em I sent ya!

(Now, The Circle is COMPLETE!)”

“obi wan canoli, you don't need no stickin' Photon MicroLite to impress the girls. Just show them your canoli :{}”

“I'd rather show 'em ,y Road King canoli!!!”

“obi, you have a Road King?”

“the petzl tikka rules!”

“Po-tay-to po-tay-to po-tay-to po tay to po tay toh.... (repeat until you're through the twisties)....”

“Sweet beans Obi!! I just got 2 for me and a white one for the lil missy! Got the 3, plus shipping, for the same price as 2 of 'em here in Knoxville. They are no longer @10.20 each, now they're @12.00, but that beats the shmolies outa $20.00 each!

The guy on the tele said that they do not take orders over the phone, AND that they'll be on sale at $10.20 prolly in another month. The guy on the phone would not gimme a first time buyer coupon or anything like that, but if you try biznet.com, mebbe they will. There's an online coupon space on BotachTactical's order form. Try Biz and see if they'll give ya one ....... or wait a month or so and see if they go back on sale.

Thanx Obi Wan! I'm taking these 2 high dollar ones back next week.”

“n/a, you're quite welcome. I'm glad you were able to get them at such a good price.

Rad, I looked at that Petzl Tikka, and it looks like a pretty good light. Having bought the Vortex and Solo last summer, I'd bet the Tikka's a much lighter option, and I may get one just to HAVE it! I've been raving about the Microlight mostly because I've found it makes a great little light for my car at night... I'll be taking it on my hikes this year, too, and leaving the pretty-light-already flashlight at home. Not likely I'd be taking the Vortex, but the Solo's a contender - unless the Tikka sweeps me off my feet. I'll let ya know!”

“pa-tay-to”

“I got my Photon Microlights today. Two white, one red, one blue. It's been said that the green & yellow, along with the turquois, provide quality light for longer periods... Total cost for 4 - including tax and S&H - $50.87 ---- $12.72 a pop.

Not too shabby. I paid $16.99 at Marin Outdoors.

www.botachtechnical.com

You'll find them there, but they're $12 now...”

“I should get mine in the next cupla days or so. One question that puzzles me greatly tho: Who are all these "they say"ers who are giving diffit burn times on these lights?? My profession (before Domestic Engineering) is manufacturing, and it just does not make any sense costwise to make these colors diffit from one another (like diffit color spectras or wavelengths or sumpin like that) verse just coloring the bulbs diffitly. If you are only talking about diffit colored bulbs, then there would be no difference in what the bulb uses for power. If someone here is ready to change the battery, check out the bulb if you can (mebbe not the white one tho, duuuh) and see if it is dyed or stained. If the color does not come from dying the bulb, then the technology of production is over my head anyhow. Mebbe somebidy here can improve upon my ignorance .....

Otherwise, a white one and a blue one is ALL I ever need when backpacking in the future. After the Savage Trip, I'll no longer pack my candle lantern, headlamp, and penlight. I've night-hiked with both of these colors and KNOW how well they work, no matter how dark the trail becomes. The blue light provides a large viewing area of a darkened trail, and would be great in thick fog too. And the white one I'd want to help discern diffit colored trail blazes if the need arises, as well as being a great backup for when ya burn out the blue's battery.

Last question! How long does one'a these batteries last in the Photon II Microlite????? The packaging and webpages (that I've seen) do not say, and I've heard anywhere from 10 to 15 hours, and I've heard 120 hours. Any verification on either of these?”

“it must be more than 15 hours!”

“Yeah rad, I figgered it's GOTTA be more'n 15 hours also. Crazy thang tho, nothing says even an estimated burn time that I've seen yet.”

“Ape I use mine several times a week and have since before the RRG in October and it shows no signs of weekness.”

“Naked Ape, being a EE maybe I can shed a little light on the subject.

In a regular light bulb, electrical current passing through a thin wire in a glass vacuum bulb causes the wire to burn and give off light, much of the energy is wasted as radiated heat, the same heat that eventually destroys the wire itself (what a great concept, he he).

In an LED, the creation of light happens much more efficiently at the molecular level. An LED is a special type of diode, whereas a simple diode releases a small of amount of energy as heat, LEDs have been optimized to release energy in the form of light (photons). The LEDs longevity is further enhanced by its construction, an unbreakable resin encases the LED. As far as different color LEDs is concerned, it is the chemical makeup and proximity of the internal components that define what color is emitted. LEDs have their own built in micro size reflectors, designed into the LED to have a particular degree projection field. The color of the light produced by an LED is pure as opposed to a single colored LED with different color lenses.

This same principle is applied to LASERs (Light Amplification by Stimualted Emission of Radiation). Basically a LASER is built around a LASER Diode. Energy is applied to the LASER Diode to alter its equilibrium state and pump electrons to a higher energy level (creating a population inversion). Since nature intends things to operate in equilibrium, the only way an electron can fall to the lower energy state is to release energy as a photon. Since the LASER diode sits in a cavity with lenses (mirrors), many photons can be focused onto an output such as an optical fiber (not this results in very high power and could burn your eye out if viewed directly). The wavelength of this light is usually determined by the size of the cavity in which it sits.

Battery life of your LED light is dependent on the type of LED used (forward current, milli-candles of luminensce etc.) and the ambient operating temperature.

My question to you guys is why would you pay $10-$20, when you could make one for around $2? Sure it won't have the cool polycarbonate case, but think of the cool custom designs you could make.”

“Check out here for more info on the photon lights than you ever wanted to know.

http://www.backpacking.net/photon-micro-review.html”

“You EE's are awesome, thanx BaSO4! Sometimes us DE's just ain't quite THAT sharp! I can read and decipher what I read purdy good (notice I said "purdy"), but I cannot tell whether the diffit colored LED's run at diffit time intervals on their batteries, supposing that each color runs at the same ambient operating tempurature. ;)

So, do some run longer than others on like batteries?

OK now BaSO4, so what do I need and where do I get it (them) to make my own LED?? And can it be easily packaged in a small, sturdy frame for $2.00? Shewt I'm game bro!

ROSEY DANGIT!! Can the article answer my curiousities about burn times without me having to brang up that webpage?? Ahhh, nevermind, I'll just hafta go there musef I guess ....”

“OMG roseymonster, my hat off to ya!! GREAT page for your photon microlite ppl. Waaaay to much info for you post much of it here, sorry about my last whiney-@$$ed post rosey!

NEWSFLASH Y'ALL

From now til Feb 28 all www.botachtactical.com stuff is off 15%, making their Photon II Microlite's again $10.20 until the 28th. Just type the word " SAVE " in the coupon code area of your order form as you check out, this from an email I got from botach today. I highly recommend them, and DO check out roseymonster's link!”

“NA,

Check out: http://www.rayjardine.com/projects/minilight/minilight.shtml

Get parts from Radio Shack (I normally take them from our Co. stock room)

How long your battery will last depends on the LED, the current you're pumping through it and the battery's capacity.

For example, here are 3 LEDS ($0.22/each):

Yellow, If=20mA, Io=580mcd, angle 25 deg

Red, If=20mA, Io=750mcd, angle 25 deg.

Green, If=20mA, Io=450mcd, angle 25 deg.

(note the more narrow the angle, the higher the output in mcd for the same type of LED).

Now batteries are rated in volatge and capacity (amp-hours).

If I have Li baterry rated at 0.4Ah and a diode rated for 580mcd @20mA.

So, battery life = 0.4Ah / .02A = 20 hours”

“Jeeeezz... This is why I BOUGHT the durn thing... I'm no electicical Inganeer, nor do I have a firm grasp on electonics. If I went to Radio Shack to get all that stuff, I'd probably cut a few wings offa that new space station, and then NASA, the NSA, FBI, and CIA would be knockin' on my door... and iffin they do THAT, I wanna corporation to sue, not accept the blame all by myself!”

“Obi Wan, all what stuff? An LED and battery?

I was trying to show the different brightness you could get from LEDs and how that translated into battery life.

For a guy who swings a light saber, I'm suprised that you're scared of an LED :^)”

“Hmm, my Radio Shack priced the batteries in my car's wireless remote at $4; I don't know what LEDs cost, nor a convenient plastic housing, but am I off the mark thinking $10.20 is a good price? How can you make one for $2?”

“Tommy, thru Digi-Key, I can buy a Panasonic Lithium coin cell battery between $1.43 & $3.25 depending on capacity and a high brightness LED for between $.22 & $.40. The plastic housing and screws are where the costs are.

I wrap mine duct tape. Saves weight and makes it easily field repairable.”

“Didn't know LEDs are so cheap. Ok, you sold me. I'm gonna make my own LED flashlight. When it finally poops out I'll post a gear report.”

“Tommy, before you start, check out Ray Jardine's page under projects. There a couple fo different designs that people have made and there are notes on how to do it.

http://www.rayjardine.com/projects/minilight/minilight.shtml

Have fun with it.”

“How do you put an ON?OFF switch in the "homemade" version BaSO4? I want one to just hang in the tent. Holding the light in your teeth gets old.”

“Well, luckily I can solder and I have access to various type of switches; momentary push button, toggle, slide etc. and I have access to small guage hook up wire. Basically, I soldered a slide switch between the battery and the LED and then wrapped it in electrical tape such that the slide was exposed.

I'm toying with cases now. A plastic pen tube might work, but then I was looking at my son's Lego blocks and that might work as well.”

“Ya sold me on trying one too BaSO4, I wanna make one just for stanks and giggles. But I'd still highly suggest anyone to pick up a cupla Minilites at $10.20. Even tho ya might be able to make some at half the price, ya just cannot go wrong with buying a few of these. I'll check out rayj's webpage ya posted for some pointers, and with his and your parts list, get me some stuff. New man here on TT I know (Glassman) knows about how to help me solder a switch into place I bet. And I'm guessing the cost of a home-made LED light with switch will more likely be $6 or $7 all total. But it'll be fun making one anyhow. Thanx!”

“Gave in and ordered a few colors with some friends to offset the shipping.
Any problems with this outfit Obi Wan??
Never had a site ask for the bank name and fax number of the credit card before.”

“No problem at all, as far as my order was concerned... No problem taking back the first one I bought for $16.99 either.

Did you get the sale price?”

“FYI

Hey Friends! Here's an update!

I jsut got an email from botachtactical.com that they have the Photon II Microlight on sale again, and this time, it's $10 even!

Check it out if you're interested.”

“Just a repeat on this... they're $9.95 now... could be because they now have the Photon III... but don't get too excited - THIS on is $24.95. You can check out the Photon II at www.botachtactical.com.
The new Photon III is accessible from the homepage of http://www.backpacking.net/home.html?noframes. They also have the new Petzyl Zipka, but sheesh... it's $44.95, and the only real difference is it replaces the elastic strap with an elastic, self-roll-up cord...

These guys just know how to tweak us, don't they? I mean, they build a better mousetrap, and bang! We're ready to buy. Go figure.”