How to choose the right Microlight Flashlight
With so many
Microlight Flashlights
on the market how do you choose the right one?
There are so many microlights on the market and I am sure
the majority of people just pick the one that looks the best, however for the
person that is looking for specific functionality I hope this article will be
beneficial for them.
The most popular brands of microlights today are (in no
particular order):
- Photon Microlight
- Inova Microlight
- ASP Microlight
- Princeton Tec Microlight
Lets go through each one and find out which is best suited
for the end user
Photon Microlight
The Photon Microlight features an external LED (exposed) in
an extremely small footprint. The most recent release by Photon is the Photon
Freedom. This light has a single operation button and features multiple levels
of brightness, strobe, and signaling. The Photon Microlight comes in 10
different colors of LED output. Each color has a particular purpose besides
being pretty. Here is a short run down for the purpose of each LED color:
·
RED LED is favored by pilot, fisherman, and astronomers for its
ability to preserve night vision, allow comfortable map reading, and for safety
when being viewed by others.
·
YELLOW LED Has an excellent projection in darkness up to 20 feet
away
·
ORANGE LED The orange beam produces excellent night vision
illumination encompassing both aspect of the RED and YELLOW LED.
·
GREEN LED The green LED is almost as bright as turquoise, blue
and white but with the low voltage needs of the green LED the run time on a
Photon light is greatly increased. Approximately 20 hours of run time on a
single set of batteries
·
BLUE LED Considered the brightest and the easiest on the eyes,
it is also very popular because it is considered the most beautiful color. Blue
light is especially helpful for hunters and detectives who are following blood
trails.
·
WHITE LED the white LED is considered the best all around
general purpose light.
·
PURPLE LED produces a black light affect and causes other
normally bright colors to be illuminated with the Purple LED
The Photon Microlight is considered the first serious
microlight on the market and to this day is still the most popular although many
other brands are making significant headway in the microlight market.
Inova
Microlight
The Inova microlight is extremely compact and flat, the
advantage of the Inova microlight is the beam it projects is highly focused.
The body is made of a rugged polycarbonate, an internal LED (for better
protection of breakage) and a momentary on off button with a slide switch for
constant on.
The Inova microlight is generally most popular with
hobbyist and people who like lights that look cool. Personally this light is my
favorite because it is built well and very appealing. It features a steel clip
that will easily become part of your keychain. The Inova microlight comes with
a lifetime warranty. Inova makes an assortment of microlights with many LED
colors. The microlight comes in a variety of LED colors which include white,
red, blue, and green. The case of the microlight is available in a solid black
or a translucent case. The translucent case is illuminated when the LED is
activated and produces a nice effect for hobbyist.
ASP Microlights
The ASP Microlight is most popular with users who would
like to present a gift that shows quality. The reason behind this designation
is the ASP microlight is encased in aluminum making it a unique entry in the
microlight market. This advantage allows the ASP microlight to be engraved.
The aluminum casing is available in many colors including:
- Red Case
- Green Case (very attractive)
- Blue Case (most popular)
- Gold Case (for a little bling)
- Silver case
- Pewter case
- Black case
- Textured case (a knurled feeling to the black case)
The ASP Microlight has an elite version which provides an
SOS, blink, and a constant on feature. The non elite version only has a
momentary on button.
The ASP microlight comes in three LED colors
- ASP Aspen (like the snows in Colorado) has a white
LED
- ASP Navigator has a red LED
- ASP Sapphire has a blue LED
The quality of the ASP microlight is excellent but the
price point on the lights is a little higher then all other microlights due to
the aluminum casing.
Princeton Tec Pulsar
The Princeton Tec Pulsar is a tiny light that has an
external LED. Putting out a miniscule 4 lumens and weighing only 7 grams this
microlight although unnoticeable is also one of the hardest to keep lit due to
the amount of pressure required.
However if you are looking for a light that is not
intrusive then this is the light for you. No larger then a nickel and providing
sufficient light to illuminate about 5 feet ahead of the user this light is
sufficient for general purposes.
The Princeton Tec Pulsar comes in two version the Pulsar
and the Pulsar II here is the difference
- Princeton Tec Pulsar has a momentary on switch only
when depressed it turns on and when let go it shuts off
- Princeton Tec Pulsar II has the same features as the
Princeton Tec Pulsar and also features a constant on switch
In my opinion all microlights serve the same purpose, to
illuminate the path in front of you a short range. However certain lights are
preferred for the following reasons
Looking for a great gift?
- The ASP Microlight looks and feels the most expensive
with its aluminum colored cases and are the most popular with companies
gifting a small item to clients
- The Invoa microlight is also very popular for the
above purposes but does not look or feel as high a quality; however the
Inova microlight is approximately $3.00 lower in price.
Need something tiny?
- The Photon microlight and the Princeton Tec Pulsar
series are both excellent lights to hang on a key chain or keep in a
pocket. You will barely notice it there.
Need functionality like a blink or SOS feature (used by
joggers, bikers, hikers and many other hobbyists)
- The ASP Elite microlight and also the Photon freedom
are the most popular for people that use lighting as a precaution to on
coming traffic etc.
In conclusion all lights are excellent and dependable
however as mentioned above each microlight serves a specific purpose. You
cannot pick a wrong one you just need to decide what will fit your needs.
