LED lights have been in the news recently for some very big reasons: they won the Nobel Prize in physics. Okay, the lights didn’t win, but three scientists won for their work in creating this amazing source of light.  If you’re a flashlight aficionado, you already understand the value of the bright, clean light produced by Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). They’ve been used for years in electronic devices such as VHS players, cell phones, and coffee makers. They light everything from your computer monitor to your big screen television. So, why is something that’s been around for a while just now being recognized? It has to do with blue.

Red and green diodes were created decades ago, but the blue diode evaded scientists. They tried for nearly 30 years to create one, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that three Japanese scientists succeeded in creating one. It was only when the blue diode was added to the red and green diodes that scientists could achieve the full color spectrum that allows for true white light. Once that happened, it opened the door to more environmentally friendly, cost efficient bulbs.

According to Per Delsing, a physicist at the Chambers University of Technology and head of the Nobel physics committee, the award was in line with the wishes of Alfred Nobel who founded the award with the aim of honoring discoveries which had the “greatest benefit to mankind.” It was presented to Shuju Nakamura of the University of California at Santa Barbara, Isamu Akasaki from Meijo University and Nagoya University in Japan, and Hiroshi Amano, also of Nagoya University.

The secret to creating the blue diode was the right mix of crystals and chemicals for a semiconductor when electricity was passed through it. In addition to that bright white light for your flashlight, work is underway to develop a portable LED-based device that could someday use ultra violet emissions to sterilize water. The LED requires less power to operate and provides a brighter, whiter light in bulbs that last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. That humble flashlight looks just a little more impressive, doesn’t it?

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Store batteries properly

It’s super important that you don’t leave batteries in flashlights that you don’t use frequently. I keep a small flashlight in the glove box of my car for emergencies, but I rarely use it. In fact, when I’m having car problems, it’s normally at a time when I can wait until daylight to look at what’s going on, so it’s very rare that I actually use that flashlight.

One day I actually needed to use my flashlight to look under the hood of my car at night, and as you might guess, my flashlight wouldn’t turn on. I was really surprised that my LED wouldn’t turn on because I had only used the flashlight once or twice before, so it didn’t make any sense for it to not be working.

When we opened up my flashlight to see what was going on, we found out that the batteries had leaked and corroded inside the flashlight (joy of joys).

To avoid a super frustrating experience like this, don’t leave your batteries inside your flashlight if you use the flashlight only for emergencies or infrequently at all. At the very least, it’s a good idea to check your flashlights every 6 months or so to make sure the batteries haven’t leaked and that no corrosion has taken place.

If you’re storing your batteries outside of your flashlight, make sure to store them in a cool, dry place. But, don’t store them in a fridge or freezer!

Avoid water

This should be obvious, but you don’t want to intentionally bring your LED flashlight into the water unless you have a special dive light or other light that is designed for water use. Many flashlights are waterproof up to certain depths. This symbol on a flashlight package indicates how waterproof the LED is:

This symbol will show you how deep a flashlight can be submerged and still function. The test requirements for a waterproof rating are that the light must be submerged one meter minimum for half an hour, and the light must work normally directly after the test and also 30 minutes after the test has been completed.

Don’t abuse your LED

Don’t use your flashlight like it’s another tool. You have hammers for pounding, so don’t use your flashlight for that.

Dissembling

Dissembling your LED flashlight will void any warranty associated with it. If you know that and you want to take your flashlight apart anyway to do maintenance, go for it, but just know that your flashlight will no longer have a valid warranty. Also, I’d only take your flashlight apart if you know what you’re doing. Many a person has taken apart a bike, instrument, or tool only to find out that putting it back together isn’t as easy as they thought.

So those are some of the things you shouldn’t do with your flashlight. I looked online for general care and maintenance that you should be doing with your flashlight, but it seems like only the super hardcore flash-aholics do much at all to maintain their LEDS. Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to keep the contacts clean, and some people put lubricant on certain parts inside the light.

As you can see, flashlight maintenance is pretty easy. What other things do you do to care for and maintain your LED flashlights?

If you’re in the market for a new LED, Blade HQ is a great place to look!

The post Flashlight Maintenance appeared first on Flashlight Blog.

This Maratac flashlight is one of our best-selling LEDs over at Blade HQ. It’s super compact, and it looks pretty sweet, too. I mean, how many copper flashlights have you seen before? It’s definitely a less-common material for flashlights, and it looks really nice.

The overall length on this LED is 3.05 inches and it weighs just 1.60 ounces. The convenient size makes this light great for keeping in your pocket, purse, bag—pretty much anywhere. It has two output modes; on low, the light puts out 1.8 lumens and can run for 100 hours, and on high, it puts out 125 lumens and can run for 100 minutes.

It also has a Cree R3 emitter and orange peel reflector. The lens has also been treated with an “anti-reflective coating,” and the circuit is reverse polarity protected. It runs on just one AA battery. Do not use high voltage rechargeable batteries with this LED flashlight.

These Maratac lights are made in the USA, and they have a twist-head for easy control. Get your Maratac Extreme Copper LED Flashlight at Blade HQ!

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Red: Red is probably the most common color of LED that you’ll see. I have a headlamp that I take with me camping and backpacking, and it has a few different settings including one with a red LED. At first I didn’t know what the red light was for, so I avoided using it altogether. It turns out, though, that red lights help you preserve your night vision, so they’re great to bring camping, hiking, backpacking, hunting, or anywhere for that matter. Some people say they’re great in smoky environments, too.

Blue: Blue lights are typically used by hunters when following blood trails from injured animals. Blood can be difficult to spot in white light (and obviously red light), but it’s easier to see in blue light. Blue light is also better to use in the fog than white light.

Green: Green lights are said to be great for hunters and fishers because they aren’t as likely to spook game. Some people say that is because it’s harder for some animals to see green light than white light or other colors of light.

Ultraviolet: Ultraviolet light (when used in flashlights) is typically used for recharging items that emit light, like compass needles or watch faces.

If you want as many colors as you can get in one product, check out this headlamp:

This LED has four LEDs: white, red, green, and blue. Talk about an all-inclusive product. This headlamp would be great to bring on your outdoor excursions, but there are lots more LEDs to choose from at Blade HQ. Check out a great selection of LED flashlights at Blade HQ today!

The post What are different beam colors used for in flashlights? appeared first on Flashlight Blog.

We’ve got lots of great flashlights at Blade HQ, but here’s a look at a two of our best-selling models from last year:

Fenix PD12

The PD12 is a great travel-friendly LED—it totals 3.20 inches in length and has a 1-inch diameter. Toss it in your bag or keep it in your car for an easy-access flashlight any time of the day. Even though it’s small in size, there’s nothing small about its action. The PD12 has a maximum output of 360 lumens on burst mode, and on high (200 lumens), the light can run for 2.5 hours. On low (10 lumens), it can run for up to 60 hours—that’s two and a half days.

Other features include a Cree XM-L2 LED that has a lifespan of 50,000 hours, a grippy handle, a type 3 hard-anodized finish, and a toughened lens with an anti-reflective coating. The PD12 runs one one 3V CR123A battery.

Fenix LD12

The Fenix LD12 is larger than the PD12 by about an inch—it is 4.15 inches in length and it has a 0.85-inch diameter. Because of its build, the LD12 is ideal for camping, hiking, tactical use, and general use.  It runs on AAA batteries, which are easy to find and easy to carry if you need to bring extras with you. It has two output modes and six outputs, which can be very beneficial for the user; the different output modes and outputs in general mean you can adjust the flashlight to attain the best balance of brightness and runtime for what you’re working on.

The LD12 has a maximum output of 125 lumens and a maximum runtime of 100 hours (that’s more than four days). Like the PD12, the LD12 has a type 3 hard-anodized aluminum body, good gripping, and a toughened lens with an anti-reflective coating.

These two LEDs tied for our best-selling model from the past year, but there are still lots of excellent flashlights out there. Get your LED flashlights at Blade HQ!

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They start off with six Böker Plus flashlights for their debut in the Flashlight Industry:

Böker Plus FA-1:
Not only does this light have a sleek design, it has reasonable output too. Throwing out 160 Lumens, you can’t go wrong. My favorite feature of the light is that you can get away with running it off of one AA battery; you don’t need any fancy expensive batteries to operate this light. A great EDC Flashlight option. You can plan on paying around $45 for this flashlight.

Böker Plus FC-1:

Comparing this light to the FA-1, you might notice that it is thicker and shorter. It all depends on size and output. This torch throws out 250 lumens. However, you have to run it off of CR123 lithium batteries. For the size, this light has power and fits nicely in your pocket. This flashlight retails at around $45.

Böker Plus FA-2:

This body of this flashlight is a little bit longer than what a lot of people are looking for when it comes to an everyday carry flashlight (5” long). It would make a great emergency torch. A simple half twist of the head can change between the high (200 lumens) and low (30 lumens) output. This runs off of two AA batteries which is a HUGE plus in my book. It has a high output for the batteries that it takes. You can pick one of these up for around $55.00.

Böker Plus FC-2:

Now the Böker FC-2 is similar to the FA-1 and the FC-1. It is shorter and thicker than the FA-1 series flashlight. This light runs off of two CR123 batteries. On the upside This torch kicks out 350 lumens. Like the other flashlights, this has two modes and is changed by twisting the head. You can find these for around $55.00

Böker Plus FA-3:

This light is pretty impressive for the price. It runs off of three AA batteries and has a lumen output of 350 lumens! This is a beefy light with a head diameter of 1.5″. This torch is designed to throw light long distance. You can pick one of these up for under $70.00

Böker Plus FC-3:

This is a great flashlight It features a maximum output of 350 lumens; runs off of two CR123 batteries; and has a head that is 1.25″ in diameter giving the light an enormous reach (one of my favorite things about this light). I can guarantee this light will satisfy all your needs.

Quite frankly when it comes to flashlights, Böker throws themselves into the ring with their fists flying. Their quality and output is competitive with several of the top flashlight manufacturers. They are very fairly priced. I would suggest any of these lights to absolutely anyone.

Be on the firsts to buy a Böker Flashlight from BladeHQ.com.

The post Böker Flashlights appeared first on Flashlight Blog.

Back in the halogen days there were issues with bulbs burning out or breaking, but that was always an easy fix. Usually there were spare bulbs to be found around the house to replace the burnt out bulb in your flashlight. Here is a diagram of what the circuitry would look like in a conventional halogen flashlight:

Then along came the LED light. The LED light was a milestone in flashlights. The bulbs were more durable lasting thousands of hours more than halogen bulbs at a fraction of the energy cost. This came with a price though: LEDs have the tendency to heat up more than the conventional bulb with the old style of circuitry shown above. As seen below, the LED flashlight is more complex (to prevent overheating, etc) than its predecessor:

LED lights have also opened the door for variable type outputs both on intensity (LOW, MED, and HIGH) and flashing modes (SOS and STROBE). This is also attributed to their durability that they bring to the light market. These modes can be selected by using a combination of switches (shown above) and sensors with a magnetic ring (shown below). The ring with a magnet will rotate around and depending on which sensor is facing the magnet will determine the type of output.

As you can see now the LED flashlights today carry a combination of microchips, sensors, magnets, etc. The sky is the limit with what we can do with these LED flashlights. With the development of capability with what the LED can do, we are only limited with what kind of power source that we have available: LED flashlights are capable of running off both standard batteries and Lithium Ion. However that is a whole different story of its own.

The post An Introduction to the Complexities of the LED Flashlight appeared first on Flashlight Blog.

This headlamp features a high-efficiency white-light LED with adjustable output (zero to 100 lumens); a knurled no-slip right-hand control knob; a tilt control knob; and runs from 1.5 hours to 50 hours (depending on lumen usage) on a single 123A battery. Other features are the read, blue and green filters that give you the option of low-signature light that also preserves dark-adapted vision; and a long-running SOS safety beacon. It weighs 3.3 ounces. The head band features a moisture-wicking Breathe-O-Prene^® pad. Made of polymer and aerospace aluminum, this hard-anodized headlamp is lightweight, durable and can be submersed in water to 3 feet for up to 30 minutes. A great, sturdy all-purpose headlamp.

The SureFire Minimus Tactical retails at $159.00. Buy this headlamp at BladeHQ.com for a great deal!

The post SureFire Minimus Tactical Headlamp appeared first on Flashlight Blog.

FOURSevens Flashlights is a relatively new company. Founded in 2008 with the desire to improve on high-performance LED flashlights, FOURSevens has contributed to the LED flashlight world. Don’t let their company’s youth fool you. FOURSevens design their flashlights with high-performance, quality and affordability in mind. Committed to pushing technological boundaries, FOURSevens helps lead the high-performance LED flashlight market with their innovations.  They have recently re-branded themselves: from 4Sevens to FOURSEVENS.

FOURSEVENS offer affordable flashlights that are high-performance and durable. You can find wonderful deals on FOURSEVENS flashlights at BladeHQ.com.

Below is a flashlight comparison chart of their Quark line.

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Surefire flashlights are among the finest, toughest, and brightest flashlights in the industry. Surefire exemplifies high-quality, durability and reliability in all their products.

Some of their flashlights are constructed with a high-strength aerospace-grade alloy which then are protected by an anodized finish of aluminum oxide. This anodized aluminum alloy construction makes the flashlight resistant to damage from impact or crushing and makes it small and light weight. Surefire also make a few of their flashlights out of Nitrolon (a proprietary high-strength, non-conductive, impact-resistant, glass-filled polyamide nylon polymer).

All Surefire flashlights produce optimal beams with no rings, hot spots or shadows. A flashlight is only as good as it’s reflector. Surefire reflectors are made from CNC-machined aluminum instead of stamped metal or molded plastic.Each reflector surface is

…covered with tiny ripples that reflect light at slightly different angles, smoothing out beam irregularities and producing a bright central area surrounded by a gradually diminishing corona. This sort of beam is perfect for tactical applications because it clearly illuminates the main object of interest while providing enough light for the observer’s peripheral vision.

Most SureFire flashlight models are made of tempered, coated Pyrex glass. This window not ‘lens’ protects the reflector and lamp from debris and water. An anti-reflective coating is applied to the window to reduce reflection loss which increases net lumen output. Some of their flashlights are modular which allows you to reconfigure your flashlight with available accessories.

Below are four SureFire flashlights (pictured above) that I feel are great flashlights to have in any situation and won’t break the bank.

SureFire flashlights are pricey, but the quality and superiority you receive in a SureFire flashlight is worth the spending the extra dollars.

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