ama230
Enlightened
First of all I had wanted to say that I am very thankful for this forums existence. It has helped me and countless others to find inside information from alternative energy to survival gear. So before I get this show started, I had wanted to give a big sincere THANK YOU to CANDLEPOWERFORUMS.COM for making us fellow nerds and geeks informed.
It's going to seem like I am doing a lot of product pushing but that's not the case. I am a contracted EET so work comes and goes. When I do get the chance to review exciting and innovative products that aren't main stream, I will do my best to get as much out there.
Note: I do not work for these companies nor am I endorsing them. I am a normal individual that like to do reviews on products that are pushing innovation and allow the user to have a choice on what he or she prefers. I do this for the fact that I LOVE reading reviews myself and it's nice to get a feel for a product before pulling the trigger.
Get on with the review already….
What if there was a product that not only fits the needs of 1/5th without power but still fits the needs of the 4/5ths that do have power. There is such a product and it's called the WAKAWAKA light. Again, as many have you noticed that I am passionate about products that go beyond themselves. This niche mainly falls with alternative energy products such as thermo-electric, photo-voltaic and electro-mechanical.
Last year about this time, on a little site called Kickstarter, there was an idea introduced to have a solar lamp that would have a charge to use ratio of 2:1. So for every hour of sunlight gathered it would produce two hours of nice clean light. K.S. is a website where the normal everyday person can fund the innovative ideas of passionate individuals. This is a total game changer as it allows not only the "always have been rich" people to make a company but allows entrepreneurs to once again rise to the top.
This is a nice website, similar to Indiegogo and Etsy, which have all the same idea of allowing entrepreneurs to showcase real innovation. Then this company is also doing another campaign on K.S. so go check it out as well as many other great ideas.
As with my reviews, I try to stay non-biased but when you find something unique and totally functional it's hard not to get emotional. This product so happens to be self sufficient and requires no battery changes. In the past we have had solar lamps as they did a mediocre job as that is not the case here.
Majority of solar products require direct sunlight, which requires the user to keep repositioning the device every hour to ensure proper charge. This is not the case now as the PV panel efficiency had jumped from 12% to 18%, which is huge, thanks to leading companies like SunPower etc and of course demand driving down costs. This allows the user to have less worry of the amount of power gathered throughout the day. Then to add, electronics getting more efficient with microprocessors using less power thanks to Samsung, instead of drawing mA, they now only draw uA.
If you keep up with the latest technology trends, you can see that this company not only has a great idea, but sources the best manufactures for components. There are only a handful of companies that do so and these are the ones that stand out. All of this is possible thanks to a Dutch company that believes in the bigger picture as we have to make the best of what's already provided.
I am going to be doing a comparison of the manufacturers claimed specs vs. actual real world specs. Then the proof is in the pudding as you will see that the closer these two values are, the better the company is. In this world most companies inflate their values to get the consumer to bite. As the purpose of this review is to ensure the user has an educated advantage over advertisement.
Manufactures specs:
Dimensions: 120 x 79 x 24 mm
Brightness: 120 Lumens
Battery: 3 x AA NiMh rechargeable (user replaceable)
Solar Cell: .75W Mono-crystalline
IC Type: Sunboost IC
Bulb Type: 2x Seoul SMDs
Materials: Recycled Plastic
Durability: Water resistant and shock resistant
Switch Type: Tactical on/off
Modes: 1st click(200% = 120 Lumens), 2nd (100%), 3rd(50%), 4th(10% = 6 Lumens), 5th(OFF), S.O.S. (Hold power button for 3 seconds to activate)
*Energy Saving Mode: When 1hr of light is left it will turn to lowest mode to not leave you in the dark.
Charge time: 1 hr sun = 2 hr @ 100% light ( approx 100 Lumens)
Runtime (1 Full day of charging = 8hrs of sunlight): 200%(will switch to 100% after 30 seconds to save battery), 100%(8hrs), 50% (16hrs), 10%(80hrs)
Actual Specs: Very close measurements compared to manufacturer specs
Dimensions: 120 x 79 x 24 mm
Brightness: 120 Lumens (Nice warm flood) (They under promise and over deliver on this)
Battery: 3 x AA 1000mah NiMh rechargeable( user replaceable)
Solar Cell: .75W Mono-crystalline (Anonymous manufacturer as its just waste silicon from IC manufacturing )
IC Type: Sunboost IC (Samsung IC right on the board)
Bulb Type: 2x Seoul SMDs (Bright and warm, definitely grade A LEDs)
Materials: Recycled Plastic
Durability: Water resistant and shock resistant (Take a nice fall or slight downpour)
Switch type: Tactical on/off (Solid Feel)
Modes: 1st click(200% = 120 Lumens), 2nd (100%), 3rd(50%), 4th(10% = 6 Lumens), 5th(OFF), S.O.S. (Hold power button for 3 seconds to activate)
*Energy Saving Mode: When 1hr of light is left it will turn to lowest mode to not leave you in the dark.
Charge time: 1 hr sun = 2 hr @ 50% light (40-50 Lumens) (They under promise and over deliver on this) OR 1hr of sun = 1hr of 100% light (60-80Lumens)
Runtime(1 Full day of charging = 8hrs of sunlight): 200%(will switch to 100% after 30 seconds to save battery), 100%(8hrs), 50% (16hrs), 10%(80hrs)
The specs were spot on or as close as they get as this company did do their homework and studied hard.
The here is the good stuff that everybody like on here, the photographs of the Iconic Device.
The first picture is of the front of the packaging as you would receive it. I had purchased mine from amazon and absolutely love it, as I was a little too late for the first K.S. campaign.
Then the second picture is of the back of the packaging. This shows the user of how the product is generally used in various positions.
Then for the third picture is of the light out of the package and in charging mode with the PV panel facing the sun. Then it is next to a poster to show the user the instructions on how to work the light. Love that there is pictures and no confusing ikea phrasing
The fourth photograph is a close up of the lamp itself. This is the front of the light with the Sunpower Mono-crystalline P.V. panel facing you.
The fifth picture is a close up of the back of the light. As you can see that the two Seoul Semiconductor LEDs near the top and below that is the large black power button.
The sixth photo is of the top of the light. There is a single green indicator that blinks faster according to to level of light receiving. So lower the light conditions, the slower the blinking. Then higher the light conditions, the led will blink faster. This was a difficult shot as I am using my phones camera and the ISO is not that sensitive.
The seventh picture is of the light next to the competition. This shot is to show the general size of the light next to a D.Light S 250. These light have the same basic functions but the D.Light is much larger. I use a different panel to charge my D.Light as the one that came with it charges twice as slow.
As we are onto the night shots....
For the eighth picture in my review, it is of the WAKAWAKA shining in my bathroom. It is definitely as bright as the D.Light, I modded with an XM-L T6, at 200 lumens. This is not very noticeable to the eye but on paper it is. This is of the WAKAWAKA on high mode(200%) lighting up my entire bathroom. The shot is ugly as with other lights I had to turn on the flash but its so bright I do not need to here.
Then for the ninth night shot. It is of the D.light s250 on High mode, which is well above 200 lumens of nice flood. This is just to show you that it is not only compact, it can shine with the best of them.
The tenth photo is of the two lights side by side to show in comparison of how their beam profile is. Each handles their own and you can see that they do a very nice job of lighting up the place. On the left is the D.Light s250 with a XM-L T6, then on the right is the WAKAWAKA untouched. It is rare that I do not need to modify the lamp in order to be more useful.
Then for the eleventh and final picture of my review. This is a graph of the regulation of major competitors lights. There are a few that are able to hold their brightness for the claimed times. Not a problem for the WAKAWAKA!
Then as the review gets close to an end, I always like to do a general overview of the form, fit and function. This is where I give my critique on what they could have improved on if needing be. This is not to say that anything is perfect but always could use some improvement.
As for the design, it is very different, as it has multiple form factors to make it very versatile. Each little detail has a unique feature such as the slide out stand to the hang hoop. This adds very little bulk but does wonders to the functionality. It is light and easily used with the large rubber power button, making it easy to use in the dark.
Then there is an indicator LED at the top to tell the user on how much light is bring collected. The LED will blink faster as the absorption of photons goes up. This is a nice feature as it will help the user reposition the device intuitively with the perpendicular plane of the sun(fancy words for directly facing the sun).
The only suggestion I would make for this light is to use a large glow in the dark button instead of a solid rubber one. This would allow the user to find the light at night safely and quietly as nobody likes a loud neighbor when sleeping. I had just backed the new project on K.S. as it has refinements, so please check it out and at the same time help other developing countries.
Thank again for reading my review of another exciting and unique product. Hope you all are getting some joy off these cool products as I know I am. If there are any questions, comments or suggestions please do not hesitate to fire away. I will do my part and get to them as quick as possible with as much information on hand.
Thank you for your time,
Eric Ramirez
Ama230
It's going to seem like I am doing a lot of product pushing but that's not the case. I am a contracted EET so work comes and goes. When I do get the chance to review exciting and innovative products that aren't main stream, I will do my best to get as much out there.
Note: I do not work for these companies nor am I endorsing them. I am a normal individual that like to do reviews on products that are pushing innovation and allow the user to have a choice on what he or she prefers. I do this for the fact that I LOVE reading reviews myself and it's nice to get a feel for a product before pulling the trigger.
Get on with the review already….
What if there was a product that not only fits the needs of 1/5th without power but still fits the needs of the 4/5ths that do have power. There is such a product and it's called the WAKAWAKA light. Again, as many have you noticed that I am passionate about products that go beyond themselves. This niche mainly falls with alternative energy products such as thermo-electric, photo-voltaic and electro-mechanical.
Last year about this time, on a little site called Kickstarter, there was an idea introduced to have a solar lamp that would have a charge to use ratio of 2:1. So for every hour of sunlight gathered it would produce two hours of nice clean light. K.S. is a website where the normal everyday person can fund the innovative ideas of passionate individuals. This is a total game changer as it allows not only the "always have been rich" people to make a company but allows entrepreneurs to once again rise to the top.
This is a nice website, similar to Indiegogo and Etsy, which have all the same idea of allowing entrepreneurs to showcase real innovation. Then this company is also doing another campaign on K.S. so go check it out as well as many other great ideas.
As with my reviews, I try to stay non-biased but when you find something unique and totally functional it's hard not to get emotional. This product so happens to be self sufficient and requires no battery changes. In the past we have had solar lamps as they did a mediocre job as that is not the case here.
Majority of solar products require direct sunlight, which requires the user to keep repositioning the device every hour to ensure proper charge. This is not the case now as the PV panel efficiency had jumped from 12% to 18%, which is huge, thanks to leading companies like SunPower etc and of course demand driving down costs. This allows the user to have less worry of the amount of power gathered throughout the day. Then to add, electronics getting more efficient with microprocessors using less power thanks to Samsung, instead of drawing mA, they now only draw uA.
If you keep up with the latest technology trends, you can see that this company not only has a great idea, but sources the best manufactures for components. There are only a handful of companies that do so and these are the ones that stand out. All of this is possible thanks to a Dutch company that believes in the bigger picture as we have to make the best of what's already provided.
I am going to be doing a comparison of the manufacturers claimed specs vs. actual real world specs. Then the proof is in the pudding as you will see that the closer these two values are, the better the company is. In this world most companies inflate their values to get the consumer to bite. As the purpose of this review is to ensure the user has an educated advantage over advertisement.
Manufactures specs:
Dimensions: 120 x 79 x 24 mm
Brightness: 120 Lumens
Battery: 3 x AA NiMh rechargeable (user replaceable)
Solar Cell: .75W Mono-crystalline
IC Type: Sunboost IC
Bulb Type: 2x Seoul SMDs
Materials: Recycled Plastic
Durability: Water resistant and shock resistant
Switch Type: Tactical on/off
Modes: 1st click(200% = 120 Lumens), 2nd (100%), 3rd(50%), 4th(10% = 6 Lumens), 5th(OFF), S.O.S. (Hold power button for 3 seconds to activate)
*Energy Saving Mode: When 1hr of light is left it will turn to lowest mode to not leave you in the dark.
Charge time: 1 hr sun = 2 hr @ 100% light ( approx 100 Lumens)
Runtime (1 Full day of charging = 8hrs of sunlight): 200%(will switch to 100% after 30 seconds to save battery), 100%(8hrs), 50% (16hrs), 10%(80hrs)
Actual Specs: Very close measurements compared to manufacturer specs
Dimensions: 120 x 79 x 24 mm
Brightness: 120 Lumens (Nice warm flood) (They under promise and over deliver on this)
Battery: 3 x AA 1000mah NiMh rechargeable( user replaceable)
Solar Cell: .75W Mono-crystalline (Anonymous manufacturer as its just waste silicon from IC manufacturing )
IC Type: Sunboost IC (Samsung IC right on the board)
Bulb Type: 2x Seoul SMDs (Bright and warm, definitely grade A LEDs)
Materials: Recycled Plastic
Durability: Water resistant and shock resistant (Take a nice fall or slight downpour)
Switch type: Tactical on/off (Solid Feel)
Modes: 1st click(200% = 120 Lumens), 2nd (100%), 3rd(50%), 4th(10% = 6 Lumens), 5th(OFF), S.O.S. (Hold power button for 3 seconds to activate)
*Energy Saving Mode: When 1hr of light is left it will turn to lowest mode to not leave you in the dark.
Charge time: 1 hr sun = 2 hr @ 50% light (40-50 Lumens) (They under promise and over deliver on this) OR 1hr of sun = 1hr of 100% light (60-80Lumens)
Runtime(1 Full day of charging = 8hrs of sunlight): 200%(will switch to 100% after 30 seconds to save battery), 100%(8hrs), 50% (16hrs), 10%(80hrs)
The specs were spot on or as close as they get as this company did do their homework and studied hard.
The here is the good stuff that everybody like on here, the photographs of the Iconic Device.
The first picture is of the front of the packaging as you would receive it. I had purchased mine from amazon and absolutely love it, as I was a little too late for the first K.S. campaign.
Then the second picture is of the back of the packaging. This shows the user of how the product is generally used in various positions.
Then for the third picture is of the light out of the package and in charging mode with the PV panel facing the sun. Then it is next to a poster to show the user the instructions on how to work the light. Love that there is pictures and no confusing ikea phrasing
The fourth photograph is a close up of the lamp itself. This is the front of the light with the Sunpower Mono-crystalline P.V. panel facing you.
The fifth picture is a close up of the back of the light. As you can see that the two Seoul Semiconductor LEDs near the top and below that is the large black power button.
The sixth photo is of the top of the light. There is a single green indicator that blinks faster according to to level of light receiving. So lower the light conditions, the slower the blinking. Then higher the light conditions, the led will blink faster. This was a difficult shot as I am using my phones camera and the ISO is not that sensitive.
The seventh picture is of the light next to the competition. This shot is to show the general size of the light next to a D.Light S 250. These light have the same basic functions but the D.Light is much larger. I use a different panel to charge my D.Light as the one that came with it charges twice as slow.
As we are onto the night shots....
For the eighth picture in my review, it is of the WAKAWAKA shining in my bathroom. It is definitely as bright as the D.Light, I modded with an XM-L T6, at 200 lumens. This is not very noticeable to the eye but on paper it is. This is of the WAKAWAKA on high mode(200%) lighting up my entire bathroom. The shot is ugly as with other lights I had to turn on the flash but its so bright I do not need to here.
Then for the ninth night shot. It is of the D.light s250 on High mode, which is well above 200 lumens of nice flood. This is just to show you that it is not only compact, it can shine with the best of them.
The tenth photo is of the two lights side by side to show in comparison of how their beam profile is. Each handles their own and you can see that they do a very nice job of lighting up the place. On the left is the D.Light s250 with a XM-L T6, then on the right is the WAKAWAKA untouched. It is rare that I do not need to modify the lamp in order to be more useful.
Then for the eleventh and final picture of my review. This is a graph of the regulation of major competitors lights. There are a few that are able to hold their brightness for the claimed times. Not a problem for the WAKAWAKA!
Then as the review gets close to an end, I always like to do a general overview of the form, fit and function. This is where I give my critique on what they could have improved on if needing be. This is not to say that anything is perfect but always could use some improvement.
As for the design, it is very different, as it has multiple form factors to make it very versatile. Each little detail has a unique feature such as the slide out stand to the hang hoop. This adds very little bulk but does wonders to the functionality. It is light and easily used with the large rubber power button, making it easy to use in the dark.
Then there is an indicator LED at the top to tell the user on how much light is bring collected. The LED will blink faster as the absorption of photons goes up. This is a nice feature as it will help the user reposition the device intuitively with the perpendicular plane of the sun(fancy words for directly facing the sun).
The only suggestion I would make for this light is to use a large glow in the dark button instead of a solid rubber one. This would allow the user to find the light at night safely and quietly as nobody likes a loud neighbor when sleeping. I had just backed the new project on K.S. as it has refinements, so please check it out and at the same time help other developing countries.
Thank again for reading my review of another exciting and unique product. Hope you all are getting some joy off these cool products as I know I am. If there are any questions, comments or suggestions please do not hesitate to fire away. I will do my part and get to them as quick as possible with as much information on hand.
Thank you for your time,
Eric Ramirez
Ama230
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