Of note: as stated earlier in this thread, if you run a light at a higher output, the faster the batteries will deplete. If you are looking to supply light for an extended power outage, IMO, lanterns that put out more than 300 lumens will run the batteries down too quickly (if run at that level of output.) Alkalines will last best at 100 lumens or less, and that happens to be the output that many feel comfortable with, once their eyes have become dark adapted.
I hope that you are happy with your UST 60 1200. Be sure that you have at least one extra set of batteries for it, so that when you see how quickly the output drops, that you'll have a fresh set to use at a lower setting, if your outage lasts for days.
Hi Poppy,
Thanks for your kind wishes.
And yes, I'm very happy with the lantern. And I bought plenty of extra batteries for it. I just hope I never have to use them.
Objectively speaking, it makes perfect sense that the higher the output setting, the faster the batteries will be depleted when using a lantern, or any battery powered light, for that matter, right?
But how much light someone wants a lantern to provide is a purely subjective matter.
I wanted a lantern that threw a ton of light, and after testing it, I can say that's what I have with this UST 60 day, 1200 lumen lantern.
Yes, it takes a whopping 8 D cells. It's a trade-off, no doubt. But look at those specs:
High (1200 lumens, up to 41 hours)
Medium (200 lumens, up to 192 hours)
Low (20 lumens, up to 60 days)
BULB TYPE: 4 x NS6W 1W Nichia, white LEDs
I've been testing it, and so far I have run it on the medium (200 lumen) setting for 108 hours.
I took some photos for comparison purposes, and after 70 hours the light was somewhat dimmer than when I started the test.
And after 108 hours, when I ended the test, the light was dimmer yet but still throwing enough useable light to illuminate our 24x12 ft. living room.
I then switched the lantern to the high setting and the light output was dramatically higher and has remained that way for almost seven hours now.
And this is on plain old alkaline Energizers which I figure are, at this point, are more than 50 percent depleted.
I'm tempted to put in some fresh batteries to see how long it will last on the high setting, but I think it would be wasteful. I've seen enough of what it can do. And I'm well pleased with the lantern.
After Hurricane Irma blew through here and took our power with her for three days, I vowed to get a bright, battery powered lantern that would run a long time on a single set of batteries.
And this UST is just what I was looking for.
Yes, the medium, 200 lumen setting provides plenty of light for a good, long time. But I like knowing that I have the 1200 lumen setting available should I want or need to use it for some reason.
The only fault I can find with this lantern, and it's a small one, is that it starts on the high setting, then goes to medium, then low. I wish it were the opposite. But again, this is no big deal.
I'm glad I bought this lantern and, with the extra batteries I have for it, I feel prepared for a power outage, even an extended one. One less thing to worry about during hurricane season in Florida.