River Rock lantern review - FlashlightReviews.com
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LightObsession
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2004
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Thanks for the review. That's pretty impressive runtime!
Hey Doug, any chance you could compare that one to the Brookstone LED Lantern? Very similar (4xAA), and since you get three for $50 ( $16.70 ea. ), the price isn't even bad. I know it is only a standard LED, but it does have a hi/low mode.
Thanks for the review!
Thanks,
-john
Thanks for the review!
Thanks,
-john
xpitxbullx
Flashlight Enthusiast
Nice review. I bet a dimmer switch can be modded into this thing.
Jeff
Jeff
James S
Flashlight Enthusiast
Whoa, I hadn't noticed that you could unscrew the top and get to the regulator. I haven't unscrewed it yet, but it should be easy enough to mod the LED or even replace the circuit with something totally new.
Lantern pills anyone?
I'm especially interested in putting the warm white version of that LED in there instead of the blue/white one...
Lantern pills anyone?
I'm especially interested in putting the warm white version of that LED in there instead of the blue/white one...
Nasty
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2005
- Messages
- 197
Hmm...warm white *and* a dimmer.
Now yer talkin'!
Now yer talkin'!
Quickbeam
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'll see what I can do!John N said:
Phaserburn
Flashlight Enthusiast
Saying that this lantern on strobe mode is an attention getter is an understatement. It functions as a very powerful marker indeed! Indoors, in a dark room, it's almost too much to look at in this mode.
zespectre
Flashlight Enthusiast
Phaserburn said:
I agree (borrowing from my own mini-review) http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=92341
River Rock Lantern
This lantern has one big fault...GLARE! Holy Edison it is painful to bring dark adapted eyes anywhere close to this lantern (I mean within 15 yards)! We hung it from a tree branch at roughly eye level (6 ft) and it did an awesome job of lighting the entire clearing we were in BUT if you accidentally looked straight at it you were PAINFULLY blinded (UGH).
My friend's comments were "Man that little sucker is bright" and then "F***, that's really nasty to look at".
So he took it down from the tree and sat it on the small table we'd set up (roughly 2.5 feet from the ground, well below eye level) and it was almost magically transformed into a wonderful area light. We cooked a dinner and then played cards for about 2 hours by the light of that lantern while at the table and it was very nice. My recommendation, either keep it setting well below eye level, or wrap some thin wax paper around the globe to even out/moderate the output! (We need to tell River Rock to add a High/Low power function and to FROST this globe!)
Solstice
Flashlight Enthusiast
That exposed Jupiter is pretty retina-searing. I was thinking I might go over the whole outside of the lantern with a fine grit sandpaper.
Quickbeam said:
It appears the Brookstone lantern set is the same as the Brunton Glorb LED lantern.
Also, I just noticed this mini-review by a user on the Bronton Glorb which isn't that positive.
-john
Flash_Gordon
Flashlight Enthusiast
Hi Doug-
Great review on the River Rock Lantern. I have one and am really impressed with the function and quality. The price and availability at Target are a great bonus.
Did you have much trouble getting the top off? I think I have exerted just about plastic shattering force on mine with no luck.
Isn't it odd that we get something new, really cool that works perfectly and our first inclination is to tear it apart?
Actually I would like it apart for two reasons. First I want to try to wrap the globe with WriteRight film to tame the glare and smooth out the beam a little.
Second, I have this idea that if a resistor and or capacitor is changed it might be possible to speed up the blink rate enough to have a dim setting as in other pulse modulated LED lights. Do not know if this is is possible or if I have the tech knowhow to do it.
But first I have to get the stubborn top off!
Thanks
Mark
Great review on the River Rock Lantern. I have one and am really impressed with the function and quality. The price and availability at Target are a great bonus.
Did you have much trouble getting the top off? I think I have exerted just about plastic shattering force on mine with no luck.
Isn't it odd that we get something new, really cool that works perfectly and our first inclination is to tear it apart?
Actually I would like it apart for two reasons. First I want to try to wrap the globe with WriteRight film to tame the glare and smooth out the beam a little.
Second, I have this idea that if a resistor and or capacitor is changed it might be possible to speed up the blink rate enough to have a dim setting as in other pulse modulated LED lights. Do not know if this is is possible or if I have the tech knowhow to do it.
But first I have to get the stubborn top off!
Thanks
Mark
Phaserburn
Flashlight Enthusiast
A pic of this guy before and after writeright would be great!
James S
Flashlight Enthusiast
here are a couple of internal picts I just took:
the regulation circuit is obviously on the bottom and the flasher on/off circuit above under that bit of asphalt. The 2 are quite separate.
and the other side with the heat sink and LED:
I think this is pretty high quality construction actually, look at that heat shrink on there and the white heat sink epoxy holding the LED to the metal bracket.
It's obviously around R5 and R5A that the flash rate is set as I was able to affect it by pressing a dampened finger over them. Then experimenting with some wire to short them I got a little careless I'm afraid and let out the magic smoke, quite a realistic effect too. So stay away from Q1 when you're messing around if you short it to the neighboring capacitor it will let out a little puff of foul smelling you just blew me up smoke.
interesting thing is that it failed on. So now i just have to take the batteries out when I want to turn it off Actually, I'm pretty sure it's Q1 that it hosed so I am going to try to replace it with another surface mount transistor and see what happens. If anything I may be able to bypass their strange control circuit alltogether and just use a regular clicky switch and there is even room in there to put a new PWM system against the regulator chip... Could turn into a bigger project Or perhaps I'll just buy a new one!
the regulation circuit is obviously on the bottom and the flasher on/off circuit above under that bit of asphalt. The 2 are quite separate.
and the other side with the heat sink and LED:
I think this is pretty high quality construction actually, look at that heat shrink on there and the white heat sink epoxy holding the LED to the metal bracket.
It's obviously around R5 and R5A that the flash rate is set as I was able to affect it by pressing a dampened finger over them. Then experimenting with some wire to short them I got a little careless I'm afraid and let out the magic smoke, quite a realistic effect too. So stay away from Q1 when you're messing around if you short it to the neighboring capacitor it will let out a little puff of foul smelling you just blew me up smoke.
interesting thing is that it failed on. So now i just have to take the batteries out when I want to turn it off
Actually, I'm pretty sure it's Q1 that it hosed so I am going to try to replace it with another surface mount transistor and see what happens. If anything I may be able to bypass their strange control circuit alltogether and just use a regular clicky switch and there is even room in there to put a new PWM system against the regulator chip... Could turn into a bigger project Or perhaps I'll just buy a new one!
4x4Dragon
Flashlight Enthusiast
John N said:
i have the RR lantern and played around with one of the above mentioned lanterns in a backpacking store the other day. even with diffuser film on my RR lantern it is a good bit brighter.
Quickbeam
Flashlight Enthusiast
Well, it almost sounds like the Brookstone lantern isn't worth the expenditure of my meagre resources.....
James - thanks for the pics!
Flash - As you can see in his pics, the cap is the very very top of the lantern - not the part where the handle connects, but above that. Mine came off very easily.
James - thanks for the pics!
Flash - As you can see in his pics, the cap is the very very top of the lantern - not the part where the handle connects, but above that. Mine came off very easily.
Flash_Gordon
Flashlight Enthusiast
Quickbeam said:
DUH! Thanks Doug.
Good timing. I was just about to break out the 24" Channellocks.
Definitely seems like reducing R5 value increases the flash rate. I have convinced myself that this thing can be modded to have a usable dim setting.
BTW, the Brookstone lantern is identical to the Brunton Glorb LED for about half the price if you buy 3. Pretty decent, but very dated with 4 5mm LEDs compared to the River Rock's Jupiter.
Mark
Wow, sounds like i need to head to target. Maybe i can find a metal gear light too? Ive seen quite a few plastic cheap feeling lanterns at walmart, but pass them up cause they are cheap and plastic feeling. Had a floursant one and a ccfl and they were not bright, color and run time.
zespectre
Flashlight Enthusiast
I'm re-posting from another thread in case anyone was wondering...
Okay, the lantern spent 1 hour submerged in a bucket of water, I even got daring and turned the switch on and off about 5 cycles.
IT FLOATS. It pretty much floats with the silver top out of the water. The top edge of the clear globe is the "water line".
IT'S WATERPROOF. I put something on top to submerge it and then left it for an hour. Then I clicked the switch for 5 full cycles, then pulled it out and dried the outside off. The inside including the battery compartment was BONE DRY. I think as long as the O-ring on the batt compartment is intact you'd be good to go.
Wheeeee, that was fun! (of course YMMV)
Okay, the lantern spent 1 hour submerged in a bucket of water, I even got daring and turned the switch on and off about 5 cycles.
IT FLOATS. It pretty much floats with the silver top out of the water. The top edge of the clear globe is the "water line".
IT'S WATERPROOF. I put something on top to submerge it and then left it for an hour. Then I clicked the switch for 5 full cycles, then pulled it out and dried the outside off. The inside including the battery compartment was BONE DRY. I think as long as the O-ring on the batt compartment is intact you'd be good to go.
Wheeeee, that was fun! (of course YMMV)
