# Energizer LED Lantern



## **DONOTDELETE** (May 27, 2002)

Wal-Mart sells this small LED Lantern for ~ $8. It runs on 4 AA batteries (not included) and can be set to run on 1 or both LEDs for longer run time, or more light. 
It has a lamphead that can be swiveled thru about 200 degrees, and a tab where you could insert a cord to hang from a tent pole, etc...

With it's 2 LED lights in use, I can read, but I'd prefer to use a headlamp for that task. This light works well as a tent lamp, or as a long-life emergency lamp. I'll take it camping, but it's new 'home' is down in the basement with the tornado gear (AA batteries, AA powered radio, etc...) While it gives a nice 'glow' it's not really a work light, no beam at all. But with a headlamp or another flashlight, this little lamp fills a certain niche nicely, at a price that's hard to beat.


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## treek13 (May 27, 2002)

I agree with you, TexasCarl. I got one of these from Wal-Mart during the last winter. I like it; it definitely fills a nice niche as a long-life light.

Unfortunately for me, I got a chance to test it out soon after buying it when an ice storm knocked out our power for about a week.

This little light got a lot of use and really helped. It is really nice for reading because it has such an even (difuse) light pattern. No annoying hot spots on the page.


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## Slick (Jun 2, 2002)

These are indeed outstanding little lights.. It even works well on just the one LED. I keep one hanging in the outhouse at some remote property that I own and it's the perfect choice.


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## patg (Jun 2, 2002)

They make great reading lights for bed, too. Just open it up and set in on your chest. They are great lights. 

I've also got it's predecessor with fluorescent tubes which is great, too.


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## revolvergeek (Jun 7, 2002)

Yep, these are truely great little lights. I have a couple of them, one in the truck toolbox and one on the window sill over my bed for reading.


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## The_LED_Museum (Jun 7, 2002)

The only complaint I have about mine is that it fell behind something and sat there for a number of months, and it now has a flickery, slightly intermittent switch. Probably nothing a little contact cleaner can't take care of though. 

Since retrieving it from its former grave a week ago, it has seen fairly regular use, most recently last night where I left it on for several hours while tinkering with a VCR and in the general rat's nest of wires under the TV. I can read the tiny legends under the buttons without the kind of blinding glare a regular flashlight would have produced in that particular situation.


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## PrimiToad (Aug 12, 2004)

Check your local Office Depot for these nice little lanterns. The ones here in West Monroe and Monroe Louisiana had them for $4.


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## Zelandeth (Aug 17, 2004)

I'd forgotten about these! Meant to pick one up ages ago for review...

Now just to find a UK based supplier...heh...here we go...

If anyone knows of a supplier shipping them to the UK for sensible money, or if someone would be willing to send one over for me (I'll pay for it!), either PM me or let me know. This is one I'd really like to get reviewed.


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## DaveT (Aug 18, 2004)

Just got a couple of these at Office Depot - $3.96 each. 
They're not the best/sturdiest/brightest lanterns I've ever seen, but with their battery life and at this price they're a screaming deal. 
The door to the battery compartment on the one I've tried out was tough to open - had to use a paperclip as a lever to pry it open. 
But, I'll definitely be buying more of these. I can think of worse ways to spend $20 on lights than to pick up 5 of these - lots of little area lights offer a lot more flexibility than 1 large area light.


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## 3rd_shift (Aug 18, 2004)

Is this what we are talking about?


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## DaveT (Aug 18, 2004)

Yep, that's the one.


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## Phaserburn (Aug 19, 2004)

Shoot, I would like one of these, but I just found out there isn't an Office Depot anywhere in the state of Connecticut! I was just looking for these recently, and Walmart doesn't have them anymore, at least not the few I went to. Office Depot doesn't offer them online, either. Anyone have a new one they wouldn't mind parting with?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


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## DaveT (Aug 19, 2004)

Went to a second Office Depot in Manhattan - even cheaper. $3.29. For $20, I walked away with 6 more (and change).


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## 3rd_shift (Aug 20, 2004)

At that price, they would be great at parties.


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## ViReN (Aug 20, 2004)

This Lantern is a good candidate for MODding...

4 AA... lets add a switching Step up... and about 12 - 16 LED's in Series....

Let it draw 200 mA @ i/p ... and give 12 - 15 mA @ o/p ....

It still will give a WHOLE lot of a Different light alltogether... Any Ideas & Scope Friends ?

ViReN


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## PJ (Aug 20, 2004)

What aisle or section in Office Depot did you find them? 
I was at one here in Michigan and I couldn't find any. 
I asked someone who worked there and all she found was a 2 pack of the cheap Eveready 2D cell lights.

Thanks.


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## buba (Aug 21, 2004)

Flashlight/Battery section here in SE USA. UPC is 3980004553 for the Energizer Folding LED. SKU # 592544. Have them check the in store inventory if there are none on the shelf.


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## DaveT (Aug 21, 2004)

At the first one I went to, there were batteries on an aisle's end, and on either side of that shelf's end (two different aisles)there were various flashlights, and the lanterns were on one of those sides. In the second one I went to, there were no flashlights obvious anywhere, and I went to all four levels of the store. Finally I asked one of the guys working there, who had no clue if they had flashlights - another guy said if there are any, they would be behind the counter by the batteries. And there they were - I'd walked past them when I first went in. They were just about the only lighting objects they had, and they're easy to pass by because they're quite small. 
Good luck.


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## milkyspit (Aug 21, 2004)

I bought some of these ages ago at WalMart. I think they still have 'em there, but probably at a higher price of something like $7. I originally bought four or five to deploy around the house as emergency power outage lights. They're quite versatile! You can hang them or, due to the weight of the batteries, fold the top to just about any angle while the battery side sits flat on a desk, shelf, or table. I've sometimes even folded them over the collar of my shirt so the light shines in front of me... sort of the same concept as a headlamp, but at neck level. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Yes, they're moddable, and I've had one opened in my workshop for quite a while, meaning to install a Milky circuit inside for constant current regulation. Also intended to fit a StarTAC Li-ion battery pack into the battery compartment, which would make for a quick-n-easy rechargeable light... just charge a pack on the charger (all of which is available cheaply on ebay), and when the light finally runs down, unclip one Li-ion pack, and clip the other into place. Bingo! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot of room inside these lights for actually installing circuitry, so you'd either need to get creative or use a VERY small circuit. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Phaser, had no idea you hadn't seen these little buggers! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif


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## ViReN (Aug 21, 2004)

Stott,

We can create Room....

Like we use only 3 batteries... and in place of 4th one.. we put a "Dummy" battery that contains the switching circuit... and instead of driving 12 - 16 lights... we can just drive 10 lights... YET it will be good...

What do you think ?

-ViReN


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## Sway (Aug 21, 2004)

I found some at the local Office Depot they were hanging at the end of an isle by their self away from the batts and flashlights.

Later


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## Phaserburn (Aug 21, 2004)

Milky - Yeah, every now and then I've got to play catch-up on something cool that I've missed along the way. Like this lantern. Should've known you already had 5 of them!


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## milkyspit (Aug 21, 2004)

ViReN, that sounds like it would work fine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I was going in a different direction, looking more to regulate the output and keep it super long-running, rather than to make it super bright. I've got one disassembled in which (for a year now!) I've been in the middle of replacing the stock LEDs with the Nichia Rank S 9200mcd white ones, after which I intend to stash a low dropout (LDO) linear regulation circuit in the tiny cavity where the stock light has some resistors on a small circuit board. The problem with the stock light, IMHO, is that it's not regulated. I know, I know! It's $3! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif But still, when using the lights they're surprisingly bright with fresh alkalines, but after a number of hours of continuous use you've drained the cells enough that you can really see a difference. With a linear regulator in place, the light will keep running at the same brightness for nearly the entire runtime.

As a workaround WITHOUT modding the light, you could run it with 4AA NiMH rechargeables, which give much more steady discharge, but since I consider these emergency outage lights (even though they're useful for more than that), I always assume that rechargeables won't be an option... no power, no recharging! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

So I want to regulate the stock light. Them's my reasons, and I'm sticking with 'em! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

While I'm in there, I'd probably change the switch setup so it dims BOTH LEDs in the low setting. Right now it simply shuts one of the LEDs off completely, which only makes the light look maybe 20% dimmer to the eyes. IMHO it really ought to dim both equally, enough that the user perceives the light getting 2 or 3 times dimmer than high.

Yes, sometimes I get a little behind on these projects. Poor Sigman has been waiting and waiting and waiting for a special little pair of lights I promised him, but still haven't quite completed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Anyway, back to your point, ViReN, I think your idea is yet ANOTHER idea of what we could do with these little lights. If you wanna bounce some ideas around, shoot me a PM! Or just discuss here for the benefit of all. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Phaser, I'd watch my mailbox if I were you... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


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## 3rd_shift (Aug 21, 2004)

Well, how about this?
Put in AA lithiums and direct drive both leds in series.

Or, there appears to be room in between the led "tower" diffusers for a regulating circuit in a silver, or white minihousing.


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## milkyspit (Aug 21, 2004)

3rd_shift, ooh, that sounds like fun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'm not so into the series idea, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work! Just that as the lithium AA cells discharged, they'd be going through a range awfully close to the combined Vf of the two LEDs, which I think would cause more dimming than you'd expect from lithium cells. Plus those cells are still pretty expensive! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif

Room in between the diffusers... that sounds like it's got some possibilities, heh heh. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

This little housing has loads of possibilities. It's exciting what can be done here. I know how it's gonna end up... half a dozen different mods to the stock light, all of them GREAT! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/clap.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif


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## Quickbeam (Aug 21, 2004)

Office Depot in Charlotte NC have them for 3.29 each. Grabbed one. I'm planning on replacing the white background inside with glowsheeting (after a quick review, of course!). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


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## Phaserburn (Aug 21, 2004)

Milky, that regulation sounds cool. What kind of cost and time would it entail? You know I'm a sucker for regulation. Are you thinking of a Milky Candle kind of circuit here, ala Energizer?

I love my mailbox!


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## DaveT (Aug 21, 2004)

Hi Milky - ditto what Phaserburn says...enquiring minds want to know. Especially since I'm now sitting on a stack of them.


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## PJ (Aug 21, 2004)

Thanks for the info on where to locate them and the SKU number. 
Digging throught my box of light stuff I found I have one of them. I put 4 Dorcy AA batteries in it that measured 1.08 volts and fired it up. It was kind of balky starting up but once it started I left it on for 2 days or so. It was a low light level but still let me get around the living room without tripping over stuff. I'm gonna see if I can scrounge up a few more.

Update: I finally found 2 at an Office Depot in Dearborn. 
I was at the Woodward DreamCruise on Saturday. There is an Office Depot at 13 Mile and Woodward and DaimlerChrysler had rented half the parking lot for their displays. Here I am surrounded by every year of Hemi in existence and I'm looking for 4 dollar flashlights! ($3.29 actually). Is this a sign of flashaholism ? The Cruise was a madhouse but worth going.


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## milkyspit (Aug 22, 2004)

Phaser and DaveT, yes, I'm thinking of a Milky type circuit of some sort, to regulate the output and provide for a high output and some sort of much lower output. The high setting, ideally, would be sufficient for reading and working on close-range tasks, while the low level would be enough to navigate a room without bumping into furniture in the dark. Low level would probably run for a LONG time on 4AA cells, while high level could give anywhere from 15-80 hours. Yes, that's a big range on the estimate! But there are still some details to be worked out. Price? I won't have the slightest idea until I get a prototype working! But you guys will be the first to know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


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## Zigzago (Aug 22, 2004)

Thanks for the tip, guys. I schnagged one at Office Depot for $3.29. A terrific deal. The first location I went to didn't have them but second store had them in the flashlights and batteries section. 

The package says they run for 200 hours. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/huh.gif


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## Phaserburn (Aug 24, 2004)

Interesting point on this lantern: there seems to be two versions. On the older version (I am making an assumption as to which version predates the other), low/hi means one/both leds on. The one I just got, low/hi means both are on for both settings, with low being lower output levels. Anyone else notice this?


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## DaveT (Aug 24, 2004)

Yep, that's what the ones I have do.


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## milkyspit (Aug 24, 2004)

I bought mine from WalMart at least a year ago, and they're the sort where low beam shuts down one LED entirely, and high beam turns 'em both on. The actual brightness of the LEDs never changes; it's just a matter of whether one or two are lit. IMHO that's not the way to do it, as the low beam appears to the eye only a little dimmer than the high beam... which begs the question, why ever cut your battery runtime in half on high beam for only a marginal brightness improvement?

Given when I bought mine, I assume those are the old style.

Guys, does the new style dim the LEDs enough that it looks like a substantial brightness difference?


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## DaveT (Aug 24, 2004)

It's not a huge difference...if I were to just look at it and not know which way the switch went, I'd usually be guessing if it was on high or low.


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## 3rd_shift (Aug 24, 2004)

The one in my pics further back is the older version from Wallyworld over a year ago. 
It was $8.99 then.


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## Phaserburn (Aug 24, 2004)

The difference in percieved brightness isn't huge; these are 2 well-diffused 5mm leds, afterall. Not a ton of range. But, the current draw from low to high is 40mA to 90mA.


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## Flying Turtle (Aug 25, 2004)

My Office Depot was very well stocked earlier today. They must have had a couple dozen in black and dark green. So even though I already have an old model (one of my first LEDs) just couldn't resist grabbing a spare. Price was marked $3.96, but rang up at $3.29. Thanks, ToadlyOne, for the heads-up.


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## Phaserburn (Aug 25, 2004)

Got one of the older version today for comparison; thanks, Milky!!

Current draw low/high is the same between the two units. It's difficult to judge if one is brighter than the other on low.


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## Flying Turtle (Aug 25, 2004)

The one I picked up earlier today works like my old light with either one or both LEDs lit. I was kind of hoping to get the other model, but that's okay. There was a date of 2001 on the package back, but that may mean nothing. This is still a great deal, even if you've already got one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Geoff


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