Comments on: Shameless commercialism http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/08/14/shameless-commercialism/ the blog that is not dansdata.com Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:45:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Changes http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/08/14/shameless-commercialism/#comment-2867 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:00:25 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/08/14/shameless-commercialism/#comment-2867 Oh yes, forgot to say that there are fauxtons with Nichia GX LEDs available for about $1 each. They are much brighter than ordinary fauxtons, and are great candidates for a CR2032 battery swap. The result is much dimmer, but the beefier battery and the lower current draw allow it to last for ages. And the light output is still fine for most keychain tasks, especially considering standard non-GX fauxtons normally get to the same output after only a few minutes, and plenty of people have no problem using them anyway. Oh yes, forgot to say that there are fauxtons with Nichia GX LEDs available for about $1 each. They are much brighter than ordinary fauxtons, and are great candidates for a CR2032 battery swap. The result is much dimmer, but the beefier battery and the lower current draw allow it to last for ages. And the light output is still fine for most keychain tasks, especially considering standard non-GX fauxtons normally get to the same output after only a few minutes, and plenty of people have no problem using them anyway.

]]> by: Changes http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/08/14/shameless-commercialism/#comment-2866 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 05:56:37 +0100 http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/08/14/shameless-commercialism/#comment-2866 The Photon Rex you mention is quite interesting, but you have to consider that a Cree-powered AAA light from DealExtreme or QualityChinaGoods is 1) not much bigger, 2) far less fiddly when the battery dies, 3) brighter at full power, 4) with more runtime and 5) significantly cheaper. To me, this makes the Rex something that I'd keep if given as a present, but that I'd never buy myself. As for the keychain lights: the cheapest Photon is the X-Light, which costs about $9. It won't make anyone poor, but when you consider how much flashlight $9 can get you at the chinese sites, it still has an unremarkable price-performance ratio. Photon clones (which, as you probably know, we call "Fauxtons" over at CPF), on the other hand, are <b>great</b> value. Sure, one or two out of a ten-pack might require you to reposition the LED in order to work, and the occasional dud does happen, but they cost something like twenty cents each. Beat <b>that</b>. The only reason why I'd ever get a genuine Photon instead of a supercheap knockoff is if I thought my life might at some point depend on my keychain light coming on NOW; otherwise, I think fauxtons have far greater value for pretty much anyone. The Photon Rex you mention is quite interesting, but you have to consider that a Cree-powered AAA light from DealExtreme or QualityChinaGoods is 1) not much bigger, 2) far less fiddly when the battery dies, 3) brighter at full power, 4) with more runtime and 5) significantly cheaper.

To me, this makes the Rex something that I'd keep if given as a present, but that I'd never buy myself.

As for the keychain lights: the cheapest Photon is the X-Light, which costs about $9. It won't make anyone poor, but when you consider how much flashlight $9 can get you at the chinese sites, it still has an unremarkable price-performance ratio.
Photon clones (which, as you probably know, we call "Fauxtons" over at CPF), on the other hand, are great value. Sure, one or two out of a ten-pack might require you to reposition the LED in order to work, and the occasional dud does happen, but they cost something like twenty cents each. Beat that.

The only reason why I'd ever get a genuine Photon instead of a supercheap knockoff is if I thought my life might at some point depend on my keychain light coming on NOW; otherwise, I think fauxtons have far greater value for pretty much anyone.

]]>