 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
 Black Diamond Apollo Lantern By: Black Diamond Average Rating: 5.0 Total Reviews: 4 More Information Worth It  On: 2008-08-24Okay, I admit that I am a flashlight (torch, if you are a Brit) junkie, especially LED types. So thats the bias, but that also qualifies me as somewhat of an expert -- well, somewhat. In any event I am very pleased with the build and design of this LED lantern. It is a quality, durable, functional piece of equipment that will last and serve you well. I may even get another one (his and hers when camping). If you can live with the price tag, then it is a good purchase. Even for seldom needed emergency use, a large package of alkaline AA batteries from Costco and one of these lanterns would be a lot safer and more practical than candles. Also, as noted in the product description, dimmed down the manufacturer says you will get 60 hours of light. Its not the best intensity of light dimmed to that level, but it would be practical and viable for many uses (similar to nightlight intensity). On high you get pretty good light, but only 15 hours of use using the 4 AA alkaline batteries required. But with a large, discount package of batteries on hand thats not a concern for me, because the shelf life of fresh batteries is years and like I said, they are not too expensive if purchased at a place like Costco. Also, there is a plug-in for an adapter accessory (not supplied) if you dont want to use batteries, but that doesnt appeal to me. I might also add that intensity of light is one thing, but the way the light is reflected is another issue. With some LEDs, sure, you have an intense enough light output, but they cast, or reflect the light in a way that makes it uncomfortable to read by. Not so with this lantern. It is very comfortable to read by (at the high intensity level -- 15 hours duration), and that is important for me. Many uses! On: 2008-06-17We received this as a gift and it works great! Advertised for camping, and Im sure it will work great for our next trip, but weve already used it for venturing outside in the dark of our backyard. Being battery operated, its perfect for indoors use during power outages. Gives off more light than I would have thought possible from these LEDs. Im going to send one to my family in FL to keep with their hurricane kit! Great Van and Cabin Light On: 2008-04-26I got my Black Diamond Apollo and was excited to open the package and try it out. I think its great! Nice package with pull-up lighthouse and pull-out tri legs that restore into a compact footprint. Its perfect for van camping, which is what I need. The light output is totally satisfactory, also. All in all, a great little lamp for emergency or cabin use that stores very well. Compact and bright  On: 2008-03-28This lantern has quite a few things going for it. Collapsed, its very small - about the size of a can of soup. The 3W LED puts out a decent amount of light, even running off 1.2V NiMH AAs (it might be a tad bit brighter w/ alkalines, or their proprietary NRG battery pack, though Im guessing lithiums might be too much for it). The dimmer works well, and has a clever feedback method - it blinks once at the top or bottom of the range, and then starts over again if you continue to hold. Oddly, the battery level LEDs are covered by the bottom of the diffuser when its open all the way, but that doesnt seem like the end of the world (they claim 50 hours on a set of batteries, though thats likely dimmed all the way, which is still usable). |