Photon Proton- and no other words that rhyme

Grant Lamontagne · **on:** January 19, 2009, 05:35:14 AM

I got a Photon Proton at the show today, and so far it's pretty cool. I am still trying to figure it all out, and since I am packing up tonight I don't have much time to play, but it's pretty cool so far.

Click the button and the white LED comes on. Click and hold and it dims until it gets to whatever level you want and let it go when you want it to stay at that level. Pretty slick.

If it's off, and you press the button and hold it, the red LED comes on, dim at first, then gets brighter the longer you hold it, same as the white LED, only backwards. I think there's a flashing/strobe mode as well, but I haven't figured it out yet!

More info:

http://www.photonlight.com/Proton-PRO-AA-Handheld-LED-Flashlights-Headlamps-p/prpro-aa-led-flashlight.htm

Def

hawkchucker · **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2009, 11:09:07 AM

Neet torch. How is the heft of it. It looks kinda small!

Neil · **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2009, 11:25:32 AM

I've had my eye on one of those for a while. I'll be interested in your opinion of it.

Neil

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2009, 02:50:32 PM

It's fairly small- I'll take comparison pics later, but bear in mind this is probably the biggest light they make! The basic functions are easy enough for even a novice flashlight guy like myself to operate. I looked at the Photon website (linked above) and the other features are a bit more complex, but should be fairly straight forward. I don't usually need the strobe functions as ninjas in my area are extinct and so I don't need to disorient them. The red and white adjustable beams are more than adequate for my needs.

Def

J-sews · **Reply #4 on:** January 19, 2009, 03:00:53 PM

I like the sounds of that brightness control feature. Something like that would be handy walking into the deer blind before daylight.

Neil · **Reply #5 on:** January 19, 2009, 03:22:41 PM

I like the placement of the button. Whilst I appreciate putting a switch on the end makes for an easier design I'm just prefer them on the side.

Neil

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #6 on:** January 19, 2009, 03:56:02 PM

That's funny because that was what I didn't like about this one!

Def

Neil · **Reply #7 on:** January 19, 2009, 06:40:52 PM

Different strokes

(best send it this way then

)

Neil

glorn · **Reply #8 on:** January 19, 2009, 06:43:01 PM

Thanks to all of your suggestions, I have narrowed my list of EDC AA flashlights down and right now the Photon Proton is on the top of the list. Glad you posted this. I was actually reading up on them when the thread was started.

Second on the list is the Nitecore D10.

I love the Nitecore Defender, but... the nickel plated silver one was a limited edition. Hard to find now. The black one is just too tactical looking for me. I'd rather have the D10 with a clip than the black Defender.

So... hit us with some pics man!

G.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #9 on:** January 26, 2009, 04:33:06 AM

The Photon Proton is actually pretty neat. I like the concept of press and hold for brightness control, rather than click once for level one, twice for level two, sixteen point three times for flashing red etc.

The strobe modes by the way, are activated by holding the button past the full range of output level. It's actually pretty simple and I like it. The only problem I had was that when I turned it on it would automatically shut off after about 5 seconds. This was frustrating until I looked it up online and found it was in "show mode" designed to preserve battery life at shows, like the one where I bought it. All I had to do to change this was hold the switch down for 20 seconds, and I haven't had a problem since.

I have gotten used to the location of the switch and it isn't as annoying as I thought it would be. I'd still prefer a tail switch but it's not bad.

The only other drawback to this light is the flimsy feeling body. With so many thick walled, indestructible feeling flashlights, this one feels like it's made out of tin foil. I'm sure it's solid enough, but tactile feel is a big selling point for this kind of thing, and the Proton falls a bit short. If you can get past that though, it's a great light!

Def

Neil · **Reply #10 on:** January 26, 2009, 10:51:08 AM

Best price delivered in the UK is £40 (55 USD), ouch. Anyone know of any better deals?

Neil

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #11 on:** January 26, 2009, 04:14:51 PM

Yeah, go to the SHOT SHow... I got mine for $27!

That does seem somewhat pricey for this light. I'm not certain I'd want to pay that much. Marc at EDCDepot has them for $49:

https://edcdepot.com/merchantmanager/product_info.php?cPath=5&products_id=186

But I suppose that's not much of an improvement, is it?

Def

jzmtl · **Reply #12 on:** January 26, 2009, 05:22:38 PM

Quote from: Defender on January 26, 2009, 04:14:51 PM

Yeah, go to the SHOT SHow... I got mine for $27!
Def

I want one for that price.

Gadget Guy · **Reply #13 on:** January 26, 2009, 05:24:38 PM

That looks pretty cool!

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #14 on:** January 26, 2009, 05:44:53 PM

Here's a pic of it next to the Nano:

The show price on this light was actually $30, but I only had $27 on me, so he gave me it for that. It was about an hour before the show was over, and it was the last one there- in fact, it was the demo he'd been using all weekend.

One other really neat thing is that there is a glow in the dark o-ring just inside the lense that glows after the light is shut down. I'm not sure how effective or useful it is, but it's there...

Def

jzmtl · **Reply #15 on:** January 26, 2009, 05:51:29 PM

Trivia question, anybody know what LRI, the company that makes photon lights, stands for? (no checking their website)

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #16 on:** January 26, 2009, 06:24:28 PM

Lobotomies in Rhode Iland?

Let theRe be lIght?

Looney Rabbit Industries?

Oh wait, that's probably ACME...

Def

jzmtl · **Reply #17 on:** January 26, 2009, 06:46:21 PM

Haha, you almost got it. It's Laughing Rabbit Industry. (don't ask me how they decided on that name)

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #18 on:** January 26, 2009, 07:54:22 PM

Oddly enough, after I made my silly guesses I went and looked it up, and was amused for a while at how close I accidentally was!

Def

Neil · **Reply #19 on:** January 26, 2009, 08:19:58 PM

Alas due to the silly exchange rate Marc would end up costing more than buying local by the time you add postage and customs fees etc.

Neil

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #20 on:** January 26, 2009, 09:00:53 PM

Well then I suppose your best hope is waiting until I get bored with I and making a trade offer!

Def

american lockpicker · **Reply #21 on:** January 29, 2009, 06:56:43 PM

Quote from: NKB on January 26, 2009, 10:51:08 AM

Best price delivered in the UK is £40 (55 USD), ouch. Anyone know of any better deals?

Neil

Go to Photon's website and enter their contest. If you win you'll get a free one, thats how I got mine.

Neil · **Reply #22 on:** January 29, 2009, 08:39:43 PM

Nice idea but here's the irony, at the moment you can win a $25 gift certificate. Not to be sniffed at but with their MRP on the site combined with the useless pound and the fee& tax coming into the UK I'd still be better off buying local

Def, are you bored yet

Neil

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #23 on:** January 29, 2009, 10:16:57 PM

Not just yet...

Def

Neil · **Reply #24 on:** January 29, 2009, 10:34:34 PM

I now have a mental image of Def sitting in a darkened room going...

"red light"
"white light..... bright white light!" <giggles>
"red light
...

I've got a small pile of broken Classics and a slightly squished Solitaire just waiting to be traded

Neil

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #25 on:** January 29, 2009, 10:44:57 PM

Did I leave my webcam on again?

Def

Neil · **Reply #26 on:** January 29, 2009, 10:47:14 PM

Quote from: Defender on January 29, 2009, 10:44:57 PM

Did I leave my webcam on again?

Def

Nope, I hacked into one of the surveillance cams that Ben has installed in all mt.org members abodes. He's a rascal

Neil

Benner · **Reply #27 on:** January 29, 2009, 11:02:54 PM

Quote from: NKB on January 29, 2009, 10:47:14 PM

Quote from: Defender on January 29, 2009, 10:44:57 PM
Did I leave my webcam on again?

Def

Nope, I hacked into one of the surveillance cams that Ben has installed in all mt.org members abodes. He's a rascal

Neil

Don't you just love it when no one knows what you are on about.

Neil · **Reply #28 on:** January 29, 2009, 11:18:07 PM

You mean like when I open my mouth

Neil

Benner · **Reply #29 on:** January 29, 2009, 11:20:56 PM

Quote from: NKB on January 29, 2009, 11:18:07 PM

You mean like when I open my mouth

Neil

Yeah I suppose you're used to it now huh.

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