This is listed as an “add on” item so free shipping with a $25 purchase. List on the blue color one is $5. This is for a four D cell 9” high 10 LED Pathfinder “Super Bright” lantern with five output levels. Each level turns on two more LEDs. No idea of quality but the other colors of the same lantern are $24. No idea how long this offer will continue but I am grabbing one at the price. If it fails immediately I can always return it but for the price probably disassemble it for the parts!
15 hour max on 4D batteries?? Man, what a power hog. Hopefuly, 15 hour max is a TYPO??
I see so many typos on Amazon from sellers, including Amazon itself, that I ignored that and figured that they probably meant at maximum output level. 15 hours at maximum output could mean that the light is quite bright based on other LED lanterns, or horribly inefficient as you noted.
However Coleman does now have a 1000 Lumen CPX6 four D battery lantern which claims only 5 hours run time on high with alkaline batteries but is supposedly good for 24 hours on a 330 Lumens medium and 100 hours on a 60 lumens low. In large part this shows how fast alkaline batteries die at substantial current draw levels. The Streamlight Siege claims 30 hours run time at an initial 340 Lumens from three D batteries, much better efficiency than the Coleman. All times are I presume exaggerated if they use ANSI flashlight test standards which specify output times to 10% of initial output, and knowing the droop characteristics of alkaline batteries under appreciable load. Why I have given up on them for anything with substantial current draw. Now use NiMH or Lithium Ions for almost everything.
As I was ordering other items anyway I figured that a $5 investment could end up getting something fairly decent or it might be wasted on a POS item but was too little to worry about. Kind of like some of the $5 flashlights from China. Pot luck items where you win some and lose some, but at $24 to $30 normal price for this lantern in the other colors I will take a chance and have hopes.
Below is the review I just submitted to Amazon for this light. The Super Bright in the description is a total lie. Better described as super dim garbage.
The least efficient lantern I have seen for the size, weight and power required. No glare because the light output is too dim to give any. The light has 5 LEDs at the top and five at the bottom. Each pair are connected by a translucent light pipe which lights up when the LEDs at the ends turn on. The light pipes glow, but not very brightly. I tried the lantern in a dark room and the light output seems to be about 1/2 or less of the output of the three AA battery much smaller CREE 40426 110 Lumens Camping Lantern. I guess there was a reason for this being offered for $5.00 as a Add-on item when I got it and the distributors web site calling it a clearance item now and both they and Amazon offering it for $10 each. IMO not worth even what I paid for it. At the price I paid not even worth returning.
Thanks for taking the plunge and trying it out. I skipped adding it to three separate orders now because it just didn't seem right.
Yipes, one and only review is frightening