A good friend of mine chatted with me in July and said he really liked some of my reviews and asked if I would consider writing a review on a product that he was getting involved with. Of course I said sure, I’d be glad to look at it and if it works well and can fit into my schedule I’d be happy to do it.
So then I asked “what is it?” And he replied “a light bulb!” A couple of weeks went by and I eventually received a package from my friend. Now when I get items for review, I usually place them in the order I receive them and open the package when it is time to start that particular review. So eventually, this package was “in the cue” and as I opened it up there they were … light bulbs! Two carefully wrapped bulbs in miniature bubble wrap placed in a neat padded case along with a red pocket light pen. Now when I get an item, I look at it and if it inspires me, I try it and then write about it if it’s cool. But I have to be honest, how do you get inspired with light bulbs? You know, the little “thingys” that are at the front end of a flash light. I mean … they were just light bulbs! So I packed them back up and placed them in my bag hoping that I’d be able to get an inspirational moment and decide to give them a try….well, months have gone by and every time I looked at them, I only saw light bulbs … I was not getting excited and even if I tried them and they lit up better than what my other light did, I was still perplexed as to how and what I would say. So back in the bag they went and there they stayed waiting for me to pull them out to look, test and talk about them … frankly, I never thought I’d be able to do it. But then one night I was driving home from Maine and as I stopped at the toll booth, I reached into my pocket to get some change and my coins fell down between the seat and the console. I looked for them but there was not enough light from the interior lights to see them … very frustrating! So I gave the toll taker a couple of dollar bills, got my change and off I went down the highway. Of course as I was driving, I was reaching down the side of the seat trying to “feel my way” around to retrieve the quarters I dropped … with no luck. Finally there was a lighted roadside stop so I decided to pull over and look for the quarters. Even with the overhead lights in the parking area there still was not enough light and of course I didn’t have a flash light to find them … wait a minute, yes I did! In the bag where the light bulbs were was the light pen that used the same LED bulb… that should do the trick. I grabbed the light pen (all neatly wrapped in plastic), removed the plastic and turned it on. It was bright, very bright and all of a sudden I remembered Bob telling me that he threw the light pen in as a gift but that it used the same technology as the bulbs he was asking me to test. Trust me, it was really bright for such a tiny light and yes, I found the 3 quarters I dropped. I was impressed and it was then that I got inspired to try the bulbs when I got home. When I arrived home, I took a Black & Decker Snake Light that I had and turned it on. I could see but the light was that dim yellow that flash lights produce with a standard bulb; it certainly was not like day light conditions. I removed the old bulb and replaced it with one of the new ones, turned on the light and was amazed at the brightness. Again, it was not daylight conditions but it was sort of a bluish-white light that was clearly brighter than what I had and yet a softer glow … a little more comfortable for the eyes. The old bulb would direct its light exactly where it was pointed but the new bulb gave a much better peripheral view. As you look at the two pictures, the first one is the old bulb. Notice that it just shows my sons dartboard but not the rest of his bulletin board. However the new bulb (second picture) gives a better overall view of the bulletin board. Both pictures were taken in the dark with only the flash light on and approximately in the same position. Unfortunately, the pictures don’t really give enough credit to the new bulb. It is brighter, bluer, and gives a much better view of the surroundings … and it is more energy efficient which means that your batteries will last longer. I will say that if you have to view subjects over great distances, this type of bulb is not the right choice because it produces a wider angle of view. If you need a more pointed view, then the older bulbs may be more satisfactory. However, I like having a better field of vision and I like the bluish white color over the older yellowish white. If you want a brighter and more energy efficient bulb for your lights, this is one to strongly consider. Oh, and the pen light now has a permanent place in the console of my car. It has the same bright LED, operates on 2 AAA batteries and it will find lost quarters…. Pros Very bright Wide peripheral view Energy efficient Cons Not good over long distance viewing Rating: Very Good Cost: The MSRP on the LED bulbs is $16.99 for a package of 2 bulbs. (Flange and screw in) The MSRP on the LED pen is $16.99 You can get find more information about these LED bulbs here at BAK and Forth or you can email them here at info@bakandforth.com for more details Editor’s Note: At the moment, these LED bulbs are not currently available to the end user yet. They are looking for resellers and distributors for the LED bulbs and are promoting the LED pens. You can have a custom logo printed on them. Additional benefits: The LED is a solid state product thus no fragile glass to break if dropped. The diode inside can be damaged if dropped with any force but accidental drops seem fine during initial testing. This certainly is not the case with standard incandescent bulbs. In addition, the standard LED itself require 4.5+ volts. These LEDs are house in a casing with voltage step up circuitry to allow operation with only 3 volts. Therefore any 2 cell battery flashlight can be used. Of course if you have a 3 - 4 cell battery flashlight, this just increases the light output. The ability to upgrade just the bulb in your current flashlights to take advantage of this new technology is a very definite cost savings. 
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