Lumaray FL6 2006 LED Flashlight

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

August 08, 2006

The first Lumaray flashlight I ever reviewed was last year's FL6. After completing that review, I fully planned on keeping the torch and using it for many years to come...but that was not to be. I made the mistake of showing it to my good friend Grabb, a detective with the Tom Green County Sherriff's Department. He convinced me that he needed it worse than I did.

The second Lumaray I reviewed was the FL12. This flashlight had no sooner shown up at our house than my husband Steve told me he wanted it as soon as I had completed the review.

Are you noticing a pattern here? Grrrr...

When I was contacted about doing a review for the latest Lumaray design, the FL6 2006, I immediately implemented a "hands-off" policy once the new flashlight had arrived.

"Hey, that's a cool looking light!"

"Hands OFF!"

"Wow, that light sure is bright - can I see?"

"Hands OFF!"

You get the idea.

The FL6 2006 is an updated version of the FL6; it is similar in design to last year's model, but several improvements have been made to make it an even better light. How so? Read on...

The FL6 2006 still retails the ability to be stood on its end and used as a lantern, or in what Lumaray calls "hands-free ceiling bounce mode".

Specifications:

The Lumaray may also be stood on it's LED head; light escaped through the arches of the LED head for a more subdued room lantern.

Perhaps the most obvious changes between the FL6 and the FL6 2006 involve the shaft and end. The length of the FL6 is 8.3", whereas the FL6 2006 is 7.8"...

Instead of the formerly smooth and somewhat slick shaft, there is now a matte textured finish with a new circular anti-grip design incorporated into the light's shaft.

Those of you that read my previous Lumaray reviews will recall that the slick grip of the older design was the only con I could find. The introduction of this new easier to handle version removes my previous reservation.

The base of the Lumaray has also been redesigned, and it now has a series of holes which allow the use of a lanyard in various configurations. Even with a lanyard passed through any of the holes, the FL6 will still retain its ability to stand on end for use as a lantern in a darkened room.

The Lumaray is still composed of what their site calls "a combination of Polycarbonate, Xenoy™ and stainless steel contact springs"; this basically translates to a tough plastic shell. The FL6 is available in gun metal, two-tone gray yellow, white, and black.

The distinctively styled six-shooter cylinder LED head is back with its tight cluster of six LED chambers, each capped with a bulbous optical lens. There is a slight size difference between the new version LED head and the old, meaning that the new head will fit on older model bodies, but older heads will not work on the new body.

This version is basically waterproof, as it is submergible to 50 feet - well past the 15 feet of the original.

Other than the distinctive LED head, the second most recognizable part of the Lumaray's design is the cantilever mechanism and ball joint connections positioned at the base of the torch head which together make up the trigger unit.

Those that are used to using a Lumaray will feel right at home, as the one handed release method is still in use. Those that aren't used to this system will want a refresher course:

First, the entire trigger unit should be rotated so that the "quick release trigger pad" is no longer sitting on top of a ledge stop.

Once the trigger unit is no longer locked, the thumb is placed on one pad and the forefinger on either remaining pad.

Using the remaining three fingers of that hand to balance and hold the shaft of the light as you pull down on the pads with your thumb and finger. The new trigger pads have a short rough edge in addition to a slightly textured coating, which is also an improvement over their formerly slick counterparts.

Video courtesy of the Lumaray site

As before, until one grows proficient at one handed operation, The flashlight's end can be butted against something to help stabilize it as the downward motion is performed. When the cantilever system has been activated and the ball joints have been pulled back, the LED head will be released for easy removal.

Once the head unit has been removed, the battery compartment is revealed. As before, there are three rubber O-Rings at the top of the shaft, with cutouts strategically placed under the the last O-Ring so that it can slow the batteries down as they are dumped from the tube. This design utilizes the two bottom O-Rings to create the waterproof seal and the top O-Ring serves as a brake to prevent the batteries from tumbling out too quickly. This is probably a good time for me to mention that the batteries should last for up to twenty hours of high brightness, and up to 600 hours of continuous use.

The head unit can be replaced by simply pushing it back in position. The levers will retract and slide over the base of the unit, once again securely catching on its ledge.

Now comes the fun part...we get to talk about how incredibly bright this combination of six bright white LEDs is.

According to the Lumaray site, "The upgraded FL6 achieves a brightness level of ~700,000 mcd with 6 Nichia CS LED's. Similar 6 LED flashlights only produce ~43,000 mcd. Our new custom lens technology allows us to achieve such high brightness levels without sacrificing power consumption. The lens also allows the flashlight to project a truly round spotlight, unlike other LED flashlights that tend to flare out in different directions."

Here is a shot of the resulting beam at the end of my 37' hallway; it's very bright!

As with the other two Lumaray designs, the six chambers of the LED head are coated with a luminescent substance that allows the chambers to continue to glow for up to eight hours after the light has been turned off. This property is activated and charged every time the flashlight is turned on. According to the Lumaray site, "The glow is visible from all sides of the flashlight allowing it to sit in any position (even facing down on the bezel) and still be easily located."

Once again, a Lumaray product has impressed me with its design and superior brightness. The FL6 2006 is a worthy improvement upon a design that needed little. The addition of the anti-slip grip will make this a good choice for anyone that needs to hold the light while wearing gloves or when covered in mud. The light's improved water resistance will appeal to anyone that needed a bit deeper than the 15 feet originally offered.

If you have been looking for a light that not only looks cool, but also performs in the top of its class, then I can heartily recommend the Lumaray FL6 2006.