Datexx Sentina LED Smart Light

As most of you that have read any of my LED flashlight reviews know, there is
a long dark hallway that runs down the spine of my home. While this hallway is
fabulous for taking pictures of a flashlight beam’s reach or for hanging a mini
art gallery, this same hallway used to give my daughter fits when she was a
child. You see, her bedroom is at one end and mine is at the other. If she had a
nightmare or heard something "scary" in the middle of the night, she would have
to run the hallway’s total length of over 40 feet in the dark to reach
me. Not long after we moved in, an outlet was added in the middle of the wall so
that a nightlight could be plugged in; this was in 1997. Sarah is much older now
and very rarely gets scared by anything (except a really graphic horror movie),
but having a nightlight in the hallway has become an expected fixture in our
home.

When I was approached about reviewing the new
Datexx
Sentina LED Smart Light,
it was perfect timing because our latest light had recently bit the dust.
According to the documentation sent, the Sentina uses LED bulbs, operates as
either a motion sensor or photoelectric nightlight and also functions as a
rechargeable emergency flashlight.

The Sentina measures approximately 4" tall x 2.4" wide and 1.6" thick at its
largest points, and it weighs 4.5 ounces. The majority of its body is composed
of silver molded plastic. In hand, the unit feels quite solid.

There are two plastic "windows" on its front side. The prismatic translucent
top section houses the motion and light sensor, and the more opaque bottom
houses the actual nightlight.

The top of the Sentina has a built-in three LED flashlight. According to the
accompanying paperwork, it mentions that the flashlight should run for a full
eight hours. Since the Sentina is always plugged in, it is thus always charged.
There is nothing to remember – just plug it in and forget it. When you need it,
it will be ready.

The back of the light houses the folding AC plug and the battery
compartment…

…inside are three rechargeable NiMH 1.2V 550mAh AAA batteries.

On the left rear is a slider switch that operates the flashlight.

It can be placed in the OFF, ON or AUTO positions. ON will switch the light
to full power. The beam on the light is quite bright
and definitely sufficient for getting around a dark area safely. Here you can
see the effect of its glow in the dark hallway.

Please forgive the blurry picture of the hallway. As you can see, the light is
brightest nearest where I am holding the light. The beam is quite wide and
unfocussed by the time it reached the door – almost 40 feet away.

AUTO allows the light to be used as a motion sensor or power failure light.
The way that this works is when dusk or poor lighting occurs – and is noted by the
light sensor – the motion sensor will detect movement within about 12 feet,
causing the flashlight on the top to shine for about one minute. This feature is
handy in an area where the nightlight is not otherwise needed.

The right rear slider switch operates the nightlight.

It can either be pushed to the OFF or AUTO position. When in the AUTO
position, the Sentina will sense whether the room is light or dark, and it will
then either turn the nightlight on or off. This feature is great in a room that
gets some light during the day as it means the light won’t be running 24/7.
However, in my hallway there really isn’t ever enough light to allow the
nightlight to switch off. Barring mechanical failure, and knowing that these LED
bulbs are rated for approximately 100,000 hours, I should be able to run this light for eleven
years. I received and began using this light on May 27, so I’ll keep ya’ll
posted.

As you can see in the picture above, the Sentina casts a soft white glow in
the general area in which it’s placed. This should keep people from missing a
step or bumping into a wall. Because this glow is so soft and diffused, it would
work well in a home theater – similar to the low house lights at the movies.

The Datexx Sentina is a multi-featured addition to my hallway. I like the way
it looks and the fact that when we have bad weather and the accompanying
blackout, there will always be a flashlight handy. If you want a nightlight that
does more than just glow, you should give the Datexx Sentina a try.

Price: $30.00
Includes a one year limited warranty (materials and workmanship)

Pros:
Always charged flashlight
Motion sensor activated light
Light sensing nightlight
Long lasting LED lights

Cons:
None