What does those symbols on the side
your flashlight packaging mean?
ANSI - The American National
Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the
development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes,
systems, and personnel in the United States.
PLATO – The company that developed
the ANSI/PLATO FL 1 2019 Standard and ensures compliance from manufacturers.
JETBeam and Nitecore both are
members of PLATO and all of their flashlights and accessories adhere to the ANSI/PLATO
FL 1 2019 Standards .
But you also get ANSI/NEMA FL 1-2009
Standards.
NEMA - National Electrical
Manufacturers Association - Founded in 1926, NEMA is an ANSI-accredited
Standards Developing Organization that also oversees the standards of
flashlight manufacturers but unlike PLATO their standards are applied over a
wider field, not just flashlights.
Speras Flashlights is a member of
NEMA and all of their flashlights and accessories adhere to the ANSI/NEMA FL
1-2009 Standards.
With both FL1 Standards, ambiguous
marketing phrases are a thing of the past, and direct comparisons can be made
between flashlights from different manufacturers. Adherence to the FL1 Standards
is voluntary, although the vast majority of manufacturers have adopted the
standards.
In short if your flashlight complies
with this standard you can be confident that the reported performance claims
are tested to industry standards, and even more importantly, the consumer can
compare “apples to apples” when evaluating different products.
What do the symbols mean?
Light Output
Total light output measured in
Lumens. Lumens have become the most commonly used unit of measure for total
light output in portable lighting devices. Wattage on the other hand, is a
measurement of power consumption, not light output. With today’s efficient LED
technology, it’s very possible to have a lower wattage LED flashlight with a
greater light output than another flashlight with a higher wattage rating. This
is the reason why Lumens have become the best comparison method.
Beam Distance
The distance, measured in meters, at
which the light projects a useful amount of light, measured at 0.25 lux. (0.25
lux is approximately the equivalent of light emitted from a full moon “on a
clear night in an open field.”)
Run Time
Tested with fresh batteries from 30
seconds after the light is turned on until the light output reaches 10% of the
initial measurement.
JETBeam, Nitecore and Speras use
this standard. The light output will gradually drop down to 10% over the stated
runtime. This also depends on environmental factors…in other words your
flashlight will last a bit longer on a cold night.
Peak Beam Intensity
The brightest point in the beam
measured in candela. Candela is the modern unit of measure for light intensity
replacing the now-obsolete unit known as candlepower.
In other words the hotspot of the
light.
Impact Resistance
The height, measured in meters, from
which the light can be dropped onto cured concrete and still work properly.
This testing is completed by dropping the product (6) times using drop
orientations that approximate each side of a cube. Dropped samples cannot have
any visible cracks or breaks and must remain fully functional. The product must
meet a minimum of (1) meter to receive this rating.
Water Resistance
This icon indicates an IPX4 rating
which means the sample is tested against water sprayed from all angles. If this
test is performed, it must be done after impact resistance testing is completed
to ensure water resistance under real-life conditions.
Or…
Water Proof
Water submersion depth rating,
measured in meters. This icon indicates at least an IPX7 rating which means the
sample is submerged to a minimum of 1 meter depth for 30 minutes. If this test
is performed, it must be done after impact resistance testing is completed to
ensure water tightness under real-life conditions.
In other words, the higher the IP
rating the better. I prefer a light that has an IPX8 rating…submersible to 2
meters.
So now you know what those symbols
means and now you can choose your next flashlight based on these standards.
