1. Can I use Lithium or rechargeable batteries in my Mini Maglite with the MiniSTAR2?

Yes, they both provide excellent results.

2. How can I compare TerraLUX to other light sources, bulbs, and flashlights for lighting

performance?

Beam Candlepower

This is a term often referred to in flashlight specifications as an indicator of brightness.

Technically, it refers to how bright an isotropic light source (one that emits light

uniformly in every direction) would have to be at the specified distance (usually 510

feet) in order to produce that level of illumination intensity at a surface. Since a light

source that is sending its light in every direction is going to have to be awfully bright to

produce a measurable illumination level that distance away, the Candlepower number is

usually very big. You've probably seen the ubiquitous "million candlepower automobile

emergency light" advertised inside a matchbook cover. However it REALLY only refers

to the brightness of the center portion of the flashlight's beam so it can be quite

misleading. It gives you no indication of the actual light output of the flashlight. This is

because it is most often used in flashlights that have a means of focusing, and the value

only represents the brightness of the very brightest part of the beam. The value is strongly

dependent on the optics of the system, and probably represents the value obtained by

bringing the optics into sharp focus, thus concentrating all the flashlights output into a

very small spot.

TerraLUX does not use candlepower.

Comparing Brightness of Light Sources

Many factors come into play when comparing brightness of light sources, particularly in

systems such as flashlights. Not only is the source of light (LED or incandescent)

important, but also the optics and how well it does, or does not focus. If we consider only

the source of light for a moment, the problem becomes a bit easier. Incandescent lamp

manufacturers specify their products precisely, and so do LED manufacturers, but the

former probably do a better job than the latter since they've been doing it for more than

100 years.

Incandescent lamps use the MSCP, or Mean Spherical Candlepower to specify the

maximum amount of light produced by their lamps. Despite the term Candlepower in this

acronym, MSCP refers to the average number of candelas (Luminous Intensity) coming

from the light source. Since the light coming from the filament travels throughout a

sphere in all directions, and there are 4 pi Steradians (solid angle in a sphere), 4p times

the MSCP gives the number of Lumens from the incandescent light source. Lumens are

an indication of the luminous flux i.e., the quantity of light passing through a solid angle

within a sphere. Thus multiplying the lamp manufacturers MSCP figure by 12.57 gives

the number of Lumens. 1 Candela = 1 Lumen per Steradian (unit solid angle).

Unlike incandescent bulbs, virtually all LEDs contain builtin

optics that direct the light

from the semiconductor chip to the light source. Hence the light usually travels in a cone,

instead of uniformly in all directions. This makes the comparison with incandescents

more complicated. Although some LED manufacturers, such as Luxeon, specify the light

output in Lumens, most do not. Instead manufacturers give the number of millicandelas

(thousandths of a Candela) and publish a radial graph of relative output as a function of

angle (measured from 0 o , i.e., from straight ahead). See Figure 1. This angle is usually

called the half angle. In order to calculate the number of Lumens from this information, it

is necessary to calculate the amount of light passing through each portion of the solid

angle for which data is supplied. This mathematical process is called integration.

TerraLUX does the math calculations for you! Each TerraLUX LED Light EngineT has

the Lumen output calculated based on the LED data and operating conditions used in the

LED replacement bulb. If you want more information about light measurements and want

to roll up your sleeves, check out Professor Schwengerdt's excellent presentation on

Radiometry at:

www.ece.arizona.edu/~dial/ece425/notes3.pdf

Figure 1

Practical Considerations Performance

over time as batteries get weak

One final note about comparing light sources in the practical sense is that battery

powered units degrade over time very rapidly for incandescent bulbs and less so for

LEDs and even less so for properly regulated LEDs. These factors can often be the

overwhelming consideration because lack of sufficient light output over time and cost of

batteries are important to many users. Adding voltage boost and regulation circuits to the

LEDs enables a new level of performance unavailable to incandescent bulbs. All

TerraLUX LED Light Engines® use the proprietary PowerPush™ circuitry to keep the

light output constant and completely drain the battery, thus making these LED devices

superior to incandescent in ways that are practical for the user. This is why TerraLUX

also gives specifications on all its LED Light Engines showing light output versus time

and performance for various battery combinations since they can be used with 2, 3 or 4

cells of any size (AAA, AA, C, D cells) except for the MiniSTARs which just work in the

Mini Maglite® with two AA cells.

3. How would I use the low power TLE 1,2

or 3 products effectively?

Here is what one customer has to say on this topic:

"A couple years ago, I bought a cheap 2D

cell flashlight for my car that barely

worked and it seemed like the batteries were always dead. I don’t know why I

kept the piece of junk in my car after all this time. Today, I can’t think of

driving anywhere without it, thanks to the Terralux light engine. It seems like

the batteries keep going and going, no matter what brand they are. I keep the

Terralux Spot Miser in the flashlight all the time and keep a QuadStar in my

ashtray in the event that I need more light. What’s better yet, I plugged the

QuadStar into the flashlight when I thought the batteries were dead (with the

regular old bulb) and it shined brighter than the old bulb with fresh

batteries!! TerraLux turned my “zero” light into a hero light! Thanks

Terralux!!! " B.K., MS AeroSpace Engineering, University of Colorado

4. Do you have any users in the law enforcement community?

I am a detective in a small police department in Connecticut and have found the

TerraLUX MiniStar2 to be a great tool. A flashlight is one of a police officers most used

tools. The TerraLUX MiniStar2 provides a clean bright white in a small easy to carry

package so I always have it on hand. The fact that it runs on AA batteries is convenient as

we always have AA batteries with our crime scene equipment because we us them for

camera flashes, etc. The TerraLUX MiniStar2 is bright enough that it is often the primary

light I use when processing a crime scene. It provides a bright enough light to side light

objects when looking for latent prints and is bright enough to use when doing a room

search.

Call TerraLUX to find out about other law enforcement agencies using our products in

the line of duty. .

5. Do you have any users in the martial arts community?

See this review for the MiniStar2 at The Martialist

(http://www.themartialist.com/pecom/terralux.htm)

1. Can I use Lithium or rechargeable batteries in my Mini Maglite with the MiniSTAR2?

Yes, they both provide excellent results.

2. How can I compare TerraLUX to other light sources, bulbs, and flashlights for lighting

performance?

Beam Candlepower

This is a term often referred to in flashlight specifications as an indicator of brightness.

Technically, it refers to how bright an isotropic light source (one that emits light

uniformly in every direction) would have to be at the specified distance (usually 510

feet) in order to produce that level of illumination intensity at a surface. Since a light

source that is sending its light in every direction is going to have to be awfully bright to

produce a measurable illumination level that distance away, the Candlepower number is

usually very big. You've probably seen the ubiquitous "million candlepower automobile

emergency light" advertised inside a matchbook cover. However it REALLY only refers

to the brightness of the center portion of the flashlight's beam so it can be quite

misleading. It gives you no indication of the actual light output of the flashlight. This is

because it is most often used in flashlights that have a means of focusing, and the value

only represents the brightness of the very brightest part of the beam. The value is strongly

dependent on the optics of the system, and probably represents the value obtained by

bringing the optics into sharp focus, thus concentrating all the flashlights output into a

very small spot.

TerraLUX does not use candlepower.

Comparing Brightness of Light Sources

Many factors come into play when comparing brightness of light sources, particularly in

systems such as flashlights. Not only is the source of light (LED or incandescent)

important, but also the optics and how well it does, or does not focus. If we consider only

the source of light for a moment, the problem becomes a bit easier. Incandescent lamp

manufacturers specify their products precisely, and so do LED manufacturers, but the

former probably do a better job than the latter since they've been doing it for more than

100 years.

Incandescent lamps use the MSCP, or Mean Spherical Candlepower to specify the

maximum amount of light produced by their lamps. Despite the term Candlepower in this

acronym, MSCP refers to the average number of candelas (Luminous Intensity) coming

from the light source. Since the light coming from the filament travels throughout a

sphere in all directions, and there are 4 pi Steradians (solid angle in a sphere), 4p times

the MSCP gives the number of Lumens from the incandescent light source. Lumens are

an indication of the luminous flux i.e., the quantity of light passing through a solid angle

within a sphere. Thus multiplying the lamp manufacturers MSCP figure by 12.57 gives

the number of Lumens. 1 Candela = 1 Lumen per Steradian (unit solid angle).

Unlike incandescent bulbs, virtually all LEDs contain builtin

optics that direct the light

from the semiconductor chip to the light source. Hence the light usually travels in a cone,

instead of uniformly in all directions. This makes the comparison with incandescents

more complicated. Although some LED manufacturers, such as Luxeon, specify the light

output in Lumens, most do not. Instead manufacturers give the number of millicandelas

(thousandths of a Candela) and publish a radial graph of relative output as a function of

angle (measured from 0 o , i.e., from straight ahead). See Figure 1. This angle is usually

called the half angle. In order to calculate the number of Lumens from this information, it

is necessary to calculate the amount of light passing through each portion of the solid

angle for which data is supplied. This mathematical process is called integration.

TerraLUX does the math calculations for you! Each TerraLUX LED Light EngineT has

the Lumen output calculated based on the LED data and operating conditions used in the

LED replacement bulb. If you want more information about light measurements and want

to roll up your sleeves, check out Professor Schwengerdt's excellent presentation on

Radiometry at:

www.ece.arizona.edu/~dial/ece425/notes3.pdf

Figure 1

Practical Considerations Performance

over time as batteries get weak

One final note about comparing light sources in the practical sense is that battery

powered units degrade over time very rapidly for incandescent bulbs and less so for

LEDs and even less so for properly regulated LEDs. These factors can often be the

overwhelming consideration because lack of sufficient light output over time and cost of

batteries are important to many users. Adding voltage boost and regulation circuits to the

LEDs enables a new level of performance unavailable to incandescent bulbs. All

TerraLUX LED Light Engines® use the proprietary PowerPush™ circuitry to keep the

light output constant and completely drain the battery, thus making these LED devices

superior to incandescent in ways that are practical for the user. This is why TerraLUX

also gives specifications on all its LED Light Engines showing light output versus time

and performance for various battery combinations since they can be used with 2, 3 or 4

cells of any size (AAA, AA, C, D cells) except for the MiniSTARs which just work in the

Mini Maglite® with two AA cells.

3. How would I use the low power TLE 1,2

or 3 products effectively?

Here is what one customer has to say on this topic:

"A couple years ago, I bought a cheap 2D

cell flashlight for my car that barely

worked and it seemed like the batteries were always dead. I don’t know why I

kept the piece of junk in my car after all this time. Today, I can’t think of

driving anywhere without it, thanks to the Terralux light engine. It seems like

the batteries keep going and going, no matter what brand they are. I keep the

Terralux Spot Miser in the flashlight all the time and keep a QuadStar in my

ashtray in the event that I need more light. What’s better yet, I plugged the

QuadStar into the flashlight when I thought the batteries were dead (with the

regular old bulb) and it shined brighter than the old bulb with fresh

batteries!! TerraLux turned my “zero” light into a hero light! Thanks

Terralux!!! " B.K., MS AeroSpace Engineering, University of Colorado

4. Do you have any users in the law enforcement community?

I am a detective in a small police department in Connecticut and have found the

TerraLUX MiniStar2 to be a great tool. A flashlight is one of a police officers most used

tools. The TerraLUX MiniStar2 provides a clean bright white in a small easy to carry

package so I always have it on hand. The fact that it runs on AA batteries is convenient as

we always have AA batteries with our crime scene equipment because we us them for

camera flashes, etc. The TerraLUX MiniStar2 is bright enough that it is often the primary

light I use when processing a crime scene. It provides a bright enough light to side light

objects when looking for latent prints and is bright enough to use when doing a room

search.

Call TerraLUX to find out about other law enforcement agencies using our products in

the line of duty. .

5. Do you have any users in the martial arts community?

See this review for the MiniStar2 at The Martialist

(http://www.themartialist.com/pecom/terralux.htm)