ASP Sapphire or Photon Microlight ?

R

RH

Joined
Jan 31, 1999
Messages
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This would be for general utility use, to give to women family members for their keychains.
 
They both use the same batteries and LED so they will be the same brightness. The Photon II's have an on/off switch while the Sapphire are press to light. The Photon II's have tiny little screws to change the batteries, and I beleive the ASP's have to be returned to the company for battery change. If you don't want the switch you should also look at the Princeton Tec Pulsar, again no switch, but easier to change batteries, you can do it yourself.

If I were getting the light I would want the photons. But if it is just a keychain light I would go with the pulsar to save $.

Brock - http://www.uwgb.edu/nevermab/led.htm
 
The two determining factors for me are user-changeable batteries, and constant-on switch.

I know myself, and know that if I had to send my little flashlight back to the factory to get the batteries changed, it would basically sit on a desktop with a (bring to post office) note on it, until the day my daughter knocks it behind the desk and it's lost for years. For me, not having user-changeable batteries makes it useless.

The other thing is the constant-on switch. I use it so often, that it's easily worth a few extra dollars to me.

I know plenty of people who disagree on both those points, but those are the decision points I'd use.


Joe
 
IMHO, the ASP looks nice but is a POS. Less water resistant than the Photon II and like mentioned unit must go back to ASP to have the batteries changed. A plus though, sleeker looking and the clip is nice... I have one ASP and a dozen Photon IIs... The Streamlight LED penlight is nice, but bigger and brighter.
 
I have bought all kinds of led lights,all but photon.I did this because they were cheaper,and just as bright.Then I got a photonII at a good price and never looked back!I love the on/off switch and now buy only photon II's.Got red ones for my kids,red lasts a long time and makes a good warning light for when they walk home from a friends house.Btw I got a small set of screwdrivers from kmart for $4,that has one that fits the photon screws.
 
i have both the asp and the photon II....get the photon II as it has a constant on switch, can have the user change the batteries, and has a more concentrated beam and seems brighter than the asp.....just my .02 worth...feverdoc
 
I'm with the majority here in favoring the Photon II. I've owned and carried both. Both are good lights. However, I started with the ASP and I now carry the Photon II.

Actually, I carry two of them. I've got a white one clipped to a belt loop and hanging in my pocket. I keep a red one attached to my belt pouch as a backup.

--Bob Q
 
I carried ASPs during my tour in the Army. Broke four of them. The glueing in the ASPs doesn't seem to endure cold too well... Now, I own Photon IIs. I have not gone trough the same kind of extreme weather conditions with the Photons, but they do seem more durable. (Screws instead of glue, plus a general feel of more solid construction.) Plus I just looove the constant-on switch in addition to the push-button switch. Plus the light on the Photons doesn't have the kind of 'dark rings' that the ASP has. Plus you can actually choose what color you want (the blue light is lousy in the dark when compared to the red Photon... In a lit store it might not seem so, but once you take both lights to a dark room you really see the difference!). IMHO the only thing better in the ASPs is the clip. My recommendation: get the Photon. (Red ones are great for finding your way in the dark, white is good for a working light.)

(I carry two Photons too. Red one clipped to my trousers belt loop, white one on my key ring.)

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Tony S.

Just visiting this planet
 
If these lights are for women, get the Photon II in turquoise. It is the color they all prefer, in my experience. As my daughter said, 'Don't try and understand it, dad, it is a girl thing.'

That is TURQUOISE, not BLUE. Walt
 
Am I right in thinking that a new Photon III with a microchip and water resistance is coming out.

I think I saw a link to some SHOT Show 2001 info at www.candlepowerforums.com

This new Photon sounds really cool!

Al
 
No experience at all with the Photons, but I've no complaints with the ASPs my wife and I carry. Especially like the easy clip for attaching/removing from keyring. Never considered the lack of a constant on switch to be a problem - for that sort of work I have more appropriate flashlights... (Plus, and this is stupid, I know, but I just think the ASPs look spiffier.)
 
I have the ASP, got it as a present last X-mas... so I've had it for more than a year now. (At that time there was no Photons available in Finland.)

The good: The clip is great! I use it all the time to attach 2-3 different key chains (home, work, car) together according to the need. I never thought it would be that good for the job! Also, the light was very bright! Didn't lose anything for Photons when I later on compared.

The bad: Noticed how I said the light was bright... not anymore. I think soon I will try out their warranty on this. In the beginning it was much brighter than my Victorinox SwissLight, but now with fresh batteries in the Victorinox... it's dimmer. And right after I press the switch I can see it shines a bit brighter, but then dims a bit. All this indicates that it's time to change the battery - but I just can not do it.

In the end... the switch is very good, but get the Photon II.

Hugo.
 
Go to your local hardware store and get a tiny snap clip, it's like a miniature carabiner, and attach it to your Photon II -- it will then be as convenient as an ASP.
 
A quick pitch for my friend Roger:

Bayou Lafourche Photon II microlights go for $11.99 and his shipping charge is $4.75 per order (not per item).

Especially if you order a few, or order other stuff at the same time, this is a pretty good price, just like most everything else he has for sale.
 
I have the ASP. And think it is a little better that the Microlight. I have the Aspen white one. Its the same kind of light that the Bwm and benz have for head lights. Its real bright with a sort of blue tint to it.


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Pain was made for the weak!
 
I like the constant on switch feature on the Photon II. I took one, removed the split rings, and used the hole in the body to mount it to the door jamb above the door knob and lock on our front door. When I come home late and it is dark, I just flip on the Photon II while I find the right keys. I find it easier, especially using one hand, to find the right keys with the light mounted on the door jamb rather than attached to the key ring.
 
The really decisive features, for me, are the constant-on switch and the fact that the batteries are user-replaceable. Constant-on has been incredibly useful for me. And user-replaceable batteries are simply a requirement I can't do without -- I know myself, and there's no way I'm going to package that little thing up and send it back.

Joe
 
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