Celestron Astro Night Vision Flashlight, Black

This product has some pros can cons which I will list here but the pros far outshine the cons. Pros: - It shines a red light so your night vision doesn't get ruined and if, like me, you use it to read before bed, it makes for a very smooth transition to sleep. - The BATTERY IS AWESOME. I've used this every night for more than 2 years now and the battery is still great. It recharges quickly and every charge lasts a long time (note that I almost always use the lowest light setting). Cons: - The little plastic cover over the Input port broke off very soon after purchase. I mostly use this only indoors so I don't really have to worry about the uncovered port getting damaged. - It takes practice to figure out where the on/off switch is in the dark; would love to see this improved. - It is a pretty bright light even at the lowest setting. I put a lightweight sock over it to dim it a bit. Would love to see this improved. - At times when I've thrown it in a pack, I've found that it's turned itself on. Ironic: hard to find the switch when you want it, but when thrown in with other items, it's very easy for it to be triggered. - It would be nice to have the brightness setting and on/off switch separate - you have to cycle through all the settings each time you are turning the light on or off. Although my cons list is more numerous than the pros, the pros still outweigh the cons and I highly recommend this flashlight.

I purchased this item despite the many negative reviews, and I don't regret the purchase at all. There are some facts you should be aware of when purchasing this light. 1) This is the most basic understanding anyone should have when purchasing any modern product. No process is perfect, and sometimes what you get is imperfect or DOA. It did not happen to me in this particular instance, but it may happen to you regardless of how much you have spent on a product, or its country of origin. 2) This is not a "cheaply made" product. The bulk of it is thick plastic, but some of the other mechanisms are thinner. Two plastic clips lock the front cap in place, and the lens is firmly adhered into the cap. It's unlikely that the lens would pop out unless the unit was mishandled in a rather extreme way. I don't see the lens popping out while the cap is fixed to the unit, simply because the portal at the front of the cap is much smaller than the lens. Outside of smashing the lens, that lens is not coming out of the front of the cap. It's equally unlikely that the lens popped out through the rear of the cap because of adhesives, and two pieces of plastic that bar its passage. Outside of errors during multiple stages of production, mishandling on the part of the courier, or mishandling on the part of the user, I don't see how the lens or front cap could be just falling off as others have claimed. 3) Another user complained that the switch could only turn the unit on/off and would not dim. I saw how this could occur, and it stems from the odd design of the unit. Inside the plastic shell is a circuit board, on top of which lay the two LEDs with a 9V battery at the very end like a caboose. It is simple to replicate the dimming issue if you do not replace the circuit board assembly as directed in the instructions(during, say, a battery change). The circuit board is meant to lay on a tiny spacer, and if it is slipped underneath the spacer, the dimming mechanism will not work properly. To prevent or fix this issue, simply follow the manufacturer provided directions to remove the interior assembly, and when you try to insert it back make sure to hold the assembly as close to the top of the unit as possible. You will know that you have the correct alignment by the function of the light switch, and the presence of a small space underneath the circuit board. My dimmer switch worked perfectly at the beginning, but I was able to replicate and fix this issue as previously described. It should be noted, that if you do not insert the interior assembly exactly as it extracts, it may fail to extract itself using the light switch in the future. Again, this stems from its odd design. To conclude, this is a well-functioning, and cost-effective unit. It performs exactly as described, is well manufactured, and its plastic shell is surprisingly rugged. The design is odd, and a couple of quirks arise from that, but reading the instructions and handling it correctly will prevent most issues with the unit. So, $12 altogether was a fair price.

This is a cheaply made light, but as long as you understand what you are getting, it works well for its job of keeping your dark adaptation. What I like: * You can adjust the brightness. The amount of light you need to get your bearings on a sketch/log or to look at a star map is very very low. You can turn it up to max when you are packing up and realize that you are missing that eyepiece endcap. * It is not head-mounted. - I have an irrational hatred for head mounted lamps that look dim in daylight when they are tested them but to dark adapted eyes are blindingly bright searchlights blasting around the observing area as their owners move their heads about. * If you hang it from your neck the light points down - less chance for you to be the person above. * There is no way to accidentally go in to white light mode. This helps prevent me from accidentally being "that person" on the field. I sometimes take one or 2 of my kids observing with me - they always get a light that can only do red. What I don't like, but there is a cheap solution for: * The light cast from this is not diffused at all. If you are trying to see something to draw this light will put 2 harsh crescents on your paper that will be very bright - while the area right next to the lights will be hard to see. The solution is to put a piece of Matte Finish Scotch Tape over the lens. This diffused the light enough to make this my goto light. What I worry about: * The little plastic loop that attaches the string to the light is just sitting there looking like it is going to break. I own 3 of these (so that I can find them and so that guests can have a light). I also own the little Orion key-chain light (to bright for me), the Rigel Systems Starlite Mini (remarkably similar to this light, cough) and an Energizer headlamp (If you decide to use a headlamp, go ahead and disable the white LEDs so that you don't accidentally turn them on and consider adding a higher powered resistor to dim the lamp. Also, please don't leave the thing on when you go talk to somebody...).

I have other lights that are far brighter. But late at night, this is perfect. After a couple of years though of frequent use, the battery died. I was almost going to toss it, but I looked carefully, and indeed you can slip the front piece off. There is a plastic tab to "lock" it in place. Then, with a needle nose pliers, pull the entire assembly out, battery included. The battery is just regular 9 volt battery. Pop a fresh battery in and put it back together, now good as new!

This is a review of the PowerTank Glow 5000 which is a rechargeable USB battery bank plus red flashlight. (I mention that because there are reviews for a different flashlight that show up here too.) I intended to put this in my astronomy bag for use in the field. It has a few drawbacks that outweigh the positives of having a dedicated red flashlight, so I would recommend looking elsewhere for a different flashlight. I haven't found one yet. Maybe the Apertura light. Negatives: 1 - Power Switch - I did not like how easy it is to bump the power switch and accidentally turn on the flashlight. This could easily happen by accident if you store it in a bag or pants pocket. 2 - Bad Port Covers - They do not fit well (as others have pointed out). The rubber covers don't stay sealed and are useless for keeping moisture out. 3 - Too Bright - the dimmest setting is still quite bright. 4 - No way to just turn it on and off, while still being Dim. You have to click it all the way through Maximum brightness before it goes off. 5 - Heavy - Sort of to be expected but because it's a power-bank also, it's surprisingly heavy which could be a problem if you drop it. I would be surprised if it didn't break. 6 - Feels cheaply made. Doesn't feel like it will hold up. 7 - Comes with a cheap micro-USB cable (doesn't include a charger) and the cable was very gritty and poor-fitting to both the light and my phone charger block.

Used for astronomy, helping me move/locate items in the darkness, without destroying my night vision, or irritating other star viewers. The brightness "range" is great, giving me the option of keeping it very dim and working close, or more power for better searching (gear). This came recommended from others who have used it for the same purposes and that experience counts. It's not a light you would use for long distance searching or trying to light up a large area. But when you want to protect your night vision and still work or find gear, this is perfect.

This light uses very old tech with its dual LED's of the type Radio Shack sold in the 1970's. It does have a fine adjustable dimmer capable of going down to the very lowest light levels. And it runs on a 9V battery that lasts a very, very long time -- I've been using the same battery since 2009! The included lanyard is a must-have for night work. In 2009, this flashlight was the best, but in 2016 it's disappointing. The insurmountable problem is the uneven light thrown off by its dual LED's. It's comparable to old-school incandescent flashlights in that the illumination is painfully uneven and contrast-ridden, not at all comparable to today's super-smooth surface-mounted LED orange-peel reflector flashlights. See the attached photo for an example. When out in the field, the uneven light makes it very difficult to read my Ken Graun Planisphere . I find myself walking the light back and forth to achieve a zone of even illumination at the part of the chart I'm reading. It's frustrating, time consuming, and eye straining. The workaround is to adjust the light really bright, and then it feels like my night vision is eroding despite the red. Celestron is famed for high-end, enthusiast-level gear, but this device fails to live up to that reputation. It's past time for Celestron to commission a modern surface-mounted red LED light having even dispersion and adjustable low light levels.

This is the only red LED flashlight that just has a volume knob for the brightness, the simplistic design is wonderful. you do not want bright red lights so this provides that dim low battery red keychain light vibe that just works the best for late night astronomy. plus is says Celestron on it.

nicht billig, aber für Sternengucker super

Upon first opening up the package and checking out the charging ports, the protective covers broke off and the bits have an oily texture. They seem to be made of some kind of decomposable plastic and perhaps the product had been sitting on the shelf for a while.. Apart from that it seems fine, but not impressed.

The shipment was really fast. And the item was in perfect conditions. What you see is what you get just like this

Originally had the Celestron hand warmer and torch but after many uses over the years, the battery failed. Bought this one to replace. Keeps hands warm on those cold nights observing the stars but in addition, has red light so as not to detract from eyesight viewing as you have to adjust your eyes to the dark while observing and white light interferes with that. Additionally, you can now use as a power source so can top up phone if I run low taking astrophotography shots.

I like its size & the fact that the light strength is controllable. But there wasn't enough info about its warning message about its possibility to cause cancer. It referrs to California state's website, but it was hard to find the relevant info.