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Update: I am downgrading this light.
The light tested worked fine - exceptionally well, it
seems. However I later tested the second light in the
two-pack and had very mediocre results. It also would
not hold a charge overnight. As a result the whole package
was returned to Costco. Please test the lights thoroughly
after your purchase and return them if you are not satisfied.
Update 2: Downgrading again. I
have had numerous complaints from users who say that
after one full discharge these lights will NOT hold
a charge for more than a couple of minutes no matter
how much you crank them. Not good! If you have had problems,
let me know!
Update 3: Two more reports of these
lights that wouldn't hold a charge. I am re-checking
the Dorcy version of
this light as I am writing and so far it's holding a
charge just fine... There is a Lithium-Ion rechargeable
coin cell inside that holds the charge for all of these
lower-cost lightweight crank lights. What I suspect
may be happening, is that if the coin cell is being
over-discharged it may not take a charge anymore. As
a result it may be possible to keep it in good shape
by never letting the light fully discharge and by giving
it a minute of cranking once a month to keep a decent
charge in the cell... If I'm right, this could be a
problem with ANY cranked light that uses a Lithium Ion
coin cell. It could also be a problem for crank lights
using other rechargeable battery types too since all
rechargeables can be damaged by over discharging them...
Update 4: Latest update from a
reader:
This is my second poo-pooing of the Durapro Megabright
from Costco. I bought a pair at Costco and they both
had a life of under 10 minutes. I decided to send
them to Durapro instead of exchange them at Costco.
I sent them back in December 29th or so. Today I
called them and they said "yea they are are on
backorder for possibly another month". I just
wonder how many people are like me: 2 months, 20 bucks,
no flashlights.
Maybe you should consider downgrading them to 1 Star?
Author Comments: Ouch.
The DuraPro MegaBRITE is a dynamo powered LED light
designed for power outages and general use. Folded on
the back is a crank which can be opened outward and
spun to charge the internal rechargeable battery and
power the 3 LEDs used to produce light. As a result,
it never needs batteries or bulbs and is always just
a few cranks away from being ready when you need it
unlike that dead Maglite in the trunk of your car...
Body: This dynamo light looks very futuristic.
In fact it looks just plain weird. If you can get over
the looks, though, it's actually a pretty good flashlight.
The body of the light is gold colored plastic with rubberized
grips on the side. A silvered plastic reflector surrounds
the LEDs. The crank which is used to charge the internal
battery rests flush against the underside of the light
when not in use. Unfold the crank and start spinning
to charge the system. I found this to be one of the
quietest dynamo driven lights I have worked with so
far. As with the other dynamo lights, I did open the
system up and found that the gears were greased.
Bezel/Head: The bezel end of the light is protected
by a plastic dome. Inside are the 3 LEDs used to produce
light for the unit. All 3 LEDs sit in a silvered reflector
area that helps project the light forward. On the sides
are amber plastic diffusers and sitting behind each
is a red LED. When the blink mode is turned on these
red LEDs blink along with the three white LEDs in the
front.
 
Output: The switch has three states: Click for
3 LEDs on, click again for a blink mode with all 5 LEDs,
click again for off. Output is in the form of a directional
flood of light. In constant-on mode there is sufficient
light for navigating in the dark and performing normal
tasks while the blink mode is a good attention getter.
The white light produced by the LED is a high color
temperature. A slight bluish tint is detectable when
compared against a near sunlight-white source, but this
tinting is not noticeable during normal use.
Beam at one meter at target center
Runtime Plot: The package states "Up to
45 minutes per charge." I stopped the test after
1 hour and it was still going very strong. In fact it
had not even reached 75% of its starting output.
***NOTE: This performance should only be expected ONCE
- when it first comes out of the package. After that
you may only get a few minutes light with a minute of
cranking - see notes at top of page! A lot of people
are having problems with these lights. More typical
performance may be seen in THIS
review...
More information on runtime plots is available HERE.
Switch: The switch is a simple click type. One
click and the center LED turns on. Next click turns
on the blink mode. Next click turns it off and starts
the pattern all over again. The switch is protected
by a rubber cover and rests on top of the light.
Seals / Water Resistance: As with most dynamo
powered lights, I would recommend keeping it dry. Avoid
anything more than a misting rain and dry it off as
quickly as possible.
If it gets wet inside, just disassemble as much a possible
without tools and let it dry before using again.
Ergonomics: This unit is more slim than many
of the other dynamo lights I have and it sits very comfortably
in the hand. The switch is easy to operate and the cranking
provides some resistance but is not excessive.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
Batteries: No batteries needed! Well..... actually
there is a battery in there. It's a Lithium Ion 2032
3.6V coin cell which is charged by the crank. Here's
an important warning - Don't crank with it on! Make
sure the switch is in the OFF position when cranking.
What I Liked: Crank powered, Blink
mode, sleek design, no batteries required at all, great
battery performance.
What I Didn't Like: Water resistance
questionable
Picky Little Things: Blinking red
LEDs on the side are fairly useless...
Conclusions: Nice light, and fairly
quiet for a dynamo powered light. I can see where the
blinking mode could come in handy, especially if you
have a car breakdown. Dynamo powered little lights s
are easier to power up than a shakelight in my opinion,
are always ready for use, and provide sufficient light
for most tasks.
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