Q&A for the SysLite LED Worklamp
- Thread starter zapdafish
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The 18v, 3.0Ah battery lasted exactly 4½ hours.
In retrospect, I think I may have misreported the 14.4v and 12v battery times. The SysLite shut off and I thought that was the end of the external and internal batteries combined. However, I have learned that if the external battery is removed you can power the SysLite back on and it will continue running off of the internal battery. So, actually those times were with the external battery only. So add another 1½ hours of run time if you add back on the internal battery capacity. I'll edit my previous posts accordingly.
So, (Tom) the run time was the same for the 18v and 14.4v.
In retrospect, I think I may have misreported the 14.4v and 12v battery times. The SysLite shut off and I thought that was the end of the external and internal batteries combined. However, I have learned that if the external battery is removed you can power the SysLite back on and it will continue running off of the internal battery. So, actually those times were with the external battery only. So add another 1½ hours of run time if you add back on the internal battery capacity. I'll edit my previous posts accordingly.
So, (Tom) the run time was the same for the 18v and 14.4v.
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Steve R said:
I have done a little night skiing in Colorado. I'm not a great skier so it was all the more impressive to me. Some of my friends that are really good skiers thought it was less impressive than I did. I think they got jaded...
Tom
EDIT:
I have skied at Keystone, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, and Vail for fun. I have skied during Company outings/meetings at Park City and Les Arcs (French Alps). I blew out my right knee in Les Arcs. I no longer have an ACL and have a torn meniscus in that knee. I learned to ski at Keystone when I was in my 30's. I noted then that the kids were much better at learning to ski on hard water than I was. I was pretty good then at skiing on melted water while hanging on to a rope that was tied to a boat. It's different but similar except for how you lean... Plus, I used one ski on melted and two skis on the hard stuff.
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Ken Nagrod said:
I got 1¼ hours off of an old NiCd 1.3Ah battery, presumably the 2.4Ah would be about 2 hours. Not sure if I have a NiMH that I can test. Also, the performance of NiMH should be comparable. We're talking about battery capacity which should be independent of cell chemistry.
Shane
Kev (and Tom):
Thanks for comments re. using the Syslite on a bike.
See where you're coming from.
I'll look into further another time - just like the idea of getting more 'mileage' from the investment. [big grin]
Thinking size/weight might be a problem.
Got visions mounting Syslite being problematic, what with all the bouncing around.
(And thanks, as ever, to Shane for time taken to answer question - it was the question about battery life that started my train of thought.)
Richard.
Thanks for comments re. using the Syslite on a bike.
See where you're coming from.
I'll look into further another time - just like the idea of getting more 'mileage' from the investment. [big grin]
Thinking size/weight might be a problem.
Got visions mounting Syslite being problematic, what with all the bouncing around.
(And thanks, as ever, to Shane for time taken to answer question - it was the question about battery life that started my train of thought.)
Richard.
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Since members keep looking for this thread for information about battery life and other important specifications for the SysLite, I am making it a sticky topic so it's easy to find. I also renamed the topic so we can continue to use it for a single space for Q&A on the SysLite. Thanks.
For those who lost their backcover and want to order a new one: On the ekatsite it shows that the cover and the hook have seperate partnumbers (498848 for the cover, and 701293 for the hook). You don't have to order them both, the cover comes with the hook already installed.
Ken Nagrod
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**** READ THIS BEFORE WATCHING VIDEO ****
I set out to answer people's questions about the light output of the Festool Syslite. Prior to the video, I did research including contacting Fluke about the proper equipment to do the test. I was given incorrect information for the specific type of testing I required. I was directed to Fluke's sister company, Amprobe and this specific meter because LED's can't be read accurately on typical light meters due to their very specific concentrated wavelength.
I found out AFTER making the video that the industry uses a specific light output test that was developed to ANSI standards which involves a light reading device called an integrating sphere photometer that when connected to a computer with the software, measures the light's true output in lumens. An expensive laboratory test setup way beyond my capabilities. Here is the link to the device: Integrating Sphere Photometer
I want to make it very clear that the Festool Syslite is not a light that you can compare against flashlights. It is more akin to wide area task lighting and I feel it's very good at that. People are confusing the fact that flashlights are focused beam lights and the Syslite is just LED's on a circuit board without a reflector.
Here is some helpful information that will give a brief understanding of what some of the light reading differences are, under the heading, Light Output: Candlepower vs. Lumens
I was asked to post this video anyway for the light output data in foot candles and lux that I recorded. Make sure you take note of whether or not there is a decimal point in the reading on the meter during the specific measurement. Here is the video:
Festool Syslite Light Output Test Video
I set out to answer people's questions about the light output of the Festool Syslite. Prior to the video, I did research including contacting Fluke about the proper equipment to do the test. I was given incorrect information for the specific type of testing I required. I was directed to Fluke's sister company, Amprobe and this specific meter because LED's can't be read accurately on typical light meters due to their very specific concentrated wavelength.
I found out AFTER making the video that the industry uses a specific light output test that was developed to ANSI standards which involves a light reading device called an integrating sphere photometer that when connected to a computer with the software, measures the light's true output in lumens. An expensive laboratory test setup way beyond my capabilities. Here is the link to the device: Integrating Sphere Photometer
I want to make it very clear that the Festool Syslite is not a light that you can compare against flashlights. It is more akin to wide area task lighting and I feel it's very good at that. People are confusing the fact that flashlights are focused beam lights and the Syslite is just LED's on a circuit board without a reflector.
Here is some helpful information that will give a brief understanding of what some of the light reading differences are, under the heading, Light Output: Candlepower vs. Lumens
I was asked to post this video anyway for the light output data in foot candles and lux that I recorded. Make sure you take note of whether or not there is a decimal point in the reading on the meter during the specific measurement. Here is the video:
Festool Syslite Light Output Test Video
ccarrolladams
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The motion picture and TV industry has been using LED light sources for several years. In fact recently there was an extensive workshop on the subject in Hollywood sponsored by SMPTE, ASC, AMPAS, IATSE National Camera Guild Local 600, and many leading vendors.
In the movie/TV industry finding appropriate light meters is no problem and those which work well for LED do not cost much more than others. Of course compared to amateur light meters those seem expensive, much like comparing the list price of Festool to DW. You get what you pay for.
In color photography and video, the quality of light is more important than the quantity. Degrees Kelvin actually only has meaning with true black-body sources, namely old-style incandescent. Circa 1960 the introduction of TI lamps created all sorts of problems with then current color film and to a lesser degree TV cameras of the era. Things got better with the introduction of TH bulbs with a more convenient color rendering index.
Then came HMI which has a color rendering index very similar to average daylight. The downside to HMI is that it runs only on AC so it must be carefully synchronized to the shutters of movie cameras and to the vertical interval in video.
This is where the interest in LED is so strong. It is a continuous source working well on low voltage DC without flicker. A few years ago LED did not have an ideal color rendering index for professional color negative film and some TV cameras, but all this has been improved. In theatrical applications where heat is a factor, LED is taking over. Most theatrical LED lighting systems can change color instantly at a fraction of the cost of VariLights.
During the March Cabinet/Doors combined class in Henderson 3 of us had professional digital cameras with us. We used Syslites to fill-in natural daylight and as the main source with daylight as back lighting. The results were as good as our strobes. What impressed me was the combination of CRI quality and Quanty of broad source light with impressive efficiency and minimum heat. I know many in the movie and TV industry who are buying Syslites who own no woodworking tools.
Chances are strong that to most in the construction trades the CRI of a worklight is no big deal. Still since the Syslites are such a good deal, it is a win-win. During normal construction hours daylight will provide part of the indoor illumination. It helps improve vision to use a fill-light with a CRI so similar to daylight, as opposed to typical TH 2,700 degree Kelvin lamps or 2,400 degree incandescent.
In the movie/TV industry finding appropriate light meters is no problem and those which work well for LED do not cost much more than others. Of course compared to amateur light meters those seem expensive, much like comparing the list price of Festool to DW. You get what you pay for.
In color photography and video, the quality of light is more important than the quantity. Degrees Kelvin actually only has meaning with true black-body sources, namely old-style incandescent. Circa 1960 the introduction of TI lamps created all sorts of problems with then current color film and to a lesser degree TV cameras of the era. Things got better with the introduction of TH bulbs with a more convenient color rendering index.
Then came HMI which has a color rendering index very similar to average daylight. The downside to HMI is that it runs only on AC so it must be carefully synchronized to the shutters of movie cameras and to the vertical interval in video.
This is where the interest in LED is so strong. It is a continuous source working well on low voltage DC without flicker. A few years ago LED did not have an ideal color rendering index for professional color negative film and some TV cameras, but all this has been improved. In theatrical applications where heat is a factor, LED is taking over. Most theatrical LED lighting systems can change color instantly at a fraction of the cost of VariLights.
During the March Cabinet/Doors combined class in Henderson 3 of us had professional digital cameras with us. We used Syslites to fill-in natural daylight and as the main source with daylight as back lighting. The results were as good as our strobes. What impressed me was the combination of CRI quality and Quanty of broad source light with impressive efficiency and minimum heat. I know many in the movie and TV industry who are buying Syslites who own no woodworking tools.
Chances are strong that to most in the construction trades the CRI of a worklight is no big deal. Still since the Syslites are such a good deal, it is a win-win. During normal construction hours daylight will provide part of the indoor illumination. It helps improve vision to use a fill-light with a CRI so similar to daylight, as opposed to typical TH 2,700 degree Kelvin lamps or 2,400 degree incandescent.
Brice Burrell
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Thanks Ken and Dave for the video. One thing that might have been nice to see in the video was a real world comparison of other common light sources like a 100 watt incandescent light blub or halogen light.
Ken Nagrod
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Brice,
The meter I used is calibrated specifically for LED lighting with an accuracy of +\- 3% and an accuracy of +\- 8% for all other lighting. Other light meters are more accurate for lighting other than LED, but are very inaccurate when testing LED lighting. I would have needed two types of meters to do a test like you mentioned. I thought about it but decided not to continue to fund my meter purchases and let others use the specs against their findings.
The meter I used is calibrated specifically for LED lighting with an accuracy of +\- 3% and an accuracy of +\- 8% for all other lighting. Other light meters are more accurate for lighting other than LED, but are very inaccurate when testing LED lighting. I would have needed two types of meters to do a test like you mentioned. I thought about it but decided not to continue to fund my meter purchases and let others use the specs against their findings.
Brice Burrell
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Ken Nagrod said:
Well with a 5% difference I'd still would have liked to see the results. In other words, get the meter, a light bulb and note book and post the results. I'll give you till noon. [tongue] [big grin]
Ken Nagrod
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Dave,
Put fathers day on hold! Brice wants another video. Actually, I'll post the one we shot just before the SYSLITE video. It's the reason I was getting over laughing in the beginning. It's a 2P10 video, impromptu.
Put fathers day on hold! Brice wants another video. Actually, I'll post the one we shot just before the SYSLITE video. It's the reason I was getting over laughing in the beginning. It's a 2P10 video, impromptu.
Brice Burrell
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Ken Nagrod said:
No, for get the video, go to your basement, do a quick test and post the findings.
Since I got the Syslite, I wanted to see just how much electricity it would use. I used a Kill-A-Watt for the measurements.
Charging
kWh measured: 0.02
Time: 3 hours
kWh/hour: 0.007 (equates to 7 watts)
High (starting with full charge)
kWh measured: 0.1
Time: 8 hours, 25 mins
kWh/hour: 0.012 (equates to 12 watts)
High (starting with no charge)
kWh measured: 0.1
Time: 6 hours, 56 mins
kWh/hour: 0.014 (equates to 14 watts)
In my testing I hooked up a webcam to snap a picture every 15 seconds so I could tell within that time frame when the Kill-A-Watt meter went up to the next kWh decimal point.
I won't post the results on Low because I don't really see a lot of people using this on the low setting. I did find that on Low when starting with no charge for the first few hours it used more energy, but once the internal battery was charged, then that usage dropped back to what it would be had I started with a full charge. On the High setting this didn't happen. My only guess is that the internal battery never got fully charged so maybe if I had run the test for more than 7 hours it would have been more in line with what I found on the Low setting. Bottom line though is that it only really equates to a 2 watt difference.
Nice numbers, but what does this all mean? At the time of writing this post, my cost per kWh is $0.0677.
For every 100 hours of use
Note: I don't have one of the 500 or 1000 Watt halogen lights to test with, so I am just assuming that their actual output is indeed 500 and 1000 watts.
Maybe it's not really fair to compare the Syslite to a 1000 Watt halogen, but if you factor in the cost of usage then the price tag on the Syslite is a little easier to swallow. I like it because it's built to last and is very handy for getting into enclosed areas such as installing drawer slides on cabinets. The Festool Syslite will probably be the last light I ever need to buy, unless of course I buy a 2nd one.
I created a calculator if you would like to plug in your own numbers for the Syslite.
http://mcameron.dyndns.org/festool/syslite.asp
Charging
kWh measured: 0.02
Time: 3 hours
kWh/hour: 0.007 (equates to 7 watts)
High (starting with full charge)
kWh measured: 0.1
Time: 8 hours, 25 mins
kWh/hour: 0.012 (equates to 12 watts)
High (starting with no charge)
kWh measured: 0.1
Time: 6 hours, 56 mins
kWh/hour: 0.014 (equates to 14 watts)
In my testing I hooked up a webcam to snap a picture every 15 seconds so I could tell within that time frame when the Kill-A-Watt meter went up to the next kWh decimal point.
I won't post the results on Low because I don't really see a lot of people using this on the low setting. I did find that on Low when starting with no charge for the first few hours it used more energy, but once the internal battery was charged, then that usage dropped back to what it would be had I started with a full charge. On the High setting this didn't happen. My only guess is that the internal battery never got fully charged so maybe if I had run the test for more than 7 hours it would have been more in line with what I found on the Low setting. Bottom line though is that it only really equates to a 2 watt difference.
Nice numbers, but what does this all mean? At the time of writing this post, my cost per kWh is $0.0677.
- Cost per charge would be $0.0014. I am not sure how many charges you can get out of each internal battery, but if it was 1000, then the total cost to charge the Syslite over the lifetime of that battery would be $1.42.
- If you ran the Syslite on High for an entire year (8760 hours), it would cost around $8-$9 (this is in Canadian funds eh!).
For every 100 hours of use
- 500 Watt Halogen: $3.39 (50 kWh used)
- 1000 Watt Halogen: $6.77 (100 kWh used)
- Festool Syslite @ 14 Watts: $0.09 (1.4 kWh used)
Note: I don't have one of the 500 or 1000 Watt halogen lights to test with, so I am just assuming that their actual output is indeed 500 and 1000 watts.
Maybe it's not really fair to compare the Syslite to a 1000 Watt halogen, but if you factor in the cost of usage then the price tag on the Syslite is a little easier to swallow. I like it because it's built to last and is very handy for getting into enclosed areas such as installing drawer slides on cabinets. The Festool Syslite will probably be the last light I ever need to buy, unless of course I buy a 2nd one.
I created a calculator if you would like to plug in your own numbers for the Syslite.
http://mcameron.dyndns.org/festool/syslite.asp
Brice Burrell
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Very cool Mike. Now if I can just find a way to charge my clients for the amount of money my Syslite could be saving them in electricity it would pay for itself in a few years. [tongue] [big grin]
adubeau said:
adubeau,
You hit the nail on the head! The SysLite flat out works! I don't understand how people are worried about charging back the client for the use of a light [scratch chin]. If their rate is so low it doesn't cover the cost of the tools...Hmmmm..... [scared]
When your dealer doesn't have the light in stock... and you can't play with it... well... knowing some of the stuff asked here is needed. But I sure don't need know who made the die for the plastic housing.
I have two SysLites and need to now buy a drill to provide external energy (power source) batteries to them. What I find is I want corded power tools because when I use them I use them hard. But for a work light on site used from task to task, that I need is, to move from side to side place to place to get the job done a cordless light. Being tied to a power cord is a negative to be able to move a light with one hand and be holding a power tool with the other and is just one more thing that gets in the way and takes time to set up, move when working and put away.
Cheers,
Steve
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