Before I get into the industry standard terms that each Brinkmann light is based off of, I wanted to go into a quick overview of Brinkmann as a company.
Brinkmann was established in 1974 and it is owned and operated today by J. Baxter Brinkmann. Brinkmann prides themselves on offering high quality products at a great value to all of their customers. The Brinkmann Corporation is also a leading member of the Flashlight Standards Committee (FSC) within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This institute, helps it’s members strengthen the U.S. marketplace position in the global economy, all while helping to assure the safety and health of consumers and the protection of the environment. These extra steps and costs they incur help highlight the ethics and values instilled in the organization since the day it opened in 1974.
Brinkmann employs designers and engineers in Hong Kong and the USA, and all of Brinkmann’s lights and parts are manufactured within these countries. Lots of time and energy goes into testing each and every product. This is shown with the state-of-the-art facility Brinkmann uses to test the industry standard (ANSI/NEMA FL1) on all of their lights. Some of the equipment used to test these lights includes a Spectroradiometer, Photometer, Colorimeter and you can find a picture of an example testing facility below!
- Spectroradiometer – Is an instrument designed to measure the spectral power distributions of illuminates. They are most commonly used to evaluate and categorize lighting for manufacturers, or by consumers to confirm that the light they are going to purchase suits their needs.
- Photometer – Based on a standard source or light strength a photometer is used to measure the intensity of the light produced by the light being designed. This helps consumers determine if the light is “strong” enough for their needs.
- Colorimeter – A device used for measuring colours, or colorimetry. This meter measures the absorbance of different wavelengths of light in a specific solution and it can be used to measure the concentration of a known solute.
Different chemical substances absorb different wavelengths of light and when the concentration of the solute is higher, it absorbs more light in a specific wavelength.
Once the lights are tested and manufactured they are then distributed through Dallas, TX. This facility is one of Brinkmann’s four main distribution centers for all of their products and where they ship to the Detailed Image warehouse from!
Now we can get into the nitty-gritty of the ANSI FL1 standards each light is measured on. Each one of the six standards which ANSI FL1 is measured on are below. Each is always displayed with the associated icons on each of the lights packaging, which allows for easier product comparison by the consumer.
- Light Output – The measurement of overall light energy (luminous flux) that is reported in lumens.
- Run-time – Determines the amount of time elapsed under continuous operation to replace batteries.
- Peak Beam Intensity – This measures the brightest part of the beam in candela.
- Beam Distance – The calculated distance on a projected target that is reported in meters.
- Water Resistance – 3 tests are used: spray, temporary immersion, and submersion.
- Impact Resistance – Damage resistance when dropped on a solid surface that is reported in meters.
You’ll be able to see these ratings on the DetailedImage.com website so you can assess each light uniformly. The ethics, values, testing, and standards have helped Brinkmann become an industry leader. They provide a great balance of features for affordable prices and customers around the world are receiving great products from a truly reputable company. Unfortunately Brinkmann is no longer manufacturing the popular MaxFire Dual Xenon Swirl Finder Spotlight, however you can find other great Brinkmann products we carry at Detailed Image listed below!
Brinkmann ARMORMAX LED Flashlight
Brinkmann Q-Beam Aluminum Flashlight w/14 LEDs
Brinkmann MaxFire Marine Dual LED Rechargeable Spotlight
Brinkmann TuffMax Dual LED Pivot Spotlight
Brinkmann LED Headlamp 1 Watt
Thank you for reading and if you have any questions about any of the lights we carry here at DI, please do not hesitate to ask!