Mine STOPPED working after 2 uses. It no longer powers and red light stays on. I AM PISSED! I have buy one get one...so I have 6 lights and NONE are working!!
I took this thing apart and tested the batteries which are 4 volt SLA type and there is two of them wired in parallel. The LED bar runs on around 3 volts which is probably why it runs for so long, you could run this on two AAs if you really wanted to. I found a point on the board which I'm going to add my DC mod to but I'm not sure if I want to use a regular 6 Volt wall adapter or just go with USB 5 volts. I might just wire on a USB cord to the two points and call it a day.
I'd get it for $20. Seems pretty bright vs the lantern. It would be nice for a battery option because this would be great for a power outage but unless you keep it charged all the time it could be useless if it's sat around with the other products.
Freakin Reviews.. Thank you for the honest reviews on these products! keep up the great work ! My wife and I go camping often and wanted a safe but inexpensive light to read by in the tent... (Im Not taking a Coleman gas lantern inside) it was a toss up between the Atomic Beam lantern and light bar, but after seeing how long it takes to charge the light bar, and the lack of 110 AC at the camp site, we went with the lantern.. We use dollar store AA batteries priced at 4 for a dollar.. Love this lantern ! Thanks for helping us to decide which light to purchase!
Good review. One caveat however. By using your camera on "auto exposure" the camera adjusts for brightness, mitigating the differences between the 'high' and 'low' settings. Better to put your camera on "manual", then add/change the lights. Thanks.
Great review and super helpful! I just saw the ad on TV and went online to see your review. I was also very skeptical when I saw the Bell and Howell name, as I am familiar with Bell and Howell projectors and other products, and I had a feeling they had nothing to do with this light bar. Your explanation of how the Bell and Howell name may be licensed these days was very helpful to everyone watching your video review.
I called Bell & Howell about the" Emergency power on". Mine I got didn't say anything also. they said it must be fully charged ( red light off), then turn it to the on, high or low ( the light bar will not go on keeping it plug in"). when the power goes off, it will go on when power is lost to the light bar. BUT they also said that 80% are defective the red light will not go off. that is why I called, I had it plug in for 4 days and it never go off not getting a full charge or getting over charged killing the batteries and the SOS or Emergency mode will not work. They said send it back and they will replace it with 2 good ones.
Do you have a number? I have the box, but somehow all the paperwork was thrown out in the hustle and bustle of Christmas. If so, thanks for posting lol pretty presumptuous of me! 😉
Are any of your cells bright yellow? Mine isn't as bright as my folks. They ordered them one and ordered me one at the same time. That free one for an extra fee lol so it's not free!!! Hehe
Love those light bars.6 so far over the years.Never had any problems.Today just found them on Amazon for $14.88 & free shipping so I ordered another one..:)Awesome review.
If you had an inverter for your car could be great to light up a camping spot at night in conjunction with your lantern, you can never take too many lights when camping trust me
mixwell1983 We had Coleman lanterns in the 60s. My dad poured fuel in them...pumped them and then lit the mantle. They ran a Long time with a lotta light.
But they get really super hot. Used to use those all the time. We were really drunk one night camping & one of the guys said what is that smell. Guess what it was burning flesh on that dam lantern. Yes my forearm & next morning huge burn & blisters. I have a scare to this day & this happened in 1982. Most vehicles you have to run them to be able to have those power sockets in their car work. Who is gonna run their vehicle for over 10 hours. If you have a site with electricity then use that.
I just bought this light bar and I like it so far. The way it works for an emergency light when the power goes out is this way. When you have the light plugged into power to charge it the light will not work but when the power goes out it will turn on as long as you have the switch turned to either low or high setting. This is the so-called "SOS" mode as stated in the instructions.
RE: Sensor I think what they are referring to when they say Sensor is the SOS switch position (if yours has SOS switch position like my Light Bar does? Then the SOS switch position is basically the Sensor activation if AC power is cut. On my B&H light bar there is a High, Low, and SOS. And when you have the Light Bar plugged in and charging and the switch set to SOS the Light Bar will not illuminate but if the power is cut to the charging cable and the switch is in SOS position the light will then illuminate. If power is returned to the charging cable then the Light Bar will turn off long as long as the switch is still in the SOS position. If you have the switch in the off position and power is cut to charge cable the light bar will remain off. The other two switch positions high and low are pretty self explanatory.
Oh you know i'll be getting this thing and hot wiring it. @1:34 7 volts huh, Some of my RC cars use 7.2 volt batteries. I guess the extra .2 volts won't make much difference. This light probably uses NiMH batteries. I'll let you know when I do a teardown of this. Can you run this from the wall and then use the battery like when the power goes out. Right now I have a smaller LED light above my sink that runs on 6 AA batteries. I haven't seen this or the last few products in my walmart yet. guess they take awhile to get here. And you should have a yard sale if you want, too bad I don't live anywhere near Las Vegas so I couldn't get anything from you.
i know this is 7 months after you posted this but im curious if you purchased on. if so did you tear it down and take a peek at the guts? what kind of batteries does it use? you are an rc car guy, would it be possible to get something like a Zippy Flightmax 2S1P 30C 8000mAh pack and use it to run the light? how difficult would it be to ditch the useless hi-lo switch and run a larger 4s or 6s pack with a transformer and a potentiometer to have actual adjustable output? ok sorry for this giant vomit of questions
Great video - but one question: Are you able to effectively just leave the light bar plugged in without damaging the battery or do you actually need to use the recharge function? Thanks
Problem with cheap rechargeable lights like this are the batteries used in them. Although they may last as long as the documentation states, the overall longevity of the batteries will likely not be very good when compared to a higher-end product using higher quality rechargeable batteries. Overall longevity is something you should revisit a year from now. Of course, by then it likely won't be listed for sale anymore... lol
Got this as a gift. SOS ( blinking ) mode never worked once. Then it wouldn't turn off in off mode of the switch - so no matter what position you had it in - it had light shining. Opened it - and cut the black and white wires - for low mode and sos mode - and the annoying "never turn off" mode went away also - which left the blue and red wires as a functioning power source for the up position on the switch - which is full on bright. Works fine now as a full on light - one simple mode only - made by me. Apparently these are extremely common to have faults - something like 80% of them are bad in some way. AND - it IS true that it runs off 3 Volts - as I put my VMeter on it to figure out modes. SO - you can actually modify it and run it off 2 AA's or AAA's or maybe even (2) C's or D's if you could fit them in the unit. OR - even an active USB 5V might do it. It really is amazing how much light just 3V puts out in this light.
I got the 6-pack deal and - I think they're outstanding just right out of the box. Having had simple bag lights for almost ever Studio environment I've had, having THESE that will make providing light much more straight-forward will be a solid investment. I'm also noting some different functions on mine that I'm curious to investigate. Thanks for the review, but especially the comparison with the other two products.
Nice review, thanks. Been thinking about getting a hardwired / bolt-on light bar for my zero turn mower but that requires some installation, wiring etc.. now I’m wondering why not just glue a couple good heavy magnets onto the back of this thing and slap it to front of mower as needed. Other than having to charge occasionally seems like it would be much easier. Plus I can take it off and use it elsewhere when needed. Think it would work good for that type of application?
A WARNING to anyone thinking about buying this product. It's made in China and the Chinese, for some inexplicable reason, decided to give the Bell & Howell Light Bar cheap, lead-acid batteries instead of the more customary Lithium Ion batteries. Lead acid batteries were never designed to operate under the conditions this Light Bar undergoes (numerous Charge, Discharge, Recharge cycles). As a result, they quickly lose their charge and within a few short months (if not weeks), the batteries are completely dead. How do I know this? Because I'm currently on my third Bell & Howell Light Bar and getting ready to buy a fourth. Luckily, I can afford it, although I still hate wasting money.
Why is there no green light when charged? Mine stays red, even after 8 hours charging. So how do I know? My light bars are fairly new. Used only for power outages. Light did not last long, even when charged. Why? Thanks!! Joanne
My mother had this at home and they were adequate, but not really bright when you compare it to multi-spectrum lights. I used temu and got smaller brighter lists for 75% cheaper.
We have one and it's really hard to figure the on, off and SOS switch, placement is way off, SOS doesn't even work..... poor quality, you're better off purchasing a bright plug- in night light. Oh and plugging it in for too long will make the battery crash👎 This a a couple times use kind of product.
Got one of these about three years ago. Pulled it out of the packaging and turned it on once to test and came on brightly. Been in a drawer until I needed it to use pretty frequently. Came right on and very bright. Been using it quite a bit off and on throughout a week and finally started to dim. Put it on the charger and will leave it charging while going to work. Wanting to charge it propery was the reason for watching this video. Seems like a good buy though mine was a gift.
OK I bought this, found it unusuable BC it held a small charge only and was not capable of high output even when plugged in, POS! rated at high lumens, but not. Im tearing it apart to wire the LEDs directly to 12 V DC
Purchased two, DO NOT BUY. Both failed in a few months. Bought two of these from Home Depot, last October 2021. We had a power failure a few days ago, neither one of them came on while they were plugged in to the wall outlet the whole time. I had tested them by pulling the plug a few times. The day I needed they did not work. I tested them out, it seems the battery is not holding a charge at all. They do not even come on for a few seconds. If both of them failed I would say the batteries are very cheap.
Ok jsut found your review, I also have 2 of the BH lite bars, charged and used during our ice storm in E Texas, Ive left the LB on now 3 days ! dim but in dark you can see fair !!
Our light bar barely shines. we bought it this past summer. Kept charged and now it just has lost its brightness... Can this be repaired? We bought a second one a couple of months later an it is working fine. Any suggestions other than buying a new one? Thanks
I just bought a Bell Howell light bar for the stairs cause I have a rabbit that's losing her ability to see. I saw the difference in the brightness from the hall light. I had helped my rabbit big time. Thank you 🐇
Good morning hope all is well one ?I have does the red light supposed to go out once the light is fully charged. Except for that ? the light works pretty well. Thanks await your reply
Bought one a year ago .finally got to use it after sitting plugged in the wall for over six months charging .while working on my car ,after an hour the light went dim..not impressed. waste of money imo.
Pure garbage' once the batteries go and will never hold a charge again its junk. You would have to dismantle it an attempt to replace the rechargeable batteries inside it or just throw the Chinese junk away..
I tried to buy these at my local store today, and when I got to the cash there was a "do not sell" warning that popped up on the register, and manager said they were no longer allowed to sell them. Was there a recall on these? Do they explode? I can't find anything to pin point why they pulled these from shelves
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE ASOTV PRODUCTS WOULD YOU HAVE NO PROBLEM SENDING BACK FOR YOUR FULL REFUND LESS SHIPPING OF COURSE AS THAT'S WHERE THEY NAIL YOU ESPECIALLY ON THE TWO FOR ONE DEALS. HAVE YOU DONE ANY REVIEWS ON THE HOT AIR FRYERS. I WAS ACCEPTED TO BELL AND HOWELL FOR COMPUTER REPAIR IN 1979 BUT WAS MAKING $2K A WEEK TENDING BAR AND SAID SCREW SCHOOL. WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS!
This isn't the same company. That company is long gone. Now it's just a name that someone purchased the rights to so they can slap it on cheap imported products.
Great job again! I was wondering....What is the color temperature of these lights? The camera tries to self adjust to compensate for that. I suspect that all the lights you test have that standard blueish color? That is the cheapest LED to produce. Thanks!
Curt Chase Does the manufacturer state the kelvin rating? I'm looking for 12 to 14k, in a rechargeable format. Usually blue and white colors will indicate a high kelvin score...@freakingreviews
The Power Outage sensor is when switch is in SOS position and the power goes out the light comes on , i found this out by accident was trying the light and noticed three positions would turn it on plugged it into a switched power strip and tried again to see if any brighter while charging and had it on sos and accidently turned off the power strip , so that is what that is leave plugged in on sos and if a storm knocks out power it comes on.
I hate the fact that they suggest to charge it every 3 months because of the battery. I recharged mine 9 hrs and then remove the plug, but in doing so i noticed that the charging light was still red. I forgot, does it have to go clear to fully charge it and did i remove it too soon while it was red?
mostly how it works, they buy a product from china, which other sellers can also buy, it all comes down to marketing and how much they can charge, where they sell it, who wants to pay for 'as seen on tv' ads, very few products are made for these companies as such, they are mostly just buyers,
yeah i bought one of these and mine did not come with the mounting screws, the red light does not go out when it is fully charged, and i have now had it for about 3 months and there is no real change between the low and high settings. as well as after only 3 months or so it does not hold a charge for anything and the light i only about half as bright as it was when i first got it when it is supposed to be fully charged.
Excellent excellent review. One suggestion. If you don't have a lumens meter, there are free apps. They may not give the most accurate readings, but you can figure out the percentage brighter one lamp is to another. Or how quickly the light goes down 50% in brightness, let's say. Showing the lights against the house was fantastic. Adding a bit more quantifiable data would add to its strengths/weaknesses.
That was a very good demonstration!!! Awesome!!! Before I were to buy that light, I would fish around the Internet and I bet I could find that same light, unbranded, for a much cheaper price. Are you going to sell all that left over demo merchandise on Ebay or Amazon ?? Thanks for your excellent work !!!
Hey Victor, and thanks for the nice comment! I haven't decided what to do with all of my old products. I may just give it away at some point, if I can figure out a good way to do that.
I purchased two and I'm quite happy with them, except...the SOS mode, it doesn't work. I talked with Cust Svc and they were confused. I asked to speak with a Supvr but no one wanted to talk with me. The instructions state for it to work in SOS mode it had to be plugged in. It was plugged in but when I switched it to SOS the light came on. So there isn't an SOS mode. I explained this to the agent and she spoke to someone else who said the SOS mode was when the light flashes, obviously someone who only knows about this mode on flashlights. I was finally given the phone number to the Corporate Office. I called but only got the voicemail. I was offered a replacement or refund through Cust Svc. I will let you know what happens after I talk to the Corp Ofc.
Got one for the work van which interestingly has no light in the back. I saw the commercial for this product claiming if plugged in and if there is a power outage, the device automatically turns on. Seems like this is false. There are only 2 ways to switch it either Hi or Regular, the middle is the Off Position. If you plug it to recharge, it will charge but you have to keep it on the Off Position, take the power off, but it stays off.
Thanks for the review. Just got mine a few days ago. Plugged it up without reading the instructions. No wonder why it seem so dim. Skipped the part about the 25hr initial charge. Gonna have to wait till tomorrow.
Can you use it still pluged in? Is it AC or DC charge? Though about these for inside my van but to charge it do you have ot use a 120volt plug to charge it?
Wow they removed the semsor feature. That sucks. So is like still same commercial on. Funny U was wondering recently where you kept all the products you review. I figure you had extra close or empty storage room for them. 😂 I like the 360 better, but the bar not bad. Oh didn't know of the NANE thing,so thought so. Good it doesn't get hot. You need that sometimes,cuz other stuff does get hot.
How long does it stay charged, without using it once fully charged? Would it be worth having for a backup light source in case of a power outage? Say it was charged fully when bought, never used, have a power outage 5 months later - would it still be charged?
Kelli EXACTLY the question whose answer I am reading this U-toob review's comments for! I was thinking the car trunk :: I want to charge it once, put in trunk, and use it -- still near 100% charged -- TWO or more YEARS later. It might be impractical for this product reviewer to measure this. One would think it's a great selling point, like "charge it once, throw in car trunk, and still almost fully charged a decade later!". Since they DO NOT suggest that concept, I speculate it drains charge so fast you'd hafta recharge it "monthly". Too bad. I wish a battery theory expert would opine here for us!
I got a lemon. Mine isn't as bright as my folks. 3 of my squares are yellow. The SOS on my light bar doesn't work and there is no difference between high and low and SOS lo SOS doesn't flash. I Did leave mine on for overnight and it stayed fairly bright for 12 hours the second charging. It went dead after 10mins after 20hrs of charging.
It doesn't get hot because it isn't bright. If they pushed it, it would melt the plastic. If they made a metal heat sink, brighter, with a larger battery, it would cost twice as much or maybe more. Also, warmer color temp emitters cost more, which is why they use the cheap cool blue emitters. But nice and fair review
Part 2. The light bar never had an SOS mode. This was a mistake by the manufacturer. Even though the instructions mentions the SOS mode and some light bars had the SOS mode on the switch it never existed, there was never a sensor to detect a power outage. If you have a problem and call the Cust Svc number 888-313-0858 there's a very good chance you will be given the wrong information like I received. Call 800-647-2290 for the correct information on the light bar and other products. Hope this helps.
to use emergency mode, leave the bar plugged in and the switch selector on SOS mode. what will happen is when the power goes out, the bar will automatically turn on
I bought the Light Bar in 2015 and left it plugged in (charging) all the time. I used it during a power failure and it worked as expected. About six months later, I tried it again and it was totally dead. I opened it up and tested the circuitry with a voltmeter, and determined that the CHARGING circuit was no longer working. I disassembled the unit completely and saved the LED assembly and the internal rechargeable cells, because I can use both for other projects that I am always concocting (the LEDs will last longer than the remainder of my life). Assuming that the original unit was merely defective, I bought another one, have left it plugged in (charging) all the time, and it has worked with no problem.
Great review. Thank you. I'm grabbing 4 of them today. Btw, if you need to get rid of some of the goodies to clear space, I have a large shed I can store them in for you....lol
Great review...! I wonder a few things: I understand that it's rechargeable, but after the actual battery runs dry, can the battery itself be replaced-or does the unit end up in the landfill? Is the charging plug a USB? Finally, once it's charged, how long does it stay charged? I'd like to keep it charged up in my garage for emergencies, but if it runs out in a month or two, it probably would run out before I needed it. Thanks!!! :)
These light bars are crap! I had 3 and they all broke! They are supposed to be for emergency on lighting when the power goes out but if you leave it plugged in for that feature they burn up or just stop working all together. One had and electrical smell so I checked them all within 9 months and all were bad! Don’t waste a dime on them!!!
Bought two over the past month, both have the SOS notch but the first one not working that way, lights come on when plugged into AC using the SOS notch on the switch. The second one does work that way, left it on the SOS notch, pull the AC chord, lights come on bright. So I figure its a 50/50 chance of buying a defective one but will buy one or two more, still cheaper than an electrician for certain places around the house.
4:55 That looks like a strobe mode, not S.O.S. since it's constantly flashing instead of in a pattern. S.O.S. is when there is a specific pattern, that pattern being Morse code for the letters "SOS" (three quick flashes, three long flashes, three quick flashes, then repeats after a pause).
We got 3 of them few years ago but all of them failed in less than a year. Opened the case and the charging circuit board was burned in two of them; the other had a burned connection to one of the batteries. Ended throwing them away.
I must say you do an excellent job in this review *the only one I have seen. There are a lot of people who (try) reviews. If you haven't you should create other channels and review knives and firearms, Harbor Freight etc. They are in need of a more professional reviewer like yourself. I am off to watch some more freaking reviews.
1 out of every 2 bought is no good & if you leave it plugged in for a long time battery gets hot,light lasts about 2 hours.That's in the bad one. They will replace,but is costly to send back,they don't pay return postage.
This light looks great. I would defenetly buy one. Would you know how long will the charge last without being use and will it get damaged if it is plugged 24/7 charging. Great video.
Light Bar I bought 2 and they dime very quickly within 5 minutes if you leave it on. But use it and turn off quickly, it can last brighter with the battery.
![Cody Johnson - I'm Gonna Love You (with Carrie Underwood) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yy9PuYMU29g/mqdefault.jpg)
Mine STOPPED working after 2 uses. It no longer powers and red light stays on. I AM PISSED! I have buy one get one...so I have 6 lights and NONE are working!!
Will we see you on an episode of "Hoarders" in the future? ;)
I took this thing apart and tested the batteries which are 4 volt SLA type and there is two of them wired in parallel. The LED bar runs on around 3 volts which is probably why it runs for so long, you could run this on two AAs if you really wanted to. I found a point on the board which I'm going to add my DC mod to but I'm not sure if I want to use a regular 6 Volt wall adapter or just go with USB 5 volts. I might just wire on a USB cord to the two points and call it a day.
coondogtheman1234:::::: :feeds u nite quill and tucks u in:::::shhhhh "there there Coony",tomorrow will be a brand new day"
Interesting friend. Is it just a hobby you do to test electronics?
With that kind of mod do you think it's a good rig for beginner videographer or youtuber? Or is it too expensive?
@coondogtherman1234 could you describe that point where you put 5v USB input-- I might do the same.Thanks!
Bell and Howell made overhead and slide projectors.
Some crap Chinese company paid to use the name for suckers that don't know better.
Yeah.....like HAIER, which, admittingly make good A/C's n stuff.
I'd get it for $20. Seems pretty bright vs the lantern. It would be nice for a battery option because this would be great for a power outage but unless you keep it charged all the time it could be useless if it's sat around with the other products.
Freakin Reviews.. Thank you for the honest reviews on these products! keep up the great work ! My wife and I go camping often and wanted a safe but inexpensive light to read by in the tent... (Im Not taking a Coleman gas lantern inside) it was a toss up between the Atomic Beam lantern and light bar, but after seeing how long it takes to charge the light bar, and the lack of 110 AC at the camp site, we went with the lantern.. We use dollar store AA batteries priced at 4 for a dollar.. Love this lantern ! Thanks for helping us to decide which light to purchase!
Good review. One caveat however. By using your camera on "auto exposure" the camera adjusts for brightness, mitigating the differences between the 'high' and 'low' settings. Better to put your camera on "manual", then add/change the lights. Thanks.
Great review and super helpful! I just saw the ad on TV and went online to see your review. I was also very skeptical when I saw the Bell and Howell name, as I am familiar with Bell and Howell projectors and other products, and I had a feeling they had nothing to do with this light bar. Your explanation of how the Bell and Howell name may be licensed these days was very helpful to everyone watching your video review.
Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad you found my video useful!
I'm waiting for your neighbors or passing motorists to report "strange lights" in the Nevada sky...Area 51, anybody?
CAN YOU KEEP THE LIGHTBAR PLUG-IN THE WALL...???
Kept ours plugged in for a continuous charge. It no longer works.
I called Bell & Howell about the" Emergency power on". Mine I got didn't say anything also. they said it must be fully charged ( red light off), then turn it to the on, high or low ( the light bar will not go on keeping it plug in"). when the power goes off, it will go on when power is lost to the light bar. BUT they also said that 80% are defective the red light will not go off. that is why I called, I had it plug in for 4 days and it never go off not getting a full charge or getting over charged killing the batteries and the SOS or Emergency mode will not work. They said send it back and they will replace it with 2 good ones.
Wait, did you say 80% of the light bars are defective in regards to the charge indicator?
good to know , i just ordered 6 for the emergency feature. thanks for clearing it up for us.
Keith Ress:yea,how are those two doing nowadays?
Do you have a number? I have the box, but somehow all the paperwork was thrown out in the hustle and bustle of Christmas. If so, thanks for posting lol pretty presumptuous of me! 😉
Are any of your cells bright yellow? Mine isn't as bright as my folks. They ordered them one and ordered me one at the same time. That free one for an extra fee lol so it's not free!!! Hehe
Love those light bars.6 so far over the years.Never had any problems.Today just found them on Amazon for $14.88 & free shipping so I ordered another one..:)Awesome review.
If you had an inverter for your car could be great to light up a camping spot at night in conjunction with your lantern, you can never take too many lights when camping trust me
mixwell1983 you can buy a cigarette lighter plug in that has an electrical outlet on one side
I have one in my car and it's come in handy
mixwell1983 We had Coleman lanterns in the 60s. My dad poured fuel in them...pumped them and then lit the mantle.
They ran a Long time with a lotta light.
But they get really super hot. Used to use those all the time. We were really drunk one night camping & one of the guys said what is that smell. Guess what it was burning flesh on that dam lantern. Yes my forearm & next morning huge burn & blisters. I have a scare to this day & this happened in 1982. Most vehicles you have to run them to be able to have those power sockets in their car work. Who is gonna run their vehicle for over 10 hours. If you have a site with electricity then use that.
Very nice, comprehensive and accurate review rendered by a knowledgeable and charismatic guy. I appreciate your good work...thanks!
I just bought this light bar and I like it so far. The way it works for an emergency light when the power goes out is this way. When you have the light plugged into power to charge it the light will not work but when the power goes out it will turn on as long as you have the switch turned to either low or high setting. This is the so-called "SOS" mode as stated in the instructions.
BUT MY LIGHT WORKS WHEN CHARGING???
Worked for about 3 months. No way to open. POS.
Looks decent but missing USB as a backup with many sources including that wallet..
RE: Sensor
I think what they are referring to when they say Sensor is the SOS switch position (if yours has SOS switch position like my Light Bar does? Then the SOS switch position is basically the Sensor activation if AC power is cut. On my B&H light bar there is a High, Low, and SOS. And when you have the Light Bar plugged in and charging and the switch set to SOS the Light Bar will not illuminate but if the power is cut to the charging cable and the switch is in SOS position the light will then illuminate. If power is returned to the charging cable then the Light Bar will turn off long as long as the switch is still in the SOS position. If you have the switch in the off position and power is cut to charge cable the light bar will remain off. The other two switch positions high and low are pretty self explanatory.
Oh you know i'll be getting this thing and hot wiring it. @1:34 7 volts huh, Some of my RC cars use 7.2 volt batteries. I guess the extra .2 volts won't make much difference. This light probably uses NiMH batteries. I'll let you know when I do a teardown of this.
Can you run this from the wall and then use the battery like when the power goes out. Right now I have a smaller LED light above my sink that runs on 6 AA batteries. I haven't seen this or the last few products in my walmart yet. guess they take awhile to get here.
And you should have a yard sale if you want, too bad I don't live anywhere near Las Vegas so I couldn't get anything from you.
i know this is 7 months after you posted this but im curious if you purchased on. if so did you tear it down and take a peek at the guts? what kind of batteries does it use? you are an rc car guy, would it be possible to get something like a Zippy Flightmax 2S1P 30C 8000mAh pack and use it to run the light? how difficult would it be to ditch the useless hi-lo switch and run a larger 4s or 6s pack with a transformer and a potentiometer to have actual adjustable output?
ok sorry for this giant vomit of questions
By far one of the best reviewers I've seen. You have a new subcriber👍👍👍
Thanks Roger. I really appreciate it.
Great video - but one question: Are you able to effectively just leave the light bar plugged in without damaging the battery or do you actually need to use the recharge function?
Thanks
Kept ours plugged in for a continues charge. It no longer works.
Amanda Jo Michaels yeah, that’s where I’m at, I’ve been reading all the praise, and thinking. Have you had it over a year? Tested it lately?
Problem with cheap rechargeable lights like this are the batteries used in them. Although they may last as long as the documentation states, the overall longevity of the batteries will likely not be very good when compared to a higher-end product using higher quality rechargeable batteries. Overall longevity is something you should revisit a year from now. Of course, by then it likely won't be listed for sale anymore... lol
Junk thinking twice before buy I am very disappointed with this product
Got this as a gift. SOS ( blinking ) mode never worked once. Then it wouldn't turn off in off mode of the switch - so no matter what position you had it in - it had light shining. Opened it - and cut the black and white wires - for low mode and sos mode - and the annoying "never turn off" mode went away also - which left the blue and red wires as a functioning power source for the up position on the switch - which is full on bright. Works fine now as a full on light - one simple mode only - made by me. Apparently these are extremely common to have faults - something like 80% of them are bad in some way.
AND - it IS true that it runs off 3 Volts - as I put my VMeter on it to figure out modes. SO - you can actually modify it and run it off 2 AA's or AAA's or maybe even (2) C's or D's if you could fit them in the unit. OR - even an active USB 5V might do it. It really is amazing how much light just 3V puts out in this light.
I got the 6-pack deal and - I think they're outstanding just right out of the box. Having had simple bag lights for almost ever Studio environment I've had, having THESE that will make providing light much more straight-forward will be a solid investment. I'm also noting some different functions on mine that I'm curious to investigate. Thanks for the review, but especially the comparison with the other two products.
Nice review, thanks. Been thinking about getting a hardwired / bolt-on light bar for my zero turn mower but that requires some installation, wiring etc.. now I’m wondering why not just glue a couple good heavy magnets onto the back of this thing and slap it to front of mower as needed. Other than having to charge occasionally seems like it would be much easier. Plus I can take it off and use it elsewhere when needed. Think it would work good for that type of application?
I was so tempted to buy lol
A WARNING to anyone thinking about buying this product. It's made in China and the Chinese, for some inexplicable reason, decided to give the Bell & Howell Light Bar cheap, lead-acid batteries instead of the more customary Lithium Ion batteries. Lead acid batteries were never designed to operate under the conditions this Light Bar undergoes (numerous Charge, Discharge, Recharge cycles). As a result, they quickly lose their charge and within a few short months (if not weeks), the batteries are completely dead. How do I know this? Because I'm currently on my third Bell & Howell Light Bar and getting ready to buy a fourth. Luckily, I can afford it, although I still hate wasting money.
390 Lumen Magnetic Slim Bar Folding LED Worklight with coupon is $19. At the harbour freight.
Why is there no green light when charged? Mine stays red, even after 8 hours charging. So how do I know?
My light bars are fairly new. Used only for power outages.
Light did not last long, even when charged. Why?
Thanks!! Joanne
My mother had this at home and they were adequate, but not really bright when you compare it to multi-spectrum lights. I used temu and got smaller brighter lists for 75% cheaper.
We have one and it's really hard to figure the on, off and SOS switch, placement is way off, SOS doesn't even work..... poor quality, you're better off purchasing a bright plug- in night light. Oh and plugging it in for too long will make the battery crash👎 This a a couple times use kind of product.
Got one of these about three years ago. Pulled it out of the packaging and turned it on once to test and came on brightly. Been in a drawer until I needed it to use pretty frequently. Came right on and very bright. Been using it quite a bit off and on throughout a week and finally started to dim. Put it on the charger and will leave it charging while going to work. Wanting to charge it propery was the reason for watching this video. Seems like a good buy though mine was a gift.
OK I bought this, found it unusuable BC it held a small charge only and was not capable of high output even when plugged in, POS! rated at high lumens, but not. Im tearing it apart to wire the LEDs directly to 12 V DC
Purchased two, DO NOT BUY. Both failed in a few months.
Bought two of these from Home Depot, last October 2021. We had a power failure a few days ago, neither one of them came on while they were plugged in to the wall outlet the whole time. I had tested them by pulling the plug a few times. The day I needed they did not work. I tested them out, it seems the battery is not holding a charge at all. They do not even come on for a few seconds. If both of them failed I would say the batteries are very cheap.
That thing is bright. Doesn't seem much difference between hi and lo.
Agreed. I just use it on high because there is very little difference between the two modes.
Ok jsut found your review, I also have 2 of the BH lite bars, charged and used during our ice storm in E Texas, Ive left the LB on now 3 days ! dim but in dark you can see fair !!
Our light bar barely shines. we bought it this past summer. Kept charged and now it just has lost its brightness... Can this be repaired? We bought a second one a couple of months later an it is working fine. Any suggestions other than buying a new one? Thanks
I can't find SLA replacements. It needs two. Any help out there. Have you had battery failures?
I bought one and am very disappointed.. It lasted less than 15 minutes after a 24 hour charge. Light never did turn green. Don't waste your money
I just bought a Bell Howell light bar for the stairs cause I have a rabbit that's losing her ability to see. I saw the difference in the brightness from the hall light. I had helped my rabbit big time. Thank you 🐇
Good morning hope all is well one ?I have does the red light supposed to go out once the light is fully charged. Except for that ? the light works pretty well. Thanks await your reply
Bought one a year ago .finally got to use it after sitting plugged in the wall for over six
months charging .while working
on my car ,after an hour the light went dim..not impressed.
waste of money imo.
Pure garbage' once the batteries go and will never hold a charge again its junk. You would have to dismantle it an attempt to replace the rechargeable batteries inside it or just throw the Chinese junk away..
I tried to buy these at my local store today, and when I got to the cash there was a "do not sell" warning that popped up on the register, and manager said they were no longer allowed to sell them. Was there a recall on these? Do they explode? I can't find anything to pin point why they pulled these from shelves
Why would they be on the shelf as if for sale if they are not allowed to sell them? They would have pulled them off the shelves.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE ASOTV PRODUCTS WOULD YOU HAVE NO PROBLEM SENDING BACK FOR YOUR FULL REFUND LESS SHIPPING OF COURSE AS THAT'S WHERE THEY NAIL YOU ESPECIALLY ON THE TWO FOR ONE DEALS. HAVE YOU DONE ANY REVIEWS ON THE HOT AIR FRYERS. I WAS ACCEPTED TO BELL AND HOWELL FOR COMPUTER REPAIR IN 1979 BUT WAS MAKING $2K A WEEK TENDING BAR AND SAID SCREW SCHOOL. WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS!
This isn't the same company. That company is long gone. Now it's just a name that someone purchased the rights to so they can slap it on cheap imported products.
Freakin' cool 'site'! Do you buy all these items with your own money?, if so you are to be commended!😀
Why just breeze past the charger....can you charge it 12volt or usb or just the wall
We purchased one of these and hate it. It doesn’t hold a charge and now not working. We only had it since December. Don’t recommend
Great job again! I was wondering....What is the color temperature of these lights? The camera tries to self adjust to compensate for that. I suspect that all the lights you test have that standard blueish color? That is the cheapest LED to produce. Thanks!
Curt Chase Does the manufacturer state the kelvin rating? I'm looking for 12 to 14k, in a rechargeable format. Usually blue and white colors will indicate a high kelvin score...@freakingreviews
The Power Outage sensor is when switch is in SOS position and the power goes out the light comes on , i found this out by accident was trying the light and noticed three positions would turn it on plugged it into a switched power strip and tried again to see if any brighter while charging and had it on sos and accidently turned off the power strip , so that is what that is leave plugged in on sos and if a storm knocks out power it comes on.
I hate the fact that they suggest to charge it every 3 months because of the battery. I recharged mine 9 hrs and then remove the plug, but in doing so i noticed that the charging light was still red. I forgot, does it have to go clear to fully charge it and did i remove it too soon while it was red?
that would be super cool for people that have wonky power to have a backup light option, but oh well.
Have one, not bad. It holds a charge well and is very bright. The stand arms are pretty flimsy so be aware.
If you know anything about battery this item is bad, it's made for home not for rv goer or camping.
90% of users say Its defective after sometime!(secret)
hey looks the same as the HSN What A Light check them out. wonder if the bell and howell buy them out?
Marla White Hope not. I like the name anyhow.
mostly how it works, they buy a product from china, which other sellers can also buy, it all comes down to marketing and how much they can charge, where they sell it, who wants to pay for 'as seen on tv' ads, very few products are made for these companies as such, they are mostly just buyers,
But the red light will never go out even after 48 hours of charging! What’s up with that?
good review. Thanks. Just got one for free from recycling.
yeah i bought one of these and mine did not come with the mounting screws, the red light does not go out when it is fully charged, and i have now had it for about 3 months and there is no real change between the low and high settings. as well as after only 3 months or so it does not hold a charge for anything and the light i only about half as bright as it was when i first got it when it is supposed to be fully charged.
tattooedbert plays games you got gotten
Excellent excellent review. One suggestion. If you don't have a lumens meter, there are free apps. They may not give the most accurate readings, but you can figure out the percentage brighter one lamp is to another. Or how quickly the light goes down 50% in brightness, let's say. Showing the lights against the house was fantastic. Adding a bit more quantifiable data would add to its strengths/weaknesses.
Hey Jerry, I had no idea there were lumens meter apps! Thanks for the tip.
mounting in the back hatch area of my cherokee.... xj that is. perfect for it.
That means you rip that dog open and convert the power source to something with more capacity.
I have two. One works. It recharged! My other one, same, does not charge.
I have one, and it’s good for the money. It does what they say it does and it’s inexpensive.
Shute mine don't last 10 mins after charging
Convinced me to buy the light bar
That was a very good demonstration!!! Awesome!!! Before I were to buy that light, I would fish around the Internet and I bet I could find that same light, unbranded, for a much cheaper price. Are you going to sell all that left over demo merchandise on Ebay or Amazon ?? Thanks for your excellent work !!!
Hey Victor, and thanks for the nice comment! I haven't decided what to do with all of my old products. I may just give it away at some point, if I can figure out a good way to do that.
I purchased two and I'm quite happy with them, except...the SOS mode, it doesn't work. I talked with Cust Svc and they were confused. I asked to speak with a Supvr but no one wanted to talk with me. The instructions state for it to work in SOS mode it had to be plugged in. It was plugged in but when I switched it to SOS the light came on. So there isn't an SOS mode. I explained this to the agent and she spoke to someone else who said the SOS mode was when the light flashes, obviously someone who only knows about this mode on flashlights. I was finally given the phone number to the Corporate Office. I called but only got the voicemail. I was offered a replacement or refund through Cust Svc. I will let you know what happens after I talk to the Corp Ofc.
cgiv76 the SOS mode only works if it's plugged in a outlet charging and the power goes out then the light comes on
Got one for the work van which interestingly has no light in the back. I saw the commercial for this product claiming if plugged in and if there is a power outage, the device automatically turns on. Seems like this is false. There are only 2 ways to switch it either Hi or Regular, the middle is the Off Position. If you plug it to recharge, it will charge but you have to keep it on the Off Position, take the power off, but it stays off.
This is something I actually might buy, thank you!
How many hours did it need to charge the next time after the first 25 Hrs ?
Thanks for the review. Just got mine a few days ago. Plugged it up without reading the instructions. No wonder why it seem so dim. Skipped the part about the 25hr initial charge. Gonna have to wait till tomorrow.
Can you use it still pluged in? Is it AC or DC charge? Though about these for inside my van but to charge it do you have ot use a 120volt plug to charge it?
Wow they removed the semsor feature. That sucks. So is like still same commercial on. Funny U was wondering recently where you kept all the products you review. I figure you had extra close or empty storage room for them. 😂 I like the 360 better, but the bar not bad. Oh didn't know of the NANE thing,so thought so. Good it doesn't get hot. You need that sometimes,cuz other stuff does get hot.
How long does it stay charged, without using it once fully charged? Would it be worth having for a backup light source in case of a power outage? Say it was charged fully when bought, never used, have a power outage 5 months later - would it still be charged?
Kelli EXACTLY the question whose answer I am reading this U-toob review's comments for! I was thinking the car trunk :: I want to charge it once, put in trunk, and use it -- still near 100% charged -- TWO or more YEARS later. It might be impractical for this product reviewer to measure this. One would think it's a great selling point, like "charge it once, throw in car trunk, and still almost fully charged a decade later!". Since they DO NOT suggest that concept, I speculate it drains charge so fast you'd hafta recharge it "monthly". Too bad. I wish a battery theory expert would opine here for us!
Jay Rod wtf is U-toob
Just wondering do you get paid to do reviews?
No because quite a few of my reviews are not positive, and I'm sure they wouldn't pay for that! I buy all of these products myself.
15thsquadron01 If you seen his other reviews or read some comments or reply to other you'd seen he buys them himself & he doesn't get paid. Lol
I got a lemon. Mine isn't as bright as my folks. 3 of my squares are yellow. The SOS on my light bar doesn't work and there is no difference between high and low and SOS lo
SOS doesn't flash. I Did leave mine on for overnight and it stayed fairly bright for 12 hours the second charging. It went dead after 10mins after 20hrs of charging.
It doesn't get hot because it isn't bright. If they pushed it, it would melt the plastic. If they made a metal heat sink, brighter, with a larger battery, it would cost twice as much or maybe more. Also, warmer color temp emitters cost more, which is why they use the cheap cool blue emitters.
But nice and fair review
Part 2. The light bar never had an SOS mode. This was a mistake by the manufacturer. Even though the instructions mentions the SOS mode and some light bars had the SOS mode on the switch it never existed, there was never a sensor to detect a power outage. If you have a problem and call the Cust Svc number 888-313-0858 there's a very good chance you will be given the wrong information like I received. Call 800-647-2290 for the correct information on the light bar and other products. Hope this helps.
to use emergency mode, leave the bar plugged in and the switch selector on SOS mode. what will happen is when the power goes out, the bar will automatically turn on
What camera do you use for filming?
You never showed that it when the light went off then the light comes on .
I bought the Light Bar in 2015 and left it plugged in (charging) all the time. I used it during a power failure and it worked as expected. About six months later, I tried it again and it was totally dead. I opened it up and tested the circuitry with a voltmeter, and determined that the CHARGING circuit was no longer working. I disassembled the unit completely and saved the LED assembly and the internal rechargeable cells, because I can use both for other projects that I am always concocting (the LEDs will last longer than the remainder of my life). Assuming that the original unit was merely defective, I bought another one, have left it plugged in (charging) all the time, and it has worked with no problem.
Great review. Thank you. I'm grabbing 4 of them today. Btw, if you need to get rid of some of the goodies to clear space, I have a large shed I can store them in for you....lol
Great review...! I wonder a few things:
I understand that it's rechargeable, but after the actual battery runs dry, can the battery itself be replaced-or does the unit end up in the landfill?
Is the charging plug a USB?
Finally, once it's charged, how long does it stay charged? I'd like to keep it charged up in my garage for emergencies, but if it runs out in a month or two, it probably would run out before I needed it. Thanks!!! :)
These light bars are crap! I had 3 and they all broke! They are supposed to be for emergency on lighting when the power goes out but if you leave it plugged in for that feature they burn up or just stop working all together. One had and electrical smell so I checked them all within 9 months and all were bad! Don’t waste a dime on them!!!
Bought two over the past month, both have the SOS notch but the first one not working that way, lights come on when plugged into AC using the SOS notch on the switch. The second one does work that way, left it on the SOS notch, pull the AC chord, lights come on bright. So I figure its a 50/50 chance of buying a defective one but will buy one or two more, still cheaper than an electrician for certain places around the house.
4:55 That looks like a strobe mode, not S.O.S. since it's constantly flashing instead of in a pattern. S.O.S. is when there is a specific pattern, that pattern being Morse code for the letters "SOS" (three quick flashes, three long flashes, three quick flashes, then repeats after a pause).
We got 3 of them few years ago but all of them failed in less than a year. Opened the case and the charging circuit board was burned in two of them; the other had a burned connection to one of the batteries. Ended throwing them away.
That's unfortunate. Mine still works 5 years later. I wonder if something changed in the production.
Mine don't last long after charged
Thorough review. I would suggest using a photometer to establish evidence-based data, but overall an objective review. Thanks.
Glue a magnet and would be awesome... should test the harbor freight huge light
I must say you do an excellent job in this review *the only one I have seen. There are a lot of people who (try) reviews. If you haven't you should create other channels and review knives and firearms, Harbor Freight etc. They are in need of a more professional reviewer like yourself. I am off to watch some more freaking reviews.
1 out of every 2 bought is no good & if you leave it plugged in for a long time battery gets hot,light lasts about 2 hours.That's in the bad one. They will replace,but is costly to send back,they don't pay return postage.
This light looks great. I would defenetly buy one. Would you know how long will the charge last without being use and will it get damaged if it is plugged 24/7 charging.
Great video.
Light Bar I bought 2 and they dime very quickly within 5 minutes if you leave it on. But use it and turn off quickly, it can last brighter with the battery.
Oh cool. I was just looking at this today but wasn’t sure of the price. Will go buy 2 tomorrow. Thanks
''Very good review''.... Thanks for sharing. I'll think I'll buy one. God Bless
2:40 mini Walmart