ODEO LED Distress Flare

With lithium AA batteries this is lightweight, not so large as to stop me carrying it when on hill walks or on a yacht. Well made, seems waterproof, very bright. Not though it doesn't 'flicker' like the earlier taller model. It just flashes at a varying rate, interspersed with regular slow SOS signal. I checked the InfraRed LED's with night vision monocular and they are definitely brighter than most ordinary LED's. The visible red light LED's are Very bright and unusual in that they appear to have some persistence on powering off: maybe .5 second. The red seems somehow more intense than any red LED I've seen before, though I don't think they are laser LED's. They must have a precise light frequency though as my nigh vision didn't see them, only the Infra Red LED's. Good product and it deserves to sell well. Tested at night from just a mile away and very visible, somewhat more so than the ACR Firefly Waterbug, though that was also good. **************** 2 Years on from my review I make this important addition: The device came with unbranded Lithium AA single use batteries included free and I stored the device with the battery cap closed and sealed. Over the 2 years the battteries have spontaneously died. If I'd had an emergency the batteries would be flat. I found recently a foreign gov report into Lithium AA batteries used in smoke detectors and the finding was that a small proportion do die before their expected shelf life of >10 years. I still intend to use Lithium AA because they hold so much power but DO CHECK the device before taking it on a trip and replace the bateries if appropriate. The foreign report referred to internal corrosion developing over time, which should not happen. I do wonder if the batteries give off gas or chemical molecules over time and if the sealed battery box keeps something damaging inside when it should be escaping, so I am now storing the device with batteries fitted but battery cap off and I only attach it before going on a trip. THIS IS NOT THE FAULT OF THE DEVICE and it is still I believe ideal for purpose. The only other Lithium AA batteries I ever had die even when unused was some I kept tightly wrapped in a plastic bag at bottom of a case for another device. Hence my wonder if some chemical leaches out over time and can't escape. The foreign report did say the voltage on a meter can appear normal but as soon as the bateries are put under load they appear dead. The report is by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, dates from 2002, but it did make me wonder about these Lithium AA batteries. A search will find the report easily.

The ODEO LED distress flare Mk4 is an excellent product and very user-friendly, for example allows use of standard AA batteries if Lithium cells are not at hand. Odeo flares have been successful in comparison tests as well, for example by PBO. My reason for giving 4 stars, and not 5, is that the ODEO product like all LED distress flares has not (yet) been given SOLAS approval; that means, it is not officially recognized as an alternative to pyrotechnics red hand flares. Bear this in mind, especially if you kit out your yacht of more than 13.7m in length.

Only tested it but is very bright.

Bought this for sea kayaking. It's relatively small, which is great as it fits into the small hatch on the deck and is therefore easily accessible. It's eyeball-meltingly bright, so I think it should do the trick if I ever need it in a "real-life" emegency incident - which, obviously, I hope never happens. I keep it in a small dry bag, just to ensure it stays dry. Pleased with it for the peace of mind it brings.

Haven’t used it when needing rescue… yet! Had a few times I’ve had the sea tip me off my kayak. Luckily the time I couldn’t get back on my boat the shore wasn’t far away. This flare and a vhs radio give me confidence that if I can’t rescue myself someone else can have a good shot at it

Fabulous compact UK design! Safety flare without the Pyrotechnics!! A fare you can safely give to your childern for Kayaking, sailing, boating, diving, waking - any outdoor activity. . Check out the specs on the manufactures website. SOLARS IP68 (50m waterproof), 8 hours operation (full illumination), Simple one twist operation. Compact design. User can change batteries (4x L91) Photo are next to an iPhone 7 (not plus)

Seems OK, works fine, but impossible to tell how far away it can be seen unless you’re actually using it in a distress situation.

hopefully won't have to use it but it looks as though it will do the business in an emergency.