It isn’t often that we review lamps, especially expensive lamps, but the Amble by LightCorp is an exception. Without question, it is one of the more unusual lamps I’ve ever seen.
The Amble was not created with Amateur Radio applications in mind. In fact, it is intended to be fashionable lighting for upscale homes and offices. It was conceived by world-famous lighting designer Stephan Copeland, which no doubt factors into what some may find to be an eyebrow-raising price tag.
Another interesting footnote in the Amble story is that one of the people involved in its technical design is a ham: Ted Dekker, WJ8F. According to Ted, a large portion of the cost is also due to the rigorous certification requirements mandated by the office furniture industry.
Three Ambles
There are three Amble models: Classic, Performance, and Designer. We chose the Designer model for this review.
The base of the Amble Designer houses a hefty lithium-ion battery, which can run its high-power LED lamp for up to 6 hours continuously. The Designer is the only model to offer battery power, which is something to consider for portable applications.
All Amble models feature a bright LED lamp. The Designer lamp includes a battery charger, which you can also use to power the Amble without relying on the battery. And if you have a USB device that needs a power boost from either the battery or the ac supply, the Amble Performance and Designer models offer USB ports.
All Ambles are operated by a touch-sensitive switch. A tap of the finger turns it on; another tap turns it off. You can adjust the light level by tapping on the switch as well. The Performance and Designer models include an infrared sensor that turns the lamp off automatically if it fails to detect movement after 30 minutes.
Using the Amble
Its designer appearance notwithstanding, I found the Amble to be quite rugged. The lamp is constructed primarily of aluminum within an ABS polymer sheath.
If you’re familiar with the sport of Jai Alai, you might be forgiven for thinking the Amble is shaped like a player’s xistera. The unusual shape not only makes the Amble easy to pick up and carry, but also allows the LED portion of the lamp to assume one of three positions: near vertical, angled to about 45 degrees, and horizontal. You simply rock the lamp forward or backward to find the position that offers the best illumination.
For this review, I used my Amble mostly on my station desk. When I needed light over a wide area, I rocked it backward, which placed the LED almost 17 inches above the desktop. For close work when I was building a kit, I rocked it forward to place the LED about 9 inches above my project. The LED includes a tiny shade that automatically pivots when you change positions to help reduce glare.
The Amble is not only bright and flexible, it looks nice, which isn’t something you can say about many lamps that end up in ham stations. It is the kind of lamp that’s not only useful for detailed work, it’s also a pleasing addition to modern home decors.
Bottom Line
Bright and flexible, the Amble lamp from LightCorp is a good fit for the operating position in many Amateur Radio stations.
Manufacturer: LightCorp, 14800 172nd Ave., Grand Haven, MI 49417; www.lightcorp.com. Suggested list price: Amble Classic, $220; Amble Performance, $283; Amble Designer, $388.