Coleman Northstar Propane E.I. Lantern

[Guest]

Went shopping yesterday and bought two of the Electric Ignition Propane lanterns with the split type carry case on sale for $29.

Niether one of them would light using the Electric Ignition. The spark produced is hardly visible to the naked eye. Lighting with a lighter through the optional manual light hole was impossible as all the propane gas went right out the top.

We ended up returning the units.

Anyone here have any experience with these things?

Info is appreciated.

PCG

[nunzio]

PCG;
I've had one of these for a couple of years now. I'm still not sure if I like it. You have to turn the knob all of the way on and OFF real quick..... this allows a little gas to build up, then turn it on, Bang! she lights. I don't think that mine has ever lit on the first try/spark. They are tough to light and they scare the whizz out of ya.... but they do put out alot of light and are adjustable down to almost nothing. I'm still on my first globe as well as my first mantle. So they are a tough lantern, I carry mine in a 6 gal bucket w/ a towel stuffed around the cylinder. I've also noticed that the mantles are getting hard to find. Hope this helps.

[Guest]

I have one of these lanterns and love it. I did have to do a little modification for it to light though. After installing the mantel, push the igniter arm thingy as close as you can get to the mantel without touching it. This will cause the igniter to make a good arc against the metal on the bottom peice that holds the mantel. Mine lites every time on the first try. Mine didn't work at all until I moved my igniter closer. Good luck.

[Steve Foss]

Good one, wax worm.

I have had mine for four years, and it never lights on the first try. Having learned patience the hard way, I just keep flicking my bic, so to speak, and it lights eventually.

[Fishn'Lady]

We just picked one of those up also for $29.95 and also experienced the same issue. Thinking that it was defective I exchanged it for another one. When that one did it as well I figured it was a characteristic of the lantern. We will have to try waxworm's idea and see if it helps. Other than the initial lighting problem, we like it. I like how it has the metal guard around the glass to help prevent breakage. Good luck!

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Hey! Your bobbers gone!

Fishn'Lady

[Guest]

Yep, $29.95 at Wal-Mart...

We bought two of them. I got one to light once, and it was like you said....BOOOM!!! Wouldn't relight after that, even when I left the gas on high for about 20 seconds and tried to light...We tried bending the electrode closer as well. Still no luck.

It was a good lantern other then the lighting deal, which was the main selling point to me. No white gas, no pumping, no matches or lighters...If it worked.

It was bright though...For the minute I had it lit...But both are now in Wal-Mart's claim dept in the dark black case they came in...

PCG

[Fishn'Lady]

These must be the Wal-Mart "specials". The Sportsman's Warehouse get $40+ for the same thing without the case. Makes you wonder if they are all that way.

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Hey! Your bobbers gone!

Fishn'Lady

[nunzio]

All;
That was the main selling points for me also. On mine the ignighter almost touches the mantle anyway and it is still hard to light. They also use more gas but the trade off for all of the light is worth it.
Anybody who still has these lamps should think about stocking up on a globe or two and some mantles. In my area they are getting hard to find.

Now if I could stop jumping out of my boots when this thing lights.....

[crappie todd]

WAL-Mart has a good price. $29 for the lantern and a nice carrying case all in one. It's a sale price. But. I couldn't get mine to work the way I excepcted it to work. I expected it to light firly easy. did adjust the sparker towards the base of the mantel. It never lit.....I mean after about 5 minutes of playing with it.... and the propane canister being warm. No thanks. took it back.
Not a good product even for the good price.
Mabey if you pay $40 for one at Gander mountan. with no case.... mabey those are the good ones and the Wal marts are the faulty ones...
HAppy Crappie catchin boys and Girls....

[This message has been edited by crappie todd (edited 12-22-2002).]

[cmpeterson1]

I own 3 northstars and I love them,the only complaint I have is if you didn't get a case when you bought it your s-o-l.I've only found 1 case that will fit them,at Galyans $30.no-way.And yes the globes & mantles are getting hard to find.

[Guest]

I forgot to mention that when lighting, I always turn the knob pretty fast until it clicks and it always seems to light without the big explosion. If it doesn't light on the first try, turn it back to off and repeat the quick turning method until she lights. They are a little scary the first time you light them because they put out alot of propane as soon as you turn the knob, thats why you turn it fast. once you get the hang of it, they light real easy, like I said in my previous post, mine will light on the first try 99% of the time without shooting the roof of my fish house.

[Guest]

You must have the "touch"...Or you got a lucky one...

I want to give one another try... 2 were bad...maybe the third times a charm.

PS...How long does a bottle of gas typically last with these?

PCG

[Guest]

I never run mine on high because they put off so much light and heat so a 1 lb bottle will last me a couple times out. I usually will run it at about half throttle. I hope you find one that works for ya.

[Fishn'Lady]

Good news! We got our lantern tweaked good enough that we can get it lit on the first try most of the time. The hubbie's brother couldn't resist the good deal at Wal-Mart and went out tonight and bought one. So between the two lanterns the hubby tweaked the igniter enough on both of them and learned just how fast/slow you turn it on to get enough gas in there before you click it. He's got it down now so most tries it lights the first time on both lanterns. As far as mantles and globes for the moment Wal-Mart has a good selection of both. I should hope they do because that is the only Coleman lantern I seen in the store. Good luck to the rest of you!

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Hey! Your bobbers gone!

Fishn'Lady

[PairOfChoppers]

I have (had) one of these lanterns and had ignition problems too. I recently had a bad on ice experience with this lantern as I must not have had a good seal. This time the BOOM turned into flames under the plastic shroud. I threw it accross the ice since it scared the <bleep> out of me. Then threw the minnow water on it to put out the fire. Should have just dunked it in the hole. I found it hard to get a good seal being the plastic shroud flexes when torqued.

Please be careful with this lantern. Be sure to blow out any extra gas if it doesn't light the first time and make sure you have a good seal!

I will now be buying a Princeton Tec Light and using a Mr. Heater.

[Guest]

"If ya don't find him handsome, you'll at least find him handy"

By the tweaking you mean..did he just bend the electrode over a little bit?

PCG

[Duluthian]

I have had a North Star for 3 years now. I don't know if they changed them but mine has a cast aluminum base. Yes the lighting of the thing takes a learned tecnique. I start mine by turnig the knob slowly to get a little gas in the mantal befor the igniter goes off. I have also found that if you push in on the knob as it gets towards high it produces a stronger spark. I have yet to have the very explosive lights that oters have talked about. Good Luck

[Guest]

I can be smart while being stupid.

I went back to Wally World and bought another $29.99 sale price fine and dandy lantern with the precious little black case.

I got it home, put it together, turned the switch and POOF...away she went. Hurray for me....

Turn it off, let it cool, turn the switch... nothing. Turn the switch off and on...nothing...play with the thing, bend it around, cuss and swear, play some more, go drink a beer, play with it some more....well...defeated by a little lantern...isn't that special.

So the gas goes out the top before the igniter gets a chance to light anything but our polluted air...So...tip the thing on its side, turn the switch, and wouldn't ya know it lights everytime.

Do you think I might be a little slow? And please don't answer that.

PCG

[Fishn'Lady]

PCG -

I'm lucky he's both handsome and handy, lucky for me!!! Yep, he just bent the igniter over a little bit. He had to find the right spot though, he didn't bend it enough, it wouldn't light all the time, he over bent it, it wouldn't light, he went somewhere in between and sha-zam just right. Glad to hear it sounds like you have overcome the challenges of your lantern, hee hee . It's a nice lantern, but a bit finicky. Hopefully we have overcome our days of the big KABOOM.

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Hey! Your bobbers gone!

Fishn'Lady