New Black Diamond Storm 2014

BD recently released the new Spot 2014 on its website (you can read more here http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Black-Diamond-SPOT-Different-or-Two-Versions )

the new Storm it's not there yet... but





i bet we'll have a new Storm soon! i'm really looking forward to see it, i'm curious to see if they managed to improve one of the few good headlpamps in that price range without spoling it (like they did with the Revolt, for instance)

OMG!!!!










160 lumens

2 SinglePower white LEDs and 2 SinglePower red LEDs output 25 lumens [it seems like red leds are as powerful as white ones! nice]

PowerTap Technology allows fast and simple transitioning between full and dimmed power with just a tap of a finger on the side of the touch-sensitive housing

Use the 3 strobe functions to flash white light on high or low, or red light

i think the beam is also wider, cause they give the same max throw even if it's 160 lumens vs 100... which is really good cause the beam was too tight on the previous Storm (the main reason why i swapped the XP-E with and XP-G2)

everything else seems mantained from the previous model (including the IP-X7 )

http://www.rei.com/product/866384/black-diamond-storm-headlamp#tabs


it looks really promising!

arggg tempting, waiting for the flood runtime specs...

Crap..this is tempting.

(And to think I already own a older model Black Diamond Storm.)

AMD64Blondie said:

(And to think I already own a older model Black Diamond Storm.)

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even worse... i modded mine a couple of weeks ago

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...f-100-lumens&p=4349251&viewfull=1#post4349251

I just got my BD Storm in the mail today... 160 lumens version with power tap (orange model). I went to Cabelas last week and looked at them (the 100 lumens model) and decided not to get one. Got home, and decided that my gift card was burning a hole in my pocket and ended up ordered one off the web. I was surprised because I did not know there was an updated model.

I've only played with it for about 5 minutes outside, but here are my quick impressions:

- Definitely appears to be 160 lumens.
- love the dimmability of all the LEDs
- The power tap, cycles between current brightness and max, with just a tap. (Appears to be some type of capacitive switch)
- The red LEDs focus kinda suck. They focus to a single spot about 6 feet in front of you. Usable, but not that floody.

I am going to play with it a bit more over the week, but can tell you right now, it will be replacing my PT Remix. Mainly due to the BD Storm 5 mm white LEDs and being dimmable between 25 and 4 lumens. I live on 40 acres in the middle of nowhere, and will be using it for farm chores, hunting, setting traps and what not.

Ask away if you have any questions. But I can tell you, that I do like this headlamp.

saunterer said:

ended up ordered one off the web. I was surprised because I did not know there was an updated model.

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OMG!!! NO WAY!

- The power tap, cycles between current brightness and max, with just a tap. (Appears to be some type of capacitive switch).

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but you can still cycle trough the brightness levels using the main button, can't you? cause a headlamp for outdoor usage that cannot be operated while wearing gloves would be pretty stupid

fedcas said:

OMG!!! NO WAY!

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Yes! Way! Here's proof.

fedcas said:

but you can still cycle trough the brightness levels using the main button, can't you? cause a headlamp for outdoor usage that cannot be operated while wearing gloves would be pretty stupid

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Yes you can. For example (regardless of LED) let's say you are at 50% power and need to hit maximum, you just tap the "power tap" button. Then tap it again, to return to 50% brightness. Once you power off, it defaults back to normal brightness (which is 75% based on the manual). My guess is the default brightness is about 100 lumens for the main LED, 20-ish for the 5mm. I'll have to try with gloves, but I'm guessing that it will not work.

But the main button, you can still dim/increase the LED brightness by holding it down and cycling up or down.

Also, there is some slight PWM when the white LEDs are down at 4 lumens, but not bad at all... I have seen way worse. Any flashaholic can see it, but the general users will probably not notice.

Love the proximity lighting (at least what they call it), nice and floody.

Tints are nice. The main LED is slightly cool, and the 5 mm LEDs are slightly warm.

The button is a bit difficult to engage, but I was used to PT headlamps. No big deal.

The angle adjustment only ratchets 3 clicks down. I wish is was more finely adjustable, say 4 or 5 finer notches, but no big deal.

I'll add more thoughts, as I play with it more. Just typing up random things at the moment.

Feel free to ask anything else.

saunterer said:

Yes you can. For example (regardless of LED) let's say you are at 50% power and need to hit maximum, you just tap the "power tap" button. Then tap it again, to return to 50% brightness. Once you power off, it defaults back to normal brightness (which is 75% based on the manual). My guess is the default brightness is about 100 lumens for the main LED, 20-ish for the 5mm. I'll have to try with gloves, but I'm guessing that it will not work.

But the main button, you can still dim/increase the LED brightness by holding it down and cycling up or down.

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Ok, so if you have tried the old model in the shop, you mean that this new Storm has maintaned the exactly same interface as the previous one (except that the default power on setting is not full power, which is wise cause 160lm it's enough to say bye to your night vision for a few mins) and in addiction they put the Powertap thing which basically cycles through actual level-max-actual level-max each time you tap it? it would be really nice!!! i found kinda annoying when you are walking in a dimmed spot mode and wanted to look somewhere further and you had to either ramp down and up again to get to the max or switch off-flood-spot again (which is also tricky because of the strobe mode popping up) just to boost to the max for a few seconds... and then you have lost your dimmed setting and you have to ramp down again... this way it would be just perfect!


EDIT: oh yes it's just like that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob7r9aVXgKU

(by the way, this new storm it's not so new... that video is online since august )

I just wonder why they used this powertap sensor instead of a normal side button. It would have been less fancy but way more effective - i guess it's capacitive, so no way you can use it with gloves. Also, the capacitive touch screen from my phone freaks out with a few rain drops... it would be pretty disappointing if that happens to a headlamp too... could you check if water or wet fingers affect the sensor?

Feel free to ask anything else.

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oh yeah... what led did they put in there? XP-G2 i hope... i can distinguish the die in my old Storm and tell that it is (well, it was ) and XP-E... it should be similar on the new model.

mhh... it could be an XP-E2 as well, though... and it would be hard to tell the difference between XP-E2 and XP-G2, with the distortion from the headlamp optics...





can you tell us if it's not any of the older leds at least (green pcb and 3-4 strips on the die?)

!!!

in the video i linked the guy says about the powertap: "no buttons involved, great if you have gloves on" oo: i'm wondering how is that possible, it looks like a capacitive sensor. can you check if it's really working with some thick tissue in between?

fedcas said:

Powertap thing which basically cycles through actual level-max-actual level-max each time you tap it? it would be really nice!!!

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Exactly correct. Think of it as a toggle. And it works for every LED (main, 5 mm and red)

fedcas said:

i guess it's capacitive, so no way you can use it with gloves. Also, the capacitive touch screen from my phone freaks out with a few rain drops... it would be pretty disappointing if that happens to a headlamp too... could you check if water or wet fingers affect the sensor?

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I tested the Powertap with heavy leather gloves and synthetic winter gloves and it works. Strange. It was not 100% responsive with the taps, but it does work. I also wet my glove fingers and it works also. I then put the headlamp under running water in the sink, and could still use the powertap. So, if you are in a heavy rainstorm, it should work just fine.

fedcas said:

it would be hard to tell the difference between XP-E2 and XP-G2, with the distortion from the headlamp optics...

can you tell us if it's not any of the older leds at least (green pcb and 3-4 strips on the die?)

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As for the main LED, I could not tell through the optic. Also, I could not see the 5 mm dies through the lens casing even with a magnifying glass... it was too distorted. It's still too new to do surgery just yet. LOL

i get asked about this light a lot by my sailing friends and they all need something that goes really low for working at night but not losing any (if possible) night vision. They're all attracted to the red LEDs but I'm concerned that at 25 lumens is quite bright.
Can you dim the Red LED's?

Tubed,

Yes, the red LEDs can be dimmed... and they are really, really dim on the lowest setting.

I would definitely be comfortable using them without fearing losing my night vision. And if the red LEDs were used previously, that is what will come on first so you do not blow out your night vision. So at least it does retain that in memory.

saunterer said:

I tested the Powertap with heavy leather gloves and synthetic winter gloves and it works. Strange. It was not 100% responsive with the taps, but it does work. I also wet my glove fingers and it works also. I then put the headlamp under running water in the sink, and could still use the powertap. So, if you are in a heavy rainstorm, it should work just fine.

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awesome!
thank you for the test

As for the main LED, I could not tell through the optic. Also, I could not see the 5 mm dies through the lens casing even with a magnifying glass... it was too distorted. It's still too new to do surgery just yet. LOL

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no worries... it's a great headlamp and it's not very expensive, i think we'll see some review in the next weeks

fedcas said:

awesome!
thank you for the test

no worries... it's a great headlamp and it's not very expensive, i think we'll see some review in the next weeks

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No problem, glad to help out. Hmmm, I'm guessing I'll see a comprehensive review soon, hint, hint.

Now that the sun has set, after I eat dinner, I have some outside work to do... going to give this new 2014 Storm a workout later tonight.

thanks Saunterer
that was very helpful.
this would be great light for sailors

Just a quick, rambling update after using my 2014 Storm for a week now.

I freakin' love this headlamp. I have used it for tending to the farm critters in the evening, checking/setting my traps around the property, diagnosing a relatives car that had a coolant leak, replacing some overhead lighting in a bathroom and for walks around our 40 acres at night. I am finding the "proximity lighting" my most used mode and what makes this headlamp great.

The only thing that I dislike, is using the main button with gloves on. It is really hard to locate and push, especially with heavy insulated leather gloves. I am finding that I have to remove them, just to push the button.

i've found a video review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ9gX8an0TI

saunterer said:

I am finding the "proximity lighting" my most used mode and what makes this headlamp great.

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Have you used one of the 2013 black diamond storms? I didn't like the 2013 flood/proximity mode very much, the centre of the two beams was fairly dim compared to the periphery -its nice to have a wider field of view but the centre is still the most important IMO. I assumed this is due to the flood LEDs being buched up close to the reflector of the centre LED; the flood LEDs in the new storm are further apart which should have improved things?

I haven't used any prior Storms, nor ever have owned any Black Diamond equipment prior to buying this.

For my Storm, I would say that the light is evenly spaced across a field of view, let's say about 140 degrees (horizontal and vertical... so polar coordinates? LOL). Nice even light, with no holes or "hotspots". Now granted I wished it were a little brighter for some activities, but it works for 99% of most. What I really liked was when I was setting up some rabbit traps one night, it was nice to have an even floody amount of light for doing it, versus a 2 foot circle of bright light that the main beam gives. Hope that makes sense.