Anyone used a Responder 4aa Headlamp? Opinions

[socalrunner]

Has anyone used the Responder 4aa Headlamp? They sound pretty solid, use 4aa batteries and pr bulbs. I hear the stock bulb is Xenon and is very bright according to people using the flashlight version of this light. How adjustable is the beam from narrow to wide, big range or very little. Opinions please. I am going to buy a repsonder flashlight and was looking at getting another headlamp with some good output and needed opinions on this model. Otherwise I am going to get a Princeton Tec Vortec. This will be used mostly for some caving and retroed to go on my bike helmet for dark mountain bike rides. I also have a handlebar light so this would be a supplemental light.

 

[SuRgE]

Got both the 4aa hand held responder and the 4aa head lamp. Same beam quality and functions. Lights operate the same. Adjustable focus and waterproof. When using a wide focus it looks like a radioactive symbol. I don't like it that much, but when focused tight, its a very narrow beam. I would bet that the 4aa hand held is the farthest throwing aa based light. I tested it against my other lights and it did really well.

But I think at wide focus you will be disapointed with the beam quality.

I own a LED headlamp for up close work and reserve the Responders for when I need distance light.

Hope this helps.

 

[Velcro]

Craig (LEDMuseum) did a review on this light, which includes beam pics.
http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/resp4aa.htm

Greetings,
Velcro

 

[socalrunner]

Surge,

are there multiple setting between the narrow and wide focus on the responder.. Or is it just narrow or wide, 2 settings...

 

[SuRgE]

Originally posted by socalrunner:
Surge,

are there multiple setting between the narrow and wide focus on the responder.. Or is it just narrow or wide, 2 settings...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Multiple, like a maglite. Rotate and it adjusts as you turn it. Forgot to mention it has a nice feeling tactical type switch, IMHO.

 

[txwest]

I like my Responder hand held, but think the wider beam for close work of the LED headlamp would be more useful. Of course, if you need both, the Responder is a PR based lamp, so you could always replace the bulb with one of JB's fine creations. TX

 

[socalrunner]

Looks like I may get both a handheld and headlamp. I have a tec 40 and have heard good things about the responders.. Can you overdrive them like the tec 40 using the kpr103 bulbs and nimh batteries or is the stock xenon bulb bright enough??

Thanks Again,
EP