Revolutionary my butt, an iq switch with about as much efficency as a 1969 LC Torana
:thinking::thinking::thinking:
Measured at the tail cap with a charged Eneloop:
High: 900 mA
Low: 100 mA
Red: 170 mA
That means I can read 18 hours on low on a single AA cell. How much higher efficiency is expected?
Anyway, here are my observations and opinions about this headlamp so far.
What I like:
A reasonably low low at only 100 mA draw means 18 honest hours on a single AA cell.
Low is good for reading a book, but see "Don't Likes." The ROV 1AA with diffuser is better for reading, but that's 2 hours vs. 18 hours battery life!
The red LED turns off when the Cree turns on, and vice versa. Not cutting edge, but I am surprised at how many other multi-LED headlamps don't do this.
Side "wires" visible are not actually the wires, but a fairly sturdy plastic sleeve protecting the (further insulated) wires inside. But again, see the "Don't Likes."
What I Don't Like ... and nit-picks.
The actual wires coming into each side of the LED housing near the hinges are quite a small gauge, and when the head is aimed down a lot, it really does look like they are being pulled, stretched and strained. Maybe a weak spot in the future.
Low good for reading, but for reading in bed with head on a pillow, that battery carrier on the back gets in the way. You have to sort of slide the battery carrier way up the back of your head. The stubble on my close-shaved noodle allows this (stubble = velcro), but if you have more hair, it may not stay, and just slip up too far. (As my dad might have said: "That's the price you pay for being a damned hippie!)
Red LED beam pattern is not smooth. The lens introduces an artifact "waffle" pattern. Certainly not as objectionable as some I have seen, but I have seen much better also.
The Cree beam has a noticeable uneveness and slightly diminished output near the center, but it's only really objectionable on a white wall. This beam is not butttery-smooth, like the PT EOS Rebel headlamp. I would prefer a bit more spill, with a more gradual transition, but that's personal taste.
I find the PWM dimming on low to be moderately intrusive when reading. YMMV, depending on your sensitivity to PWM. The period of the pulse width is in direct proportion to the brightness setting, and quickly becomes much less noticeable by raising the brightness a little.
The "winglets" on each side of the head cut into my forehead like a can opener after a half hour use. The positive flip-side to this is that the headband needn't be tightened to boa constrictor torques to keep the headlamp in place, due to the good fore-to-aft balance. The Energizer beats the PT EOS in this respect.
When the head is aimed downward, there is a bit of light leakage refracted from the clear parts of the case down into my eyes. (The ROV 1AA had the same problem, but worse.) Moving the headlamp up to the top of the forehead helps, but I opted to paint the offending plastic parts with black lacquer paint, as I did my ROV.
The included flashlight in the Costco combo packs is OK. The package states the same 6% - 100% range for both headlamp and flashlight, with nearly identical lumens, and I would assume both being 1AA that they would use the same circuitry. But on it's lowest setting, the flashlight's PWM is a much higher frequenscy than the headlamp, as compared by waving the hand in front of it. Go figure. The recessed switch means a very solid tail-stand for ceiling bounce. Again, I would prefer a bit more floody spill at the expense of throw.
That's about all I can think of. Nothing of the two pieces jumps out at me as being exceptional. I feel Costco's combo price of $36 for the pair is worth it, but only just. I would not pay $30 for just the headlamp or the flashlight separately, though. However, the value I've given to these may be influenced by the fact that I have way too many flashlights and headlamps already. If you are new to this or don't have a decent headlamp or flashlight, this becomes a very good value. If they'd had headlamps and flashlights with this performance, available at these prices when I got into this, I wouldn't have a drawer full of lesser lights just sitting!
