Dosun Solar Headlamp

[Wattnot]

I'm almost afraid to ask about the beamshots but I've been "sniffing" around headlamps and wonder if this is a decent one.

How's the beam on the new MYO XP? Spot? Flood? A little of both? I like the look and output on that one.

Oh and I use www.photobucket.com and have zero spam problems.

 

[half-watt]

...How's the beam on the new MYO XP? Spot? Flood? A little of both? I like the look and output on that one...

as you probably know from reading other Posts, i have the Dosun H1 and it think that it is a good HL in many respects. however, both the Petzl MyoXP and the BD Icon beginning in '08 use a Cree based LED. they are both, IMO, much superior to the Dosun H1. also, the BD Icon, at least, can be purchased cheaper than anyone sells the Dosun H1 for (at least that i've been able to find). not sure if you can find an '08 Petzl MyoXP for less than the Dosun H1???

the MyoXP is FLOOD *or* SPOT, depending upon whether you deploy the attached flip-up diffuser which deploys out of the way when you're not requiring it.

the Icon used the 3W Cree LED for throw and the 4x0.5W LEDs for flood lighting. the 3W Cree is MUCH, MUCH improved over my two examples of the 3W Luxeon based Icon released in earlier years. both of mine have such a tiny hotspot and dim spillbeam. this one has a bright hotspot and pretty bright and broad (read that as "very useful", to say the least) spillbeam.

as far as the MyoXP goes - make sure to get a "grey"/"gray" one; *NOT* a blue one (that's pre-'08 and doesn't have a Cree).

as far as the Icon goes, to BE 100% POSITIVE that i was getting a Cree, i could have either driven to REI and looks at them (you can easily see the Cree die - looks just like that in any Fenix CE flashlight), or i could order directly from BD. i chose to save some petrol and order via telcon directly fr/BD. i asked them and they told me that BD is only selling '08 versions now, but that some other retailers have acquired BD's old pre-Cree stock of Icons and Spots (a smaller 3xAAA 1W Cree-based HL - also very nice) and may not distinguish in their advertisements/webpages (or even know if you speak w/them) whether the HL you purchase is Cree-based. plus, some warehouses may just dump both in the same SKU??? who knows. so, i ordered directly fr/BD to get an '08 Cree-based Icon HL.

both are non-Regulated; not that it matters much in a 3xAAA HL, IMO - unlike in some flashlights where it does matter, to me at least (see a couple of my other Posts elsewhere for an explanation of my logic, or lack thereof, as to why regulation is not mandatory in 3xAA and 4xAA powered headlamps).

now, you could also wait for AUGUST when PrincetonTec is supposed to release a new Rebel-based version of the Apex HL (don't confuse it w/the current 80lumen version which i've been told via telcon by an authorized online PT dealer is an INTERIM upgraded release, pending the Rebel equipped version, supposedly to be released some time in August '08).

there is also a wonderful HL made by Primus, viz. the '08 Rebel-based Primus PrimeLite Race HL. it is very bright; warm-ish tint, and broad, bright spillbeam - very useful for hiking. it uses 4xAA. however, its LO mode is still very bright (as is the lowest mode in the '08 MyoXP, '08 Icon, and even the '08 interim-80 lumen Apex/ApexPro - i know, i have them all, as well as this '08 PrimeLite Race).

with any of them, you'll probably want to also carry a smaller, lighter, dimmer secondary light source for use in camp as a task/proximity light.

my two shekels. hope this info helps.

 

[Marduke]

FYI, the 2008 gray Myo XP is SSC, not Cree. It's sold locally here for $80, and I've seen it for as little as $70 B&M.

 

[half-watt]

FYI, the 2008 gray Myo XP is SSC, not Cree...

great! many thanks for the correction. can't remember what the MyoXP LED looks like (haven't used it in some time now). much appreciated. hope all those misled by my words read your Post. thanks again, Marduke.

 

[hopkins]

Since you Dosun H1 owners keep making excuses for not posting any
beamshots and the Dosun website has comicbook art representations
of the H1's beams...
I'm led to some ugly conclusions: In the dark you can only see the beam
and it does not matter how space age pretty or hillbilly ugly the hardware is.
...and that H1 sales would plummet if prospective buyers could research
what the beams really look like here on the webs leading blog for portable
lighting:thinking:

 

[half-watt]

Since you Dosun H1 owners keep making excuses for not posting any
beamshots...I'm led to some ugly conclusions...

actually, in some respects at least one of your assumptions may not be far off - at least as far as i'm concerned.

in actual field use, those terrible artifacts are not really objectionable. i like this HL, but still have some minor crabs which are, perhaps(???), more impt. to me & how i use this HL. YMMV.

on HI it is very bright in all 3 reflector orientations (i.e., spot, eagle, & flood). on MED the light o.p. drops off more than i would like it to, but i still find it usable for most of what i would want MED o.p. for. on LO it is too dim for me to use while on the move in the dark on an unfamiliar trail (please keep in mind that i do have age degraded low light vision; so, some of you young'uns won't have this particular problem). sometimes, i kick it up to HI to make sure that i don't miss anything. as such, the burntime suffers a bit. this is NOT too bad if you use NiMH cells. elsewhere, i've posted just a wee bit over 6h on NiMH cells on HI. IIRC, that's ~2x the Mfr's claimed alkaline burntime. so, this is NOT a real long burning headlamp if one needs to use HI continuously, but it is generally satisfactory in this regard for my purposes - as long as i can mainly used MED o.p. level.

all that said, i still prefer the new '08 BD Icon (Cree) and '08 Petzl MyoXP (SSC - thanks again, Marduke), '08 PT 80lm Apex/ApexPro, and Primus PrimeLite Race (Rebel) HL's. in fact, my prev. favorite '06/'07 PT Apex/ApexPro/ApexExtreme, are still a bit better (NOT brighter w/it's stock 3W Luxeon emitter), IMO.

my personal opinion is that if someone decides to purchase the Dosun H1 they have NOT made a bad decision. i don't feel that i wasted my money which i have felt in the past and recent past on a number of other flashlight purchases.

oh, almost forgot...

now, if one uses this headlamp for white wall hunting, that's another story - those artifacts are awful!!! however, both you and i (and anyone else reading this) KNOW that Dosun didn't design the H1 to be king of the white wall hunters. for those who are avid white wall hunters and really enjoy spending an evening hunting down some of their favorite white walls that they may have misplaced somewhere in their home, i'd still recommend a HL w/a 3W or 5W Luxeon LED in order to get that generally artifact free wall of light which is oh, so necessary when white wall hunting proper like, especially if one wants to really look the part of the great white wall hunter! 'nuff said!!

 

[hopkins]

Half-watt - I'm ready to concede to your wisdom that beam artifacts
are mostly unimportant for leafy sticks & stones terrain...
But still need to see some pictures of the beams!

..... but here's a pic of a 'white wall' area I visited last spring. Did not think
of artifacts with a Petzl Myo Xp showing the way on the snow slopes.
Getting to the trail head after midnight to hike on firm snow was a real treat and got us in a lot faster than slogging up with snowshoes during the heat of the day on soft mashed potato snow. -hopkins

 

[half-watt]

H, very nice pic; musta' been a great excursion. Now those ARE great white walls!!

IMO, the Dosun would've been a fine HL for huntin' them white walls, though i'm sure that the MyoXP was fine too. actually, in snow, MED or LO would've been fine on the Dosun H1 and also on most HL's (the snow reflects so much light and prevents it fr/being "swallowed up", but then i know that you already know that fr/your trek up them white walls). many thanks for sharing.

also, i've rcv'd some suggestions as far as "baby's first" camera goes. i'll have to work it into my budget and eventually get my first ever camera (film or digital) and get one in 2-3 months.

 

[caltemus]

Bumping to say that the Dosun H1 is on clearance on 4sevens for 39.50

http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=58&products_id=487

 

[Linger]

anyone swap an emitter in one of these? A rebel 100 with its narrower projection area may be suitable, also the lower VF could be helpful for longer run-times.