LED Headlights and Headlight conversions

[remuen]

Hi

For my outdoor sport activities (mainly running) I use a PEZZL TIKKA headlight with 3 LED. Compared to its size and weight (only 70g with 3 AAA batteries) this tiny headlight is really great. And I can use one set of 3 AAA batteries about 13 - 15 hours which is also quit good. Because it is so light I don't even feel it on my head after a few minutes.

Sometimes I also use a modified Jackstrap headband with 2 ARC AAA flash lights instead the TIKKA. Astonishing, but these 2 ARC's are a bit brighter than the TIKKA with 3 LED's but do have a worse battery runtime of only about 5 hours.

Both the TIKKA and the ARC's are quite well for running if the weather is fine. As I am often in the woods this turns when it is wet and the ground is dark. Under these bad circumstances both solutions give only the minimum of light for running. So what can I do? For these runs I need a headlight because I can not carry a flashlight in the hand. And it must be small an light and bright! Earlier I used a MINI-MAG in the above mentioned headband which was a bad solution because of it's bad beam and it is also not very comfortable to wear. I had to replace the batteries every 3 - 4 hours and the bulb every 15 - 30 hours.

Recently I saw a LUCIDO T61 headlight with 6 LED's and an additional halogon bulb. I wouldn't need this halogen bulb (or only on rare occassions) because of its power consumption and the lifetime of the bulb. So only the 6 LED light is interesting me.

Has somebody already used this headlight or has made a review on it or does know where I can find a such review? I have some questions about the Lucido T61:
- The Lucido has about double the weight of the TIKKA but uses a separate battery case. How is it to wear?
- How is the brightness compared to the TIKKA or to my 2 ARC LE solution?
- Does someone have have pic's of the different beams?
- What is the real battery runtime with 6 LED's (that means the time with a useable light for outdoor activities like running)?
- How is the quality of this headlight?

Thanks for your help

 

[papasan]

hmm...interesting...i've never heard of Lucido before, but doing a couple searches it looks like their stuff is *very* similar to Lightwave's stuff...one page even links to lightwave's page when referencing Lucido, but this headlamp is not listed on that page...perhaps this is their Japanese name, Italian name, or perhaps they are changing their name...

looks like this light is a little too new to speculate on, but it sounds interesting...too bad it's not completely waterproof or it might have made a good caving light...

listed here for 60 quid, that's about 100 american...couldn't find it listed for sale anywhere else...

hmm, wierd...here's the "Lucido PAL-Light"...

 

[remuen]

I think you're right: I also read somewhere that Lucido is only a European trade mark and that some of their products are also sold under the name of Lightwave.

On www.azr-kunststofftechnik.de/azrnews.htm I learned that the Lucido T61 (or at least the plastic housing which seems to be very special) has been developed in Germany.

I couldn't find the Lucido T61 on their own homepage. Therefore this headlamp must be very new. I heard about it last week in a news letter from my prefered Swiss dealer (www.veloplus.ch) which is specialised on outdoor equipment. You will find some informations about the T61 on their page (in german) or under the Swedish site http://www.highsport.se/produkter/T61.html (in English). The Lucido T61 is also announced on a few other German pages.

I don't know wether this headlamp is completly waterproof. I don't need that anyway because I don't intend to dive in caves

- for me it is to narrow in a lot of caves. I prefer to go up in the mountains.

 

[remuen]

Hi Papasan

I forgot one thing in my reply: Maybe my English looks like Italien English - but it's "Swiss English". That means my mother language is Swiss German which is some kind of German. But German people won't understand us when we speak this Swiss German. For German ears it must sound like Dutch or whatever else.

 

[Barbarin]

I will try with the Photon Fusion. IMHO I think it is better than the lucido, even more if you don't need the halogen. It is very light, the light regulation if a very good item, and the pattern of the light distribution is perfect.

 

[papasan]

i meant to say European instead of Italian...not sure why, but Lucido struck me as an Italian name...

the photon fusion looks like a decent light, but the price tag keeps me away...also, i've heard of alot of problems with the electronics (the IC freaking out, loosing modes and whatnot) from this light and the photon3...

one of the things i like about the T61 is that it has a halogen light which will throw a beem much further than an LED array...also, halogen lights are still more efficient light sources, but they usually put out more light than is actually needed...

i've been kicking around the idea of making my own halogen/xenon & LED combo headlight for a long time, but finding the right body is hard to do...so far the petzl duo is the best i've found, easiest to work with...waterproof to 50' or something, two lights with two seperate reflectors, switch already there, etc...

 

[remuen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by papasan:
... i've been kicking around the idea of making my own halogen/xenon & LED combo headlight for a long time, but finding the right body is hard to do...so far the petzl duo is the best i've found, easiest to work with...waterproof to 50' or something, two lights with two seperate reflectors, switch already there, etc...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

A few weeks ago I found a link of a guy which has made his own LED headlamp for caving. His homepage http://cave.lawo.de/jbohnert/hfeg/led.htm is in German, but maybe you can contact him and discuss the whole thing in English ....

 

[remuen]

I read somewhere on a review site (or was it in this forum?) about some problems with the Photon Fusion. The same thing I heard from a distribitur which has testet this headlight. Of course this makes me unsure. And it is really more expensive than the Lucido

. And in my opinion photon flash lights are generally too expensive even they seem to be good.

I think Papasan is right. Tonight on my run - it was again wet and dark - I would have switched on the halogen light instead the LED. In some cases this light has its advantages

.

 

[remuen]

Has someone an idea how to increase the brightnes of the Pezzl Tikka? I couldn't open it to see if the use a resistor. I think if one could put in a step up converter it would be brighter and especially give a better light for a longer time. If someone knows how to do it please reply.

But of course I'm still interested to learn a bit more about the Lucido T61.

 

[remuen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by recercare:
... according to a guy i know). However, he seldom uses the halogen bulb, so why bother to pay for it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for this first hint of someone who owns such a thing. But I couldn't find this headlamp under the name longlight and also not under the name Lightwave. Can you give me a bit more help?

 

[TrevorNasko]

try the versalux utility module its worth every penny(www.techass.com) or try the luxean star(just the led). by the way is rene a male or a female name. i apologize if your a guy but in the usa rene is a female name. just wonderin'

 

[remuen]

On this earth we still have to solve many problems!

Let's begin with the first one: René is a male name and so I'm a man (ask my wife wether I'm right). For your background information: It's a french name. The female one has the same pronounciation but is written as Renée. The name means something like reborn. I think my parents didn't know that 47 years ago.

So I will try to have look to that page today because I dont't know the versalux utility module.

 

[remuen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Aragorn:
try the versalux utility module its worth every penny(www.techass.com) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I just gathered some informations on this versalux utility module. Thanks for this hint

. Seems to be a great solution for a beginner like me. There is also an article to find how to convert a headlight.

Unfortunatly the Pezzl Tikka housing is not big enough to convert. So I would need another cheep and small headlight with 3 or 4 AA batteries. It's a pitty because I like the Tikka - it's small, a real lightweight and fits very good.

Has someone an idea which headlight has the best housing to convert it with this Versalux utility module (small but big enough for the module, light, 3 or 4 AA cells, comfortable to wear, weatherproof, should not break if I let it fall ....) and where to get this headlight because I could not find the seller of the headlight described at techass.

Or has someone an idea how to convert the Pezzl Tikka with such a modul?

 

[recercare]

Lucido is Longlight's European name. For running the T61 is probably a better choice than Photon Fusion. The T61's headband is more comfortable (according to a guy i know). However, he seldom uses the halogen bulb, so why bother to pay for it.

 

[TrevorNasko]

rene hmmm oh well i'd expect that from the europeans (that culture thing i suppose). definately go for the versalux its smaler than you think. in factits brighter than you think (brighterthan 3 ls leds. plus its dimable best light ive seen yet

 

[remuen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Aragorn:
... the versalux its smaler than you think. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

What I've seen and read this module must be good.

But unfortunatly things are not as easy. The Versalux module has about the same size as the whole Pezzl Tikka with batteries. Searching for another body I found only headlights with a round reflector with a diameter of max 5cm (that's the length of the Versalux PCB).

As runner I can not use a big and heavy headlight, because it then would either be on my nose or I had to tighten the strap so strong that it would cause headache. Caver are in better situation - the need the most possible brightness and don't care about the size and weight (that is what I've learned when visiting caving homepages)

 

[remuen]

Aragorn, I've just found this link http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000665 explaining how to convert a headlight with a Luxean Star. Because I'm really tired after a hard business day I did not really study it, but it seems interesting as well (I think it also won't work with the Pezzl Tikka).

You have already recommanded the luxean star. Do you know where to find some beam comparisons with this luxean star driven with only 3 volts (2 AA's or 4 AA's parallel)?

 

[TrevorNasko]

the versalux weight about the same as a photon 3 microlight so velcro it to a nite ize head band the run a wire to a 9v in the elastic light holder instant heead lamp

 

[remuen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Aragorn:
the versalux weight about the same as a photon 3 microlight so velcro it to a nite ize head band the run a wire to a 9v in the elastic light holder instant heead lamp<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I already thougt about a small case instead a head lamp in which I could put the Versalux. This module has became a favorit in my thinking not only because of the 10 LED's but also because of the the integrated DC-DC-converter. In German we say: You have put a flea in my head with this module! (I don't know how you are saying this in English)

 

[remuen]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Aragorn:
the versalux weight about the same as a photon 3 microlight so velcro it to a nite ize head band the run a wire to a 9v in the elastic light holder instant heead lamp<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

On my way to work I just thought about a more professional and weatherproof solution with the Versalux Module: Soldering the LED's to an own small PCB and wiring it with the original PCB. I think that would be a way to use a headlight housing with 3 AA cells (Pezzl Zoom?) Could this work with the Versalux Module?