Long runtime, very small headlamp

[benhudson]

Hi there, I'm a long term lurker but this is only my second post (exciting stuff). I was wondering if you could help me with my search for a headlamp which is basically ungoogleable, but should be easy with human intelligence.

Basically, I'm a caver and like to have a backup headlamp. In recent times, since I've assured myself that my homemade lamp is utterly reliable (until recently, I also had a Pixa 3 helmet-mounted - a superb lamp, but rather heavy for a backup), this has been a Petzl e-lite around my neck. They're great little lights, but mine hasn't held up well to caving, and the switch is going so I'm on the search for a replacement, something a bit better in other departments as well.

What I would like is:

* ... a very low 'low' setting, on which the battery will last a very long time; several days ideally. I've been trapped by floods in a very deep cave before and whilst I was fine for batteries, I'd like to know I could have some light for a long time.

* Reasonable brightness on the max mode - for once, I'm not going after lumens here. Obviously more is better if the other conditions are met, but 50 would be more than enough, and even 15 would be probably be ok (an e-lite is 26 with a fresh cell, but drops quickly). My main lamp is durable and has a long battery life, so my backup is used mainly for underground camp, getting to and from caves in the dark, and total disastrous primary lamp failure.

* Very small. This will be worn around my neck (by the way, losing one's caving helmet (often with attached backups) is a far more common problem than being strangled by a elastic cord). The e-lite was lovely but I suspect what I end up with will be a little bigger. Ideally, something smaller than the Petzl Tikka line would be nice.

* Durable. Waterproof to an equivalent of about IPX7 would be ideal though in practice I'm seldom underwater for long in caves, so water resistant would be ok. Generally rugged build quality.

* Available on a website that is ideally in the UK, though EU would be fine and elsewhere... OK.

* Budget - variable. About £50 ish max ($80), although I expect many recommendations will be lower.

* I'm happy doing a host/drop-in solution but haven't seen any small headlamp hosts.

* Battery type - as long as it's small, all options are fine. I'm considering lithium button cells, CR123 / their rechargeable equivalent and perhaps a single 14500 as the upper limit of size. At the moment I'm thinking that CR123s may be a good compromise, though I do have a spare 14500...

* Beam type - fairly floody is better but it's not so important.

* A red LED might be nice, but it's by no means a deal breaker.


I'm sorry it's quite complicated, but I though this would be a good place to throw ideas around. So far, the ideas I've thought of are:

1. Just replace the e-lite, they're popular among cavers so maybe I just had bad luck with mine.
2. Princeton Tec Byte. Like the size and the red LED, don't generally like AAAs. Also have concerns about the durability.
3. Zebralight H31(w/f?). Great durability, runtime, light levels (high and v. low). But expensive (a little over the top end of my budget)


Thanks in advance for your help!
Ben

 

[Jash]

Fenix HL21 fits the bill. It's low mode of 3 lumens will burn for over two days straight, has a reasonable runtime on medium and a reasonable throw on high. It's cheap, takes 1AA and is waterproof to IPX8 standards. Just note, you need to unscrew the battery cap until the light shuts off if you're not going to use it for long periods. Comes with a diffuser too.

 

[Imon]

I would take a look at the Zebralight line of headlights which are small and compact with very low (moonlight ~0.2 lumens) modes. In the moonlight mode the ZL headlamps should be able to run about 2 weeks straight on fresh primaries.
The ZL headlamps come in a variety of flavors too - AA, CR123A, flood, medium throw, cool white, neutral, or high CRI.

I have a ZL H31w that I really like because of its compactness although one thing I hate about my ZL is that when the batteries are low the light just cuts off without any warning...
They may have fixed this on newer ZLs, mine is about 3 years old.

*Edit*
Whoops, sorry, didn't read the last part of your post.
I guess you've already considered the ZLs.

So my only other suggestion would be perhaps you could just buy a headband to hold the flashlight such as a ZL headband with the silicon holder or a nice Fenix light headband and combine it with a flashlight with a low, low setting.

 

[benhudson]

Thanks for your replies!

Jash: I had discounted the HL21 previously because of it's size; unfairly, I think, because it's actually rather lighter and smaller than it looks in photos - it's definitely back in the running. It's a shame it can't take 14500s, but you can't have everything!

Imon: If I discount the price, some flavour of ZL would be my first choice because they're one of those rare lights almost everyone rates highly. Despite being a poor student, I may end up just saving money for a while so I can afford a ZL and not have to worry about whether I got what I really wanted.

Just to add a bit of variety into the mix, the Ultrafire UF-H2b and UF-H1b seem like reasonable homages to the Zebralight style, with the vital ingredient of a very low low, though the UI doesn't sound quite as good as it is clever. I've had mixed luck with UFs before but these seem to have generally favourable reviews. I think considering these are about the same price as the (much dimmer, known to be not as robust as I'd like) e-lite and the (not very waterproof) Byte, my field of options is now:

Zebralight - probably a H31 or other CR123 version, but maybe the AA/14500 version because the weight and size difference isn't that great.
Ultrafire - ditto (UF-H1/2b)
Fenix H21

 

[Ezeriel]

An HL10 would make for a nice necklace. I have a V-collared workshirt that I clip a Hypetac P1A to.

...the stainless steel hypetac would be way too heavy though.


Both should safely give you 24 hours on one AAA; which for a AAA is about as good as it gets.

The fenix is likely far more durable though, better for caving.


For a AA, any twisty should be good, since they are smaller.
An Olight I2 EOS has a slight bit of PWM which would make those shiny rocks sparkle a little.

I'm not sure how waterproof PALights are.. but they sure are interesting.

 

[AnAppleSnail]

I love my Zebralight (H51w and SC600w). But there is a going concern: They have a press-fit bezel, which in some (quite rare) instances, does not keep water out. They make a great headlamp, and mine has survived lots of use... But the current best control is to test yours for water, and replace it if there is a problem. They do not seem to suddenly start leaking, at least: It's defective or not.

The HL21 on paper looks like a great headlamp, but it's a bit throwy for my liking as a task light. Have you considered a 1xAA cylinder light with a headband? For quite some time I kept a Quark Mini AA in my pocket, and created an elastic-and-zip-tie headband for it. This wraps snugly around the barrel, disappearing until you need it and weighing under a gram. That opens up plenty of options, and also gets you back into the running for multiple cells. As a backup headlamp this system works fairly well (Convenience vs. aimability), although making the elastic adjustible requires some thought.

Technically there's no problem with plastic bodies, but even manufacturers acknowledge the uneasy feeling by calling them 'Polymer' instead: Under odd circumstances, some plastics unexpectedly get brittle, especially around battery enclosure lids. I have a fair understanding of when that will happen, but it's still an extra thing to wonder about. There are very few all-metal headlamps in your price range, compared to cylinder lights.

 

[Gregozedobe]

I seem to recall the Ultrafire H2B had fairly high parasitic drain when not in use. That could mean the the run time is less than you'd expect on the very low levels.

 

[benhudson]

Ezeriel - the HL10 looks like it would be great, if only it used something with a bit more energy density than an AAA. Even on low it's only good for 30 hours. Pretty cool little thing nonetheless, though that bulky see-thru headband holder seems like a bit of an unfortunate afterthought to me - it would look ace with a strap more like the ZL style. I'll bear that in mind though, because it would be pretty easy to make a new headband with included holder for spare AAA... might be a fun project if I could get one cheapish.

AnAppleSmall - thanks for the advice about the waterproofing, something which is obviously pretty important to me! I've considered the option of using a normal flashlight with a headstrap and more or less discounted it for two main reasons - firstly, I've got seen a strap where I wouldn't be worried the light might slip out while it's dangling around my neck; secondly, sidemounted lights don't work too well with helmets in my opinion - worn on the head, they get in the way of the straps, and while worn on the helmet, small lamps have much of their field of light blocked out by the bulk of the helmet. Larger sidemounted dive lamps are a popular backup for UK cavers though, which have less of a problem with this because their lens ends up being further forward and less occluded.

Gregozedobe - yeah, I'd seen that. I would definitely have to keep the tailcap slightly unscrewed (which I would probably do to avoid accidental turning on anyway).

 

[Ezeriel]

oh i miss understood a lot of what was said.. I should really stop waking-up, rolling over reading the news and these forums...


I was under the impression you had the HL21, and were looking for a backup light to use as a necklace.

If you don't already have the HL21, and are looking or a headlamp on a budget, get the HL21.
It comes with a clip on diffuser, and it's throwy without it.. good in any situation.

 

[benhudson]

Anyone else have any suggestions? I've considered the options, and I think I'll probably save up for a while and get a Zebralight H31 unless something happens to change my mind.

 

[Jimson]

Anyone else have any suggestions? I've considered the options, and I think I'll probably save up for a while and get a Zebralight H31 unless something happens to change my mind.

If I were deep in a cave I'd want more than one backup in the light department. Have you considered one of the Pak-Lites? That company also sells a dedicated headband. Tiny, lightweight, and light for many, many hours.

 

[Bolster]

Frankly we are all waiting for Spark or ZL to make a 1AAA headlamp. But in the meantime, I think the smallest, most powerful option is the ZL running a 1AA. Get 21 days of moon mode from a single AA, not bad.

I string a ZL around my neck for travel, as do several other users here. See the "Zebralight Mods Thread' (or whatever it's called) for around-neck carry options.

 

[f22shift]

Frankly we are all waiting for Spark or ZL to make a 1AAA headlamp. But in the meantime, I think the smallest, most powerful option is the ZL running a 1AA. Get 21 days of moon mode from a single AA, not bad.

I string a ZL around my neck for travel, as do several other users here. See the "Zebralight Mods Thread' (or whatever it's called) for around-neck carry options.

i think fenix has a 1aaa headlamp. although hard to tell because it looks quite bulky defeating the whole purpose.

yeah i would love a 1aaa lamp. simple in design like the original h50. maybe some sort of optic for a nice round even throw. 20 lumen and 1 lumen(maybe some hidden modes, flash and beacon after cycling 3 times). the strap doesn't even need the rubber. just a strap with a sewn on elastic loop.
maybe this already exists. just use a normal aaa light but sideways mount on a homemade strap.

 

[benhudson]

I don't think a Pak-lite would last ten minutes in a [European, at least] cave; however they look like nice little lights to have around to suck the last bit out of retired smoke alarm batteries and that sort of thing, so I expect I will get one at some point. The whole thing about how many reserve lights you carry reveals a bit of a culture-divide between European and US cavers - Americans tend to be much more doctrinaire than those over here about having three separate light sources. The general consensus over here (and I simplify the debate enormously - practice varies between clubs) seems to be that the main reason for light failure is dead batteries - lights that are fit for purpose very rarely fail for other reasons (and seldom permanently) - ever hear of a failed Scurion? And so many people carry spare batteries instead of a second backup, or instead of a backup at all. I've been guilty of the latter, and in fact with my homemade lamp's runtime on low of over 72 hours, on short caving trips in the UK sometimes neglect to bring a spare battery pack. It would be different if I were caving alone, or on a longer, more punishing trip (for the lamp, ie. one with frequent submersion). But anyway, having backups is objectively a good idea, and what I want to end up with is a backup that I have no reason not to carry.

Anyway, it's an interesting debate for another place ;)

I'm not a big fan of AAAs because of the energy-size-price ratio, but if someone like ZL could pull them off I think it would be a very nice product nonetheless, for its particular applications.

Thanks for the replies,
Ben

 

[gianetics]

dont skimp on something that can save your life. save up for the zl and test in it at least six feet of water. i doubt you dive with it but what if you drop it in a deep pool of water or have to wade through some fast moving water. thats a little different from just letting it sit in your sink.

 

[benhudson]

^ goes without saying; if I get a leaky one, I want to know ASAP ;)

 

[benhudson]

After long consideration, I have ordered a H31c, along with two AW RCR123s for general use. Despite the lack of ubiquity of CR123a's, I decided that the smaller form factor was the most beneficial thing in a backup. On expeditions a few spare primaries should tide me over just fine; in the UK I'll use rechargeables. Despite the big lumen drop between the H31 and H31c, I think the high CRI version may suit me better - I've been using lovely warm XT-Es in my caving lamp and it really pains me to have to use the cool light of a Pixa 3 on the rare occasions I have to!

Thanks for all your help,
Ben

 

[benhudson]

^ goes without saying; if I get a leaky one, I want to know ASAP ;)

And sure enough, there is condensation on the inside of the lens after a glass dunk (submerged for longer than the IP rating requires, admittedly, but only in a glass of water (far less than the metre specified))... no effect on its functioning - drying it out now and will apply grease around the lens if I can get it satisfactorily dry, then retest - suspect I will have to send it back.

:thumbsdow

 

[Tulip bush]

What a let down......it's such a shame,, it makes me think twice about getting one.

 

[benhudson]

The annoying thing is, they seem to be almost universally liked when they work. I know that sounds like a facile truism, but hardly any other brand has the same sort of almost universal respect that makes it so annoying when they cockup something so simple. I know it would require pretty significant retooling and redesign, but why don't the newer models have a screw-down bezel? Like you say, it's such a letdown that they clearly don't properly test their outgoing lamps, or especially care that their design is flawed. They're not cheap either.

Anyway, I think I'll still be pleased with the H31 when I get a working one; in the brief honeymoon period I was very pleased with the general form factor, the low level and the quality of the light. But I won't be buying another Zebralight until they fix the waterproofing.

Ah well ^^