Please Recommend a 4000K-4100K High-CRI *Throwy/Spot* Headlamp

[williaty]

This is a thread I never expected to make. Back in the dark ages, I spent forever wishing manufacturers would realize what we all actually needed was a floody headlamp for working and reading. Now, for the first time ever, I need a throwy/spot headlamp. I've taken up night hiking in the mountains and I need to be able to scan around the trees for blazes that might be as far as 100m away. I have the up-close/floody/don't trip on roots taken care of via a Nitecore UT05 belt light, which is fabulous, if you have the need for such a thing. I want the spotty headlamp to blend with my waist light, which means the headlamp needs to be 4000-4100K and high-CRI.

Since I love my Zebralight floody headlamps, my first thought was to see what they offer. Their reflector is an orange peel texture and not polished and I have no idea if they'd be throwy enough but worse is that they're marked as backorder-only and I need something in the next week or so, not 6 months from now.

So what have you guys got for a high-quality, AA or 18650 powered, high-CRI, 4000-4100K throwy headlamp that's actually in stock right now?

Thanks!

 

[overload001]

I don't have a thrower headlamp atm, but if I must buy one, I'll definitly go with the Thrunite Thrower(neutral version)

Thrunite Thrower

 

[overload001]

Oh, I forgot...I do have a warm(3000k)throwy headlamp, the Nitecore UT32

Nitecore UT32

 

[3L3M3NT]

The different headlamps that I would look at are:
https://skylumen.com/collections/v5...beam-h17vn-compact-high-output-angle-headlamp
https://skylumen.com/collections/v54-lights/products/acebeam-h30vn-best-single-21700-headlamp-r
https://skylumen.com/collections/v54-lights/products/acebeam-h40vn-compact-14500-headlight
https://skylumen.com/collections/v54-lights/products/one-off-fenix-hm70rvn
http://thrunite.com/amp/thrower-headlamp/
https://www.nitecorestore.com/Nitecore-HC33-Headlamp-p/fl-nite-hc33.htm
https://www.nitecorestore.com/Nitecore-HC35-Headlamp-p/fl-nite-hc35.htm
https://www.nitecorestore.com/Nitecore-HC30-Headlamp-p/fl-nite-hc30.htm

Good luck with your decision 👍

 

[alpg88]

Headlamps do not really throw, especially with triples and quads, I have about half a dosen different ones, I have ZL 600, Zl 504, modified d10, d25, panda 3, gekko, skilhunt, and few others, none will throw 100M, however with enough lumens even a flooder can reach 100m, but it would come at huge cost in weight and power requirement. Just get a small thrower in addition to a headlamp.

 

[desert.snake]

To search for fire, a thermal imager is better suited, best hung on a drone, or just darkness. Or what is meant by the word "blazes"?

 

[fulee9999]

To search for fire, a thermal imager is better suited, best hung on a drone, or just darkness. Or what is meant by the word "blazes"?

tree blaze as in tree marking. I would be surprised if OP was trying to find a firesource in the middle of night with the help of a headlamp

and to answer the question, maybe Wurkkos D25S or Nitecore hc65

edit: or you know, you can always go with the true and tested manufactuers like Petzl and Black Diamond

 

[xcandrew]

Headlamps do not really throw, especially with triples and quads

There are lots of headlamps with throw - headlamps designed for orienteering/skiing/cycling(before the trend towards one-piece designs). But they do flood at the same time as a single device solution, and typically are not 4000K and high CRI. They would be a good single device solution for the OP's nightscape. (For easily available within a week, the new Petzl Nao RL is pretty tempting even though it probably has cool white/low CRI emitters https://www.roadtrailrun.com/2022/10/petzl-nao-rl-headlamp-review-lighter.html )

I'm nightly in similar nightscapes as the OP, so I understand what that is like, though I personally haven't wanted to try a waist light. I've found by holding a light at different heights to experiment that I personally wouldn't like the harsh ground shadows produced by a waist level light. Chest high would be ideal for me from purely a bumpy ground shadow definition consideration, giving more definition than head high, but not harsh shadows over deep roots. But a bright enough headlamp with combined wide and throw is perfectly fine for ground definition, with emphasis on bright enough. I don't trip up leaving the back trails from my house on severely rooty trails. My personal preference aside, the OP's desire is perfectly valid.

Have you considered buying a single emitter high CRI headlamp and then swapping the TIR? My YLP Gekko (with 4000K high CRI LH351D) would be perfect for you with a swap from the medium TIR to a spot TIR. YLPs are unobtainium now due to the Russia/Ukraine war, but I'm sure there is something from Sofirn, Convoy, or the like that would be what you want with an optic swap.

 

[TimMc]

Cyansky HS6R has a SST20 95 CRI 4000K for flood and a SST40 6500K for throw. Some dealers might have a 3000K version where the 6500K and 4000K have been swapped out for 3000K emitters.

Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Nichia 4500K 90 CRI throws about 130m. TIR makes it a bit floody. I used this as a flood light on my bike.

 

[borrower]

Not crazy throwy or particularly high CRI, but pretty impressive on both counts, I love my Lucifer S2X. If you're in the SF Bay area, drop me a dm.

 

[sirpetr]

borrower: Thanks. Actually we have 5000K,CRI93 option which combined with same TIRs produces more throw than "standard" XP-L2 LEDs. Equipped with narrowest 2x13° TIRs I would say it has some throw. BTW. xcandrew mentioned LH351D 4000K, that can be bought with CRI80. Thats in my opinion best "throwy" LED with good color quality and temperature you want and very efficient.

 

[borrower]

Y’know, it completely slipped my mind that there was a 13/13 option in the optics. (I have 13/20.) I imagine that would pump up the throw considerably.