Princeton Tec Impact

Tesla

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 24, 2001
Messages
303
Location
Garland, Tx.
I have an Impact & find it somewhat disappointing. The beam is pretty comparable to the Brinkmann Long-Life light at about twice the price (I have the Brinkmann light also). I'm skeptical if it really fits your needs as the beam is fairly concentrated. If a tight beam suits your needs, get the Brinkmann & pocket the change. It's 90 % as bright on only 2 AA batteries by virtue of its step-up converter. If you need a broader LED beam, consider the PT Attitude...smaller/lighter & runs on AAA batteries. There are other lights out there as good, but none as good at the same price level, IMHO.
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I am not a big fan of either, but I can't agree with choosing the Brinkmann over the Impact - the Impact's beam is a much better - and beyond that, the construction of the Brinkmann is so poor. This is not a lmap to be running with for distance - if you drop it, your in trouble.

Both of these lights allow you to throw a beam, but they are not great for trail running - if you need to see the trail in front of your feet, you will not likely be able to see enough. LED's will give you the burntime but not the visability required - at least not for me.

I run with an LED headlamp and a standard handheld.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by funk:
the Impact's beam is a much better - and beyond that, the construction of the Brinkmann is so poor. This is not a lmap to be running with for distance - if you drop it, your in trouble.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I respectfully disagree..As I said, I own both & the Impact's beam is only "somewhat" better--certainly not enough to justify twice the price. As to the ruggedness of the lights, people's perception of the Brinkmann is "cheap light/breaks easier", but I'm here to tell you, that perception is just WRONG. I agree that neither light is ideally suited for the purpose in question, however. Just food for thought, though...everyone's perceptions will differ.
 
Fair enough..... and agreed that perceptions vary.

I also have both, and think that they both have good purpose - although, I must admit that I don't use either very often - but I have taken the Impact on a weekend camping trip and found it quite usefull - but certainly not for everyday use. I cracked the body of the Brinkmann on the kitchen floor - thus my perception- oh well.
 
I'm wondering what people think of the Princeton Tec Impact single LED light? I tried one out in a dark room at an outdoor shop. The beam was very bright, but looked pretty narrow. It definitely had a different beam quality than any other LED light I've seen.

For those that have tried various LED lights, how does the Impact compare to the more expensive and powerful 7, 10 and 14 LED lights like the Tek-tite and CCrane models? Any thoughts on how it might work for trailrunning at night? Does the beam have a wide enough beam for trailrunning? I'm thinking about using it as a backup light for 100 mile ultramarathons.
 
The Impact is a single LED light with focusing lens assistance. It can be compared to other single lens type lights like the PAL, Turtle Light I, Dorcy Cool Blue, Brinkmann Long Life, and converted lights using a single LED. Some focus through the optical properties of the lens, and others through the focusing properties of the reflector. They differ from the multiple LED lights and the single unfocused lights like ARC AAA and Photons, in that they make a narrow beam.

These type of LED flashlights are useful for checking details and individual characteristics the size of it's beam. For walking and general purpose, I find the flood like characteristics of the multiple LED and unfocused lights to my advantage.
 
Thanks for the replies. Very helpful. By the way, the LED light will be my backup light. I'll use a headlamp along with a bright incandescent handheld like the Tec40 or Surge for trailrunning at night. I like a lot of bright light so I can see the rocks and roots of a rough trail.

The Brinkman may be a better choice for a backup light simply because it is cheaper. Is it available at Wal-Mart? I think I may have seen it there for around $9-10 if I'm not mistaken. Does it also have the magnifying lens like the Impact? Thanks again!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by trailrunners:

The Brinkman may be a better choice for a backup light simply because it is cheaper. Is it available at Wal-Mart? I think I may have seen it there for around $9-10 if I'm not mistaken. Does it also have the magnifying lens like the Impact? Thanks again!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes..It should be just under $12 @ wally world & yes, it does have a focusing lens--just like the Impact---it also has a tail button instead of the two-handed approach of the dive-light inspired Impact. I personally prefer lights that can be operated single-handedly. You never know when you may have something in the other hand you can't put down....like a Coors Light, for example!

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The rebel has a somewhat better beam than the Long-Life, for $15.00. Here are the comparisons:

-Rebel has a slightly narrower beam(Good thing, bad thing?)

-Less appearance of the bond-wire in the beam with rebel.(definitely good)
-I think it has better color balance?

For construction, I think the Long-Life is sturdier, even though the rebel has withstood drops from 4 feet onto a rock, my experience.
 
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