Quad or TikkaPlus?

[darklord]

Simple question:

If they were both the same price, would you buy an old (21 lumens) PT Quad or a current Petzl Tikka Plus?

Both 4 LED and 3xAAA.

(the reason I mention the old Quad is because the new one isn't in the UK yet - no I can't wait, I'm buying and flying in two weeks!)

 

[Woods Walker]

I am a big fan of PT however own a TikkaPlus and for a little Direct Drive headlmap using 3XAAA it is kinda nice. A bit too much money however the LEDs on mine are brighter and less blue than the older LEDs on my 60 lumen APEX that I guess they are the same on the older Quad. The Tikka plus is not regulated so lithiums are a no no however with NiMH AAA I get a more regulated run than standard batteries. The Tikkaplus is not all that water proof however it does not die if wet. Just needs to dry off. Mine has hit the deck hard a few times and the body pops open tossing the batteries and sometimes the clear cover comes off. But the whole thing snaps back perfect. Over all I would go with the TikkaPlus over the older Quad. If you can find the newer Rebel EOS that would be my pick over both.

 

[darklord]

Thanks for that, WW, nice comments. I take it you mean 3xAAA...??

I was just trying to weight up the regulated output of the Quad versus the unregulated of the Tikka. Like the Tikka might have a 'fresh' output of 35 lumens, but that could be 25 lumens in half an hour! So there wouldn't be much difference with the Quad.

There again, I'm not sure whether the old Quad was regulated or not?

I like the waterproofness of the Quad, I must say. But then if I like the waterproofness, I guess I ought to opt up to the Rebel EOS, as you suggest. Unfortunately it's not available in the UK yet. I think I could get it off Lighthound but time is tight.

Basically I was looking for a floody lamp with a half decent throw and long run time.

 

[likeguymontag]

There again, I'm not sure whether the old Quad was regulated or not?

I believe the old Quad uses the same circuitry as the new one. I think the only difference is that the new one uses more efficient leds with a slightly different beam pattern.

 

[Woods Walker]

Yea I changed my post to show 3xAAA. On its high I don't know if the Quad could hold regulation for more than one hour. The O ring on the Quad seems about the same as the EOS. As others have said the Quad is regulated new or old. Also question if the lumens would not be brighter on a newer old Quad if there is such a thing. I know the newer Aurora headlamps before they got replaced by PT were brighter than the first ones but PT never upgraded the lumen rates.

The Tikka plus has a nice flood beam. Guessing the older Quad does too however heard that they made the newer Quad with less flood and more throw.

 

[saabgoblin]

The most recent Quad was upgraded with newer leds and increased output vs the old.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

If the choice is between the 35 lumen Tikka Plus and the 21 lumen Quad, you'll want to go for the Tikka Plus. I'm a big fan of Princeton Tec headlights, but double the efficiency of the l.e.d.s makes a big difference in brightness and runtime. The Tikka Plus isn't that waterproof, but I've never heard of one failing from getting wet. They have a better track record for working in the long term. The Quad's plastic cracks after about a year of use. I know someone who hikes the John Muir Trail at least once a year and his Tikka Plus has never failed. If you find a new Quad, you'll be disappointed if you were expecting an even floody beam pattern. PT aimed the l.e.d.s toward the center so they make more of a spot. If you can find and afford a Rebel EOS, that would be the best option. You get enough flood to light up the whole trail (but not the area beside the trail) while getting better color rendition, a higher high and lower low, a more waterproof light, and regulation (meaning you can use lithium batteries).

 

[darklord]

I just called by a shop on the way home and they had a PT Fuel and a Lenser Revolution.

I was surprised by the Fuel - only the old (15 lumens?) model here in the UK but it was very bright with a good floody throw. The Lenser was neat and you've got to love the variable output lever, but not sure whether the beam was as strong as I'd expect from a 1.25 watt LED. Only able to test in the shop's dark basement, but the Fuel certainly impressed.

 

[Kanelight]

Got a quad that had too much blue in the leds. I modded it with Nichia CS CO leds and now have a beautiful warm-tint beam.

The Quad is first-class and has some of the best waterproofness available in the headlamp universe. A-Plus.

The Quad tactical is also kinda nice if you like to red(or blue or green) at times.

 

[darklord]

The Quad tactical is also kinda nice if you like to red(or blue or green) at times.

Nope, never want to see a blue, green or red LED anywhere near one of my lamps.

:thumbsdow

I'll never be going inside a lamp with a soldering iron, either - I have all the electronic apptitude of a hippopotamus.

 

[likeguymontag]

Nope, never want to see a blue, green or red LED anywhere near one of my lamps.

:thumbsdow

Red is genuinely useful for preserving your night vision, so...

 

[darklord]

Red is genuinely useful for preserving your night vision, so...

night vision for what?...I don't do any of that hunting or creeping up on people mularkey. I want to light my way back from the pub and see how the rice is doing!

Seriously, a total waste of an LED for me...give me more whites.