Re: Anyone know what the LED headlamp at Costco is? (possibly Rayovac brand)
I just bought Costco's (item 185790)
Rayovac headlamp (
LUX3AAHDLT-B) for just under $16 plus tax. It appears to be the same as the headlamp on Rayovac's web site (
http://www.rayovac.com/flashlight/lux3aahdlt-b.shtml), but the Costco packaging is silver/blue instead of silver/green.
Description:
It has a K2 LED (no mention of Luxeon on the packaging) in the front and a single red LED bar (about 1.5 inches long) on the rear battery pack (3AA).
There is a center elastic strap for the top of your head. It can be removed by sliding the strap out of the narrow gap in the retaining bracket (on the front headlamp and rear battery pack).
The front LED housing has pivots at the bottom, so the top of the housing rotates downward. The power cord enters the housing at the left pivot point. The five mode (Maximum=100%, Optimum=50%, Economy=25%, strobe light (close to two times per second), and off) push button switch is on the top.
There appears to be an anomaly in the front switch because the first press sometimes does nothing. This fault occurs only on the first press (never when changing from one mode to the next). The anomaly has occurred as frequently as two cycles in a row and, maybe, fifteen cycles later. The only consistency appears to be that the light is off for at least a few moments (up to minutes) before the failure to turn on.
The single red LED "bar" on the battery pack is operated by a push button switch below the power out cord on the left side of the battery pack. There are three modes (on, strobe (less close to two times per second), and off). Unusually, the LED must always operate through the three modes (i.e. - OFF to ON to STROBE to OFF to ON to STROBE to OFF).
The red LED is mounted subsurface, pointing perpendicularly from left to right. The clear lens reflects the light dimly out the back. This contruction is a problem. At 45 degree angles, the light is dim from the left side and bright from the right side.
In the United States, riding along the right-side curb means the rear facing red LED is ten times brighter from the sidewalk side than the street side. Regardless, it is a single LED so don't expect that much help in any case. Indoors, in a dimly lit room, the red LED light is rather dim anyway.
The right side of the battery pack rotates counter-clockwise to open. It requires a lot of force and I get the feeling that it might break sooner rather than later. A thin clear plastic thread slides in and out with the lid so you won't lose it (at least until the thread breaks).
The two outside batteries go in positive terminal inside and the middle battery goes negative terminal inside. A set of Eveready 2500 mAh NiMh batteries were a tight fit. I had to push them in, but they still slid out when shaken.
The package claims DC-DC "Regulated circuitry provides maximum light output throughout entire life of battery". I switched between alkalines and NiMh batteries, but I didn't notice any difference. If I had two units, I could make a better comparison.
The package claims "up to 20 hours of continuous runtime", water resistant, 85 lumens, and lifetime warranty.
Use:
Please note, it is always rather bright outside in my neighbor hood. I have a hard time distinguishing the intensity of the dim portion of the beam.
The central portion of the beam is shaped like a hybrid between a square and a circle. The edge is irregular when pointed on a flat wall, however, this was not noticeable when walking around the yard. The transition from the central portion of the beam to the spill was not harsh (like the original Inova X1 or River Rock 1AA). The beam itself is impressively uniform and, this morning, I don't remember it having any hotspots that I noticed.
There is very little spill (i.e. - it is rather dim) outside the central portion of the beam. It is useable (nothing like the original Inova X1, but more than the original River Rock 2AA); I did not get the feeling that I had tunnel vision. The spill is very dim compared to the MagLED 4D's outside edge.
Outside, the Rayovac headlamp (LUX3AAHDLT-B) uniformly lit up a moderately wide area (of six feet wide at about 20 feet away). The MagLED 4D's central spot was several times brighter, but it was only about 1.5 feet wide. Under 20 to 30 feet, the Rayovac is clearly the winner (depending upon your application).
My reference test is to illuminate the house across the street. The Rayovac headlamp covers the house but is dim by CPF standards. The outlines become bushes (not criminals hiding). Again, remember that I don't go into night vision because there is sooo much ambient street lighting. The MagLED 4D lights it up nicely and casts strong shadows; it is clearly the winner here.
I get the feeling that Rayovac is like a movie camera light panning around the yard. Even though I haven't ridden a bicycle in decades (it's too dangerous with California drivers...), I think this light might be suitable for night riding (of which I have no experience with a good light). It is both bright enough and has a width that might eliminate surprises leaping out of the darkness.
I tried searching the tomatoes and eggplants for pests and was very pleased with the uniform lighting. At about two feet, the tomato leaves were too bright. I thought that I made a mistake by running the light on high. My mistake! The light was on low (25%)!
Caveats:
On the lowest light setting (25%), the strobing of the LED (to achieve the light output reduction) is distinctively noticeable on quickly moving objects. For example, if I quickly wave my hand in front of the beam, I can see dozens of fingers partially frozen by the stroboscopic effect.
After only one night, I am not sure whether I have a mild stress headache and I see the stroboscopic effect or whether the stroboscopic effect caused eye strain and a subsequent mild headache.
This headlamp is much heavier than the Princeton Tec EOS. Additionally, the bulky mass of straps, cables, and plastic boxes can be problematic. The construction is not robust but not entirely flimsy either. I especially have doubts about the cable entering the front housing at the pivot point. I suspect that wire is a weakness due to frequent rotation, vibration, and the occasional snagging.
Conclusions:
After only one night, I love this light. Iff "it is the same as the River Rock" [I hate that phrase], it is a good value at $25. However, for $16 at Costco, the Rayovac headlamp (LUX3AAHDLT-B) is a steal.
When weight and size are not a problem, I will take this headlamp over the Princeton Tec EOS without hesitation. Especially since I love AA batteries...
Thanks! I should really have coffee before posting...
