Tikka XP^2 or Myo rXP for travel

[Polish Mike]

I have had my Tikka XP stolen from my cabin luggage on a flight a little while ago :sigh:. I'm now shopping for a replacement headlamp. I was really happy with the Tikka - lightweight, good throw, brilliant sliding diffuser, great battery life. It was a light I could take everywhere and rely on whatever I was doing.

Now, I loathe to buy the same thing twice - I thought I might take the opportunity to upgrade. I'm torn between buying the Tikka XP2 or upgrading to the Myo rXP.

The Myo is twice the price and a fair bit heavier + bulkier. Also, it seems not to be as water-resistant.
On the other hand, the brighter the better and battery life should be much better at comparable brightnesses. I also already have a ton of rechargable AAs. I need the headlamp as my main light for a variety of things - hiking, camping, night photography, running, mountain biking - but mostly general backpacking and travel. If the light is too big/heavy, I'm much less likely to take it with me on any given occasion, making it pretty useless. I would like this to be my main light for the foreseeable future, so I would consider spending the £65 the Myo costs, but not much more than that.

I have read the many threads here on the subject and the great reviews but still can't make up my mind. Do you guys think the Myo is worth the extra bulk/price? Any owners of both headlamps - which one are you more likely to take on a trip? Or maybe you can recommend another light entirely?

 

[tnuckels]

Seems like you really have three options: old Tikka XP, new Tikka XP2, or Myo RXP.

The reason I mention the old Tikka XP is that they are starting to go on clearance now and you could probably buy two of the old model for one Myo RXP. However, if you are unable to swap the LED in the old model then perhaps its best move on.

I can't speak for you, but I think I'd miss medium and boost from the old Tikka XP. However, the new model is brighter, better case & button layout, red LED, etc. so that's perhaps an even swap. I don't own the new model yet.

I love the flexibility, runtime, and power of the Myo RXP, but I still most often reach for my moded Tikka XP for 80% of the things I do. I only usually bother with the Myo RXP when I'm doing something more serious like caving, need more light than the ~50lm my moded Tikka XPs offer, or when I really don't want to or can't be bothered with more frequent battery swaps, though I've never really compared how the two models stack up to one another.

I think most of what you mention would be covered by a ~60lm light (new Tikka XP2), except for maybe night mountain biking. Certainly backpacking and travel would be covered. However, the Myo RXP isn't really that much bigger, and when you consider it is packing ~3x the energy (I forget where I read this comparison between AA & AAA batteries) meaning you can leave those two extra sets of AAA batteries behind, over twice the light, and can be configured to your liking … well, now I am as confused as you!

Good Luck!

 

[Polish Mike]

Thank you for your well-considered reply, tnuckels. I see you are thinking yourself in the same circles as I am

I would definitely be willing to mod an "old" Tikka - would that match the output of the new one? (what's the best emitter at the moment?) I did really like the boost of the old one, and it seems like they dropped the weather seals on the new models...

Also, do you find the Myo better balanced or more comfortable at all? I found that jogging with the Tikka I would need to overtighten the headband a tad to avoid it bouncing slightly on my forehead.

I definitely want just one headlamp - and there's a definite compromise here. Still not sure if the overkill power, the more available AA batteries and the (probably) better balance are worth the extra bulk.
You see, if I had both the Tikka and Myo, I would probably use the former most of the time, like you do. But if I only get to have one, maybe the extra weight is worth putting up with for those 20% of cases where more light is helpful.

 

[tnuckels]

Yes, it's easy to chase one's tail when there is no clear winner.

I'm guessing, to judge against the Princeton Tec EOS-R rated at 50lm, that the modded Tikka XP is about the same. Beam patterns are different enough that it's hard to say for sure, but on a light meter (old camera type) they were within ½ tick of each other. It's an easy mod. US2W0H or US2V0H bin SSC P4 work great. I'm still not exactly sure the implications going to an I Vf star, as advice has been somewhat contradictory.

The new light is rated at ~60lm, so 20% brighter and enough to take notice of in your decision.

I think the light's internals are better protected on the new Tikka XP2 and what you were seeing was less protection for the battery compartment, though without a sample I can't say for sure.

The ADAPT system gives you three points to mount a Tikka light to: top strapped headband, belt clip, and helmet stick-on. I mention this as the top strap allows you to be more active with a less tight headband. I think this system fits the new Tikka lights also. Also, some runners seem to like a lower light source to give better terrain contrast.

Both lamps are comfortable for me to wear, though most of my activities are of a less strenuous and jostling nature.

The Tikka XP does weigh less, but to heft it in your hands it's not that much different. Still, on your head, actively moving around and over a long period of time, I find that even small differences can make the difference between comfort and a tension headache.

Wadding the two lights into a ball, the Tikka XP is smaller, but only by a small amount as the head of the Myo is quite a bit smaller than the full body on the Tikka. I'd guess the Myo is 1 ½ times the bulk of the old Tikka. I've removed the top-strap from my Myo as I found it unnecessary for most of my tasks. The stiff external wire, with its looped section, seems prone to sticking out of the Myo package a bit.

For fast moving activities, like night mountain biking, or technical activities, like night trail running, I think the Myo RXP might just be sufficient and not overkill. Avoiding a tree kiss or twisted ankle both require different lighting, and fortunately the Myo RXP with its diffuser offers both, but only at 150lm. Depending on how fast you are going or how difficult the trail is, even this might not be enough. Only you can say how often and important these activities are for you.

Again, we come close to paralysis by analysis.

 

[Szemhazai]

Basically you have to make decision based on 3 points :
- weight (190g vs 90g)
- light output (150 vs 60 lumens)
- burn time (12h vs 4h - @ 60 lumen)

 

[Polish Mike]

Double the weight and price for triple the power or battery life, eh? It's a pretty even tradeoff. Still having a hard time deciding, although the extended battery life at moderate outputs might be the deciding factor.

The wire on the Myo does look a bit poor - I might replace it with something softer if I go that route.

An another note, I always found it kind of annoying how Petzl lights use 3 batteries. Cells come in sets of 2 or 4, dammit!

 

[Polish Mike]

Oooh, that new Fenix HP10 looks mighty fine, I have to say. Might wait until some reviews of that start showing up. Still heavier and bulkier than the Myo, but properly waterproof, cheaper, powerful and uses 4AAs.

 

[*Dusty*]

With reference to the post above mine I was about to suggest the Fenix headlamp as well (which as a bonus is 15 quid less than a MYO) OR a fenix headband and regular light for a bit more flexibility with regards to usage

 

[audavid]

Double the weight and price for triple the power or battery life, eh? It's a pretty even tradeoff. Still having a hard time deciding, although the extended battery life at moderate outputs might be the deciding factor.

The wire on the Myo does look a bit poor - I might replace it with something softer if I go that route.

An another note, I always found it kind of annoying how Petzl lights use 3 batteries. Cells come in sets of 2 or 4, dammit!

I also dont' like it using 3 batteries, w/ the battery pack on the waist it could easily have 4AA batteries.