Got a Streamlight Enduro yesterday and I'm lovin' it!
The fit and finish on this little guy are great. The straps and pivot system are first rate. I'm not sure the top strap is needed for something this light, but it is easily removable. Since it's rated waterproof to one meter for one hour, it should be totally weatherproof. My one gripe is with the little rubber-covered switch: nice postive action but really stiff, requiring several pounds of pressure to click. However, I can live with it, and the upside is that it's very unlikely to switch on accidentally while bumping around inside a rucksack or pocket.
Out of the box, the low setting produced a broad bluish-white corona with a bright central spot. The high setting produced a much brighter corona and spot, but with a noticeable donut hole at the center. Turning the bezel about a quarter-turn CCW completely eliminated the donut hole, and now I very happy with the beam this little guy produces. The slight bluish tint doesn't bother me at all.
Went out for a little hike last night, mostly using the low setting, with occasional resort to high for rougher terrain. Once the eyes become dark adapted, the low setting is plenty good enough for walking trails. The low setting is more than sufficient for nightime navigation around the house and for close work. With around twenty hours of runtime on low, this would be very useful during a blackout.
This headlamp is incredibly comfortable. When I came in from hiking I started watching a TV program, then a couple of hours later decided to go back outside for another walk. I was looking all over the place for the Enduro because I couldn't remember where I'd set it down. Finally, I realized that I was still wearing it, and had been wearing it for the last several hours. Another thing I like about it is that I can wear it under a broad brimmed hat, as I did last night after it began raining. This works better than wearing it over a hat or cap, because you don't lose the light at your feet due to the shadow of the brim.
This headlamp should rank among the best for backpacking, general use around the house, power outages, etc. I am amazed that something this small produces so much usable light for such a long time. For certain uses, such as caving or bushwacking at night, where you need very bright light for many hours at a time, this headlamp falls short. Also, for really cold weather there are better choices. But for less extreme pursuits, this little guy will replace the other headlamps I've been using. It's that good.
There are two mods that immediately come to mind:
1. A diffuser for close work and reading. Usable as is, but a simple scotch-tape diffuser improves the flood and reduces the hotspot. Works great for reading. I'd like to make something more robust that would slip over the bezel like a lens cap and then stay securely seated. It wouldn't be as convenient as the Petzl Tika XP, but should be about as functional. Any suggestions on where to find a plastic cap of the right size? Or, any better approach to building a diffuser system?
2. I'm going to buy a second Enduro to modify with an external battery pack for longer runtime on high and for cold weather use. Two Cs or Ds, or even 4 AAs wired to produce 3v should give really good runtime on high. Since this headlamp uses a boost regulator, I'm guessing that the lower internal resistance of the bigger cells won't be a problem. Any thoughts on this?
Want a battery pack that is waterproof, but will settle for weatherproof, and would like a belt-type clip for easy attachment. Should have a fairly long cable, so I can avoid splicing. Any suggestions for a battery pack?
It'll be easy to route a cable up through the junction of the top strap and main headband, and with a little sewing route it around the outside of the main headband to the body of the lamp. Drill through body of headlamp, thread cable through, tie knot for strain relief, solder to battery contacts, then seal the entry hole. Has anyone done this kind of mod on a headlamp? What is good for waterproof sealing? Silicone Type 2?
Any other suggestions on these mods would be appreciated.
I like this little guy so much that I may buy a third one just to use as a pocket light. With the straps removed it is quite small, and if the forehead plate and pivot were removed it seems like it would make a great pocket light.
The fit and finish on this little guy are great. The straps and pivot system are first rate. I'm not sure the top strap is needed for something this light, but it is easily removable. Since it's rated waterproof to one meter for one hour, it should be totally weatherproof. My one gripe is with the little rubber-covered switch: nice postive action but really stiff, requiring several pounds of pressure to click. However, I can live with it, and the upside is that it's very unlikely to switch on accidentally while bumping around inside a rucksack or pocket.
Out of the box, the low setting produced a broad bluish-white corona with a bright central spot. The high setting produced a much brighter corona and spot, but with a noticeable donut hole at the center. Turning the bezel about a quarter-turn CCW completely eliminated the donut hole, and now I very happy with the beam this little guy produces. The slight bluish tint doesn't bother me at all.
Went out for a little hike last night, mostly using the low setting, with occasional resort to high for rougher terrain. Once the eyes become dark adapted, the low setting is plenty good enough for walking trails. The low setting is more than sufficient for nightime navigation around the house and for close work. With around twenty hours of runtime on low, this would be very useful during a blackout.
This headlamp is incredibly comfortable. When I came in from hiking I started watching a TV program, then a couple of hours later decided to go back outside for another walk. I was looking all over the place for the Enduro because I couldn't remember where I'd set it down. Finally, I realized that I was still wearing it, and had been wearing it for the last several hours. Another thing I like about it is that I can wear it under a broad brimmed hat, as I did last night after it began raining. This works better than wearing it over a hat or cap, because you don't lose the light at your feet due to the shadow of the brim.
This headlamp should rank among the best for backpacking, general use around the house, power outages, etc. I am amazed that something this small produces so much usable light for such a long time. For certain uses, such as caving or bushwacking at night, where you need very bright light for many hours at a time, this headlamp falls short. Also, for really cold weather there are better choices. But for less extreme pursuits, this little guy will replace the other headlamps I've been using. It's that good.
There are two mods that immediately come to mind:
1. A diffuser for close work and reading. Usable as is, but a simple scotch-tape diffuser improves the flood and reduces the hotspot. Works great for reading. I'd like to make something more robust that would slip over the bezel like a lens cap and then stay securely seated. It wouldn't be as convenient as the Petzl Tika XP, but should be about as functional. Any suggestions on where to find a plastic cap of the right size? Or, any better approach to building a diffuser system?
2. I'm going to buy a second Enduro to modify with an external battery pack for longer runtime on high and for cold weather use. Two Cs or Ds, or even 4 AAs wired to produce 3v should give really good runtime on high. Since this headlamp uses a boost regulator, I'm guessing that the lower internal resistance of the bigger cells won't be a problem. Any thoughts on this?
Want a battery pack that is waterproof, but will settle for weatherproof, and would like a belt-type clip for easy attachment. Should have a fairly long cable, so I can avoid splicing. Any suggestions for a battery pack?
It'll be easy to route a cable up through the junction of the top strap and main headband, and with a little sewing route it around the outside of the main headband to the body of the lamp. Drill through body of headlamp, thread cable through, tie knot for strain relief, solder to battery contacts, then seal the entry hole. Has anyone done this kind of mod on a headlamp? What is good for waterproof sealing? Silicone Type 2?
Any other suggestions on these mods would be appreciated.
I like this little guy so much that I may buy a third one just to use as a pocket light. With the straps removed it is quite small, and if the forehead plate and pivot were removed it seems like it would make a great pocket light.
