Pt eos good for reading?

I have ordered the above headlamp and was wondering if it would be good for reading? It will be my only second headlamp. Thanks!!

Yeah the PT eos on low is great for reading. Ive used it many time for just that purpose.

I'd recommend the Pt Quad or the Petzl Tikka Plus for reading - they're way more floody. I have an EOS and a Tikka Plus, and much prefer the Tikka Plus for reading/close-up work.
john

unless you mod the eos its not going to be the greatest reading headlamp... however... if you mod your EOS and use an HDS mild diffuser... it will be great

the EOS is the best integrated headlamp you can buy.... followed by the Quad and the Petzl Tikka XP...

jar3ds said:

if you mod your EOS and use an HDS mild diffuser... it will be great

Click to expand...

jar3ds, this has peaked my interest. Have you done this mod? How do you go about doing it? I have an EOS that I would like to be floody for up close work but thought it wasn't possible with the EOS. Any help would be appreciated for a newbie. Thanks.

Edro said:

jar3ds, this has peaked my interest. Have you done this mod? How do you go about doing it? I have an EOS that I would like to be floody for up close work but thought it wasn't possible with the EOS. Any help would be appreciated for a newbie. Thanks.

Click to expand...

you bet bro...

just open up the EOS and take out the cells... take a small butter knife and wedge it in the bottom of the inner housing... between the inner and outer... then pull with your finger and thumbs on the side (the ribbed area)... while twisting the knife gently... you'll hear a snap and the two internal pins will break... this obviously voids the warranty but is worth it and the eos isn't that expensive anyways... this won't effect waterproofness at all...

once you do this you can just buy a mild diffuser from lighthound.com in the HDS section and put it between the window and the optic... this will smooth out the beam with mininmal loss in overall output... i personally use a McR-18 that has been modded instead of the optic... you could also use a IMS 17mm that is a straight drop in without any mod...

its really easy and SO WORTH it... it can be a little overwhelming but its not as hard as it sounds... ask any additional questions you want

I'm waiting for an IMS 17 and cree star to come in for a mod. I can update after I get some results...

jar3ds's mod is probably the best. If you want a cheap, easy trick, just put paper first aid tape over the lens. Someone a while back had stated that a type of 3M first aid tape was the best. My results are fine with regular old cheap tape. It makes a huge difference. You don't have to be handy to do it either. I've done it to other lights; I don't know why I didn't try it on my Eos until now. Anyone want to buy a Quad!?

Scotch satin tape.

Thanks for that jar3ds! :thumbsup:
Please bear with me on some more newbie questions...

and put it between the window and the optic

Click to expand...

I'm understanding "optic" as the circular glass/plastic lens in front...so there would be the HDS optic lens (diffuser) and behind that would be the original lens? Two lenses back to back?

you could also use a IMS 17mm that is a straight drop in without any mod...

Click to expand...

Is the "IMS" a reflector?
When you say "without any mod" I'm assuming if I use an IMS I still have to open up the EOS and pull out the existing reflector and drop in the IMS, and put back the original optic? (again, I'm understanding "optic" as the circular glass/plastic lens in front.) Just by changing the reflector the spot beam would change to a flood?

Sorry for the newbie questions. I really appreciate your patience.
Thanks.

Edro said:

Thanks for that jar3ds! :thumbsup:
Please bear with me on some more newbie questions...

I'm understanding "optic" as the circular glass/plastic lens in front...so there would be the HDS optic lens (diffuser) and behind that would be the original lens? Two lenses back to back?

well acually.... the window is the THIN plastic 'lens' ... the optic is acually 3D and sits on the LED.... the HDS mild diffuser is a small plastic disc that you can put in between the window and the optic (or reflector)


Is the "IMS" a reflector?
When you say "without any mod" I'm assuming if I use an IMS I still have to open up the EOS and pull out the existing reflector and drop in the IMS, and put back the original optic? (again, I'm understanding "optic" as the circular glass/plastic lens in front.) Just by changing the reflector the spot beam would change to a flood?

the IMS 17mm reflector is here: http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.c...d=429&osCsid=35daa30e6b1c85bebe57c999c6718d2b

yep your going to open up the EOS and pull out the existing OPTIC and replace it with a the 17mm IMS reflector... i think your getting confused on optic vs. window... the window is just a thin piece of plastic inbetween external air and the internal optic... the window we never mess with...

yes by just using the reflector it will change the beam pattern to more of a flood/spot (typical LED flashlight) look... however... through much trial and error have found that if you use the IMS 17mm reflector its best to have the HDS mild diffuser too... (at least for me)... you might like the 17mm just the way it is... i personally rather give up on some overall output for a more smooth beam...

Sorry for the newbie questions. I really appreciate your patience.
Thanks.

Click to expand...

no problem on the newbie questions .... got'a start somewhere

keep asking questions if you need to

One other option to turn the Eos into a pure flood, perfect for reading, is to remove the optic as explained above, and replace it with nothing. You certainly lose output this way, since nothing is aiming the photons forward, but it's a perfect large circle of unblemished floodlight, and makes the best reading headlamp I've seen.

There's no reason you can't swap an optic or reflector in or out at will--it just takes a few seconds. But be careful of fingerprints.

Jack

Jar3ds,
Thanks for the great explanation. Now I'm starting to understand.
I was missing that 3rd piece of the puzzle (optic).
So in the existing housing, from front to back, there's:
- the lens/window
- the reflector
- the optic (which actually sits inside the reflector?)
- the led (at the bottom of the reflector)

Is the optic and reflector one piece? or am I getting confused here again?

by just using the reflector it will change the beam pattern to more of a flood/spot (typical LED flashlight) look

Click to expand...

Good explanation...this I understand...spot in middle with some spill surrounding spot.

through much trial and error have found that if you use the IMS 17mm reflector its best to have the HDS mild diffuser too... (at least for me)

Click to expand...

Really appreciate sharing this nugget. It sounds like the diffuser is the way to go with either option, as I'm with you on the smoother beam vs. overall output.

Thanks again! Truly appreciate the walk through.

There is no reflector in the PT Eos, just an optic behind the window. Many people replace the optic with a IMS17 reflector so they will have some spill beam. I've done this, and also put some "Write Rite" diffusing film (you can also use semi-transparent tape) over the window. Now it makes a pretty good reading light, but the stock Eos with optic has a rather narrow beam that is not optimal for reading.

wasBlinded, thanks for that clarificaiton. Now I think I've got it.

lrp, sorry for highjacking this thread. But boy did some good info come out of it!

i need just to make a thread with detailed pics explaining it.... i've done it so many times in threads and through PM... its my own lazy fault ...

jack brings up a good option... of just taking out the optic altogether it works REALLY well for reading... however the output does have a narrow circle sort of output since most of the light is being blocked back into the housing...