Advice on headlamp and Mini Maglite?

Hey everyone, I just joined and I'm amazed that so many people are into flashlights. Its kind of an odd obsession but awesome nonetheless.

Anyway, I've got a mini maglite which I want to put a TLE-5EX in, and also a Cabelas 6 watt luxeon flashlight (3 D cells, 150 lumens, two 3-watt luxeons). It is plenty bright, so 150 lumens is going to be sufficient for what I'm looking for.

So I'm looking for a headlamp, preferably luxeon light source because they are reliable and bright. Also they are usually affordable. I've only got about $40 to spend +/- 10. What do you think of this one: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...tx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=headlamp&noImage=0

Also, can any of you give me some more info on the tle-5 or tle-5ex? I've seen different lumen ratings on different sites and I'm sure there's some hype involved so maybe some personal experience would help.


Thanks!!!!!

you can find more information about this if you search for river rock k2. target sells these for $25.

i had one of these. i wanted to use it for biking. the output is good and bright but it's too narrow for close work. there were complaints about it having a poor heatsink. when biking i never had a problem with heat because the constant air flow. the beam pattern was good also for biking, wide enough and far enough throw to see ahead of you. it might be too narrow for hiking(slower pace) for some.
it was a bit uncomfortable with the stock foam pads that put a distinct pressure point on the forehead. it was actually more comfortable with it removed.
the battery holder in the back is a bit tight. i found that it held my sanyo 2400 easily and alkaline too but it could not fit my la crosse 2400 AA nimh. they were too thick to fit in.
i ended returning it because i couldnt wear my helmut with it and didn't want to mount it on my helmut. i decided to use a l2d ce with a nite eyez lite ride to mount on my handlebar instead. i liked the output and strobe feature of the l2d for bike riding.

woohoo 1st post

The 150 Lumen rating is probably the maximum rating at the emitter there is probably about 100 lumen or less out the front.

Luxeons have lost their brightness to Cree and Seoul LEDs, twice the efficiency. Twice the runtime or out put. For a good starter(cheap and relatively well made), look at something on Dealextreme, like this one, with batteries and charger, about $35 together.

The Terralux TLE-5EX on batteryjunction has a Seoul LED. Here is a thread, The TLE-5 uses a Luxeon I LED, The TLE-5EX uses either the Seoul or Luxeon K2 LED. The LEDs are driven harder then the Luxeon I version. The Seoul one is the brightest right now from Terralux.

Most people like the Princeton Tec Eos for a relatively inexpensive Headlamp. And some have modded it with a Seoul LED for more light.

Modded Headlamp Theads(different lights), One, Two

Welcome to CPF!

well i do not much time to respond in detail, but have a good look at the Petzl headlamps.

The Tikka and Taktikka series lead the way.

Wow thanks guys! It seems like most people on this forum are really generous. I appreciate the advice.

I contacted Cabela's regarding the headlamp link I posted and they say it uses a 6.5 watt luxeon K2 (whatever that means).

I'm a mechanical engineer, so maybe someone can lay down the comparison of these mentioned LEDs (seoul, luxeon, cree)

So far my favorite cheap headlight is one I got at Wal-Mart for $18.88. Its made by Garrity and it has 8 LEDs. The main beam is a 1W LED that has 3 levels. Then you have three white LEDs with 3 levels and then 2 red on the front and 2 on the back that are steady burning or they will flash with another click of the switch. You can see it here... http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5765569 I just used it fishing a few nights ago.

Roger

Hey thanks, that Garrity one actually looks really cool and usually the simple cheap ones are easiest to mod.

Do you guys think maybe I could retrofit one of those with a SSC led?

Edit: How many lumens would you guys suppose that Garrity 1 watt luxeon puts out?

Luxeon 1(usually called 1 watt, misnomer) if driven at 1 watt should produce 40-60 lumen at the emitter I think. So with about 1/3 of the light eaten by the reflector and window, the light should produce about 27-40 lumens of light. Double that if you switch in a Seoul or Edison Opto (recommended for a Luxeon retrofit since they have similar emitting pattern) and even more if you use a better reflector and a anti-reflective window.

Out of the newer LEDs, Luxeon I,III,V and K2s are the least efficent. The K2s can take the most power. Ratings go from 40 lumen to 120 lumens(form what I have seen) depending on type.
Seouls and Luxeons share a similar beam patterns. The Seoul usually needs to be raised 0.03 inch for the right focus in a reflector meant for a Luxeon. But Seouls are twice as efficient. Seouls can be driven up to 1 amp emitting a max of about 240 lumens. It has a gummy dome.
Cree LEDs have a narrower beam pattern(70 or 90 degrees I think it was). They are more suited for optics or a deep reflector. the has a metal ring and a glass dome. Can be driven up to 1 amp emitting a typical of 210 lumens.
Edison Opto something(I can't remember) have the same emitting pattern as a Luxeon LED but they create a yellow corona around the hot spot.

Cree, Seoul and Edison Opto all use the same EZ1000 Die as the base. They have similar performance with a different emitting pattern.

I hope that helps.

Some have bought headlamps from Dealextreme and a Seoul star form the same source and replaced the generic LED with the Seoul. They have been getting pretty good performance.

z96Cobra said:

So far my favorite cheap headlight is one I got at Wal-Mart for $18.88. Its made by Garrity and it has 8 LEDs. The main beam is a 1W LED that has 3 levels. Then you have three white LEDs with 3 levels and then 2 red on the front and 2 on the back that are steady burning or they will flash with another click of the switch. You can see it here... http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5765569 I just used it fishing a few nights ago.

Roger

Click to expand...

I hate going through all the modes just to turn it off.

kuksul08 said:

Edit: How many lumens would you guys suppose that Garrity 1 watt luxeon puts out?

Click to expand...

Not as much as my L2D-ce.And more than a minimag.

This forum is sweet. I can post and very quickly get several thorough and honest responses. CPF FTW!

Oh yea, well I decided to get the garrity since it's so cheap, and if I decide it's not bright enough for me, I can mod it.

Hey leathermanwave, I'm thinking of getting a leatherman wave Actually I already decided on getting one. How do you like yours (assuming you have one)?