Headlamp with the lowest low/ longest runtime on AA or AAA?

Beacon of Light · Mar 22, 2010

This is due to my preference for longest run-times. Also prefer the lowest of low in a headlamp. I'm not concerned with the brightest light out there, I want the best bang for buck for run-time at the expense of brightness.

My ideal UI would be .02 lumens / .2 lumens / 2 lumens. Yes 2 lumens would be the HIGH. That's all the brightness I would need.

jch79 · Mar 22, 2010

The Surefire Saint can run on 2xAA, and you won't find a lower low, thanks to its infinite brightness levels.

carrot · Mar 22, 2010

Sadly the Saint's lowest is about 1 or 2 lumens. But I think you will be hard pressed to find anything that goes lower.

kramer5150 · Mar 22, 2010

My H501 did 1.5L on low in bigchelis' sphere

Beacon of Light · Mar 22, 2010

If 1 or 2 lumens is among the lowest I think the next version of the Zebralight H501 will be my next headlamp. Going by the H501R the low will be .8 lumens and the lower low will be .1 lumens. Looks like Zebralight will be getting more of my money this year with the SC50 and the H501 or H51 whatever they call the revised H501.

Beacon of Light · Mar 26, 2010

Any other contenders or do I already own the best run-time kings with the Princeton Tec EOS 4 mode with 121 hours on 3 AAA on low and the H50 with 3.5 days (84 hours) on low?

Beacon of Light · Mar 26, 2010

I will add the Princeton Tec Remix gets 200 hours on low from the 5MM Nichias using 3xAAAs!!!

SilverFox · Mar 27, 2010

Hello Beacon of Light,

The Yukon Extreme will run 200 hours on low LED, but I think it is a little more bulk, and quite a bit brighter than what you are looking for. There are also rumors that it is being discontinued...

Tom

Beacon of Light · Mar 27, 2010

Yeah it is bulky and possibly uncomfortable if that remote battery pack needs to be carried to get that 200 hours. Plus the $60 for something not much better than the Remix I can get for around $29 new.

defloyd77 · Mar 27, 2010

I'd imagine the Photon Freedom Fusion would have crazy runtime, http://www.photonlight.com/Photon-F...Headlamps-p/ff-aa-led-flashlight-headlamp.htm

Beacon of Light · Mar 29, 2010

That thing looks even bulkier than the Yukon. 3xAA is huge. What's the runtime on low with 3xAAs? I expect at least a month of continual run-time on low to warrant something so bulky.

defloyd77 · Mar 29, 2010

I cannot find any runtime claims on the lowest modes.

Woods Walker · Mar 29, 2010

When using my ZL in the field I find the low just isn't enough to setup camp at times. That puts a bite on the long running ZL thing a bit. The EOS and HL20 on the other hand offers a bright enough low that I can get away with mostly using that but once the EOS falls out of regulation will change out the LSD NiMH. The HL20 has a 4ish lumen low for 56 hours and does so using 1XAA so with a backup battery I am packing 2XAA as opposed to 6XAAA. Just something to consider.

hopkins · Mar 30, 2010

Adding a resistor and a switch to one side of the power cable to limit current
when desired on headlamps with remote battery packs is very easy.
Buy a bag a resistors at Radio Shack /etc and with your DMM test for
the lumen output you want. It may be possible to place the resistor
temporarily inside the battery pack to dim the LED.

Egsise · Mar 30, 2010

Fenix headband and Quark AA, 0.2 lumen low and over 300 hour runtime with single 2000mAh AA Eneloop.

Beacon of Light · Mar 30, 2010

Egsise said:
Fenix headband and Quark AA, 0.2 lumen low and over 300 hour runtime with single 2000mAh AA Eneloop.

I have that already and so far that is the longest running headlamp (if you can call it that since it is a bulky and not a dedicated headlamp) I own. The runtime of the Quark in the normal headlamp type enclosure would be great. I guess the only light I am looking forward to is the updated ZL H-501, ZL H-51.

Beacon of Light · Mar 30, 2010

Woods Walker said:
When using my ZL in the field I find the low just isn't enough to setup camp at times. That puts a bite on the long running ZL thing a bit. The EOS and HL20 on the other hand offers a bright enough low that I can get away with mostly using that but once the EOS falls out of regulation will change out the LSD NiMH. The HL20 has a 4ish lumen low for 56 hours and does so using 1XAA so with a backup battery I am packing 2XAA as opposed to 6XAAA. Just something to consider.

Actually I like the EOS the first few hours it falls out of regulation than the standard regulated low.

I also prefer a 1xAA than a 3xAAA. Also why I'd pick up the new improved Zebralight H-501. It's run-time on low already trumps the HL-20 and this is the older H-501. The newer H-501 will have even a longer running low and a super long moon mode. Also I like the 90 degree light on Zebralights more than the bulky looking HL-20. It's like they tried to copy Zebralight but did it in a way that makes it look ugly like a cheapo Ray O' Vac or Coleman reject.

Beacon of Light · Mar 30, 2010

hopkins said:
Adding a resistor and a switch to one side of the power cable to limit current
when desired on headlamps with remote battery packs is very easy.
Buy a bag a resistors at Radio Shack /etc and with your DMM test for
the lumen output you want. It may be possible to place the resistor
temporarily inside the battery pack to dim the LED.

Power cable? Explain how this works on a known headlamp like a Zebralight please. Thanks.

carrot · Mar 30, 2010

Beacon of Light said:
Power cable? Explain how this works on a known headlamp like a Zebralight please. Thanks.

"when desired on headlamps with remote battery packs"

AKA not Zebralight.

Egsise · Mar 30, 2010

Beacon of Light said:
Actually I like the EOS the first few hours it falls out of regulation than the standard regulated low.

I also prefer a 1xAA than a 3xAAA. Also why I'd pick up the new improved Zebralight H-501. It's run-time on low already trumps the HL-20 and this is the older H-501. The newer H-501 will have even a longer running low and a super long moon mode. Also I like the 90 degree light on Zebralights more than the bulky looking HL-20. It's like they tried to copy Zebralight but did it in a way that makes it look ugly like a cheapo Ray O' Vac or Coleman reject.

I wouldn't say that they tried to copy, the HL20 design is so much different.

Something like the original H50 but with low low and throwy beam and separate diffuser would be great.

Headlamp with the lowest low/ longest runtime on AA or AAA?

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