New Headlamp From Rayovac

I didn't see where anyone had reviewed the new Rayovac Sportsman 3-in-1 Head-Lite headlamp, but I just purchased one from the PX here in Bagram, Afghanistan and thought I'd give my opinion. The headlight has three lights built in; two Red LEDs, one white LED and a single Krypton incadescent lamp. The unit runs on three AAA batteries that fits into a battery module. When you turn on the lamp, the first position turns on the red LEDs. This is probably good since in a tactical enviroment, you wouldn't want a bright white light turned on. The second switch position turns on the single white LED which is sufficiently bright for reading or walking about at night. The third switch position turns on the single Krypton lamp. It throws the light beam out further than the white LED, but will consume the batteries much faster. The Krypton bulb is a T3AAA bulb, 4.5 volt, that is different than the normal MiniMag replacement bulbs. The packaging says the three AAA batteries will last for up to 200 hours using the LED lights. Of course, the PX didn't carry the replacement bulb for the Krypton lamp. However, the packaging says Rayovac has an unconditional warranty for life against all defects in material and workmanship, excluding abuse and accidents. No receipt required. I suppose you could mail your headlamp in for a free bulb replacement. Overall, I'd give the recommendation to buy the Rayovac light to anyone who needs a good hands free light for tactical or work related use.

I have no test equipment here to measure the output of the light brightness, but both the red and white LEDs have good output, with the white producing a whiter rather than blueish light. I believe I paid about $12 for the light and it seems like a good investment. I'm often working on equipment where you need both hands free and the triple combo light means I don't have to grab a different light for various applications. My normal tactical load for lights consists of a PrincetonTec Impact LED light and a Photon Microlight III which hangs from my dogtags. I also wear a Traser Green Tritium light which generally provides sufficient light for low light requirements or keeping trucks from running me over in blackout conditions. Thanks for reading the post, and feel free to add your comments, complaints or suggestions.

I agree it is a good light for the money. I really only use the 1 white LED setting on mine since I don't find the others that useful. My only real complaint about the light is that it pretty much requires 2 hands to switch, which is an inconvenience. If I had it to do over again I would invest the money toward an Aurora or Tikka Plus, but those are a bit more money.

How bright is the krypton bulb compared to a AA Mini-Mag? Bright enough for an EPW search if I didn't have my SureFire?

I haven't done any head-to-head comparisons of this light's incandescent bulb and a AA Minimag, but my impression having used both is that they are about equal in output. Usable, but not great.

By the way, there is one hidden feature on this light that is kind of cool. If you remove the bezel, there is a little rubber pocket in there that looks about perfect for storing a spare bulb, so that must be what it is intended for. The light comes with no spare and no mention of this feature, but if you can somehow find a spare bulb that is the correct voltage, you have a place to store it. I wish more lights had this feature.

Well, Unicorn, I guess you could use it for a EPW search, or the white LED. If you are going for the shock value of jamming a light in someone's face, I'd think the Surefire would work best. I'm a radar technician and don't often have to rough up enemy soldiers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twak.gif

I haven't gotten around to disassembling the lamp down to the molecular level yet, Lurker, so I missed the hidded storage space in the bezel. You'd think they would ship a spare bulb with the light though, especially since it is a wierd AAA 4.5V bulb. While you can find the AA 3.0V bulbs for the MiniMag easily, I've never seen a bulb rated for the Rayovac headlamp.

I'm heading out to some of the firebases here in Afghanistan, and I'll see if I can find an EPW or two and ask their opinion on the lamp brightness. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif

where are these available at? any pics? or maybe beamshots? TIA scott

I bought mine at the PX here, but I'd imagine just about anywhere in the states you could find them. Maybe Walmart or some similar retailer. You could also check at www.rayovac.com and see if they list their distributors or retailers. Sorry, I don't have my digital camera here with me, but will try to get a few pics. The headlamp does have two red LEDs, so the red output is very good, and the one single white LED is quite sufficient for reading, walking, etc. The Krypton bulb would be best when you need to throw some light a distance away from you. Overall, a good combination of capabilities. Thanks for reading the thread!

Here's my review on this light..

I bought mine at WalMart but haven't seen them there recently. I have lately seen them at Lowes Home Centers.