Bulb Life

Are there ever any tell tale signs that your existing bulb is just about had it? I fear that one of these nights while walking through the woods my bulb will go. With no moon it is down right pitch black. The light I am referring to is a SL Stinger HP/XT. It's bulb is rated for 30 hours but my guess it has exceeded that benchmark already. I suppose it is time to break out the ole' Scorpion and toss it in my pocket for a backup. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If you really, really, don't want to be in the dark:

1. ALWAYS carry at least one backup.
2. carry an led light

If I were you I would carry something like an Arc AAA/AA or a CMG Ultra in addition to your Stinger HP/XT.

I, emphatically, concur with the above two experts. Read and obey and you won't be left in the dark.

There is no way to tell when a bulb will bust. Some bulbs darken and acquire a silver deposit as they age, which decreases its brightness but they may work for a long time. However, even new, clear, bulbs can go bad with only a few minutes of run-time. It's always a crap-shoot with incandescents. Batteries, too, can die without ANY warning.

Always carry a spare bulb & put an Arc AAA on your key chain.

Halogen filled bulbs like modern krypton and xenon bulbs might not even show the telltale darkening. The halogen gas is used to prevent redeposition of the tungsten from the filament onto the glass. This is what darkens bulbs.

Wilkey