My First HeadLamp, PT Vizz, Fenix HL30, Energizer Triple Beam?Give me a Recomandation

nuambenzina

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Hello...

I am searching to buy a VERSATILE headlamp, all around, to be good at caving-mining, mountain-biking, back-packing, working, on the boat, hunting so it doesn't have one specific target to the use.


Considering that this will gonna be my first headlamp, and sadly I can't find all of them in stores to compare them and some of them are not even sold in my country please help me choose one from:

1) Princeton Tec VIZZ (regulated light but expensive, but has the feautures that I like the most)

2) Fenix HL30 (regulated light but expensive, but very nice headlamp)

3) Maybe... Energizer Triple Beam (it has GREEN light on it YEY :D but sadly is not having regulated light, but is cheaper)

4) Any other suggestions?

First when looking after headlamps, I was thinking at... but later excluded them:

a) Petzl tikka xp 2 .........but is way too expensive for a NON-Regulated lamp and NON-Waterproof
b) BlackDiamond Spot ........but is way too expensive for a NON-Regulated lamp and NON-Waterproof
c) BlackDiamond ReVolt ......way to expensive for a NON-WaterProof lamp

ZXY) I am thinking that maybe BlackDiamond Storm but I found that is possible to have some "bug" and malfunction, when the batteries are low and you dim to minimum, the light will jump automatically on high. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0kN73DKxuw
Also the dimming feature is on the PowerLed/Spot not on the flood as Princeton VIZZ is... maybe a little annoying that comes with 4 AAA instead of 3 as maybe the angle mechanism could be weak and it can make bumps on vibrations, shaking.



From long time ago I am searching and reading on the forum, for a versatile and good quality compact headlamp, which has to be:

01) Regulated light (same amount of lighting)
02) Very Good running/burning times, the longer the better
03) Minimum 70-80 Lumens on high, turbo or boost mode is a plus
04) Has to use AAA or AA size alkaline battery, and rechargeable NiMh 1.2V, (lithium foto AAA battery I guess is not such a good ideea because of pshical abuse if dropped or if water gets in while caving-mining, mountain-biking)
05) Dimming Light Feature (if it is dimming on flood will be better than dimming on spot)
06) Powerful Red Lights (also GREEN if it is possible / The Red Light I use it mostly to be seen, in the back of the bike with the headlamp attached on the backpack so I don't need an anemic red light, the green for nigh-vision and inspection)
07) Spot and Flood, would be cool to be able to run bought of them in the same time
08) Kinda Robust, must resist if dropped from the pocket
09) Waterproof, to be saftly immersed in water (to resist to a waterfall)
10) Compact body with the batteries in the same compartiment, excluded with battery atached on the belt, on the head in rear/back etc.
11) It is not accepted to "bump" when using on the dirt-road and has vibrations on the road when biking, or when shake it Not to BUMP, it has to remain to the same angle / The Pivoting head, has to not to tilt automatically downwards, it is very frustrating.
12) It is not a must to be given by the manufacturer but it has to function at -20 and +50 Celsius degrees, as I am using it is winter and summer.
13) The band and the lamp must be ok to be weared on the neck like a necklace and to be attached on the hand (i've seen that Petzl Tikkina dose this very well)
14) A "block" function on the on/off swich button for not starting automatically when is pressed by the other things when is pocket or backpack


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I am curious how it is the regulation working on the headlamps with the regulated light, from your personal experience as I guess there can be different methods - comportment on how the light is regulated as in this example:


Assuming that In Non-Regulated mode will burn 12 Hours,

A) In Regulated mode will burn 9 Hours at the same light intensity then will switch in emergency mode, maximum burn time will be 10 hours
B) In Regulated mode will burn 2 Hours at the same light intensity then will switch in non-regulated mode and star dimming slowly, maximum will be 10 hours
C) Will burn in regulate mode 6 Hours at the same light intensity then will turn off complete


Is the regulated light comportament different and depending by how is the lamp circuit designed?

2v15gxz.png




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I am thinking seriously on the Princeton Tech Vizz, over Fenix, Petzl, BlackDiamond as far as I see is it close to my requirements, and I assume it is a great headlamp and well designed, but I am wondering why is not so popular? Why I can't find it in stores like Dechathlon, or in Mall's, Specializated mountain Stores?


Thank you for the pattience reading the post

Post Scriptum, Am I missing something?
 
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nuambenzina

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Sadly, I gave up at Princeton Tech Vizze reading that it has no dimming or fixed / low setting on the main power led :(.

So, how is the Red Light on Fenix HL30 and Energizer Triple beam?

Is it bright as tikka xp 2 or is it very poor as on BlackDiamond Spot/Storm?
 

rojos

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Jul 18, 2012
Messages
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You should use Nimh's all the time if good regulation is important to you. Alkalines just don't have the juice to maintain higher outputs for very long even with the best of circuits.

The HL30 is a good all-around headlamp. I doesn't fill all your criteria, but it's probably the closest you'll find.
 

Hooked on Fenix

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+1 on the Fenix HL30. The Triple Beam is a decent light, but you won't get the runtime you want (10 hours) except on the colored l.e.d.s. The beam is a bit narrow, similar to the first generation Princeton Tec EOS. A piece of the right scotch tape over the lens of the main l.e.d. makes it much more useable. I took my Fenix HL30 on a trip to Mt. Whitney recently. We had to turn back because of a flashflood. The HL30 worked perfectly and their were no signs water got into the light. However, the PT EOS headlights I loaned to family didn't do so well. Water apparently got under the lens of my 80 lumen one and the 70 lumen one recently died about a month after the trip (though I can't be sure that trip killed it. The 70 lumen one has a more frosted optic that makes it harder to identify if water is under the lens). For caving, you need a durable light that can take a beating, is very waterproof, and lasts long enough on a set of batteries to get you back out of the cave. Changing batteries in a wet cave will get water in even a waterproof light. Always bring a couple backups for this reason alone. The only two drawbacks of the HL30 headlight are: no lockout switch to prevent it turning on accidentally and draining the batteries, and it only has a floodlight beam (though at 200 lumens, it should light up most caverns pretty well).
 

Hooked on Fenix

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As for the red l.e.d.s, my 60 lumen Tikka XP2 seems the brightest but has a narrower beam than the Fenix HL30. The red l.e.d. on the HL30 is a close second with less throw but a beam about twice as wide. The Triple Beam is the dimmest and narrowest on red, but the green is at least twice as bright as the Tikka XP2 red. I'd say the HL30 has the most useful red as it has the least artifacts in the beam and wider is more useful for seeing things in low light conditions and preserving nightvision.
 

nuambenzina

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Thank you for your input.

I think I'll go with the Fenix or Energizer if I can have one in the hand's to see how they feel at the touch or I'll find someone to build a custom one.

For caving/mining the minimum number of light's that I take with me are 3.

1. Main Attached on the
helmet
2. A back-up one attached on the neck like a necklace just in case if something will go bad
3. A third one in case I need to loan/borrow to a friend.

Now I have to choose the charger for nimh, I think I'll go with eneloops I guess they will be the black edition ones as I intend to use them also in winter on bike at - Celsius degree. I am a little bit confused about chargers but that will be in another post.

As for strong beam light in caves, being that the caves that I visit dose't have so big walls/rooms I don't need them to be very strong there, but I need them to last longer, and not to disturb others by blinding them. On the bike instead, I need a strong / throw / spot beam to reach far because sometimes I am really speeing with the bike 35-65 Km/h, and I need to see the holes-
pits which resides in the road, sadly... and I also need a good flood light on the bike to see where the wheel is and where the pit-hole in the road is.
 
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