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my head lamp seems to be working when it wants to.
i am looking for a new head light,
any suggestions , make model ?
thanks
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Sorry, no help - just piggy-backing. If said recommendations were to include units that have no more than 2 states of being (i.e., "on" and "off") I would be much obliged.
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sorry, no recommendations for a new one- everything seems to need 600 different functions now and an engineering degree to work it, but I do have one suggestion though- pick up some electronic cleaner, pop the case apart, give it a good soaking, and let it dry- that's kept my "vintage" 30+ year old Petzl Tikka+ working fine.
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I love my Nitecore Nu-25. Has the red light capability too.
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+ 1 on Nitecore have a few of theirs. Yes they have extra functions but I find the buttons intuitive.
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I'm interested in this as well. I too like a simple option (on, off, red, etc.). I have a Petzl that automatically dims when you look at someone and stuff but in all honesty I find them too much. I like a nice single large button that I don't have to press 10 times to cycle through various settings (and that's big enough to use with a glove)
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I use an older version of this Petzl from MEC. It's just got 1 button for high/medium/low/off. Strap is adjustable and tight. It's big enough to not get lost in my bag, but small enough to eventually forget it's on your head and start looking around for it, using the flashlight while you do it because it's so dark out.
Mine is just high/low/off with the button. Been going strong for about 10 years now, and batteries need changing every 2-3 years.
If you're used to a very bright flashlight, this one will seem dim, but it's good enough to get around the site after dark. Wouldn't use it for like, night hiking or caving.
Could always go carbide! Those are on/off!
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Nitecore is very popular but personally I use the Petzl Actik Core. The things I like about it:
- 3 states of brightness. Lowest brightness I use while sitting by the fire, medium level while walking around camp, strongest level when I need to see far away.
- Lock function to prevent accidentally turning on while packed away
- Accommodates the Petzl rechargeable battery as well as regular AAA. I have two of the rechargeable batteries so that when the first starts to dim, I can swap it with the second one while charging the first with a power bank. I used to bring a set of AAA as backup but I stopped and only bring the two rechargeable ones now.
- Red light mode
- Lightweight and compact enough for canoe trips. We're not the 'ultralight' backpacking crowd.
- Comfortable to wear for extended periods (this is subjective, but for me it's great)
If you're not in a rush to buy it, I've seen them go on sale pretty often.
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I really like my Petzl E-Lite. Small, fits into a little plastic egg, I carry it in a zippered pants pocket all day. Weighs nothing, has been reliable for me. (I did have one that started getting intermittent after I beat it up enough, so I replaced it). It only provides 50 lumens, but I don't need to illuminate the entire outdoors like a prison yard. It has a lever switch - dim, bright, strobe, red, something else I can't remember, but all I ever use is "bright", and it has an "emergency whistle" on the cord, which is comically useless. I hang it in the tent and it lights up what I need. It is easy to carry two if you want redundancy.
The only downside I have with it is I wear a broadbrimmed hat, and the brim of the hat interferes with the light beam. I think that would happen with a lot of headband-style lamps. Not problematic enough for me to want to change, I use it every trip.
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My regular is an older Petzl Tikka with the rechargeable battery but at times carry zebralight just in case I want to light up the other side of the lake while paddling at night.
p.s. I like the removable battery pack of the Tikka since I can carry some AAAs on long trips just in case.
Last edited by keg (3/06/2024 7:18 pm)
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thanks for taking the time to reply,, i have some good ideas from the responses,,
my first light was a petzel , it just wore out over time,, especially the head band,, my second light is a black diamond ,, great light until it stopped working when i need it work,, now i do not trust that head light,
thanks
Last edited by swedish pimple (3/08/2024 11:10 am)
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I like buying things at Costco when I can, although it seems like my suggestion is hated by the reviews at Costco, but the Duracell 3 pack headlamp 650lumens is on sale now. I have bought these through the years, including the current model that includes rechargeable batteries (bought last year). I don't think you can beat these on price, they work for me, haven't had a problem with any. Plus as long as you keep the box so you have UPC code they can scan, if you have any problems, Costco's return policy is hard to beat.
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I like the ThruNite TH20 that I bought several years ago. It has some drawbacks in that it is a little heavy and it may now be discontinued, but there is lots to like:
-Single AA battery
-Single large button on side
-Minimal functions: on, off, and hold to change brightness
-Turn back on at brightness you had previously
-Two quick presses and you get full brightness when needed
-Rugged metal case
-Lowest setting is fairly low, which is useful
For me less is more. I don't want 10,000 lumens. I would prefer a better CRI (color rendition index) lamp such as a Nichia 219B but that seems impossible to find in a headlamp. I prefer a low lumen "moonlight" mode rather than red because you can actually make out the color of things. Recently my head strap broke so if someone can suggest a better model then I'm all ears.
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Petzl Tikka or Tikkina. Basic. Affordable. Durable.
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Petzl Bindi for something that's just basic and works around camp. Not sure if I would trust it for wayfinding in the dark in an emergency...
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