Upcoming Fenix Headlamp: HL20

[Woods Walker]

Also is that "5 lumens for 105 hours and 4 lumens for 56 hours" a typo?

I think so. 4 lumens for 56 hours is what Fenix has listed and I also like the little XP-E as think it will throw better. I have a ZL for around camp that uses 1XAA. A headlamp with throw is nice for late hikes though the hills this time of year. Often setoff from camp with a headlamp and flashlight. Throw is nice for that. The price is right so maybe I will order it with my gift lights in the morning. It doesn't look much bigger than my EOS.

Edit. Just ordered a HL20 and RayovaC 1xAA from mattk.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

1AA? That's garbage.

 

[davidt1]

I think so. 4 lumens for 56 hours is what Fenix has listed and I also like the little XP-E as think it will throw better. I have a ZL for around camp that uses 1XAA. A headlamp with throw is nice for late hikes though the hills this time of year. Often setoff from camp with a headlamp and flashlight. Throw is nice for that. The price is right so maybe I will order it with my gift lights in the morning. It doesn't look much bigger than my EOS.

Edit. Just ordered a HL20 and RayovaC 1xAA from mattk.

Will be waiting for your impressions. A review by Woods Walker is always an informative and interesting read.

 

[I Know Nothing]

A photo on the following website of it in tilted position which is one thing I was wondering about. Looks like the battery tube just shoves into the clips and rotates around with friction. Which could work really well or else be a bit crap. I like the idea that I can detach it from the strap and use it as a bike light with an easily home made clip mount anyway.

http://hkequipment.net/index.php?sp=&p=6&cat2=28&cat1=6&cat0=1&id=463&cat1=6&cat0=1&new=〈=en

I'd prefer it with another lighting level somewhere between 48 and 4 lumens for hiking with. 48 is more than plenty a lot of the time but I'm not sure 4 would be much use. The 12 lumens on my L2D is usable at the lower end to conserve battery life.

 

[Woods Walker]

1AA? That's garbage.

Why? It has only have one battery to recharge. Don't need to worry about mixed cells. My ZL is nice and they use 1XAA. Same goes for 1XAA flashlights.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Why? It has only have one battery to recharge. Don't need to worry about mixed cells. My ZL is nice and they use 1XAA. Same goes for 1XAA flashlights.

Not enough voltage and power. If I'm carrying something on my forehead, it better have plenty of juice and horsepower. Otherwise, I'll just stick with my EDC light or any keychain piece of crap light. If I'm using a headlamp, it's because I'm doing something serious and I need serious light.

Based on my experience, a proper headlamp should use at least 3xAAA, 2xAA or 1xCR123. Less than that it means I don't need a headlamp, my EDC covers me.

 

[Woods Walker]

A photo on the following website of it in tilted position which is one thing I was wondering about. Looks like the battery tube just shoves into the clips and rotates around with friction. Which could work really well or else be a bit crap. I like the idea that I can detach it from the strap and use it as a bike light with an easily home made clip mount anyway.

http://hkequipment.net/index.php?sp=&p=6&cat2=28&cat1=6&cat0=1&id=463&cat1=6&cat0=1&new=〈=en

I'd prefer it with another lighting level somewhere between 48 and 4 lumens for hiking with. 48 is more than plenty a lot of the time but I'm not sure 4 would be much use. The 12 lumens on my L2D is usable at the lower end to conserve battery life.

Lighting : 4 lumens (56hrs) > 48 lumens (5.5hrs) > 105 lumens (1.8hrs)

I was thinking the same thing too. I like the 4-lumen low however seemed like a big jump to 48 but from there to 105 looks fine. I will find out soon enough.

 

[Woods Walker]

Not enough voltage and power. If I'm carrying something on my forehead, it better have plenty of juice and horsepower. Otherwise, I'll just stick with my EDC light or any keychain piece of crap light. If I'm using a headlamp, it's because I'm doing something serious and I need serious light.

Based on my experience, a proper headlamp should use at least 3xAAA, 2xAA or 1xCR123. Less than that it means I don't need a headlamp, my EDC covers me.

I often only need 2-10 lumens in camp, 20ish lumens with maybe 50 on the high end on the trail. For the night yak paddle trips I want to light up the world. Just depends on the need I guess. Do have 3XAAA and 4XAA headlamps also.

 

[davidt1]

Don't feed the fish.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

Don't feed the troll.

I hope you're not calling me a troll. This kind of accusation is agaisnt CPF's rules.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

I often only need 2-10 lumens in camp, 20ish lumens with maybe 50 on the high end on the trail. For the night yak paddle trips I want to light up the world. Just depends on the need I guess. Do have 3XAAA and 4XAA headlamps also.

To each his own. I only use headlights when I'm either caving or diving. And for those activies, 1xAA is downright suicidal. For any other activity I'm ok with the darkness, our great grandfathers camped and hiked all over the country with no lights, I can do the same...

Cheers.

 

[Swedpat]

Why? It has only have one battery to recharge. Don't need to worry about mixed cells. My ZL is nice and they use 1XAA. Same goes for 1XAA flashlights.

You are telling one true advantage with a one cell light. You can put in any battery and use if it's not empty. And with such low brightness level as 4lumens it may run for hours with a cheap alkaline which is almost empty, I guess.

Regards, Patric

 

[Egsise]

1AA? That's garbage.

I hope you're not calling me a troll. This kind of accusation is agaisnt CPF's rules.

Based on my experience, a proper headlamp should use at least 3xAAA, 2xAA or 1xCR123. Less than that it means I don't need a headlamp, my EDC covers me.

:hahaha:3xAAA

 

[davidt1]

Don't feed the fish.

In the interest of harmony and stuff like that, I edited my statement.

 

[Woods Walker]

You are telling one true advantage with a one cell light. You can put in any battery and use if it's not empty. And with such low brightness level as 4lumens it may run for hours with a cheap alkaline which is almost empty, I guess.

Regards, Patric

I like to hang around camp and do stuff hands free at night. The 48 lumens on medium is a bunch of light for the dark dank woods hiking into camp. It's dark in those hemlocks. 105 is almost too much but will be great for finding those pesky trail markers. Heck I can hike just fine with my EOSr on its 24 lumen med.

Also as stated kinda like one battery systems. Granted a CR123 has more output and got those too but like LSD NiMH. I hope this light is easy to change modes with my gloves. Thinking about the 2xAA or 4xAA Fenix headlamps for those times when I want more for longer. It's all good.

 

[Outdoors Fanatic]

:hahaha:3xAAA

Princeton Tec, Black Diamond and Petzl are the living proof that 3xAAA is a decent battery setup for headlights. And mountain climbers, divers, enthusiast hikers, spelunkers and serious outdoors men swear by these brands. I prefer 2xCR123 myself (Apex Pro), but I'd choose my 3xAAA PT EOS Rebel over any 1xAA headlamp available. And for a good reason.

I wonder why not many major headlight manufacturers--if any, offer 1xAA headlights... Make you should laugh at them too?

 

[Egsise]

Well for 1xAA u said...

Not enough voltage and power. If I'm carrying something on my forehead, it better have plenty of juice and horsepower.

Princeton Tec, Black Diamond and Petzl are the living proof that 3xAAA is a decent battery setup for headlights. And mountain climbers, divers, enthusiast hikers, spelunkers and serious outdoors men swear by these brands. I prefer 2xCR123 myself (Apex Pro), but I'd choose my 3xAAA PT EOS Rebel over any 1xAA headlamp available. And for a good reason.

I wonder why not many major headlight manufacturers--if any, offer 1xAA headlights... Make you should laugh at them too?

3xAAA or 1xAA, same amount of energy!

 

[datiLED]

I wonder why not many major headlight manufacturers--if any, offer 1xAA headlights...

Driving an LED at 4.5V with 3xAAA cells (Buck) is easier to accomplish than boosting the voltage from 1.2V (1.5V nominal). The circuit required to drive an LED at a constant current from a single AA cell is much more complex than a buck circuit that regulates the voltage and current. A buck/boost board is even more complex if done well.

Petzl lights use a linear regulator, which is basically a smart resistor. The Princeton Tec lights use a buck circuit. Once the battery voltage drops below the LED voltage (+ the regulator dropout voltage), it falls out of regulation and into direct drive. This feature is important to cavers, and people who depend on their lights with their lives. In this respect, I agree that the 1AA is not an ideal headlamp for your personal application. However, I like the 1AA format, and will not mind carrying a spare, or two with me. But, I am not a caver. My mindset would most certainly be different if I was. Besides, I would build my own headlamps if caving was my thing.

 

[Woods Walker]

Princeton Tec, Black Diamond and Petzl are the living proof that 3xAAA is a decent battery setup for headlights. And mountain climbers, divers, enthusiast hikers, spelunkers and serious outdoors men swear by these brands. I prefer 2xCR123 myself (Apex Pro), but I'd choose my 3xAAA PT EOS Rebel over any 1xAA headlamp available. And for a good reason.

The Rebel EOS rocks no question about that. Still I am a serious outdoors man. Well sorta I guess.

 

[moonfish]

Man, this thread is mangled.

I don't understand how these things get so far off topic, especially when people just chime in that they have no interest in the product? Why? It's a huge threadcrap and a waste of everyone's time.

About the actual light, is the beam really as narrow as it looks?