Why I shouldn't be a headlamp snob!

Kitchen Panda

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
260
Location
Winnipeg
I bought a Fenix HP11 years ago and instantly became a convert to the headlamp. Now, while I'm still scheming towards my next multi-kilolumen lithium-ion powerhouse that costs more than two tanks of gas, I realized I have become a
headlamp snob! If it comes from the hardware store and runs on AAA alkaleaks, it can't be any good to us knowledgeable headlamp users?

So, today I was giving the brother-in-law some help with removing the last knob and tube wiring in his attic and I realized I'd forgotten my HP11. After a little thought, I ran out to the car and got my Home Depot-purchased, triple-A powered, Energizer headlamp. I don't remember what I paid for it but I doubt it was as much as half a tank of gas. Sneer, sneer.

Even though it had been riding around in the glove box since 2015 on the same set of batteries, it made the job so much quicker. It turned on every time, it gave light when and where I needed it, and it ran the whole afternoon (on low flood) - this after using the same batteries a couple of years ago to change a tire on the car, the original reason for buying a second headlamp. The darn thin weighs little, stays put on my head, and even has adjustable brightness!


Any headlamp is better than no headlamp.


Bill
 
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PJ

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
513
Location
MI
Many years ago I bought about 10 River Rock 2AA headlights on clearance at Target for about 4 bucks each. It was near Christmas so I gave them out with a 20 gift card. My niece and nephews didn't seem too impressed with them. Fast forward to next summer my brother took them camping out west in Colorado. They figured out real quick how useful they are. They don't have a lot of throw but the kids were able to ride their bikes slowly around the campground at night and just doing things around the campsite was much easier. My brother used his a few times when he had to do some work in the crawl space of his house routing some cable. I still have one at work I keep in my bench for power outages, which seem to happen a couple of times a year.
About 2 years ago I found a couple Home Depot headlights on clearance, I believe about 80 lumens max, AA with an additional red LED. I gave one to my cousins' son. He wore the switch cover out within a year using it while fishing from a kayak. I gave him the other one I had last fall and so far it is still working fine.
 
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mickb

Enlightened
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
349
Location
Australia
a site I worked on about 7 years ago issued litte plastic energizer headlamps for general use at night. I gave a few away and relatives still have some stuffed in draws which get pulled out at for power outages or bumps in the night. I bought my mother a fenix Hl-23 about a year back but she gave up on having to leave it partially unscrewed to avoid drain, also no interest in remembering to shift down to lower functions when it comes on at high. I gave her back one of the energizers and she is happy. The other use is the small kids walking with me or chasing bugs. Their instincts are to look directly into the beam, shine the beam directly at a sibling or swing the lamp around absentmindedly and clock their siblings in the head. Low lumens and plastic body is more forgving in all regards. :D
 

Lynx_Arc

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 1, 2004
Messages
11,212
Location
Tulsa,OK
Many years ago I bought about 10 River Rock 2AA headlights on clearance at Target for about 4 bucks each. It was near Christmas so I gave them out with a 20 gift card. My niece and nephews didn't seem too impressed with them. Fast forward to next summer my brother took them camping out west in Colorado. They figured out real quick how useful they are. They don't have a lot of throw but the kids were able to ride their bikes slowly around the campground at night and just doing things around the campsite was much easier. My brother used his a few times when he had to do some work in the crawl space of his house routing some cable. I still have one at work I keep in my bench for power outages, which seem to happen a couple of times a year.
About 2 years ago I found a couple Home Depot headlights on clearance, I believe about 80 lumens max, AA with an additional red LED. I gave one to my cousins' son. He wore the switch cover out within a year using it while fishing from a kayak. I gave him the other one I had last fall and so far it is still working fine.
I got one of those 1/2 watt River Rock headlamps and the battery holder on it broke after a few months plus the output was really ugly and bluish. I also got a 2x5mm white + red LED 3AAA energizer headlamp with a slide switch the alkalines finally destroyed it.
I do have an interesting 2x5mm Energizer 2AAA headlamp with hit/low modes that I feed LSD nimh batteries and nothing else but since I have 2 18650 headlamps now I rarely use even my 2 Rayovac 1AA headlamps that were a mainstay due to easy of battery replacement.
The output/runtime of both of my 18650 headlamps are perfect for most things I need one for.
 
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