# best hat bill mounted led?



## Kevenater (Aug 9, 2008)

I need one of the hat bill mounted led lights for night time bass fishing to help when i need to retie a lure or do whatever while out in my boat. I've saw several diff brands and just wonder if there is much difference in them. some seem to cost a good bit more than others. just need some recommendations, price dont really matter that much, they all seem pretty cheap. thanks


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## Marduke (Aug 9, 2008)

Most of them are pretty cheaply made, and run on CR2032's. Perhaps a real headlamp would work better?


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## jzmtl (Aug 10, 2008)

If I recall the browing nitro can be clipped on hat bill, but not sure if it'll be too heavy.

Oh my current "headlight" is L1 clipped to hat bill, a tad heavy but manageable.


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## Illum (Aug 10, 2008)

L0D-CE Q4 + fenix clip, 'nough said


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## Flying Turtle (Aug 10, 2008)

I think I, too, would go with a small AAA powered light with a clip instead. That way you'd have a nice little pocket light to use at other times.

Geoff


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## nightshade (Aug 10, 2008)

Agree with Flying Turtle. I still really like the UKE pocket light when using a ball cap. For what they are, they will withstand alot of abuse. Waterproof, excellent runtime and lightweight. Clip works fine.

http://www.defensedevices.com/uk2aaaled.html


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## Wattnot (Aug 10, 2008)

+1 on the L1 clipped to the hat bill. Holds very tight.


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## half-watt (Aug 10, 2008)

Kevenater said:


> I need one of the hat bill mounted led lights for night time bass fishing to help when i need to retie a lure or do whatever while out in my boat...



the "do whatever" is pretty open ended. as such, an answer is difficult. for nearly anything that you'll do in the boat, including tying the lures a real bright thrower is NOT necessary and is probably detrimental. ignoring the "do whatever" for a moment and restricting ourselves to the clearly stated objectives, a small multiple 5mm LED light is all that is necessary. two levels of light o.p. might(???) be nice too. when it comes to lights like this, here is my suggestion:

Pak-Lite, the 9volt light. all are powered by a 9V "transistor", as they used to be called, battery. 

all have 2x5mm LEDs. 

it comes in different color of LEDs (for preserving one's dark adaptation) as well as WHITE. 

all but the most basic model have two levels of light o.p., viz. LO and HI. LO is dim and is perfect for having minimal impact on one's dark adaptation. HI is bright enough for use as a task/proximity light - anything out to 10+ feet and further indoors or anywhere there is a lot of nearby reflective surfaces (like in a boat). 

several models come with two different color LEDs (one white, the other a different color - with only one light level from either.).

burntimes are VERY LONG (especially on LO).

all are relatively inexpensive.

accessories include a wrist lanyard, mounting brackets for hard surfaces, and various means of attaching it to one's ballcap visor/brim, e.g. STICKY-back (real sticky - won't come loose in my experience) magnetic strips, and STICKY-back (ibid) velcro strips.

these have replaced my small Li coin cell powered lights in my arsenal. the Pak-Lite is so much better. just Google "Pak-Lite". 

for distance viewing, go with the others' suggestions of a nice Fenix (or similar) light - they do clip very nicely to one's ballcap brim/visor - i've use them for night hiking.

my two shekels.


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## Kevenater (Aug 11, 2008)

thanks guys! I really think I want the style that goes under the bill. mainly i want something as light as possible and that WONT flop around or be unbalanced. seems like the under the bill ones would work best. i may buy one this weekend to try out. i'm gonna go check out that pak light!! thanks again!!!


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## Thujone (Aug 11, 2008)

I have been clipping my zebralight to my hat and I think it works great.


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## DaveG (Aug 11, 2008)

Brinkman has that clip light that has a Cree? led runs on two aaa and the head moves up and down,bright flood beam.Wal-mart has them for $10.


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## half-watt (Aug 11, 2008)

Kevenater said:


> thanks guys! I really think I want the style that goes under the bill...



just keep in mind that *ALL* Li coin cell lights (at least all that i'm familiar with and have owned and used, including 2xCR2032 and 4xCR2032 powered Li coin cell lights), will have SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED brightness when they are run continuously for even a relatively short period of time.

Li coin cells have relatively high internal resistance. hence, they heat up quickly and then further drop the cell's external voltage "seen" by the load as they continue to heat up due to the current being drawn from them. 

as such, when using HI mode (for any Li coin cell powered light) expect the light o.p. level to drop to 25% of its initial starting brightness in 15 to 30 minutes (usually closer to 15min) of a continuous burn. i've seen burntime plots of this. it's really quite instructive.

sure, many of these lights will produce very low light levels for 10-12 hours, or even 20 hrs or more, depending upon the number of LEDs, and the number and type of cells powering a specific light. however, that light will be very low intensity compared to how impressively bright such a tiny light appeared when first turned on with fresh cells in it.

now, you may NOT be using these lights continuously for that length of time, but more likely a couple of minutes here and a couple of minutes there. so, you'll experience somewhat better performance. just be aware that these lights, including the ones you describe (i've owned several - check out Cabela's for some) will be a disappointment if you ever need to use them for extended periods of time. after 15min of continuous use on their sole or highest o.p. level, they may already be too dim, depending upon what it is that you are trying to do.

hope this helps.


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## Kevenater (Aug 12, 2008)

great info!! I looked at the pak light. pretty cool little light!!!! is there a way to clip in on a hat bill? seems like it might be a little heavy for that with a 9v, havent had a 9v in my hand in years though lol.


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## half-watt (Aug 12, 2008)

Kevenater said:


> great info!! I looked at the pak light. pretty cool little light!!!! is there a way to clip in on a hat bill? seems like it might be a little heavy for that with a 9v, havent had a 9v in my hand in years though lol.



they provide, either as part of a "kit" or as an accessory, both sticky-back velcro and sticky-back magnets to accomplish this. i've used both myself. both work fine. the velcro holds stronger/better, but the magnets are more than sufficient also.

i've also used an "alligator" clip and a cable tie to afix the 'gator clip to the 9V battery. then, the 'gater clip is used to clip the Pak-Lite to the ballcap brim/visor. if you decide to try this, be sure to pick a large enough, strong enough clip. the cable tie can be made to slide off of a battery and slid on another - no need to use more cable ties.


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## Sarratt (Aug 13, 2008)

Illum_the_nation said:


> L0D-CE Q4 + fenix clip, 'nough said




thats my plan
Not to mention it moves when you want to use a different hat.


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## Moka (Aug 13, 2008)

I use my E1B, the dual directional clip is great... Lighter than the L1 as well...

Bezel down in pocket, and Clips to hat...


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## kitelights (Aug 14, 2008)

As a direct answer to your question, I recommend the Pelican VB3 2220 LED.

I first became familiar with it when I did a group buy for the Pila IBC charger from FlashlightZ. A fellow CPFer from England, who is a LEO, ordered a couple of chargers and a couple of the VB3s. His fellow officers were so impressed with the VB3 that he ordered another 10 units and I got one for myself.

I have an older Toyota Camry that only has a main overhead light - no light on the mirror or other front light, so I use the VB3 clipped to my visor and I love it. 

The trade off is the use of coin cells, which isn't an issue for me. I buy quality cells in bulk and pay less for them than most people do for AA or AAA alkaline cells. I've been using mine for 4 months without the need to change cells yet.

I agree with half-watt's assessment of lights that use coin cells. They are more suited to short, intermittent use. 

The OP's objective seems to be a lightweight, functional light that won't be noticed adding it to his hat and that is exactly what this light was made to do. In addition, it's not junk. It's a Pelican with a no bull lifetime warranty. It doesn't require fiddling with a switch or twisting it on. Just flip it open (one finger) for on and close it for off. It's hinged and so you can easily adjust where you aim the light. The clip is quality, too - secure and not awkward to use.

Shipping from FlashlightZ runs about $7-8 for most things in the states. Orders over $100 are shipped free. You might call their CS and ask if they can ship it in a bubble mailer via USPS more reasonably. Items like this are where CPFers really do well in a group buy.

When lightweight, convenience and versatility are the objectives, this light is a winner. Surprisingly, everything about it is quality. I highly recommend it.


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## hopkins (Aug 14, 2008)

This looks like a good deal at Ace Hardware at $4.99.
Replacement batteries alone would be more than $5 so why not just buy several
of these cap lights and toss them in the junk drawer when they die...?

http://ledlightsathome.com/tag/baseball-cap/


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## Buck91 (Aug 14, 2008)

UK 2AAA pocket light. Comes with a xenon lamp which is adequately bright and acceptable runtime, especially with NiMH. Or you could get the red led drop-in....or IIRC there is an eLED version which comes with a white led. Light has a hat clip, as waterproof and certified for use in exposive environments!


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## ironhorse (Sep 9, 2008)

I was just in Wal-Mart and saw a Brinkmann Tuffmax LED clip light. I am new to this hobby and will do my best to review it.
It runs on 2 AAA batteries and has a spring clip and a 90 degree pivoting head. It works nicely on the brim of a hat. 
It is considerably brighter than a AA mini mag with the Nite Ize 1 watt LED upgrade. According to the package it is 45 lumens, 2 hour run time and 42 m beam distance. After dropping it on the hardwood floor from about 3 feet (not on purpose) the top of the lens cover needs glued on. Only had it for 4 hours. With the lens cap and reflector off it says cree x lamp 7090. It has a push button on off switch and is made entirely of plastic. It does not seem all that durable, but it only cost $10.88.


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## Yucca Patrol (Sep 9, 2008)

Zebralight is the tool you want here. Lots of ways to use it that I think will please you.


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## Art Vandelay (Sep 9, 2008)

Surefire E1L


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## IcantC (Sep 11, 2008)

Gerber Infinity Ultra. Tough, cheap and plenty of light. 

If you drop or lose it in the water, you won't be mad.


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## AvPD (Oct 7, 2008)

Romisen RC-N3, although the runtime is a little short (40 mins per RCR123A).


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## LightObsession (Dec 30, 2008)

ironhorse said:


> I was just in Wal-Mart and saw a Brinkmann Tuffmax LED clip light. I am new to this hobby and will do my best to review it.
> It runs on 2 AAA batteries and has a spring clip and a 90 degree pivoting head. It works nicely on the brim of a hat.
> It is considerably brighter than a AA mini mag with the Nite Ize 1 watt LED upgrade. According to the package it is 45 lumens, 2 hour run time and 42 m beam distance. After dropping it on the hardwood floor from about 3 feet (not on purpose) the top of the lens cover needs glued on. Only had it for 4 hours. With the lens cap and reflector off it says cree x lamp 7090. It has a push button on off switch and is made entirely of plastic. It does not seem all that durable, but it only cost $10.88.



It's model 809-5000-0.

I have bought two of these in the last few weeks. The first has an orange peel reflector and runs pretty cool for about 50 minutes on 800mah Rayovac IC3 NiMh or alkaline - nowhere near the 2 hours listed on the package. I just got the second light last weekend it has a smooth reflector and it's brighter and gets much hotter and the run time is only about 20 minutes, so I'll be returning it and getting another with orange peel reflector. The lights drop out of regulation suddenly to a much dimmer level for a short while and go off when using the I-C3 rechargeables or alkalines. Please note that these are new I-C3 cells that have been on my shelf for a couple years and I just charged them today for the first time, so that may be a factor in the relatively short runtime. I'm not going to waste a pair of lithium batteries for a runtime test on those.

This format is very handy for around the house use clipped to my shirt pocket. It's also adequate clipped to the hat brim, but the weight is a little more forward than I'd like, because the head and about 1/4" of the body are in front of the brim.

It is brigher than my Fenix L1P and has about 50% wider spill beam. I think that the power consumption may be to much for two AAA batteries to have very long run time. 

I really like the wide spill beam for household activities.


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## Lynx_Arc (Dec 30, 2008)

ironhorse said:


> I was just in Wal-Mart and saw a Brinkmann Tuffmax LED clip light. I am new to this hobby and will do my best to review it.
> It runs on 2 AAA batteries and has a spring clip and a 90 degree pivoting head. It works nicely on the brim of a hat.
> It is considerably brighter than a AA mini mag with the Nite Ize 1 watt LED upgrade. According to the package it is 45 lumens, 2 hour run time and 42 m beam distance. After dropping it on the hardwood floor from about 3 feet (not on purpose) the top of the lens cover needs glued on. Only had it for 4 hours. With the lens cap and reflector off it says cree x lamp 7090. It has a push button on off switch and is made entirely of plastic. It does not seem all that durable, but it only cost $10.88.


 I wouldn't recommend this light for fishing unless you really need a blast of light it is way bright then craters about half an hour to an hour later suddenly to half bright. The UK2AAA eled is pretty nice isn't very bright but runs about 15 hours and has an optic that gives you a useful round ball of light. You can mod the UK2AAA lights with the module in a cheap $4 dorcy keychain light from walmart and use 2AAA lithiums and get a nicer beam but you have to put the batteries in backwards. Perhaps a fenix E01 and a clip would be enough for most things on a dark lake but I think it would also be cool to have either a blue or UV led light and fluorescent fishing line so you can actually see what is going on.


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## Cobweb Hunter (Dec 30, 2008)

How about leds discretely mounted in the brim? I got one of these for Christmas--2 warm 5mm leds and a clicky in the brim, 2xCr2032s in the sweatband. Very light and comfortable. Other styles and solutions available on the website. www.panthervision.com


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## Ace12 (Dec 31, 2008)

http://streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=146


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## angelofwar (Jan 1, 2009)

Pelican VB3 seems to be right dow your alley...it was BUILT to be mounted on a hat, and has the pelican name behind it...and, for $20 and some change, and all-around good light!


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## StandardBattery (Jan 1, 2009)

Zebralight clipped to your vest... way better than a hat light.


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## LightObsession (Jan 1, 2009)

StandardBattery said:


> Zebralight clipped to your vest... way better than a hat light.



But the head doesn't pivot. Maybe it doesn't need to pivot with a beam that wide.

I've never used a Zebralight, but they look somewhat interesting.


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## StandardBattery (Jan 3, 2009)

LightObsession said:


> But the head doesn't pivot. Maybe it doesn't need to pivot with a beam that wide.
> 
> I've never used a Zebralight, but they look somewhat interesting.


That's right the beam is such a total flood that there is no need to pivot and lets you work comfortably instead of with tunnel vision. You can though twist the light in it's clip holder for some lateral control which can help depending on where you clip it. Of course it comes with a head band too.

However, for a simply hat light that is quite flexible the Photon Freedoms come with accessory packs that include a small hat clip with a swivel ball/socket type of position control. This is maybe what would work best for the OP, since they can be had for like $11 and are incredibly useful and robust lights. Easy to carry a back up, and no problem if they sit for a long time unused.


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## LightObsession (Jan 4, 2009)

How about the Princeton Tec Impulse? http://www.princetontec.com/?q=node/81

How does it stack up against the other small clip lights?


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## MerlinXIX (Jan 5, 2009)

Bit of a rookie here but I'll throw my .02 in...
Grabbed one of those Clip N Lite things that I saw over on flashlightreviews.com. 

For little stuff around the house, shop,fishing, etc... its great. Just uses a pair of coin cells and off you go. It is fairly light for it's size and it still has 5 leds in it. 

Sounds like you might need something with a little more go juice though.

Buy whatever feels best for you and your needs. Remember, form follows function.


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