# Princeton Tec Byte headlamp review



## carrot (Apr 7, 2011)

The Princeton Tec Byte piqued my interest due to its light weight, use of 2xAAA batteries, red LED and white power LED at extremely low cost. I had hoped for some hands-on impressions from some other members but after not seeing any reviews for a year now I decided to take the plunge and try it out for myself. It cost me $20 at ****s Sporting Goods.

I have read some complaints about Princeton Tec's build quality in their recent offerings (particularly the Fuel) but I was encouraged by the low cost and the attractive features of the Byte. 

I have been testing this headlamp for 3 weeks now and now stash it in my laptop bag as it is very small and convenient to have around.

*Build Quality and Functional Design*
It's clear that Princeton Tec has some very talented designers working on their headlamps. The headlamp is very cool-looking and clearly designed to shave every gram of weight. The result is that the Byte weighs a mere 64 grams, is incredibly compact, and has some nice touches. The Byte is not exactly a delicate flower, but it's also designed to be especially small and lightweight so I wouldn't throw it around either.

The battery compartment latch has a nice snap to it and is affixed by a stainless pin. Accidental opening of the battery compartment should be highly unlikely, although it is easy to open intentionally. I do worry that the battery latch will break, rendering the headlamp useless, since it is a common complaint in the similarly designed Fuel, but there are no indications that it will do so.

The Byte uses Princeton Tec's excellent weight-shaving and seemingly robust asymmetrical arm bracket. The lens is protected by an integral shroud on the body and prevents glare to the wearer. The entire headlamp appears to be made of high quality plastic but there appears to be no water resistant seals on the light.

I find the Byte to be comfortable to wear for long periods of time thanks to the curved base plate and extremely light weight. At times, I forgot I was even wearing the Byte, only reminded by strange looks from pedestrians.

The headlamp can be tilted and activated with one hand and has a very large range of tilt. You can light up the ceiling if you choose. The large range of motion means that you can use this headlamp around your neck instead of on your head if you so choose. One thing I really appreciate about this headlamp is that it sticks out a bit from your forehead, allowing it to just peek out a bit from a hooded sweatshirt or jacket. 

I ran my usual heavy rain simulation on the Princeton Tec Byte. The light is rated IPX4 water resistance, which means that it should be fine with a few splashes or light rain. The Byte passed the test with mixed results and I did not wish to test it a second time. The light continued to work fine after the inside got wet, but the switch started acting flaky. I would click and it would skip modes. All modes were accessible, but it did require a few more clicks than usual. Once the light dried out, the switch worked fine and without issues. I may run more water intrusion tests again if there is adequate interest.

The user interface is simple: click once for red, click again for low white, click again for high white. You must always cycle through all the levels to get back to off. This is where I have to ding the Byte, because while red light is thoughtfully provided, you must always go through the white modes before turning it off. Other headlamps, such as the Princeton Tec Fred and the Petzl Tikka 2 Plus have separate red output modes so you can save your night-adapted vision.

*Light Output and Runtime*
Princeton Tec rates the Byte at 35 lumens and 80 hours. I believe the output rating is fairly accurate but the runtime seems a bit high. An independent test by Woods Monkey corroborates this. PT also claims 146 hours of runtime with the red LED, which I am not inclined to test but am willing to believe. 

There is significant enough differentiation between the high and low white modes, although as the batteries weaken the high and low modes become one and the same. I'd like to note that when the batteries are weak enough, the red LED will not light but the white LED still will. I assume that the circuitry boosts the voltage for the white LED and is direct drive for the red.

One thing I really appreciate about this headlamp, is that rechargeable AAA batteries are often sold and charged in pairs, so if you use headlamps for long periods of time it's a snap to pop in new rechargeables. Contrast this to single-cell lights: what do you do with the second of a pair of NiMHs? If you have a nice charger with independent charging banks (I do), that's one thing, but if you're like most people and don't?

The Byte's white LED is a nice Luxeon Rebel power LED and my individual sample of one has a nice neutral tint to it. Compared to a Cree XP-G neutral white it is a good bit cooler but is definitely on the neutral side of cool. 

The Byte has a fairly wide and fairly diffuse hotspot. I find it comfortable to read with. The white beam is fairly clean and free of artifacts. The red beam does have some minor artifacts but it's a far cry from being unbearable. I find both the white and the red pleasant enough to read by and in general I just enjoy using this headlamp. I did note that the white beam has fairly narrow spill but I did not feel like I was getting tunnel vision.

*Conclusions*
The Princeton Tec Byte offers unbeatable value (nothing else for $20 offers the compelling features it does) in a decent overall package. The user interface is my only real quibble with the light and I do not expect many people will take issue with its low water resistance since it is small enough to hide under a hood or hat. 

The Byte is definitely a good choice for kids, as a backup headlamp, or to stow in your daily bag for the headlamp convenience without the size or weight or price of a "serious" headlamp. I think it would fill most people's needs for a headlamp but probably not be enough to satisfy a fully-fledged flashaholic as their only headlamp. 

Recommended.

Edit: Now Cautiously Recommended, as parasitic drain on this headlamp is significant. Never store this headlamp with batteries inside.

_Pictures to follow, maybe._


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## carrot (Apr 7, 2011)

Runtime report:
On NiMH AAA's (Duracell Pre-Charged)

at 1:30, the headlamp's high and low modes are now the same. It is still plenty bright to use for walking around or reading.

at 2:00, the headlamp has gotten fairly dim but still within usable range.

at 3:00, the headlamp is now barely adequate without dark-adapted vision. 

More to follow.


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## robostudent5000 (Apr 8, 2011)

carrot said:


> Runtime report:
> On NiMH AAA's (Duracell Pre-Charged)
> 
> at 1:30, the headlamp's high and low modes are now the same. It is still plenty bright to use for walking around or reading.
> ...


 
just 3 hours of useful light on LSD nimh's is disappointing. i had hoped the better batteries would make the light usable.


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## carrot (Apr 9, 2011)

Deleted thread quote removed. 

1) I mentioned this, but have had no issues with water intrusion. The light continued to work fine after getting tap water in it.
2) I tested for this and could not replicate it.
3) Don't all headlamps run the batteries down eventually?

Did you read my review? I covered just about everything you mention.


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## turboBB (Apr 9, 2011)

Thx for the review Carrot! Kinda on the fence about this one but do like the small form factor and light weight. FWIW, LL Bean is having a 20% off select sale thru Sun. of which this is covered so works out to $15.96 w/free shippig to boot.

Cheers,
Tim


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## Bolster (Apr 9, 2011)

Wait a second, dla: could I please request that you edit your previous post? This isn't heading in a constructive direction. Thanks.


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## carrot (Apr 9, 2011)

Deleted post quote removed. 

I am pleased with the headlamp despite some flaws. I wished to share my impressions with the community. Your comments reflect badly only on yourself.


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## turboBB (Apr 9, 2011)

Well said carrot.

@dla, I've read your posts in the past re: the Byte and overall they were positive. Obviously the issues you've experienced have changed that but have you reached out to customer service? (if I recall correctly, they have a lifetime warranty on most of their products). It's a shame to have that ruin your initial positive experience w/the lamp. 

I'm contemplating this due to it's size and weight and will mostly use it around the house so not too concerned about the water issue but I have read about the other two issues you've cited in other reviews and they were resolved with replacements.

Cheers,
Tim


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## DaveG (Apr 10, 2011)

Carrot,thanks for the review,was just looking at this light at LL bean site. This will help in making up my mind on this light.


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## lyklyk616 (Apr 13, 2011)

Pictures and beam shots please ! Thank you !


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## lyklyk616 (Apr 13, 2011)

Great review ! But it require more details !
Thank you !


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## turboBB (Apr 14, 2011)

Decided to take the plunge anyway given I didn't need the water resistance as my primary use will be for chores in and around the house. I'm realistic as to how many hours of runtime to expect on something that runs on only 2 X AAA so that wasn't a concern as well. Took a look at the Enduro but didn't really care for the style nor size and w/LL Bean sale it was worth a shot. 

Package front/back:








As cited previously, note the claim of 80H runtime on High while their website now actually states only 2H.

Not sure what LED this is: (EDIT: looks like a Luxeon Rebel K2 TFFC)





The white led uses reflector while the "red" actually sits behind a slightly diffused "lens" which in no way helps to shape the beam:





Red LED close-up:









Size comparo next to its big bro Remix and AA:








The Byte is supplied w/a slimmer headband than the Remix, also doesn't look like it'll be easily disassembled as it seems its held together w/plastic "rivets" vs. actual screws:








Initial impressions are that it's decently bright for its size which were two of the primary factors influencing my purchase. I echo carrot's, sentiment on the poor UI and that it'll always go from Red - L - H w/no memory. Unlike carrot, I found that it's difficult to adjust the beam angle as it's fairly stiff and I really needed to apply some pressure to stabilize the base against my forehead in order to prevent it from twisting w/the headband. Overall you could probably buy something that better suits your purposes for the price (which with the 20% off sale came out to $17.08 shipped w/tax) like the recent clearnace sale for PT EOS under $10 but for me it suits my purposes fine.

Will conduct some runtime tests in the future and will see if I encounter the other issues around it not shutting off when the batteries run low.

We've now had a pro/con/neutral so take it FWIW and use your judgement as to whether this HL is worth it. For me I had nothing to lose since my son thinks it's rather cool and will gladly put it to use if I don't. =o)

Cheers,
Tim


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## carrot (Apr 14, 2011)

Tim, where can I get the EOS under $10? I would buy like, 10 of them.


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## Microa (Apr 14, 2011)

The white LED looks like a Rebel.


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## robostudent5000 (Apr 14, 2011)

nice write up turbo. always appreciate the pics.



turboBB said:


> Decided to take the plunge anyway given I didn't need the water resistance as my primary use will be for chores in and around the house. I'm realistic as to how many hours of runtime to expect on something that runs on only 2 X AAA so that wasn't a concern as well. Took a look at the Enduro but didn't really care for the style nor size and w/LL Bean sale it was worth a shot.



for your intended use, i wouldn't have gone with the Enduro either. the Enduro is the most comfortable headlamp i've worn and the quirky form factor really grew on me after a while. but the combination of the tiny hotspot and blue tint of the beam make it unappealing for indoor use. 

i think the best around the house lamp i've tried is any headlamp modded with those Radio Shack LEDs. pleasant color and nicely diffused. seriously, those LEDs are awesome. again, thanks for turning me on to those.


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## vtunderground (Apr 14, 2011)

carrot said:


> Tim, where can I get the EOS under $10? I would buy like, 10 of them.


 
I forget the name of the website, but it looks like they're sold out now. I found it the other day when I searched for the Eos on Google Shopping. They had the 25-lumen version for like $9 I think. Talk about a good deal on a headlamp for modding!

(I didn't buy any though, because I already have a few headlamps sitting around, gutted, waiting for new parts.)


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## Bullzeyebill (Apr 14, 2011)

dla, take a week off for your inconsiderate attitude. You evidence trolling, and certainly baiting, and flaming. See here. Come back with a better attitude, or you will be permanently banned.


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## turboBB (Apr 15, 2011)

I conducted runtime tests w/recently purchaed GP ReCyko+ 850mAh AAA LSD batteries as well as Sanyo 1000 mAh (acquired a few years back but w/limited cycles). All batteries were freshly topped off/charged ahead of testing. The Alkalines were fresh Duracell w/exp. date of Mar 2015.





x = Time (min) / y = Overal relative brightness

*HIGH*
Looks like it runs semi-regulated for just shy of two hours (111 minutes) for the GP's and just over (124 minutes) on the Sanyo's before taking a nose-dive. I stopped the test when the output was less than 1% of starting value for the GP's and trimmed the Sanyo data to match.

As for the Alkalines, during testing, I noticed the Byte was unusually warm. I don't recall it running this hot during NiMH testing but since I didn't take temp readings, can't be 100% certain. However, as you can see it fared quite poorly as compared to the NiMH and V reading at the end of the test showed why .65V/1.2V, so basically there was one bad cell in this pair. I'll need to rerun this just to keep things fair. I actually stopped the test when the readings were hovering around 1.5K Lux. While not bright, it's usuable light for dark adapted eyes. By comparison the single 3mm Red led runs at 1.2K Lux.

*LOW*
Seems to run regulated for roughly 9hrs (538 min) and then declines pretty rapidly thereafter. I stopped the test just short of 11hrs (647 min) and by this point, there was still some barely usable light. The GP's registered .85V/.92V at this point so really not much left in the tank and highly doubtful they would get anywhere the claimed 96 hrs (which incidentally is still posted on the product's page). I'm thinking of contacting PT to see how testing was conducted in order to achieved the claimed run times.

I have some new Eneloops cycling right now and plan on running that along w/Alkalines in the future.

EDIT: I can confirm that my unit has the same issues in that I couldn't shut the Byte off at the end of the test. By this point the voltage for the GP's were around .9V and the Sanyo's around 1V

Cheers,
Tim


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## robostudent5000 (Apr 15, 2011)

would you consider doing a runtime test on low? or would that take too long?


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## turboBB (Apr 15, 2011)

robostudent5000 said:


> would you consider doing a runtime test on low? or would that take too long?


 
Sure, I'll hit that up now. It may take a while though... 

Cheers,
Tim


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## ROKIT88 (Apr 16, 2011)

I'm curious about the runtime test on low. Given the PT stated criteria for runtime (0.2 lumens at 2 meters) it is hard to tell how that really translates.

I picked up four for the family today while browsing at Sports Chalet, they had them 25% off so 14.99 before tax. Played with it at the store and it seemed pretty solid and then read up here before opening the packages 

These are the first headlamps I've bought since the PT Matrix back in 2002 so it will be quite a step up in smaller size and better features. Someday they'll have this size and price with better waterproofness and PWM...someday...


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## turboBB (Apr 17, 2011)

ROKIT88, is your Join Date for real? If so, I think you have all lurkers beat with your 1st post in 8.5 yrs!!  If not, then :welcome:

Anyways, I have updated my original post above to include the Low runtime along with revised details.

Cheers,
Tim


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## ROKIT88 (Apr 17, 2011)

It's fer real alright  I probably joined just to get pm & email access to other members. I only drop in once in a while, mainly for research.

I remember when I first got into premium lights the Photon II was the bee's knees! SF hadn't crenelated anything yet and I was so excited when they hired Willie Hunt because I thought that meant led use and PWMs were imminent, but they just enacted their MAP pricing, raised prices across the board and didn't seem to innovate anything other than that vaporware HID that took forever to come to market. I gave out E2 lights for my wedding party that I bought for ~$45 each, and then 6 months later you couldn't get them for less than $80. Since then the only SF's I've bought have been x300s.

So 8.5 years to match the 8.5 hour runtime of the Byte on low ha ha ha, I guess that is about twice the runtime of the itp A3 on medium, which makes sense.

Does seem to be regulated in certain modes as well. I wonder if the inability to turnn off is a feature. When I tried the light at the store, I swapped in some low batteries it would just turn on and seemed to be flickering, I wonder if that is an undocumented low bat indicator mode?



turboBB said:


> ROKIT88, is your Join Date for real? If so, I think you have all lurkers beat with your 1st post in 8.5 yrs!!  If not, then :welcome:
> 
> Anyways, I have updated my original post above to include the Low runtime along with revised details.
> 
> ...


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## ROKIT88 (Apr 17, 2011)

one other thing, I wonder how much of the water seepage is via the battery door in tests and how much a little swipe of silicone sealant can improve that or if it is the rest of the body that is leaky?

Also, given the data we are seeing, anyone want to guesstimate the runtime of the red only?


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## robostudent5000 (Apr 17, 2011)

turboBB said:


> Anyways, I have updated my original post above to include the Low runtime along with revised details.


 
thanks for the update Tim.

i have a question. the literature on the Byte doesn't seem to say anything about it being regulated. so do you think the flat output curve is due to the discharge characteristics of the NimH cells or do you think that PT actually put in some regulation circuitry that keeps the output flat? or maybe a combination of the two?


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## turboBB (Apr 17, 2011)

@ROKIT88: WOW, glad you finally decided to break the silence.:twothumbs That was a great price on the Byte and man I'd love to grab E2's at $45 each!! You know, now that you mentioned it, I really do wonder if the flashing was intentional. I've shot an email to PT re: the runtime, hopefully they'll read through this entire thread and provide answers about the flashing as well (I know that they are active participants on some forums).

@RS5K: Hard to say w/out taking the HL apart but at this price point, I really doubt there is regulation circuitry in here but per Rokit's point, I wonder what is causing the flashing then?

Will be interesting to see what the runtime is on alkalines (have that queued up for later today, it's a bit late here now). Will update results later.

Cheers,
Tim


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## carrot (Apr 17, 2011)

Tim, thanks so much for doing proper runtime tests. I don't have the gear to do that and it is very revealing to see it graphed out.


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## turboBB (Apr 17, 2011)

Not at all, we should thank you for starting this review in the first place. =o)

As a follow up I took some current readings and it seems there is some very minute parasitic drain at .43 mA (I recall reading in some other reviews that others have found their Byte dead after periods of inactivity but this draw is so little as to be of any true significance).

EDIT: In doing a little calculation (and if my assumption is correct), 800 mAH Eneloops would run out after roughly 2 months of inactivity due to this drain (800/.43 = 1860 hrs / 24 = 77 days). So it's actually not insigificant. My advice would be to remove any batteries before storing for long term.

Red = 10.9 mA
Low = 99 mA
High = 385 mA

I recall reading that when taking current draw using leads, one should always use the highest value to reduce the resistance in the load. As such I can only take readings on my Fluke 289 w/the Red lead in the 10A plug. On the 400mA plug, I can only cycle through Red and Low and as soon as I hit High it lights for a brief second and then enters into that flashing state as if the batteries were low. I can then no longer cycle through the modes at all. There is definitely some type of circuitry that does a "reset" as after I close the battery door to close the circuit (mimicking inserting fresh cells), I'll see the white LED flash ever so briefly, after which I can take the readings via the 400mA plug but again only for the Red and Low.

I think Rokit's speculation that the flashing was intentional could be correct. I'll post back if/when I hear back from PT.

Cheers,
Tim


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## turboBB (Apr 18, 2011)

Update: runtime on H using 2 x Duracell Alkaline posted above. Poor runtime was due to one bad cell. Will rerun in the future.

Cheers,
Tim


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## ROKIT88 (May 4, 2011)

Bummer on the parasitic drain. Was hoping the kids could keep these in their drawers with alkalines for their emergency use with annual battery changes.


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## mtnkid85 (Jun 14, 2011)

Well, the reviews on this guy aint so great but I just found one on amazon for 14.59 shipped so I figured what the heck.

Im looking for a small lamp to carry in a really little pack I wear in the mountains. (Im a climber and its going in my chalk bag, if you know what that is).

I wanted something with a little more Omff then the E+lite while still being lightweight & packable. If this doesnt work out I really think Im going to try to figure out a little headstrap for my AAA maratac, as Ive been real impressed by it.


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## jgscisum (Aug 23, 2011)

mtnkid85 said:


> Well, the reviews on this guy aint so great but I just found one on amazon for 14.59 shipped so I figured what the heck.
> 
> Im looking for a small lamp to carry in a really little pack I wear in the mountains. (Im a climber and its going in my chalk bag, if you know what that is).
> 
> I wanted something with a little more Omff then the E+lite while still being lightweight & packable. If this doesnt work out I really think Im going to try to figure out a little headstrap for my AAA maratac, as Ive been real impressed by it.


 
My first post......... Do you feel that 35 lumens is adequate to follow a trail if your caught getting off a climb late. Thinking about buying the Byte for that reason.


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## robostudent5000 (Aug 25, 2011)

30 lumens should be enough to get you down most trails. but i don't know why you would single out the Byte considering all the negative comments that it's received. it's runtimes are unacceptably short.

if you want something similar, i'd look at the Mammut S-Flex. we're still waiting on CPF member carrot to do a review of his unit, but based on his preliminary findings and from what i've seen of it so far, it seems to be a better alternative than the Byte.


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## mtnkid85 (Sep 21, 2011)

Heres a little update on my experience with the byte.

Ive since been able to take it on a few outings, one serious trip that I used it extensively on. 

So what I was looking for in this light was something with adequate light in a absoultely lightweight package. Which this light almost fulfills perfectly... when it works that is.
The output is exactly what I was looking for, moving down anysort of trail the light is adequate to stay on trail. Off trail travel the output is barely adequate, which again if fine for what Im looking for in this light. 
The size and weight of the package is just what I was looking for, although it could have gone with a even slimmer head band to make the overall package smaller. 
The button placement is good, feelable with gloves on, which is also imperative for me.
The redlight was good enough to get out of a tent for a midnight duty, make predawn coffee, ect.
Fits nicely over a helmet and stays secure.

Now for the bad...
Its just not trust worthy. Battery life is NOT good and it seems to have quite a bit of parisitic drain. More than once now Ive grabbed it to find the batteries dead, after sitting on the shelf for several weeks. 
It doesnt project much confidence while Im handeling it, seems like if it got wet it would die, may not sustain a hard bump while on my helmet, ect.

So overall Id say it had the potential but the build quality killed it. I think Ill try the Mammut S-flex next, although It is almost twice the price so I dont know how fair of a comparison they would be.


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## fefrie (Dec 24, 2011)

mtnkid85 said:


> I think Ill try the Mammut S-flex next, although It is almost twice the price so I dont know how fair of a comparison they would be.



You hit the nail right on the head. When the darkness comes, I stay put so I don't need a current draining low or high setting. The red is sufficient for me. So when I'm camping, I have more than enough power, with the occasional splurge to the low settings.

I use mine daily working around the house, so batteries get changed on a regular basis and I can't comment on parasitic drain.

The low and high power around the house are plenty strong for me and I run out before the batteries do.

So for the price, it works perfectly for me.

I'm pretty sure that they could make it last longer with better electronics for much the similar price, but that would also probably pull away from their more expensive offerings.

I think that all manufactures do this.


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## Anonnn (Dec 31, 2011)

The Byte received a lot of negative feedback on Amazon for its battery run time. I don't really understand why. What more can one expect out of a 2AAA light that uses a decent LED? I think the runtimes are acceptable for a relatively inexpensive headlamp that utilizes adequate brightness settings. When the unit is set to the red LED option, battery life is exceptional. Rechargeable batteries makes run time especially a non-issue. Since the Byte runs on 2AAAs rather than the typical and nonsensical 3AAAs, a set of 4 batteries will give you the opportunity to use them all in 2 cycles, rather than using 3/4 of them for only 1 cycle, which leaves one battery left over for nothing. I think the Byte's design is both attractive and ergonomic. The only gripe I have with the headlamp so far is its user interface. As mentioned before, it was not a good idea to make the user cycle through the white light modes when he only wants access to the red light mode.


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## fefrie (Dec 31, 2011)

Anonnn said:


> The Byte received a lot of negative feedback on Amazon for its battery run time. I don't really understand why. What more can one expect out of a 2AAA light that uses a decent LED? I think the runtimes are acceptable for a relatively inexpensive headlamp that utilizes adequate brightness settings. When the unit is set to the red LED option, battery life is exceptional. Rechargeable batteries makes run time especially a non-issue. Since the Byte runs on 2AAAs rather than the typical and nonsensical 3AAAs, a set of 4 batteries will give you the opportunity to use them all in 2 cycles, rather than using 3/4 of them for only 1 cycle, which leaves one battery left over for nothing. I think the Byte's design is both attractive and ergonomic. The only gripe I have with the headlamp so far is its user interface. As mentioned before, it was not a good idea to make the user cycle through the white light modes when he only wants access to the red light mode.



I think that if they had the exact same electronics, the exact same leds in the same construction, but with a 2aa form factor, they would of had an extreme winner with the byte. No one would be complaining too much with the High run time of maybe 6 hours, 24hours on Low, and what I would guess be a whole month with the red led.

I think what killed it with the Byte was the Princeton absolutely lied about actual performance times. If they were a little bit more truthful, I think that there wouldn't have been a bit of a back lash. They truthed up the burn time on high now (2 hours, previously 6?) and 96 hours for low (still way overly optimistic) and 146 for red (which I almost believe) 

Personally since I'm mostly at home and the light is more than bright enough, I definitely prefer the lighter smaller form factor.

And as a weird observation, aa's don't seem to be in use for most of my electronics. 70% of my devices all use aaa batteries.


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## robostudent5000 (Dec 31, 2011)

Anonnn said:


> The Byte received a lot of negative feedback on Amazon for its battery run time. I don't really understand why. What more can one expect out of a 2AAA light that uses a decent LED?



i have a Rayovac 2AAA headlamp that does 80 lumens for 2 hours vs. 35 lumens for 2 hours for the Byte. and the price was about the same.

and when you consider the runtimes of decent 1AAA flashlights - my Fenix E05 does 27 lumens for 3 hours on one AAA - the runtime of the Byte is disappointing.


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## ROKIT88 (Jan 9, 2012)

fefrie said:


> I think what killed it with the Byte was the Princeton absolutely lied about actual performance times. If they were a little bit more truthful, I think that there wouldn't have been a bit of a back lash. They truthed up the burn time on high now (2 hours, previously 6?) and 96 hours for low (still way overly optimistic) and 146 for red (which I almost believe)



The thing about the runtime is the parasitic drain. If you pop batts in, never turn the flashlight on, and pick it up in one month it will be dead, this is absolutely ridiculous. The misleading runtimes in the marketing are horrible as well.


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## Illum (Mar 3, 2013)

Received one last xmas, now after seeing this review... 
Looks like a clamshell design, which probably means its not a moddable candidate


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## FliptEG (Mar 14, 2013)

Used the byte last summer on 2 weekend car camping trips. Battery lasted a 3 night weekend using sparingly. The parasitic draw is significant. Was unable to keep batteries fresh for longer than a month. It is now relegated to back-up in the trunk of the car with batteries removed in case of emergency.


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## WingNut182 (May 15, 2015)

FliptEG said:


> Used the byte last summer on 2 weekend car camping trips. Battery lasted a 3 night weekend using sparingly. The parasitic draw is significant. Was unable to keep batteries fresh for longer than a month. It is now relegated to back-up in the trunk of the car with batteries removed in case of emergency.



Having heard that Princeton Tec might have a possible solution to the parasitic drain problem on the Byte, I emailed them 
( [email protected] ) and asked. 

This is their reply:
_*Removed by Greta - Please read CPF Policy #12_

So, I have on on the way! Not sure what a lockout is yet but it will be nice to keep this great little headlight in my daypack again.


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## WingNut182 (May 15, 2015)

(Sorry about the un-permissioned quote there ) 

Anyway, I wanted to pass along the news that PT added a lock out (whatever that is) to the battery door and were willing to ship a replacement door to me free!


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## ROKIT88 (Jan 14, 2018)

super zombie bump, but I just looked up the referred to fix with the door for the Byte that WingNut posted about. I emailed PT, hopefully I can get one to make the four of these drawer sitters into useful devices again!


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## turboBB (Jan 31, 2018)

Wow, I'm actually glad you necro-bumped this thread. Going to contact PT about this as well as about a few broken doors on their other headlamps I need to replace. THX!


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## Bassbinotoko (Jun 25, 2020)

I picked up a Princeton Tec Byte for $2 at thrift store. With a Fluke meter on 300 mA range, the drain is 0.65 mA, which would empty a NiMH AAA in just about 6 weeks. This compares with a Gerber Triode (single AAA) which only draws 0.07 mA (still not ideal), and a Black Diamond Gizmo (2 AAA) which had less than 0.01 mA drain. That's just terrible performance from what otherwise appears to be an excellent little light; maybe I'll keep it as a backup but with the batteries in a separate ziplock bag, or add it to the flashlight hoard, or crack it open and see if there's an obvious reason for the battery drain.


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