# River Rock headlamp impressions



## kbog (Feb 13, 2006)

I like this little light overall, but it is not for everyone I suspect. Here are my thoughts.

Pros:

-Very small.
-Very comfortable - in fact, I think this is it's best feature. The straps are soft, small and easily adjusted. The center strap helps too.
-Plenty of light for household use. Nice hotspot with usable sidespill.
-High and low settings with seemingly decent runtimes on 2 AAAs.
-Nice price

Cons:

-Very blue light - quite a bit bluer than the RR lantern with the Jupiter LED.
-Low setting could be lower. Reading in a dark room is easily done, but the hotspot is a touch too bright if directed onto the page. The difference between high and low could be greater IMO
-For outdoors, I might try something a bit whiter and brighter. 

That's about it. If you need a simple, cheap, household headlamp, this could work for you. If you are a serious user or use the light outdoors quite a bit, I would look elsewhere.


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## Kryosphinx (Feb 13, 2006)

I think you can open it up and change the resistor value to set the low mode lower


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## jar3ds (Feb 14, 2006)

i'll be making a post about the river rock headlamp soon... =) but I agree.. I really like my RR headlamp


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## nerdgineer (Feb 14, 2006)

You can unscrew the head some and defocus it for closer work or wider hot spot. Still plenty of engagement left to keep it from falling off - and probably still waterproof too.


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## Yooper (Feb 14, 2006)

I grew tiresome of the small hotspot size and the blue tint. My PT EOS has more sidespill and a more usable beam and has become my go to headlight when I'm going to wear one for a while, for example to work on a vehicle. The EOS is also much better outdoors. Got my EOS through an eBay vendor for about $31 shipped...

For quick use and pocket carry I still prefer a Zipka+

The RR headlamp has been relegated to backup status and hangs from a hook over my workbench, for those times when I forget the EOS and don't have a Zipka in my pocket. I've also stopped recommending it to friends, pointing them to the Zipka+ instead...


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## MagLED II (Feb 14, 2006)

I have one of these lamps. the output is nice. similiar to my Matrix 2. 
having two modes of output is nice. 

for only $15 bucks the lamp is a great deal, good brightness and long runtime in one tiny lamp. 

the led in mine is only slightly blue. 

i would recomend this light for anyone who needs a small inexpensive headlamp. this is a great loaner light, if it doesnt come back, oh well. 


the Zipka+ cost about $40 bucks. and is a 4 led lamp. quite different then the single led RR .5W Headlamp.

any fixed focus smooth reflector will give a spot with side spill. the head can be unscrewed for more of a flood.


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## kbog (Feb 14, 2006)

Some good replies here. Thanks for the tips.

I too wanted a PT EOS, but I was in Target, liked the RR lantern and figured what the heck. I will try to defocus it a bit. The hotspot was a bit annoying when reading. I suspect that a pure flood type light would be the best bet for reading...maybe a PT Quad...


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## JackJ (Feb 14, 2006)

kbog said:


> The hotspot was a bit annoying when reading. I suspect that a pure flood type light would be the best bet for reading...maybe a PT Quad...


 
My thoughts exactly. I'm very pleased with my RR given the price, and gave a couple as gifts. But I can't read with it. I'll try the defocus thing. But I too am wondering about the Quad. There's something about multi LED lights that turns me off, but I can probably get over that.


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## Yooper (Feb 25, 2006)

An update. I tried to be happy with this light. I tried using it for hiking at night - it's just not bright enough for this task. For reading or vehicle maintenance the spot is too small and bright - I found myself constantly adjusting the lamp to get the spot onto what I was working on deep in the bowels of my Land Cruiser. So...today I sputtered the reflector with Rustoleum Clear Enamel and the beam is much improved. It's now a useful light for vehicle maintenance. The throw, which wasn't that great to start with, is diminished, but the spill is brighter, wider, and the beam overall is more even. 

The reflector and lens are easily pushed forward through the bezel and then just pop back in again, both without tools.

I did try using the light with the reflector and lens removed entirely and the beam is so diffuse that it wasn't bright enough even at close range. It would probably be fine for reading in a very dark room in this configuration, if there wasn't anyone else around you, as the spill is pretty much 180 degrees.

Even though this mod improved this light, I remain underwhelmed. I won't buy another or recommend it to anyone.


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## cy (Feb 25, 2006)

easily the most bang for the buck headlamp. seems to me an excellent backup headlamp or two to stuff in your pack. even if you have a super cooool headlamp like Stenlight. 

largest drawback to RR headlamp is lack of lumens. even on high beam, output is marginal at best. 

for totally dark enviroments it would be fine. two stage switch seems to be one of the best. very reliable so far. too early to tell yet.


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## kbog (Feb 25, 2006)

My recent purchase of a Black Diamond SPOT has relegated the RR headlamp to back up duty. The BD simply beats the tar out of the RR in almost every category (except water proofness).

Still, I like the RR light for a cheap easy to use light.


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## maxilux (Feb 26, 2006)

Are there any differences between the RR and the Sl Enduro ?

Who is the real builder of this (great) light ?
I saw another light looks same as the RR or the Streamlight for: Euro 9,95 !!!

maxilux


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## kbog (Feb 26, 2006)

maxilux said:


> Are there any differences between the RR and the Sl Enduro ?
> 
> Who is the real builder of this (great) light ?
> I saw another light looks same as the RR or the Streamlight for: Euro 9,95 !!!
> ...



I can't answer any of those questions. Was that helpful????:shrug:

Sorry.


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## maxilux (Feb 26, 2006)

Thanks, i helps not much.

It is a great light, but i want to know the real builder.
In the moment i know 3 headlamps with the same look.

maxilux


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## jar3ds (Feb 26, 2006)

streamlight
river rock
???

whats the third? thanks!


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## maxilux (Feb 26, 2006)

You got in Germany

http://www.elv.de/Main.asp?Menue=Shop&SessionId=00212171510125332057

Please look at the price there.
I think it is the same as the Sl and the RR.


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## cave dave (Feb 26, 2006)

I believe the maker is SK in Hong Kong. 
I used textured write-rite on the lens as a diffuser and like it much better. It is still to blue for my tastes. But I bought it for emergency car use. I thought there was a huge difference in high and low beam on mine running on alkalines. Then I switched to Lithiums and the low was almost as bright as the high. Weird Huh?


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## maxilux (Feb 26, 2006)

Thanks, but what is SK.

My Streamlight isn´t to blue.
Can it we that there are different LED´s in the SL and the RR ?


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## jar3ds (Feb 27, 2006)

if you use nimh the low is really low compared to high... i prefer it this way... it is a nice water resistant headlamp with decent output... i gave one of them two my brother and my dad... gave them lithiums so it would always work and wouldn't fail on them when they need it most 

after seeing my brother put a 2d maglight bulb in a 4d light... i desided to make it easy for him


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## STEVENT6 (Mar 19, 2006)

Hi, I saw this headlamp at Target a few days ago on sale for $10.48 so I couldn't resist buying one. Mostly because I heard good things here about it. Mine like others mentioned also has the blue tint. But I must have gotten one with a sub-standard led in it because the beam also has a yellowish brown blotch in it. This goes away if I losen the reflector about 3/4 turn. Which then leaves it a bit loose. Because of this I'll probably take mine back for a replacement. I agree with others on the low beam, I think its a bit to low for most uses. I think it may be ok to navigate in total darkness if battery conservation was an issue. Or to use as a nightlight if your eyes are dark adapted. For anything else I find myself using the high beam which seems ok for most tasks. For me the spill on high is ok for tasks an arms lenght away. 

On the plus side it is very compact. Enough so that it competes with the coin cell lights. You won't have to buy the smaller batteries which will save you money. The weight with batteries is only 3.8 oz. This may be good for people who do ultra light backpacking. Or others like hunters who may get stranded after dark and want something compact and lightweight to reduce a load carried all day long. Also the headband is decent too, it has a center or top strap. It can easily be taken of and used on another headlamp, say the EOS which doesn't have the top strap. This alone can justify the cost especially if you find it for $10.48. Because of the light weight and the quality of the headband I believe you can run or jog with it and it won't bounce around. I'll probably get a replacement rather than a refund.


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## Flying Turtle (Mar 20, 2006)

My local Target finally started reducing the price on the blue plastic models, too. Might talk myself into a spare. The one I have also had a bit of yellow-brown, but a little turning of the bezel minimized it enough. I think the larger reflector gives the headlight a bit more throw than the RR 2AAA flashlight, with maybe a bit less spill. Overall a nice deal, especially on sale.

Geoff


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## Ikonomi (Mar 20, 2006)

I've been using my RR headlamp for a while now, about seven months or so, and I've gotten a lot of mileage on it. I found the hotspot to be too small for the close-up work I usually use it for, so I decided to "sputter" the reflector. There's a noticible loss of output and of course throw, but the resulting hotspot is much broader and the spill is much brighter.

I now find it much more useful, even with the reduced output.

I may pick up a spare on clearance at Target.


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## jar3ds (Mar 20, 2006)

the low mode is dependant on what battery chemistry you use

low modes:

lowest - NiMH
med - Alk's
pretty much the same as high - Lithiums

it shows that the voltage of the batteries is almost a direct indicator of what the low mode will be... i wonder if the low mode is even regulated... i doubt it... but i could be wrong...

i use the RR as a bedtime light... its almost perfect... with NiMH on low for navigation to the bathroom without loosing my night vision etc... i removed the third strap because its completely not needed on a headlamp this light-weight, and its much more comfortable.... 

i have already claimed that I will do a review/runtime charts on it.. i'll try to get it up soon...


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## HARDMETAL (Mar 20, 2006)

i am the[sk] shykuang (taiwan) 's hong kong agent.

yes ,the rr headlamp is tm900h (0.5w,aaax2).
i have discussed with the owner of the sk why their 0.5w lamps are so bluish.
he said that some certain lot of the led are bluish.later production use more white led (nichia).


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## Monolith (Mar 20, 2006)

Picked one up for $7.48 at Target (50% markdown). Not bad for that price.


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## jar3ds (Mar 20, 2006)

cool! can't wait til the white ones start showing up

the river rock is the cheapest best headlamp currently availble, no doubt


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## cy (Mar 20, 2006)

Monolith said:


> Picked one up for $7.48 at Target (50% markdown). Not bad for that price.


will that means target is getting ready to drop this neat little headlamp. 

better grab a few..


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## BlackDecker (Mar 20, 2006)

The RR headlamp is still my favorite headlamp of my collection. Beats the pants off a more expensive PT Aurora that I have relegated to the glovebox of my car. Runs on 2AAA's, so a 4 pack of alkalines will give me 2 complete changes, whereas I'd need to buy an 8 pack to give my Aurora or Petzl Tikka XP 2 sets of batteries.

NiMh's work great in the RR, although with this battery type the low beam is pretty dim. I kept the 3rd strap on mine as I usually wear it on morning runs and the lamp tends to feel a bit less secure without the third strap over my head.

At $15, I thought it was a good deal, and I may pickup a few spares if my local Target has them on clearance.


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## carrot (Mar 20, 2006)

I just picked one up for $10 and some change. It's very nice. If I weren't saving my money for another Surefire and a few PSP games I'd have picked up the last remaining blue one as well.

It hasn't gotten dark yet but I wandered around in the basement using it for awhile. I like it. The foam part that goes on your forehead smells funky, though, and I wish it were a little brighter, but all in all, it's very nice, especially at such a low price. Pretty well designed, too.


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## jar3ds (Mar 21, 2006)

for only a 2xAAA.. .i'm suprised its as bright as it is


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## carrot (Mar 21, 2006)

If you take off the bezel and reflector it puts out this beautiful smooth flood. I like it like this, but I'm not sure whether it's more practical to have a good flood or decent throw and some flood for a headlamp.


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## dmz (Mar 28, 2006)

How does it compare to the old Petzl Tikka 3 (5mm) led?


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## jar3ds (Mar 28, 2006)

well 3 5mm LEDS to a single .5w LED is sort of apples to oranges... 

i think if you compare price the RR will be cheaper... no?


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## Handlobraesing (Mar 28, 2006)

How would it compare to a 2-AA xenon headlamp retrofitted with a higher power 2-D xenon Mag lamp?


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## chesterqw (Mar 28, 2006)

does anyone knows if we can use a SMJLED inside that thing?


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## rheslip (Mar 28, 2006)

I thought of trying an smjled in mine (Streamlight Enduro, same as RR) to get a whiter beam. As an experiment I held the headlamp reflector over an SMJLED - a tad whiter but not a big difference. The smjled might run a bit brighter and more efficiently since it has 4 LED die on it vs what appears to be 3 on the RR led. The smjled looked like it had a wider spot than the stock led, which might be appealing to some folks.

Rich


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## Handlobraesing (Mar 28, 2006)

The regulation is pretty good and this thing only weighs 2.9 oz with NiMH batteries. 
The beam pattern is kinda messy and it has a definite cheap 5mm LED blue tint but it has a better output than the cheapest $6 headlamp, so I guess I'll keep mine


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## PeLu (Mar 31, 2006)

Kryosphinx said:


> I think you can open it up and change the resistor value to set the low mode lower


Have you done that? Ido not have one of these lamps now, but all the similar ones use PWM for the lower levels.

What a pity this light does not use just a single aa cell....


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## Lynx_Arc (Mar 31, 2006)

I like the low mode... on nimh it is about right, perhaps a little bright on alkaline or lithiums though. The biggest drawback is the spot it throws which isn't as useful as multiple 5mm LEDs up close but is very nice at distances over about 8 feet away for navigating in the dark.


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## 4x4Dragon (Mar 31, 2006)

for the only $15, it can't be beat..........and now some targets have it on sale for just $7.58.

woopty do, the beam doesn't look "luxuriously white" on a white wall admire-test...... you could always go back to a wholy,ringy, yellow beam.



small hotspot, not enough spill??????? with about ten minutes time and some satin tape that can be easily fixed.

i've actually been missing the throw and tight hotspot the light had stock, in some cases, so im working on a solution that would make the light have the option of either a smooth flood or a nice spot. cost should be less than $10 and it will look very professional..........kinda the way the tikka xp does.


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## dmz (Apr 1, 2006)

Is there an ad with the $7.58 price?


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## Handlobraesing (Apr 1, 2006)

dmz said:


> Is there an ad with the $7.58 price?



These aren't very popular. That's why they ended up being on clearance.


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## Lynx_Arc (Apr 1, 2006)

Actually they are only clearing out the blue headlamps.... I figure they will carry only one color from now on freeing up another peg for other merchandise.


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## Chronos (Apr 2, 2006)

I got a grey translucent unit for the same price...


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## Lynx_Arc (Apr 3, 2006)

I think they must have mispriced it as all three stores here have the grey ones priced normally.


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## jar3ds (Apr 3, 2006)

wouldn't be the first time target had an item mis-priced.

if its $7 or $15... the RiverRock headlamp is still worth it


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## Chronos (Apr 3, 2006)

LOL "whoops!" There were two at that price. I probably should have bought both.:lolsign:


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## amlim (Apr 3, 2006)

anyone can help me to buy one and ship it to singapore? many thanks in advance.


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## Alloy Addict (Apr 3, 2006)

My nearest Target has both colors on sale. I ended up going with a blue one because the grey ones had LEDs that were a bit off center in the reflector. 

I want to thank everyone, especially kbog, that recommended this little light. It is the perfect thing for me to read in bed without waking my wife up. My other LED headlamp has the battery pack in the back which makes it a little uncomfortable for that job.


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## PeLu (Apr 4, 2006)

Has any one of the people having one tested if the lower level uses PWM? Could you please try it?
And I wonder why they do not make a similer lamp with just a single AA cell. The lower efficiency of the boost regulator would be compensated by the better cell.


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## sizzlechest (Apr 9, 2006)

Riverrocks are nice at $15- but now they are down to 3.75 at the target by my house! I couldn't resist- I emptied the rack into my cart. Now that is a bargain! The riverrock keychain lights were $1.30 something as well.....


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