# Princeton Tec Byte



## sphynx_000 (Aug 2, 2010)

Just came across the PT Byte. Pretty cool 2xaaa light. It must be pretty new as it is not on their website yet.

http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...?r=view&i=428627&aID=505N4&cID=FROOGLE_428627


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## carrot (Aug 2, 2010)

Coooool... If it's any good I'd like it to replace my E+Lite which is perfect except for the usage of coin cell batteries.


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## fixitman (Aug 4, 2010)

seems to me like they could have done it better going with a single AA instead. Single AA will have more total power, and weigh the same as 2AAA.
Only 30 lumens?
On the other hand, for $20 seems like a good backup to whatever your main headlamp is, if your main is 3AAA

The Byte is 15%-18% smaller than other Princeton Tec headlamps. The Byte features 1 maxbright white LED and 1 ultrabright red LED, and has a high and low mode. The Byte runs on 2 AAA batteries (included). Water Resistant. Push button on/off/high/low/red. Power: 30 Lumens, Lamp: 1 White LED, 1 Red LED, Burn Time: 100-360 Hours, Batteries: 2 AAA Alkaline.


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## tritan (Sep 23, 2010)

anybody buy one of these yet? Any reviews? Looking for an ultralight headlamp for backpacking to replace a micro photon light.


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## readyme (Sep 23, 2010)

fixitman said:


> seems to me like they could have done it better going with a single AA instead. Single AA will have more total power, and weigh the same as 2AAA.
> Only 30 lumens?
> On the other hand, for $20 seems like a good backup to whatever your main headlamp is, if your main is 3AAA.


 

I agree.
I am looking for a good compact AA light....this was almost it... damn AAA.


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## bnemmie (Sep 23, 2010)

carrot said:


> Coooool... If it's any good I'd like it to replace my E+Lite which is perfect except for the usage of coin cell batteries.


 

+1

Same here. I must have 3 or 4 of the E+Lites laying around my truck or EDC bag. And for as much as I love them....the coins just dont do it for me.


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## tritan (Sep 23, 2010)

bnemmie said:


> +1
> 
> Same here. I must have 3 or 4 of the E+Lites laying around my truck or EDC bag. And for as much as I love them....the coins just dont do it for me.



This is one of the reasons This lite appeals to me. I just about walked out with a E-lite tonight but didn't want to hassle with coin batteries. I want a lightweight AA or AAA headlamp with a red lite for reading.


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## iqwozpoom (Sep 29, 2010)

I just picked on of these up, at twenty bucks I couldn't resist. Initial impressions; small, lightweight, not very bright. Pros; it uses two aaa's, lithiums come in 4 packs not six. It starts in red-low-high, and cycles through all modes to off. I'll post more thoughts after dark. It may not replace my e-lite as a back up, but it will definitely make a great light for the kid (four year old).


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## WDR65 (Sep 29, 2010)

Where did you find it, iqwozpoom?


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## iqwozpoom (Sep 29, 2010)

At one of the local outdoor stores. It's lithium compatible too, another plus.


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## paulr (Sep 29, 2010)

If it's an E-lite competitor I'd rather they used 1aaa. There are several nice small 1aa headlamps around if that's what you want.


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## iqwozpoom (Sep 30, 2010)

I wouldn't call it an e-lite competitor. It is a nice lightweight headlamp though. I took it outside and did some comparisons. The red is really low, much lower than the e-lite's red led. On low with the main led it's brighter than the e-lite on high and dimmer than a preon2 neutral's medium. On high it's brighter than the preon2 neutral medium. It does have a much tighter beam than the preon does with lots of artifacts when white wall hunting (deep narrow smooth reflector). Nothing too bad, tints decent. Nice mount, nice strap, probably a good running light. Ps just wanted to add it has a very usable spill.


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## dla (Sep 30, 2010)

I would say that this is a replacement for, and improvement over, the Streamlight Enduro (originally sold at Target as RiverRock). The Enduro was a pretty good regulated light in its day, but the manufacturer decided not to improve it with new LED technology.

I'm going to pick one of these PT Byte lights up and play with it. The 2xAAA regulated lights are just right for most stuff. I'm assuming it is regulated, since folks mentioned that it is lithium friendly.


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## Flashfirstask?later (Sep 30, 2010)

Just realized that Mountain Equipment Co-Op (mec.ca) is carrying this headlamp and at only $19.50 CAD.

Just realized that it "not stocked" in my store location, oh well. If I want it I may have to order it in.


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## dla (Sep 30, 2010)

Just bought one. Great little light. Nice white light - huge improvement over the PT Quad's blue tint. Perfect for BP'ing, hiking, etc. where you don't need a personal death ray. Just the right amount of spill. I like that wimpy red light - just about perfect for reading.

I still don't know if it is regulated, but I like feeding it only two AAA's at a time. Only minor complaint: can't see any battery polarity markings in the case - not a big deal if you remember what the difference in contact length means.


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## AvroArrow (Oct 1, 2010)

For those who have it, can you tell what kind of LED it has? Rebel maybe? Does it use an optic or reflector? Does it look moddable like the EOS? For $20, it might make a good mod candidate. Too bad my local MEC doesn't have stock either.


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## iqwozpoom (Oct 1, 2010)

I just popped mine open. Rebel, looks surface mounted to the board. No modding:shakehead. No it's not regulated, it has the decreasing beam graph in the instructions. If it were regulated they would be sure to use the word regulated a bunch when marketing it I'm sure.


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## AvroArrow (Oct 2, 2010)

Oh snap. I thought it might be regulated and have a rebel on a star, but regulation costs money. And I don't think I can solder a rebel emitter, those things are tiny. Thanks for popping one open to check iqwozpoom!


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## darknessemitter (Oct 6, 2010)

iqwozpoom said:


> I just popped mine open. Rebel, looks surface mounted to the board. No modding:shakehead. No it's not regulated, it has the decreasing beam graph in the instructions. If it were regulated they would be sure to use the word regulated a bunch when marketing it I'm sure.


 
Does it have any kind of heatsinking, or does it just not get very hot?


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## Mundele (Oct 7, 2010)

So how's the UI on this light? do you have a single button and click through modes like the EOS? What modes does it have? Does it use PWM?

We need a review.... 

--Matt


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## Mundele (Oct 8, 2010)

Anyone care to do a quick review?


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## bfayer (Oct 29, 2010)

HI, I am a long time lurker but I finally joined.

I just picked up my byte to see if it could replace either my E+lite or my Tikka Plus. It kind of fits in between.

My only complaint so far is the fact that if you are using the Red led, the only way to turn it off is to cycle through the white high and low. That kind of defeats the purpose of the red led.

Things I like compared to the e+lite:

AAA battery
Sealed switch (don't play with the e+lite in sand 
Brighter high beam.
Longer run time.

But it is still a lot heavier than the e+lite.

Things I like better than the Tikka Plus:

The Tikka Plus is a bit heavy, the Byte is lighter with only 2 AAAs.
The Tikka Plus has a translucent case that spills light into my eyes (solved with duct tape, but should I have to?) The Byte does not need the duct tape 
Only 2 AAAs and adequate output for my purposes (working around camp in the dark).

If it were not for the red led issue, it would easily replace my Tikka Plus in my overnight backpack. I think it is too heavy to replace my e+lite in my daypack.


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## Ghost_Reveries (Oct 31, 2010)

I was just looking around for a headlamp to use while out jogging, and this looks like it will do nicely. Small, light weight, cheap, and relatively easy to use with one hand while moving. I don't need too much light (urban setting) but it's nice to have in darker areas. 

Love the E+lites, but I could never operate the lever properly while jogging :duh2: But the E+lite is just the perfect size, and never bounces around. Hmm. At $20, can't hurt to try it out.


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## Mundele (Nov 1, 2010)

I found one on ebay even cheaper. It was $13 with shipping only $1


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## michigan5344 (Jun 22, 2011)

I recieved a Princeton Tec Byte as a fathers day gift. I watched a couple of reviews of it on youtube saying that it has poor battery life. The package claims 80 hours on high mode. In the reviews I have seen it only gets 4hours. I'm looking for a reliable headlamp, and sugestions?

michigan5344


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## robostudent5000 (Jun 22, 2011)

michigan5344 said:


> I recieved a Princeton Tec Byte as a fathers day gift. I watched a couple of reviews of it on youtube saying that it has poor battery life. The package claims 80 hours on high mode. In the reviews I have seen it only gets 4hours. I'm looking for a reliable headlamp, and sugestions?



please familiarize yourself with the forum rules and be sure to search the threads a bit before making any requests. in particular, check out the Threads of Interest sticky at the top of the sub-forum main page.

anyway, you might want to keep an eye on this thread.

you can find a runtime test of the Byte here.


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## gcbryan (Jun 22, 2011)

deleted


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