# New (?) inexpensive Multi LED - multi-function 3AA headlamp from Garrity



## Silviron (Aug 1, 2006)

I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned this light yet... Not that it is a really big deal or super high performance, but it sure has a lot of features for it's price. (fourteen dollar$ and some cents at WalMart)

Last week I picked up a Garrity 3AA headlamp which has a 1 watt Luxeon (or clone, I haven't opened it yet), three white 5MM LEDs, two 5mm Red leds and two 3mm Red LEDs












The top, reflectored LED is, of course, the 1Watt, the two to the sides are the 5 mm reds, the three at the bottom are the whites. In back, on the battery pack are the two 3mm red LEDs

The controls for the LEDs are the little white arrows in the top of the light. 

The one on the (wearers) right side controls the 1 watt which has three brightness settings: First click gives high beam (1180 LUX (peak) @ 1m), second click, medium (770 LUX) and third click gives low,(400 LUX). (I think it would be better if it started out at the low output and got brighter with each click.)

The left hand (wearers) arrow controls all the other LEDs: First click gives one white LED (22LUX) second click 2 white LEDs (46 LUX), third click three white LEDs (62 LUX). Fourth click turns on the red LEDs (3 LUX, not that that means much given the IR filters on the light meter)(front and back). Fifth click, the red LEDs blink about 120 times per minute.

Oh, and the 1 watt and the other LEDs operate completely independantly, so you can use both at the same time.

The output of the 1 watt on high is decent. Small, fairly bright hotspot with pretty smooth spill. Not as bright as some, but considering the price, not bad. I'm actually kind of surprised at the throw. It lights up the side of a house 225 feet away to the point that it is definitely useful, even on the medium setting. You could definitely use it for hiking, and even mountain biking, (assuming you have a decent handlebar mounted light).

The 5mm LEDs are OK, but not particularly good in terms of brightness and color (bluish, like most of the cheaper China made white LEDs). Decent, even beam though, no artifacts.. Some good new Nichias would be MUCH better. Would be OK for changing a tire, or even getting out of a cave if necessary.

The red LEDs are useless beyond 10 ft... and even that is stretching it. But you could definitely use them for reading a map or a compass without ruining your night vision.... There are a lot of artifacts in the beam though.

The more I mess with this light, the more I like it. The first time I tried it, I was quite disappointed, but with a closer look and more experimentation, I kind of like it.

PROS: 
3AA rather than the more common 3AAA.. More runtime.
Compact: you could actually stick this whole light in a front pants pocket (not in tight blue jeans though).
Comfortable, at least for the maximum of about 15 minutes that I've worn it at one time..
Price.

CONS: 
5mm white LED performance could be doubled by using new Nichias... Would be worth spending an extra couple of dollars on them.
No significant heat sinking on the 1 watt. I don't know if it will overheat with long use.
Construction feels a little flimsy: Pretty much all plastic with thin rubber 'armor'. There are a couple of places that feel like they could break without a lot of abuse.
I really don't like the switches location or function. They aren't very tactile, and are hard to locate in the dark, even if it is off your head. Requires a lot of fumbling to turn on or change settings. I suppose that a little practice would overcome this, but it sure is annoying to me.

Overall, I think I can recommend this headlamp. Considering the price, it isn't bad at all for casual use. Maybe a little less than a super-flashaholic would want. but OK for a regular consumer. Certainly not a primary light for a caver, but OK for a second or third backup. Good glove compartment / trunk / toolbox light for carrying in your vehicle.

I don't really want to do beamshots or runtime tests, but I suppose I can if there is enough demand.

I also picked up a new (?) Brinkmann 3AAA aluminum 3 X 5mm white LED light at the same time.... If you are interested, I typed up a mini-review for it HERE


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## Omega Man (Aug 1, 2006)

Great review. I've been looking at the Rayovac Sportsman, the hybrid headlamp with xenon and white/red leds. It's $12, but this looks comparable. Plus it used AAs, nice.


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## drmaxx (Aug 1, 2006)

Indeed that looks like a very decent backup light. I like the AA battery use. Any idea on the ability to deal with water/intensive rain? Is it IP rated?


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## Grubbster (Aug 1, 2006)

I saw this at walmart while looking for the mag AA a few weeks ago. I almost picked one up, but my funds were limited and I did not want to be a guinea pig. Thanks for the review silviron. I might pick one up soon.


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## Silviron (Aug 1, 2006)

drmaxx said:


> Indeed that looks like a very decent backup light. I like the AA battery use. Any idea on the ability to deal with water/intensive rain? Is it IP rated?



Sorry, I don't even know what IP rating means.  

The head may be water resistant; with the rubber 'armor', it looks like it could take a quick dunk. 

Unfortunately, the battery pack looks like it could get wet on the inside in a heavy rain, especially if there is wind. There isn't any kind of seal around the top... A piece of electrical tape should fix that though.


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## drmaxx (Aug 2, 2006)

Silviron said:


> Sorry, I don't even know what IP rating means.


There's a good explanation on Flashlightreview FAQ. E.g. the Apex has a IPX7.

Thanks for the info :goodjob:


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## Silviron (Aug 2, 2006)

Thanks for the link to the explanation of IP. 

I'd still be hard pressed to assign one to this light though.


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## tvman (Aug 3, 2006)

thanks Silviron for posting your review. I saw this at WM 3 or 4 weeks ago and I was very tempted to get one after looking price and features.


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## LightObsession (Aug 7, 2006)

I picked one up at WalMart yesterday and am not too impressed.

I find the switch buttons to be too subtle and difficult to locate on top of the housing. I have to feel around quite a bit to locate the switch with my finger tip. The switches would probably be difficult to activate accidentally.

I'd also prefer not to have to cycle through the red LEDs when turning the white LEDs off.

The red LEDs are pretty dim and just about useless. The rapid flashing mode might be a handy safety feature for cycling or walking on roadways.

The beam of the Luxeon is ok, but not near as nice as my Fenix L1P.

I'm considering returning it. I may give a little more time to grow on me.

It was $18.?? at my WalMart rather than the $14 that others report.


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## adirondackdestroyer (Aug 8, 2006)

I checked out my local Walmart today and it had this headlamp for $18.83. I passed on it.


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## LightObsession (Aug 9, 2006)

2nd impression: The Luxeon beam is actually pretty good.

The beam of the three white LEDs isn't as good as the Energizer 8 LED headlamp.

I still don't like the switch buttons - I find them difficult to locate and activate.


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## PJD (Aug 26, 2006)

LightObsession...I agree with you on the button issue; they ARE sort of a PITA to "find" and cycle through. However, the one thing I do like about this light is the fact that it uses AA cells instead of AAA's. I bought one of the Dorcy 1W headlights that uses AAA cells a while back, and ended up giving it away because the run-time was so PATHETIC on AAA's! Also, the adjustable intensity of the 1W lux on the Garrity is excellent for up-close tasks, and should allow for some AWESOME run-time with the AA's. IMHO, I do think the Garrity is worth the price tag, but it could definitely use some "tweaking" in the switch area!

PJD


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## lumenal (Aug 30, 2006)

Good reviews guys- I've been eying this Multi-function Garrity headlamp for a couple weeks now.

I'm caught between this headlamp and the new ( new to me,at least) Dorcy Multi-Functional Luxeon with one red LED headlamp. The packaging doesn't really state what the multi-functions are though.

The Garrity is $18.83 at Wallys and the Dorcy is $24.99 at Sportsmans warehouse.

Ofcourse, next to the Dorcy are various models of Petzl, Princeton Tec,Browning, and Black Diamond headlamps, but they're more pricy than what I want to spend. 

I have many 1 and 3 watt LED flashlights, so now I'm thinking I need a headlamp, mainly for power outages and late night walks.

Thanks for the info, guys....


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## Limelighter (Aug 31, 2006)

My local WalMart doesn't have this Garrity headlamp. I don't suppose that any of you who bought it can tell me the UPC Code (12 digit number right below the bar code on the package) so that I can nag the local WalMart to order some?


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## Bullseye00 (Sep 4, 2006)

I got you the UPC and the Walmart shelf tag #, which might be more useful.

UPC 74196 00651
shelf tag # 0310-0006-0082


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## TMorita (Sep 5, 2006)

I just bought this light too.

If you're interested in opening it, grip the front of the flashlight, then turn it left about 45 degrees. This will open the flashlight. On mine, there was a small broken O-ring between the halves - apparently they used a small O-ring (maybe 20mm) and stretched it to fit, and it broke before I received it.

I think someone had a greasy snack before they assembled my unit, because there was a huge fingerprint on the INSIDE of the clear plastic...I had to disassemble the unit to clean it.

The 1 watt LED is a nice spot with a fairly good spill. The 5mm LEDs would have been more useful as a flood light, but they have a fairly narrow (standard) beam. The red LEDs are utterly useless IMHO - they're dim, and splotchy.

Toshi


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## Limelighter (Sep 5, 2006)

Bullseye00 said:


> I got you the UPC and the Walmart shelf tag #, which might be more useful.
> 
> UPC 74196 00651
> shelf tag # 0310-0006-0082


 
Thanks very much - now I will pester my local WalMart to order one!


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## TMorita (Sep 14, 2006)

Went to Oregon the past few days for paragliding, and camped, and brought this headlamp with me.

Tried to use this headlamp to setup my tent. Wound up not liking it. Here are my complaints so far:

o White LEDs too directional.
o Reflector around white LEDs extends too far over LEDs ("roof" is too long) and shines light directly into eyes
o Red LEDs are too dim to be useful
o Clear lens for Red LEDs are molded badly and have uneven thickness, and is the probable cause of the artifacts in the red LED beam

The only thing good about this headlamp is the 1 watt LED IMHO.

Toshi

P.S. I wound up using white LED mode of the Walmart Ray-o-vac headlamp to set up my tent - it is a much better headlamp overall IMHO.


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## etc (Oct 12, 2006)

* 3AA rather than the more common 3AAA.. More runtime *

In headlamps, yes, but in general, it's vice-versa, AA is more common.

Sounds like a great Lite at 1/2 the price of other, better 3AA lites.

that's the thing about Chimart lites, they aren't the best, may not even be average, but the price is great. Poor quality / performance may still be good value. I cannot believe what some of these other headlights go for, 3 times as much.


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## TMorita (Oct 14, 2006)

etc said:


> * 3AA rather than the more common 3AAA.. More runtime *
> 
> In headlamps, yes, but in general, it's vice-versa, AA is more common.
> 
> ...


 
You should buy one, and see if you still think it's a great light after using it for an hour or two. I didn't.

There's other headlamps in the same price range which are much better IMHO.

Toshi


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## Turbo DV8 (Oct 31, 2006)

I came upon this topic tonight, but purchased this headlamp a month ago. The good and bad aspects of this unit have been pretty much touched upon already. Although I still think the light is worth the $18 bucks, the several near-misses are very frustrating:

1) No tactile feedback to the switches. This was the very first thing I noticed, and every single friggin' time thereafter that I went to turn the light on! Solution: go through wife's crafts materials while she is away, and find two little flat but slightly raised bits to glue onto each arrow switch. Now it's a cinch to instantly feel which switch my finger is on. Don't choose anything pointy, though, or you'll be piercing your finger when you activate the switch!

2) What's up with the red LED's? The brightness (dimness?) isn't what irritates me. All I need it for is to read a map. What's aggravating is how damn splotchy the beam is. I thought maybe it was the plastic lens in front of the LED causing this, but even when you remove the front cover, the red beam is still splotchy, so it is the red LED's themselves. Not only irritating, but I have never seen such artifacts in a bare LED before. How difficult would it have been to source any other red LED which projects a decent beam?

3) The three white 5 mm LED's do have quite a blue tint. Given the price, it's forgivable. But what isn't is their use of an opaque plastic housing behind these LED's. The light spilling from the sides and rear of the three LED's shines directly into your eyes from above, reducing your ability to see what the low-power LED's are illuminating. It is not the reflector above the LED's causing this. Solution: I painted the entire bottom rear half of the case with a black lacquer paint. Problem solved.

4) The 1 watt LED projects quite a tight spot. I prefer a bit more spill and less spot. I neither need nor expect a headlamp to illuminate something 100 feet away. My needs are to set up a tent, or work under a car, and other tasks within an eight foot radius, and more spill = less need to make minor head adjustments to illuminate a wider area. But if a tight, hot spot floats your boat, then you should like the 1-watt beam.

5) I have a big head. Even with the circumferential band at it's loosest, the rear contact patch on the front of the battery case begins to cause pain after about 30 minutes of use. Solution: file down the back of my head?

6) The two switches activate the three light levels contrary to each other. Meaning, the first push of the 5 mm LED button activates low level, and on up with each subsequent push, but the first push of the 1-watt LED button activates high level, and on down with each subsequent push. Maybe it's a right brain / left brain thing, or maybe I don't use it enough to drill the difference into my noodle, but I find myself pushing the 1-watt button a second time reaching for a higher illumination, only to have it go one dimmer instead!

I purchased this light for one main reason: to have a single, inexpensive headlamp able to do both distance illumination, but also able to offer a gentler light for close-up reading without going snow-blind. In this, the Garrity does succeed. Running on AA cells instead of AAA is icing on the cake. A 1-watt running full power on 3 AAA's gives mediocre battery life. (I had a 3-watt/3 AAA headlamp with basically no regulation which gave such dismal battery life that it was returned to the store in quite a speedy fashion!) I was able to, as someone said, "tweak" at least a couple of the negative points of this Garrity to my satisfaction, but the crappy red LED's are there to stay. But worth the $18 with a few tweaks.


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## Ford Prefect (Nov 7, 2006)

I just purchased this light a week ago in preparation for a little spelunking. I figured that I couldn't go wrong for the price. In general, I agree with pretty much everything said above, but I will add a few comments:

1) The 1-watt LED is surprisingly bright. In fact, it outperformed some of my friends, much more expensive caving lights -- but they were older models.

2) The standard white LEDs do have some of the weaknesses described above, but worked just fine for me in a medium-sized cave. 

3) The light is definitely water-resistant...but to what degree I don't know. It is sealed reasonably well, and I rinsed it after my expedition with no ill effects. I would not trust complete submersion.

4) The hinge would be a weak point for cavers -- I don't think it would take an impact well.

5) The buttons are very hard to find and can be hard to press when you can't see them. That said, they seem to work well and be well sealed if you can find them.

6) Contrary to the comments above, you do not have to cycle through every mode to turn off the light -- if you hold down the button, it turns off in a couple seconds or two. Unfortunately, it does not restart in the same mode.

7) This light does not appear on Garrity's website and I e-mailed them for some technical specs. It's been a week and no reply.

This light is not perfect, but I think it's very useful for the price.


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## etc (Nov 12, 2006)

Interesting thread. I will probably end up buying one.

Now, question -- is there any competition in its class? (Meaning, under $20) That is, either Lux or 5mm LEDs all using 3AA?


I know Princeton Tec makes nice lites but they are in a different price category. I need a couple of cheap, but functional lites as gifts.


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## carbine15 (Nov 12, 2006)

river rock 2AAA headlamp is my favorite cheapy headlamp. It's very light and has two useful levels of output.


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## TMorita (Nov 12, 2006)

carbine15 said:


> river rock 3AAA headlamp is my favorite cheapy headlamp. It's very light and has two useful levels of output.


 
I second it.

I've bought two for myself, and gave away one to a friend, gonna buy another for a b-day present.

Toshi


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## PJD (Nov 12, 2006)

carbine15 said:


> river rock 3AAA headlamp is my favorite cheapy headlamp. It's very light and has two useful levels of output.



Are you talking about the one sold at Target? That's 2AAA, not 3AAA, isn't it? If that's the one you're talking about, I agree...EXCELLENT bang for the buck! Bright enough for most tasks, and VERY light-weight!

PJD


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## etc (Nov 12, 2006)

I don't care for AAA cells however.


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## moses (Nov 14, 2006)

*Any one replaced the standard white LEDs?*

Wondering if the standard white LEDs which are really too dim and bluish for my taste can be easily replaced by the latest and greatest from Nichia?

Bang for the $, a good light. No Apex of course but for the $, don't mind if we misplace or break this.

Thanks,
Mo


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## etc (Dec 9, 2006)

With all the noise about it, and seeing it every time when I visted Chimart, I just had to have it.

First, it's the only headlite in Wally Worlde which uses AA cells, which is a big plus. 

My executive summary: It is a piece of [email protected], don't waste your tokens on it. 

The most annoying thing is, it has too many modes. The buttons are way too small, too recessed and I hit both of them when trying to turn off one of them. 

The red leds are totally worthless and full of artifacts as already pointed out. The blinking feature is bizarre and ultimately useless as it's too dim. 

You have to cycle through all the modes to turn it off, which I find very annoying. 

I would very much prefer for it to have just 1 mode with 1 LED which turns off and on. Simple. This thing is too complex. 

The light from bottom leds shines into your face.

Half-baked product and totally not worth $19, half that price and I might consider it. I got mine as a Christmas gift.

Well, I will mention a few positives for fairness.

My old Pricenton Tec Yukon HL is not as bright on Lux, and they are both 1W.

The strap is more or less comfortable. The cell pack is positioned OK in the back for good balance.


There are better lites I am sure.


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## etc (Dec 9, 2006)

* 
6) Contrary to the comments above, you do not have to cycle through every mode to turn off the light -- if you hold down the button, it turns off in a couple seconds or two*

I missed that comment. 

Also, cell insertion is not labeled pos or neg. you have to look at the spring and figure it out.


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## TMorita (Dec 10, 2006)

Ford Prefect said:


> I just purchased this light a week ago in preparation for a little spelunking. I figured that I couldn't go wrong for the price. In general, I agree with pretty much everything said above, but I will add a few comments:
> 
> 1) The 1-watt LED is surprisingly bright. In fact, it outperformed some of my friends, much more expensive caving lights -- but they were older models.


 
The 1 watt beam is the only good point of this headlamp, IMHO. It doesn't have any rings, but has a smallish spill compared to my other headlamps.

I suspected it was overdriven, so I checked the current draw on a bench power supply, and it draws 315 ma, 200 ma, and 104 ma in the high, medium, and low modes respectively, so surprisingly, it's within spec.

Toshi


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## etc (Dec 10, 2006)

It is a nice beam all right for a 1W. 

I suspect I lost the Luxeon Lottery with the Princeton Tec I have, or else it might be the half discharged NiMH I was using in the latter for comparison.


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## HiroshiMAXX (Dec 20, 2006)

I like the looks of this light and will probably pick one up. I have no problem with mods and am looking to up the 1 watt to a 3 watt with some heat sinking. I can also mod the switches to tactile. I will also investigate a waterproof battery case and upgrading all 3mm leds to nichias.


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## mdocod (Dec 25, 2006)

I just received one of these for Christmas today... I agree with most of what has been said, but I do like the little bugger well enough. Can't complain too much, it's a gift, (also got 2 other headlamps to play with for Christmas, so this is a great opportunity to try out some lights for free that I may have bought anyways given the attractive price, been meaning to get some headlamps to add to my flashlight collection. I'm not as bothered by the red-mode splotchy beam as others, I think of the red mode as more of a "beacon" than anything else(hence, the lights on the back), up close it works well enough to read. 

I am guessing that since the main 1WLED has 3 output modes, it is probably a regulated light, which makes this a good deal just for the 1W portion of this light, I kinda think of the other LEDs as some bling bling selling point buy me buy me i'm fancy stuff etc. The 1W portion is really the nice part of this light, with AAs to power it, should run for a few good hours at least.

Yea, the buttons totally aggravate me, almost impossible to locate and press them properly while it's on your head... I like TurboDV8s solution to this and I might be doing something similar to mine.


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## TMorita (Dec 26, 2006)

mdocod said:


> ...
> I am guessing that since the main 1WLED has 3 output modes, it is probably a regulated light,
> ...



Nope, definitely not regulated.

I've put mine on my bench power supply, and current drops as voltage goes down, therefore it's not regulated. The Zenix IQ (which is regulated) exhibits the opposite behavior - current goes up as voltage goes down.

Toshi


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## mdocod (Dec 26, 2006)

bummer, I guess it's just cycling through different resistors then.


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## el_vato (Jul 27, 2007)

I just bought one of these (Clearance Walmart $11.00)and was wondering can I replace the reflector in the 1 watt? If so what is the size I need? wanna put in a OP reflector. 

2nd question (would answer the 1st) how to measure the reflector across or depth? 

3rd question ok the Red Leds' are aweful wanna replace,do you have any suggestions (I will be doing a search too, I thought you might know of something I might not find).

4th question do you think that replacing the whites with green or even more reds would be smart? or maybe newer white.


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## ClancyO (Mar 11, 2009)

Woot (http://www.woot.com/) has this listed today (today only, for those who may not know woot) for $9.99 (+ $5.00 shipping). From the reviews, it's kind of a toss-up.


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## andreah (Mar 16, 2009)

I saw it too late


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## Linger (Mar 26, 2009)

The light is a real toss-up. I picked it up 2 days ago to zip-tie onto my bike helmet. There is a switch for the luxeon, and a switch for the 4mm leds.
-I main light is suprisingly well focused. I'd even say it's almost too focued for most applications, in that the spot is too small up-close and as it gets big enough to use its so far away it's too dim...BUT a small long-ranged spot has one great use for a cyclist on a helmet - other people can see what i'm looking at.
-The red blinking front / back just increases my visibility to others (up high on the helmet to supplement the seatpost mounted red blinker)

*problem - the main starts blinking along with the red leds. It's kind of annoying after a while. This began ~25 min into the ride and continued after reset the light. May be a low battery thing.
*no regulation - spot got too dim...these were the included batteries so i'll give it one set to prove itself before it's returned.
B/c i'm cycling my light requirement doesn't decrease just b/c it's been a while. I really want one to stay at the brightness I set it at. I can carry back-up cells but i hate changing out a half live cell


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## Benson (Mar 27, 2009)

I bagged a couple of these when they were on woot, and they are definitely throwy for headlamps -- I had no clue I moved my head that much! 

But if you want a floodier beam out of this, have no fear; for $7.32 of parts from DX, and _no tools required_, you can mod up to five of these to be dandy little flooders. The DX parts:
sku.1918 $4.82 *23.0mm Optics/Light Diffusers (Glass/5-Pack)*
They are actually plastic, not glass , but they work fine. They come in plastic mounting pieces -- just snap it out and throw the clip away. You'll need one of them.
sku.3458 $2.50 *Glow-in-the-Dark Water-tight Silicone O-Ring Seal (24mm 20-Pack)*
Any 24mm o-ring will do, but GITD is a real benefit. If you have some _better_ GITD o-rings, that's even better, but I had a baggie of these. You only need one.

Modding is accomplished in 4 easy steps:
*Open the headlamp*
You can see a seam in the rubber housing -- the entire housing has a bayonet-lock joint there. Twist the front half counter-clockwise (the guts of the light will rotate with it), and lift out. The guts (PCB and reflector assembly) will probably come with it, connected to the back half only by the power cable, but there's no connection between the PCB/reflector assembly and the front housing; take it off and set it to the side.
*Drop in the lens*
The lens should fit in the reflector for the 1 watt LED, domed side in, flat (well, corrugated) side out, and should be just below the top edge of the reflector. Align the corrugations vertically for a horizontal fan-beam. (Or vertically, diagonally, whatever, if you want your beam different...)
*Position the o-ring*
The o-ring is used (under slight compression from assembly) to hold the lens from rattling, and more importantly, from rotating and leaving you with an off-kilter beam. It will obstruct light output slightly, so if maximum output is a concern, maybe use some glue instead, but IMHO, it's worth it to be able to disassemble it, and GITD is cool, too. Place the o-ring on top of the lens, carefully working it into position so it's just inside (but not sticking out over) the rim of the reflector. Do this while holding the PCB/reflector assembly level, preferably with steady hands.
*Put it back together*
Carefully line the front housing up and push it straight down onto the reflector assembly -- you _don't_ want to come down misaligned and kick your o-ring out of position. Once those are together, put the whole thing back into the rear housing, apply pressure, and twist it back closed. The o-ring should be under light compression, holding the lens in its precise orientation. You're done!

It should look something like this:





The beam you get will be about 30 degrees and almost perfectly uniform vertically, and about 90 degrees wide, brightest at the center and falling off markedly. Here's a couple beamshots at 36"; sorry for the bad quality, my camera is dead, and my cellphone is a pathetic substitute. You can't tell tint or brightness, but you should be able to see the size of the flood beam, as both pics are from the same point.

3 5mm white LEDs:




1W on high, through flood lens:
[url="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8J2Fiq_1eau4zrsxNEbzww?feat=embedwebsite]




[/url]
You can see there's a bit of a "ring" there, except it's straight, above and below the main beam. The spill outside the main flood beam is much wider than the stock reflector, but pretty uniform once you get past the artifacts visible there.

I didn't get a beamshot with both on at once, but it works well. The 5mm LEDs give it just a little more push, and their bluish cast helps correct the warm tint of the 1W (in mine, at least, and I'm no fan of warm tints) -- with the 1W on high, 1 or 2 of them brings it to neutral white in the beam center.

With all 3 5mm LEDs and the 1W on, the hotspot is about twice the area as a Fenix E01, and about 95% of the brightness, blending fairly smoothly into the 30x90 flood beam.

Oh, and one more benefit: the light no longer blinds someone if you look at them while talking to them. :twothumbs


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## Benson (Mar 28, 2009)

Second mod -- this one's a little more demanding of technical equipment and skills, but if you can do it, it's also easy.

Convert the 3s AA pack to 3p 14500 by soldering the lower contacts together, and soldering a jumper to short the contacts on the PCB in the lid. Load all cells + end up, disregarding spring orientation and labeling.

Of course, given the state of Li-ion in 14500, not much capacity is actually gained over LSD NiMH (2.25 vs 2.0 Ah), but it is slightly more, and less weight besides.

Besides, I like Li-ion better; walking around with a Lithibomb strapped to my head makes me feel brave. :rock:


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## JoeFresco (Mar 28, 2009)

Isn't the voltage of LiIon roughly 2.5x more than NiMH? So even though the amphours are similar, the overall energy discharge of LiIon 14500 vs AA NIMH would be 2.5-3x greater. Right?


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## Benson (Mar 28, 2009)

JoeFresco said:


> Isn't the voltage of LiIon roughly 2.5x more than NiMH? So even though the amphours are similar, the overall energy discharge of LiIon 14500 vs AA NIMH would be 2.5-3x greater. Right?



Well, the voltage of a Lithium-ion (LiCo, the "normal" chemistry) cell varies from 4.2V hot off the charger to 3.0V when empty, and the voltage of 3 NiMH in series ranges from 3*1.4V = 4.2V hot off the charger to 3*1.0V = 3.0V when empty, so a single LiCo cell is a good substitute for a 3-series NiMH. The trouble with a direct one-for-three swap is that a single AA NiMH is about 2Ah (for LSD), and a single 14500 LiCo is about 750mAh, so you have to add more cells in parallel to match that capacity. So 3 NiMH AA and 3 14500 Li-ion have almost the same energy capacity, and the 3s NiMH and 3p Li-ion arrangements actually have compatible voltage.

Another benefit of the 3p loose-cell battery, btw, is that I can drop a single cell or two cells in any slot(s) and run with it, if I don't have a set of 3 charged; I could even mix different ages, capacities, and brands with impunity, as long as they're all charged to the same level. Doing any of those with the 3s configuration exposes you to some risk of a reversed cell, if you don't monitor the discharge carefully.


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## Linger (Apr 4, 2009)

this light is really growing on me.

I wore it urban running last night and it was great, perfect for showing damp / muddy parts of the park to avoid. The overly-focused spot is great for finding gates in fences.

The white floods - lots of problems reported with the spill these put on users face. I didn't find that at all. I'm actually really impressed with the reflector above the leds, it's a primitive 'bi-focus' most of the flood points forward (where the main spot would hit) while the spill is dumped right in my lap. It makes the flood more efficient by keeping all the output on the ground. I had plenty of illumination for tasks like making tea or openning a package, while most of the output of the white floods is still ~10 feet in front of me. (I have the light up high enough that nothing comes through the back of the body into my eyes.)
The hotspot of the floods and the main light are perfectly centered.

The artifacts in the reds don't bother me at all while i was actually moving around teh house doing stuff. Haven't tried the reds for anything outdoors but inside with no other illumination they were excellent.

I bought this light to zip-tie it to my bike helmet but now i'm reluctant to give it up.


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