# River Rock 6v headlamp



## chadne (May 24, 2008)

Anyone else have one?
Claims 136 lumens
Orange peel reflector
2xcr123
claims 6 hour runtime.
Cree!

Bought one last night. Build is not as good as the ray-o-vac I got from costco, but the light is really bright with an intense center and good spill. I'll test it on a run Tuesday night.


----------



## Omega Man (May 24, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

I can't seem to find any info on it online. Can you take pics of it and the packaging?


----------



## JohnR66 (May 25, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



chadne said:


> Anyone else have one?
> Claims 136 lumens
> Orange peel reflector
> 2xcr123
> ...


 
I saw these. Price was $24.99 (or close) looked like the emitter was not centered in the two I saw on the rack. The Cree had 3 bond wires, so I believe it is a P series XR-E. It included two batteries. I passed as I'm not interested in buying or stocking CR123 lithium batteries.

I have the Rayovac headlamp with the little swinging diffuser. Would love to see this light with a high efficiency LED in it.


----------



## CeilingDweller (Jun 1, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*


River Rock 6V headlamp $24.99 includes 2 Duracell CR123 cells (Target).
Cree XR-E emitter. (Likely P series)
Claims 136 lumens.
Claims 6 hour runtime (useable).
Deep plastic semi-orange peel textured reflector.
Plastic culminating optic.
Very tactile reverse clicky on front.
Rotates downward only.
Very light weight.
*Not Water Proof*
I was very excited when I noticed this River Rock Cree head lamp! This is the first Cree XR-E LED I have seen in a B & M store. I snatched it up. This light seemed to be a pretty good buy for $24.99, especially since I’m in the market for another headlamp. This headlamp has obviously replaced the previous version which was a K2 (I had to do a price check because the tag still read “K2”). There was 2 Cree lights and 2 K2’s. One of them as the previous poster stated had a horribly off center LED. I got the light home and disassembled the lens and reflector, upon reassembly I discovered that it wasn’t the emitter that was off center, but rather it was likely just the reflector placed in there ****-eyed. It took a patient hand to get it back together perfectly centered.

I played with it in a very large living room with lots of windows in the middle of the afternoon, and I must say the hotspot was still HOT. The semi-textured reflector is plastic and deep. There is a semi orange peel texture covering half of the reflector near the emitter and smooth polished plastic on the leaving half. They have combined the deep reflector with a culminating plastic optic. The beam was very ringy. I’ll have to wait until it gets dark to report on the spill of this light. I expect it to be geared toward throw. I hope not because that’s what I dislike about my K2 River Rock. I don’t know yet if I can use my RCR123’s. I think the 136 lm. is believable. Ill add pics later, but I threw away the packaging already.


----------



## DaveG (Jun 4, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Is this thing in any other Target stores,I checked three and no luck in finding one.


----------



## ltiu (Jun 5, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Where in Houston is this located? I went to a Target store on Westheimer but saw none.



CeilingDweller said:


> River Rock 6V headlamp $24.99 includes 2 Duracell CR123 cells (Target).
> Cree XR-E emitter. (Likely P series)
> Claims 136 lumens.
> Claims 6 hour runtime (useable).
> ...


----------



## CeilingDweller (Jun 7, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

I bought mine at the Missouri City store on hwy 6 at fm1092. I left one on the shelf, and there were 2 K2 versions.


----------



## ltiu (Jun 8, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



CeilingDweller said:


> I bought mine at the Missouri City store on hwy 6 at fm1092. I left one on the shelf, and there were 2 K2 versions.



OK. I'll check it out, thanks.


----------



## ltiu (Jun 10, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

I found one at the Memorial Mall Target.

Cons:

1) Single light level (HIGH). Very bright. But no medium or low settings.
2) All the weight is in-front. No rear battery pack.
3) Side-spill is ringy.


Pro:

1) Very bright. Probably the brightest headlight out there bar that 350 lumen Petzl Ultra. Definitely the brightest headlight on a lumen per dollar basis.
2) MOP reflector means hotspot is free or artifacts and the beam is very smooth.
3) Cheap, at ~$25. Can't beat the price.


----------



## Hooked on Fenix (Jun 10, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

There was also an Energizer headlight with a Luxeon Rebel at Target too. It had the Rebel, two white 5mm l.e.d.s, and two red 5mm l.e.d.s for $20. Also, no brightness settings, but at least this one had dimmer l.e.d.s to act as a low. The River Rock headlight looks nice, but when I buy a headlight, it has to have a low level for decent runtime. What's the point of putting the most efficient l.e.d. in a headlight and running it on a high that is too bright for most tasks with no low level to take advantage of longer runtimes of the higher efficiency l.e.d.? I'll pass. At least we're starting to see upgraded l.e.d. headlights in brick and mortar stores. Next step, multiple brightness levels.


----------



## Yucca Patrol (Jun 10, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Too bad it can't use AA rechargeable batteries. . . . .. .


----------



## ltiu (Jun 10, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



Hooked on Fenix said:


> The River Rock headlight looks nice, but when I buy a headlight, it has to have a low level for decent runtime. What's the point of putting the most efficient l.e.d. in a headlight and running it on a high that is too bright for most tasks with no low level to take advantage of longer runtimes of the higher efficiency l.e.d.? I'll pass. At least we're starting to see upgraded l.e.d. headlights in brick and mortar stores. Next step, multiple brightness levels.


 
I got it as an Uber Spotlight for my caving helmet. I use the Zebralight H30 most of the time. Then when there is a need to illuminate a large cavern/room. I will fire up the 6v River Rock. My experience with the caves in NM is that you really need a lot of lumens to see the other side of the large rooms in those caves there.


----------



## ltiu (Jun 10, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



Yucca Patrol said:


> Too bad it can't use AA rechargeable batteries. . . . .. .


 
I wonder if it can use rechargeable RCR123s? I wouldn't try it on mine until I get confirmation lest I brun the LED.


----------



## chadne (Jun 10, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Wow, I actually found a light first. Escondido has really crummy selection of lights usually. At any rate, I agree with the ringy spill pattern. I noticed it the other night. For running, I might pull the old satin scotch tape trick to give me more flood. Battery life has been good after about 3-4 hours of running with it.


----------



## CeilingDweller (Jun 11, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

I still like it alot! Can't beat it for $24.99. I still haven't tried RCR123's. I'll try it tonight.


----------



## ltiu (Jun 22, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Field report!

Took the light into a cave.

Tuned it on in a big room. Went dark after 1 minute. Looked at it, the lens was cloudy. Light wouldn't turn on. The surefire batteries I used were both reading 3.15v and brand new!

Guess the light is dead. Bad Bad Bad light!!!


----------



## CeilingDweller (Jun 22, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Remember, there are always going to be a certain amount of failures in a lot. Anyone else get a defective light?


----------



## ltiu (Jun 23, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

One thing I notice is the light does not exactly have an o-ring/rubber gasket of some sort. So when I cleaned the light under running tap water, moisture immediately got in. I did this after the light burned out, after I got out of the cave.

I have to say, it's cousin, the RR K2 headlight works really well. I have 3 and I have used all 3 for about a year now with no failures.


----------



## CeilingDweller (Jun 23, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

I agree with itiu on the K2. I modded mine with 4 layers of copper to the back of the existing heat sink. I really like the runtime on this light, but it's heavy in the back (Thus one part of the extended runtime) and with the optic there's very little spill. I'll eventually mod this optic. 

Runtime aside I have to say I like the 6v Cree version much better than the K2. Perfect combo of throw and spill. Very lightwieght and packable. It's too bad you got water in it, you could have returned it to if not where you bought it at the very least the manufacturer. But for $25.00 bucks you're probably not that concerned about it.

Thank you for mentioning the water proofing issue itiu. I totally over looked that in my review. Eww! Shame on me! As first experianced and dually noted by itiu this light has virtually nothing by way of water proofing. Not an ideal choice if you might need to use this light in very wet conditions.


----------



## ltiu (Jun 23, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



CeilingDweller said:


> Thank you for mentioning the water proofing issue itiu. I totally over looked that in my review. Eww! Shame on me! As first experianced and dually noted by itiu this light has virtually nothing by way of water proofing. Not an ideal choice if you might need to use this light in very wet conditions.



Sad thing is, if you read the packaging, it says: 

"Weather Resistant O-ring Seals."

[email protected]#$%?!


----------



## ltiu (Jun 25, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



CeilingDweller said:


> I really like the runtime on this light, but it's heavy in the back (Thus one part of the extended runtime) and with the optic there's very little spill. I'll eventually mod this optic.


 
I use L91's on mine, makes a lot of difference with weight in the back.

When caving, I use a Zebralight Q30 for the spill and the K2 for the spot. Perfect combo.


----------



## ltiu (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

So I took it apart the failed light and found that the positive end solder is defective. The contact point is hanging loose.

I will go get myself a soldering iron and soldering accessories tomorrow and try soldering the contact point.

The light is still not water resistant so it is only good for indoor/dry use.


----------



## ltiu (Jun 28, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

I successfully soldered the contact point back abnd the light works again.

In taking it apart I really saw how the light is sooo NOT water resistant. None of the parts are sealed in any o-rings.

So the light will find it's use indoors.

I find that it runs happily with AA (a bit dimmer and a bit of jerry rigging involved).


----------



## clg0159 (Jun 29, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Any Beamshots?


----------



## ltiu (Jun 29, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



clg0159 said:


> Any Beamshots?



Sorry, too lazy to put on that free photo website.


----------



## mmeiser (Dec 10, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

I just bought one of the River Rock 6-volt headlamps from Target a few days ago. 

What's more I've made some relatively simple modifications to make take 4AA batteries and the longevity is... remarkable. 

My initial tests using four new AA Energizer batteries put the life conservatively 5-6 hours at full brightness. I continued to let it burn for 9 straight hours until it dimmed considerably. I then shot it off, waited a couple hours until it got dark and the attempted to ride with the same batteries in the headlamp in 15 degree weather until they were dead or at leased dimmed to much to see.

However... after an hour and a half ride I gave up trying to run the batteries out of juice. The light was still roughly as bright after over ten hours as my freshly charged River Rock K2, the 6-volt Cree headlamp's predecessor.

The only thing I can say of the longevity using 4 AA's is it is inexplicable. 

*5-6 hours at full brightness and 9-10 of useable light*

What I'd like to do now is confirm the initial specs and reviews of past commenters and then do a quick outline of my adaptations to make it accept 4 AA batteries. 

I'm still testing for longevity as we speak, but it's so long lasting it may end up being one of those.... "I try to change the batteries every week or so even though wether they need it or not".


I haven't posted pics to flickr yet, but I'll update here as soon as I do.

== Specs ==

"ceiling dweller" originally posted the following specs:

* River Rock 6V headlamp $24.99 includes 2 Duracell CR123 cells (Target).
* Cree XR-E emitter. (Likely P series)
* Claims 136 lumens.
* Claims 6 hour runtime (useable).
* Deep plastic semi-orange peel textured reflector.
* Plastic culminating optic.
* Very tactile reverse clicky on front.
* Rotates downward only.
* Very light weight.
* Not Water Proof


This is right on, but I'd like to add a couple points.

1) NOT WATER PROOF: Completely agree. I was very disappointed in the quality of the design as far as waterproofing goes. Underneath the two tabs on each side of the enclosure that hold the battery cap on you can see right through the case. 

This is a serious design flaw as any moisture whatsoever will ruin the light the first time out. 

Also, I have serious issue with the durability of these two tabs. 

That said in my conversion to an external four AA pack I believe I completely negated these two issues. More on this later.

2) single mode... the light is either on or off. There is no high, medium, low or blink mode. While I do use the low and medium mode on the previous generation K2 headlamp regularly because the new light lasts for so long (especially when converted to run on four AA) I see no point in more then one mode and actually prefer the simplicity.

3) beam pattern... The 6 volt LED has simultaneously a narrower and brighter central beam then the previous gen K2 headlamp and a much broader secondary beam. I'm personally not yet sure which beam pattern I prefer, but their beam patterns are completely different.

I think that's all I have to comment on the original specs.



== initial misgivings ==

I had actually been keeping an eye out at Target for the next generation of the River Rock K2 since it was about this time last year when I first discovered it. I must say the K2 was perhaps my best biking related purchase of 2008. I've used it for many multi-day cycling tours and hundreds of hours of night riding.

When I saw the new 6-volt River Rock design I was intrigued by the stated lumens and longevity but disappointed that it only took 3-volt CR123 batteries.

Anything I use MUST use AA's as I cannot stop to recharge proprietary batteries when on the road multiple days. I must be able to stop in the nearest gas station in an emergency and purchase new batteries. This is critical and non-negotiable. The cost and non-ubiquity of the CR123 in the marketplace was unacceptable. I simply do to much night riding, especially this time of year when my daily commute home is in the dark.

Simply put I need "no brainer", drop dead simple and dependable lighting. The previous gen K2 headlamp provided that in spades with it's ability to be thrown in the bag with a spare set of 3AA batteries.

That said, I did not end up purchasing the new 6-volt light that first day as I'm not the impulsive type but my love of the previous gen K2 light and the new lights stated lumens (136) and longevity (4-6 hours) began to eat at me until about a week later when I decided it was worth the time and effort to go back purchase it, convert it to use four AA, and see what kind of brightness and longevity I got.

I was NOT disappointed... nor was it in fact hard to convert.

In fact it was a complete success. So much so that I have little doubt it that it'll become an instant favorite replacing last years K2 in my daily routine and that it'll be just as durable, simple, waterproof and bomb proof.

What's more I'm already seriously plotting to sway some of my more discriminating biking buddies by giving them a version as a christmas gift after I fully test and perfect the design.


== conversion to AA ==

Though the conversion was quite simple wiring is hard to explain without visual aids. I'll try to keep it as short and straight forward as possible but please let me know if I need do a follow up, other then to post a few pics.

1) Immediately after buying the light from target I went directly to Radioshack and purchased a four AA battery case for a couple bucks. (A common Radioshack item).

I also purchased some "speaker wire" (essentially a single composite video cable with male and female RCA ends) and some plastic heat shrink wire wrap to cover up my splices and soldering.

2) Upon returning home I then removed the CR123 batteries, drilled a hole in the bottom right side of the main light body and proceeded to splice the wire into the light by making some place holder batteries out of some small chunks of industrial nylon with a few screws as contact points and some spare copper wire to make sure the right current got to the right points when the switch was thrown. Wooden dowel rod and duck tape should work just as good as nylon and screws for making place holder batteries.

The advantage of using place holder batteries to splice in the wires for the new AA battery pack is you don't have to solder or splice any wires to the original light itself or make any other physical alterations should you want to retro-convert it back to it's original CR123 batteries.


3) Since the battery pack was now external there would no longer be a need to open the main light body so I sealed it with a bead of silicon around the original battery cap and around the wire coming out the hole I drilled in the side. With the addition of a little silicon around the main lens cap it was now water tight, submersible even. 

I cleaned up any residual silicon on the outside of the case with a paper towel and it looked just like the original except for a simple black cable coming out the side... and the fact that it was now completely waterproof.

What's more other then the single hole in the side for a wire I'd made no permanent changes to the light and it could be easily be reverted to CR123 at a later date if necessary.


4) I left the cord coming out the lower right hand side of the light body about three feet long. This is more then enough to reach to my bike shirt pocket on my back, my coat pocket or my pants pocket where the wires are spliced, soldered and heat shrunk to the battery pack.


All in all the light is mounted on the head or helmet, the battery cable comes out the side where a couple clips hold it to the headband it then runs down my back to the battery pack in either a coat, bike shirt or pants pocket.

This setup allows the battery pack to stay warm and dry in both the foulest and coldest of weather ensuring maximum light output and duration.

Furthermore it's my intention to put the battery pack in an extra small Sea-to-Summit dry bag or ideally a heavy weight, clear plastic dry bag typically made for cell phones, wallets or other small valuables. This will not only make it water tight and provide some protection to the battery pack from dropping or a direct hit but will also allow space to coil any excess cable.

Furthermore I intend to suspend the small dry bag from a light strap around my neck to keep it warm and close to my body for winter riding and yet easily accessible.

I may possibly velcro it to the back of my helmet in the future, or even mount the light on my handlebar and velcro it to my handlebar stem should I run into any fog or or other weather conditions that require the light be mounted closer to the the ground.


== summary ==

Though it takes a lot of words to explain it the conversion of the light to AA was extremely simple and bomb proof and what's more the conversion simultaneously fixed or parlayed all the the 6-volt River Rock lights shortcomings including

1) the high cost and relative unavailability of CR123 batteries on the general market

2) completely waterproofed the light

3) by making the battery pack external there is no longer a worry of breaking the tabs holding the internal battery cover on

4) since battery and light longevity now ranges from long (5-6 hours) to the downright inexplicable (9-10 hours or more) based on my initial test there is no need for any more then one light mode... unless you want to read a map, in which case I recommend a LED hat clip. 

I hope this helps others.

I'm anxious to hear what kind of results others are getting with this model, particularly what kind of longevity and brightness they're getting out of it when converted to AA batteries because I can scarcely believe my own initial results and I know they're so spectacular I'd certainly question them if they were reported by another and uncorroborated.


One final note. I did my initial test with a sacrificial set of energizer batteries (though I hate throw away anything) because I know that's what most people use. However I'm now testing my light with my Targus brand 2700 mAh rechargeable batteries which I originally bought specifically for use with my digital camera. Based on my experience these are greatly superior to Energizer and I'm expecting even greater longevity. How much more? We shall see.

-Mike
mmeiser.com/blog
flickr.com/photos/mmeiser2/


----------



## huskyrunnr (Dec 10, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Taking their claimed 6 hrs. as true for 2CR123, and scaling up by battery capacity, I theoretically got 9 hrs for 4AA alkalines, 19.4 hrs. for 4 rechargeable AA's, and 30 hrs. for my 4C Alkaline external pack I made. If I did that correctly, that would keep me lit for nearly 4 nights out.

I also sealed up the case and hole with the red RTV silicone.

I worry most about the plastic tab that holds the position when you set the lamp angle.

Thanks for your report. Hope to see some pics.


----------



## mmeiser (Dec 10, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

@huskyrunnr. How do you calculate the theoretical battery times? Is it based on mAh? 

I like the idea of 4C batteries. That's crazy ride time. I'll keep that in mind if I ever find my AA's not cutting it.

Re: plastic needle / tab that provides click angle adjustability. It works for me, but yeah, I have the exact same concerns about longevity, but I'm confident I can repare or replace it with something better should it become an issue.

Re: RTV Silicon... exactly. I specifically used blue Permatex "sensor safe" RTV silicone gasket maker. I'm sure any silicon sealer would do. I would have prefered black, but only a trained eye would notice the blue sealer in the cracks. The finished product looks like it came off a store shelf.

Working on the pics. Would love to see some pics and hear some results should you build your own.


----------



## george9c1 (Dec 16, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

mmeiser,

Thanks for the detailed report of your work with this light. I have one on my Christmas list and am going to buy one if i don't get one for a gift. I love the idea of the 4AA battery pack option but want to use 123 cells most of the time for ease of use/carry. Do you see a way to add a jack so a remote pack can be plugged in? This would be ideal for me.


----------



## changcl (Dec 25, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Has anyone tried 2x 18650 configuration with this light yet? I tried both 4AA and 2 18650 and I love the result of 18650. It's a little bit lighter but definitely much more brighter than 4AA. I used RadioShack 4AA enclosed battery holder with a on/off switch and it worked OK. I then tried my Black & Decker VPX battery (2x 18650) and got much more light.

I don't know if the light can take 7 volts for a long time yet so please be careful when you play with it.


----------



## ltiu (Dec 25, 2008)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

I took away the head band and mounted the light on my bike. It makes an amazing bike light. I soldered wires to the battery contact points inside and alligator clips to the other end of the wire. So now I can hook it up to any 6v battery pack.

I agree, this light runs for a long time. Specially when coupled with a 4x C or 4x D battery pack I mount on my bike as the power source. It runs forever!!!


----------



## bugsy714 (Jan 12, 2009)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

Has anyone used rcr123's in this light regularly yet?

I use mine too much for primaries and a 4XAAA mod may be my only option if the rcr's are too much for the emitter


----------



## Beamhead (Apr 6, 2009)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



changcl said:


> I used RadioShack 4AA enclosed battery holder with a on/off switch and it worked OK.


 
I used the Radio Shack 4AA holder with switch and a cheap 12v phone charger cord.
Light $10
Battery holder $2
Cheap charger for the cable $2
Total $14 for a long running decent head lamp.


----------



## tnuckels (Apr 6, 2009)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*

For the asking price, on clearance at my local Target for $7.50, I found this too good to pass up as a source for parts and bought two to cannibalize, The emitter and batteries alone would be close to $20 if purchased separately, not considering the electronics and headband


----------



## DaveG (Apr 7, 2009)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



Beamhead said:


> I used the Radio Shack 4AA holder with switch and a cheap 12v phone charger cord.
> Light $10
> Battery holder $2
> Cheap charger for the cable $2
> Total $14 for a long running decent head lamp.


 
Looks good,have to try that.


----------



## jabe1 (Apr 9, 2009)

Has anyone confirmed which XRE series emitter this is?


----------



## Hondo (Apr 9, 2009)

All I know for sure is that the four bond wires on mine mean it is at least a Q2. Tintwise, I have a couple that are cool white, and a couple that are quite nicely warm, which I like, although the cooler whites appear brighter, which is to be expected.

I like that these will run well even on one Li-Ion, I am going to use a single 18650 at the rear of my bike helmet for 3+ hours of lightweight, rechargable runtime. Also thinking of sticking a DX driver board in series for lo-med-hi capability. Not sure yet if it will be OK to output through the stock buck driver, or if I need to bypass it straight to the multi-mode board, may have to solder it up to find out. No responses to that question on the Homemade & Modified forum yet.


----------



## Ikonomi (Apr 14, 2009)

These are on clearance at Target right now, 50% off. The combination of flashaholic and clearance shopper genes was too powerful and I had to pick one up.

So far I've only run it on the stock 2xCR123A, and it's about as bright as my Chinese Ultrafire WF-602D1 on RCR123. I'm very interested to read through this thread fully. Using 2xRCR123 in this headlamp would be amazing. The idea of using this as a bike light is GREAT. This is a great, flexible, multi-purpose light. For this price everyone should buy at least one. I'm going back to Target tomorrow to buy the remainder of their stock at $7.50. So far I've only found one Target with them at 50% off (and one Target that doesn't carry it at all), but I have a feeling the clearance shopper gene is going to win out again.

There are a couple significant flaws in the design of this light, as mentioned. It's most definitely not water resistant. The battery cover and the lens ring are obviously permeable, and the switch may be as well. The lens itself baffles me. It's a convex, plastic lens, and it completely ruins the beam quality from the large, textured reflector. The lens introduces many artifacts into the beam, most noticibly a bright ring at the margin of the beam. The beam is also unusably tight with the lens on -- I look for a wide beam in a headlamp, since I generally use them to see things at close to medium range. The lens, though it tightens the beam, doesn't seem to improve throw anyway, as the hotspot is basically the same size, but more unfocused. It's... well, useless. Without the lens, the light has a beautifully even beam with a tight hotspot and no artifacts.

I'll post some beam shots shortly (mainly as a personal exercise, since the main draw of a light in this range is not necessarily a flawless white wall showing).

I'm very much looking forward to what can be done with this headlamp.


----------



## s.c. (Apr 15, 2009)

I personally don't feel comfortable with such a cheap headlamp with two cells stuck on my head, but the lumens/dollar ratio is too good to return the light.

I unscrewed the lens and taped the reflector down. A translucent 35mm film canister fits over the portion where the lens screws onto quite nicely. It makes for an excellent lantern. I'll have to take pics later.


----------



## ccd rider (Apr 15, 2009)

Ikonomi said:


> The idea of using this as a bike light is GREAT.



That's what I use mine for.....exclusively. And it's AWESOME. It dominates my Cygolite Dual Cross on high....which cost 20 times what I paid for this headlamp. I use both....one for flood and one for spot. As far as long term durability, that remains to be seen.

I bought this as a replacement for another River Rock....the 85 lumen 3AA headlamp, which lasted for over two years and around 5,000 miles of commuting. And it's still functioning as a light perfectly....the only problem was the battery cover clip broke. I can strap it shut and it works fine. But after I saw this deal I couldn't pass it up. After trying out the first one, I did what you did and bought several for 7 dollars each. It's twice as bright as its predecessor, has a RIDICULOUS spot, just enough side spill, and is a much brighter white LED than the 3AA.

I live in a fairly arid climate in Colorado. It sometimes storms in the afternoon, but I have yet to ride where my headlamp gets wet....so I'm not worried about waterproofness. I can always just use my handlebar light which is waterproof if necessary. But this headlamp is perfect for a bike light. It projects a beam (not just reflecting, but actual illumination of road or objects) a couple hundred feet easy. 

Looking for anyone who has used this with RCR's to comment. :twothumbs


----------



## s.c. (Apr 15, 2009)

How are you guys mounting it to your bicycle?


----------



## Randy555 (Apr 16, 2009)

Just wondering if anyone could do me a favor of getting one of these headlamp for me. We don't have any Target stores here in Toronto.
Please let me know and I will send paypal.


Randy


----------



## ccd rider (Apr 16, 2009)

s.c. said:


> How are you guys mounting it to your bicycle?


 
I put it on my helmet.....it works best if you have one with a visor. You can also use those single velcro wraps to hold down the straps through the vents. These work better than those small plastic tie downs because you can remove them and reapply if you want to take the light off the helmet easily (esp. handy if it DOES start raining). The combination of a solid bike mounted light and the turret effect of a headlamp makes it an ideal situation. 

I read where one guy took the straps off his and mounted it on his bike, but did not elaborate. I would think there would be a way of using those same velcro straps through the slots where the original straps fasten. That way at least you could take them off and get to the battery compartment (if you had to cover up the lid to get it to stay on the bike).


----------



## ltiu (Apr 18, 2009)

s.c. said:


> How are you guys mounting it to your bicycle?



Zip strap, middle of handlbar. I soldered wires to its contact points and hooked it up to a 4C battery pack. Cheaper to operate than using 123. The 4C lasts quite a while (> 8 hours).


----------



## viroid (Jan 5, 2010)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



changcl said:


> I don't know if the light can take 7 volts for a long time yet so please be careful when you play with it.


 

Mine lasted about 30 minutes on a 7.2v 3300mAh pack before it blew.. It was bright as hell though! Kinda wish I hadn't fried it, I can't find it at Target anymore.

...v


----------



## Hondo (Jan 5, 2010)

*Re: river rock 6v headlamp at Target.*



viroid said:


> Mine lasted about 30 minutes on a 7.2v 3300mAh pack before it blew.. It was bright as hell though! Kinda wish I hadn't fried it, I can't find it at Target anymore.
> 
> ...v


 

That is why I am using 1x18650, or two parallel. If the LED blew, I don't think it is hard to replace. But if the circuit is what fried (probably), drop in your favorite user interface from the cheap DX ones, and just bypass the old one. You have plenty of room in the battery compartment to place the new board. I like the "16 mode" one, which is really 3 different UI's, the middle one being lo-mid-hi. It uses PWM on the low modes, but is fairly high frequency, and they are only a few bucks a pop.


----------



## bobli17 (Jan 22, 2010)

I finally got around to finishing a mod I had planned a year and a half ago.
I remember seeing this mod and thinking how awesome it would be to do it myself, but then other things came up; more interesting mods, life, girlfriend, etc. Well here it is.










I used pvc pipe to make a 18650 battery holder. 
And incase you noticed, I put in a external dimmer on the head strap.

Here is a photo of a lower setting.






I really like this mod. I find the headlamp more useful now that I can dim the brightness with just a turn of the dial.


----------



## Ty4752 (Jan 22, 2010)

bobli17,
Great mod, I used a switch and resister for dimming the brightness on mine, but you mod will have a much wide range of dim than mine. Also I mod my with 4 x AA.
Thanks for sharing.


----------



## mmeiser (Jan 29, 2010)

bobli17 said:


> I finally got around to finishing a mod I had planned a year and a half ago.
> I remember seeing this mod and thinking how awesome it would be to do it myself, but then other things came up; more interesting mods, life, girlfriend, etc. Well here it is.
> 
> 
> ...



That is awesome. Must be the only variable dimmer I've seen on a headlamp. Wish I was competent enough with electronics to attempt this but I'll stick with my external battery pack until a new version comes out.

THe only two things I can think of that this thing might need are a dimmer and perhaps a defuser so I could use it for camp tasks.

Speaking of which has anyone seen anything considerably better? Besides the Fennix HP10 (which includes many brightness mods and a diffuser) I've not seen anything considerably brighter or longer lasting.

As it is I just cary one of those little Atom headlamps... well, technically a knockoff. Those things rule for camp tasks, simplicty, longevity.


----------



## mmeiser (Jan 29, 2010)

Just a quick follow up.

I've now been using this thing for over two years (since december 2008)!

This is it's second winter.

During the winter it pretty much stays permanently attached to my helmet.

It also stays permanently attached when touring.

I use velcro instead of the headband as I love the solid helmet mounting it gives. Plus I find that if I mount it further up on my helmet I get less halo as it shines off things like mist, rain, fog and snow in front of my eyes.

During the summer I use it with a 4AA battery pack mounted on my helmet.

My modular plug system that uses male / female RCA cables has never failed and works flawelessly.

During the winter I use a longer RCA cable and run it down my back and keep the battery pack in my pocket so the cold has no effect on the batteries. This is brilliant HIGHLY recommend it. In fact I'm going to miss it when I eventually upgrade to some newer brighter more efficient headlamp.

I run it mostly on AA rechargeables for recreational riding and commuting and lithium ultimate hand me downs from my digital camera when touring.

This winter I went out on a week long tour with day temps in the 20's and around zero at night. On a lark I took a 6-volt battery I picked up for $2.50. LOL! So awesome. Despite hours and hours of night use I never put a dent in it. I laugh that I think of a 6-volt as bulky when this is the size most bike industry light batteries are. I will almost certainly be doing this again for winter touring. And soon.

The run time must be 40-50 hours with a 6-volt. Just hillarious.

Weatherproof.

When I converted this thing to run on AA's I sealed it with blue silicone RTV sealer.

I've ridden with this thing in crazy bad weather. Once got up at 4am to ride for hours into a 55 mile an hour cross wind in freezing rain at 32 degree temps until it slowly turned to heavy snowfall. By the time I was done riding for the day I'd covered 100 miles in freezing rain and six inches of snow on the ground and the temperature was -5 with windchill. I heart snow riging!

I even leave it outside on my bike in the rain and snow on tour.

Other then having once broken my rookie soldering job on the inside and having to resolder it and then reseal it I've never had a single problem with it.

I've even made several of these for friends and family (back when you could still buy them).

I laugh that I paid $25 for mine and then as little as $6 for those I made for friends.

== looking for the next best thing ==

That said I'm always looking for the next best thing.

While I've seen a few cheap ones at Lowes and Cabelas that claim an unverified 150 lumen and longer run times I still have yet to see anything remarkably better.

The HP10 is the only thing I've seen out there that *might* be worth upgrading to.

It also runs on 4AA and has a Cree bulb but it claims 7.5 Hrs at 120 lumen and 2.5 hrs at 225 lumen. It also has many other options including one as low as 7 lumen and you can get a diffuser for it. Hence it could be used for camp purposes as well.

Have heard great things about this on the forums here. Am in no hurry though am just waiting and watching and enjoying what I've got.

If you see anything newer / better please respond!

Oh! One other development

== NiZn rechargeables ==

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NiZn

The latest / greatest in rechargeable AA's... I won't bore you with my thoughts I imagine there are many many threads on this forum on the subject.

Supposed to run at higher voltage longer. I'm still wondering how they would work with these LED headlamps (and more importantly my digital camera). Haven't tried them yet though.


----------



## Pathlight (Feb 12, 2010)

bobli17 said:


> I finally got around to finishing a mod I had planned a year and a half ago.
> I remember seeing this mod and thinking how awesome it would be to do it myself, but then other things came up; more interesting mods, life, girlfriend, etc. Well here it is.
> 
> 
> ...



Hi Bobli17, Really like your mod. Is the green wheel what you turn to adjust the trimmer?
If so I've never seen one with a large wheel like that and if so can you tell what kind it is
and where to find one? Asume you spliced it into cable wire or a contact inside the body.

Do you, or anyone who reads this, know of a different reflector or something else to make the output a little more flood? It's not too bad, just a little narrow for my taste. It sure is
bright. I tried one cr123 in it and it was still bright. Tried one rcr123 and it seemed pretty much as bright as with two cr123's. 

Thanks, Gordon


----------



## bobli17 (Feb 14, 2010)

Gordon,

Sorry for the late reply. The green wheel is for the dimmer. I got it from a Koss headset that was broken. It was used to control volume. I don't know where else to find a real one. I did splice it into the cable so it only controls the voltage into the light. It's a very cheap mod using broken items from around the house. Even the cord came from the headset. I only bought the headlamp for $7 and I have better headlamps so I figured why spend more than I have to.

As for more flood, I don't know of a different reflector but I've tried scotch tape. You don't have to cover the entire lens. Cut out a small circle and put it in the middle or cut a ring and place it on the outside area of the lens. See what you like best. You can also put the tape on the inside of the lens so it last longer.

I do notice a difference in output from 6v and 4.2v. But using the 18650 is just more economical and last longer.


----------



## mmeiser (Feb 15, 2010)

@bobli17:
In case I didn't say it already very nice work. Most impressive.

You mentioned you had other headlamps. I'm curious which models and how this stacks up to them.


----------



## bobli17 (Feb 15, 2010)

Thanks mmeiser, I feel funny cuz there are other people here with way more awesome mods.

My other headlamps...

Brinkman 3aaa with ssc p4 (my 2nd emitter swap project) (retired)
Rayovac 1AA
PT Apex 130lm
Atom
(I don't have too many nor very expensive ones.)

How does the RR stack up? I don't know how to answer that. My headlamps are used mostly for hunting. So each serves a different purpose and no, I don't carry all of these headlamps with me in the field. In terms of brightness, durability, dependability, well the RR is brighter than all of them, but that's about all. 

What I use the most is the Rayovac with the Atom clipped onto the headband. 

But here is my next headlamp project. I plan on using this headlamp with a similar 18650 battery holder and a warm mc-e.


----------



## mmeiser (Apr 11, 2010)

bobli17 said:


> How does the RR stack up? I don't know how to answer that. My headlamps are used mostly for hunting. So each serves a different purpose and no, I don't carry all of these headlamps with me in the field. In terms of brightness, durability, dependability, well the RR is brighter than all of them, but that's about all.
> 
> What I use the most is the Rayovac with the Atom clipped onto the headband.
> 
> But here is my next headlamp project. I plan on using this headlamp with a similar 18650 battery holder and a warm mc-e.



FYI, still using my modified river rock. Still the best thing out there for cold weather I've seen since I can store the battery pack anywhere.

Have worn out a few cables but no real signs of wear and despite tons of rain use no water damage. SHould go for years.

That said I just finally got around to ordering a Fenix HP10 headlamp. It's got the nod on versatility, modes, efficiency and brightness.

It's 7.5 hours at 120 lumens and 2.5 hours at 225 lumens on 4AA as opposed to the 4-6 at 134 lumens my single mode river rock has.

What's more it has all sorts of low brightness modes and a diffuser if necissary which may be great in camp allowing me to not carry my generic Atom knockoff.

Re Atom headlamps: awesome camp light. A no brainer. Really simple, long lasting, low maintence. Batteries die so slowly you don't even need to worry about spares.

I bought a set of generic knock-offs at lowes or home depot for something like $5/pair. There so simple I doubt there's any real differences in brightness or efficiency.

Plus I like that they're cheap enough to not worry about if you loose them.


----------

