# Just got my Browning 135 lumen Nitro



## degarb (Apr 26, 2008)

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/lites/detail.asp?value=003H&cat_id=371&type_id=8610


Just got it last night. Wow! This is not only NOT your father's headlamp, but also not even your 1 year older big brother's headlamp! As the owner of some modded Souel's, rebel 80, lux 3 and lux 1 lamps, I declare this to be only the third light to get me excited (42 lumen lux I workhorse lights-garrity and brinkman with modded power to AA, then Cree 80 lumen Energizer Hardcase with awesome optic, now this one.)

Features: Metal ring around optic designed to allow heat sink, excellent optic (square but very bright hot spot.). No click through settings, rather one on/off and switch on side for "off, blue, red, 80 lumen (I guess) at claimed .3 watt, and 135 lumen at 1 watt"

Hot spot about twice surface area of my lux 1's, but much brighter even on low setting. In fact on low setting, it is about equal to the 1.5 watt 80 lumen energizer Cree with very tight (much smaller optic than the nitro). However, being a rebel, it has very good color rendering, with temperature on the red side. Rendering greens, the Browning phantom 70 is better. Reds, this Nitro 135. So, for painting, I hot gluee a 2x2 inch velcro square on band an inch from light head and will Velcro the Phantom 70 (modded with 2 parallel AA's in rear of band) and combine the lights for better rendering and battery-life.

It uses one cr123. I bought a RadioShack charger and two 450 mh 3 volt rechargeables back in December. Now, I must find a safer non Chinese 123 system with at least double the capacity, so I am not poping in batteries every 4 hours. I could modify this to 3 AA (One front and two cells in rear of light, mounted to velcro removable center strap). But I might prefer to just buy a 1000 mAH safe cr 123. (hints anyone? I haven't had time to read forums much since Feb.)


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## degarb (Apr 26, 2008)

I will add, that I test brightness with white sheet of paper over lens, comparing lights. And I might compare brightness at 8 foot from wall or ceiling--but this only tells you lux and size of hotspot. So, “brightness” that is not with lux meter or lumen meter, but at least some objectivity. 

I will also add: there is no diffuser-this light is for brightness; two blue/two reds; the screw-on cap for battery is easier to get on/off than the phantom 70; good hinge/ apparent o rings. The Nitro doesn’t have much of a corona, I think they wrap that back into the hot spot. Corona is square, while the hot spot is pretty uniform, except a subtle hint of some dead spot typical of this smaller optic design. The form factor is compact, not tight jean pocket like the Phantom 70, but more a loose pocket carryability.

More Power modification talk...
I just did a one minute test for AA modification. I alligator clipped a 2 inch nail into positive batter terminal, and clipped onto negative. I did a 3 AA and 4 AA one-minute test. Lighted up and didn't melt down. The 4 AA was brighter, more like the cr 123. With 4 AA's, not only safer, faster charge with 15 minute charger, and cheaper, but I could run the light at full 135 lumens (according to browning) for over 9 hours, possibly 12. I would guess by heat of ring, that the heat sink would be up to it.

So am am guessing I could make a removable (or not) center strap with 2 AA near front and 2 AA near rear. Hot glue a stiff right angle into positive and solder to negative. Ideally, I might get courage to break open to get a better positive and negative tap, so I could keep it cr123 or 4 AA. But right now I like the light too much to risk opening it up. (the right angle/touch of hot glue and two power alligator clips, is more reversible. that is if 5 volts wouldn't fry the light.)

So, will be monitoring thread, for other's opinion if I should mod this light or not, and why. Anyone else with this light?


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## Illum (Apr 26, 2008)

your link doesn't work
I'm assuming its one of these two models?
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/family.asp?webflag_=030H&catalog_=H


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## degarb (Apr 26, 2008)

Illum_the_nation said:


> your link doesn't work
> I'm assuming its one of these two models?
> http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/family.asp?webflag_=030H&catalog_=H



Correct. Note that Browning has a known error in this 3 led v. 4 led but fail to fix. both are 4 led. I think the only difference is appearance/color of light.

The light instructions are written by someone with English as an obvious second language. So skeptically, I am still testing battery life to see that the light might only draw 1 watt at 135 lumens and 80 lumen (per comparison to other 80 lumen light) at .3 watt.

I don't know why these makers don't make a plug for optional external pack. I would love to run this with 3 or 4 AA on an optional center strap=135 lumen for over 9 hours. This is stinkin' bright for a nonguzzling hid, since its optic too is built for bright, not flood.


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## Tuna (Apr 26, 2008)

Browning also has a Rebel 1 AA version (Phantom 70) with a supposed 70 lumens. Little different look than the Nitro. 


http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/lights/detail.asp?value=024H&cat_id=371&type_id=8343


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## degarb (Apr 26, 2008)

Tuna said:


> Browning also has a Rebel 1 AA version (Phantom 70) with a supposed 70 lumens. Little different look than the Nitro.
> 
> 
> http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/lights/detail.asp?value=024H&cat_id=371&type_id=8343



Yeah, if you look in past thread of this forum, I "review" it in my lazy (No beam shot) but thoroughly (as far as my knowledge allows). It is also the phantom that I refer to in this thread.

The phantom is a better reading light (the nitro is too bright) and slightly brighter than a good lux 1. I do often wonder if it isn't only 65 to 55 lumens. The phantom also has better pocketableness, as it is a little smaller.

But as far as efficiency and brightness, after turning on the Nitro, I find myself wondering if any of my other lights are running on alive cells.


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## Tuna (Apr 26, 2008)

degarb said:


> Yeah, if you look in past thread of this forum, I "review" it in my lazy (No beam shot) but thoroughly (as far as my knowledge allows). It is also the phantom that I refer to in this thread.
> 
> The phantom is a better reading light (the nitro is too bright) and slightly brighter than a good lux 1. I do often wonder if it isn't only 65 to 55 lumens. The phantom also has better pocketableness, as it is a little smaller.
> 
> But as far as efficiency and brightness, after turning on the Nitro, I find myself wondering if any of my other lights are running on alive cells.


 
How is the main beam on the Nitro? All throw or some spill? How are the runtimes on theses lights?


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## degarb (Apr 26, 2008)

I believe I described the beam above: Hot spot is %60 to 100% larger than size of typical lux1 or Phantom (figuring, via a guesstimate, surface area not diameter), but brighter, mostly uniform with slight hint of dark spots but not as bad as phantom 70 (due to compact optic design), good color rendering. While the almost hotspot-bright corona (the thing that give you some periphery) is square and does not extend much beyond hotspot, since they obviously wrap into main beam for maximum brightness (also stated on package). If find this best, since a human eye needs plenty of light for detail--the best flashlights aren't rated yet at a Lux of 30,000 of a cloudy day at one meter ), but more like 11,000--, and I bet you too make eye jumps across the line to read this paragraph. (Out door daylight is just insanely bright, by artificial standards.)

It will take a few days to see run time, since I am now sporadically using the light for work and only have two 450 mAH cells at 3-volt nominal. I don't want to bad mouth if I don't know: but, I do suspect from reading this forum, that this is really a 1.4 watt at 135 lumen and .42 watt on low. So I expect, once my 880 mAH arrive, to only see 2.5 hour on high and 7.5 hours on low with one RCR 123; probably half that with the crappy radio shack 123's. If I modified the light to 3 AA's, I would expect at least 7 hours on high with 2650's--3 times that on low.

Also, this light does that instant out on death of battery. However, the red or blues do not work at this point (like the phantom 70). 

My test last night on a blue wall, within an hour of cell death, did have the light shining dimmer. The bluish Lux 1 with the large uncompromised optic, did illuminate skips a tad better than this light. This means Lux1's (or at least this bin and lottery) does blues better, and the light regulation isn't likely totally flat. Someone with a lux meter and spare time will need to graph the lux drop v. time. This also may indicate that even at end of battery life, the light-on low- can at least hold it's own against a fully charged Lux 1 with 3 AA format.


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## degarb (Apr 28, 2008)

I did a meter test this morning to see current draw.

On the Rcr 123 LiON measuring 3.52 volt
2 Blues = 46 to 47 (reversing polarity showed the higher number) 
Reds = 87 to 90
Low beam = 136 to 142
High = 400

Unfortunately, the meter in the 400 range only showed .4 amp, and seems indifferent of smaller numbers than rounding to the tenth of amp. This, according to package, 136 x 3, which is what meter read.

So, on a 880 high capacity lion 123, we should see a tad below 6.28 hours on low and 2.2 hours on high. 

I will need to break out my instustruial velcro, a 2 AA holder + 1 AA holder for near front of strap, hotglue, a 2.5 inch nail, and trusty soldering iron. Then, I might see run times more in line with a full work day on high. I might go 4 AA and a current limiting pot.


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## degarb (Apr 28, 2008)

So if my math is right, 1.4 watt high and .49 watt on low.

And the low is brighter than the 70 lumen Phantom 70 at 1 watt.

But once again, battery format is inadequate for someone to use all day or night for work.

How much would it be to invest in a protected 18650 single cell. Do they have a holder for this size yet?

Am I wrong to think that 4 things make this safe 1. single cell (no reverse charging) 2. protection (a bad switch can't cause an explosion) 3. Rechargeables are safer than primaries. 4. At right angle from head, exposion force would not go directly into skull.

Still I would shield the head with a tin can thick aluminum behind any Lion holder.


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## degarb (Apr 29, 2008)

Looking at the current numbers, I pondered. I would never be happy with 6-7 hour range on low and 2-3 on high. 

So, I opened batter compartment, and dropped a 2.25 inch screw to touch the positive terminal where it set in the divit nicely. Then, hotglued to oposite side facing negative; soldered into negative and alligator clip to screw. I first tried the 4 AA pack + variable pack, but I see some termal protection and the voltage didn't play to my advantage with built in controller. But a 3 cell + 25 ohm 3 watt variable rheostat does work very well. So, heading to Radio shack to get a 2 AA and 1 AA and one more pot; putting the 1 AA in front of velcro center strap (I made) and the 2 AA pack in series on rear of center strap.

18 hours on low, which on new batteries, beats lux of most lights isn't bad.

Correction and admendments: reason first 30 to 60 second test where 3 cell was low, probably was due to the inline resistor in cell pack. Also, the beam has "max view" square beam for max brightness, as stated on package; this means the square corona is nearly as bright as center, meaning usefull light in something like double radius of normal lux 1 hotspot. Also, the current number of my test of high beam, as stated, really means nothing since I don't trust my meter at all over 200 mA.


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## degarb (May 4, 2008)

Okay, here is the high comparison to the Phantom 70 (new batteries) versus Nitro (old batteries after 9 hours running continuous 3 AA)http://www.wikifortio.com/931348/Nitro-HiComp1.jpg

Low comparison same post 9 hour runtime test, Nitro on right: http://www.wikifortio.com/929456/Nitro-LowComp.jpg

Here is the picture of the star and rebel led: http://www.wikifortio.com/928105/Nitro-RebelStar.jpg


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## degarb (May 4, 2008)

Now, the battery mods:

How I tapped the positive and negative: http://www.wikifortio.com/926945/NitroElec-Tap.jpg

How I made my center strap: http://www.wikifortio.com/925716/NitroCenterStrap.jpg


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## degarb (May 4, 2008)

Battery holder (4 AA with 1 dummie cell. Yet to convert to 1 cell front and two rear) , note thin elastic hotglued on side to keep cover in place, and 25 ohm 3 watt variable pot on top.: http://www.wikifortio.com/923415/Nitro4AAholder.jpg

To connect two long wires for power, I twist together, solder, twist again, and reinforce with hotglue. I then get prompt medical attention for any burns that occur, if too excited to get some rubber glove before the operation.


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## degarb (May 4, 2008)

Front screws off easy, so is easy to take out lens and convert to reading light. Just don't loose lens.


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## Cydonia (May 4, 2008)

Interesting...checking it out now. You sure sound excited from all your posts!


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## degarb (May 6, 2008)

As far as runtime tests go... With my AA mod, (I may have damaged the controller by pumping it with 4 cells for an hour of test, or not) with the resistor in wide open mode, it draws considerably more current than I measured with the cr123. But if I pinch it down, even a hair, the efficiency seems to double.

With a little pinch down on the resistor, I seem to get about 13 hours to %50 brightness on low setting. (2650's) At 12 hour mark on low, the Nitro still held its own against a fresh Phantom 70 (single mode of brightness). If I dial the resistor all the way down, the current draw is only 41 ma. That would give 50 hours with 3 AA and the brightness is still dozens of times brighter than any 5 mm. 

The only beef with light is the slight artifact typical of this type of compact lens. Yes, if I have slippery hands the brightness switch is hard to operate. The pack mod takes 40 minutes to 1.5 hours and $7 plus misc glue, elastic and velcro--which beats a extra $60.


So not only do I have a bright light, but with an exteral mod like this, I have a super efficient light, as this rebel is very bright, relative to my other lights, at low current draws too.


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## jzmtl (May 27, 2008)

I finally checked one out in store, it's pretty nice. There's a selector ring on side to choose hi-lo-blue-red-lockout, then a push on/off button on top, very nice design compare to those need to click through modes. I didn't buy one however, because the beam is square and kinda too funky for me.


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## degarb (May 28, 2008)

jzmtl said:


> I finally checked one out in store, it's pretty nice. There's a selector ring on side to choose hi-lo-blue-red-lockout, then a push on/off button on top, very nice design compare to those need to click through modes. I didn't buy one however, because the beam is square and kinda too funky for me.



What store? Cost?

This optic has pluses (larger hot area, small compact head) and minuses (funky, with some dead areas, and square, little periferial, which I get back with wrist light and fixed blazing halogen lighting). I actually prefer the square design, since most corona now rivals hotspot in brightness. However, I think that the magnifying lense technique they use to focus may contribute to less lumens making it out of head, as compared to a good reflector. I really would like to see a high end cutting edge rebel put into a headlamp with a good traditional 6 degree optic. 

These 8 degree optics, you loose half the brightness, and must use twice the juice to get the lux back up. 

I've been toying with idea of building a 8 cell 123 pack (4 cells in front and 4 in rear about 5000 MaH) then running one of these head lamps at 500 to 600 mA for a good long workday, rather than trying to run at 240 MaH for ten hours to run a 3 AA dead in a work day. You are forced to do this because the optics seem to get larger with each increase of efficiency. It is only the lux of a cloudy day I aspire to.


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## jzmtl (May 28, 2008)

It's a local outdoor shop called le baron, cost is $42.

I compared it with SF L1 I had on me, and it has even less spill than L1. L1's minimal spill is about as low as I'd like so that's a no go for me. I'll wait see, right now I don't really need a headlight, but when I do maybe I'll pick it up, since of all headlights I've seen this has the best price/performance combo.

It seems to me upgrade should be pretty easy, just four small phillip screw on the back and the thing should come apart.

I don't recall any water proofness indication on the package thou, and the rotary selector seems to be weak point. Maybe it's only splash proof and shouldn't be used in rain?


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