Head Torches

b.harte

[AHEM] LEDLENSER H14 :rolleyes:
ebay link
Quick check of feedback says it should be winging it's way from HK, listed as a UK seller?
At a guess it may not look like the pictures, possibly OEM from asia.
I'll leave you know,
:o
Paypal protection & Ebay resolution might be getting tested (again).
I don't have a good record with asia "deals"

LLU

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Any thought on the LED Lenser H7? Seems to get decent reviews. Seems to be a whole geek world out there when it comes to torches.

It's €55 in 53 Degrees North. Which seems to be around same price online.

Got one a few years ago. Not for running, more for general purpose working in the dark, camping etc, but personally I don't like it that much. Reasons:

• I'm not that convinced as to how water resistant it is (but could be wrong)
• the pivot point of the head is at the bottom which makes it bob a little.
• you can't focus the damn thing nor control the power level! wtf? All you have is full power in a concentrated beam. Ok for lighting up the distance ahead but no use for working up close. So dont use it to look at your watch or tie your laces in the dark!

neilc

LLU wrote: »

Got one a few years ago. Not for running, more for general purpose working in the dark, camping etc, but personally I don't like it that much. Reasons:

• I'm not that convinced as to how water resistant it is (but could be wrong)
• the pivot point of the head is at the bottom which makes it bob a little.
• you can't focus the damn thing nor control the power level! wtf? All you have is full power in a concentrated beam. Ok for lighting up the distance ahead but no use for working up close. So dont use it to look at your watch or tie your laces in the dark!

you must have an old model
I have his head torch and think its a great bit of kit. It has both dimming and narrow/wide beams.

LLU

neilc wrote: »

you must have an old model
I have his head torch and think its a great bit of kit. It has both dimming and narrow/wide beams.

Yeah that's possible alright. I came across it a few years ago buried under a heap of dusty bits and pieces in an old hardware shop in the back of beyond, no telling how it had been there for.

I'm a big fan of those Lenser torches besides and have a P7 and P3 which I use almost on a daily basis.

ThisRegard

b.harte wrote: »

[AHEM] LEDLENSER H14 :rolleyes:
ebay link
Quick check of feedback says it should be winging it's way from HK, listed as a UK seller?
At a guess it may not look like the pictures, possibly OEM from asia.
I'll leave you know,
:o
Paypal protection & Ebay resolution might be getting tested (again).
I don't have a good record with asia "deals"

I doubt it's the real thing. In fact if you go to the Led Lenser website or facebook page you'll get a big message about how big a problem counterfit torches are for them, particularly when bought on the internet.

nerraw1111

LLU wrote: »

Yeah that's possible alright. I came across it a few years ago buried under a heap of dusty bits and pieces in an old hardware shop in the back of beyond, no telling how it had been there for.

I'm a big fan of those Lenser torches besides and have a P7 and P3 which I use almost on a daily basis.

Sounds like you have an old model. I bought one and it has both dimming and focus options.

b.harte

ThisRegard wrote: »

I doubt it's the real thing. In fact if you go to the Led Lenser website or facebook page you'll get a big message about how big a problem counterfit torches are for them, particularly when bought on the internet.

Yeah spotted those after I pulled the trigger.
Thing is, after a bit more research it turns out that LEDLENSER have a massive factory in China, and so to do the makers of the LED chips they use.
So while plausible, if slightly risky, it may be OEM in non retail packaging.
It isn't uncommon for a HK distributor to sell to Europe, against the wishes of the headquarters. (I'm being deliberately optimistic)
I've sent an email to the seller asking for additional details on the status (genuine / OEM / Non-genuine).
I also told them that if the item came and wasn't as advertised I would be reporting them to ebay and the LEDLENSER HQ in Germany.
Not too bothered as of yet, got stung once before badly with paypal/ebay so am a bit better prepared this time.
Also the price isn't too heavily discounted form some other on-line resellers.
I also find that the real risky ones are the massively under priced items.
At least I'll be the Guinea pig.

b.harte

So,
I intercepted the postman this morning and he gave me a parcel, thankfully Mrs. b.harte didn't spot it.
First impression were okay, it came in a retail box, well packed with the internal plastic tray keeping everything tidy. see pics:

It even came with LEDLENSER Brand Batteries.

These are close ups of the lamp body:

It also had the extension lead and the multi clamp/bracket.
Build quality seems okay, there is a nice resistance/feel to the focus sleeve, and the rear of the lamp where the bulb is located is nicely machined.
Similarly the battery compartment seems well made, the contacts are tidy, the rubber cover snug and the multi-function button works, a bit sensitive for the "tap" function. The various lamp modes all cycle through as advertised on the LEDLENSER website.
There was also a brochure/flyer in the box for the smart-light technology and a multi language instruction sheet.
The elastic has the logo.
All fittings seem fine.
So at that level I'm not sure if it's real or a knock off, if it's the latter it is really well done.
I did a quick test with it and it is bright, the spot focus throws a good beam. I was able to see the wall of our neighbours house (approx 50mtrs) in good detail, I was able to make out the ditch at the end of the site (approx 100mtrs) but detail was a bit vague, might have been down to my eyes.:D

In the wide/flood focus the beam lit a massive area, it was a good flood of light, again no major complaints.
However at the widest setting there appeared to be a secondary "Halo" around the main flood, I have another hand torch with a cree lamp and similar adjustment and this doesn't have the halo.
It seems as if there is a little bleed from the reflector, but it does only happen at the widest setting, otherwise it isn't a problem.
I will put up a few night time pics, didn't get the chance tonight.
So, I'm not convinced it's real, but it is a good lamp none the less.
It will be next week before I get a chance to attempt a night run as I'm working nights this week.

Bertie

b.harte

UPDATE
Item was a fake, a very good physical copy none the less.
Went for a run last night, light was very good for the first hour but noticeable dimming as I was running, so not a regulated supply.
There was also some (minor) shadowing/flat spots on the beam so the reflector isn't the same quality.
It was however as bright as the genuine 3W cree hand torch that I have
I also got some info from LEDLENSER about specific details unique to their devices and the one I had didn't have them or they were wrong.
So I emailed the seller telling him I could prove it was a fake and was against ebay policy, would be reporting it etc, escalated to dispute and he made a full refund.....
I got to keep the knock-off.
Thing is, the fake one is adequate but not worth the price, I'm toying with the idea of buying the proper one as I would imagine it is vastly superior.

rom

b.harte wrote: »

UPDATE
Item was a fake, a very good physical copy none the less.
Went for a run last night, light was very good for the first hour but noticeable dimming as I was running, so not a regulated supply.
There was also some (minor) shadowing/flat spots on the beam so the reflector isn't the same quality.
It was however as bright as the genuine 3W cree hand torch that I have
I also got some info from LEDLENSER about specific details unique to their devices and the one I had didn't have them or they were wrong.
So I emailed the seller telling him I could prove it was a fake and was against ebay policy, would be reporting it etc, escalated to dispute and he made a full refund.....
I got to keep the knock-off.
Thing is, the fake one is adequate but not worth the price, I'm toying with the idea of buying the proper one as I would imagine it is vastly superior.

Thanks for the update. Please post where you get a real one from and where you get it.

b.harte

rom wrote: »

Please post where you get a real one from and where you get it.

I will.
I went for a 5km offroad run tonight, overgrown old forest roads, muddy and slippy, spilling rain and mist / fog.
Knock off lamp was up to the task again but as mentioned above I needed a second hand held torch to throw a bit of depth on the surface.
My splits were close to what I ran the last time in daylight and dry conditions.
Same problem with the dead-zone on the flood but manageable. I had the 2 dogs with me and they even stayed within the beam area.
I think Maplin sell them listed on the website but none in stock, might try Mahers or one of the other outdoor shops.
Would prefer to check it out before I buy so local is better.

Micilin Muc

Any advice on how to use headtorch in bad visibility?

I found myself in about 1 metre's visibility last night and the reflection of the light on the cloud was very bright. Maybe placing the headtorch at hip level (around my waist)?

Kurt Godel

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Any advice on how to use headtorch in bad visibility?

I found myself in about 1 metre's visibility last night and the reflection of the light on the cloud was very bright. Maybe placing the headtorch at hip level (around my waist)?

I've found switching to the blue light on my Cree Ultrafire headtorch (which are LED's) performs best in thick fog, it seems to increase the range of visibilty. Here's a decent article about it.

However, in foggy conditions, the size of the water vapor
particles is increased to the point where they are no longer
of similar size to the blue light wavelengths, and are now
of similar size to the yellow-orange-red wavelengths, and
will tend to scatter and extinguish light in these bands, but
will pass blue light.
2
This is why sunlight will sometimes
appear bluish or greenish through a fog. Given this, light
sources that primarily already emit light energy within the
blue wavelength of the visible spectrum will perform much
better in foggy conditions than other light sources. It should
also be noted that as with any relatively new technology,
there is also some conflicting research that shows that it is
the yellow and red LED lights that are more visible, and not
blue or green ones.

hot to trot

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Any advice on how to use headtorch in bad visibility?

I found myself in about 1 metre's visibility last night and the reflection of the light on the cloud was very bright. Maybe placing the headtorch at hip level (around my waist)?

I often aim it slightly to the side so you dont highlight the cloud in front. You still get illumination , and enough to see where you are going.

TFBubendorfer

Believe it or not, I find that in thick fog turning off the headlamp improves your vision. I wouldn't try that on a trail, obviously, but on the road you get a much better sense of your surrounding rather than just seeing the tiny cone illuminated by your headlamp.

Cabaal

Trying to extend my mid-week runs and sick to death of the 5km lite route I have available so I can easily extend it out to 12km+ safely once I have a headtorch.

Most of the road has a nice hardshoulder but want to be sure as hell I'm seen and also want to head out to much more rural roads and trails in time, upto now I've been running with reflective gear + red flashing armbands + cheap energizer headtorch which I guess is maybe 20-30lm.

I do have a hand torch which i got from Lidl which is 60lm and while great its not very handy due to its size, so with that in mind I'm aiming to get a 80lm head torch.

Looking at getting myself this www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00388OHVO overall it'll set me back 52e which isn't bad as last torch i saw was 22e and was 35lm.

I'm a little bit concerned about weight and the pain of having to carry a battery pack but is there any alternatives anyone can suggest that are in the 40-50e price range?

This seems nice and cheap and fact the battery pack is on the headband is alot more attractive in my view, but at 140lm I'm scared i may actually permanently blind a motorist :eek: :pac:

it appears to have a dimmer option so thinking this might be best all around torch....has anyone used one though?
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001JZIE3A/

nerraw1111

If it’s just for 12km runs, would you not be better going with the trail runner version rather than the plus? Similar specs except for the weight of the batteries which is located at the back of your head, and duration is lower.

http://silva.se/sites/default/files/Trailrunner_0.pdf?bcsi_scan_6BDE16B5925DEBDF=0&bcsi_scan_filename=Trailrunner_0.pdf

Lenser H7, which is the same price as the plus is in 53 degrees north for €55. I’ve only used mine twice but it’s impressive so far.

Specs appear better but I'm no expert
http://www.zweibrueder.com/ENG/produkte/html_highperformance/html_Hserie/h7.php?id=h7

hot to trot

+11 for LED Lenser. Fab output and handy for it to be variable. Comes in range of lumen outputs at varying prices.

Very happy with mine. SO much so that almost all my runs have been done at night with it rather than daytime

sconhome

Cabaal wrote: »

This seems nice and cheap and fact the battery pack is on the headband is alot more attractive in my view, but at 140lm I'm scared i may actually permanently blind a motorist :eek: :pac:

it appears to have a dimmer option so thinking this might be best all around torch....has anyone used one though?
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001JZIE3A/

I wouldnt worry about blinding a motorist as I find they rarely dip the lights leaving the runner dazzled. A quick glace in their general direction and they usually get the hint that you can't see because of their glare.

If your light is angled down, it won't dazzle a driver and you physically have to look at them to cause any issue.

Personally I prefer the waistband for carrying the batteries, the lamp is barely noticable on your head and you won't notice the waist band.

brandon_flowers

I haven't needed to use a head torch since I left Ireland but I used have a pretty expensive Petzl which had the batteries at the back of the head. I always found it better when running than having the batteries on your forehead which I had before that. Tiredness usually leads to dropping your head and I found I had to tighten the head band to an uncomfortable level to keep them from moving around. As TFB said turn it off in fog or if you cant have it in the lowest setting and pointing straight at the ground a metre or two in front of you.

CrazyTrailer

Hi all

I've been trail running for some time now but have been fortunate to be self-employed and able to run the trails at any time of the day I want. However, since the recession hit and my business nose-dived I've had to take up another position. Long story short I now have to run either early morning or late night (I know you're all playing your tiny violins right now :-)). As such I need to get a headlamp but have very little experience of these. I've been looking at the Silva headlamps (http://www.aboveandbeyond.co.uk/Head+Torches/Silva/list/f2-f4) but don't know whether this is considered the best brand or indeed which lamp I should go for out of the range. Preferably I would like to spend sub £100 but am I likely to get something suitable for running dark trails in this price bracket? Any help from experienced headlampers would be really appreciated (e.g. no of lumens I should be looking for etc.).

Cheers in advance

Cabaal

Went with the Lenser H7 from Amazon in the end, got it for around 42euro so pretty good price.
Will see how it goes.

dingdong1234567

I recently got the LED Lenser H7R and it is brilliant. I don't use it for running but do use it for Mountain Biking and DIY jobs etc. Very comfortable and light weight, the dim function is very handy as well.

All round thumbs up.

Cabaal

Got the LED Lenser in the post yesterday, seems all good so far but won't get to test it properly till either Saturday or Sunday due to work at the moment. But its seriously brighter then the energizer headtorch I have

CrazyTrailer

Quite a lot of votes for LED Lenser so may go for one of them pending Cabaal's review of his recent purchase.

Anyone with any experience of the Silva Headlamps?

BeepBeep67

I was out tonight with my Ultrafire it's a cracking torch for < €20, 1 year on I can't complain.

seanynova

Here is another budget option, hard to believe its only $3!!!

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8343600/Led/12-LED-Head-Light

LLU

seanynova wrote: »

Here is another budget option, hard to believe its only $3!
http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product/8343600/Led/12-LED-Head-Light

Well that would be because it's pure s**t. Gives out a crappy beam, has a flimsy hinge on the bottom of the housing to guarantee that it will wobble whenever you move a muscle, and break off shortly afterwards. That's if the internal electrics don't pack up first.

seanynova

LLU wrote: »

Well that would be because it's pure s**t. Gives out a crappy beam, has a flimsy hinge on the bottom of the housing to guarantee that it will wobble whenever you move a muscle, and break off shortly afterwards. That's if the internal electrics don't pack up first.

Haha, it's true....next time I'm at the shop I'll have a look at it...it's obviously marketed for guys working on cars etc and not for more active/mobile activities.
I'm all for getting a more suitable headlamp for athletic applications and I'd favour spending more on getting a more ergonomic/practical unit, but $3 might interest some people espicially if all they do it want to 'be seen' and not necessarily use it 'to see', for example: running in cities with street lighting - but an led light &/or reflectors still come in handy.

sconhome

CrazyTrailer wrote: »

Anyone with any experience of the Silva Headlamps?

Love them!!

Started out with a little Siju and went onto a Ninox. Siju perfect for city running as its a limited range of light but enough to highlight footpath obstacles.

I now have an X-Trail as most of my running is on black back roads around Galway. The lamp is also perfect for running in the woods as there is a good centre focus, without glare, and a decent spill light allowing awareness of the surroundings.