LED Lenser Headlamp

[Dockhead]

I don't know how we lived without head torches. And why did it take so long to invent them? I have had a number of them, wore them out, and recently dropped the last good one in the bilge.

So in Falmouth I saw an LED Lenser H7 head torch for an obscene amount of money -- and decided to try it. As I unboxed it onboard, I told my crew -- same Chinese carp, just better marketing.

Now after a couple of days of using it, I take all my words back! This is an amazing piece of kit. It is like carrying your own daylight with you. The quality of the light is just amazing. I have never experienced my engine compartment like this -- as if in broad daylight. I see things now I never noticed. The key I guess is the optics - a very good focusable lens. What seemed like a lot of money now seems like a bargain . . . I don't know where they get their diodes, but the light is beautiful -- wish they would sell G4 units with these . . .

[noelex 77]

Headtorches are great. I nearly always have one on working inside the boat.
After trying lots. I now use this one.
It's designed for caving where they need an ultareliable very bright bombproof light source. The only problem is the headband is not great as its designed primarily to mount on a helmet. So I made my own out of some scrap bits of aluminium.

OnRope1: StenLight Complete System

[MarkSF]

Well, miners have been using them for a century. But when bright LEDs came along, they got a lot more practical (no longer need a huge battery pack around your waist)

[britishcruiser]

I have just come across this forum and was wondering if you guys use red light too, for preserving night vision. I have always used head torches but recently I saw someone, in a magazine, using a mini torch you could put in your mouth, kind of like a bite torch. I have to say it look very handy. It can just hang around your neck when not using it unlike the head torch which I feel can get in the way if using a hat / cap. Then I always seem to put it down somewhere. It would be interesting to know what you guys thought on this as I am thinking about buying one. After further research I noticed they had been used in the recent Volvo ocean race. The main one I could find was the Exposure Marine XS and XS-R, red or white. I only ever use red light now, unless I really need colour definition from the white so this is very handy and compact.

[Ian R]

The lenser light is very good but the switch and elastic band failed on mine. Also crocodile eyes show as silver instead of the usual red.

[Trekka]

I love these cheap Ray-O-Vac headlamps which cost no more than $15. I like that in addition to red and white LEDs there is a krypton bulb for those rare but special moments when you need that quality of light (such as trying to read small engraved numbers).



But the best part is that this lamp has a rotary switch rather than button press. Every button lamp I have used requires you to cycle through all options in one direction. So if you are using red at night you have to go through whatever else is in sequence before getting back to OFF. This lamp allows you to switch from OFF to Red and back to OFF again without going through anything else. You can go from Red to White in one click, and then one click back to red again. Go direct from OFF to white in an instant by rotating two clicks, and back again. Much more friendly than sequential button presses.

Does not claim waterproofing, but I have used them in in the rain with only the elastic band suffering.

And did I mention how cheap it is? I find them at KMarts, and sometimes see them at Lowes.