Head light - Replacement

[alant]

A 'Blacks' headlight (white front+ red rear light), which I got as a present, has gone belly up - battery holder catch broke.

As well as obvious boaty uses, also good for those finicky home jobs (handsfree light) + OK for bicycle riding at night.

Anyone recommend a good robust replacement.

 

[WindermereColvic]

The best bike lights i've had had been 'cateye'
http://www.cateye.com/en/product_listing/56
But for a useful allround light, one that i have used on boost mode to bearth the boat at night, and as a suplimentary bike light, you'd be hard pressed to beat my petzle head torch. This is mine
http://www.petzl-head-torches.co.uk/petzl_tikka_xp_head_torch.htm
Good luck in your search!

 

[DogWatch]

A 'Blacks' headlight (white front+ red rear light), which I got as a present, has gone belly up - battery holder catch broke.

As well as obvious boaty uses, also good for those finicky home jobs (handsfree light) + OK for bicycle riding at night.

Anyone recommend a good robust replacement.

For the last couple of years I have been using an ever-ready headlamp, 4 modes, bright directional, spread, spread and directional together and red (handy in the dinghy at night). It came as a set, with 2 hand torches from Costco. It is small and light and I hardly notice wearing it quite quickly.

I recommend this one. Clicky image. Though the price at the site I found quickly is a bit keen, I paid only a little over that for the 3 torch set. In fact it may have been four, I think my LED keyring was also in there. I am going to COSTCO next week, I will price them up for you if that helps.

 

[charles_reed]

The only problem with all the head-mounted torches is that the elastic straps fail after about 12-18 months, whether in use or stowed on the boat.

Any of the LED versions (of which there dozens) are suitable.
The Energizer one I have has problems with the switch, the best I've found was a big blue Draper one I bought for £1.99 in a remnants store.
Cateye are good but pricey - I use them for the bike headlamp - but haven't found an head-mounted torch.
Most LED head-torches, don't throw a powerful enough beam for observing tell-tales during night sails, the Draper is the only one I've found to be adequate.

 

[noelex]

I use a Stenlight, great headtorch.
Price is more Oyster than Bavaria however.
http://www.stenlight.com/
If you want someting much cheaper the Zebra are excellent
http://www.flashaholics.co.uk/zebralight/zebralight-h51.html

 

[elton]

Agreed with DogWatch about the Energizer. £11 at Tesco. You can't go wrong.

 

[DogWatch]

Agreed with DogWatch about the Energizer. £11 at Tesco. You can't go wrong.

I forgot to add, the lamp is actually on a hinge too, this is really handy if working in the bilge or close up, you can steer the light to where you need it.

I bought it by accident, but would buy another if something happens to the one I have.

 

[prv]

I recommend this one.

I don't. I have one, but I keep meaning to buy another that doesn't require you to cycle through all the modes to turn it on and off.

Pete

 

[DogWatch]

I don't. I have one, but I keep meaning to buy another that doesn't require you to cycle through all the modes to turn it on and off.

Pete

hmm fair comment, yet I don't find this an irritant. Now I probably will, since you have mentioned it

 

[prv]

hmm fair comment, yet I don't find this an irritant. Now I probably will, since you have mentioned it

It's always a bit annoying having to click it three times to get "full beam" (don't see the point of the other white modes), but what's really annoying is when you want a dim red light (eg just enough to read your watch rota on a blacked-out bridge) and have to make several flashes of BRIGHT, WHITE light first and earn a glare from the OOW. I took to turning it on in my oily pocket, but it's a faff.

I'd rather have one switch for on/off and one for red/white, but a second switch would add tuppence to the manufacturing cost so they don't make them like that.

Pete

 

[alahol2]

Get this one... http://www.alpkit.com/gamma/ absolutely stonking bit of kit for the price.

 

[prv]

Get this one... http://www.alpkit.com/gamma/ absolutely stonking bit of kit for the price.

Not convinced. Seems too big and clunky for an LED light - separate battery pack, dangly wire, bulky light head. All necessary when these things were incandescent, but they should be smaller now. And it too has gone overboard with silly modes and features - taking it to the extreme with what appears to be a two-level menu system all controlled by one button (which they are pleased to call a "SMOB") which sounds like a user-interface nightmare.

Pete

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I'm a great advocate of headtorches.
My favourite (make?) has a white and red light but it's hinge has just bust on one side.
One of my others is Petzl, just white light but a very 'tight' and small slide switch which is too difficult to slide....needs some silicone or something i suppose to free it up.
I have 3 others bought for tuppence in a garage shop last year and these have a big rubber push button on the side which is good, but as above it has to go through all its modes until you either get to the right one or off.
Again, the head bands on the cheapos do either perish or the side attachments go. The Petzl seems to be standing up a bit better than the others generally.

 

[noelex]

Get this one... http://www.alpkit.com/gamma/ absolutely stonking bit of kit for the price.

Yes its cheap, but I have to agree with PRV assesment. "Up to 51 lumens" from a 1watt LED is very poor.
The Zebralight H51 will get 200 lumens from a single AA battery.

 

[alahol2]

Not convinced. Seems too big and clunky for an LED light - separate battery pack, dangly wire, bulky light head. All necessary when these things were incandescent, but they should be smaller now. And it too has gone overboard with silly modes and features - taking it to the extreme with what appears to be a two-level menu system all controlled by one button (which they are pleased to call a "SMOB") which sounds like a user-interface nightmare.

Pete

It's actually not that big. The 'menu' only really switches between the 1 watt LED and the smaller ones, it remembers what you used last time. The battery pack on the back tends to 'balance' the thing when it's on your head.

Yes its cheap, but I have to agree with PRV assesment. "Up to 51 lumens" from a 1watt LED is very poor.
The Zebralight H51 will get 200 lumens from a single AA battery.

But why would anyone want to spend over £50 for a headtorch to use on a boat?

 

[Badger]

Another vote for the Petzl e + lite Headlamp. Has a red as well as a white light for night vision and is also a powerful strobe light if needed. small and light with waterproof case.

 

[Nigel_Ward]

I have 2 energizer head torches but prefer the basic one to the multi-mode one.

On the simple one slide switch to right for 2 white LEDs and to the left for one red LED.

I find the multi-mode one a problem where the switch has to be pressed several times to find the right light, and it does not feel as if it will last long

 

[noelex]

But why would anyone want to spend over £50 for a headtorch to use on a boat?

The Stenlight is more like 200 pounds

I live full time on my yacht. My headtorch is my most used utensil. Most inside work on boat involves sticking your head in dark corner, so the heatorch gets used every couple of days.
I use a couple of Zebralights as back up or for dingy trips at etc. They are not much bigger than a AA battery so are easy to stuff in a pocket.