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erik

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got a princeton-tec l.e.d. headlamp. very nice. after needing to replace my zoom(for like the 5th time) i decided to jump onto the techie badwagon and get a l.e.d. lamp. i looked at the tikka, the size really turned me on. though after inspection of this little lamp, i saw the following...no gaskets, triple aaa batteries, no adjustibility & you can't replace the bulbs. you cannot have a lamp thats not water resistant in the pnw, so instantly the tikka is shot down.

after looking at the tec light. i saw all the features that worked. plus you get a stardard bulb that focuses. another thing that i learned is that it has a voltage regulator so the batteries run at full power until they die. my super tech friend, says that thats not a good option, since you don't know when the batts die. i repsonded, "hey, bro after a trip i am going to change the batts anyway, especially if i know that i will use it alot.

the light emmited is adequite for all but the big search.

i would recommed this lamp to anyone. plus princeton-tec makes it in the u.s.a. and stands behind their warranties.

my $.03

 

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I'd have to differ with you on your choice (but remember, this is just my opinion).

First, what's wrong with AAA batteries? Other than having an odd number as opposed to an even 2 AA.

Second, I like the Tikka's price tag better than P-T's ($35 vs $50-?).

Third, what need do you have of an adjustable lamp? I've rarely seen a HUGE difference in the range of area. Most of the time it seems that there's a "good" setting and a "suck" setting. Standard bulbs tend to cast a very "dirty" light in comparison to the LED's "clean", no-distortion beam. Hence, I would never go back to a standard or halogen bulb. LED's cast a smooth soft light that won't damage your eyes.

Fourth, LED bulbs don't need to be replaced! They have a life expectancy of 10 years or 100,000 hours. LED's won't break either if they are dropped - another reason eliminating the need to replace.

Fifth, as far as the gasket thing is concerned, I've used my Tikka in the rain and had no problems. Others have said the same thing. If the rain is torrential, then I either won't be out in it or I'll have a hat/hood to cover it - even with a helmet. Unless, of course, you do scuba diving with yours...

Sixth, the Tikka is lighter than the P-T. Not much, but based on the above, the P-T so far doesn't hold any advantage yet.

Seventh, the battery life. Both LED headlamps last about 10 to 12 hours with maximum output. After that they will not just "die" but rather dim and are still usable. (Hint: use Energizer Titanium, they actually make a difference in power output). You won't get any more time using a standard bulb. For something comparable time-wise you'll probably need a 6V, which is a helluva lot heavier.

Eight, I couldn't imagine Petzl not standing behind their warranties. Besides, if you buy it at REI, they take anything back :-)

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Are you looking for a headlamp for alpine climbing? Or if your SOL coming back in the dark becasue ya screwed up? If your looking for the former a LED lamp just ain't gonna work for you - they don't through out enough light - if your looking for the latter they're just about perfect - small, light weight - and reliable. Which brings me too -You don't need a spare bulb! If you need to replace more than one bulb it's because you did something really dumb - and the headlight ain't gonna work anyway. As for the battery management setup - running the batteries at maximum output is required to run the LED's they have a very high threshold(you have to juice them a lot before they emit light) so there is not a possibilty of progressive operation. If your looking for a water resistant headlamp check out the Black Diamond Moonlight - everything that's ncie about the Tikka - and more in the same package.

Carl

 

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Also not mentioned about the Tikka vs. the P-T is that the Tikka is way lower profile. It easily fits *under* the helmet, as well as into your pants pocket. The low profile lamp is the way to go.

In terms of bulb replacement, the Tikka costs the same as a replacement LED bulb from P-T, so just buy a new Tikka when it craps out.

Also, I don't buy this "not as bright as a regular bulb". Sure a LED is dimmer than a halogen, but who the hell uses a halogen while alpine climbing?? You get all of two hours battery life?? The Tikka is plenty bright to climb with, and is far brighter than a Zoom with a regular bulb. People will also tell you that the Tikka is a "secondary" kind of headlamp, a backup to your larger models. I say it can do it all, and my getting-dusty Zoom acounts for it!

The other nice thing about a tikka is you'll never think twice about carrying it tiny weight.

my .02$

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I have a Tikka and love it, but since I haven't tried the others I can't really compare. As mentioned the Tikka is so small you can pack it anywhere, even in your chalk bag pouch. There is really no excuse not to carry it. I carry mine in my pack when I ride my bike from Bellevue to Seattle for work. There has been a couple times this winter where my bike light crapped out in pouring rain at night. If I hadn't put the Tikka in my pack I would have been a very dark an dangerous ride home.

My only complain about the Tikka is that it's a pain to open when you have to change the batteries.

I know there was a review in one of the mags around December.

Something to look for in the future are based on the Halide ARC lights. These are the same annoying blue lights you see on BMWs and other richie cars. They just came out with them for biking and climbers should see them soon. Here is a link http://www.niterider.com/main.htm.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A friend of mine just replaced his standard incandescent bulb on a Petzl Micro with an LED adapter system. He raves about it and I'd have to admit - it does give off adequate light, especially if snow is on the ground. Maybe not a bad idea if you don't want to replace your entire lamp.

I believe he said he gets about 30% of the light he used to, but he can extend battery life by over 10 times.

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For alpine climbing the Petzl Micro, loaded with 2 Lithium AA batteries and one standard and one halogen bulb is the way to go. Its light, small and you can use the spot or beam, or either bulb as necessary. The only downside is the lack of availability and cost of the AA lithiums...(REI and Bartells)

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  • 2 months later...

hey guys check it out. I used to work for an led company called LED-Lite ( www.ledlite.com ) They make the best headlamp that I have seen on the market. The tika is basically a rip off of there design, but petzl didn't do it as well. Here is the beta on these Led lights in general.

It takes 4.5 volt to push the LED's to maximum power. This is the reason for the 3 AA or AAA bateries (1.5 V a piece) This is the reason that the PT light is not as good as the ones with three batteries.

LED's burn for 100,000 hours before they need to be replaced. I figured it out once and it is like 60 years or something crazy like that, so you do not need to worry about them burning out.

Batteries typically last for 100 hours or so, so say goodbye to carrying around that extra block batter for your Zoom. True Led's are not as bright as the good old Zoom, but they more than suffice for most assents. I just climbed Liberty Crack in a day (some night climbing involved) and Mt. Daniels (starting at 2 AM) with my LED Lite headlamp. I do not know if I am convinced enough to take it up Tarmagin Rigde but it has past the first two test.

Also, the Led-lite is waterproof and bombproof, a little heavier than the tikka more like the PT but it is SOLID.

Here is an even more interesting twist, I cannot say that I have tried this yet but, Led-Lite makes colored lights for their headlamps. So what you say. I did too the first time I heard this. But check it out, your pupil does not constrict under blue, red or green light. The result obviously is that you can see better with less light. Interesting?

Anyway, if you are looking for a new lamp, check these ones out they are really great. I think Jim Nelson's shop carries them in the U district and if not I think you can buy them online. Well worth the price.

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Has anyone done side-by-side comparisons of the Black Diamond Moonlight, Petzl Tikka/Zipka, and P-T Matrix (?)? From my casual observations I liked the P-T the most, but it would be hard to beat the light output of the Moonlight. The Tikka/Zipka seems okay, but I like more light.

I'm leaning toward the Moonlight but was curious if anyone has had much experience with them.

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Would be interesting to see how new ones work. My personal experience with Tikka and Petzl Arctic (like Zoom).

First night we needed to find Synchronisity at 5:30 AM (pitch black). I only knew approximate location and halogen bulb gave enough light to see the glare of the waterfall. Try doing that with Tikka, ha-ha! Try it.

Second night we were walking out from another ice climb in complete darkness at about 8 PM (can't see w/o lights) using an unknown descent and also wanted to cross the river. My partner's Tikka gave enough light to walk behind me but I explicitly tried Tikka by turning my Petzl halogen off - you can just see that there is water, with halogen I could actually find a crossing.

I do own a Tikka and love it for what it is but comparing it to zoom capabilities and halogen bulbs is like a rear-wheel to 4x4 or apples to oranges. E.g. coming back from n-th trip to Stuart - Tikka's fine, walking down the North Dome gully for the first time and in the dark, he-he, I wouldn't wanted to have had Tikka.

my 22 pesos wink.gif

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  • 3 weeks later...

Black Diamond has come out with three new headlamps. One is called, I believe, the Space Shot, or something like that.

It has an LED bulb, but also a halogen bulb. The LED is used as a backup.

Has anyone had any experience with this one?

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