allison Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 Sometimes I have to wear a headlamp all day at work. As a result, I have over 60 hours on my Princeton, on full bright, on the first set of batteries. Amazing. I have used both the Princeton and the Petzl extensively, and cast a big thumbs-up for the Princeton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hakioawa Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 Also to PT head land uses AA batteries. So you can use the cool Energizer Lithium photo batteries. These are much lighter and last a whole season for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainier_Wolfscastle Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 Does the Princeton LED use those conductive foam strips for battery connections like their previous Vortex series lamps? Those strips compress after a while and loose contact with the batteries. Needless to say, the headlamp left me in the dark many times. I switched to Putzl after the second bad Princeton lamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 quote: Originally posted by allison: [QB]Sometimes I have to wear a headlamp all day at work. As a result, I have over 60 hours on my Princeton, on full bright, on the first set of batteries. Amazing.QB] headlight at work...wtf...you readin' Playgirl in a dark closet or sumthin' ??? hahahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 She works in a theater, silly... have you lost alll short term memory Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr._Ben_Krazy Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 I have one of those new BD Gemini Halo/LED. I like it for durring surgery when I can switch to LED if the procedure is getting messy and I am feeling queasy so I don't see all of my patients guts and stuff. Although I need to remember to switch the Halogen back on prior to stitching up as I have accidentally left aparatus and whatnot inside a patient for lack of lighting. Some people are very picky about this sort of thing! You wouldn't beleive what kind of threats I have recieved for a simple mistake. Oh well, I am being paged and must run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminal_Gravity Posted July 24, 2002 Author Share Posted July 24, 2002 If anybody cares... I own both the petzel pikka and the princton tec Led head light. I think the Princton is the superior light and it is significantly cheaper. 1) the Ptec has a directional hinge to better use the light. 2) It has different brightness settings 3) it is easier to change the batteries. 4) most importantly I find that the pikka starts becoming dim after just 10 hours where as the P Tec has some circuitry that keeps the light bright for the full life of the battries; plus in a tent you can use the low setting just about indefinatly. The only disadvantage is that the switch is a bit tough to use with fat gloves and it is about 1/2 ounces heavier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 terminal, i whole heartdly agree. also, for the all people that try and pull the weight manuever. well i use a princton-tec single led on a bungee with a toggle for the emertgancy light. works well when you aint got any thing else. plus princtoc-tec is made in america!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Attitude Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 One downside of the Princeton Tec IS the hinge holding the heavy battery/led case. The little screw has to be tight enough to keep it from flopping down. I'm sure you are familiar with the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceIceBaby Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 All for all the Princeton Tec is superior. I recommended it to all, although I have the Pretzel. I wish I could exchange it to the Princeton Tec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceIceBaby Posted July 30, 2002 Share Posted July 30, 2002 U got to love the EMS policy "100% satisfaction Guarantee" just replaced my 6 months old and used Pretzel to Princeton Tec AURORA…no questions (even got a refund for the difference in price) [ 07-30-2002, 07:41 AM: Message edited by: IceIceBaby ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminal_Gravity Posted January 12, 2004 Author Share Posted January 12, 2004 After almost two years of field trials, I would like to retract my earlier recomendation. The problems with the petzl still exist but there are two problems with the Princtontec LED that I think make it totally unsuitable for mountaineering. The battery contacts are two flimsy. A drop of only 2 feet on the ground will cause the contacts to deform and the light will fail. Also, the case plastic is inferior and embrittles at colder temps. I've gone through two of these lights and will not buy another. When I buy another sub-compact LED headlight it will be a BD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRoark Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I just bought the new Tikka Plus last month and have used it several times. I like it and I think they solved the tilting issue rather well. The switch is still hard to depress with gloves on, but oh, well. I'd buy another. I had a PrincetonTec that broke-it was a piece of shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 (edited) After almost two years of field trials, I would like to retract my earlier recomendation. The problems with the petzl still exist but there are two problems with the Princtontec LED that I think make it totally unsuitable for mountaineering. The battery contacts are two flimsy. A drop of only 2 feet on the ground will cause the contacts to deform and the light will fail. Also, the case plastic is inferior and embrittles at colder temps. I've gone through two of these lights and will not buy another. When I buy another sub-compact LED headlight it will be a BD my LED is a BD and I have beet the shit out of it carried it all over the place in my pack, wore it for hours at a time. I realy like that the batery pack rests in the back as I am little and that much weight over my brow tends to give me a sharp headache. I have yet to have to put new bateries in. I love it... can not rave enough. Edited January 12, 2004 by Muffy_The_Wanker_Sprayer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lummox Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I love it... can not rave enough. no doubt. too much e really messes up your seratonin levels. but aint it fun? wait. what you talking bout? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I love it... can not rave enough. no doubt. too much e really messes up your seratonin levels. but aint it fun? wait. what you talking bout? 'To speak or write with wild enthusiasm: Critics raved about the new play.' -dictionay.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 The bluish-white LED's that are currently used are fine most of the time, but when it is foggy or drizzling, the blue light back-scatters badly. It would be neat if someone could come up with a head lamp with "fog lamps", that is a yellowish-white led. There is a high efficiency LED that puts out light at 592 nm, but I suspect it is nearly monochromatic. Chart. I expect yellowish light would also make it easier to discern features in snow for the same reason that yellow goggle lenses do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Distel32 Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I had a P-tec and it broke.....I was mad.....but now I have a Tikka plus and I like it a lot because the beam clicks into place, unlike the princeton where mine was prone to moving and flopping down....whatever, I got the tikka for free since the ptec broke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I just bought the new Tikka Plus last month and have used it several times. I like it and I think they solved the tilting issue rather well. The switch is still hard to depress with gloves on, but oh, well. The plus for me of a Tikka is that it is so damn small, that I can easily carry it for an emergency light to get myself down from the Chief or Snow Creek Wall or something like that like once a year. The Tikka plus is bigger than the Tikka, just a bit more, but enough to make it more inconvenient for slipping in your pants pocket. Those BD Ion lamps are REALLY tiny. I wonder if they would work in a pinch in an emergency descent. Two LED's versus three. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatskiclimbsail Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I've seen more broken BD headlamps than I can count, never had a problem with my P-tec Aurora (or the three I have bought as gifts over the years) or any Petzl lamp Ive ever owned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRoark Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I had a P-tec and it broke.....I was mad.....but now I have a Tikka plus and I like it a lot because the beam clicks into place, unlike the princeton where mine was prone to moving and flopping down....whatever, I got the tikka for free since the ptec broke Yeah, for all those pre-dawn approaches you do to the boulders. Right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracked Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I had a P-tec and it broke.....I was mad.....but now I have a Tikka plus and I like it a lot because the beam clicks into place, unlike the princeton where mine was prone to moving and flopping down....whatever, I got the tikka for free since the ptec broke Yeah, for all those pre-dawn approaches you do to the boulders. Right? No, it's for the 420 sessions around the campfire! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I had a P-tec and it broke.....I was mad.....but now I have a Tikka plus and I like it a lot because the beam clicks into place, unlike the princeton where mine was prone to moving and flopping down....whatever, I got the tikka for free since the ptec broke Yeah, for all those pre-dawn approaches you do to the boulders. Right? No, it's for the 420 sessions around the campfire! Only a rookie uses a headlamp for a 420 session around a campfire, rookie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 The Tikka plus is bigger than the Tikka, just a bit more, but enough to make it more inconvenient for slipping in your pants pocket. I was a good yuppie and bought the bag to fit my Tikka after losing 2 lenses in the pack (they'd pop off and get lost). The Tikka Plus fits as well in the Pochette as the Tikka did. Tikka Plus has more light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodchester Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I have used and own the Tika and the BD Moonlight . Both are very good, but I prefer the BD Moonlight. It is only a little heavier than the Tika but it puts out more light and its directional beam is more effective. That said, for sheer size and durability the Tika is a great little emergency use headlamp. I haven't used the BD Ion. It just seems too small and only two LEDs seems to be too few for the light that I want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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