Gear Guide ·feb. 15, 2022

How to choose headlamp?

Headlamps are one of the necessary equipment outdoors, and headlamps can liberate your hands. When we are walking at night, if we hold a flashlight, one hand will not be free, so we cannot deal with unexpected situations in time. Therefore, a good headlamp is very helpful for us to walk at night. When we camp at night, wearing headlamps allows our hands to do more.

How to choose headlamps? The function, price, weight, bulk, versatility, and even appearance of the headlamp can influence the choice.

Battery type

Alkaline batteriesare the most commonly used batteries. The electric power is higher than that of lead batteries and cannot be charged. At a low temperature of 0F, the power is only 10% to 20%, and the Voltage voltage will be significantly reduced during use.

Nickel-cadmium batteries can be charged thousands of times, it can maintain a certain power, it can not be compared with the electricity stored by alkaline batteries, it still has 70% power at low-temperature 0F, rock climbing The process is best to carry high-energy batteries which are 2-3 times higher than standard batteries.

Lithium battery, its voltage is 2 times higher than that of ordinary batteries, and the ampere value/hour of a lithium battery is more than 2 times that of two alkaline batteries. It is at 0F as if it is used at room temperature, but it is very expensive, and its voltage can be maintained. constant. Especially useful at high altitudes.

3 important issues for choosing a headlamp

Waterproof: Outdoor camping, hiking or other night operations will inevitably encounter rainy days, so the headlight must be waterproof, otherwise the rain or immersion will cause the circuit to be short-circuited and cause the circuit to go out or flicker, causing safety hazards in the dark. Then when purchasing headlamps, it is necessary to see whether there is a waterproof mark, and it must be greater than the waterproof level of IXP3. The larger of IXP, the better of waterproof.

Drop resistance: A headlamp with good performance must-have drop resistance (impact resistance). Without any damage that falls from 2 meters. In outdoor sports, it may also be worn too loosely. If the casing is cracked, the battery falls off or the internal circuit fails, such headlights are unsafe, so you should also check whether there is an anti-fall mark when purchasing, or ask the Drop resistance of the headlamp.

Cold resistance: It is mainly used for outdoor activities in northern regions and high-altitude areas, especially the headlamps of split battery boxes. If the headlights with inferior PVC wires are used, the wire skin will likely become hard due to the cold. become brittle, causing the inner core to break, so if you want to use outdoor headlights at low temperatures, you must pay more attention to the cold-resistant design of the product.

Lighting efficiency of headlamps

Light source
Circuit design
Structural design

Light source

The brightness of any lighting product mainly depends on the light source, which is commonly known as the light bulb. Generally, the most common light source in outdoor headlights is an LED or xenon bulb. The main advantage of LED is energy-saving and longevity, while the disadvantage is brightness. Poor penetration. The main advantages of xenon bulbs are long-range and strong penetration, while the disadvantages are relative power consumption and short bulb life. With the rapid development of science and technology, LED technology is becoming more and more mature, high-power LED has gradually become the mainstream, and the color temperature is also close to 4000K-4500K of xenon bulbs, but the cost is relatively high.

Circuit design

It is meaningless to unilaterally evaluate the brightness or battery life of a lamp. The same bulb has the same current and the theoretical brightness is the same, unless there is a problem with the optical cup or lens design, decide ahead Whether the lamp can save energy mainly depends on the circuit design. Efficient circuit design reduces power consumption, that is to say, the same battery has the same brightness for a longer time.

Materials: A high-quality headlamp must be made of high-quality materials. Most high-end headlamps use PC/ABS material be shell now. Inferior plastic material with MM thickness. This greatly reduces the weight of the headlight itself. Most of the mobile phone shells use this material. In addition, the high-quality headband has good elasticity, comfortable hand feels, sweat absorption, and is breathable, even if it is worn for a long time. I feel dizzy and uncomfortable.

Now the brand headlamps on the market have trademark jacquard on the headband. Most of these headbands are made of elegant materials, while most of the headbands without trademark jacquard are made of nylon material, which has a hard feel and poor elasticity. It is easy to get dizzy when worn for a long time. , Generally speaking, most of the headlamps with exquisite workmanship will also pay attention to the selection of materials, so when purchasing headlights, The convenience to install the battery also will be a cause.

Structural design

In addition to paying attention to the above factors when choosing a headlamp, it is also necessary to see whether the structure is reasonable and reliable, whether it is flexible and reliable to adjust the lighting angle up and down when wearing it on the head, whether the power switch is easy to operate and whether it is placed in a backpack.

Will it is turned on inadvertently? Some headlight switches are designed to be at the tip of the egg, so when they are placed in a backpack, it is easy to open them unintentionally due to the shaking of the backpack during exercise. half of the battery

Choosing Suggestion

Reliable
Lightweight
Function
Upgrade
Supply
Appearance
Price

Choose the right luminaire based on your funds, personal preferences, event use, and environment, and consider the combination of them, to bring the most suitable luminaire to every event as much as possible, while trying to avoid duplication of investment in performance.

It is suggested that the selection of lamps and lanterns should be considered in the following order: Reliable - Lightweight - Function - Upgrade - Supply - Appearance - Price

The maximum lightness and function can be used under the guarantee of sufficient reliability. Consider whether there is the possibility of upgrading. It is convenient to buy spare bulbs and batteries. The appearance and craftsmanship are as good as possible. The price is last because of a penny. Buying the most expensive things is the most economical, and it is worthwhile to spend a little more in exchange for an extra 1% safety factor in outdoor sports. So, try to establish your purchasing principles, you can find your ideal lamps.

Precautions

Headlamps or flashlights are very important equipment, but the batteries must be removed when not in use to avoid corrosion.

A few headlamps are waterproof or even water-resistant. If you think waterproofing is very important, buy such waterproof bulbs, but it is best to be rain-proof because the weather in the wild cannot be manipulated by yourself;

The headlamp holder needs to have a comfortable cushion, and some are like a pen hanging around the ear;

Durable of the switch of the lamp holder. Do not place it in the backpack, it will turn on itself, waste electricity, or some situations will occur. The switch design of the lamp holder should preferably be a groove. snug, remove the bulb or remove the battery;

The bulbs are not durable, it is best to carry spare bulbs for use. Bulbs such as halogen krypton argon will generate heat and are brighter than vacuum tube bulbs. Although the user will be high amperage and shorten the battery life, most bulbs will The amperage is marked on the bottom, and the typical battery life is 4 amps/hour, which is equal to 8 hours at a 0.5 amp light bulb.

When buying, it is best to test the light in a dark place, the light should be white, the spotlight should be better, or the kind that can adjust the spotlight.

One way to test LEDs: Generally, three batteries are installed, two batteries are installed first, and the third one is short-circuited with a key evenly and lastingly, and the lighting time is relatively long, which is ideal as a camp lamp; with the booster, The disadvantage of the headlights of the circuit is that the waterproof performance of such headlights is poor (most of them are not waterproof).

If you are hiking at night, it is better to use the headlamp of the light bulb as the main light source, because the effective distance of its light is at least 10 meters, and it also has a normal brightness of 6 to 7 hours, and most of them are Rainproof, bring two spare batteries for a night without worrying.

Summarize

Depending on the purpose, the lighting of the limited electric power headlamp can be managed in different ways: the standard headlamp energy output and lighting have a "direct" relationship, and some technical headlamps have a built-in lighting management system.

The relationship between output energy and lighting distance：There is a direct relationship between the lighting distance and the output energy, but it is mainly related to the shape of the beam.

In fact, for the same brightness output, the center distance will vary with the shape of the beam. For example, a light output of 100 lumens can cast a wide beam at a distance of 50 meters, but also a very narrow beam at a distance of 200 meters.

Tips

Brightness output and battery life are closely related, and they have a relationship with each other (unless the battery capacity increases, which also means the weight of the headlight increases).