[Review] YLP Panda 3.

Then you can use large throwers like blf gt. It is not headlamp’s work.

I haven’t ever found a headlamp that I liked. This is the first one. I may have to get one now, if I can. Are they available internationally? If so, what is the shop that sells them?

Panda 3 is out of stock right now, but I hope it would be restocked soon. First small batch was sold on russian flashlight forum fonarevka.ru
There is official shop
ylplight.com it has english version, international shipping and accept PP.
But panda 3 page still exist only in Russian.
Panda 3.0 — Интернет-магазин — Яркий Луч YLP - интернет магазин

change the XP-G3 to nichia 219C or samsung lh351D and it would be perfect

According to one website, the 2990 Rubles price is about $47.47 US dollars. That seems like a reasonable price, but do you think there could be a group buy here to bring it down a little? I don’t know how to run a group buy, so somebody would have to take up that responsibility. But I would really like to own one of those lights!

It is the first thing I made after review. :slight_smile:
With 351D , flood beam has 450lm ,and 1.25cd/lm and light is the way better than with xpg3.

Unfortunately international shipping is expensive.

I think GB or some coupon code is possible. YL sometimes provide good coupons for russian forum. Also they recently launch international shop so they maybe interested in promotion.
I ask them when panda3 will be in stock.

A little bit more about real tests. The traditional expedition of the speleo club Perovo in the area of the Arabica massif(Abkhazia) to the Verevkina cave has just ended. Verevkina cave is the deepest(2212 meters.) cave of the world for almost a year.

In this expedition I used Panda 3 as the main light on the helmet. Just before expedition I replaced stock xpg3 by 351D 4000K 90cri it makes light much more pleasant, and much wider.


My task in this expedition was the topography of the so-called bottom labyrinth - an extensive network of subhorizontal courses beginning at a depth of 2100 m.
The path to this depth takes 3-4 days for 10-12 running hours ( with a load of ~ 30kg) along the vertical part of the cave. Characteristic forms of relief are vertical pit (up to 150 m deep with and without waterfalls) and short meanders between them of different widths.

Work on the rope takes most of ascend\descend time
Stops for overnight taces place in underground camps at depth 600m, 1300m, 2100m.


The most interesting part of cave starts at 2100m, where the modern cave, apparently, cuts a branched network of ancient siphon pipes. Now the known length is approx. 7-8km. This part consists of "pipes" with diameters of up to 16 m, siphons, half-siphons, halls, small vertical pit.

Work in the cave lasted 14 days, 7 for way down and up and 7 for topography.

Now about the flashlight.
The first question was fixing of the headlamp on the helmet. The rubberized strap was well held and did not slip over the plastic helmets.
This, along with the standard rubber band is enough for fastening, for 2 weeks did not fall down at all.
After 2 week in undergroung the only headlamp damage is scratches on anodisation.

Buttons are too small , sometimes it is hard to find them into gloves.

PWM at 15kHz is almost invisible, it can be seen on falling water..

Ipx8 is fine. Panda3 holds pressure drop ,100% humidity, dripping water.

The second mode of the flood light was enough for comfortable work with a rope at ascend\descend.

Quick access to the maximum mode of spot allows to view the rope far away. Vertical pit with depth about 40-50m can be enlighted by spot light.

During ascend(descend) I used only one 18650.

Situation in the topography of the bottom parts, was different. One need to inspect everything for good topography. The sizes of the pipes are different, according to this, the modes of headlamp were often switched. I mostly uses 2nd and 3rd modes in all possible combinations, and the maximum of spot.

(Siphon pipe. Depth is 2150m from the entrance)
In this case I change 18650 every day. In total I spend 8x 18650 for expedition (new GA).

I very like this headlam, during 99% of the time I did not recall about its existence)

WOW

Thanks for sharing those pictures from your trip! What an experience to spend that much time that deep underground.

That is a major adventure! Thanks for writing it down, and the wonderful pictures. I’m sure that the Samsung leds made everything look better down there.
What is the purpose of mapping that cave?, is it just hobby/tough sport or is there a serious background to it?

Looks like the Panda 3 headlamp was a champ! Now I need to find a real use for mine other than just playing around!

That is very cool! What an awesome glimpse into real use.

You are right) There are many abjects with warm colors in caves. Thay looks amazing in hicri and hi r9 light, and donot impress at all under low r9 and cri. It even almost not depends on tint below BBL or above BBL.

I am sure all works in caves are hobby)But often its have serious background too.

Our map has several purpose

  1. Cave depth specification.
  2. Help to navigation for future expedition.
  3. Search of new directions for research.
  4. Understanding internal structure massif, it history.
    You can see 2D projection here

5)making sure that your cave remains the deepest in the world :smiley:

Already found the Wikipedia page of the cave, and I really enjoyed a film of the 2017 expedition on youtube. Very impressive!

The big secret is that accuracy of map about 1% in case of Verevkina cave and much worse than 1% in the the case of Krubera cave. So “one of the two deepest cave” is more correct words)

What an adventure and real world test on the headlamp and body. Loved the pictures and the story AEDe. :+1:

Wow, thanks a lot for the report! That’s so cool and scary at the same time :slight_smile:

Such a totally awesome adventure AED. Thank you for sharing. I think YLP should share some of their profit with you for your great advertisement of their light.

Wow, that’s at least not too claustrophobic. Impressive formations, I actually wouldn’t mind poking around there, ’though not for 2wks! I like indoor plumbing… :smiley:

When I think “spelunking”, I usually think of narrow claustrophobic caves where you can so easily get hung up in there, stuck, not be able to turn around, and pretty much die. Go’n’goggle “john jones nutty putty cave”. You couldn’t even force me at gunpoint to go into one of those caves.

But yeah, moar pix if you got ’em!

“Scooly”? :laughing: