he folks… so about 10 years ago i made a great call and dropped about $70 on a prinston tec apex headlamp… it was my first headlamp, and it has treated me awesomely. i broke it a few years back by letting it bounce around in an atv box in the cold, which snapped the hinge… replaced it with another and its also been decent, although the flood mode isnt as “flood”… but really, it is great in all ways, but it is kind of heavy. additionally its kind of expensive at $70, so i tend to not use it for my main outdoor activity… fourwheeling…
ive also owned a few smaller camping headlamps, and recently bought a decent walmart/bushnell tkkr headlamp that has been great for hunting. has a decent spot, and a red light for stealthly getting about… it’s as bright as the apex, but not nearly as efficient… additionally it has protruding buttons that turn it on when its in my pack… forcing me to always carry backup batteries.
so… to my question… im interested in something new. something that is an improvement over both of these. for now just one… i wouldnt mind taking advantage of the newer lithium batteries… so im looking for some guidance… for now, id like to replace the apex… my go to headlamp… i want it to be equally as bright as the apex… which claims 330 lumens… it seems like even the cheapest of the nitecore type lights out there way outshine that… so more importantly, i want decent led efficiency. high run time for similar light output… i also want dual modes…flood and spot. i dont want a mechanical cover that changes the same led from led to spot. and i dont want a million lumen spot with a 100 lumen flood. they are equally important to me. also concerned about the switches… i dont want it accidentally turning on.
obviously id love to do this as cheap as possible, but i have no idea what is out there. if what i want can only be found in the $80 range, than so be it, but if its in the $45 range, thatll let me also upgrade my hunting light… which will be my next post
so, to recap:
as bright as apex
good spot, good flood, non mechanical
improved efficiency over apex
lighter than apex
good buttons that are intuitive and wont turn on in a pack
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thanks.
yeah, i google searched this forum, as well as candlepower. i feel like my question is a bit more specific than which “headlamp should i get”… im hoping someone has experience with the apex, since it seemed to be at the front of the pack for so long.
I have had several Apex headlamps over the years and they were my go to favorite headlamp for a long time. But hands down my favorite one now it the Fenix HL-55 It can be had for about $50. They recently came out with a newer version Called the HL-60R with the addition of red LEDs and a built in Micro USB charge port and it comes with a battery for about $15 more. I would say the HL60 is every bit a good as the HL55 but I am use to the UI of the HL55 and it is older and thus more of a beater so it gets used the most. These lights are insanely bright super long run time with the 18650 and nearly indestructible being a single piece housing (no external wires) and being made entirely out of aluminum. They are substantially more compact and durable than the Apex.
While I really loved the dual beam pattern of the Apex and thought my primary headlamp would need a similar setup I think Fenix nailed the single LED beam pattern for a headlamp. It is wide and even enough for close in low power work like the Apex 5mm but it is so bright on high that you really can see everything in your field of vision out quite far. I feel like I can see farther and better than I could with my Apex on the spot beam.
If you already have 18650s and chargers the HL55 is a good buy but my recommendation to anyone (usually non flashaholic) that asks where they can get one is to get the HL60R as it is a complete solution with battery and charger built in.
On your last point I have never had it turn on in my pack but you can unscrew the battery cover like half a turn to lock it out for extra precaution.
you havent sold me on the single beam option, but im tempted! even if i dont like it as my all the time headlamp, the 60 would be great for hunting. red lights and a LONG throw for the walk home.
To elaborate on the differences in UI between the 2 lights. I don’t know why Fenix can’t keep the same UI between lights. Both have mode memory so they come on where you left them.
The HL-55 to me is more usefull but I have been using it far longer. 4 modes cycles low to high with a touch of the button. Turns on at first touch of the button, turns off with a .5 sec hold. Long hold (1s) at any point goes in to the highest power turbo mode and stays there for about 30 sec before it will drop down to the previously used mode. Also one touch of the button brings you back to your previous mode. This is nice to be able to go to insanely bright to see something but not forget about it long term and drain your battery fast. I use this feature a lot normally operating at a lower setting and then easily being able to bump up for a short time to see something far away and then go back.
I suppose the HL-60R is more simple but takes away some functionality in my opinion. First touch brings the light in to a blinking battery check mode which for me is annoying because it is what I am used to using to turn the light on, It is vexing to have your light start flashing when you are expecting it to turn on. A long hold 1s is what turns the light on. This is probably not an issue for someone new to the headlamp and it is a good safety to keep from accidentally activating the light in a bag. Once on, a single touch of the button cycles modes red , low, ml, mh, high, turbo. and then back again. Long hold to turn off. There is no hold to activate turbo and when you cycle in to turbo it will stay there indefinitely. This might sound good at first but the light gets super hot and gulps battery, it is easy to go there and forget. I think 6 modes are a lot to cycle through on a regular basis.
When you plug in the Micro USB charging port the red LEDs flash to let you know charging status. If I recall I think they go solid red when it is done. You can turn the white LED on when charging but it only has one setting which looks to be about the ml setting. So you could use it for illumination while charging. My USB amp meter says it draws 830mA when charging regardless of if the white is on or not.
Like I said I used to think I would always want a dual beam pattern headlamp but after using these ones I no longer have that feeling.
wow yeah, that sounds like a terrible UI on the 60. the 55 sounds ideal. the long press to turn on sounds annoying. i want quick on, directly to what i used. shame the 55 doesnt have red.
or their little brother which I have: Skilhunt H15
It’s definitely a different design for a headlamp but I really like the flexibility. They can be used as a headlamp with the headband or taken out and used as a handheld torch or because of the side mounted LED, can be clipped to clothing etc and it will be facing forward for quick hands free use (walking, working etc). Plus they have a magnetic tailcap allowing for securing to some metallic surfaces. I went for the H15 because I wanted smaller form factor, working around the house etc typcally (i.e. not away from easily accessible other batteries or lighting). On turbo with a 14500 it really puts out for distance but the TIR lenses also diffuses really well for the up close work.
If either the H02 or H15 are of interest, I think you can still get a discount code via PM here.
thanks. they look like good lights too. wish that h02/h03 had a mirrored design, where there was a different led/lens combo on the opposite side… one flood, one spot…
Well….don’t know how much “throw” you’re looking for, but like I said, the little H15 at around 500 lumens will light a good bit of my back yard…at about 20-30 yards or so. I can imagine the H02/03 coming in at close to 1000 lumens would bang it out pretty good. But…again…don’t know your expectations.
im pretty sure they all are going to give me enough throw, from what i can tell… especially like the idea of the fenix temporary turbo mode. usually i only would need max throw breifly… what im more concerned with is a decent flood. using a spot at close range kind of kills your peripheral vision… aka the brightness in one spot makes the surrounding area too dim. thats what i love about the apex… 2 levels of brightness for spot, 2 levels of brightness for flood. with the same headlamp i can look across the yard to see what my dog is up to, and scan around the ground for that crucial bolt that i dropped while doing a field repair.
A good TIR headlamp should meet that perfectly. I use my H15 in much the same manner, with a AA cell. Of course one of the more powerful models would shine farther.
edit: Then there are obviously the various LED Lenser and Coast headlamps
does anyone have any experience with the nightcore hc50? that seems to have some decent output as well as red leds… it also has a semi simple user input. at 565 lumens it isnt as bright as others listed, but do you think it will have an equal or greater throw to the apex?
I use the HC50 pretty much daily at work… (new construction plumbing) Overall its a great product, and I’m very happy with it. The 5 levels give the option for lots or just a little light. I never use the blinky or red modes. button top cells only though, and you’ll need a spare cell or two if you’re going to run it on higher levels for extended periods of time. No reflector so it’s almost all flood…
I have a Black Diamond Icon that has really nice flood and spot modes, variable brightness, and it also has a red light, but it’s a 4 AA light so it’s a bit heavy. I really like mine a lot and love the long run times.
thanks. i just pulled the trigger on it. my needs shifted towards a light with red leds since a dog got to my hunting headlamp. im hoping that the 500+ lumens in a flood pattern will out throw the apex’s 200 lumens in spot pattern. i have a feeling ill be impressed with the light regardless. looking forward to the post man’s arrival.
You’ll be happy with it I’m sure. I should correct myself, there is indeed a reflector but it’s tiny and shallow. Great headlamp in a form factor I really like.
