Looking headlamp for close up work,.
Requirements
No hotspot - zoom-able is my only change?
18650, 1-4pcs, I need 4-6 hours of light.
No strobe mode. I can change driver, if flashlight drivers work.
Under 50£.
Skilhunt H03F is a good headlight that I think will meet your needs. Make sure you always have a backup battery around though because when low voltage battery protection kicks in, it just shuts off completely and leaves you in the dark with no step down first. Thats been my only problem with it.
That looks nice, but it has only 2 hours of work-time. I would need 4 hours. But i take it for consideration. Thanks.
4-6 hours of light at what level? The two hours on the H03 is not in the specs excel on highest mode. The 500 lumen mode runs 2.5 hours, and 500 lumen is a lot of light within the working range of arms length. The next mode down is 365 lumen for 5 hours, and that is also very bright at arms length.
To me, the modes and spacing are more important than max lumen in a headlamp. Tint is also important. Runtime is less important with a single battery light.
365 lumen would work, and 5 hours is perfect for my use.
I cant understand how some people use reflector/plain tir headlamps for close up work. Hotspot is useless and just making all around less bright because you eyes accomodates according to the hospot luminous.
You need something without optics or with big led under wide frosted tir.
This one is little out of your budget: https://eu.nkon.nl/flashlights/zebralight-flashlights-19/zebralight-h603d-high-cri-floody-neutral-hoofdlamp.html
I mostly use a Rayovac with a TIR, and you’re right that the original has kind of a weird beam, but I put DC-fix (bought from someone here, I keep forgetting who) and it is beautiful. I like the 3xAA format because I can get the batteries anywhere, and plus it has the batteries in a battery compartment in the back, so it’s not front-heavy.
I use an HC50. Nice and floody. It has a hotspot by definition, but it’s large enough that even long periods of extended point blank work are not an issue.