Petzl Core battery – where to buy? Alternatives?

I've seen a couple on the gear swap. Its the kind of thing that people might be willing to sell if you put up a WTB. I bought one a few months ago with a Tikka XP2 for $50. I only wanted the headlamp, but the core came with it and I'm glad to have it. That being said, I did a thru-hike of the AT in 2011 and found that I needed a headlamp with a spotlight in order to bear bag after dusk. You might want to consider getting something like the XP2 that switches between flood and spotlight.

These were a Kickstarter project some time back. May be of some interest (and no I am not affiliated in any way).

Bosavi Headlamps

Rick,
I was in the same boat as you and I eventually found the Bosavi headlamp that Stick mentioned.

Just go ahead and do yourself a favor and buy it. I did days and days of research on this, and there is no better headlamp on the market for what you want.

The Bosavi headlamps are a little more expensive than some other headlamps but they are completely worth the premium. They are designed to give you everything you need, and nothing you don't. I honestly can't imagine how to improve this headlamp, it's just about perfect. I absolutely love mine.

I agree with the Bosavi suggestion. I have had mine since the Kickstarter project and love it. I've used it on dozens of trips and I appreciate the simplicity and functionality every time.

It sounds to me like the Bosavi is another headlamp containing a proprietary rechargeable battery.

What do you do with it once the battery will no longer hold a reasonable charge? Throw it away and buy a new headlamp?

> Just go ahead and do yourself a favor and buy [the Bosavi]. I did days and days of research on this, and there is no better headlamp on the market for what you want.

Really? I'm curious what makes the Bosavi so good. From the perspective of just looking at its specs online, I can't see how it is especially better than any of the other USB rechargeable headlamps on the market.

If you are still looking for the Core, I have one I'm not using. Tried to PM, but you are not set up. E-mail me @ dipink1@gmail.com.

Fair warning:I was starting to be suspicious of whether it was holding a charge between trips. Always made sure to recharge prior to leaving. Maybe why they discontinued?

Diane, I sent you an email. Not sure what's up with my PM, its worked before.

The Bosavi looks great. Unfortunately the $70 is beyond what I consider reasonable for a flashlight (I own 3-4 quality lights, all less than 70 total).

If the li-poly was user-replaceable I think I would consider it (outside of "thru-hike thriftiness" mode). Can anyone upload a photo of how the battery is connected?

The Cree XP is a fine emitter, the specs are endless, lantern, bike mount, etc. 110 lumens in 2.2oz. I guess its worth the premium if you can part with that amount.

"What do you do with it once the battery will no longer hold a reasonable charge? Throw it away and buy a new headlamp?"

The battery is going to last for thousands of charges. I would challenge you to actually wear it out. By the time the battery wore out, you would probably wouldn't mind too much because I bet the headlamp would be somewhat obsolete by that point (many years down the road).

Why is the Bosavi so great? In short, it is everything you need and nothing you don't

Weight: It's basically the lightest full function headlamp on the market at 2.2oz (and no, the Petzl e+LITE is not full function).

Ergonomics: The headlamp itself is super compact. There are no unnecessary curves or bulk put there just to look a certain way. Also, the headband is as slim as it can be while still being super comfortable. Lastly, the battery is housed in the compartment right up against your head and not in the part that actually swivels. This means that the center of gravity is never far from your head and the headlamp feels lighter as a result.

Programmable: You can actually easily program out light modes that you never use (like strobes settings). Also, and just as importantly, when you turn on your light, it will default to your LAST MODE used when you turned it off previously. This is such a basic yet incredibly helpful function, yet almost no other headlamps have this feature. I can't overstate how much nicer it is to not have to flip through modes constantly to get back to the mode you've been using most recently.

Rechargeable: There simply aren't that many quality lights that are USB rechargeable. It's a big selling point for those who don't want to deal with batteries, and also don't want to deal with specialized battery chargers (this is especially nice for longer trips).

Illumination: All of the LEDs included in this light are actually useful and aren't excessively redundant… from the lower output red and white LEDs to the superbright CREE XP. These covers all your backpacking needs, from your most common camp type chore lighting, to preserving night vision and not waking up your partner in the tent, to trail finding and lighting up distant objects. The Bosavi can do all these with aplomb.

These things all add up. There simply isn't any chaff with this headlamp. The $70 is a bit pricey, but not hugely more expensive than its direct competition. With every headlamp I've owned in the past, there is always something that I hate about it. Always some glaring weakness. Not so with the Bosavi. That alone makes it worth the premium to me, but YMMV.

"The battery is going to last for thousands of charges."

Is that a stated spec, independent test result, or assumption (WAG)? Many batteries are measured in hundreds of recharge cycles. Like 300. Eneloops are 1500, which is high, and barely "thousands"

If I can't get the spec light levels after a few hundred charges, I'd like to be able to swap out the battery.

This is more of a question than a suggestion. I've been researching this on my own but figured I'd incorporate it into this thread as the answers may be helpful for the OP. Maybe not due to the price tag but that's for him to decide.

I'm currently looking at getting one of the variations of the Zebralight H600. Read a few reviews on BPL and Candlepower Forums but I can't find the answer to the most basic question of all.

What is the total weight of the H600 including their head strap and an 18650 battery?

I realize there may be a gram or so difference between the different compatible 18650 batteries out there but I presume the 1.4oz posted weight on their website does not include the head strap, and certainly not the battery.

Headlamp 40 grams, battery 46 grams, stock head strap 39 grams, but who is counting?

–B.G.–

(Diane is sending me her CORE, so OP question is answered :) )

To clarify that spec you might just call Zebra.

Bob just clarified but thanks.

Too bad they don't produce the core any more as I have that headlamp. We'll see what the future brings.

Mine is 4 oz with a protected cell and the centre strap on the head strap removed (not needed IMO). An unprotected cell would be slightly lighter.

At the moment, I have a couple Panasonic unprotected cells and a Olight protected cell. I'll probably err on the side of caution and go with the protected cells since this is something I'll wear on my head.

Oh…

And thanks Bob and Mike!

So let me get this straight. That light is $130-ish, plus a charger. And 4.4oz.

Outside of tactical operations, you guys use this as your daily headlamp?

Yes, I see the 1090 lumens

On long trips, the h600 is as light or lighter than a smaller light because of the hours of illumination on lower settings (disregard the 1000+ lm setting, but it's nice to have that option too).

I like to have 50-70 lm of light for night time trail walking as a minimum and the H600 will me 30 hrs of walking time on one battery. If you calculate the extra battery requirements in your light weight light to get 30 hours of "useful" hiking illumination and you'll find that with extra batteries your light weight solution will weigh more on longer trips. I also carry a miller battery bank, so the 18650 battery in my headlamp is dual use as it can provide a charge for my other electronics.

On shorter trips I take my Zebralight H52.

"Mine is 4 oz with a protected cell and the centre strap on the head strap removed (not needed IMO)."

I agree that the stock head strap is over-designed. It is easily twice as heavy as it needs to be.

I've mentioned this before, but I take off the stock head strap and add on a simple neoprene strap from a Croakies eyeglasses retainer strap.

–B.G.–

I must be missing something. My Petzl Tikka 2 says 90 hours at 70 lumens. 2.76 oz.

I want the USB recharge because if I somehow manage to kill my light in 5 days I can jack it in to the small battery pack I'm carrying to top off all the rest of my electronics.

Toys are toys, I get it, that light just seems a tad overkill for my use.

Exactly.

It's nice to have the extra intensity and battery life of the big guy, but it is also nice to cut down to something moderate with the little guy.

Plus, the whole trick to battery life is to keep switching the intensity level down to the lowest that you really need. That helps to preserve a little bit of your natural night vision. There is seldom any need to walk around for hours using 1000 lumens.

–B.G.–

"So let me get this straight. That light is $130-ish, plus a charger. And 4.4oz.

Outside of tactical operations, you guys use this as your daily headlamp?

Yes, I see the 1090 lumens"

Rick,

I use flashlights a lot at work so consolidating a number of my gadgets so they can be powered by an 18650 battery makes sense for me. I also volunteer with SAR so having a crazy bright light comes in handy from time to time.

Even if that wasn't the case, the H600 is advertised to run for 30hours at 70 lumens, the setting I'll likely night hike with.

Having that capacity, allows for me to leave my spare batteries at home and I'll have my photon-esqe light that I EDC with anyways as a back up.

I own a Miller 18650 smart charger which weighs a bit over an ounce.

http://www.fasttech.com/product/1137904-miller-ml-102-universal-usb-smart-charger-version

Adios lithium charger for my other gadgets like my multi function iPhone and camera.

There will likely be a modest weight penalty once my H600 is in my kit but there will also be a massive increase in performance. We'll see.

"that light just seems a tad overkill for my use."

Don't knock it until you've tried it.

I've used the smaller Zebralights for backpacking for a few years now, and I was happy when them. Then I got one of the big guys just to see how they worked. Plus, I was unfamiliar with the entire 18650 battery and how it works, so I needed to learn. Now, a few months later, I'm happy with it as well.

–B.G.–