New Black Diamond Ion headlamp

the touch system may not be usable with gloves, at least i couldnt get it working in the store with em

also note that the petzl tikka series have all received a SERIOUS upgrade in brightness

the new zipka, while 20g heavier than the ion, is just as compact due to the retractable string straps .. and the weight is mostly that extra AAA battery that will give it longer running time

my new tikka (same as zipka) is claimed at 80 lumens and is at least as bright as my older tikka xp2 core … it also has a mechanical switch so no parasitic drain, making it a great "rarely used" light

my new tikka RXP is just as bright as other such 150-200 lumen lamps … and the automatically adjusting output is great for things like climbing

;)

I've always really liked BD's headlamp hardware, but the UI always lets them down. Don't know why Princeton Tec can get it so right with the Vizz, but BD struggles.

Looking at the instruction sheet on BD's sight they may have come up with a decent UI but, as Eric has suggested, I doubt it will work with (non touchscreen compatible) gloves.

they have them on sale for $19 and change at backcountry, although the description is for the old one. i'm confirming that the sale is in fact on the new one. go through activejunky and get another 11% off. here is my referral if you need one

http://www.activejunky.com/invite/42361/adam-kramer

I've actually had one of these for a little bit. I took a gamble when I found them online and couldn't find really anything on them.

They are super light. 45g to my scale, and they are pretty weather resistant, if not somewhat water proof. If someone wants a headlamp that's a step above something like clip-on photon freedom, I'd definitely encourage trying it out.

hmm. I was just about to pick up a Petzl eLite. Wonder if I should consider/compare this one.

I was down on BD headlamps cause the one I foolishly bought at the beginning of the season was way more than I needed, too complicated and kept turning on accidentally. (yes, there's a way to lock it, but again too complicated to remember). But this is a different animal.

Does the touch on/off work OK? Not oversensitive? Are the setting changes intuitive?

And it comes with lithiums? For $25? 80 Lumens?

Excellent!

Does the touch on/off work OK? Not oversensitive? Are the setting changes intuitive

I didnt find it intuitive personally but everyone is different

You need to play with it in person to see if its right for u

Its SUBSTANTIALLY brighter than the e-lite

The killer for me was not being able to use it with gloves

On the positive side this means it wont accidentally turn on

;)

I'll stick with Princeton Tech for now. Especially for winter camping and XC skiing I need a headlamp that is waterproof and has a Regulated circuit that maximizes light output duration over the life of the batteries.

Traditional circuits let the lumens lower drop down gradually, something I don't like.

For 3 season I'll still use my old PT Scout with 4 coin batteries. Very light and still waterproof. But alas, not a regulated circuit in that tiny package.

For those that have it or have held it in the store – does the housing tilt up and down? What do you think of the strap?

Just to clarify, even though they don't seem to state this anywhere online, I'm pretty certain the box claimed it was either IPX7 or 8, so it's pretty much waterproof. Completely sufficient for most people, at any rate.

After work today I'll look at the box and verify.

BD's product page for the Ion states that it is protected against splashing or sprayed water from any angle (IPX 4).

That is really all you need for when it rains. But if it is raining hard enough, I wouldn't use the head lamp anyway because of the reflection from the droplets – makes hiking very difficult.

Gah, well I'm fairly mistaken then. :)

I guess it'll mostly be okay in rain.

"That is really all you need for when it rains."

I agree, I haven't had any issues with an IPX4 BD Spot in moderate rain before, or where it's at least partially covered by a hood. I've used IPX8 Fenix flashlights in heavy downpours, though, and their higher rating gives me peace of mind.

It has tilt

The headband is pretty normal

One other note is that the weight is with lithium batteries which are 3-4 g lighter than alkalines individually

While the zipka weights 68g, this is with alkalines … With lithiums it should weight under 60g

Rechargeables tend to weight even more

;)

for a 1/2 oz penalty, might be a great substitute :)

I have one from an REI garage sale.

I haven't figured out how to make the controls work consistently. It's not just mine; I played with one in store, too, and it was difficult to operate. If it had a physical button, it would be awesome. But, it's light and has decent form factor. I keep it in the car for emergencies.

I think BD needs to drop this touch-activation jazz. It doesn't function well on any of their headlamps.

heres a good vid someone put up on the ion functionality and UI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8-aV18vmBg

;)

Any new thoughts about the Ion now that some of you have had it for a while?

I've tried one on and the strap is a terrible designs. The excess stick out the back like a rooster tail, making it annoying to use in general (because it's constantly hitting the back of your neck), and downright uncomfortable to use when wearing a hood, or laying down and reading.

This product had lots of potential, but the poorly designed strap is a deal breaker for me.

I see. I was worried about this, but haven't tried one on. How is the touch function and the brightness otherwise?

I can't seem to find any run times at full brightness- 200 hour max I'm assuming is at the very dimmest setting, anyone find any literature on run times other than full dim?

also the weather resistance is IPX 8 per BD's site, fully immersible, not too shabby :)

did a little more digging- 200 hours @ 4 lumens and 8 hours @ 80- not too shabby at all :)

Thats unregulated i believe

Which means the brightness will diminish …

;)