Headlamp, battery combo to read with in winter and maybe some summer usage

fenix HL50

– is made in china, all fenix lights are … the most important thing is that you buy off a good dealer who has free return shipping, and hopefully a US repair centre …. the major amazon dealers (edisonbright, etc …) may be your best bet

– the listed weight is for the cr123a setup without the extension, weights ~100g with the rechargeable AA and extension, as a side note a zebralight H600 will weight ~10-20g more and the 18650 battery will last much longer, and you get 3 times the output

– there is no thread lockout on the HL50, which means there will be some parasitic drain and possible inadvertent activation

– CR123a is a lithium, itll work just like any other lithium (not lithium ion) in cold temps … as you can see below its about the same Wh as a lithium AA bat … the most efficient rechargeable are 18650 bats and will give you 2-4 times the runtime but yr looking at a headlamp in the ~110-150g range (including bat and strap) vs something in the ~65-85g range for a AA/AAA/cr123a (strap and bats included)

for 1.25 dollahs decent CR123a bats go here …. the dealer is respected on the light forums

http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_107&product_id=332

;)

Eric, so the CR123A is ok to go with in a HL50 then, or do you have some suggestions for a winter headlamp? I don't care for anything fancy, that's why I've kept my BD Ion the last few years.
Duane

i cant speak to the reliability of the headlamp itself or the functionality of that light in winter conditions (ie with gloves on)

but a CR123a bat is just fine in winter, like any other lithium

and the HL50 is built for CR123a lithiums (not the rechargeable RCR123a 16340 bats)

personally i use the petzl tikka RXP, but thats a different type of lamp (li-on USB pack, two emitters, etc …)

;)

Thank you Eric. Plus, the Fenix is much cheaper than the Zebra Light I was considering.
Duane

Duane,

I bought an HL50 and used it on a recent trip to SEKI (CR123 used) I did about 6hrs of moonless night hiking, 3 of that on the Middle-Fork Kings trail down to Tehipite (which is a little faint in places) My wife used an older Petzl Zipka XP with brand new Lithium AAAs. The Fenix is a very nice light, for me the low setting is fine for walking on a good trail. Towards the end of the 6hrs, the (unregulated) Zipka on its highest setting was only as bright as the Fenix on low.
Build quality and optics are very good.

CR123 (and other Lithium batteries) are good down to -20C or below 0F.

Regarding parasitic drain, this has been measured at between 29 and 34uA, this would take on the order of 5 years to drain a new CR123 battery.

I have measured the force required to actuate the switch at approximately 7N (700g on a digital balance) I'm not worried about accidental actuation. The switch is big and easy to locate, fine with gloves.

The "torch" with CR123 weighs 47g, the metal clip is 13g and the strap is 17g.

Dave

Thank you VERY much Dave. Eric was a good info source, but I'd try for lightest weight which would be the CR123A battery. I like the real world testing. In my checking last night, Amazon seemed to have the best deal, $49.95, both a after market AA and CR123A battery, free shipping. Just have to check out the shipper to see their return policy. I would gone with Amazon last night, but was waiting for more replies if they were coming. I do get out in zero F temps when they present themselves here in N CA. I go bping and camping year round, as I have so many stoves, I have to get out to use them.
Duane

Duane.

You might want to comparison shop at batteryjunction.com for batteries before buying. They have all the name brands for around $1.50 (plus or minus).

http://search.batteryjunction.com/mod_search/index.php?query=cr123a&catalog=theshorelinemarket

Also, a tip on keeping the light from turning on inadvertently: Unscrew the cap with the light turned on until the light goes out, then stash it wherever you want. It takes a few more turns than a Zebralight H52, but achieves the same result.

If my zebralights only had four brightness settings, I wouldn't value them nearly as much. The 0.36 lumen setting is very useful in a tent.

Steve