>From David Locklear Please hit the delete button now - pretty please
I am about to discuss the best LED headlamp that can be purchased for under $ 38 retail. The ATAK 560 Sold at Northern Tool Company for just $ 34.99 plus tax ( $ 37.88 ) I own this headlamp. The most unique feature are 2 large Li-ion batteries in the compartment at the backside of your head. ( These included batteries appear to be the standard size you can purchase at Fry's, or outdoor stores like Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, etc. ). The next unique feature is 3 light settings all of which are bright and perfect in pattern. This lamp can only be recharged with a USB adapter sold separately. I guess you could remove the batteries and and put them in a charger. You would certainly want to carry fully-charged pair or two pair of these batteries in your caving pack. The light switch is very good. The construction is rugged on the headpiece, but super-cheezy on the battery compartment. This would almost be the perfect newbie caving headlamp ( for large dry caves only - Guads, northern Mexico, west Texas ). But with the cheap price comes some drawbacks. The stretchy- head-straps are way too short to put on a helmet. You will have to cut them off and rig some new straps of your own. But worse than that - the electric cord is way too short. You will have to cut it and install a male-female connection. This is common on caving headlamps, so that really is no big deal to an experienced caver. The battery compartment will require some way to keep it sealed and to keep the batteries from falling out. Maybe some rubber-bands or velcro or duct-tape, etc. The lens cap comes with those silly tactical-edges. That is the last thing you want on a caving headlamp. You are likely to cut yourself and get an infection or cut the rope and fall to your death, or cut your caving buddy, ( or with my luck all five at the same time ). You must file these sharp edges off. You should be able to get 13 hours of caving in walking size passage with this headlamp on one set of batteries. So figuring in a 1-1/2 safety factor or something like that, say 8 hours of caving, but carry spare batteries. The lens does focus to a spot beam, but I did not test if that makes it any brighter. But that is where water would seep in if you dunk the light. I would prefer to find a setting you like and then seal the tiny gap around where the lens extends inward and outward This product can be found on-line even more inexpensive https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-560-Rechargeable-Headlamp/dp/B071YSF7J1 This lamp is not suitable for Honeycreek, or Airman's cave, or Whirlpool Cave, etc. It is too bulky and bright, and not water-resistant enough. Until someone actually does several caving trips on this headlight, you have to assume it could totally fail, and you need to carry a back-up headlamp. The weak point is probably where the electric line connects to the battery-pack. A creative caver could buy these cheap on-line, and re-engineer them and sale them at caver parties, grotto meetings, etc. This one should end up as a door-prize someday. Maybe at the next big shin-dig. If the above re-engineering things are done, this lamp would meet the prestigious Locklear Seal of Approval ( LSOA ) D.L.
_______________________________________________ Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/ http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers
