Post by kelabar on Jul 19, 2020 6:05:46 GMT -6
I love headlamps. The little lights you wear on your head, not your vehicles lights!
I asked about them on a forum years ago and got about 20 positive posts very quickly.
So I tried them. I am a convert. I use them every day (or should that be every night) often instead of switching a light on! Prior to this I held a small flashlight in my mouth which worked but was a bit of a pain.
For everyday use, ones powered by a single AA or three AAA batteries work fine. Brighter and larger ones are available but are overkill for use inside or around the house, shed or barn.
Some of them use the battery compartment cap as part of the circuit so if you drop the cap you have no light. Others, particularly the ones that have a plastic cage to hold 3 AAA batteries, will still work if you hold the batteries in place while you search for the cap you just dropped. This happens more than you would think.
Couple of things I've learned.
Try and get a headlamp that doesn't stick out too much. Long ones will have you bumping your head on things a lot until you learn how far away you have to keep your head.
Don't buy one that shines in your eyes. This is really annoying. Obvious, but not to headlamp manufacturers unfortunately.
Put the headlamp on. If when you look up you can see the clear section of the lens then don't buy it. The light will refract through the lens and shine in your eyes. Even a small amount of light becomes very distracting.
Don't look directly at people when you are wearing one. Some of them are really bright (the headlamps, not the people!). When you look at someone they cop it straight in the eyes.
Advantages:
They free up your hands and always shine light exactly where you want it.
They are great when working on vehicles or looking behind refrigerators or cupboards because you don't have to get a flashlight in there as well. Just stick your head somewhere and there is light.
Lightweight and very cheap to run and can be very long lasting.
Disadvantages:
They are easily dropped. So buy rugged ones.
Can be very uncomfortable in hot weather. Foreheads sweat a lot and the headlamp can rub and cause irritation.
May interfere with hats or headgear.
The elastic strapping doesn't last very long so plan on continual replacement.
They are an excellent aiming point. Two inches underneath and 'goodbye'.
Anyone else use them? Recommendations?
I asked about them on a forum years ago and got about 20 positive posts very quickly.
So I tried them. I am a convert. I use them every day (or should that be every night) often instead of switching a light on! Prior to this I held a small flashlight in my mouth which worked but was a bit of a pain.
For everyday use, ones powered by a single AA or three AAA batteries work fine. Brighter and larger ones are available but are overkill for use inside or around the house, shed or barn.
Some of them use the battery compartment cap as part of the circuit so if you drop the cap you have no light. Others, particularly the ones that have a plastic cage to hold 3 AAA batteries, will still work if you hold the batteries in place while you search for the cap you just dropped. This happens more than you would think.
Couple of things I've learned.
Try and get a headlamp that doesn't stick out too much. Long ones will have you bumping your head on things a lot until you learn how far away you have to keep your head.
Don't buy one that shines in your eyes. This is really annoying. Obvious, but not to headlamp manufacturers unfortunately.
Put the headlamp on. If when you look up you can see the clear section of the lens then don't buy it. The light will refract through the lens and shine in your eyes. Even a small amount of light becomes very distracting.
Don't look directly at people when you are wearing one. Some of them are really bright (the headlamps, not the people!). When you look at someone they cop it straight in the eyes.
Advantages:
They free up your hands and always shine light exactly where you want it.
They are great when working on vehicles or looking behind refrigerators or cupboards because you don't have to get a flashlight in there as well. Just stick your head somewhere and there is light.
Lightweight and very cheap to run and can be very long lasting.
Disadvantages:
They are easily dropped. So buy rugged ones.
Can be very uncomfortable in hot weather. Foreheads sweat a lot and the headlamp can rub and cause irritation.
May interfere with hats or headgear.
The elastic strapping doesn't last very long so plan on continual replacement.
They are an excellent aiming point. Two inches underneath and 'goodbye'.
Anyone else use them? Recommendations?