Petzl Tikka RXP
Petzl's rechargeable headlamp with reactive lighting technology.
Initial Report: June 18, 2015
Field Report: September 28, 2015
Long Term Report: November 9, 2015
Tester
Biographical
Information:
Name: |
Andrew Buskov |
Age: |
40
|
Gender: |
Male |
Height: |
5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
Weight: |
207 lbs (94 kg)
|
Email: |
Rescue(at)Corridor9(dot)net |
City, State Zip |
Madisonville, Kentucky
USA |
Backpacking
Background:
I’ve been backpacking for nearly 25 years, and have slowly started
developing my ideal style. I’ve gotten my pack weight down to roughly
20 - 25 lbs (9.1 - 11.3 kg) before water, and am whittling it down
every hike. Day hiking is nice, but getting out over multiple nights is
really what I enjoy. I like to take my time and view the scenery as
opposed to hiking hard. I also like being comfortable and insist on an
air mattress. I usually tent or hammock, but stay in shelters when
needed.
Product
Information:
Item: |
Tikka RXP
|
Manufacturer: |
Petzl
|
Website |
http://www.petzl.com
|
Year of Manufacture: |
2015 |
MSRP: |
N/A
|
Listed Weight: |
4.06 oz (115 g)
|
Actual Weight: |
4.0 oz (113 g)
|
Color: |
Coral (also available in Black)
|
Product Description:
Per information from website & enclosed
materials
The Petzl Tikka RXP headlamp is part of Petzl's Performance Headlamp
line. It has REACTIVE LIGHTING, discussed further below, as well as a
rechargeable battery which provides a maximum 215 lumens during use. It
is designed to be compact and powerful without sacrificing quality and
usability. While the main mode is driven by REACTIVE LIGHTING, there is
a CONSTANT LIGHTING operation mode that outputs the same lumens until
changed by the wearer, as well as a RED LIGHTING mode that will provide
either a constant red lamp or a red strobe function. The Tikka RXP is
designed to be used with OS by Petzl, a customization program that
allows a personalized setup of the headlamp's lighting functions for
better use by an individual.
Product
Impressions:
The Petzl Tikka RXP arrived in a small plastic enclosure with easy to
understand information and literature on the outside. Upon opening the
package I found a relatively in depth user manual, a short USB cable,
and the Tikka RXP itself. The bottom of the packaging even indicates
which part of the packaging itself is biodegradable and which part is
non-recyclable. After browsing the user manual, I picked up the RXP
and noticed a small tag that indicated the unit must be charged prior
to use. I know some manufacturers pre-charge their electronics while
others don't, but as many times that I've run to a backpacking store just prior to
hitting the trail, I would have liked to see a fully charged battery upon
opening .
In just looking over the Tikka RXP, one of the things that impressed me
was the design of the head strap. It is indeed very comfortable and
provides a two-strap configuration on the rear of the wearer's head. As
one who gets migraines a lot, especially after long and labor intensive hikes,
having a strap that spreads out the pressure and supports the light
better is definitely appreciated. The front of the strap that sits over
the forehead isn't as elastic as the back, but it does provide a lot
more cushioning and comfort. It's definitely not like some of Petzl's
Classic line which consist of nothing more than a long elastic strap.
The strap adjustment is designed so that as the length is let out, the
double strap portion shrinks. This is a rather ingenious design that is
easy to use, but supports the light without slipping down my forehead.
There are a total of three LEDs on the RXP that can be used in various
configurations; a wide beam flood lamp, a narrow beam spot lamp, and a
red lamp. One thing to note is that while there are three LEDs on the
device, to my untrained eye it actually looked as if there were four
lamps. This additional port on the front is actually a sensor that
detects the amount of ambient light and passes this information off to
the device so that the REACTIVE LIGHTING function can properly and
quickly change the lumen output. When I powered the RXP up for
operation, I was immediately impressed with the speed at which the
device alters the lumens. Most electronics devices I've seen that have
an adaptive lighting mode are quite slow to change the output lumens.
However, the Tikka RXP is almost instantaneous. This was one of the
problems I was very worried about when this test began; the length of
time it would take the device to alter the lumen based on the ambient
light. Needless to say, I am no longer worried about this.
The REACTIVE LIGHTING technology itself is quite exciting. Based upon
which mode the unit is put into, the maximum lumen output is adjusted
thereby increasing or decreasing the amount of time the device can be
used before recharging is necessary. For example, in Max Autonomy mode
the RXP will operate between 7 - 80 lumens providing usable light
between 2 - 70 m (6.5 - 230 ft) for a duration of approximately 10
hours. In Max Power mode, the device will operate between 7 - 215 lumens
providing usable light between 2 - 110 m (6.5 - 360 ft) for a duration
of approximately 2.5 hours. During CONSTANT LIGHTING operation, the
mode best matching Max Autonomy (essentially low light / power usage)
will operate at 45 lumens providing usable light for 25 m (80 ft) for
10 hours. The mode best matching Max Power (essentially high light /
power usage) will operate at 150 lumens providing usable light for 100
m (330 ft) for approximately 2.5 hours. For me it is easy to see how
the REACTIVE LIGHTING mode provides more lumens over a longer duration
simply by altering the brightness during times when a brighter light
isn't necessary. In addition to the REACTIVE & CONSTANT
technologies, a RED LGHTING mode is also provided. This allows the RXP
to shine 30 hours with a constant light or up to 90 hours with a red
strobe light.
There are two buttons on the Tikka RXP that allow the user to switch
between technologies and modes; the power button on the top, and the
technology button on the side. If the device is off, pressing either of
the buttons for less than two seconds will flash the red light twice.
Pressing the power button form more than two seconds will turn the
device on and automatically place it into Max Autonomy mode, unless the
device was in RED mode prior to being turned off, in which it will
resume RED mode. When switching between modes (essentially low, medium,
and high power) the power button is used by pressing it once for less
than two seconds. This will change the REACTIVE LIGHTING modes between
Max Autonomy, Standard, and Max Power; the CONSTANT LIGHTING modes
between low, medium, and high; and the RED mode between constant on or
strobe operation. Pressing the technology button on the side will cycle
between REACTIVE LIGHTING, CONSTANT LIGHTING, and RED LIGHTING modes.
It should be noted that when using REACTIVE LIGHTING, pressing the
power button to switch modes will cause the spot lamp to flash briefly.
This is due to the fact that the lumen output is regulated by the
sensor. Therefore if the device is currently running at a lumen output
lower than the max lumen available in the current mode, the change
won't be noticed as the current lumen output may still be lower than
the max lumen available after the mode change, unless switching from
high to low. When switching the RXP off, the red led will flash twice
indicating that the device is powering down.
One notable aspect of the Tikka RXP that is completely different than
any other headlamp I have used is the addition of what appear to be
cooling fins between the lamps main body and the rechargeable battery.
As seen in the picture, there are a number of black fins that sit behind
the battery that match up with a hole on both the bottom and top of the
device. This leads me to believe that the RXP might get hot during use,
something I will definitely be watching for during the testing period.
The rechargeable battery itself is only slightly larger than three
standard AAA batteries. On the top of pack is a micro USB port that
allows charging from any 5v USB device. This port can be accessed while
the battery is attached to the RXP's main housing through a water
resistant port in the top of the body. The back of the battery is
designed with ridges that allow the wearer to adjust the angle of the
lamp for various uses. On the side of the battery there is also a small
led charge indicator which will light for 10 seconds when the device
is powered on. A green light will indicate the battery is charged
between 66% and 100%, orange indicates a charge between 33% and 66%,
and red indicates a charge lower than 33%. When the battery is in
reserve, the red led will blink indicating that the battery should be
charged or else power loss is imminent.
There is a lot of function in this little light, and I'm sure I'll
find
more to elaborate on during the Field Report phase of this test. In all
though, so far I think the Petzl Tikka RXP appears to be a very useful
and intuitive design. I've also downloaded the OS by Petzl software and
will comment on my experience in customizing the RXP in a subsequent
report.
Field Report: September 28, 2015
Testing Locations & Conditions:
During
the past two months, I was able to get quite a bit of use out of the
Petzl Tikka RXP. In trying to get as much use out of the RXP to test
battery life and recharging time, I've been throwing this in my EDC
(every day carry) bag. This way, whenever I might need a light, I'll
have the RXP with me wherever I'm at. Keeping it stowed in this fashion
has allowed me to use the light multiple times; when doing wiring work
in the attic, searching under the kids bed for missing phones, taking
the dog out at night, feeding the rabbits. Most of these tasks take
less than 10 -15 minutes each but attic work took upwards of two hours.
I've also taken this
during my day hikes, though most of the time it stays in my pack
without much use.
As far as providing actual light, the Tikka RXP saw the most use on my
backpacking trips as it was the sole light that I used throughout the
trips. Both of these trips were in the area of the Pennyrile National
Forrest located in western Kentucky; an open, backcountry area for
camping, backpacking, and hiking. The
elevation for this area is roughly 450 - 650 ft (135 - 200 m) with slow
rolling terrain that has a number of valleys and ridges. Temperatures
in the area for both trips were around 75 F (24 C) during the day and
down to 50 F (10 C) at night. Neither night saw any sort of
precipitation, though there was a bit of light rain during the trip
down. The light was used to primarily to see while walking around at
night. I like to set camp early so the RXP wasn't much use during tent
setup. However, as there were quite a few exposed roots and stumps, I
used it quite a bit at night just to keep from stumbling around. It was
also hung inside the tent at night for use as an overhead lamp. The
variable output functioned very well in this fashion as I wasn't being
blinded when I turned it on.
Performance:
The Petzl Tikka RXP has a lot of functionality to it! Because of this
it took me a bit of time to get used to activating the various
functions, especially with the headlamp on my head. Over and over I
found myself turning off the lamp in trying to increase the brightness
or change modes. This is quite frustrating when walking down a trail or
trying to accomplish something around in camp, only to find that all
light is gone due to a mis-pressed button. After some time though,
maybe 2-3 hours of use when I was able to change the lamp multiple
times to various levels, I finally got the hang of it.
I
had initially setup the RXP with the OS by Petzl software in order to
test out changing various settings and functions. However, during my
initial setup I was running Windows 7 instead of the Windows 10 version
that I'm currently running. As such, in the few minutes that I was
experimenting with the software during my first install, I was able to
change a few settings and get the feel of the software and its
functionality. That is simply not an option now. Unfortunately the
software version V3-3.1.537, the same version I installed the first
time and the latest on the Petzl website, is not functioning properly
on Windows 10. The application crashes, disconnects the device, and
locks up about every 4-5 minutes. This is very frustrating as I just
spent a long time troubleshooting why it won't work and trying various
data cables to make sure the issue wasn't on my end. In short, when
Petzl updates their software to properly work with Win 10, then I'll
have more on that feature.
After some use with the reactive lighting feature, I wish it would
provide a bit more light initially, but I'm not sure if I can modify
this using OS by Petzl as it's not functioning. I'd like to see the
lamp come on with the high brightness feature for more than 10 seconds
before it gets dimmed. While having the reactive light change on
demand is nice, usually when I use a light it is because I need to see
something better; in essence I want the brightest light I can get as
soon as I turn it on. However, this means changing modes repeatedly as
the reactive light mode isn't that bright in the waning sunlight.
Charging the headlamp has been easy and painless. I've been able to use
both a 4000 mAh charger as well as a 18,000 mAh charger. Charging time
using each charger is roughly 5 hours, but I usually just charge it
overnight while sleeping without any problems. I've found that it
doesn't get too hot leaving it overnight, but this could be due to
cut-off circuits in my portable battery devices. In all though, as long
as I've made sure to keep the RXP charged on a regular basis, I've not
had any problems with the device running dead.
Long Term Report: November 9, 2015
Testing Locations & Conditions:
I have been able to get an additional two nights of testing the Tikka
RXP during this session. My son and I were able to attend the 100th
Annual Boy Scout Patriot Games at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The weather
was clear to cloudy at times, but there was no precipitation. Elevation
was 718 ft (219 m) where we were at on the base, but it was the
temperatures that really fluctuated. The high was a nice comfortable 64
F (17 C), but the last night we were there the low dropped to 28 F (-2
C) making for a very cold morning packing up and heading home.
Summary:
The last testing period I had mentioned that the OS by Petzl software
wasn't functioning properly on Windows 10. To my experience, this is
still true to an extent. I was able to trick the software into working
by installing in safe-mode, but this is really not a solution for the
general user. In the end, while I do think that having the
functionality to adjust the lighting settings, it wasn't really
something that I found myself using. The default settings seemed to
work out rather well for me and switching back and forth was more of a
pain than a gain. That being said, I was only using this around camp
and during hiking but I could easily see how this feature might be more
useful to someone doing caving, or rock climbing at night.
The Petzl Tikka RXP functioned perfectly throughout the entire test. I
still found it weird having two buttons on the device and at times
still fumbled with the operation a bit, but most of the time I let the
default profile take over the light intensity and this seemed to work
very well. I found through use that having the light pointed down more
towards my face tended to limit any flashing of others in the eyes.
This was both due to the angle of the light, but also in how the sensor
picked up the ambient light off my face. As such, because the sensor
was "seeing" more light due to reflection, the intensity wasn't as
bright. This is indeed a very welcome change! Now I wasn't blinding
others, but I also wasn't blinding myself as I would have been with a
regular intensity light.
All said, the Tikka RXP is one of the better lights I've used. Other
than getting a sense of the button function, I haven't really found a
negative to its use. The battery life is right in line with what I
would expect from a rechargeable headlamp. The light that the device
provides on demand is quite bright while the reactionary lighting
provides a nice blend of brightness levels. I would like to see a bit
longer time for high intensity lighting when momentarily pressing the
top switch, but this is by no means a deal breaker to me.
I would definitely recommend the Petzl Tikka RXP to anyone looking for
a high intensity, feature packed,and user friendly rechargeable
headlamp.
I'd like to thank Petzl and
BackpackGearTest.org for providing me with the opportunity to test the Tikka RXP headlamp.
Read more reviews of Petzl gear
Read more gear reviews by Andrew Buskov
|