Reviews > Lighting > Flashlights - LED > Seattle Sportz LEDHedz > Ralph Ditton > Field Report

Manufacturer: Seattle Sports
Website: http://www.seattlesportsco.com
Made in: China
Product Range: LedHedz Micro Hat Lamp
Model: Cruizer 10
Bulb: 10 mm (0.4 in) LED
Listed Weight: 14.2 g (0.5 oz)
Batteries: Two Lithium Cell CR2025  3V. (included)
MSRP:US$7.95

Field Test

During the latter part of October  and November 2005 I camped at Prickly Bark Campsite on the Coastal Plain Trail on two occasions totaling six days and four nights where temperatures ranged from an unseasonably low of 5 C (41 F) to a high of 24 C (75 F).
The first big test I did was to try and pitch my tent at midnight with minimal moonlight using the light attached to the brim of my hat.
In normal daylight situations I usually pitch and peg out the dome tent in around ten minutes by myself. Using the light on a reasonably dark night it took a good twenty five minutes to successfully pitch the tent. The radius of the beam that I worked with ranged approximately from 80 mm to 100 mm (3 in to 4 in), depending on how close my head came to the work of pitching the tent, so I had to take things slowly to ensure a correct pitch. The amount of illumination was not good but as a light of last resort it was just adequate to do the task.
Walking at night with the light to and from the toilet gave enough illumination to find my way about without losing my way or tripping over vegetation, as I tended to shine it onto the path about 2.5 m (8 ft) in front of me to look out for obstacles and the radius was approximately 43 cm (17 in).
The peripheral light was small and did not impact on others who were sleeping, so there was no disturbance to them.
I found trying to read a novel by the light frustrating and gave up after a short time as I was trying to read the words in a circle of light with a diameter of 50 mm (2 in) about 500 mm (20 in) from my eyes with reading glasses on. Long term reading spells can be done but I am of the opinion that it would be a last resort. However, reading a street directory with the light was very good as the time spent studying the map directions was always short, only a matter of one to two minutes to work out the route. This light source is much better than my vehicle interior light.
Walking the dog at night I always take the light with me to light up what the dog is sniffing at, check where he is as I tend to let him walk off the lead on quiet streets and bush pathways along the river front. The light is not so bright as to dazzle the dog when he turns to look at me when I call him and shine the light on him. In fact the dog is very comfortable with the light being shone on him and lighting up the route to be taken. In addition, the light is extremely helpful to allow me to find and pick up his "Barker Eggs" in the doggy poo bags that I carry with me.

The light is attached to my car keys and household keys ring so that it is always to hand when I require to use it especially with my work.  I need to look down screw holes in security doors to adjust the height and to do that I need to locate the head of the adjusting screw. The beam is nice and tight for close range operation, around 10 mm (7/16 in).
On the 27th October, 2005 when I took the bunch of keys from my trouser pocket I felt a small lump left behind in my pocket. Upon examination I found it to be the light that had come off the key ring. It transpired that the ring that is secured by the single screw that binds the two components of the light together had spread open allowing the dog clip to slip out of the ring. What has possibly happened is that the light and ring has twisted against the dog clip inside my pocket and with my work actions of squatting, stretching, climbing ladders and walking, has exerted pressure on the soft wire and forced it apart creating a gap.

gap in ring
Another overall view of the light with the damaged ring.


I used my Leatherman Tool to close the gap and reattach the dog clip to the ring.

repair to ring
The repair worked for about a week before the light became unattached again, but this time it was the dog clip. The section that gets squeezed to create a gap to allow the light to be removed from the key ring appears to have lost some of its tension and does not spring back into position, leaving a gap for the ring to slip out of.

permanent gap in dog clip
Apart from the possibility of losing the light due to a ring springing open and a clip that has lost some tension, the actual light has performed well, with the batteries still going strong and producing a good tight beam.

Recommendations
To overcome the very real danger of losing the light from the key ring, a solid ring at the end where the screw passes through, such as a washer, should replace the wire circle that is pinched closed. This will overcome the danger of being spread open. In lieu of the dog clip, perhaps a tiny karabiner with either a screw gate or a spring gate.

Future Testing Strategy
The future testing period will be over our summer months where it will not get dark until 7 pm and sun rise about 4.45 am, so there will still be limited scope for testing as I tend to go to bed early when camping, around 8.30 pm and rise when the sun comes up.
I will examine the finger pad to see if it becomes discoloured through body oils and to date it has not. Nor has it failed and fallen out of the case.
I will still use the light to find my way to the toilet and back and for miscellaneous tidying up and finding items that I require for personal hygiene or personal protection such as insect repellent. When I take the family dog for a walk in the evening, I will still use the light with my hat to light the way along the dark river foreshore and as a means of letting bike riders know that the dog and I are on the pathway/cycleway. To date this has proved adequate for bike riders to see us.
I will report on any other matter that I come across which is unforeseen at this stage.
Thank you BackPackGearTest and Seattle Sports for allowing me to participate in this test.  

Reviews > Lighting > Flashlights - LED > Seattle Sportz LEDHedz > Ralph Ditton > Field Report