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Reviews > Lighting > Headlamps - Hybrid > Rayovac Sportsman 3 in 1 Head Lamp > Owner Review by Greg MehojahRayovac Sportsman 3-in-1
LED/Hybrid Headlamp Owner Review April 2, 2006
Product Information
Product Description: The Sportsman 3-in-1 headlamp from Rayovac is a simple and inexpensive LED/Incandescent hybrid headlamp. The headlamp comes packaged in a plastic blister-type packaging that includes the headlamp unit, headstrap (including the over-the-head strap) and brief instructions. When looking at the unit directly from the front, the upper light is the more powerful Krypton T1 bulb, with the LED array directly below. In this LED array are housed a single white LED flanked on either side by two red LEDS. The LED array is housed in a sealed, clear plastic which is not accessible to the user. Power to the unit comes from three AAA sized alkaline batteries which are installed into a unique barrel-type battery holder. This holder slides into the main lamp body behind the various light bulbs (see picture below) along plastic rails to ensure that the battery holder is aligned and inserted properly. Inspection of the battery holder reveals a small rubber "O" ring that appears intended to provide some weather resistance to the battery compartment. The battery holder is secured to the main lamp body by screwing it in until it is fully seated. On the opposite side of the battery compartment is the operation dial. One twist of the dial forward (or away from the wearer's head) activates the single white LED, another turns off this LED and activates that two red LEDs. Finally, another twist turns the regular LEDs off and activates the single Krypton T1 bulb. The rubberized housing around the Krypton bulb twists to change the light pattern from a tight spot to a somewhat wide flood. At its widest pattern, the Krypton light displays a rather large center dark spot, which is a bit annoying. Twisting this housing continually will open the unit to allow bulb replacement. Inspection of this housing reveals another rubber "O" ring which is probably also intended to provide some weather resistance.
The headstraps come unattached from the unit, and were a bit difficult for me to figure out as this was my first headlamp. I spent a good part of 30 minutes fiddling with the headstraps before I figured out the proper way to attach them to the lamp body. Once attached, the headstraps were very easy to adjust, are made of soft, elastic fabric, and are comfortable to wear even when not wearing any type of hat. The rear of the main lamp body employs a soft rubber pad to keep the light seated against the wearer's forehead. This pad also provides some cushion and comfort when worn for extended periods of time. The main lamp body swivels from completely upright (against the wearer's forehead) to pointing straight down at the ground. The mechanism does not lock solidly, however, and has some play in where the lamp body points even when in between different ratcheting points. The manufacturer states that runtime with the LEDs is an estimated 40+ hours, but it will still continue to provide lower light levels for an estimated 200 hours. The Krytpon bulb is stated to run continually for 2+ hours. I have found the battery life of my two Sportsman units to be pretty close to the stated battery life provided by the manufacturer. Field Use: I only started backpacking last year, and had to buy all my gear (and my son's as well) as I had absolutely nothing backpacking related. I spent a good deal of time researching the larger purchases (tent, backpack, sleeping bag, boots, etc.), and not much at all on headlamps. By the time I was ready to purchase headlamps, I had already spent a great deal of money and was pretty near the end of my rope expense-wise. I had been frequenting Backpacker Magazine's community forums to obtain information on hiking and camping techniques. I came across a posting about the Rayovac Sportsman headlamp, and it appeared to get very favorable reviews. That, and the fact that it was a mere $14.00 U.S., had me quickly at my local hardware store purchasing two of them (my son needed one as well). When I got home, I tore one of them open, installed the batteries and, after some fiddling with the headstraps noted above, immediately went into my dark garage to try it out. Right away I was very impressed with the light output of the single white LED. The LED provides sufficient light to navigate around dark spaces and I found that the two red LEDs are really very bright, and do aid in allowing night vision to return quicker than when using a bright light. The Krypton bulb puts out a great deal of light for its size, and I find that it is at least as bright as my mini-mag light, which appears to use the same, or similar, bulb type. The weight of the unit on my head is nearly unnoticeable, and the unit stays in place on my head where I want it. Adjusting the declination of the lamp body is a bit fussy, as the ratcheting points do not positively lock the unit in place. Because the twist dial which operates the light is so stiff, I find that in order to change the light settings, I need to use two hands or the lamp body moves up and down. Changing the batteries is a simple matter. Simply twist the cap to the battery holder until it comes completely free, and slide the holder from the main unit. Reinstalling the battery in reverse order is also quite easy and something I did not find to be difficult in the dark. My son and I used these headlamps on our first trip together to Bandelier National Monument. Because we were camping in March, the sun went down much earlier than in summer months, which meant we could really play around with our headlamps. We used the white LED to make dinner and eat, and then turned to the Krypton bulb to look at various features of the canyon walls where we were camped. This spotlight is really powerful and extends a great distance, illuminating nearly anything you would want to look at. I do not, however, like the dark spot in the center of the light pattern when it is set to its widest dispersal, but not so much that I do not enjoy using the light. The white LED projects a great deal of light in its own right as well. My son and I were able to easily navigate around camp in the dark and hike down to the stream to filter water prior to climbing into our sleeping bags for the night. We both read our books (he read his comic books) by the red LEDs, though he found that the red light washed out too many colors for him to enjoy his comics and thus turned to the white LED. Going to the bathroom in the middle of the night was also made easy using the red LEDs which allowed us to still see in our tent after we returned. I have had the Sportsman units for a full year now, and have used them a great deal both during camping trips and around the house. Even when I dayhike, I throw one in my pack just in case I get stuck and need to hike out at night. They take a great deal of abuse in stride, even though my unit has a cracked Krypton lens, and the headstraps are starting to show some loss of elasticity. I have not had an opportunity to test the weather resistance of the Sportsman, because I never hiked in rain at night, nor did I drop it in any water. For the price, these units are hands down one of the best purchases I have made (and I made a lot of them in the past year!). Summary: I am thoroughly pleased with this headlamp. It is inexpensive, durable, and has provided me with the perfect amounts and types of lighting for my type of camping. I definately plan to buy another to replace my beaten up unit. Things I like: 1. Inexpensive price. 2. Lightweight. 3. Great combination of light types. Things I do not like: 1. Light swivel does dot positively lock. 2. Operation dial stiff and requires two hands. 3. Difficult for first timers to attach headstraps. Read more reviews of Rayovac gear Read more gear reviews by Greg Mehojah Reviews > Lighting > Headlamps - Hybrid > Rayovac Sportsman 3 in 1 Head Lamp > Owner Review by Greg Mehojah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
