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Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
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Princeton
Tec©
Apex
LED Headlamp
Initial Report
March 20, 2006
| Tester's Biographical Information: |
Backpacking
Background |
| Name: |
Greg
Mehojah |
I began backpacking
this year to reintroduce myself to the outdoors, and introduce my 10
year old son to backpacking. My
trips are typically 1-2 nights with my son and 2 nights when I solo. My first season has taken
me through desert terrain and high-altitude meadowlands throughout New Mexico, as well as day hikes
of the foothills and ridgeline trails of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque. I tend to carry most of
the gear when I hike with my son, so I am not a lightweight hiker, but
plan on moving that direction as my son gets older.
|
| Age: |
34 |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Height: |
6
ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: |
210
lb (95 kg) |
| Head
Circ.: |
23
in |
| Email: |
gmehojah3
at comcast dot net |
| City, State, Country: |
Albuquerque,
New Mexico, USA |
Product Information
| Manufacturer: |
Princeton
Tec© (http://www.princetontec.com) |
 |
| Product: |
Apex LED Headlamp |
| Year
of Manufacture: |
2005-2006 |
| MSRP: |
$79.99
(U.S) |
| Listed
Weight: |
9.8
oz. (279 g)(with batteries) |
| Weight
as Delivered: |
6 oz. (170 g) without batteries
10 oz (283 g) with alkaline batteries installed
8.7 oz (247 g) with lithium batteries installed |
| Dimension: |
Lamp
Body - 2.5x1.8x1.5 in
Battery Case - 3.5x2.75x1.25 |
| Battery
Type: |
4
AA Alkaline
4 AA Lithium
Recharchable
batteries also may be used |
| Bulb
Type: |
(1)
3-Watt Maxbright LED For Spot Illumination (regulated)
(4) Ultrabright LEDs For Flood Illumination (regulated) |
| Brightness Levels: |
Maxbright:
High/Low/Off
Ultrabright: High/Low/Strobe/Off |
| Strobe Modes: |
1
(flashing) |
| Weatherproofing: |
Waterproof
up to 1 Meter |
|
| Colors Available: |
Black/Orange |
|
| Color Tested: |
Orange
(gray battery case, gray/black headstraps) |
|
| Warranty: |
**International Customers
receive a 10 year warranty.
The Lifetime Warranty offered by Princeton Tec covers the
headlamp
for defects in workmanship and materials for the life of the product.
In the event a warranty repair is required, Princeton Tec
will
attempt to repair or replace the parts which are defective in
workmanship and/or materials. The warranty does exclude
damage
caused from misuse, alteration of the product, negligence, accidents or
unauthorized repair, as well as "consumables" including batteries, and
normal wear and tear. If, after Princeton Tec attempts to
repair
the headlamp three times, the owner can elect to either obtain a new
unit or a full refund. |
Product Description (from the manufacturer's website):
The Apex is the pinnacle
of
waterproof LED headlamp design, boasting up to 60 lumens of output.
With its four light levels, safety flash mode, and impact-resistant
design, the Apex is an ideal headlamp for any hardcore adventure. The
Apex combines a regulated three-watt Maxbright LED with four regulated
Ultrabright LEDs, for Constant Brightness on all modes. Switching modes
has never been easier. The dual switch system allows you to
independently control the intense, smooth, long-range lighting from the
Maxbright LED, and the wide-angle, close-range lighting from the four
Ultrabright LEDs. Proprietary heatsink technology allows the LEDs to
burn brighter and longer. The Apex is compatible with alkaline,
lithium, and rechargeable batteries.
|
|
Test Unit Description:
Unit Delivery:
The Apex provided for testing arrived directly from Princeton Tec with
the outer shipping box looking like it was used as a seat cushion by an
elephant. The inner product box however was only slightly
misshapen, but the inner plastic container holding the Apex and its
accessories was completely intact and undamaged, as were its contents.
The package includes the Apex unit itself with the main
headstrap
attached, an unattached over-the-head strap, 4 AA sized Duracell
Alkaline batteries, and an instruction sheet in English, French, and
German. The exterior of the box contains a great deal of
product
photographs and information as well.
Battery
Compartment/Case:
The batteries for the Apex are housed in a high-impact plastic case
mounted on the back of the unit, which is opened via a single screw
knob using either the headstrap buckles or another flat tool (i.e.
knife, coin, etc.). I did find that I could just
barely turn
the knob by hand, but prefer to use the buckle tool. When
opened, the top of the battery case slides away from the rest of the
unit, revealing the internal battery tray, and the rubber seal which
compresses when the unit is closed. The Apex literature suggests
that this seal be routinely inspected and cleaned to maintain its
weather resistant rating.
Installation and removal
of
the batteries into the tray is a simple task with no noticeable issues.
The power wire, which protrudes from the battery tray,
appears to
be snug and does not come loose when lightly tugged by hand.
Additionally, the wire appears to be well insulated, pliable,
and
generally durable. The battery case (where the case touches
the
back of the wearer's head) employs a soft rubber material that appears
to grip well, but not dig into my head. Inside the battery
case is a platinum catalyst that is supposed to deactivate hydrogen
released due to release from rechargeable batteries, which can lead to
explosions when allowed to build up in a sealed compartment.
The instructions indicate that this catalyst may dislodge or
come loose due to severe impact of the battery case.
Headstraps:
The primary headstrap is pre-installed into the unit and includes two
plastic clips for holding the power wire in place. The
over-the-head strap is included, but not attached out of the box.
The straps are a soft cloth-elastic material with an
adjustment
buckle, and are attached to the lamp body and battery case through
standard hook clasps. Adjustment is a simple matter, and can
be
done with one had while wearing the unit. I attached the
over-the-head strap because I felt like the lamp would not stay in
place without it. I intend to explore this more throughout
the
period of this test series. Finally, the battery case can be
shifted left or right while wearing the unit to obtain an optimum fit.
Lamp Body:
The lamp housing is really a work of art. The front of the
unit
contains the 3-Watt LED in its center, and 2 Ultrabright LEDs on either
side. Two rubberized pressure buttons are located
directly underneath the Ultrabright LED housings and a single,
blinking light in the lower front center of the unit acts as a simple
battery meter. The power cord protrudes from the right side
of
the front lamp body. Directly behind the front lamp body is
attached a heat sink mechanism that, according to the manufacturer,
extends continual burn time of the LEDs by actively dissipating heat.
At the bottom of the entire lamp body/heatsink unit is a
hinging
system that allows the unit to be tilted by the user, and this unit is
attached to a plate that is, in turn, attached to the headstraps.
At the rear of the entire housing is a soft rubber material
that
rests against the wearer's forehead.
The rear of the entire lamp body is a rather large heat sink which,
according to the manufacturer, is the core of the unit's effectiveness.
Because LED lights put off a great deal of heat when powered
on continually, the LEDs can only burn for a certain period of time
before they overheat. Most LED headlamps use a regulating
circuit that dims the lights prior to overheating. The Apex
heat sink is intended to dissipate this heat and allow the LEDs to stay
at their full brightness level for a longer period of time.
The heat sink itself is composed of metal fins that allow
heat to exit through corresponding vents in the plastic casing.
The entire unit appears to be weather sealed to prevent water
from entering the main lamp body.
Primary
Features:
Battery Meter:
The Battery meter is a simple blinking light located under the
MaxBright LED. This light blinks (in descending order) green,
yellow and red. When the light is blinking green, this
indicates that at least 40% power remains. Yellow indicates
that less than 40% battery life remains, and finally, a red blinking
light indicates that 20 minutes of usable light remains available.
After 24 hours of last use, the light ceases to blink in order to
conserve battery power. The instruction manual
provided with the Apex indicates that the battery meter is intended
only to provide a general estimate of battery life remaining, and
shifting between different light settings and brightness levels can
cause a change in the battery meter output. The battery
meter's accuracy is also, according to the manufacturer, dependent on
both ambient air temperature and the average discharge curve of the
particular battery being used. It appears that this meter
should not be relied upon to provide an exact amount of light/power
available, but should be used as a general guideline, an issue that,
throughout the test series, I will be paying close attention.
MaxBright LED
(Spotlight):
The 3-watt MaxBright LED is located at the center of the lamp body.
The LED is housed in what is called a collimator focusing
assembly, which allows the light pattern to be focused into a spot,
rather than a flood. A rubberized button, located on the
left-hand side underneath the lamp body, operates the MaxBright LED.
When depressed once, the LED turns on in high beam mode and
another press of the button reduces the LED to low beam. When
pressed and held for about two seconds, the LED turns off.
The pattern appears to be very focused at distance and
provides a great deal of light into a concentrated area.
Ultrabright LEDs
(Floodlight):
On each side of the MaxBright LED are two Ultrabright LEDs, which when
turned on provide a flood pattern for area illumination. The
four Ultrabright LEDs operate together when activated via a rubberized
button located underneath the lamp body on the right-hand side of the
unit (opposite the MaxBright LED button). When depressed
once, the Ultrabright LEDs activate in high beam mode and, as with the
MaxBright LED, another press of the button reduces the light level to
its lowest setting. However, unlike the MaxBright LED, a
third press of the button engages the emergency strobe mode, which
blinks the four Ultrabright LEDs on and off. Finally, a
fourth press of the button turns the unit off.
Battery Types:
The instruction manual states that the Apex can be powered with regular
alkaline batteries, as well as lithium and rechargeable NiMH and
Nicad batteries. My experience with NiMH batteries is that, while
they are able to provide a longer power output, they do so at a lower
voltage across their discharge curve. The Apex instructions also
state that using both rechargeable NiMH and Nicad batteries will result
in a reduction in brightness in some modes and, according to the
instructions, may result in hydrogen build-up and potential explosion
of the battery compartment should the platinum catalyst fail.
During the test phase, I will focus my attention on the
light output of the Apex using regular alkaline and lithium cells.
I am primarily interested in the performance of lithium cells
which are stated by the manufacturer to nearly double the duration of
light operation as compared to alkalines.
This headlamp is a blow torch, and is clearly intended to
provide lighting for high-intensity night hiking and route finding.
Based on my brief use of the Apex, even at their lowest
setting, the Ultrabright LEDs provide more than enough lighting for
hiking on established trails.
|
Open
Battery Compartment
Battery Compartment Access Knob
Soft Rubber Material On the Inner
Side of the Battery Compartment
Heat Sink Behind Lamp Body Housing
High Beam Spot Lighting Pattern
High Beam Flood Lighting Pattern
|
Test Plan:
During the four-month test phase, I intend to determine answers to the following issues:
General operation:
- How
easy is it to change the batteries in the headlamp? Can it be
done easily in the dark, or with gloves on? Are the head straps
easily adjusted (also with gloves on?) and do they stay put or do they
require additional adjustment when worn for longer periods of
time? Can I take the straps off or are they permanently
attached? Does the headlamp body tilt/adjust? How easy does
the body tilt, if at all? Can I adjust the tilt of the lamp with
one hand and does it stay in place?
Comfort:
- Is the Apex is comfortable against my forehead for extended periods of time?
- Does the weight of the Apex make it feel front heavy, or is it light enough that I don't notice that it is there?
- Does the battery pack sit comfortably against my head?
- Does
the weight of the battery pack pull the headlamp towards the back of my
head, or does it appropriately balance the weight of the light housing
on my forehead?
- Does
the weight of the Apex tire my neck muscles? Does the weight lead
to excessive bouncing during fast downhill descents or when
running?
- I
also like wearing various kinds of hats both when hiking and while at
camp. I have had problems with the declination of headlamps while
wearing my baseball hat at camp and while returning to camp at
night. I would like to test whether this is the case with the
Princeton Tec Apex. Can I still throw the light beam beyond my
hat brims without noticeably reducing the usable light? Does the
brim of my hat interfere with the declination of the brim? Are
there any problems adjusting the straps quickly to fit different types
of hats (i.e. baseball, sun hat, balaclava)?
Usability:
- Does the stated light output adequately provide for the intended uses of the light during my planned trips?
- Can I easily do camp chores with the Apex as my primary source of light without stumbling through camp?
- Can
I do minimal hiking from camp at night to do things like answer the
call of nature, or filter additional water before retiring for the
night?
- Can
I just hike generally at night with the available light output,
including on and off trail? How well do the spot and flood lights
work for the above?
- Does
the proprietary lens really do a good job of maximizing light output by
balancing long throw of the beam with the flood light?
- Does the light beam achieve the stated distances and general light levels?
- Is the battery meter accurate? Does the meter accurately allow me to predict remaining light availability?
- How long do the batteries last at different light levels?
- The
Princeton Tec website states that the LED lights are regulated by an
onboard circuit to maintain light output through the duration of the
batteries. Is this accurate? Certainly this will be a
subjective test, but one that can be helpful to future potential
consumers. Does the heatsink keep the lights from overheating
during normal use? Where are the heatsinks located and do they
put off heat that might make the Apex uncomfortable to wear? How
long do the LED bulbs last? Do any of them burn out during the
four month test period for this light?
Durability:
- How well does the light body housing handled average abuse from both use and riding around in my pack?
- How
durable are the lenses and the LEDS to both dropping and pack storage
abuse? Is the plastic housing on the headlamp and the battery
pack subject to cracking or shattering?
- Do the lenses scratch easily?
- How durable are the headstraps? Can they take four months of use and pack storage without stretching or fraying?
- Does the power wire from the battery pack to the headlamp hold up to average to intense use?
- Does the power cord pull away from either the lamp body or the battery pack?
- With
regard to weatherproofness, how is the unit constructed to provide for
this feature? If the unit uses rubber "O" rings, how sturdy are
they? Do they easily crack and dry out, thereby leaving the unit
susceptible to weather damage? Are the "O" rings, if employed,
replaceable? Do they take any maintenance (i.e. rubbing glycerin
or some other lubricant on them)?
- Is the heatsink for the LED bulbs open to the air/weather/elements?
I would like to thank Princeton Tec and Backpackgeartest.org for allowing me the opportunity to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Princeton Tec gear
Read more gear reviews by Greg Mehojah
|
