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Reviews > Lighting > Headlamps - LED > Princeton Tec Quad > Karl Fuderer > Long Term ReportLong Term Report: Princeton Tec Quad
Over the last few months, the Princeton Tec Quad has been a vitally important item on my list of essential gear for whenever I go backpacking, hiking, trekking or climbing, to name a few among a long list of other times it has helped me when nothing else could have. I have done more outdoor recreational travel on foot in the last 3 months than in the prior 8 months. Most of my travels have been in the South Western areas of Western Australia, spending a considerable amount of time in and around Albany. The Stirling Range Ridge Walk, an extremely challenging mountainous 2-3 day trail / climb is included in my recent achievements. Introduction: Since my last report several developments have come into my awareness regarding my Princeton Tec Quad. Firstly, and most importantly, the Quad that was shipped to me arrived defective, with the LEDs being partly powered even when the device was off with the batteries still inside. It is believed that this is due to a faulty regulator in the electrical switch that turns the headlamp on and off. Despite this, I have continued to run tests on it, although I have become overconscious that my results are somewhat invalid due to the fault. Secondly, I have noticed that the low battery indicator only flashes when the headlamp is turned off. It is a small red LED directly below the centre of the row of larger LEDs seen in the photo. It occurred to me that the flashing red light would be just as noticable in a completely dark environment at night as the fault phenomenon is on my defective headlamp, but also realized that when the batteries are not low it would be more difficult to find in a dark environment. This seems to confirm Murphy's law that when you need something and you can find it, it doesn't work; and when you know it works you can't find it. Lastly, it has been pointed out to me that the phenomenon that makes the lamp suddenly shut off, and when it is turned back on it will shut off again after a shorter period than the time before, is due to a normal symptom experienced by all modern batteries that involves a build up of heat reserving some of the electrical energy stored in the battery, and as the battery cools down that energy goes back into the usable reservoir in the battery. It was also pointed out that the light shuts off suddenly because of the power regulator in the switch, which in my case is the part that is faulty. The electrical engineer I spoke to about this told me that this regulator works to keep the output of light constant regardless of the volume of energy in the battery's reservoir, until such time as it is no longer able. From this I figured it would be fair to say that the output of light from the lamp with brand new batteries should be the same as batteries almost empty, but not empty enough to be failing yet. After careful testing I can say with reasonable confidence that this is also not true. The brightness seemed slightly, yet noticeably, more illuminating with new batteries than with almost expended batteries. Now considering that I was at this time well aware that the results may be tainted by the faulty regulator, I decided to run extensive tests on my other headlamp, that works perfectly. I came to the same results as with the Quad, but with a greater degree of noticeable difference between the new and old batteries. I can only presume that the regulator in the Quad is of a more advanced quality, and this theory is supported by the fact that the Quad is newer in both design and actual age since manufacturing. This led me to deduce that perhaps the regulator is the part of the headlamp that ages fastest, which presents me with an additional problem. If my regulator is already faulty, and has been since being received from the manufacturer, how long will it last? Will it fail when I need it most? Can I trust it to work? If not, should I even bother bringing it with me when I go on hiking trips? Treatment Received: It seemed like this test got off to a great start, with my initial report being very thorough and inquisitive, posing many potential questions and points of focus or interest. My field report was more experiential, getting to know the headlamp as part of my normal gear set, becoming accustomed to it, learning some of it's features, and answering a few of the questions posed earlier. In this long term report I have started to become very critical of the Quad, after having experienced the many problems I have had with it. This is still overshadowed by the enormous benefits I've had with it, the service it has provided me, and the value I have gained from its presence. Critical Analysis: This next section is not an exact copy of the text displayed in my initial report and field report, but it's close to it. The opening statement is the same, as are all the questions posed, but some of the answers have been updated to reflect my new and improved awareness of the Princeton Tec Quad. Given that I currently own a headlamp of very similar design and functionality, I have a nice foundation from which to create my point of view. My other headlamp is the first and only headlamp I have ever owned, and the first I have ever used, so although I don't have experience with an extensive range of similar products, my experience using my first headlamp for over 3 months continuously in the kinds of environments these lamps are designed for, gives me a broad base to conduct accurate, extensive tests on the Quad. My first role to engage in is to get a perspective of the variety of similar products available by window shopping. While doing this, I will be spending large amounts of time in the bush using and comparing both headlamps in every way I can. I intend to answer the questions below, while being used in rough, punishing environments including the South West subtropical forests and the Northern deserts of Western Australia, and intense humidity of the Northern Territory. Over the next 3 months I will be mostly in the South West of WA, on the Bibbulmun Track and other tracks in the south west. Conditions are expected to be between 100 and 600 m (300 to 2000 ft) above sea level, on well-defined tracks in SW Western Australia surrounded by sparse trees and semi-dense low-lying shrub. Temperatures range from –14 C (7 F) on the coldest night to 35 C (95 F) on the hottest day, with averages ranging from 0 C (32 F) at night to 23 C (73 F) in daylight. Test Questions and Answers: Q: Is the Quad really as good as the website indicates? A: In some ways yes. In other ways no. As mentioned in earlier reports, most of the contributing factors that make a headlamp good are present in this one, however it also has some flaws. Some of the flaws are generic of all headlamps, and so are unavoidable; some can be credited to assembly of particular headlamps, and are thus not true for all Quads; and most can be considered a positive or negative characteristic depending on perspective. Q: Which feature makes the Quad stand out above all others? A: So far the best feature I've experienced is the brightness to weight ratio. Q: Can they safely accept such high pressures without breaking, such as under water? A: So far I have managed to apply a medium amount of pressure to the housing, so it's looking good. I have tested it in heavy rain, but not submerged. Q: What actually happens when too much pressure is applied to the housing? A: Unknown as yet. As it is made of a polymer, I would expect the housing to first crack, then shatter, if it were hit with a hammer, but I have no intention or desire to test my theory. Q: Is the band durable enough to withstand tearing, thrashing and pull tension attempts? A: The band is durable enough to withstand being stretched to its maximum elasticity, for an unknown amount of time, before the internal fibres of elastomer begin to fracture. This fracturing would be accelerated if it were stretched beyond its elastic boundaries. Again, I have no intention or desire to test my theory. Q: How easy is it to turn on and off, and change the brightness setting? A: Relatively easy. All functions are routed through a single button on the top of the housing, covered in bright orange/yellow rubber. To select a setting the user must cycle through the settings by repeatedly pressing the button. After a delay, pressing the button will only turn off the headlamp. Q: How much time does it take to select a desired setting? A: Any selection should take no more than 10 seconds to select. Q: How quickly can it be put on and taken off? A: It shouldn't take more than 2 seconds to pull the band over the top of one's head. Q: If the headlamp is worn for long periods in heat, the elastic band will absorb sweat and retain body odor. Given that the housing is waterproof to 1 m (3.2 ft) and impact resistant, can it be safely washed in a standard washing machine? If not, can the band be removed from the housing so the band can be washed? A: The impact the housing would suffer as a result of being washed in a washing machine would be too great I expect, potentially causing the cracks mentioned above. The band is secured to the housing by polymer extrusions that are part of the housing mould. There is a narrow channel between the ends of the two extrusions where the band can be squashed through to allow removal. There are 2 plastic clips on the band that cannot be removed, but they contain no electronics and appear to be of stronger shape and thickness to allow for more punishing treatment. I have not yet put it through the washing machine. Q: Are the instructions for safe use applicable, informative and relevant? A: The instructions for general use, including how to turn on and off, are printed in bold, simplified English on the back of the original shelf packaging. Once this is no longer available to the user, operation is relatively straight forward, but not explained anywhere on or in the housing Q: How easy are they to turn on in the dark, or with one hand? A: Very easy. Given that the product is designed for exactly that purpose, and while I am well accustomed to operating headlamps in the dark and with one hand, and that the difference to this one is negligible, I found it second nature. Q: Is it easy to load the housing with batteries? A: Yes. A lot easier than my other headlamp. The battery compartment is secured to the rest of the housing with a screw. The head of the screw is of flathead design, and extra wide groove, to allow for the unscrewing with any common pocket knife. The circumference of the head is also serrated, to allow the loader to unscrew with their fingertips. The entire loading or reloading process usually takes between 30 and 90 seconds. Q: How easy is it to change the downward directional angle of the housing? A: Easy. I found the adjustment feature to be slightly easier to change from one downward angle to another compared to my other headlamp. This is because the downward angle is held in place with grooves in the plastic of the housing, and the mount. Q: Does it stay in position when being used? A: Yes. When worn, the elastic band is tight enough to prevent lateral movement, and the grooves in the housing are still new enough to prevent unintended vertical movement. These grooves will wear over time, and cannot be replaced or re-grooved. Q: Does the adjustment mechanism jam or clog up? A: Only when foreign objects are wedged into the mechanism, such as sand. Q: Can the sealing mechanism be safely cleaned? A: Yes, by rinsing with water, or if the object is securely stuck a pin or needle can be used to prick it out. Previous experience with this situation when cleaning housing mechanisms leads me to believe that submerging it in water can be done given it is waterproof, but it is more effective to clean under running water like a tap. Q: How well do the angle settings on the adjustment mechanism wear over time? A: Over time these grooves are wearing down, as with my other headlamp, and this is to be expected. The wear to date is noticeable, but very minimal. Q: Does headlamp light reflect off the lamp at close range to spot it among gear? A: Somewhat. A significant amount is absorbed by it's black/grey color, but if the on/off/setting button is in a visible position the orange rubber is quite visible. Also, the L.E.D. cavity is reflective silver with a clear plastic cover, both of which can be very reflective. Q: How easily are they to see in the dark from a distance? A: Reasonably Easy, although this is proven to be a malfunction and not part of the design specifications. The L.E.D. regulator in the housing has been altered somehow to allow a small current of the battery electricity to run into the L.E.D.s, making them visible in a completely dark environment. The minimalist glow emitted is invisible in well lit environments, but makes an excellent addition to it's variety of features. My other headlamp has no such feature. Q: How small can the headlamp be compressed when not in use? A: Reasonably small. It is safe to fold the band at any place, including the clips and sewn seals, but is most effective when tightly rolled or wrapped around the housing. Refer to Product Specifics for accurate measurements of size. Q: How much does the general appearance of the headlamp change after the first few times it is used from the "new" look? A: When new, the housing material appears almost perfect black, with no blemishes or striations. After using them in the bush the appearance is very similar to new, with a few small scratches and a bit of dust and dirt on both the housing and the band. Just normal wear in my opinion. The polymer housing seems to resist blemishes, or at least reduces the significance of any blemishes.
Cleaning with running tap water and drip drying after the bush test brought it back to a like new conditions. Summary: I have a few concerns about Princeton Tec, and the Quad. Firstly, given that my Quad was selected by the manufacturer as a test subject, and it turned out to be faulty seems to indicate that either they place slightly less importance on quality control then they do on feature research and development, or production output at the factory. The good news is that all products like this are covered under a mandatory manufacturer's warranty, that guarantees if a defective product is shipped to a customer, it can be returned and either get money refunded or a replacement item reissued. I am also concerned about the functionality of the low battery indicator. Perhaps the next model could have two colors for the flashing indicator, green for "OK", and red for "replacement needed", as this would double as a visibility assistant in the dark. It may also be desirable to be able to deactivate the indicator, for those who have no need for such things. A switch could be hidden inside the housing, behind the batteries. Also I have concerns that the vertical directional adjustment grooves, being polycarbonate, will wear too quickly. Perhaps the same exact design could be created in future models, with that area being coated with a thin film of aluminum reinforcement to slow down the wearing of that feature. I find that the additional polycarbonate clip on the headband makes it more uncomfortable to wear then I prefer, and I strongly suggest that future models somehow incorporate the longer headband adjustability into a single small clip for increased comfort. Lastly I recognize that, like all hiking gear, headlamps must be made of colors that will present similar to the appearance of new regardless of how dirty they become, however black is difficult to see in the dark, even with the low battery indicator flashing. Instead I suggest using a color that is a little easier to see in the dark, while simultaneously being of presentable appearance when dirty. Perhaps something with a reflective thread interwoven in the nylon elastic strap would be effective. I like that the Quad sits facing perfectly horizontal when placed on a flat surface, which means it can be used as a torch for map reading and the like around a table or desk. Turn it on, put it down and forget. I like that the Quad has a low battery indicator, and suggest more R&D be placed on improving this feature. I like that the headband accommodates large skull sizes, particularly in that it even fits people with much larger heads than me with exclamations that it is "quite comfortable." I like that the on/off button is bright yellowish orange, and that the screw holding the batteries in place is both serrated and of flathead screw design, able to be undone with a fingernail. I like that once the cover is off, the batteries are easy to remove from their seating, and that the indicator regarding which way to place the battery terminals is very clear and easy to read. I like that the housing is waterproof, and that it is made of impact resistant polycarbonate. Pros: Easy to activate and deactivate Durable Waterproof housing Low battery indicator Long, easily adjustable band for big skulls Easy to put on and take off of my head Long burn time Ultra bright L.E.D.s for really lighting the way Wide beam for improving peripheral vision Lightweight Cons: Faulty LED regulator, reducing standby time in exchange for glow in the dark feature Relatively large housing Annoying having to cycle through brightness settings Clips on band are uncomfortable Angle selector positions less than solid Low battery indicator ineffective L.E.D. function stinted when nearing end of battery life Difficult to unscrew battery cavity for reload in dark
Read more reviews of Princeton Tec gear Read more gear reviews by Karl Daniel Fuderer Reviews > Lighting > Headlamps - LED > Princeton Tec Quad > Karl Fuderer > Long Term Report | |||
