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I have received a number of requests over the years
for reviews of bicycle headlights. Since this is a flashlight
review site and not a bicycle review site I don't feel
all that qualified to take on a lot of bicycle headlight
reviews. The folks at AmondoTech were excited about
this new headlight so I'm going to give it a shot.
I do have some mountain biking experience so I'll have
to drag out the old Mongoose, pump up the tires, and
see how much damage I can do to my body on the dirt
slopes near our neighborhood. Until I can do so, the
rating is based upon it's "flashlight" features,
not "field testing" experience. I'll update
once I get a chance to take it out.
This particular light uses a Luxeon 1 side emitter
powered by 3 AA alkaline cells. The runtime graph revealed
that there is a regulator circuit inside to maintain
output for several hours. It is removable from its mount
and swivels left to right. It has 2 modes of operation.
First is a steady beam, next is a strobe-like flash.
The body of the light is plastic and is a form factor
which looks similar to other bikelights I've seen. Slightly
oval in appearance with a removable mount on the bottom.
The handlebar clamp is secured by a screw-clamp and
a rubber grip ring. You remove the headlight from the
clamp by pulling out on the release lever. This headlamp
is also able to pivot side to side at the connection
point with a ratcheting toothed ring holding it in place
at the various stops. On top of the light, near the
switch, is a green LED that lights up when the bike
light is in use. I'm not quite sure what purpose this
LED serves...
The light has an automotive-headlamp type diffuser
on the front. A single Luxeon I LED runs on 3 AA cells and
provides ample light which rivals my CatEye 2-C cell incandescent
bike light. Since we're using an LED instead of an incandescent
bulb, we shouldn't have to worry about jarring from the
front wheel and fork blowing the bulb.
Output provided by the light is a wide oval beam with
good sidespill. The left and right edges of the beam
have some weird artifacts from the diffuser but it provides
good coverage of the road in front of the user. The
warning strobe is a very rapid bright flash and should
serve well as an indicator to oncoming traffic that
there is a bicycle on the road.
Beam at one meter at target center and at target edge
to show spillbeam.
Runtime Plot: Nice! Good output maintenance for the
first 3 full hours. Having a regulator in there was
unexpected, but the curve shows it's there. After the
first 3 hours, you get a steady decline for the next
2½ hours before a rapid dropoff.
Runtime
completed with "Energizer" batteries. More
information on runtime plots is available HERE.
The switch is a simple rubber covered clickie switch.
Click once for on, a second time for the strobe-flash
option, and once again for off. In front of the switch
you can see the little port for viewing the green LED
that turns on when the light is on. I think it may be
a battery level indicator - I'll run some tests to find
out.
The front of the light is completely sealed and the
battery compartment has a rubber seal all the way around.
I'd give it a "Dunkable" rating. Intentional submersion should
be avoided. If it gets wet inside, disassemble as much as
possible without tools and allow to dry before using again.
Ergonomics: Well, this section doesn't really apply since
it should be mounted to your handlebars. If
you have a finger available, you can turn it on and off.
Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light
3 AA cells power the light. A large thumbscrew on the
back of the light allows the entire rear of the light to
be opened up. Place the outer 2 cells in negative first, the
inner cell positive first. Reattach the rear plate, tightening
the thumbscrew well.
 
Mounting: Mounting the light to the handlebars is very
easy. Remove the thumbscrew at the bottom. Place the
rubber grip on the handlebars and stretch the clamp
over the rubber grip. Reattach the thumbscrew and tighten.
The light should be mounted as vertical as possible
to prevent the light from rotating at its pivot point
accidentally.
What I Liked: Water resistant,
Tough/impact resistant, Regulated/long battery life,
Bright, Easy battery change, Steady on and warning strobe
mode.
What I Didn't Like: Not much at
all.
Other Things I Noticed: The light pivots a bit easily
for my liking and I see no way to tighten up the pivot point.
As a result it may be better to use this headlight for on-road
applications where there won't be as many opportunities for
the handlebars to torque to one side or the other and possibly
cause the headlight to turn.
Conclusions: To be determined pending
field testing.
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