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Detailed
Information:
The Black Diamond Polar Star is obviously intended
for cold weather use. The separate battery box allows
the user to keep the batteries warm under the clothing.
The body of the headlamp is divided into two main parts:
the bezel and the battery box. The bezel is made of
translucent purple plastic with a rubber focusing ring
surrounding the lens. On the top right side of the bezel
the cable connecting the bezel to the battery box exits
the bezel through a rubber grommet and over the user's
head, connected to the strap by two clips. The grommet
prevents wear on the cable and also provides a water-resistant
seal. The bezel is attached to a plastic forehead plate
by a large slotted bolt which will accept a small coin
or screwdriver for adjusting the tension of the tilting
action. The bezel can be tilted 90 degrees from straight
out to straight down. On the back of the plate is a
rubber disk which serves as a cushion. The strap runs
between the cushion and the head of the user.
Inside the bezel you will find a single LED and the
incandescent bulb. The reflector is textured to prevent
the appearance of artifacts such as dark splotches in
the beam when the light is focused.
Runtime and range vary depending upon which incandescent
bulb is placed in the lamp.
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Bulb Type
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Advertised Range
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Advertised Runtime
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Long Life
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70 meters
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7 hours
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Bright
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100 meters
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3.5 hours
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Super Bright
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140 meters
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2.5 hours
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The single LED gives a 10 meter range and 1000 hours
advertised runtime. There is no regulation circuitry
in the headlamp, so output diminishes over time.
To change the incandescent bulb, you simply unscrew
the bezel to expose the lamp. To focus the bulb, twist
the rubber focus ring to achieve the desired beam. The
LED never needs to be changed. The headlamp comes fitted
with a "long life" bulb. A spare "bright"
bulb is supposed to be included stored in the battery
box, but based on the color coding on their website,
it appears that a "superbright" bulb may have
come in the battery box instead.
The switch is underneath the bezel and
is easy to operate with the thumb when grasping the
bezel. First click turns the LED on, second click is
off, third click turns the incandescent bulb on, and
the fourth click turns it off again.
The straps are elastic and are fully adjustable. The
strap attachment points on the bezel are slotted so
that the straps can be removed for cleaning or replacement.
The battery box is formed from two pieces - a hard
plastic outer section which holds the batteries and
spare bulb, and a rubber cover which seals the battery
compartment. There is a very tight strap that wraps
around the battery box and passes through two slots
to hold the battery box lid on. To open the battery
box it is necessary to either remove the strap or slide
the rubber cover out from under the strap. Removing
the strap proved very difficult despite the fact that
the slots have cuts to allow removal of the strap. If
the strap is left on you must work around it as you
replace the batteries. After changing the batteries,
fit the rubber cover back onto the plastic box and press
on it all the way around its edge to ensure a tight
seal. Replace the elastic strap if necessary. The headlamp
will accept lithium AA 1.5 volt batteries for better
cold weather performance.
 
The battery box is designed to hang around the user's
neck from an included strap. The box has 1/2 of a quick
release buckle attached to its top by a short strap.
The neck strap has the other half. The neck strap also
has a quick release buckle for quick removal from the
user's neck and is fully adjustable. Likewise, the battery
box could just be kept in an inner pocket, foregoing
the use of the neck strap.
The light takes 3 AA batteries which are held in the
battery box vertically. Batteries are not included.
What I Liked:
I liked the fact that the headlamp is
water resistant, has both LED and incandescent in one
light, and has multiple incandescent bulb options depending
upon your needs. It felt a little strange without the
battery box in the back to balance the bezel, but this
did make it very comfortable on the neck muscles. The
switch on the bottom of the bezel is very easy to operate.
Adjusting the tension on the tilt mechanism is very
easy.
What I Didn't Like:
Changing the batteries is a huge pain
in the butt. Sorry, but there's no easy way to put it.
The strap on the battery box doesn't want to come off
through the slots in the keepers, so you are left with
leaving it in your way as you slide the rubber cover
out from underneath it. I can't imagine trying to accomplish
a battery change with cold weather gloves on.
Other Things I Noticed:
The focus mechanism for the incandescent
bulb is smooth but has very little range. I don't think
you'll need to do a lot of focusing since you have the
LED for close up work anyway. I would prefer if you
could turn the LEDs and incandescent on separately so
that you didn't have to cycle through one setting to
get to the other, but this is a minor inconvenience.
Conclusions:
For cold weather use, the Polar Star should
serve fairly well. If you are not going to be using
the headlamp for cold weather sports, consider the Black
Diamond Gemini or the Black Diamond Supernova instead.
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