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Reviewer's
Impressions:
Having never reviewed a headlamp before, I found
this device to be rather unique and interesting. The idea
of not having to hold a light in your hands while working
has its merits.
When you first get the headlamp it may take
a little while for you to adjust the straps to get it "just
right", but this should be a one-time thing. If more
than one person in your family needs the headlamp, I would
suggest you get one for each person so as to avoid constant
re-adjustment of the straps prior to use.
When using this device I noticed that both the
battery compartment and the bezel ratchet outward as you adjust
the headlamp angle downward. This caused a definate "topheavy"
off-balance feeling on my head. Although this didn't really
affect functionality, it might do better to have just the
bezel tilt outward while the batteries remain tight against
the head. Although, with this design, the light does not have
any remote wires leading from the bezel to the batteries that
could get caught or broken.
One thing that I found strange was that although
this light and the Lightwave 2000 both use the same number
of batteries and the bezels are interchangable, the headlamp
bezel only put out 54 lumens/meter², where the Lightwave
2000 bezel put out 64 lumens/meter². The Lightwave 2000
was noticably brighter.
The main problem I found with this light was
the same problem I found with the Lightwave 2000. When you
rotate the bezel to turn the light off, less than 1 turn later
the bezel falls off in your hand. This is suprisingly easy
to do as there is very little resistance when turning the
bezel. Although it is easy to turn on and off with one hand
as a result, in my mind this poses too much of a risk for
loss. It would be advisable to stow the whole thing away when
not in use so the bezel does not become lost or add a thicker
O-ring to increase the turning resistance.
The lack of a voltage regulation IC is suprising.
There seems to be plenty of room in the head of the light
for a regulation circuit that would keep the light running
at nearly the same brightness throughout the useful battery
life. As-is, the light will dim significantly as the batteries
are depleted.
All-in-all the Lightwave Illuminator is a pretty
nice light, generally well constructed and designed. I am
giving it 3 Stars for now, because of the possibility of bezel
loss. As I use it, my opinion may change and I will update
as appropriate.
+ + + Pluses: Long battery life, easy
battery change, watertight, good headstraps, no wires
- - - Minuses: Possibility of bezel loss,
no voltage regulation for constant brightness
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