• Becoming a member is completely free!

    • Join the community and start contributing to a large source of sea angling information.
    • Become an active member and you can enter member exclusive competitions.

    REGISTER FOR FREE HERE

I Really Hate Headlamps

SoManyDogfishSoLittleTime

SoManyDogfishSoLittleTime

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 27, 2020
Messages
115
Reaction score
374
Points
63
Location
Ireland
Favourite Fishing
Shore
Is it me or do these things just never last?
I don't know how many €10 headlamps I have gone through over the years. Then I bought a 20 pound sterling LED Lenser headlamp which worked fine but it ran on AA batteries and I only ever got a couple of hours out of a set of batteries.
After that everyone recommended the Fenix HR65 so I bit the bullet and spent €100 to get one thinking it would last me years. From the get go it gave me bother with not charging fully, the lights dimming despite being fully charged, the lights switching between different settings etc etc. I have had it a year and a half now and I can't get it to change settings anymore and it only holds its charge for a day or so now. It got every day use cycling back from work at night.

So today I decided I would go all out and bought an LED Lenser H19 Signature for just shy of €300. If this gives me bother within the 5 years warranty then I am going back to €10 throwaway torches.
 
Lashed out around £60 on an Olight when they were 50% off. Love it. Takes 18650 rechargeable batteries, never needed to change the battery during a session, and it unclips from the headband for use as a torch.
 
It sounds like you’ve been a bit unlucky but the Fenix I would have taken back sooner and got a refund or replacement. 18 months probably out of warranty now?

Were the batteries running out on your previous cheap one just disposables? There’s a lot to be said for a quality set of rechargeables with a high MAH rating but they’ll cost you like £15-20.
 
I have the Fenix HM65R's and HM65R Shadowmasters, never had any problems with them. Very good lamps.

I also use Fenix 18650 3500 Mah rechargeable batteries, good quality.

Ian.
 
Last edited:
John Mitchell said:
To make the batteries last longer buy the best ones , and turn your head lamp off when not in use , if you keep your head lamp on all the time it won’t last long
Click to expand...
Agreed John, although my Princeton Tec will easily run on the lowest setting for two or three trips, if needs be.
If people stand there looking like they’re searching for shipwreck survivors on max power, yep they’ll get 2-3 hours at best.
And piss off every other angler within half a mile!
 
Always use my Shadowmasters on the red setting on medium, and the standard HM65R's on a medium setting, more than enough without lighting up the beach. (y)

Ian.
 
Mr Fish said:
Agreed John, although my Princeton Tec will easily run on the lowest setting for two or three trips, if needs be.
If people stand there looking like they’re searching for shipwreck survivors on max power, yep they’ll get 2-3 hours at best.
And piss off every other angler within half a mile!
Click to expand...
That’s why all anglers should get a bell on their rod tips..👍
 
I had a speleo for ten years and when that gave up I bought a lupine. My lamps get loads of use and I noticed after about four years my lupine battery runtime was about 75%. I bought another battery and have the old one as a back up. I also carry a fenix shadow master, just in case.
 
Back
Top