new headlamp -- 4.5v battery??

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giggy

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Hikin' the scree on Shasta....
hi all - I got a new headlamp and it takes a 4.5 volt battery. any clue where to buy these? And - I am right in that you have "plug" the wires into this. My prevoius 2 headlamps took aa batteries - so this is a new deal for me and my battery knowledge is limited to what you can buy in CVS!!

My new lamp is the petzl arctic if thiss helps.
 
Hey, it's just a big block of a 4.5 battery, about the size of a Powerbar folded over (they don't fold though do they). REI has them, and I'm sure many other places do too. You just stick your 2 wires onto the 2 bare metal tabs on the battery.

Note that if you would rather carry AA's (so your spares are available for other gadgets), Petzel does have an adapter that holds 3 AA's and sits in that pouch.
 
4-5battery.jpg


That's what the 4.5 flat cell looks like.

However, you can get an adaptor to use 3 AA batteries. The cell though does give you a much longer life.

3 x 1.5V AA batteries = 4.5V

Jay
 
Seema,

I had an Artic with me in Baxter - I could have shown you right there!

You just bend up the tabs and slide on the wires. I use a big rubber band to then hold them down flat.

It may seem kind of hokey - it just is that way. I don't know why they didn't design something better.

BTW - you want the halogen bulb. You will get only 3 hours of life out of it but it is a zillion times brighter and better than the plain bulb. Keep the plain one as the backup.
 
Giggy,
If you aren't using Halogen, AAA's have a pretty good lifetime and in the long run, seem cheaper than the 4.5's.

However, in winter, or with Halogen, You probably want to stick with the 4.5's. I usually buy 2-3 of them at the October EMS 20% off sale, because they are pricey - Around $7.50 each.

I do find that with the 4.5's they tend not to die out right away when weak - especially in winter, They just keep getting dimmer - Like a long slow drain.

When this occurs, I replace them with a new battery and knowing there is a little life in the old one, I label it with a piece of tape and store it in my gear box to be used for warm weather trips - they seem to work fine for another half dozen hours or so.

Note, This doesn't really apply if you use the Arctic, as it can be kept warmer in the winter.
 
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I used one of those 4,5 V headlamps (Petzl) for years and got tired of the weight, cost and dim bulbs that Rick just mentioned. However, with a halogen bulb and a brand new battery you can sure light up the night!

FWIW:
I just got a Black Diamond super bright LED that uses 2 AA's and to my surprise it's just as bright as my old Petzl. It was perfect for skiing trails at night and spotting deadfall :eek: ahead. The bulb stays fully bright until the batteries are totally dead. There's a tiny little flashing light that changes colour as the batteries get used up.
 
Neil said:
I just got a Black Diamond super bright LED that uses 2 AA's and to my surprise it's just as bright as my old Petzl. It was perfect for skiing trails at night and spotting deadfall :eek: ahead. The bulb stays fully bright until the batteries are totally dead. There's a tiny little flashing light that changes colour as the batteries get used up.

Keeping the intensity at full brightness until the end depends on having a regulator circuit or the battery type. White LEDs require a minimum of about 4V--any light using less than 3 alkaline cells (4.5V) or 2 lithium button cells (6V) requires a voltage step-up circuit which can incorporate a regulator to keep the brightness constant as the cells age. Lithium, NiMH and NiCad cells have a rectangular discharge curve (fairly constant voltage til the end) will also tend to keep a constant intensity. The voltage of alkaline cells drops as they discharge so, unless there is a regulator circuit, the intensity will drop as the cells age.

FWIW, my current favorite headlamps are Princeton Tec Yukon HL (1W LED focusable high, 3 LED flood low, 3 AA) for night skiing or route finding and Priceton Tech Aurora (3 LED flood, 3 intensities, 3 AAA) for trail hiking and camping. I use alkaline, NiMH, or lithium cells and carry lithiums as spares.
One advantage of going all LED--no worries about bulbs.

BTW, the Petzl 4.5V battery is alkaline.

Doug
 
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The Mountaineer in Keene Valley has those batteries.
 
I used that battery for years, now using LED, much cheaper and the batteries last forever.
 
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