FOCUSING HEADLIGHT

Focusing Headlight, retail $TBA (www.energizer.com)
Manufactured by Energizer Battery Company (www.energizer.com)
Last updated 09-10-05




The Energizer Focusing Headlight is a small flashlight that you wear on your head. It features an incandescent lamp, powered by two AA cells in its body.

Its claim to fame is that the beam is focusable from "spot" to flood, just by turning the rubberised bezel.


SIZE



To use the headlight, feed it first (see directly below), and then you can go to town.

When you first take it out of the package, you'll need to put the included straps on it. See the instructional material inside the package for that procedure - it has pictures that show you how everything fits together that I cannot furnish.

Place the headlamp - where else - on your head, and adjust the buckles so the unit fits properly.
The illuminator head is adjustable by swinging it down or up as needed; it is on a detent-equipped hinge with a fairly stiff action, so the headlamp should stay where you put it unless you hit it against something. The forehead plate has a foam rubber pad which rests against the forehead for comfort. The straps themselves are affixed to plastic loops with their centers open; this allows the straps to be removed for cleaning when necessary.

Very firmly press and then release the button on the right side of the battery box to turn the headlamp on; do the exact same thing again to turn it off. I say "very firmly" because this pushbutton has a very stiff action to it; just casual handling will not turn the unit on.

The light beam is adjustable from "spot" to flood by turning the rubber bezel clockwise or counterclockwise.


Photograph of the headlamp on some flashlight tester's head.



To change the batteries when necessary, ratchet the illuminator head down a few notches. On one side of the battery door, there is a long latch; on the other side there is a short latch. Pull outward on the long latch; you should hear a snapping sound now and the door should come off. Set it aside.

Tip the two used AA cells out of the body and into your hand, and dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.

Place two new AA cells in the body, following the polarity markings silkscreened in the inside of the battery compartment.

Place the battery door back on, orienting it so the longer of two latches on it faces the "OPEN" legend silkscreened on the outside of the battery box. Press firmly down on it until it clicks, and ratchet the illuminator head to where it was before.

Measures 220.2mA on my DMM's 400mA scale.


Sooner or later, you'll blow the blub and then have to change it.
To do this, unscrew and remove the rubber bezel, and set it aside. In the center, you'll see the lamp sticking straight out. Pull it straight out with your fingers, and dispose of it (or stomp on it if you like to hear things pop).

Insert a new lamp straight into the two holes provided for its pins; push it straight down until it stops. Screw the bezel back on, and be done with it.
Light bulbs are not yet recyclable, which is why I did not offer that option.

A spare bulb can be found inside the illuminator head, clipped into a little holder made specifically for that purpose.



Because of the headlamp's all-plastic construction, "The Smack Test" isn't all that appropriate here.

The product is advertised as being water-resistant. Let's do "The Toilet Test" and see what happens...BBS...ok, after being immersed in ~12" of water at 76°F (24.4°C) for about one minute (I used a sink this time, not a commode!), neither the bezel nor the battery box showed any obvious signs of leakage.

The headband is made from elastic (stretchy) nylon, so it should be able to go in the washer if you place it in a hoisery bag first.

The light output by this headlamp is the typical putrid yellow normally associated with Mini-Mags and similar flashlights using bipin lamps and two AA cells. The blub was also noticeably cockeyed in this sample; even with straightening, it produces an awful beam, which looks like a hollow comet in spot mode. That is, the light beam consists of a doughnut-shaped hotspot with a noticeable "tail".



Beam photo (wide) at ~12".
Measures 29cd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.



Beam photo (narrow) at ~12".
Measures 199cd on a Meterman LM631 light meter.



TEST NOTES:
Test unit was sent by a fan of the website, and were received 08-31-05.

Product was made in China. A product's country of origin really does matter to some people, which is why I published it on this web page.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: Energizer Battery Company
    PRODUCT TYPE: Headlamp
    LAMP TYPE: Bipin incandescent, 3.0 volts
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Adjustable focus from "spot" to medium flood
    SWITCH TYPE: Pushbutton on/off on side of battery case
    BEZEL: Rubber; lamp & reflector protected by plastic window
    BATTERY: 2xAA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 220.2mA
    WATER RESISTANT: Yes
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: 2xAA cells
    WARRANTY: Lifetime

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





Focusing Headlight * www.energizer.com






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