Princeton Tec  Byte Headlamp

If you are looking for a headlamp with a usable red LED this is not the light for you. If you plan on doing chores around camp at night or check the deck of your kayak during a night paddle, the red LED is far too dim. Even the PTEC red key chain light is much brighter than this. The red LED is simply not a usable feature on this headlamp. The single white LED is certainly bright enough at 35 lumens and using only 2 AAA batteries allows for a compact unit [why not a single AA battery?]. Advertised battery life appears to be very good and the price is reasonable. Since I purchased this headlamp specifically for the red LED feature, I will probably return it.

I bought this because I thought it would be cheaper to operate than my Petzl e+LITE which uses CR2032s. I have not been able to get much more than one evening's camping out of a brand new set of AAAs. It's supposed to burn for 146 hours on red (which is how I use it most often) 96 on low and 80 hours on high - that's over 3 day of constant on using the high setting. I use I can only get about 3 or 4 hours tops using it mostly on low or red. I checked the most recent set of "dead" batteries today on a multi-meter. They're still putting out almost 1.3 volts and the lamp is non-functional. The features are great, but I can't carry enough batteries to feed it. It would also be nice it it could go directly from red to off (without opening the battery compartment). Maybe mine is defective.

I bought this the first time for camping and taking pre-dawn training walks because it was the best price for the number of lumens. As soon as weather got chilly (below 40 degrees F) the switch started cycling from Red to Normal to Bright on a single press and then it settled on a Dim setting and WOULD NOT TURN OFF. I returned the faulty one to REI, swapped for the same model. After about 2 weeks the second one also malfunctioned and would not shut off unless I opened the battery compartment.

I experienced the same problem as AnnPScouter in the above post. I bought this for camping in the Mojave after around 8 hours of use the switch started cycling from Red to Normal to Bright on a single press and then it settled on a Dim setting and would not turn off. I returned the faulty one to REI, swapped for the same model. After about 4 days the second one also malfunctioned and would not shut off unless I opened the battery compartment.

I was given this as a gift. I used it for two weeks and not even in the field. It never got wet but one day it started having seizures. It would flicker and then go into a half on/half off coma. The only way to turn it off was to take the batteries out. When putting the batteries back in either you get the on/off coma again or its just dead. And yes it did eat through batteries quickly when it was working.

Pros: Light weight (1.9 oz w/lithium vs. my EOS—3.7 oz w/lithium), plenty of light (in white) for most activities, Red and white LEDs, Easy battery changes, Low cost. Cons: Red LED should have a narrower (vs. wide angle) beam for night walking, switch not as easy to use/find (by feel) in the dark, switch should default to 'off' after using light—vs. going through all the options, Switch options: only one red LED setting and 2 white LED settings. Overall a great light for the $$$ that I will use more than the EOS. I would gladly pay more for an upgraded version (Byte II?): More efficient and brighter LEDs, Narrower beam for the Red LED, better switch design and no increase in weight. Note: If you ever have to hike in fog/mist at night, a red LED is a must—white light will greatly limit your view vs. red light. A red LED is also much more efficient than a red lens over a white LED.