Changes

Best Running Lights

1,211 bytes added, 20:35, 8 January 2013
Highly Recommended - Petzl MYO RXP
==Highly Recommended - Petzl MYO RXP==
The [http://go.fellrnr.com/?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=LightRXP&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPetzl-E87-P2-Myo-Headlamp%2Fdp%2FB004OYTOA0 Petzl MYO RXP] is a regulated light, as described above. The light will flash a few times when the battery drops too low, which gives you some warning before it runs out of power. The RXP also support brighter output that is unregulated, which is useful when you need a lot of light for a short period of time. The regulated output can be used so that you will have power for an overnight run, and on its lowest power setting it will run for 96 hours. The RXP is also nice because it can output a very dim light. I've found this works well near dawn, where the light from the RXP on its lowest output and with the diffuser is enough to see by, but allows my eyes to adjust so that I can see a little further using the available light. I've found the RXP works well in heavy rain as long as it is in the normal position. If you run with it wrapped around your hand, the rain can get in the underside and cause problems until it dries out. The RXP uses AA batteries, so it is a little heavy, but having the batteries on the back balances things quite well. It also allows the batteries to stay warmer in cold conditions if you wear it with the back under a hat; you'll probably need two hats to make that work.
<gallery widths=400px heights=300px caption="Petzl MYO RXP" perrow="2">
File:Petzl MYO XP Full.jpg|Full view of the RXP. Note the battery pack on the rear of the strap.
File:Petzl MYO XP Close.jpg|A closer view, showing the diffuser over the light. The diffuser flips down for a spot beam. There are two controls; the level button and the high power button.
File:Petzl MYO XP Regulation.jpg|This is the chart of settings for the RXP. You can only have three levels programmed in, but you have quite a variety to choose from.
</gallery>
===MYO RXP Battery Life===
The battery life chart shown below can be a little confusing. The blue area shows the settings when the light is regulated, which keeps the lighting level constant until the battery level drop too low and then the brightness plummets. Here are some examples from the chart to help explain things.
* On setting #1, the light will give out a steady (regulated) 8 lumens for 35 hour. The total battery life is 95 hours, but from 35 hours to 95 hours it will be very dim.
* On setting #8, the light will give out a steady (regulated) 71 lumens, but only for one hour. The total battery life is 54 hours, but after the first hour the light will grow rapidly dimmer.
* On setting #10, the light will start giving out 140 lumens, but it will immediately start to grow gradually dimmer. This drop in light level will be gradual enough that it will not be immediately detectable.
* The actual battery life will depend on the batteries used and the temperature. The chart is for fresh alkaline batteries at 68f/20c, and cold weather can reduce the battery life quite a bit. Lithium batteries will last longer and rechargeable batteries will last for less time.
[[File:Petzl MYO XP Regulation.jpg|none|thumb|600px|This is the chart of settings for the RXP. You can only have three levels programmed in, but you have quite a variety to choose from.]]
 
==Highly Recommended - Petzl Tactikka XP Adapt==
The [http://go.fellrnr.com/?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=lightxpadapt&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPetzl-E89-TacTikka-Headlamp-Colored%2Fdp%2FB000JUB2QC Petzl Tactikka XP Adapt] is not as bright as the [http://go.fellrnr.com/?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=LightRXP&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPetzl-E87-P2-Myo-Headlamp%2Fdp%2FB004OYTOA0 Petzl MYO RXP], but it can be waist mounted. This works best with compression shorts/tights to prevent the light wobbling around. I've found this works far better on trails than a head mounted light. The XP Adapt uses AAA batteries, so it's lighter than the Petzl MYO RXP. If you don't need the waist mounting, then the [http://go.fellrnr.com/?id=35454X937677&xs=1&xcust=lightxp&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FPetzl-E89-PC-Tactikka-Camouflage%2Fdp%2FB000J927AS Petzl Tactikka XP] is the same light without the adapter kit, and it's quite a bit cheaper than the MYO RXP.