Members may be interested in the new caving now available on the market - myself and several friends based in Shropshire have bought the lamps and I would recommend them for consideration. They are not cheap at £130 but when you consider the weight often inconvenience of |Oldham lamps who need constant TLC etc.
Below are extracts from their website
LED caving lamp - product features information
The main product features of this LED caving lamp are:
a.. Performance: Bright (2500-3000Lux) focused beam with up to 15 hours running time from full charge, usage life 1200 cycles (reasonable usage).
b.. Reliability: High strength, lightweight housing, solid-state LED light source with high efficiency current controlled drive circuit.
c.. Convenience: Unique charger design allows the maintenance-free Li-ion battery to be topped up at any time and ensures it cannot be overcharged.
d.. Safety: The ultra bright white LED head lamp is in a fully sealed, anti-static housing with short-circuit protection - making it virtually explosion-proof and ideal for use in mine exploration as well as caving.
e.. Durability: Glass front lens - doesn't scratch like the plastic lenses on some other caving lamps.
f.. Environmental: Uses a long-lived rechargeable Li-ion battery - more environmentally friendly than disposable batteries.
g.. Size and Weight: Compact, lightweight, convenient belt-mounted battery pack measures just 76x31x79mm and fits onto a standard 40mm wide belt. The whole unit weighs just 550g.
Technical specification
Features
Specifications
Rated capacity
5Ah (Lithium-ion battery)
Rated voltage
3.6V
Continuous discharging time
15 hrs
Main light LED Working voltage
3.2V
Main light LED Working current
0.35A
Main light Power
1W
Main light Luminous flux
50Lm
Main lamp brightness (fully charged)
2500-3000Lux (distance in 1m)
Main light usage life
30,000 hrs
Accessory light Power
0.4W
Accessory light Usage life hour
100,000 hrs
Short circuit protect time
15 ms
Usage duration of battery (recharges)
1200 recharges (in reasonable working condition)
Charging time
Approximately 12 hrs
Dimensions
76x31x79mm (size of the Li-ion battery)
Total Weight
550g
User guide
1.. No need for initial charging regime or "cycling" of the high power Li-ion battery - the lamp can be used immediately. (Charge fully before going caving though!)
2.. Smart-charger uses constant-current up to ~70% charge (charge indicator LED is red), then switches to constant voltage charging until lamp is fully charged (charge indicator LED is green). The charger then powers-off. This prevents over charging and allows the battery to be topped up at any time.
Daily maintenance
1.. In case of short-circuit, the protection circuit will cut off the power in an instant. After the short-circuit problem is resolved, re-switching on of the lamp restores functionality.
2.. This LED caving lamp should not be used or stored at temperatures over 60ºC. Store in a cool, dry place. For long-term storage charge the battery to approx. 50% charge twice a year.
Wye Valley Associates Ltd
Unit 8, Dimple Rd. Business Centre
Matlock
Derbyshire DE4 3JX
t: +44 (0) 1629 582666
e: [log in to unmask]
NEW!! - read the gear review in Descent Issue 191 (August/September 2006).
The best LED caving lamp yet?
This revolutionary new LED caving lamp is ideal for caving (speleology/spelunking) and mine exploration. Robust, portable and lightweight, with traditionally-favoured through-the-headset charging, it features an incredibly small maintenance-free rechargeable Li-ion battery in an anti-static housing. The primary light source is a powerful 1W ultra bright white LED, backed up by 6 mini LEDs giving a 0.4W pilot light. With up to 15 hours burn time and the headset, cable and battery totalling a miserly 550g in weight, its performance compares admirably with leading brands - but at a fraction of the price. For user comments on this new LED caplamp please visit our testimonials page.
This new caving lamp is available to buy direct from us for just £130 - this price includes headset, battery and charger. Next day delivery (within the UK only) is charged at just £10 per lamp ordered (maximum of 4 lamps per order).
Ideal for cave and mine exploration
This LED light provides a bright, reliable source of lighting for caving (speleology/spelunking) and mine exploration. The Lithium-ion battery pack is both compact and lightweight, with excellent water resistance, and fits snugly onto a standard 40mm wide battery belt. The main light source, a 1W ultra bright white LED mounted within a robust headset, gives an impressively bright, focussed beam that truly outshines its competitors.
a.. Lightweight belt-mounted battery pack
b.. High quality rechargeable Li-ion battery
c.. Bright focussed beam - powerful 1W ultra bright white LED
d.. Up to 15 hours burn time on main beam
e.. Water-resistant, anti-static battery case
f.. Incredible value for money
For New and Used Mining, IA and Caving books www.moorebooks.co.uk
( please note there will be regular updates as I have many books in stock not yet listed)
BRITISH MINING DATABASE
http://britishmining.org.uk
SHROPSHIRE MINES TRUST
http://shropshiremines.org.uk
SNAILBEACH MINE
http://snailbeachmine.org.uk
TANKERVILLE MINE
http://shropshiremines.org.uk/tankerville/tankerville.htm
NAMHO CONFERENCE 2006
http://namhoconference.org.uk
MINES IN CYPRUS
http://shropshiremines.org.uk/cyprus/cyprus.htm
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