Customer Reviews

Rayovac SE1WHLT-B Sportsman Xtreme 1-Watt Multi Function 4LED Headlight With Diffuser

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i am on my second sportsman xtreme headlight. the first one lasted for a couple of years being used primarily for nighttime jogging in a poorly to non-lit area.

the 40 or 50 lumens from the LED white spot would place a round beam of light bright enough to where i would never have to worry about tripping over anything and would allow me to see the eyes of nocturnal creatures in the woods i ran alongside.

with the diffuser slid over the spot the light makes a handy task-light for dark spaces or taking out trash cans at night providing a broader field of light.

the unit also has a red or blue led for emergency applications.

the only problem i had was eventually the axle that the light housing rotated on for level adjustment broke or lost tension ( i solved this by using a cable tie around the light housing)...i may have dropped it one too many times and i tightened the battery lid down to much cracking the lid.

a single AA battery seemed to provide a few hours of light.

all in all flexible headlight with good battery life at a reasonable price. recommended.

I bought this light for backpacking. It has one advantage over the much higher priced lights in that the diffuser can be placed over the 1 watt spot light for close work or it can be swung out of the way for distant spotlighting. The Red light option allows the use of the light without attracting insects. At some times of the year, if you use the white light, your head is surrounded by a cloud of small insects.

I also discovered that the on/off button can easily be activated by accident so before putting the lite back in the pack, give the battery cap one turn backwards and try the on/off button... it should no longer work. Just tighten the battery cap and the on/off button will function again.

I have also found that battery storage is no longer a problem... I discovered Powerpax ([...]) which is the most compact, battery storage I've ever used. (when the lights go out, it's a real plus to have a battery pack that glows in the dark).

This little jewel is not very well marketed by Rayovac, even though it has some unique features. I've had it for a few years and I highly recommend it over the headlamps offered by all high-end brands, like Petzl or BD...

Good features:

* Uses *only* 1 AA battery
This is a unique feature. A single AA rechargeable battery packs 2600mAH, i.e. the same amount as 3 AAA batteries, yet weights less. More importantly, it is very easy to change in total darkness. Not so for 3 AAA batteries that need to be inserted in different directions. Also having a handful of new and used AAA batteries in a bag is a mess.

* Regulated power
Because it uses only 1 battery, it has built in a voltage converter and regulator. This means the light output stays consistent, but will die quite suddenly. Fortunately you can use the smaller LEDs once the main LED is done. Also it is very easy to change the battery with your eyes closed.

* 1 Watt main LED
Comparing to a Black Diamond Cosmo (0.5W LED, 3 AAA batteries), it is brighter. The beam is also naturally well focussed for long distance beam.

* Warm white
A lot of other white LEDs tend to be bluish, maybe because it's easier to pump power in the blue. Anyhow, the glow is comfortable and easy to read with, more natural. I have used the headlamp for photo fill in (painting night scenes) with success.

* Light Diffuser
When you need to see stuff nearby, flip the diffuser on. It spreads very effectively the beam into a uniform ambient light in front of you over a solid angle of about 30 degrees. Perfect for cooking and the likes. The diffuser flips sides, either over the main LED, or the aux LEDs.

* Red LEDs
These 2 red LEDs are enough output to allow you to get around. Red light is useful at night as it doesn't damage your night vision, so you can stay sensitive to your surroundings. Astronomers and photographers know that.

* Water resistant
I actually washed it once, and found it when it fell out when puling my clothes out of the dryer. Still works like a charm. Can' say that about your iphone!

* Very light, 68 grams with the strap, 50-ish without (includes battery weight).

*Sturdy
Besides the weaknesses listed below, and maybe the diffuser could be broken off (say by a kid), it's built in one piece, everything welded shut in one piece, switch is also under water resistant rubber. In fact I would've preferred if it was not, I would have opened it and replaced the blue LED to make it perfect.

Weaknesses:

* Blue LED
They should have made the 4th LED white, not blue. Supposedly blue helps detect blood and such, but who cares. I would've preferred it to be white, the low power white would be useful for when you want the flashlight to last 100s of hours.

* Angle adjustment is flimsy
The light can be angled downwards, controlled by a plastic flap that clicks in different angles, and a screw that provides friction/holding power. That is the less rugged part of the flashlight, and will eventually fail slowly. My flashlight is now held up with duct tape (works pretty well).

* Battery life
Because of the design choice, the headlamp holds up only for a night, unless you use the auxiliary LEDs. Power levels, available on many competing products would be a plus. Since the aux LED choices are red or blue, this is a flaw. Fortunately, like I said, changing battery is a breeze. Do the math: 2600mAH battery at 1.2V = 3 watt hour. So the battery should last 3 hours... So not a good emergency/survival flashlight, but awesome for car camping.

I bought this light primarily for deer hunting in the north woods. The main LED casts a white beam similar to moonlight, and is bright enough to see the trail in the woods at night. I do carry a larger light for long distance lighting if needed.

The two red LEDs are perfect once I get to the deer stand. I use the red LEDs to go up the ladder and get my stuff laid out and arranged before dawn without blinding myself or spooking game. The diffuser can be swung completely out of the way, or can cover either the main LED or the three smaller, colored LEDs. A single standard AA battery lasts me all weekend used this way. A good value for the money.

On the down side, this light has a big on/off button and I have had it turn on by itself in my rucksack.

I wanted a light that used AA batteries because all of my other small electronic devices used these. I found this light for a great price and it works great. Very bright when it needs to be or you can use the other lights for dim lighting. I now have two of these and plan to order a couple more.

I picked this up to finish up some tricky automotive work I was in the middle of, not expecting much for a single AA headlamp.
It turned out to be indispensable.

I collect flashlights like the girl in Signs collects glasses of water. Well, I used to. This small, compact, comfortable headlamp puts the right amount of light exactly where you need it and is comfortable enough to wear all day, literally, just ask my wife (will you PLEASE take that off!?).
Hands free without the hassle of holding a flashlight with your teeth or messing with a magnetic mount light or a hot incandescent bulb.

I've never needed the blue or red LEDs but the main LED is plenty bright for most uses. It has a nicely designed diffuser that flips over the main LED to change it from a spot light to a wider and softer beam. The diffuser is easy to flip either way even with work gloves on.

It burns a long time for using only one AA battery and seems to last even longer when using a NiMH rechargeable.

Pros - no bulky battery pack in the back, compact enough to use while working under a car, comfortable, bright, spot or diffused beam, burns a long time on one AA, burns longer on a rechargeable battery, easy to operate even while wearing gloves.

Cons - strap could be a little easier to adjust but that's just nitpicking.

NICE AND BRIGHT LIGHT GOOD BATTERY LIFE ALSO RED LED NICE ADD ON BUT THE DIFFUSER IS THE BEST EXTRA WHEN WORKING IN A CLOSE PROXIMITY!!!A++++++++++

This item is awesome. The single LED has only one power setting for the white light setting which is high- 45 lumens. I do not use the red or blue settings. I get about 2-3 hours continuous lighting with superb brightness at a 1-3 foot focal point. It's lightweight, has a single strap that goes around the circumference of your head so it's very comfortable too, and has clicking up-down angle adjustments that can range from straight down towards your feet or straight up (I guess for indirect lighting). Also the quality of light is more like sunlight and warm rather than the typical cold bluish tint of most LED lamps. Another plus is that it uses only one AA battery. I have nothing bad to say about this product.