View Full Version : Xenon bulbs
Celt_Ginger
21-01-2006, 19:10
I reciently got a new head torch with LEDs and a Xenon bulb for distance lighting. The shop told me that it takes as much battery power to actually light the xenon bulb as it takes to run it for 5 or 10 minutes. Was he Bull S***.ing me or is there some truth in this?
bushtuckerman
21-01-2006, 19:19
All i know is that with LEDs efficiency goes down as you increase the power to it, and with incandescent bulbs the efficiency goes up as you increase the power. So, maybe, as you start it up it's really inefficient because the resistance in the tungsten element is different than when it is fully lit...but that too is probably bull!
Sure he wasn't talking about running the torch on LEDs for 5-10 mins? he may have been regurgitating that and getting it slightly wrong.
Well, Xenon is incredibly bright. LED bulbs are great for conserving battery power, and put out enough light for puttering around camp. I wouldn't want to go ice-climbing with LED's, they're just not bright enough, even when grouped together. Incandesent bulbs are brighter, but give you less battery life. Xenon is hellishly bright, but it absolutely kills your batteries. My Petzl lamp is compatible with halogen bulbs, but it absolutely destroys my battery life.
Definitely rubbish, that would mean flash your light on and off 10 times would flatten the battery, a quick experiment will show you this is not the case, what he may mean is that the bulb life is reduced the equivalent of 15 mins each time you turn on which may be true.
bushtuckerman
21-01-2006, 20:10
There are of course Luxeon LEDs which are bright (100s of lumens :D), and also very white if used and made properly, but i would imagine the slight yellow tinge of a xenon lamp might be easier to use ice climbing since it would provide a contrast to the white of the ice!
bushtuckerman
21-01-2006, 20:12
Yeah, you could be right philm4, we are often told when we are young not to flash the light in the living room on and off and that is why!
dave law
21-01-2006, 20:39
I reciently got a new head torch with LEDs and a Xenon bulb for distance lighting. The shop told me that it takes as much battery power to actually light the xenon bulb as it takes to run it for 5 or 10 minutes. Was he Bull S***.ing me or is there some truth in this?
Sure he wasn't talking about running the torch on LEDs for 5-10 mins? he may have been regurgitating that and getting it slightly wrong.
this could be the case but it sounds abit high, if its a petzl torch they ofen have little graph on the back to give you an idea of power consumption of the leds and xenon
out of intrest, did you get it in mid antrim camping :)
Swampy Matt
21-01-2006, 20:53
I reciently got a new head torch with LEDs and a Xenon bulb for distance lighting. The shop told me that it takes as much battery power to actually light the xenon bulb as it takes to run it for 5 or 10 minutes. Was he Bull S***.ing me or is there some truth in this?
There is some truth in this - I was told something similar by a rep for one of the headtorch manufacturers.
The same thing is apparently true of most fluorescent lights, like the ones most people have in their kitchens. They are more efficient if they are left on permanently as they use the most energy in a brief power surge when you turn them on.
The reason kids are told not to flick standard fillament lights on and off is because the power surge can cause the fillament to burn out.
Celt_Ginger
22-01-2006, 08:30
Hello Dave Law. Strangely enough, I was in Mid Antrim Camping yesterday (Saturday) but I did not buy the head torch there. The torch is a Black Diamond Helois with 3 LEDs for proxminity lighting and 1 Xenon for distance. I know a Dave Law. Big Tall chap with a beard. Is that you?
dave law
22-01-2006, 09:00
Hello Dave Law. Strangely enough, I was in Mid Antrim Camping yesterday (Saturday) but I did not buy the head torch there. The torch is a Black Diamond Helois with 3 LEDs for proxminity lighting and 1 Xenon for distance. I know a Dave Law. Big Tall chap with a beard. Is that you?
sorry dont think so, i would be quite big and tall but no beard, i am from ballymena though
Celt_Ginger
22-01-2006, 19:26
Cool. 2 Bushcraft fans from Ballymena (well, I'm really from Kells and Connor, but usless you are from round here, no-one has heard of Kells and Connor, lol)
It seems there are more and more Bushcraft fans from Northern Ireland. Could be getting nearer to enough for a meet up sometime