Raptor One LED Caving Caplamp Review
LED Based Li-Ion Caplamp from
www.caving-gear.co.uk
Price £65.53 + vat for Lamp, Battery and Charger
Introduction
The Raptor One is a new caplamp on the U.K. market, although it has been available overseas under a different name for a few years now. It features a small belt-mounted Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery, connected to the head via a tough armoured cable. The head itself looks rather like the Oldham Caplamps or Speleo FX range, though features a high-efficiency LED rather than a traditional filament bulb. Unusually, it features a chromed-metal reflector to shape and project the beam, instead of plastic lenses more commonly found on LED lamps. It attaches to the helmet via a standard blade fitting.
In Detail - The Battery
The Li-Ion battery used by the Raptor One is made of a thick plastic and according to the specifications starts at 4.2 volts at full charge, decreasing to around 3 volts towards the end of the cycle. The battery holds 7AH and runs the main beam for over 20 hours between recharges. It is very small, literally not much bigger than a pack of cigarettes. The largest belt-size it will take is around 40mm. The build quality is pretty rugged though it won't win any beauty contests.
A standard Oldham T Lead-Acid battery on the left,
and the Raptor One's Li-Ion battery on the right
In Detail - The Head
The head of the Raptor One is also made of tough plastic with a glass front lens. It attaches to the helmet with a normal blade-type of mount, and like the Oldham it is not adjustable so it's important that the bracket is correctly located on the helmet. A rotating knob on the side moves between the three states - Off, On (main) and On (pilot). The armoured cable to the battery comes out of the top of the head, which is unusual, as it usually comes out the side. This is to stop it flopping down by your ear when it goes slack.
The LED based head with chrome reflector, glass
lens and plastic body
A polished chrome reflector sits behind the glass lens and focuses the light from the LED emitter into a a wide, even pattern with a clear and tight centre-spot. Six tiny low-power LEDs surround the main emitter which form the pilot light. These come on together with the main emitter (at a lower power) and provide a more localised and diffused light, intended not to dazzle companions over lunch.
The
head is a similar shape and size to a traditional miners lamp head. The cable is very tough, and though not as thick as the Oldham
cable, it's certainly a lot more substantial than the connecting
cables on many other lamps. Many are little stronger than bell-wire
and can represent a serious weak point.
The casing is made of plastic and it feels very durable and sturdy in the hand. It certainly doesn't look like it's going to come apart in a hurry.
Being based on an LED emitter it does not suddenly blow like a filament bulb can. Over tens of thousands of hours they wear out, getting gradually dimmer. This is more suited to the underground environment as a sudden bulb failure whilst making a difficult manoeuvre or abseiling a shaft can prove very dangerous. The other benefits of an LED light source include a much whiter, more natural light and usually with less rings and other artefacts in the beam. LED lamps have however been known for poor spot beams that don't travel far compared to halogen, but that's usually more down to the plastic lenses commonly used, as this reflector-based lamp goes to prove.
Comparison to Other Lamps
To give the Raptor One LED Caplamp an underground trial, it was set up in a tunnel with a collapse about two hundred feet away, and a willing model sat on a box and asked to keep still between shots and look straight down the tunnel. The camera on a tripod behind the model was not moved of course and all shots had the same exposure settings of F8, 30 Seconds ISO400.
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Oldham T6 Caplamp The traditional underground workhorse provides a very tight and bright spot from the 4w halogen bulb which as can be seen lights up the end of the tunnel well. The Spill light is also nice and wide to aid easy navigation over difficult ground, though overall it's not especially bright, particularly in the mid-range. The Oldham T6 will drive it's output for over 20 hours between recharges, great for weekends away. |
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Raptor One Caving Caplamp The Raptor One is also producing a tight and bright spot which illuminates the end of the tunnel well. The spill light is still wide although not quite as wide as the Oldham T6. Overall it is respectably brighter than the Oldham T6, and evenly spread in coverage from near to far. The Raptor One will also drive it's output for over 20 hours between recharges, similar to the T6. |
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Stenlight S7 (on Maximum Power) A good bear-hug of a mid-range lights up the middle of the tunnel well. The spot does not travel so well, with the end of the tunnel remaining dark. The spill light is good, though near-to-far coverage is not so even with an obvious 'step' from the spill to the mid-range. At this maximum-power level the Stenlight will burn for around 3 to 5 hours. The Stenlight had just been turned on for this photo to show it's full output before the thermal limiter reduces it down. |
The Raptor One LED Caving Caplamp proved very favourable on the comparison test, being clearly much brighter than the normal Oldham T6 and yet maintaining a similar +20 hours from a much smaller battery. The Stenlight S7 with it's duel LED head was clearly brighter overall as you'd expect, though weighted heavily around the mid-range (note how the dead-centre is dark, whereas with the Oldham and Raptor One is it illuminated). Consider also that the Stenlight can only maintain this full-power drive for around 3 to 5 hours on the standard battery.
The light pattern from the Raptor One Caving Caplamp is pleasingly wide and evenly distributed from the wide extremities right up to the centre, where there is a well-focused spot which penetrates distances with ease. It has been well engineered and the decision to base it on a reflector rather than a lens has been a good one.
Overall Opinion
The Raptor One LED Caving Caplamp lacks the pretty design, fit and finish of, say, Petzl lighting products but it makes up for this with outright ruggedness and strength of build. It's very solid and certainly up to the task of providing workable lighting in extreme environments. The long burn time between recharges is a bonus for weekends away and it's nice to know that even if you're only underground for the day, you've plenty of light in your lamp to help see you though a possible emergency.
The Li-Ion rechargeable battery pack is an unusual bonus for a lamp at this price level where you'd normally expect a container for disposable cells. The beam pattern is excellent and well thought out with a good balance of brightness and endurance from the spot LED emitter.
If you're looking for something extremely small and bright for short, sporty trips consider looking at the Stenlight S7, priced around £200. If you like a good light pattern and long endurance then also consider the new Oldham DL16 which has also just come out. It's a very similar product to the Raptor One with a small Li-Ion battery pack, LED head, reflector and keyway charger and comes with the best brand in the business for around £300.
If you're not looking to spend out big bucks then the Raptor One is an excellent little lamp which does represent remarkable value for money. It's certainly up to the job with all the right specs, and is superior to many lamps twice its price.