Redesigned lights shine under stressors

Bill Gabbert

For the last 20 years wildland firefighters have had very little choice about what light to use when working on a fire at night. The four AA battery design with a filament-type bulb has been the standard in the United States for a couple of decades. Recently several new choices have become available, the most notable being light-emitting diode devices and a redesigned U.S. Forest Service headlamp.

I had the opportunity to test three new headlamps and two flashlight-type devices that a firefighter might want to throw in their pack.

The USFS's Missoula Technology and Development Center felt that they needed to redesign their existing headlamp because the battery life was not adequate and it had become very difficult to find replacement filament-type bulbs. The new Lighting Pro Forest Service headlamp, which became available this year, looks very much like the old four AA battery design, but it has one additional battery for a total of five. It also has an electronic chip that serves as a voltage regulator so the brightness from the new halon bulb remains the same throughout the life of the batteries.

The headlamp has two brightness settings, high and low. Before the batteries go completely dead, the light flashes, giving you a warning that you need to replace the batteries. In the test, the light lasted for over 10 hours at high power, followed by 45 minutes of flashing before the light went completely out. The price, when purchased from the General Services Administration, is almost twice as high as the old design. To purchase it on the open market, visit the manufacturer's Web site at www.lightingpro.org.

The Moonlight by Black Diamond uses four LEDs powered by three AAA batteries. The smallest of the headlamps tested also lasted the longest on a set of batteries. This light doesn't appear to have a voltage regulator, which means that the brightness diminishes over time. When tested, the light was noticeably dimmer after 20 hours, but six days later — yes, six days — it was very dim.

This product is very light. At 3.2 ounces you hardly notice it on your hard hat. It's also extremely simple to operate — push the button to turn it on or off. There is no low or high power setting.

The Photon Fusion is brighter than the Moonlight, but it costs twice as much and is at least twice as complicated to operate. It's powered by three AA batteries and has six LEDs. There are seven different modes, including three brightness levels, two strobe settings, automatic sos and automatic shutoff.

Generally, it's well designed and well made. It can be converted to a flashlight, is water resistant, has gold plating on the contacts, and can be mounted on a bicycle with an optional accessory. On the other hand, the belt clip that can be used in the flashlight mode broke the first time I used it. In tests using the brightest or “hyper-brite” setting, the batteries lasted seven hours. A less bright setting should add several hours to the battery life.

Overall the new USFS Lighting Pro's big advantage over the previous model is the consistent brightness for the life of the batteries. It's heavier and more expensive, but the improvements are very welcome.

The two LED headlamps are much lighter, and the LED bulbs will probably last the rest of your life. Both of them have a diffused lighting pattern, rather than a spot of light like you're used to with a conventional headlamp or flashlight. The distance illuminated is not as great as with the more conventional USFS headlamp.

The wildland firefighter may find that the amount of light from the Moonlight is barely adequate or marginal for constructing line or hiking over rough terrain at night. On the other hand, the Photon Fusion should be very adequate on the fireline and is versatile enough to be used in several other ways besides a lamp on the head.

And don't forget the characteristics that can be hard to measure — the Moonlight is by far the coolest looking headlamp around. The LEDs put out a light color that is a little different from a conventional light; you will no doubt get asked questions about what's going on on your helmet.

The ARC Flashlight is very small, about 2H inches long and G inch in diameter, which isn't much larger than the AAA battery it uses. It has a single LED bulb that is switched on by rotating the housing. Advanced circuitry provides enough voltage from the small battery to provide a surprising amount of light from such a small unit. It is small enough to attach to your key ring or keep in your fire shirt pocket as an emergency light if your headlamp fails. It also would be very useful in your tent at night.

The Krill Electronic Light Stick looks much like a chemical light stick and produces about the same amount of light. The big difference is that it uses the same type of technology as an Indiglo watch, electroluminescent phosphorus. It uses two AA batteries, which produced adequate brightness for about two days.

Unlike a chemical light, the Krill can be used over and over again as long as you keep replacing the batteries. This light has a soft glow that would be useful for illuminating an area a few feet in diameter but can be seen from hundreds of feet away. It would not be practical to use as a light while walking cross country or constructing a fireline. A firefighter might use it for lighting an area around a portable pump; as a tent light; or for marking a safety zone, access or escape route.

It also could be kept in a vehicle. The light comes in a “Longlife” version and “Xtreme” model with twice the brightness. I tested the brightest or “Xtreme” version; if it weren't as bright, it would not be very useful. You can also purchase models that illuminate 360 or 180 degrees.

Bill Gabbert is the fire management officer for the Northern Great Plains National Parks, Hot Springs, S.D. He can be reached at gabbert@iawfonline.org.

The lights were tested almost continuously, only being turned off once or twice. In normal use a light is turned off and on many times, which would result in a longer total battery life than the results shown.

Light	Type	Batteries	Life (hours)	Intensities (#)	Bulb(s)	Weight (oz.)	Cost
Moonlight	Headlamp	3 AAA	20+	1	4 LED	3.2	$34.50
Photon Fusion	Headlamp	3 AA	7 (+ 4 flashing)	3	6 LED	6.2	59.95
Lighting Pro	Headlamp	5 AA	10.5	2	1 halon	9.1	55.00
ARC Flashlight	Flashlight	1 AAA	5	1	1 LED	0.75	26.95
Krill	General	2 AA	40+	1	Electroluminescent phosphorus	2.7	22.95