The Raven Double looks pretty good! The review I've linked here is excellent too. I'm definitely willing to pay a few extra $ for field replaceable stuff, since the batteries are so cheap. And if the guy behind the company is a Vancouver/Kootenay guy, even better!
https://mountainculturegroup.com/lynx-ogt-raven-double-ultralight-headlamp/#:~:text=Pros%3A%20So%20light%20and%20so,challenging%20on%20long%20backcountry%20forays.
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce
Another runner in the night
Posted by: mammal
The Raven Double looks pretty good! The review I've linked here is excellent too. I'm definitely willing to pay a few extra $ for field replaceable stuff, since the batteries are so cheap. And if the guy behind the company is a Vancouver/Kootenay guy, even better!
https://mountainculturegroup.com/lynx-ogt-raven-double-ultralight-headlamp/#:~:text=Pros%3A%20So%20light%20and%20so,challenging%20on%20long%20backcountry%20forays.
That looks like a great unit. Are you using one?
The light/reflector/lens design of Dionette lights is leagues better over other ones I’ve tried from Gemini, Light & Motion etc. similar to Vik mine are the XML3 and I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to just get new batteries for them. The little Gemini duo I have does the job and it’s a great helmet light because of it diminutive size but the light quality is terrible in comparison to the XML3 and it many years younger.
Posted by: heathen
Posted by: mammal
The Raven Double looks pretty good! The review I've linked here is excellent too. I'm definitely willing to pay a few extra $ for field replaceable stuff, since the batteries are so cheap. And if the guy behind the company is a Vancouver/Kootenay guy, even better!
https://mountainculturegroup.com/lynx-ogt-raven-double-ultralight-headlamp/#:~:text=Pros%3A%20So%20light%20and%20so,challenging%20on%20long%20backcountry%20forays.
That looks like a great unit. Are you using one?
Not yet, it was a suggestion from the bottom of page 2 of this thread, based on my query for a reasonably priced, good beam, with field replaceable batteries. I did just order one this afternoon though.
You can get the identical protected 18650 batteries that they supply with those lights, for $10 online.
Posted by: mammal
Posted by: heathen
Posted by: mammal
The Raven Double looks pretty good! The review I've linked here is excellent too. I'm definitely willing to pay a few extra $ for field replaceable stuff, since the batteries are so cheap. And if the guy behind the company is a Vancouver/Kootenay guy, even better!
https://mountainculturegroup.com/lynx-ogt-raven-double-ultralight-headlamp/#:~:text=Pros%3A%20So%20light%20and%20so,challenging%20on%20long%20backcountry%20forays.
That looks like a great unit. Are you using one?
Not yet, it was a suggestion from the bottom of page 2 of this thread, based on my query for a reasonably priced, good beam, with field replaceable batteries. I did just order one this afternoon though.
You can get the identical protected 18650 batteries that they supply with those lights, for $10 online.
We have a Raven Double. It’s awesome!
Posted by: yardrec
We have a Raven Double. It’s awesome!
I know, you're the one that pointed them out to me, and I assumed you weren't lying;) Mine arrives this week, looking forward to trying it out.
I've got quite a few "decent" Chinese dual and quad lights, but I find the issue with those is battery bulk/quality. The batteries are huge if you want to pack spares, and they only tend to be fully healthy for the first season.
Ordered today. I’m thinking because most helmets these days allow a goggle to mount under a visor that the strap on this light will mount like a goggle too. I tried my current dim headlamps and it seems to work ok. Might be too giggly though but we’ll see.
I'm looking forwards to hearing reviews. I'm very happy with my outbounds, but the price + replaceable batteries + it being a headlamp for multiple other uses makes this a very interesting piece of gear
Posted by: heathen
Posted by: yardrec
Serfas True 1300 MTB is one of my favorite lights. It's super bright, has field swapable batteries and cheap enough you can get 2. If you can find the Serfas 750 is also brighter than it's lumens state and you can swap the lens for wide or spot beam.
I have an old Serfas True 1100 light that the battery died on. It was a great light and I didn't want to throw it away. So I opened it up and saw it had two 18650 lithium cells in it. I bought a new set of chocolate cells and it is better then new and has got to be on 10ish years of service. I have since discovered that almost all bike lights are powered by 18650 cells.
After seeing how easy and cheap 18650 cells are to buy I started looking around and found this cool case on Amazon. You can load it with your choice of 18650 cells and power any light you have. Some soldering may be required.
18650 cells
Have a version of that case bought I think three years ago. Would get it again. Also got my hands on the seperate recharger, where one can recharge the batteries on their own.
Some bar mounts and helmet mots as well as Fenix lights here I saw.
Very close to pulling the trigger on an outbound hangover but the double raven has me second guessing this. Cool mounting options, with the full face straps, handlebar mounts, though they start to add up etc. I already have a 800 lumen light. I’m thinking I could put that on the bars and run the raven on my helmet.
Received the Double Raven yesterday, but haven't gotten it out in the dark-dark, or compared it to my Chinese lights yet. I'll try to do that tonight, and report back tomorrow.
First impressions are really good. Manufacturing, fit/finish is great. It's lighter weight than I expected, definitely not too heavy for the helmet (that's where this one will end up). From the livingroom test, it seems adequately bright for a helmet light. The beam is good, it's got a bit of a spot in the middle, and that fades pretty evenly into a VERY broad peripheral spread. Bonus that my vape batteries I have lying around are the perfect fit for spares (I also have a separate 18650 charger from that situation). I also think I'll be able to dual-purpose the standard head mount as a helmet mount, it holds the light well and has enough positioning range.
So if I'm reading their site correctly, the raven double has a charger cable and port - so you only carry spares if the charge goes out in the field and you want to hot swap - otherwise you can charge the battery as per normal ?
If I'm interpreting your question correctly, yes, you charge the 18650 battery with a USB cable that plugs into a clever port on the light (you unscrew the end opposite from the battery compartment a few turns, and that reveals the charge port - sealing system). You can do battery swaps in the field (trail), but with the stock charging capability, all batteries would need to be charged through the light itself. I happen to have a separate charger for 18650 batts, so that's going to be handy for me. Separate chargers and batts can be found here for very good prices:
https://www.18650batterystore.com/en-ca
A Bit More Testing:
I did a non-riding back yard test last night against the Chinese dual LED light that I usually use on my helmet (claimed "2000" lumens, uses a brick pack made up of 4 x 18650 batteries). I would say it sheds a similar amount of light, or slightly more than the china light, however the beam of the Raven Double is broader. So the middle spot of the china light is a bit brighter, but the spread of the Raven is VERY wide. If this thing can get the run time they claim, it will vastly out perform the China helmet light, as that one only lasts about an hour on full bright (even with so many batts in the pack). I think the intensity of the Raven will be good enough for riding around here (North Van - lots of slippery tech you want illuminated), but my preferences for a helmet light might would be slightly less spread and a bit more spot intensity. I normally use a 4 x LED china light on the bar, which has a ridiculously huge spread, so a "spottier" beam on the helmet is a bit more complementary. We'll see, I look forward to testing it out while riding. No matter what, I won't need to deal with a wire running from my pack to my helmet, so that's a big win in itself. It's also going to be a great light for other applications too (Skate skiing at Holyburn, camping, etc), and given the huge spread, would probably make a great bar light for riding or single/only light for mellower riding.
One neat feature I didn't realize it had, was a fully adjustable low beam. The high beam is always set at highest intensity, but you can set the low beam anywhere between almost no light, to the same as high beam. If you keep the button pressed, it enters a low-beam adjust mode, where it gradually goes from super low to high (over around 15 sec). In that mode, when you press it a second time, it locks in the low beam at your chosen intensity. Super cool, as I use the low intensity about as much as high, and some times low is just too low (or other applications may require very low setting).
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