Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby Chads93GT » Sep 14, 2011 1:46 pm

Actually yes, you can contact the MSS,

Mystery Cave, 4th longest in Missouri at 15.7 miles.
http://mospeleo.org/shop/index.php?main ... ucts_id=86

The exploration and survey of the Rimstone River Cave system (the photo above)
http://mospeleo.org/shop/index.php?main ... ucts_id=87

The rimstone journal is actually written by joe walsh, told in story form, from all his old journals and the journals and reports from others who were in on it.

Mystery is more of a description of the cave. The rimstone read is and awesome read. One of our grotto members owns one of the entrances to that cave.
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby Chads93GT » Sep 14, 2011 1:48 pm

sorry. The link for the rimstone journal above is wrong. That is a link to the rimstone journal about teh geology and map of the cave, not the exploration book.

That is Volume 35, No1-4, its 1 issue, 114 pages long. You will hve to email the editor to see if they have any copies left as it was a very popular journal. I have it, but........its not for sale ;)
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby Lava » Sep 15, 2011 10:33 am

Put together a quick homebrew mount for my ST6 yesterday with a curved piece of aluminum, a little heat shrink, and two zip ties:

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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby DeanWiseman » Sep 15, 2011 11:04 am

I like the button on the down side.... good idea.

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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby Chads93GT » Sep 15, 2011 3:14 pm

I did the same thing......minus the aluminum.........and minus the zip ties.......

4 holes, small diameter bungee, 2 loops in the same fashion as your zip ties, and whalla, i can remove it in seconds for use on a head band for camping or whatever, and I can put it back on in a few seconds for use on my helmet, no need to add new zip ties.
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby Lava » Sep 15, 2011 5:56 pm

Chads93GT wrote:I did the same thing......minus the aluminum.........and minus the zip ties.......

4 holes, small diameter bungee, 2 loops in the same fashion as your zip ties, and whalla, i can remove it in seconds for use on a head band for camping or whatever, and I can put it back on in a few seconds for use on my helmet, no need to add new zip ties.


Chad, I used the aluminum because I already have a ton of holes from other lights in my current helmet and didn't want to drill more (a sign that I either go through too many lights or my helmet is too old :big grin: ). I used zip ties because I figured the light would bounce when I walked if I used bungee cord, and I'd see it in the beam in front of me. Does that happen to you? The ability to remove it for headband use is certainly attractive.
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby rlboyce » Sep 15, 2011 6:04 pm

That's a sweet looking mount you got there Lava. Doesn't it tend to drift down though due to a lack of friction between the housing and zip ties? Or is the front projection relatively weightless?

Does the heat shrink serve as a form of abrasion protection for the zip ties, or does it have some other function?
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby Lava » Sep 15, 2011 6:10 pm

rlboyce wrote:That's a sweet looking mount you got there Lava. Doesn't it tend to drift down though due to a lack of friction between the housing and zip ties? Or is the front projection relatively weightless?

Does the heat shrink serve as a form of abrasion protection for the zip ties, or does it have some other function?


Haven't used it in a cave, but from messing around with it at home it seems to have about as much friction as any other rotating light mount, I pulled those zip ties tight with a pair of long-handled pliers. Doesn't strike me that it'll drift down. This is also aided by the anti-skid properties of the heat shrink that the back of the light is in contact with, even though my intention when putting it on there was only to protect the back of the light from abrading on the aluminum strip. I put it on my head and it really didn't feel like there was anything on the front of my helmet, it's very light.
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby Chads93GT » Sep 15, 2011 6:26 pm

No, its very solid, the bungee cords aren't loose at all. They are the same ones I had my HP10 perm mounted without the band. By luck, and the way I mounted the HP10 on my helmet, it worked out that it works perfect for the spark. I will be turning mine upside down as well and stealing your idea, but no, the ligth doesnt bounce at all. I would post a pic of it but it would be kind of poitnless, as its just like yours, without the plate, and cord instead of ties.
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby Lava » Sep 15, 2011 6:57 pm

Chads93GT wrote:No, its very solid, the bungee cords aren't loose at all. They are the same ones I had my HP10 perm mounted without the band. By luck, and the way I mounted the HP10 on my helmet, it worked out that it works perfect for the spark. I will be turning mine upside down as well and stealing your idea, but no, the ligth doesnt bounce at all. I would post a pic of it but it would be kind of poitnless, as its just like yours, without the plate, and cord instead of ties.


Good to know. I may bite the bullet and drill more holes.
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby Chads93GT » Sep 16, 2011 8:37 am

Here is what I mean.
The top cords above the spark are from my HP20 mount, which is the same mount as the HP11 so I am leaving it on there as eventually I will get a HP11. The back side is simple. I will most likely redo the bungee though so its 2 separate pieces intead of 1, that way if one cord breaks, the light wont fall off, it will still be held on by an independent cord on the other side. Like I said, its just like yours, minus the zip ties, very tight.

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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby rlboyce » Sep 16, 2011 5:11 pm

Pictures of the H600 is now on Zebralight's Facebook page. (It does exist! :big grin:) Looks like you can start preordering next week.

Now my daydreams have a realistic image to use which will only enhance my obsession...

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.287324427949672.95189.141186002563516&type=1
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby DeanWiseman » Sep 19, 2011 6:58 am

Okay... as requested, I did some more ST-6 500CW "testing" in Buddha Cave yesterday. Buddha is a fantastic cave with a wide variety of passages--everything from grim low-ceiling water up to medium-sized rooms. Besides being a super fun cave, one of the draws of this cave are room after room of heavily decorated passage.

The Spark was really great. Per Bruce's ("Lava") idea about mounting the light button-down, that's how I rigged it this time (see previous photo I posted for how the light is mounted on my Ecrin). Absolutely no problems, and the high and turbo settings were super handy when exploring and admiring the formation galleries... to the point that I was noticing stuff for the first time in passages I'd visited 50 times. Another subtle but really nice feature about the programming of the light is that if you want to switch back to the low-power setting, you don't have to slew through every setting to get back to low. If you're on a higher setting for more than a few seconds, if you hold down the button to switch power, it goes straight to the low setting... which is what I'm intending to do 90+% of the time. Very thoughtful programming...

Between its stealthiness and power, and well thought-out features, I'm totally smitten.


Caver John wrote:Try it out without the reflector in there and cOmpare that to the diffuser. Lots of good input here thanks!



Per your request, after we cleared out of the one significant vertical feature in the cave on the way out, I removed the reflector and used it this way for the remaining 15-20 minutes of moving out of the cave. Actually, using the light without the reflector was surprisingly pleasant. I didn't see any major difference between reflector-out and diffuser... both create a flood lit circle with no variance in brightness across the entire, generously wide field. While moving through passage I felt slightly more comfortable with a higher light setting, but I think with a few more minutes of acclimation that I would have been just fine with the low power setting. The passage we were in was mostly walking with lots of false bottoms and ankle hazards. In such passage, I would probably prefer having the bright reflector spot just for those times I want to peek down a hole or something. But doing the no-reflector/diffuser setup will be fantastic for survey and more leisurely movement through a cave passage--like with a 5 year-old. :tonguecheek:


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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby self-deleted_user » Sep 19, 2011 1:50 pm

Having been on that trip Dean mentioned, I have to say I love the light...the center circle didn't screw with my sensitive night vision too much when the reflector was in it wasn't a huge bright FACEMELT thing and the spill seemed good. Kinda like a combo spot/flood, like if you were to be able to use your Apex with the spot and flood both on at the same time. Frankly that seemed to be pretty nice, I know when I'm in front leading a group I tend to throw on my spot on the Apex more to see up farther ahead since I don't have other lights in front of me too but then I miss the flood, as an observer it seemed like the Spark did the combo fabulously.

I liked the look of it without the reflector too, it was super even spill almost all in front/side/top/bottom it looked like (as if you took a sphere, cut it in half, and so complete 180 front view, if that makes sense). That's what I noticed seeing it. A few times I just turned off my own light to save battery and caved with his when he was behind me LOL.

/observation

/now I want one, from what I saw if I put it vs the apex, the apex would lose...and the apex seems to have a cool tint but this seemed to be more neutral?
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Re: Fenix hp-11 or Spark st-6 500cw

Postby rlboyce » Sep 19, 2011 7:05 pm

Even the best lights have harsh critics. When one appears (which is taking longer than I expected), I'm curious to see what thing or things they hate.

Hey Chad, do you have a report or any pictures/video from this weekend?? You gave us the impression that your Spark would see some moderate to serious caving, and I am very curious to find out how it held up for you.

I have been leaning towards waiting for an H600 since it will have more output than a 500CW, but it's very hard to wait for another light when this one is getting these kind of reviews.
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