What light to get?

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Re: What light to get?

Postby Cody JW » Jun 1, 2011 8:51 am

I used the 160 Lumen apex for a short time and because I am not CEO of Sanyo or Duracell it did not take me long to figure out it was going to be expensive to feed the thing, I have a fennix hp-10 and notice it is MUCH more efficient than the 160 lumen apex, cannot speak on the 200 lumen model, maybe it is more efficient than the 160?? I do like the bright white spot on the fennix but after being used to a light with spread of the beam I found the fennix to be a disadvantage in situations of going over breakdown.Especially chasing skinny guys who are much faster than I . I already had a Duo with the 14 insert and for the similar money as what a fennix would cost I could upgrade it with the newer bulb and got a light with a bright spot( over 300 lumen) and a throw of beam that is also efficient and cave worthy. Your choice depends on what batteries you use. If you are already set up with rechargeables (like the eneloops or similar) and have multiple sets of cells, I would get the apex. If you are feeding it regular alkalines I would get the fennix. Also depends on how much wet stuff you plan to get into as the fennix is more resistant to water than the apex. Both are nice lights for the money, just depends on what cells you plan to use and how wet you plan to go.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby Cody JW » Jun 1, 2011 9:07 am

Also I found the battery case on the apex is hard to open (you need to use something to turn it ) and the case on the fennix can be easily opened with bare hands. After using the Duo for many years I found the switch on both the apex and fennix to be hard to find with a gloved hand. If you choose to hard mount your light to your Ecrin , I found the design of the fennix case created more of a challenge to mount because the case door swings open. I ended up using Industrial Velcro ( similar to what comes with the sten) for the pack. I just wish they could design screw holes on the head and the case to make it easy to do a secure mount like The Duo has.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby LukeM » Jun 1, 2011 9:23 am

Jeff, the plastic buckle for adjusting the strap on an Apex doubles as a tool to open the battery box. Also, on the Quad and Eos you can use it in the same way for the metal screw closure. I know I was pretty happy when that was pointed out to me.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby mdmss » Jun 1, 2011 3:46 pm

I have been using Apexes for the last 18 months and like their flood and spot beams. However I just mailed in my third broken Apex and finally decided to try a Fenix and pass the Apex on to one my kids. (Always great customer service I must say.) I have gotten tired of never knowing for sure if the Apex was going to turn on when I took it out of the car! That being said, I just got the Fenix, first cave trip with it. I do prefer the Apex buttons, they are easier to use with gloved hands. I also find the Fenix beam very tight and wish there was more spill. The diffuser came free with the lamp, so I tried it. I like the flood it produces. It's not very durable looking and probably not going to last long. Has anyone tried drilling a hole in the middle of the difuser? Would this give some spot and some spill or am I deluded?
I use eneloops so battery life not a big issue, this trip was all done on lowest beam since it was in a small dig, so can't comment anyway.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby mdmss » Jun 1, 2011 3:48 pm

PS My helmet strap buckle works pretty well to open the Apex battery case, just discovered that recently. Was carrying a quarter in my extra battery bag before this.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby NZcaver » Jun 1, 2011 4:08 pm

mdmss wrote:PS My helmet strap buckle works pretty well to open the Apex battery case, just discovered that recently.

I accidentally discovered that useful feature a few years ago. I posted about it on the forum somewhere, probably in our ridiculously long Apex topic. This is particularly useful if you remove the elastic headband and hard-mount your Apex like I do.

FYI for those who are relative newcomers to the Apex and/or the forum, I did some submersion testing on the Apex back in 2007 and several of us experimented with waterproofing modifications. Four years later, my Apex hasn't failed yet. Perhaps not as efficient on batteries as the Fenix, but still seems to do fine running on low self-discharge rechargeable NiMH batteries.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby self-deleted_user » Jun 1, 2011 5:38 pm

At least on the new ones, it even puts a rotation symbol on it to show which way to turn it!
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Re: What light to get?

Postby self-deleted_user » Jun 1, 2011 7:20 pm

damnit i spoke too soon. there is a touch of moisture in both the battery boxes of both my apex and coronas, and there is a touch of moisture in the inside of the light area of the apex. that does it, I'm modding this thing. It's purple already and I do like it but this needs help.

I'm uh...searching for the mod directions but I can't find it. I figured out how to unscrew all the bits and I have it all pulled apart and I'm guessing just a bit o' shoe goo along the seals because I can totally see how water can get in there if forefull or submerged. The light is working well it must have gotten moisture in it just the other day, I'm quite sure it is fine. Nothing is ruined but I do want to mod it...but damnit I can't find the thread and I know it is here somewhere.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby NZcaver » Jun 1, 2011 8:26 pm

Sungura wrote:I'm uh...searching for the mod directions but I can't find it.

Did you click the link in my previous post? I described the mods in my torture testing post.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby self-deleted_user » Jun 1, 2011 9:08 pm

No, i figured that was testing only xD I finally found it figuring you probably were the one who posted it so I searched your posts instead of all forum posts.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby Marduke » Jun 1, 2011 9:43 pm

Use silicon, not shoe goop.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby Jon » Jul 7, 2011 1:58 am

Someone said a Sten had a yellow beam? My Prem 7 with frosted optics has a real clean light. Now my old 60 apex is yellow, my 130 Apex is kind of blue and my ceiling burner is just right!. Seriously though, the Apex has really good spill and level control. I'm over 50 and my eyes don't adjust as quick as they used to, For me the fennix is way to spotty. in tight quarters even turned down they annoy me with a hot spot that requires me to look away to the side , but thats just me. As for breaking the Apex. I have two, now pretty much loaners. They haven't broken yet. Of coarse the borrowers know you break it you replace it so they respect them. Two people I know broke the hinge because the lid and the light were company equipment and they'd just toss em in the back of a pick-up. And another person broke one when they allowed the lid /light combo to bounce around in the back of a truck on a long fast and rough trip to a cave. I would think that if you're breaking the apex at the hinge in a cave, you must be leaving a trail of the flip up diffusers from the fennix. :cave softly: While AZ caves tend to be drier I still open my battery box after every trip and leave them open. And I check the little O ring. The battery box knob used to be tool tight but both are finger able now.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby self-deleted_user » Jul 7, 2011 10:58 am

On the apex on one of the strap adjusters has an extra side to it meant for opening the battery box, just FYI. It works great. It's even marked with the same spinnyarrow that is on the batterybox knob.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby tncaver » Jul 7, 2011 1:42 pm

My Apex 130 lumen just malfunctioned after 2.5 years of great service. Water apparently got inside because the wire connectors at both ends came out of
the headpiece and battery box. They apparently screw in but I couldn't get mine to screw back in. Moisture in the head piece has caused problems with
the switches. Now the center light won't work at all and I've had to try many times to get the side lights to come on. Then it wouldn't turn off. The Apex
is now on its way back to Princeton Tec. I may want to seal it up with silicone when it comes back. In the mean time I've already ordered a Fenix HP11
from brightguy.com and it is due to arrive this Friday just in time for caving. The Fenix has a one year warranty from Brightguy and costs about the
same as an Apex 160 lumen.

I really love the way the Apex illuminates where I'm walking so I will have to use some kind of diffuser on the Fenix HP11 for it to be useful. It is supposed to come with a diffuser. I hope it works good because I prefer diffused light over a spot 99% of the time. A spot is only good for shining across big rooms or down
deep pits but is poor for walking over breakdown.
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Re: What light to get?

Postby rlboyce » Jul 7, 2011 1:59 pm

160 lumen? I thought they were 200 now?
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