RETRO 2 - FAQ's Back to LED Mine Lighting

WHAT IS THE INPUT VOLTAGE RANGE? - 1.0 to 7.0VDC maximum. If you are using a 6V sealed lead acid battery, it is recommended that a diode (type 1N5401 is suitable) is used on the positive input to drop the voltage as a fully charged 6V SLA can develop a terminal voltage of around 7.5V

WHAT STANDARD BATTERY PACKS WILL IT WORK WITH? - FX2, FX3, FX4, FX5, and of course the old faithful OLDHAM. With the FX2 battery pack you will only get full output power when the cells are new, if they are older then you can approximately expect a 10-15% power reduction in Modes 2, 3, and 4.

WHAT BATTERY COMBINATIONS CAN YOU USE? - Alkaline: 1 to 4 cells or 4.5V flat pack, NiCAD / NiMH: 1 to 5 cells, Lead Acid: 2 - 6V, Single Cell Li-ION 3.7V.

ON THE OLDHAM, CAN I STILL CHARGE VIA THE HEAD SET? - Yes, there are no modifications made to the connections for charging.

DO I HAVE TO MAKE ANY PERMANENT MODIFICATIONS TO THE CAP LAMP? - No, the unit is a seamless retro fit, if required you can revert to the original configuaration, just make sure you keep the parts removed. It is good practice to keep the original parts removed as part of your underground backup lighting gear.

IS IT REGULATED? - Yes, you will get full power performance from 2.0 to 7.0V input. If the input voltage is above 6.0V then on the lower power settings you will get more light output, see Light Output

WHAT LED's DOES IT USE? - 2 x 1W Seoul P4's at 100 lumens each typical. Total, over 200 lumens.

WHAT IS THE SPREAD OF LIGHT? - 10 degrees for both LED's.

HOW LONG WILL IT RUN FOR? - Due to the switch mode power supply every last drop of power can be used in your battery pack, see Run Times for estimated times.

HOW DOES IT KEEP COOL? - There is a heatsink on the back of the unit.

DOES IT HAVE A TEMPERATURE MONITOR? - Yes, if the unit gets too hot then the power will reduce with an audio warning, once cooled down it will revert to its original setting. The unit cannot be damaged in this way.

DOES IT HAVE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATION LIMITS? - When used in normal UK mines and caves the ambient temperature is sufficiently low to keep the unit cool over all power modes, in some cases if running at maximum power and used in confined places or in warmer underground conditions the unit will reduce power. If used on the surface in warm weather it will eventually reduce power and go into thermal management mode.

WHY DOES IT OVERHEAT? - The unit can overheat in some conditions because there is limited space inside the cap lamp and so this reflects on the size of the heatsink used and hence the heat that can be dissipated. Caplamp cases where designed in the days when high power LED's did not exist and so this was not a factor to consider. This is the reason that the unit has a temperature monitor.

DOES IT HAVE A LOW BATTERY INDICATOR? - Yes, there is a battery selector jumper link, which allows you to select the following cell types: 2, 3, 4 or 5 cell NiCAD / NiMH, 3.7V Li-Ion, and 4.1V Oldham. The Retro2 can then determine a very accurate low battery warning, giving you time to reduce your power and prolonging the run time without damaging your batteries by over discharge.

IS IT WATERPROOF? The unit is sprayed with a military silicon conformal coating which will protect it from moisture. It is as waterproof as the caplamp you put it in.

WHAT IS THE LIGHT OUTPUT LIKE? - The light is more like daylight and not yellow as you get with a filament bulb. The wider beam illuminates more of an area especially at your feet, to the left and right of your field of view while still maintaining a reasonable beam.

WHAT IS A GOOD LIGHT LEVEL TO USE? - Everyone has their own preference and it is also dependant on what battery pack you have and how long the trip is. 1W mode provides an excellent all round light level, for long multi-day trips you can easily get away with 0.3W mode. If you like light then use the 2W mode.

DOES IT INTERFERE WITH RADIO SYSTEMS? - No, there is no interference with radio systems and it does not interfere with the 'hey phone'.

HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO OTHER LIGHTS? - The only way to see is to compare it with another light in use at the same time as it is difficult to photograph. However I have tried to provide a comparison, the animation below shows one of our team members 4W bulb Oldham unit. For those interested this is in Middlecleugh Level in the passage that parallels above the Great Cross Vein above the Ballroom area, Nenthead. For another independant light comparison see: Roy Fellows Retro2 Review.