RETRO
XP - FAQ's
WHAT IS THE INPUT VOLTAGE
RANGE? - 1.0 to 6.0VDC maximum.
WHAT
STANDARD BATTERY PACKS WILL IT WORK WITH? - FX2, FX3, Li-Ion FX ,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 very old then you can
approximately expect a 10-15% power reduction in Mode 3.
WHAT BATTERY COMBINATIONS CAN YOU USE? - Alkaline: 1 to
4 cells or 4.5V flat pack, NiCAD / NiMH: 1 to 4 cells, Lead Acid: 2 - 4.1V,
Single Cell Li-ION 3.7V.
WHAT IS THE BEST BATTERY
COMINATION TO USE? - The Retro XP will work from many differenct types
of battery packs, but for the best efficiency use 3 / 4 Cell NiMH or 3.7V
Li-Ion battery packs.
ON THE OLDHAM / CEAG, 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 configuration,
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 2.4 to 6.0V input.
WHAT LED's DOES IT USE? - 2 x 1W Cree XP-G2-R5's at 158
lumens each. Total maximum output 400 lumens.
WHAT IS THE SPREAD OF LIGHT? - There are a number of
options. You can have 2 x 11° spots, or spot and a 13°, 30° or
40° deffuser. Two spots give the best throw of light, but if you want more
light at your feet then a spot and a 30 or 40° deffuser will give you that.
For a similar effect to the original Retro2, use a spot and a 13° deffuser.
Bear in mind that you still get a good spot effect even when using the wider
angle deffusers. See Beam Shots for a
comparison.
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 to Mode 2, 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 Retro XP 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 in
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. 180lm mode 2 provides an excellent all round light level -
more than enough infact, for long multi-day trips you can easily get away with
70lm mode 1. If you like light then use the burning 400lm mode 3.
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? - For an independant light comparison (on the older Retro2) see:
Roy Fellows Retro2
Review.
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