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 Modes 2, and 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 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 2.4 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.
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, 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 or 4 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.
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