FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

28July2011 By:SalPalma(FOGHORN)

PrincetonTecRemixProTacticalHeadlamp
PrincetonTecs Remix Pro; however, beforedivingintothereview,Iwanttomap outwhatIfeelareattributestolookfor. First, size and weight are a major consideration. Operators working in the HinduKushalreadyhavetoomuchtocarry; anything that adds to that load is not conducivetosafetyandeffectiveness. Next, I look for ease of operation. How intuitive is it to access all of the features and functions. How easily can I adjust the lightsourcesothatIcandirectlightwhereI needit. Thirdly,Ilookattheavailableconfiguration. For military use, red and white lighting is essentialasisIRillumination. Lastly, will the light operate reliably in the harshest of environments? Is it waterproof andshockproof?Isthepowersourcereadily available or does it use an esoteric power source. ItisinthiscontextthatIwilldiscusseachof theheadlampsIreview. I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to review this exceptional product. They say you never forget your first love and I guess thats the case with PrincetonTecsRemixPro.

Owningthenightistobeabletooperate effectively in it; this is the case across the entire spectrum of visible and nonvisible light. Lighting is important and over the yearsithasbecomeverymuchapartofthe tactical equation. Whether the objective is target acquisition, target engagement, or personal safety all of the armed services andlawenforcementhaveinvestedheavily intacticallighting. The importance of good reliable lighting was accentuated in the CQC /CQB engagements in Iraq and in navigating the many caves and structures in Afghanistan. Onceaminersorhikerstooltheheadlamp has come of its own in both theaters but particularly in the mountainous terrain of AfghanistanandPakistan. Throughout the balance of this year, I will betakingacloselookatheadlampsfroma variety of manufacturers to bring to your attention those that I feel deliver exceptional value and are worthy of your consideration. One such headlamp is

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, d.b.a. Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.

FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

marketed as Ultrabright LEDs. The second group consists of a single LED sold as MaxbrightLED.

TheRemixProisalittlegemsatisfyingallof thecriteriapreviouslyoutlined. The housing, including battery, weighs a mere 2.33 ounces in a shockproof and waterproofpackagejustabout2x2.The housing articulates a full 180 on the verticalplane,sotheoperatorcanprecisely placethebeamasdesired. Unlike other headlamps on the market, Princeton Tecs Remix Pro can be worn attached to either a comfortable and fully adjustable supple headband, or directly attached to any of the tactical helmets equippedwithanNVDmount.

UltrabrightLEDs(LeftQuadrant)Maxbright LED(RightQuadrant) TheUltrabrightLEDsdeliverawidetwo intensitybeamavailableinwhite,red,blue andgreen.ThereisalsoanIRmodel available. TheMaxbrightLEDdeliversatwointensity beautifullycollimatedwhitelightthats somewhatnarroweratamaximumof100 lumens.Thisisanexcellentchoicefor navigation,targetdetectionandacquisition.

Theflexibilityinmountingoptionsgivesthe Remix Pro a leg up on its competition making it an ideal choice for all general applications. Lightingisprovidedbytwogroupsofrobust LEDs. The first group is a 3 LED battery

Switchingbetweenlightsourcesisvery simpleandsailorproof. Oninitialactivation,theRemixProcomes onlinewiththeUltrabrightLEDsatthe

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, d.b.a. Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.

FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

lowestintensity.Asinglepressofthe activationswitchmovesyouintoahigher intensity. Theswitchismassiveandeasilyaccessible,I wasabletoeasilyoperateitusing rappellinggloves. Depressingandholdingtheactivation switchwillenergizetheMaxbrightLED,as withtheUltrabrightLEDs,pressingthe switchoncemoreswitchesyouintohigh intensity. TheRemixProrunsononeCR123battery. InUltrabrightmode(low)youcanexpecta runtimeofapproximately40hours dependingonenvironmentalconditions. Ultrabrightmode(high)isconsiderably morepowerhungry;reducingruntimeto5 hours,dependingonenvironmental conditions.However,itdoesprovideyou withusablelightoutto30meters. InMaxbrightmode(low)youshouldseea runtimeofabout7hoursdeliveringusable lightoutto50meters.InMaxbrightmode (high)runtimedropsto4hoursbutyou gainausablelightsourceoutto70+ meters. WearingtheRemixProforprolonged periodsoftimewasextremelycomfortable andtheonlychangeIwouldmakeistothe headbandmount,whereIwouldadda narrowneoprenepadtobackofthefixture toenhancecomfort.

Conclusion PrincetonTechasdoneagreatjob developingapersonallightingstrategy wherethediscretecomponentsall integrateseamlessly. TheRemixProissuchacomponent.It delivershighutilityandeaseofuseata suggestedretailof$79.99fortheRemix Pro MPLS IRmodelsareslightlyhigher. Icannotenvisionservinginthearmed forcesandnothavingaccesstoaheadlamp aspartofyourstandardissueequipment.It ranksrightuptherewithacomfortablepair ofsocksandIsaythatwithoutreservation. Theheadlampenhancessafetyand performanceataminutecost,and PrincetonTecsRemixPrositsatthetop ofmylistforflexibility,durabilityandease ofuse. Ifyousharemybeliefonowningthenight thenyouneedawelldesignedandreliable headlamp;PrincetonTecsRemixProis suchalight.

-SP

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, d.b.a. Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.