We need a "One Moment Please" Big Clive Tee Shirt 😀

BigClive, you’re perfection man. Been watching your vids for years, do I know what’s going on, nah not really. But I do love taking stuff apart to see what’s inside as well, more so on the mechanical side of things. Your videos for some reason are so relaxing. You know your stuff, and can hear the pure joy and excitement in your voice when you’re doing surgery on these things. Love it, never stop!

Would like to see a video sometime of reverse engineering in practice, from analyzing the PCB to drawing the schematic.

I recently bought a Nitecore NU17 which I was very impressed with. By far the best control scheme I’ve found. Just three modes, low med hi, starts on low. After a few seconds the next press will turn it off instead of cycling. It does have an sos mode by long pressing, but you won’t ever accidentally activate it which is wonderful. Rechargeable, very small, smaller than the ones you have there, bright, not too blue, and about £15.

I appreciate the feedback on this Headlamp. Due to your teardown and review of this brand , I ordered and now have used the 300 lumen version. I love it ! My model is the 40079 version. Thanks Big Clive for doing what you do.

I bought one of these for work after watching your teardown. Luckily, mine had no issues with casing flash against the battery, I did your mod and am very pleased with this light. Love all your videos. Keep up the great work.

Always wondered why they called those packages blister packs. I would have thought laceration packs would have been more appropriate, given my experiences trying to open them.

Bought two of these on the back of this video (because Big Clive is never wrong)! Great job! The battery managed to last pretty much the whole day today on the 'medium' light setting while I did a bit of wiring. Have a second for my workshop which is great for working on cars. Unfortunately I was about a day late because presumably lots of others had the same idea as me and they were not that cheap on eBay lol

Cool video. I just bought one of the core head torch’s. I want a couple more for family members. Cheers for the content Clive

You have presented this headlight in the past, I ordered it and I am really extremely satisfied with it.

Cheers Clive. It's a pleasure to see a cheap thing someone's clearly put some time & thought into.

I have been using the Energizer 350 lumen for the last few years and it has been very good. Takes batteries, so you can carry more with you. Dimming mode, IR twin lights plus a main clear led and two more independant frosted smaller white lights £15 on Amazon uk. Good vid.

Bought one on the back of this review which arrived today. I have yet to use it for work but so far I'm impressed with it and under £10 is a win

Mine (from ebay) arrived this evening. Very nice! Thank you. 🙂

Another great video. I've learnt so much from your videos. Thank you, it's much appreciated.

Thanks for the presentation, Big Guy. I have joined your cup a month tier; wish I could pay the full value of tuition, so I am grateful for your generosity! Thanking you from the extreme southwestest corner of the U.S. ... Edit: thanks to those who comment here, very educational, as well...

My headworn lamp uses a 6Ah lead acid battery. Although it's very heavy on the head, it gives me great deportment when walking around Aldi

Reading the "User Guide", it say "3W CREEE LED" on the front, but "3W CREE LED" on the back in the Specifications. So it might be a genuine CREE LED after all. My resistor is now desoldered and plastic bump smoothed out. Thank you for this advice🙂

As a kid I used to love going night fishing with my Dad at The Quarry on Berry Head, Brixham. This was 1974 or so... Anyway, one xmas I got given a head lamp. It had an elastic strap like the one above but the light looked like a black plastic, mini 2CV rectangular headlamp with a 6V incandescent bulb & chromed plastic reflector. It had some stout black sheathed cable going over your head to a clip at the back of your head & then down to a battery pack of four D cells that must've weighed nearly a kilo! Four D cells weigh over 700g on their own & this huge battery pack, dangling off of my jeans & my hip & happening elastic rainbow snake belt used to drag my jeans down as I walked. I was so proud to have a headlamp just like my Dad & his mates had (I was 10 ish) and I was so scared of dropping this brittle plastic case full of heavy, expensive batteries that it really spoiled the fishing! The headlamp gave out just enough light so you wouldn't drop the damned thing on the rocks! Just! I'm writing this to try & explain what a leap in technology Clive's new favourite headlight is! The brightness! It's easily ten times brighter than my old fishing light. Its light! Light enough so the light & battery can sit on your forehead. No 1kg battery cases hanging off your belt. It's duration! Those old zinc carbon D cells went flat very quickly. Once we had set up our rods & cast out we'd turn our headlamps off to save the batteries (they were pretty expensive too!) Putting this headlight on dredged up that nearly 50 year old memory. Comparing the two side by side surprised me! I hadn't thought of those nights & that equipment for donkey's years!

I recently bought a new head light for a relatively cheap price(15€). I didn't think much of it, but I risked it anyways just to see. When I saw it in action though I was quite impressed. -It has a sensor to activate and deactivate the super bright main light, which also can be deactivated so that it works without the sensor. - it has an optional red light mode, which is great for fishing when you don't want to spook the fish, which is mainly why I bought it. -it also has several dimming settings and an "on/off mode" - but the most amazing thing that I found out about the lamp is, the rechargeable lipo battery pack is easily accessible, with just one click the back cover opens, and the battery pack is plugged in and not soldered in, which makes a battery swap super easy. They didn't even mention that feature on the packaging, but I think they should, because that's not so common to be able to swap the whole lipo pack in such an easy way. The importers brand is "EasyMaxx" but the problem is that I couldn't find it online, so I can't tell you where to get one unfortunately 😔

I ordered one just from seeing the thumbnail, even before watching the video. If it’s got big Clive’s recommendation then that’s good enough for me!

Thanks for the good review.. I see I can get one here in South Africa. Gonna order it.👍

I've been using Boruit head torches for years now. They're bigger than the torch in your video but their light output is pretty good, and goes between middle, 2 sides, all three, or SOS. I got a new one recently that also has a red LED which can be switched on with a long press, also the main LED (and red as it's in the centre fixing) can be focussed using the ring around the light. I like how they just gradually get dimmer as the voltage lowers rather than just abruptly cutting out. I use mine for walking down country lanes, so very much need it as bright as possible to be seen.

hi clive, many thanks for the review and teardown analysis. the energizer vision ultra rechargeable led head torch is also worth a look. kind regards.

Handy little light, nice video 2X👍

Nice explanation. It's crazy how many jobs the 8 pin device deals with.

Lovely little light, and an awesome battery capacity! Plenty available via the "usual sources", and an acceptable back up light for us pot-holers!

I'm grateful people like you exist.

Only Thing missing is a usb c port. I've modded the old one with one, it works great and it's one cable less in my bag

I'd never considered using a diode for noise reduction before. I may give that a try since I have some PIRs that false-triggers due to being on the same line as a servo motor.

My dad has an LLBEAN headlamp and it is very good! It even is magnetically attached to the swivel it is on so you can use it as a flashlight!

The SOS modes are for people who go hiking in mountains when there is no phone reception. You can shine the SOS down the mountain to the next village and hope somebody who is looking for you sees it. With ubiquitous cell coverage even on mountains and power banks, this has become less useful nowadays though.

I have been loving the Nitecore NU25. Small, rechargeable, bright.

Looks good for mechanics. Decathlon made the best one I have used, being into outdoors stuff they got the switching right off-red(keeps night sight)-low-med-high USB charging. The only extra it could have is the autoadjust. The ones that start at insane bright just blind you and even worse if you have to cycle through strobe too.

Another top quality video Clive 😜

My headlight I love is the Coast Flashlight HL8R, as the rechargeable battery pack can be moved away from the back of the head to a belt with the included extension, or replaced with the included AA battery pack. 3 levels of brightness, can twist to focus, and tilt :) It also works with their filter kit, so can use coloured filters

I highly recommend the Petzl Swift RL, which automatically adjusts the beam type and output power based on the reflected light, and I must admit that this system is very precise and sensitive. You can find many good deals for this model because people don't understand RL technology and think that this is thesama as FacetoFace which was implemented in Pixa series of Petzl headlamps. I have try many brands but I ALWAYS back to Petzl because of the quality of their products.

I still use an old led headlight I bought (from China) 8 years ago. It cost me £3.40 delivered. Mine runs off an 18650 that slots into a rear box. The light has an adjustable angle and 3 intensity settings. I love it because I can carry spare batteries, it runs on full power for hours, the light output is really good with a white colour, no flicker and puts plenty onto the ground before me. Mine's good enough to wear as a cycle light at night. It's not of a known type or make and was simply a lucky purchase back in the days when I had a light buying 'fetish'. I have many other known lights like the one in this video but honestly they just don't cut it for me.

New favorite budget headlamp is the Sofirn D25LR, Samsung LH351D 5000k high CRI 90 LED emitter, Luminus SST-20 red LED, removable 18650 cell, type-C charging, for just $20 or so, tail cap also shows SoC (green > 60%, yellow > 30% and red < 10%)

I've had to order one, of course!

Love it. Thanks Big Clive. I have one of the "older" ones like yours and It's my favorite right now. I have a couple of the bulkier ones like these too. I have been thinking about adapting one of them with an LED strip to create more of a wash than a spot which if you're just sitting there reading is annoying. A wash would be different wouldn't it? Perhaps I could also just put a bit of Spun or Diffusion in front of the LED as well.

Fancy headlamp, can't find a single site that has stock and ships to the US. Good video as always.

I'm also picky about my head lamps.... Nitecore NU25 is the best! I gig with this on a regular basis and is extremely light. USB charge. Fits in your pocket and has a great selection of brightness and types of LED lighting. No gimmicks. Just great!

I did a quick google and it appears these are being sold by tool shops, marine chandlers and garden tool suppliers for prices from £9-16 so if people are looking for one it shouldn't be too hard to find something local. Not that I'm discouraging people from visiting Ramsey, I went their once and its a charming place.

I have a similar head torch from Rothenburger.... All the same features, but added 5 led charge state indicator, and red constant (or flashing) light, instead of white... for use when you need to see something like a map, without ruining your night vision... or worn backwards for night cycling.. A bit more expensive at £17, but very very good.

i love your videos !! I would love to see a tear up of one of those Battery free scale, hand cranked, to see the schematics ! I send you one if you want ! I would like to see if it's possible to use the same system for other devices, like a remote control for example...

Just been shopping (on line) and bought a couple of them. Difficult finding good, simple head torches, without stupid "features" Thanks Clive :o)

That reminds me I need to get a new headlamp after I dropped mine last summer. I really liked it because it used two 18650s which gave you insane run time on the lower settings or a really bright light if you need it. The 18650s do add weight to it but the run time is worth it especially when I have to go clear the driveway before work after it snows or during a power outage.

long time no see ... good as ever...

Bought this light after seeing your video. Did the same mod and I am very happy with the result as well. The only thing I would change about this light is the fact that it doesn't tilt downwards very far. The fully-up angle is basically useless since it points skywards. Would be easy to 3D print a better plastic hinge for this. Good shout Clive.

Use headlamps every day (night) can't wait to check this one out

I have about 6 months of your videos to catch up on. It's a treat for me (like heroin is a treat). It's my Christmas present to me.

I have a few of these that I use regularly, mainly for work and hobbies. Use some cheapy petzl and a led lenser H7 for work, petzl Myo XP and led lenser h14 for hobbies. It's just a shame that battery technology really isn't where it needs to be, rechargable is great if you have access to a power supply and the time to recharge. Interesting enough you have to be careful with LED lamps when inspecting certain metals as the white light can tend to hide metal fatigue and cracks. Thanks for sharing this video, interesting stuff.

That battery is huge! My headlamp is a Bushnell and is run with 3 AAA batteries...I use rechargeable (Eneloop) cells for it.

It seems to have been replaced by the CLH3200 which I've ordered. I hope it's as well designed as the CLH200. Thanks for the video Clive.

ha hah got one Clive done the hack also easy to do many many thanks Clive it now 02 :12 am can't sleep am a night owl took me about under five minuets works a treat thake care keep them flowing 💥👍

Alright Big Clive Been using the LEDLenser MH10 for a while now and it's without a doubt the best i've used. The 18650 cells can be changed over if they don't last the whole day and the head band can be changed over quick when it starts to Rinky Dink. Got some 1 inch jacquard elastic for that from eBay, cut it to about 1200mm and no sewing required. I got about 3 of those ones you're on about the first time you brought them up on YT and always have a couple of them nearby. The downward angle on the pivot thing doesn't go far enough for me, but they still work really well, even after all this time. So, cheers for the tips. Give the MH10 a go if you want something you have to wear all day for working all day on those DB's Have fun 🙂🙂

Looks very similar to one I bought in Lidl recently, but that one had a pair of red leds (I guess for night bike riding).

Isle of Man? They should rename it the Isle Of The Man, after you, Clive! I mean it. You're a great guy, with a wonderful personality and voice, and you know what you're talking about. And you help out all of us plebs! Thanks, and have a great day, Sir! o7

I think there's a COB LED carabiner light possibly made by the same company (although branding varies) that's actually nice enough for how long it runs on a charge for its given light output. Not quite as weatherproof as some would like, but you can't have everything given the low price it's available for. (Still a very good deal when it makes it to Walmart's discount bin.)

Clive a hint for opening that type of packaging. If you have a good can opener "sharp" it will run around and cut it open! Cheers from OZ

I just bought a couple of these from Tiso for £12 each. Nice lights. I charged one while I "low power modded" the other. Comparing the two, the low power version at full is about the same as the normal one at mid power. The modded one is still plenty bright enough for use at hand working distance and throws useful light out to about 5m+. It's a very useful step down in power with the mod so I will do the same to the other one too. The PWM flashing on mid and low power (Both original and modded) is annoying for me though. It's pretty obvious on moving parts but I can forgive it given the overall price and performance. My one didn't have the issue with the plastic case marking the battery thankfully.

I prefer headlights to. As a midnight gardener. That is when earwigs come out. I however hate the fact alot of headlights are designed to use alkaline. So what happens when you use a rechargeable? You obviously get a dimmer light. Mine uses 3 AAA with 2 white in parallel, or one red(ancient Brinkman brand). In the many years I have used it. I had to replace both white leds, and the headband is no longer elastic. I have yet to modify the limiting resistors for more brightness, or use a 4 series AA holder with extension wire for rechargeable use. Maybe also convert to 4 D cells because frequently recharging AAA cells gets old fast for a couple hours of decent brightness. Having many rechargeable's on hand helps. It has worked so I procrastinate on modifying it. I also have one of those 3 x 5 led matrix cob versions. It is blinding with fresh alkaline's, but sucks the power.

If we have blackouts we will all need alternative ways to supply light etc....i think it would be a fantastic idea and very helpful if you could do a video or two with any tips or ideas you have.....maybe get viewers to chip in with their own ideas and tips just in case the worst happens.....i would rather be prepared in case something happened than not be....im sure we all would.....blackbeltbarrister has done a couple of videos explaining the situation that the government and news etc are keeping quiet....many thanks and stay safe.....dave 😊

The IR on/off feature would drive me nuts, otherwise, it seems like a decent light, though my go-to is an Energizer HDB322 head torch I got from tesco some years back that found its' way onto the reduced shelf due to packaging molestation, and I hid it amongst other stuff on the shelves 'til I had the money to buy it a few weeks later, really handy thing, been using it recently on fixing CRT TV & monitor stuff... :D

I think I saw a special offers sign at Tesco fuel stations last week offering the Core headtorch.

The build must vary depending on production dates etc. I have the exact same light, same packaging but the battery is thinner and labelled 600mah , the PCB is the same, while the top was off I snipped off a resistor to extend the charge.

About 10 years ago when I discovered single-cell 18650 headlamps I haven't bought anything else since. I do wonder about the safety of having an 18650 in a sealed metal tube on my forehead though. Especially with some of the amazon-ebay special headlamps I've bought (and been generally happy with).

I finally googled Isle of Man, and I'm glad, because I had it confused with Isle of Wight. Very pretty over there!

Nice find Clive ! Hate a wee screw. ;)

I've got a black diamond. I thionk it's an Ion., Has a bright (but multi level) big spot, and two small leds for gentler lighting. It;'s very small and light but has a separate battery pack that goes at the back. Runs off 2 AAs so has a long life and easy to replace. However I've had it some years and the elastic strapping has gone limp.

I prefer the ones which also have a fill-light (wide angle). We even have some with an additional red light function (less important as you need two anyway for bike)

Hi Clive. Unlike you I always avoided rechargeable head lamps. They had a bad habit of going flat at the worst possible moment. I chose instead to buy lamps that took AA cells. I always carried a box of spare batteries and cells for all my gear. My last job was exclusively diesel powergen and nobody ever lit their plant rooms well enough to do anything but basic servicing.

Anyone else muttering 'enhance, enhance' to themselves while Clive zooms in...

As an ENT surgeon I spent much of my time using a headlamp to look into noses and throats. To see inside a cavity the lamp needs to be on the same level as the eyes. I have a lamp mounted to the bridge piece of a spectacle frame; wherever I look the light points

Hi Clive do you have a video on how to build a flashing led, I’m trying to build an ultra bright red flashing light to be visible at 1000+ feet on a model car.

Those lamps are cool, but having one is as close to it as I got. I prefer larger area lights. Good luck. 👍

you could test the browning headlamps...I have two sizes. they rock.

Please get yourself an Ifixit set. You will love it when in need of small bits.

Just been on ebay nice selection my first project

I use head torches camping, (plural), a decent waterproof one and a tiny cheapo, lightweight one from the poundshop as backup, low power mode important as I wild camp and something bright will give away location, red light a useful feature, but flashing red light utterly pointless, angle important, I tried the IR feature on one, its good and bad in a tent, handy if cant find torch but comes on when you dont want to, so can do without. If we do get powercuts this winter, these gadgets will be handy, as well as Candles, Diesel Heaters, Paraffin lamps etc, will be just like camping!

Now that it gets dark outside pretty early I also have a head lamp in my bag at all times. Mine is a Petzl with rechargeable AAA batteries in it. I have had this lamp for quite a while now and there’s nothing wrong with it at all despite the abuse on festivals, hikes etc. Once this thing breaks or I lose it, I might upgrade - but somehow I like the option to put in regular batteries as I can get those practically everywhere in a pinch.

Always remember to wear one when flying. :-)

Thanks Clive, now I have to get this one too! 🍺Drink🍻

A class vid as always Clive. Could you please make a short vid of how to do the power down hack you've mentioned in this video and thanks for all your interesting works and the fun laughs with your brother over the years. ;) I linked with your vids many years ago when you made the one about a cheap sim tracker and your dear old Mum; I used from that vid one of those trackers for a few years until Australia sadly turned off 2G other than on Christmas Island which I be believe is a bit of a crabby place ;) I now use a completely totally overpriced running costs tracker that is no better than your original tracker that you called into and then Google-Mapped the grid reference from the text return. So Clive have you got any cheap tracker ideas that run on 3G and 4G Australian network sims or any other system methods that you reckon are OK with reasonable running costs today ¿?

love lights!

Excellent as ever, I would note only one possible (mechanical) problem with the design; the double pole switch? That might be a weakness but I don't know anything about the MCU, if the 'pull to ground' is not simultaneous, might that be an issue? Pax and respect 'oh mighty High-Heidyin of the confused electron'

That looks like a decent bit of kit! I may see if I can get one locally. I have an old and tired "LED LIGHTS" photon pump headlight. It's a damnably good light, but it sticks out about two inches in front your forehead. I can see where this Core light is going to be much handier in small spaces. Also, my old light isn't rechargeable, which is not very handy when the battery goes flat. Yeas! I like this one...... Does it get warm against your nut?

Nice light indeed. Small, packed, practical. 5:27 "Jaffa! Kree!" :)

Just arrived the big brother, CHL 320, 320 Lumens, 1800mAh battery, bought it on eBay for £16.29, an absolute delight, uno momento!

What drives me crazy is having to cycle through the bright stage, to access lower power lighting. It's like pouring a gallon every time I just need a quart. At least some engineer could make it ramp up, low power first, press to turn off... thus no big power draw(s) when not needed. It's about energy conservation. One of these companies could easily lmake one with a slider/dial to choose brightness, with a seperate on/off buton/switch.

I've got the "original" Chinese one you recommend long time ago. The only bad point is very focused beam. Reaches very far, but a head lamp should have wide beam so you can shine at your hands and under your feet.

I am a milkman and one of these would be useful as I deliver during darkness, on the IR function does it switch on to the same intensity each time or does it have to cycle through?

Just got a Nightcore headlamp and I love it wearing it right now.

Hello Clive, What is the main source of an LED driver failure in domestic/commercial light fittings?

I've just received one of these and it's super bright. Does removing the resistor reduce brightness in IR mode. Brightness is adjustable by pressing left button three times. IR mode has one brightness, blinding

Could you make a video about touching the charged capacitor in the PSU?

Is the one resistor rated for the new power (0.6W now vs. 0.3W previously)? I suspect you have added a thermal failure point with your improvement. The better option would have been to replace them both with 2.4 Ohm resistors.

I wear the ones off Amazon ($15ish) that use 2 18650 in the back of the head holder. I need it on full brightness for 10 hours/day so I keep a 4 bank of cells charging at all times.

Thanks!