I need to upgrade my headlamp and I do like the idea of not having to carry extra batteries for it. I already bring my Anker, so this would work great. Thank you!
When I sat down with the rep at the Petzl booth at OR last summer and saw this battery I was psyched! This is your ordinary rechargeable battery. Enjoy it Tim, Petzl is top notch!
I like this man. Petzl makes some great headlamps. I'm glad to see them come out with something like this. I would say definitely do an update in a year on it. I'm interested to see how long the charges will last as time goes on.
Great review of the Petzl Accu Core! I can see how that would be much more convenient than 3 AAA's. Being able to recharge it is big plus and only have to keep up with one battery as opposed to 3 individual batteries is a major bonus! Thanks for sharing!
thats a good idea they got going on right there! and micro plug right on it. i was looking at those headlamps when i was in cabelas.. may have to go back n pick one up.
BEWARE... Petzl claims this Core is compatible with the Zipka (latest model) but it is not. The negative pole is recessed too far and does not make contact with the negative lead in the lamp. If you want it to work, you have to add a small conductive spacer, like folded aluminum foil. Not cool if you happen to drop it. The folks at Petzl had no explanation for this and I was stuck with a useless lithium battery....
Now that is an interesting idea. I haven't tried this battery in any other headlamp but I'm sure the tech is proprietary. Petzl probably wouldn't want to cannibalize its headlamp sales.
i'm not so sure. i'm not particularly savvy with this type of thing but i think somebody on budgetlightforum or candlepower could tell us. i think that this should be interchangeable provided that the voltage is as required and it works dimensionally. petzl wouldn't manufacture the battery cell itself, it may be possible to find an off-the-shelf item that could fit with some conductive spacers or something
Nice little product, but I use them everyday at work and the Ah is way down on 3x AAAs. Much of the battery is took up by the charging circuit. 3x AAAs last way longer.
now that is a pretty cool thing you have there buddy! An interesting test would be to see how long it takes to charge via solar power maybe... as well as the time it lasts as well obviously! ;-)
Simply by my frequency of use, I change the batteries in my Tika once a year. I do carry spares but they weigh a whole lot less than a battery pack charger. That said, this rechargeable would last an extremely long time if it doesn't discharge itself over time like so many do. I'd be interested in the long term use update 8-)
You and me both, I just commented to Jaxx that I actually night hike quite a bit for practice (kids are in bed) so I change my batteries 2-3 times a year I'd say. Sometimes just to not lose alot of brightness.
Been looking at a Reactik+ and this makes it an easier decision. I've got a Black Diamond Revolt and I really like it, but a battery "pack" would be a lot easier carrying around than 3 rechargeable AAA batteries. Thanks for sharing this! Cheers! DonP
THAT is neat. THere's no place to recycle batteries where I live, so this is really neat to see. Give another review after you've used this for several months so I can see how it lasts. Neat neat neat. Jules
Now that you comment I'm really curious if this battery would work in a non Petzl headlamp. As long as it could lay flat in the compartment I'm not sure why it wouldn't. I'll have to check that.
Kinda late to this party but now maybe people have had a chance to test it and I keep wondering about the battery density and how it compares to 2700 mAh with three NimH cels? Just bought a Petzl Tactikka and considered buying this Petzl Core cel.
+Duane Hundley thanks! There's a thru nite another sub suggested as well. I really like the red light though. I use it every trip so I don't blind my friends. 🤣
Are you saying there is another light like this? Rechargeable headlamps are the only way to go these days since everyone carries a charge pack. I tried out the BD iota and it was ok at best. Dont wast your money. I have been buying BD storm headlamps for the last 7 years and after buying the fenix HL25R and then the HL26R headlamp, I wont every buy a BD headlamp again. The light quality from the fenix is amazing compared to the purple ish dim light from BD. I've never tried a Petzel. We are thru hiking the PCT in a month and we are bringing the fenix HL26R. Was one of your videos from high banks park? I have family in worthington.
+Duane Hundley have fun on the PCT. I don't think I could ever manage to take that time off but I'd love to. No, I've never been to high banks but I have family in Worthington too. Small world.
How did the battery life compare at max light using the charge pack vs AAAs? I had bought an Actik Core 350 lumen but ended up exchanging it for the 300 lumen model without the charge pack when I discovered the max run time of the 350 is only 2 hours vs 60 hours with the 300 model. considering buying the charge pack separately for my 300 model.
I was watching another review on the Petzl Actik Core and in the comments someone pointed out that for a headlamp such as the Actik Core, it uses what they call Constant Lighting. So apparently when you select the 350 lumen output, you will indeed get that output for the full time of 2 hours. On the other lamps that don't have that feature, the light output is gradually falling the entire time (of up to 60 hours), so you only truly get 300 lumens when the battery(ies) are fresh.
3 AAA batteries Alkalline or rechargeable Enerloop will give more run time than this rechargeable one because space is lost to hold the recharging electronics and micro USB connector. 3 Spare AAA"s will weigh many times less than a power brick.
how is the lighting performance using the core battery versus the disposables? the reason i ask is that the 'petzl actik core' (which as far as i was aware was just the actik sold with core battery) has drastically different performance quoted on the petzl site www.petzl.com/INT/en/Sport/New/ACTIK-CORE#.WP_fYWmGO70
Hey Simon, haven't tested it enough to comment on how the core battery does vs. disposables. So far so good. Multiple night hikes (30 minutes +) without a recharge and no discernable loss of performance yet. The actik core also has a different lumen settings. Not sure about other differences. Confusing eh?
hi tim, i ended up buying this light, along with the core battery. it works well, but i feel then, as i felt now, that the core battery is ridiculously priced. i got mine for $30 AUD - you can get an 18650 cell with built in USB port for half that and they have more than double the capacity. anyway, a more versatile option is to run it with 3x AAA NiMH eneloop pro batteries. i got these as a backup set for long events. i just need to do the maths on energy content of 3x eneloop pro vs the petzl core
only prob is, that it has only 1250ma/h and costs more than the headlamp itself. i think one single aaa battery has almost 1200 ma/h usually, no rechargeable. i like the overall idea of this block though. finding it very poor for the industry, that noone thought of this earlier, as 3x aaa battery headlamps are on the market for so long. i mean its very annoying to carry 3 spare batteries for a headlamp and changing those.
I hate to rain on ur parade but it seems kinda pointless because when you add the weight of the Anker charger it's more then the 3 tripple As and costs more.
+Zander Balthasar no worries, the parade goes on! In all seriousness there are a couple of reasons why I think this will work for me. I always bring a battery pack on my trips so it's not additional weight, also I'm thinking of a longer (3 week) trip so I'd have to manage at least 6-9 AAAs if I didnt use this. The last big one for me is cutting down on waste. Thoughts?
This is the video I saw that inspired me to buy the Petzl Actik. This headlamp is the best!
Still loving it. About time for a review I think.
Thanks Tim: the instructions as usual where not complete but you got all my questions answered. Keep up the great work!
I need to upgrade my headlamp and I do like the idea of not having to carry extra batteries for it. I already bring my Anker, so this would work great. Thank you!
We'll see how it holds up over the long term!
When I sat down with the rep at the Petzl booth at OR last summer and saw this battery I was psyched! This is your ordinary rechargeable battery. Enjoy it Tim, Petzl is top notch!
I'm looking forward to seeing the long term use of this one.
Nice!! That is the direction that I want to go. It also saves on tossing old batteries into the landfill.
Yes, that is a big benefit. I always feel bad about tossing batteries out.
Perfect light to mount on my helmet for MTB night riding lightweight and its PETZL .
I like this man. Petzl makes some great headlamps. I'm glad to see them come out with something like this. I would say definitely do an update in a year on it. I'm interested to see how long the charges will last as time goes on.
Yea, I actually night hike quite a bit for practice after the kids are in bed so I'm certain I'm a higher volume user than normal.
Now this is something I like... I too hate throwing batteries out and having to carry extra! Thanks for sharing this Tim!
Yea, I don't anticipate having to charge it often but could be really helpful on a thru hike.
Looking forward to see how ya like it over the year!
Me too!
That looks like a great choice Tim for the trail. Have a great week
thanks, you too.
Very interesting. Please give an update on how that battery pack works out.
Will do. I'm curious to see how it works as well.
Thanks Tim, love your videos. New to backpacking find them very informative. From the OH as well, (Dayton area). Thanks for sharing
Thanks Jerry, I have fun making them so I'm glad they're helpful. Always nice to hear from another Ohioan.
Great review of the Petzl Accu Core! I can see how that would be much more convenient than 3 AAA's. Being able to recharge it is big plus and only have to keep up with one battery as opposed to 3 individual batteries is a major bonus! Thanks for sharing!
Yup, you hit all the reasons I'll be trying this out this year. Thanks for coming by Chris.
Many of us are carrying something to recharge our devices on the trail. Therefore, this seems to make a lot sense. Thanks, Tim. Dane.
Exactly, that was my thinking. Thanks Dane.
thats a good idea they got going on right there! and micro plug right on it. i was looking at those headlamps when i was in cabelas.. may have to go back n pick one up.
Yea, I think the rechargeable battery makes their lineup alot more versatile. I'm curious to see how it holds its charge after mutliple uses.
BEWARE... Petzl claims this Core is compatible with the Zipka (latest model) but it is not. The negative pole is recessed too far and does not make contact with the negative lead in the lamp. If you want it to work, you have to add a small conductive spacer, like folded aluminum foil. Not cool if you happen to drop it. The folks at Petzl had no explanation for this and I was stuck with a useless lithium battery....
It also is not compatible with my old TIKKA
Enjoyed your video...very helpful! ( nice HD quality too ) "Keep Hiking!"
thanks!
I do like that. Now if they could come with a version for any 3 AAA battery headlamp I would be happy. Thanks for sharing bro. -ATB Adam 🐢
Now that is an interesting idea. I haven't tried this battery in any other headlamp but I'm sure the tech is proprietary. Petzl probably wouldn't want to cannibalize its headlamp sales.
They could always license it out to energizer etc and collect royalties.
i'm not so sure. i'm not particularly savvy with this type of thing but i think somebody on budgetlightforum or candlepower could tell us. i think that this should be interchangeable provided that the voltage is as required and it works dimensionally. petzl wouldn't manufacture the battery cell itself, it may be possible to find an off-the-shelf item that could fit with some conductive spacers or something
I wonder if this will fit the old Petzl Tikka 2. I use lithium batteries that last a long time but this is a great alternative.
Now that is a good question. I'm not sure how far back the compatibility will go.
Awesome! Thanks for the look!
You're welcome. Great idea from Petzl.
Nice little product, but I use them everyday at work and the Ah is way down on 3x AAAs. Much of the battery is took up by the charging circuit. 3x AAAs last way longer.
now that is a pretty cool thing you have there buddy! An interesting test would be to see how long it takes to charge via solar power maybe... as well as the time it lasts as well obviously! ;-)
Ha, yes this battery will definitely get tested a bunch.
That's a cool battery. It won't be long before other companies come up with their own version.
Yea, hopefully. It's nice only having to manage one battery and not three.
Nathan4071 Led Lenser has already done it with their Seo series around the same time as Petzl. i dont know which company was first though
Are this battery will fits in other headlights? Like other brands that uses AAA batteries?
Lightweight and multi-purpose, even the batteries are in on it Tim :) TFS!
Ha!
Great vid tim I am looking for a good headlamp I'm gonna check a few different ones out I need something that will have long battery life
This for the Amazon trip? Rechargeable might be a good option then.
Tim Watson ya your right tim i'm going to look into some rechargeable onesfor the trip
Simply by my frequency of use, I change the batteries in my Tika once a year. I do carry spares but they weigh a whole lot less than a battery pack charger. That said, this rechargeable would last an extremely long time if it doesn't discharge itself over time like so many do. I'd be interested in the long term use update 8-)
You and me both, I just commented to Jaxx that I actually night hike quite a bit for practice (kids are in bed) so I change my batteries 2-3 times a year I'd say. Sometimes just to not lose alot of brightness.
Been looking at a Reactik+ and this makes it an easier decision. I've got a Black Diamond Revolt and I really like it, but a battery "pack" would be a lot easier carrying around than 3 rechargeable AAA batteries. Thanks for sharing this! Cheers! DonP
That was my thinking as well. I always think about losing one AAA. Then I'm out of luck. lol
THAT is neat. THere's no place to recycle batteries where I live, so this is really neat to see. Give another review after you've used this for several months so I can see how it lasts. Neat neat neat. Jules
Will do Jules. I always hate throwing out batteries so this is a nice option.
thats a fantastic idea! id like to see a generic version that would work in any application.
cheers for this one Tim
Be well brother
Craig
Same, I think it'd be relatively easy to do.
I need to check into that, thrunite th20 batteries are so expensive, I might get rid of it just for that reason
Ugh, yea I usually hate non standard batteries. The beauty of this is that you can use both though!
Do you tgink this batt would work in other head torches? My head torch has the same layout 3xaaa?? Can any one try?
If I used this type of headlamp I would probably invest in that kind of battery.
Now that you comment I'm really curious if this battery would work in a non Petzl headlamp. As long as it could lay flat in the compartment I'm not sure why it wouldn't. I'll have to check that.
Tim Watson I imagine it would depend on the form factor. For instance the 180 light that I use has a specialized battery with a micro USB plug
Kinda late to this party but now maybe people have had a chance to test it and I keep wondering about the battery density and how it compares to 2700 mAh with three NimH cels? Just bought a Petzl Tactikka and considered buying this Petzl Core cel.
Battery is pretty bad. It doesn’t really last and takes way too long to charge.
looks like a great piece of gear
So far so good. Long term use will tell the real story.
Another good video Tim
thanks randy.
Fenix HL26R rechargable 1600mah, 3oz, 450lum, 6 hours on 130 lum. no red light though but who cares. I enjoyed your zpacks arc video. Thank you!
+Duane Hundley thanks! There's a thru nite another sub suggested as well. I really like the red light though. I use it every trip so I don't blind my friends. 🤣
Are you saying there is another light like this? Rechargeable headlamps are the only way to go these days since everyone carries a charge pack. I tried out the BD iota and it was ok at best. Dont wast your money. I have been buying BD storm headlamps for the last 7 years and after buying the fenix HL25R and then the HL26R headlamp, I wont every buy a BD headlamp again. The light quality from the fenix is amazing compared to the purple ish dim light from BD. I've never tried a Petzel. We are thru hiking the PCT in a month and we are bringing the fenix HL26R. Was one of your videos from high banks park? I have family in worthington.
+Duane Hundley have fun on the PCT. I don't think I could ever manage to take that time off but I'd love to. No, I've never been to high banks but I have family in Worthington too. Small world.
How did the battery life compare at max light using the charge pack vs AAAs? I had bought an Actik Core 350 lumen but ended up exchanging it for the 300 lumen model without the charge pack when I discovered the max run time of the 350 is only 2 hours vs 60 hours with the 300 model. considering buying the charge pack separately for my 300 model.
I was watching another review on the Petzl Actik Core and in the comments someone pointed out that for a headlamp such as the Actik Core, it uses what they call Constant Lighting. So apparently when you select the 350 lumen output, you will indeed get that output for the full time of 2 hours. On the other lamps that don't have that feature, the light output is gradually falling the entire time (of up to 60 hours), so you only truly get 300 lumens when the battery(ies) are fresh.
3 AAA batteries Alkalline or rechargeable Enerloop will give more run time than this rechargeable one because space is lost to hold the recharging electronics and micro USB connector. 3 Spare AAA"s will weigh many times less than a power brick.
Love all things Petzl!
This was my second Petzl product and I can see why they're so highly regarded. So far so good!
Nice, I like that. Great idea.
Yea, I think it should work well instead of managing AAAs. As always long term use is the question to be determined.
Very nifty, cool idea.
Indeed. I think they have a winner here.
Any update if anyone has tried fitting it into a black diamond spot?
No idea. I haven't tried it.
I just came back from REI they said no.
That's pretty cool.
Yea, so far so good.
how is the lighting performance using the core battery versus the disposables? the reason i ask is that the 'petzl actik core' (which as far as i was aware was just the actik sold with core battery) has drastically different performance quoted on the petzl site
www.petzl.com/INT/en/Sport/New/ACTIK-CORE#.WP_fYWmGO70
Hey Simon, haven't tested it enough to comment on how the core battery does vs. disposables. So far so good. Multiple night hikes (30 minutes +) without a recharge and no discernable loss of performance yet. The actik core also has a different lumen settings. Not sure about other differences. Confusing eh?
hi tim, i ended up buying this light, along with the core battery. it works well, but i feel then, as i felt now, that the core battery is ridiculously priced. i got mine for $30 AUD - you can get an 18650 cell with built in USB port for half that and they have more than double the capacity.
anyway, a more versatile option is to run it with 3x AAA NiMH eneloop pro batteries. i got these as a backup set for long events. i just need to do the maths on energy content of 3x eneloop pro vs the petzl core
Pretty cool
It's a neat product for sure.
thanks for sharing God bless.
Thanks for coming by Heath.
Always love your stuff. God bless.
Ready for a follow up video yet?
I was just thinking about this. Yes, I'm ready. It's done well with no issues for me. I'm trying to see how I can arrange a 60 hour time-lapse.
🤔
Glad to hear that! The Actik Core version that is slightly brighter and comes with the battery is on my Christmas list. Hoping it will last a while!
Why, still micro-USB-B.
Its 2021 and all phone s have already USB-C!!
only prob is, that it has only 1250ma/h and costs more than the headlamp itself. i think one single aaa battery has almost 1200 ma/h usually, no rechargeable.
i like the overall idea of this block though. finding it very poor for the industry, that noone thought of this earlier, as 3x aaa battery headlamps are on the market for so long. i mean its very annoying to carry 3 spare batteries for a headlamp and changing those.
Excellent points and I agree. I don't know why it took this long to come up with this idea.
nice
thanks!
I hate to rain on ur parade but it seems kinda pointless because when you add the weight of the Anker charger it's more then the 3 tripple As and costs more.
+Zander Balthasar no worries, the parade goes on! In all seriousness there are a couple of reasons why I think this will work for me. I always bring a battery pack on my trips so it's not additional weight, also I'm thinking of a longer (3 week) trip so I'd have to manage at least 6-9 AAAs if I didnt use this. The last big one for me is cutting down on waste. Thoughts?
Why bother with all that - just buy a bunch of eneloops - 29 bucks for a battery - LMAO