Petzl has a new version of the Myo XP due out very
shortly and it's a whopping three times brighter than its
predecessor thanks to improved LED technology.
From the outside the main change is the colour from the blue of
the old model to grey/black with neat luminous snot green on/off and
boost switches, but it's the innards of the new torch that
matter.
They've changed a lot, even though the new version still has three
brightness levels plus a boost setting and flash mode along with
battery charge indicator and flip-up light diffuser. It still uses
three AA cells as well.
In simple terms the new Myo XP is brighter than the old one, much
brighter. It's notoriously difficult to compare light performance,
but using the accepted measure the new version chucks out 150 lumens
of light in 'Boost' mode compared to just 50 lumens for its
predessor.
Petzl says that means with fresh batteries you'll get a 97-metre
range on boost or 72 metres on 'Maximum' with the new torch, compared
to 65 metres and 45 metres respectively with the old. In fact as
batteries age, the new XP produces as much light on its lowest
setting as the old one does at 'Maximum'.
Not only that but battery life is actually improved too by an
additional 10 hours at all settings, so you now get 80 hours of light
at 'Maximum' compared to 70 hours before.
The standard Myo XP with band-mounted battery will retail
at £55 while the Myo XP Belt with remote battery
pack for cold weather use is £65. The new models should
be in the shops from February 2008.
Looks like one of the best head torches out there just got a whole
lot brighter.
More Petzl information at www.petzl.com
John Bailey
