Princeton Tec Yukon - First Look
Brand new LED / Xenon hybrid head torch from American lighting specialists Princeton Tec
Posted: 29 October 2003
by Jon
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Princeton Tec Yukon Headlamp -
First Look
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Price: £39.95
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Weight: 215 grammes (including
batteries)
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Features: Head
torch with 3 LEDs and one Xenon bulb, uses 3AA batteries -
supplied - waterproof, adjustable angled bulb housing,
claimed battery life 3-5 hours with Xenon, 120 hours with
LEDs, output 32 Lumens, 2.3 watts, lifetime
warranty.
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 The
Concept Princeton Tec is an American brand that's been getting
rave reviews on the other side of the pond since their LED torches
first appeared. New this winter, the Yukon is another take on the
hybrid LED / concentional beam concept. The idea is that you use the
LEDs for close-up work, but can switch easily to a longer range beam
if you need to, say, pick out a route down a craggy section of
mountain side or spy out a belay station.
It's also waterproof, rather than the 'water resistant' of most
other torches, Petzl's new Myo for example, which should help no end
in UK deluge conditions or for those unscheduled dips into
fast-flowing burns...
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 Features
The overall design is pretty classic, think Petzl's original Zoom,
with elasticated three-section strap, battery box at rear and a
hinged lamp housing. The straps adjust to accommodate either a bare
head or a climbing helmet.
The Xenon bulb's housed centrally in the middle of a conical
reflector with the three LEDs in a triangular pattern. The torch uses
three AAs - Duracells are supplied - and both battery box and light
housing are protected by rubber o-ring seals.
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In Action This is the first Princeton Tech torch we've got our
paws on and so far we're impressed. Build quality feels good with no
obvious flimsiness apparent and the light housing is neater and more
compact than a Myo.
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Easy access battery box sits at
rear of head and is
sealed by continuous rubber o-ring
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Operation is simple, push the button on top of the housing once for
the three LEDs, again to switch off, then on again for the central
Xenon bulb. The combination of the LEDs and reflector means the light
is slightly more concentrated than, say, a Petzl Tikka, but there's
not much in it and the LEDs' diffuse, white glow are still best
suited for short range action like camping and reading.
The Xenon bulb is much brighter, with a longer beam, though it
eats batteries more quickly with a claimed 3-5 hours of life, about
the same as you'd expect from a Myo running in the same mode. It's not
zoomable like the Myo however and doesn't seem to be quite as
penetrating, possibly because the reflector is slightly smaller. We
also reckon the Petzl's bezel-twisting on/off switch is easier to use
with gloves than the Yukon's small button.
 The
hinge the housing pivots on looks flimsy, but we tried to rip it off
without success. One weakness did become apparent though, the pivot
bolt loosened allowing the housing to flop forward. Easy to fix with
a small crosshead screw-driver, but we'd pop some Loctite on the
threads for peace of mind.
Access to the battery compartment is straightforward and the bulb
housing simply unscrews to allow you to change the Xeonon bulb,
there's no spare supplied though, or anywhere obvious to store one.
Finally, to check water tightness, we chucked the torch in a bowl
of water and left it for 30 minutes. No problem whatsoever, in
contrast to the water-resistant Myo which leaked under the same
circumstances.
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The Yukon's most obvious direct competitor is Petzl's Myo 3, they
weigh pretty much the same, do a very similar job and are priced
within 5 pence of each other. The Petzl has funkier styling and, we
think, a slightly superior 'main beam' performance, it's also easier
to use with thick gloves or iced-up fingers and has a zoomable beam.
One less battery though.
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Fine housing pivot bolt came
loose too easily,
a pain to fix in the field, though Loctite sorted
it
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The Yukon does score points for its waterproofness, and if that's a
major concern for you it's definitely superior to the Petzl and it's
also easier to change batteries than with the Myo's mildly
infuriating battery box. We'd actually be happy using either for
general round camp and longer distance use.
The only thing that really niggled with Yukon was the
self-loosening pivot. It's a very fine thread using a very small
crosshead bolt which is hard to tighten even when you're at home with
access to tools. Black Diamond's Moonlight uses a similar set-up but
with a much bigger slotted screw so it can be easily
re-tightened.
In the end we resorted to threadlock, but really Princeton Tech
need to revise the pivot arrangement. Otherwise this is a good
all-round headtorch with the bonus of being waterproof.
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