Petzl Myo XP - any good for caving?

[menacer]

I do worry that people new to the sport see instructors using them and think - oh thats what you use then, I'll go out an buy one of those, without perhaps being informed of the pros (cheap) can cons (they break too easily).

When I first started caving I was a poor student,(with no grants)  all I could afford at the time was a petzl zoom, so that is what I bought...and Im still here now no worse off for the experience..
It was suggested to me not to spend loads of money on a lamp at the early stage in my caving life because I may subsequently not like the sport and move on.
The zoom (or myo) would still be suitable for other hobbies should I drop caving.... and feel like climbing up yosemite instead.

So its not all bad as a beginners (or stalwart cavers) light really.

As I progressed in Caving I was able to see what others were using and made my own choices from there, also according to the funds I had....

Poor Sam, you shouldnt "worry" yourself about it.. :tease:

 

[tony from suffolk]

OK, I'm now the proud possessor of said Petzl. Bright yellow buttons so I guess it's an old model but no matter!

It's certainly very lightweight and neat. Climbing into bed & illuminating my toes under the duvet reveals a reassuringly bright light. I shall test it further tonight when I take the dogs for a walk in the p*ssing rain.

The destructions say it'll last for 70 hours on full power, which is quite astonishing to me. Why, that's almost all the way round the Short Round Trip...

 

[cap n chris]

... more than 70 times.

Might need to stop for sleep/food, though.

 

[potholer]

The destructions say it'll last for 70 hours on full power, which is quite astonishing to me.

That's Petzl (and Nova?) sales logic.
What they mean is that if you put in fresh batteries and turn it on at full power, it'll be 70 hours before it's too dim to usefully see with.
How many hours (or minutes) it actually runs at max output before starting to very gradually dim is another matter.

 

[ian.p]

i find after about 40 hours the batterys need changing or recharging definatly worth using rechargable batterys you get slightly less burn time unless youre on a realy mamoth trip i shouldnt have thought thatd matter much.

 

[cap n chris]

What they mean is that if you put in fresh batteries and turn it on at full power, it'll be 70 hours before it's too dim to usefully see with.
How many hours (or minutes) it actually runs at max output before starting to very gradually dim is another matter.

On maximum brightness setting, the 2008 Myo will run for 80 hours, on medium setting for 100 hours and on economy setting, 180 hours.

The effective light range on maximum setting is 72 metres, dropping to 59 metres after half an hour, down to 39 metres after 10 hours and down to 16 metres after 30 hours. Somewhat surprisingly, on the economy mode setting, after 30 hours run time, the effective light range is still 24 metres!

 

[Elaine]

Climbing into bed & illuminating my toes under the duvet reveals a reassuringly bright light.

If you can lie down and be able to see your toes with a Petzl Myo XP then I would say it must be a bloody good light.

Either that or you have lost some weight since your avatar picture!     

Both Hugh(ie) and I are having to think of replacing our lights sometime soon. Am I right in thinking the Petzl Myo needs normal batteries?

Oops, just noticed IanP has more or less indicated this in his post.

 

[potholer]

The effective light range on maximum setting is 72 metres, dropping to 59 metres after half an hour, down to 39 metres after 10 hours and down to 16 metres after 30 hours. Somewhat surprisingly, on the economy mode setting, after 30 hours run time, the effective light range is still 24 metres!

I'd still wonder what 'effective range' means in practice.

 

[darkplaces]

Petzl Myo XP - Fresh batterys, 30 mins duration before its starts to dim, a few hours later the dimness is annoying.
Its ok if you dont need spread or beam at the same time, its one or the other, not both.

All these comments about 70 hours? Yeah right, ignore the marketing crap. All sales people lie with every breath they take.

 

[potholer]

With rechargeables, is the dimming as noticeable?
NiMH cells tend to maintain their voltage under load (and over time) better than alkalines.

 

[cap n chris]

I'd still wonder what 'effective range' means in practice.

I'm gonna stick my neck out and guess that it means "the area which is illuminated and you can therefore see".

 

[tony from suffolk]

...a few hours later the dimness is annoying.
Its ok if you dont need spread or beam at the same time, its one or the other, not both.

How many exactly is "a few hours"? And the XP doesn't offer the option of having spread and beam at the same time.

I'm sure it'll do me proud on my planned Aveline's Hole expedition.

 

[ian.p]

a few hours = about twice as long as c**tplaces portable sun will run for. 

 

[cap n chris]

I'm sure it'll do me proud on my planned Aveline's Hole expedition.

You might be advised to seek sponsorship/backing from National Geographic or the Royal Geographical Society; they're keen on expeditioners like your good self.

 

[potholer]

Do *any* [commercial] headtorches (not 'caving lights') give the option of spot and flood at the same time?

 

[darkplaces]

a few hours = about twice as long as c**tplaces portable sun will run for. 

Actually no. As I said... 16hrs so far... on a setting several times brighter then a MYO XP (with fresh batterys) and I have 3 out of 5 leds showing on my battery indicator (5 is max). My lamp is waterproof, strong and so unlikely to fail if smacked hard against rock unlike plastic. My hatred of plastic, it breaks when the shit hits the fan, or rather you smack it on rock, just when you need it the most.

Stick that in your toy lamp loving head band and go for a dark walk unable to see the roof or the far end.

Anyway The MYO is fine for newbies, they dont count.  :tease:

Do *any* [commercial] headtorches (not 'caving lights') give the option of spot and flood at the same time?

Yes! Most decent lamps do, Oldhams are well known for having a tight spot and good spill, the scurion has both a spot led and wide led, the stenlight can have a tight lense and a wide lense etc etc etc. The MYO to achive its 'brightness' uses a single lense to provide a spot only option, a flip down diffuser makes that wide, killing the spot.

 

[darkplaces]

Oh sorry not caving lamps... why buy one then?

 

[Charlie]

Do *any* [commercial] headtorches (not 'caving lights') give the option of spot and flood at the same time?

no, except for the spill around a spot beam

I'd still wonder what 'effective range' means in practice.

I'm gonna stick my neck out and guess that it means "the area which is illuminated and you can therefore see".

petzl say the effective range is the maximum distance at which it provides 0.25 lux. roughly equivalent to the full moon on a clear night.

 

[cap n chris]

Pretty bright then!

 

[darkplaces]

Yeah bright! I hate seeing stuff, its over rated. I love to feel my way round instead, I can make out a crane and a crab-winch by feel and the writing on the wall well its amazing the old miners used brail and calcite formations feel better then they look...