Streamlight 61302 Argo HP C4 LED Headmount Flashlight, Black Review

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I already own the Streamlight 61052 Septor LED Headlamp, which I was fairly happy with (see separate review). But the Streamlight 61301 Argo C4 LED Headmount Flashlight is much better. Prices on Amazon fluctuate, but both sell for ~$30, so buy the Argo. Comparison:

Material: Both units are made from tough plastic with a rubber bumper on the front of the lens. Both have the same dual-strap headband (very comfortable). There is a separate rubber strap for attaching the light to a helmet. But I've never used it, and have no comment on it. The forehead foam pad is larger on the Septor.

Weight: Both weigh approximately the same (within two grams by my scale, ~135 grams total with batteries).

Form factor: The Argo is smaller and therefore feels chunkier. The Septor protrudes more, while the Argo sits closer to the forehead and has less downward torque. That is, it doesn't tug down as much and is better balanced than the Septor (which is fine, but the Argo is better in a side-by-side comparison).

Battery installation: Both run on 3 AAA batteries. For both units, the battery compartment is one of the best I've seen. Remove a cap; slide out a battery module from a battery chamber; insert batteries into the module; load module into chamber; and replace cap. There is a clear index arrow marking the proper orientation of the module, and there is a pair of guide rails in the chamber which slide into a pair of mating slots on the module. Beautiful. The battery compartment on the Septor is more clearly marked than on the Argo: Septor has black lettering on a yellow background; Argo has black lettering molded onto a black cap. The cap on the battery chamber of the Septor releases/tightens with a bayonet twist lock; the cap on the Argo has multiple threads. The Septor cap lock is easier to use, but there is no problem with the Argo. The Argo has a battery level readout; three lights indicate power level from the battery (1/1, 1/2, 1/5). The Septor has no readout.

Light output: This is where the Argo literally outshines the Septor. The bulb designs are quite different.

The Septor has 7 low power LEDS. There are 3 output intensities. "Low" lights up the 1 LED in the center. "Medium" lights up 3 LEDS in a line. "High" lights up all 7 LEDs in a hexagonal grid pattern. Therefore, the light pattern is very uneven. There is no strobe (blink, flash) mode. The light color is slightly cool (blue tinge, not too noticeable). The Septor is designed for relatively close-up work (inspection), within 10 feet or so. If you are using it to light up a path at night, it's useable to maybe 50 ft or so on high.

The Argo has a single, high-powered LED. Many high-powered LEDs are not useful for close-up work because they are blindingly bright. The Argo, however has three intensities. There is also a strobe mode. The light color is slightly warm (yellow tinge, not too noticeable). The Argo has an unsual combination of long throw and wide spill. For test targets, I use a mailbox at the end of my driveway (50 ft), and a stop sign at the bottom of the road (500 ft). The Argo has a uniform circular pattern with a center hot spot and a wide even field. There is no focus, as in a Maglite. There is a dark band around the hotspot, but it is not as pronounced as on my Maglites. The dark band is noticeable only when you shine the light against a flat surface (such as a wall or ceiling). Otherwise, objects scatter enough light to mask the dark band. On high, the throw is good to 500 ft, and the spill is good to 50 ft. Even at 500 ft, the spill is impressive (more what you would expect from a headlight on a car, than a headlamp on a forehead). I'm not the outdoors type. But this light would be great for hikers and cave explorers. Also as a good safety light for those who walk in the dark. As mentioned above, it's also useable for close-up inspection on low.

The only neg I have against both lights is the rachet tilt mechanism. It's stiff and has click stops, so you can't adjust the position smoothly and continuously. Longevity of the plastic spring may be an issue (I don't use these heavily, so I don't know). Since I gave the Septor a 4, I'm giving the Argo a 5. I haven't tested battery life.

Update 4/10/10

I'm still on my first set of batteries (down to 1/5 level), so I haven't had any problem with current leakage. We had a lot of snow this past winter, and I ended up having to run my snowthrower several times at night to avoid being buried. Since my driveway is not lighted, I wore this headlight. I used it on high for a total of ~4 hr in cold, wet, blowing snow. We also have had a lot of rain in the past month, and the light got drenched when I was working on a leaky sump pump connection. Toweled it off and opened it up. Bone dry inside. This product is truly a winner. After using this light for 6 mo now, I still have no neg to report except for the rachet tilt mechanism. It's become my all purpose hands-free worklight. I use it weekly to check over my car (great for checking out oil level and overall engine compartment; also, for checking out tires while your hands are holding a tire gauge or tire pump).

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I was reading the reviews here and noticed some contradictions and realized that the reviews were of two different but similar headlamps. The black and yellow versions to choose from are not the same and you need to read the product information for both to determine which one fits your needs better. Simply put the black one uses a special lithium battery and has two brightness settings and the yellow one uses AAA alkaline and has three brightness settings. Light output and run times also differ. You can toggle between the two versions and their descriptions using the color choice options at the top of the web page.

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I am very pleased with the headlamp. It has two levels of brightness, both are much brighter than I expected. The angle of the light can be adjusted as with most head lamps these days. The best part of this lamp is that is uses CR123A lithium batteries. Many people see this as a negative. People are used to paying $5.00 to $7.00 dollars per battery when purchased at brick and mortar stores. However, these batteries can be cheaply purchased ($1.50 to $2.00) at online auction sites and through surefire. With 123a batteries that cheap, this battery type is now the headlamp's biggest positive. 123a's are more powerful and more compact than alkaline batteries. The more compact nature of these front mounted batteries makes this the only front loaded headlamp, with this much light out-put, whose front-end weight is acceptable. Lithium batteries also perform far better than alkalines in cold weather, plus 123a's have a 10 year shelf life.

The only negative I see is that the headlamp is not waterproof. It IS water resistant which is better than most other headlamps out there, but it seems this headlamp really should have full water proofing to go along with its other great features.

This headlamp may not look as flashy as some of the yuppie models you find in outdoor stores, but this headlamp has everything a no nonsense outdoorsmen will need.

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I bought this product for my dad for Christmas. He is a car mechanic and works a lot under cars. Some reviews said that this Streamlight was very bright. It has three levels of brightness, which is great. Though, the highest setting is not as bright as I thought it would be. Since it is an LED type of light, it is very white/bluish but it is not a "heavy kind of light". The light doesn't seem rich or full. It lights strong in the center (like a spot light) but the rest of the light fades out into a large circumference, therefore not seeming so bright after all.

It comes with both rubber straps and strong cloth straps, you can choose which one you want to use. My dad uses the cloth straps and says it feels very comfortable.

The tilting feature is pretty cool.

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This is a well constructed, weather resistant, rugged very bright headlamp. It is ideal for cold weather hiking since the lithium batteries tend to keep their charge longer than conventional batteries in the cold. The C4 lamp easily lit objects 100 feet away. The on/off high/low intensity button is all sealed so water will not get in. The battery container is also well sealed as is the lamp assembly. It comes with two sets of head straps one for use on your head and the other for use on a helmet. It is comfortable and not too heavy.

I originally bought this for a different reason indoor use. I work with certain ultrasound equipment that requires a dimmed room, so dim that I couldn't see the area I was working on well. This headlamp was too bright for this use. After using the light, my eyes were adapted to bright light and I couldn't see the ultrasound screen well.

The only design flaw that I encountered is that the on/off button does not have any hard cover or shield on it. After rolling it up and throwing it in my back pack and stuffing in a lot of gear around it, the button was pressed on and the light left on for a day. If you pack carefully, this should not be an issue.

Overall I like this light and recommend it. I live in Maine where the winter days are cold and short. It is great for evening cross country skiing or winter mountain climbing. The lithium batteries are more expensive but reduce the weight for the amount of power they provide. I recommend buying a 10 pack of batteries, since the price is substantially less per battery than buying a two pack at local stores. They last for years.