Princeton Tec showed me a glimpse of its newest helmet-mounted light -- the Charge.
Still in its pre-production form, this flexible light is an offshoot of two earlier Princeton Tec helmet-mounted task lights -- the Point and the Switch. But the Charge also adds a much-brighter, white light option to the package, says George Chevalier of Princeton Tec.
Charge is the evolution in this line, combining directed task lighting with a central bright white LED, putting out around 55 lumens.
That's about five times the brightness of the Point and Switch lights, a capability users in the field requested, says Chevalier. So you have three small LEDs with an output of about 18 lumens for close-in work or you can hold the power button down for 1-2 seconds for a bright spot light.
The Charge is powered by a single AA battery. It's roughly 5 inches long, 2 inches tall and just under an inch deep. And it weighs 47 grams or 1.7 ounces with battery.
The Charge is designed to slide directly onto an Ops-Core rail without any attachments. It can also be mounted on standard combat helmets or PALS webbing with an interchangeable bracket.
The Charge has a flexible neck like the Point and the Switch but is shorter for more stability, Chevalier says.
It's long enough to direct to the task at hand, and short enough to stay in position through most movement.
There's no word yet on what the Charge will cost. The Point costs about $40 and the Switch is about $60, so ... you do the math.
The new light is scheduled to be available this fall and will feature combos of red, blue and IR or red, green and IR LEDs. In addition to black, the Charge will come in OD green and tan.
