UKC

Petzl introduces the CORE: the rechargeable battery for the TIKKA2 / ZIPKA2 line of headlamps! The goal: more light and less environmental impact!

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/news.php?id=3210

In reply to UKC Gear: Sounds good, when's the reusable pack for the XP due then?

In reply to UKC Gear; SRP?

In reply to UKC Gear:

How is this better than using normal NiMh rechargeables?

In reply to The Ex-Engineer:

30 English pounds.

In reply to AlanLittle:

It's Lithium Ion - which (I think) has better cold weather performance?

However, you can't rob your headtorch for betteries if you need them for something else!

In reply to SCC:
To be fair, these headtorches all use AAA batteries, and how many of us have other gadgets (on the hill) that take AAAs? I certainly don't!

In reply to Only a hill:

Transciever?

In reply to Only a hill:

Why does it have to be on the hill?
Remote control for the DVD / TV?
Visiting nephew's toy?
Lots of things in life use AAA batteries, but aren't headtorches.

It's a pretty minor disadvantage - for sure.
A bigger disadvantage for me would be that I don't own a torch that takes it!

Si

In reply to Only a hill:

Lots of avalanche transceivers do, resulting for me in an abundant source of free (alkaline) AAAs: the Deutsche Alpenverein rents transceivers and therefore has large piles of only slightly used batteries every Monday when the weekend rentals come back, which they give away. I grab a pocketful whenever I go in to borrow guidebooks from the library. Wouldn't use them for anything safety critical on the hill, but they come in handy at home.

In reply to AlanLittle: If you add the Core battery to an existing torch then using any spare AAAs you might have is easy, just switch out the battery cover with the original one.

In reply to Lemony:

Seems like a good idea to me...especially being able to regulate the output...

but again would need a compatible headtorch!!

In reply to UKC Gear:

Is the USB port on the back of the CORE a standard mini-USB (like the ports on mobile hard drives, phones, gps devices and the like) or is it a slightly different connector? I can't quite see from the picture.

In reply to UKC Gear:

Looks more like micro-usb like LG use on their phones like this

http://www.inmax.ca/images/Micro%20USB.jpg

In reply to JoshOvki: Correct it is a Type b micro usb port which will be the european standard for personal electrical gadgets by next year, i.e. all phone manufacterers will have to use it.

In reply to nealh:
I love international standards, so many to choose from...

I like the idea of the pack, what's the environmental damage of creating an ion pack vs batteries? Wondered what the saving is there.

In reply to UKC Gear: I wonder how many head torches will break, snapping the core battery into place. I find the plastic they use not flexable enough to snap in and out. Anyone know how much they cost? Its a nice idea.

In reply to UKC Gear:
Good in principle, but you cant help wonder whether the environmental impact of manufacturing five components versus, say, 30 AAA batteries is greater (taking into account the energy, resources, storage and so forth of the manufacturing process).

IIRC the environmental impact of manufacturing a cycle dynamo is greater than using a standard lamp with batteries. The big picture is usually quite fuzzy at the edges.

In reply to FrankBooth:

my first thought on watching the video and the sugar frenzy excited geek - multiple recharging options, software cd, packaging, lithium ion unit when 3 AAA rechargeables would solve the problem - 30 quid???

Regards

D

In reply to UKC Gear:

I think this is a great idea in principle, but why choose the Tikka for this? I bought my first Tikka in 2001 and I think in that time I have only changed the batteries about 5 times. They just seem to last forever.