I broke the news about the Princeton Tec Remix Pro being available in Multicam at the end of last month. Since that time, I’ve had plenty of time to get to know the Remix Pro and I am very impressed. It might be the best all around headlamp that I have ever used.
Stats
- Battery: 1x CR123
- Weight: 2.25 ounces including battery
- Max Output: 70 Lumens
- Runtime: 4 – 40 hours depending on output mode
- Light Source: 1x white Maxbight LED, 3x red Ultrabright LEDs (other colors available)
- Colors: black with black headband, tan with Multicam headband
Modes of Operation
The Remix Pro has one of the most sensible user interfaces that I have ever used. It is almost impossible to produce an accidental burst of bright white light that can compromise your dark adjusted vision or spook any game you may be hunting. The light will always turn on in the low Ultrabight LED setting, which in my case is low red mode. This is a very important feature to me.
- Press the button once to turn the light on in low red mode.
- Press the button again within 1.6 seconds to switch to high red mode.
- Press the button a third time within 1.6 seconds to turn the light off.
- Press and hold the button at anytime for about 2 seconds to switch to low white mode.
- Press the button again within 1.6 seconds to switch to high white mode.
- Press the button a third time within 1.6 seconds to turn the light off.
As you can see, the operation is very straight forward. It only takes a few moments to learn how to operate the switch. Once learned, the switch allows easy access all of the Remix Pro’s output modes. It should also be noted that, if at anytime, more than 1.6 seconds passes between button presses, the light will turn off on the next press. Mitigating the risk of accidental white light discharge and the ability to quickly extinguish the light is a must for users who are using the Remix Pro in discreet situations.
The red modes are well thought out. The low mode is low enough, though it could stand to be lower. It provides plenty of light for map reading and even navigation with fully dark adjusted vision. The high red mode is surprisingly bright and even though it is red light, it does diminish dark adjusted vision. It is bright enough to walk a trail at night. The low white mode is very useful. I use it far more than the high white mode. The beam profile of the white Maxbright LED is perfect. It more intense at the center but there isn’t really a tight hotspot like you see on some lights. The bright center gradually blends into a slightly less bright spill beam. If you stand in the doorway to a room, it lights the whole room, rather than just a spot.
The Remix Pro’s output modes will cover just about any lighting need that you may have within 50 yards. Many headlamps excel at either mid/long range illumination or up close illumination. The Remix Pro’s mix of LED types and output modes allow it to fill both of those roles very well. Whether you need to illuminate something at arms length or 50 yards down the trail, the Remix Pro has you covered.
Weight
I recently praised the Princeton Tec Byte for its lightweight and compact size. While the Remix Pro is certainly larger than the diminutive Byte, I was surprised to find that it only weighs about 1/10th of an ounce more. This is due in large part to the Remix Pro’s use of a lithium CR123 battery. Lithium batteries tend to weigh less than alkaline batteries which is what I have installed in the Byte. The Remix Pro is a very light headlamp, especially for the amount of features that it delivers.
CR123 Battery
The Remix Pro is one of only a handful of headlamps that use the CR123 battery. Princeton Tec says that they developed the Remix Pro at the request of the US Military which uses CR123 batteries extensively. I suspect that many of the readers of this blog carry a Surefire light (or similar) every day, so they probably already have CR123 batteries on hand. Consolidating battery types is a very good thing so that you minimize the types of spare batteries that you have to carry.
As mentioned above, CR123 batteries are also very light weight which keeps the weight of the light and spare batteries to a minimum. Lithium batteries also have a very long shelf life thanks to their low discharge rate and they are very resistant to cold weather. Cold slows the chemical reaction that allows batteries to deliver power. Alkaline batteries are notorious for poor cold weather performance. Lithium batteries, like the CR123, are far more resistant to colder temperatures.
Multicam
Many users will appreciate having a camo option like Multicam. Besides the obvious military uses, hunters will find that the Multicam color scheme blends many environments. Some hikers also like to use camo gear so they don’t distract from the scenery.
Hands Free Versatility
The Remix Pro can be mounted on the head strap for headlamp use but it can also be mounted to 1″ webbing like MOLLE webbing. Also, because of the well designed bracket, it can be used as a free standing area light. The Princeton Tech headlamps with their “asymmetrical” bracket really excel at this use. There are a number of ways that you can use the Remix Pro without having to actually hold it.
Improvement
Princeton Tec has made an improvement to the Remix Pro in the form of a higher “fence” around the switch. This raised plastic fence helps to prevent the button from being accidentally pressed while in a pocket or backpack.
Conclusion
The Remix Pro is easily the most versatile headlamp that I have ever owned. The 1 button user interface is easy to use and provides 4 useful output modes. It handles a very wide variety of lighting tasks with ease. It is light in weight and makes use of an excellent battery that you probably already carry spares for while you are in the woods. It also happens to be the only headlamp that I know of that is available in Multicam. Princeton Tec has really taken the headlamp to another level.
You can read more about the Princeton Tec Remix Pro on the Princeton Tec website.
Thank you Princeton Tec for providing the Multicam Remix Pro for review.
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