9 minute read
LED LENSER
LED LENSER H19-R
Night fi shing enthusiast, Chris Kennedy, shines a light on one of the most powerful high-performance headtorches on the market
THE LED LENSER H19-R SIGNATURE
RRP: £225
Led Lenser, as a brand, have a history of making aesthetically beautiful looking torches with innovative new technology, and plenty would argue that they lead the way in light output (lumen capacity). Unlike some of their competitors, they don’t heavily advertise in the sea angling or freshwater fi shing market. eir torches already have a reputation on almost every continent as leaders in providing outdoor lighting for activities such as trail running, climbing, camping, mountaineering, cycling and many more. ey also produce industrial quality lighting for companies working in construction in some of the most challenging environments, including underground tunnels on rain infrastructure, mining and even the maintenance of overhead power and telecommunication lines. Essentially, they are a trusted choice of lighting for those who need it the most. But, do we need all that for sea angling?
LIGHTING
is torch boasts a staggering top end of 4000 lumens when on boost mode. It’s not only the most potent portable light that Led Lenser has developed; I haven’t found any competitor off ering anything comparable in output; it’s a fl oodlight. Now, some people might raise objections at this point, asking questions like, do you need that much light? Well, the simple answer is, yes, I do, but you might not. For those who are rock fi shing anywhere around the UK or Norway, fi shing those fantastic ords, you’ll really appreciate the way the H19-R Signature will illuminate your surroundings at night. As standard, the next setting down projects 1800 lumens; again, this is much more than you’ll use for most tasks; however, if I am baiting up or landing fi sh, it would be my default for intermittent periods. I think the medium power at around 800 lumens is ideal for most things when you are pottering about. e low setting of 200 lumens is what you may use if you are bassing. I am not suggesting this torch for bass night anglers for one minute, as you won’t invariably get the best out of it. But, if you’re hiking across boulders in the middle of nowhere to get to and from a spot, I think it would be something tremendous to have with you. If you had to signal anybody, it could save your life. Perhaps a better way of looking at things is like this; it’s better to have more light output than you need and not use it than to have too little light and desperately need more.
BATTERY LIFE
I am conscious that every torch manufacturer is a little less than transparent with how they illustrate their maximum battery charge capacity and usage. Often
such explanations don’t really mean much to us, as anglers or laymen. e whole industry seems to play a game with smoke and mirrors. Will the torch battery last me through a night session? Yes, it will but, it depends on your intended usage. You can’t stick it on 4000 lumens and expect it to last long, as it’s a boost function. Nor can you continuously run it on the 1800 or 800 all night in winter. What I do is use the brighter settings when landing fi sh, baiting up or tying knots. I just don’t need the brighter light when watching tips or waiting for a bite. However, if you are the guy who wants to make night look like daylight all session, there is a straightforward solution, that is to purchase a spare battery for the torch. You can easily swap one out mid-session.
Led Lenser has switched things up on this torch; the previous fl agship torch, the XEO19R, had levels on either side of the dual LED lights. You could use these to manually narrow or widen the beam. ey have removed this option on the new H19-R Signature, simplifying and saving time for us anglers. Now, you have two buttons, one specifi c to a narrow, concentrated, beam and another which solely controls a splayed beam, giving a maximum width of the light beam. My fi rst impressions were that I liked the old toggle levers, but the change has made my life easier. After a short period, I was doing something with the new torch in a fraction of the time that it could be done on the old model. I would suggest that someone at the company has listened to customer feedback and implemented a helpful change. e beam intensity of this fl agship headtorch is astounding. I remember being so impressed a teenager when seeing the Maglite 6 D Cell torches and how powerful the beam was. is tiny light, in comparison, can project itself 330m as a maximum. at’s great if you want to signal somebody in a rare situation but, let me tell you where it is very useful. If you’re fi shing from a pier, a cliff or any elevated position, which many of us do, you’ll be able to see that fi sh with unbelievable clarity, even 50-60ft below you. is is an absolute winner if you’re using drop nets or other mechanisms to land fi sh; it will make your life easier. ere is no such thing as too much light in these circumstances.
DESIGN
e H19R Signature is much more ergonomic; it sits better on my head than the XEO19R, it feels well balanced, and by removing the focusing levels on the old torch and replacing them with a small button, the head of the torch is less bulky. One criticism of the XEO19 I had was; the plastic or composites used were lightweight but felt reasonably cheap and not that durable in construction (the head unit). On the H19R, it is some kind of anodised alloy at the back, as best I can tell, and a hard composite at the front, with some lovely edges and shallow recesses, cut into it. e battery pack is around half as thin as the old one, though around 1cm longer. A very nice touch is the magnetic charging point. e H19R is also about 100g lighter than the previous premium model, coming out at 374g. at’s a signifi cant improvement for something that is worn on your head. e good news is for those who like to have the battery pack clipped to their belt or fi xed elsewhere; a cable is included with the torch that facilitates this. Another nice touch is that the strap on the H19R has refl ective strips all over it; when it comes to laying your hands on the torch in low light, it will catch even the most minimal light, making it easy to fi nd. e torch comes with all sorts of mounts for bikes, helmets etc., that I’ll never use. However, for those aspiring GoPro fi lmmakers or Youtubers, there is a tripod mount and a GoPro mount. It works great if you want to shoot point of view (POV) action with your torch at night, illuminating your surroundings for the action camera. e tripod mount is useful too. is torch also includes a remote control, which initially I just popped back into the original box without giving it much further thought. As the temperatures dropped, It dawned on me that for glove wearers, you could easily have this remote (which has a wrist strap) which has a large button and use it with gloves on to operate the light, which is perhaps invaluable in cold conditions. ere is also an Led Lenser App, where you can customise light output settings, but, in my opinion, the remote on the wristband would be much quicker to activate the lighting remotely. It’s a very innovative addition but, I don’t think most anglers would use it.
OPTISENSE
Led Lenser torches have a technology called Optisense. When selecting this function, your light will automatically adjust the light output according to the amount of ambient light present. is artifi cial intelligence can be, and is, benefi cial for conserving battery life, particularly on long sessions. e torch has many other intricate settings, including a pulsing light, a strobe and an SOS option, which are helpful in emergencies. One of the best features of this torch is the water sealing. It’s capable of being submerged in water up to 1m for up to 30 mins. e H19R Signature has improved its sealing on previous models and boasts a level of quality that most head torches can’t. is alone was a real selling point for me. It’s worth pointing out that Led Lenser has UK-based customer service who have maintained an excellent reputation for assisting customers quickly, should they have any issues. is torch isn’t cheap, coming in at around £225. My mantra has always been to buy quality when it comes to fi shing gear, so you don’t have to buy often. I will not endorse anything that doesn’t meet the high standards that I expect. As a person who is out fi shing more regularly than most, and involved in other outdoor activities, it makes sense to have something that covers all bases, including the extremes. With Led Lenser, it is reassuring that their high-performance torches come with a seven-year guarantee.
If you’re the guy who is out fi shing a lot, who likes high-performance kit that will do a job in any conditions, this is the torch for you. It not only off ers a great deal of versatility, but it’ll also make your life much easier when fi shing in challenging environments. ■
SPECIFICATIONS
■ Lumens: Boost: 4000, Power: 1800, Mid Power: 800, Low
Power: 200
■ Light Functions: Power, Mid
Power, Low Power, Boost ■ Beam Distance (m): Max: 330,
Power: 250, Mid: 150, Min: 80 ■ Burn Time (h): Low Power: 20,
Mid Power 7, Power 3.5
■ Battery: 2 X Li-ion battery pack
21700
■ IP CLASS: IP68 ■ Weight: 374g including batteries ■ In The Box: 1 x H19R
