WISDOM LAMP4 Plus Optional Accessories Serious outdoor Adventure lighting solution

WISDOM LAMP 4 (showing charging status-Red light indicates charging) 

I've been a caver for over 35 years, led and co-led an expedition, been a trip leader for a University club and gone underground on both hemispheres. Dived with various brands and makes and models of diving lights. Used underwater specific video lights (for work), so I think after all of that, I've learnt something about flashlights/Torches/Miner's lights/Caver's lights. And just lights in general.

Today more than ever there is an absolute plethora of both named and unnamed manufacturers of supposed lighting equipment for outdoor usage (in those categories, I include all UW usage as well from the Petroleum industry (saturation diver's lighting systems and ROV lighting), mining, recreational diving, and technical recreational diving (eg from video lighting to just simply flashlights for UW navigation and or viewing). There is also a plethora of the "EDC" and or "tactical" lights as well.

At a quick glance one may consider this a "minefield" to negotiate in order to try and find a "decent lighting solution" for outdoor pursuits. BUT no.

A great too many manufacturers offer a huge range of gimmicky lighting modes (exceptions being those for the Oil and gas industry) from some crazy give me brain bursting headache stroboscopic functions, pseudo police and or ambulance flashing colours, UV wavelengths etc etc. the list is almost endless or so it appears.

I'm going to now tell you the only things to truly look for in good outdoor lighting system.

Not necessarily in this order:

1) Only consider a brandname attached to a real physical manufacturer with a warranty.

2) If the light of choice is not one of the following, then forget it and mark it up to lack of experience in judgement:

Totally waterproof

Water proof/Water resistant to a depth greater than or equal to 2m for 30 minutes or more.

3) Crush proof design.

4) Charging/ battery replacement

Easily charged, ie via USB, the most most common form today.

If batteries are replaceable, then batteries must be easily obtained worldwide.

5) Must have a good burn time.. For serious outdoor pursuits that means at least 24 hour constant lighting of a LUX/Lumen intensity to see one's way in total darkness. That is the light will enable one to successfully negotiate two nights of walking incase of emergency.

6) For rescue purposes, any additional function of the light should be an automatic SOS function with a duration sufficient to signal for help.

7) Quality LEDs and construction, charging circuitry, quality (if built in) batteries and optically optimised reflector/s

8) Must be able to be secured in a positive way to a lanyard, head mount, helmet, to prevent accidental loss and allow two hands operation. Note I said TWO hands. Flashlights are great but you can't climb or negotiate tricky terrain with just one hand in reality. You can not beat a head mount system.

OK I believe the LAMP4 from WISDOM (link opens company profile-worth reading) satisfies these criteria. 

Often we can fall prey to "funky colors" the word "tactical" and abbreviation "EDC" only to find that in reality these are essentially marketing gimmicks at best.

I want to use this example of the WISDOM Lamp 4 as an example to explain the following:

"Mission Critical"

It must turn on first time and not fail whilst caving, end of story, in other words your life may depend upon it functioning correctly as the manufacturer states.

But first, who are WISDOM?

www.wisdom.hk

Wisdom is a Chinese company who specialise in the production of Miner's lights and associated charging equipment. They hold the highest of standards for mine safety when it comes to the manufacture of lighting equipment needed to make the stringent requirements of mine safety; ie the following ratings 

ATEX group II, Explosion proof.

MSHA (Wise lite 2)

IPX 68  still functional to 50m!!

Their products are sold all around the globe for the mining industry. That's a pretty good standard if you ask me.

They also manufacture the cordless LAMP 4 (versions A, B, C and D),  the version being reviewed and discussed here is the LAMP 4 A version. 

The LAMP 4 A has the following characteristics:

Waterproof to  50m!

Body made fully of polycarbonate (they say bullet proof! figuratively speaking LOL) and stainless steel fittings (including bracket , socket head bolts and washers).

Standard accessories is an included magnetic USB charing cable and there are many "optional accessories"

Supplied to me were the following optional accessories specific to the LAMP 4A:

Waterproof head strap (enabling the user to wear the light mounted on their head during diving activities and caving. The head strap also features reflective banding, is elastic and padded on the forehead region.

Multi-purpose lens group1# Lucency, 4# Red and 6# Lucency. The first and last filters permit a diffused lighting pattern.

Also included optional accessory was a bicycle mounting bracket (polycarbonate and rubber) and 2 rubber fixing rings for a handle bar or seat post mounting.

A magnetic charging cable for an Android phone 

and a magnetic connector/ USB extender. 

Gold plated contacts on strong magnetic connectors. This type of charing does not require (there are no internal user serviceable parts) a case or structure to be open, hence the 50m waterproof resistance.

Magnetic USB charging cable

Magnetic charging plate enabling seamless charging (note gold coated brass contacts and stainless steel construction for excellent corrosion resistance.

Obviously an Instruction booklet (dual language- English and Spanish). The only omitted optional extra was a magnetic bracket, which would enable one to attach the LAMP 4A to any magnetic surface.

A lanyard/belt and finally, a USB charging mains adaptor. 

Mains adaptors are available for all countries.

The LAMP 4 A FEATURES  the following:

Batteries are Panasonic and are capable of 1200 cycles!

Total ampere hour capacity of the Wisdom LAMP 4A is 7000mAh!

316 m beam reach!

2m drop resistance

Explosion proof!

Gold plated brass power connectors on the magnetic USB charging plate and accompanying charging plugs!

Waterproof to 50m

A Large reflector (1.5"/37mm in diameter) which creates a defined spot with a diffuse border, easy to delineate objects.

Power levels

There are 3 Power levels, it's that simple! Low Med and High, no funky settings just 3 dead simple levels with great burn times and lumen output:

1) Level 1:  60 hr continuous at 50Lm (0.24W) (for example: 10 lumens caving is way bright enough for general manoeuvring within a cave)

2) Level 2: 13 hr at 265 Lm (1.71W)- difficult manoeuvring within a cave (climbing)

3) Level 3: 533 Lumens at 4.2W output power! (blinding power more than suitable for tricky manoeuvring within a cave and highlighting distance features/speleothems within a cave. 5 hours duration.

SOS mode.

<320 microsecond short circuit protection!

Power indicator showing approx 30% 60% and approx. 100% remaining power.

Charging status, Green indicates fully charged!

Low battery alarm 2 STAGE (visual indicator) when only one hour of lighting remains.

(an important feature too!).

THE WISDOM LAMP 4 A CAN BE LOCKED INTO A SPECIFIC LIGHTING MODE BY A SIMPLE DOUBLE PRESS FROM WITHIN WHATEVER LIGHTING MODE YOU WANT. THE LAMP 4A WILL RETURN IMMEDIATELY TO THAT LOCKED SETTING WHEN THE LIGHT IS AGAIN TURNED ON.

Weight lamp 4A ONLY:

ONLY 125 GRAMS!

UL certification, CE, PSE, IP68

-20 to 60C operating range.

Components

USA made CREE LEDs, polycarbonate and stainless steel, and TPE. Panasonic batteries.

FULL OF INFORMATION AND quality packaging and components (some shown are optional)

Quality stainless steel fittings used throughout construction for a super solid feel. (stainless steel clip is optional extra)

The heavy duty stainless steel mounting bracket (multipurpose-"rotatable" as stated in the product description) can be angled. 

Packaging details (note mine came without the rotatable clip marked off, as it was fitted in place of the standard plastic clip as I wanted the LAMP4 A for caving).

I was already hyped up enough after some strong coffee and excitment about opening this beauty!

Included documentation: Product description and user manual

So far I'm going to have to agree to all of the above!

Believe it or not there are Chinese companies trying to "rip off" other Chinese companies, so included within the product (in a tamper proof way) is a NFC so one can check if required as to the legitimacy of the product.

Specific instruction manual 

A listing of the optional accessories which can be had for the WISDOM LAMP 4 A

The WISDOM LAMP 4A 03 carries the highest lighting specifications within the cordless range of headlamps (exception being the MSHA  rating).

Obvious safety warnings!

What I want to see. A 2 year warranty!!

Single button operation. Button is prevented from accidental activation by a removable polycarbonate cap (my only criticism so far as this cap can be easily lost, more on this in the video review

One thing I noted on the model I received was the presence of gas bubbles in the joined halves. I emailed this image to WISDOM and they assured me this would not compromise the function of the light in anyway. I will of course perform my own tests (plunging the lamp into the depths of a cave sump with cameras!

I like the idea that the Lamp 4 (it is the only model) can be used as a charging bank. I'm a real believer in the benefits of charging banks for camera's phones etc.

Ok, that's enough for now as I will be reviewing the WISDOM LAMP 4A in the field as per all of my reviews and what better place to show off it's features than in a cave!

The LAMP 4A looks pretty good to me and I'm pretty choosey when it comes to what lamps I take underground with me.

BCT