I have an older Petzl micro headlamp. It was top of the line at the time, but headlight technology sure has come a long way in 8 years. Are there better bulbs available that would offer more light? Could I somehow swap out the whole light and reflector assembly and preserve the body? Today was the first day of the season I needed a light to start my commute...rain made it darker than usual. I intend to invest in a bicycle headlight system soon (I currently hold a small LED flashlight), but still want to use the headlamp as auxillary moveable lighting. Any suggestions would be appreciated? I like the petzl myolite 3 (I do a lot of packing as well) but can't afford that investment at this time.

I imagine that you could use almost any kind of bulb with a little enginuity. If you use a Halogen bulb, make sure your power supply gives the bulb the required voltage.

I also get the impression that Xenon bulbs (I think that's what they are) are pretty bright. I have a lantern that uses a Xenon bulb, and it gives long battery life and a fair ammount of light. Although, I don't know how well it would perform on the road in real life conditions. It's something I've been considering experimenting with.

But Halogen bulbs are a pretty good bet if you want to upgrade. Those in conjunction with Nimh batteries should do nicely. Also, make sure that the light unit can withstand the heat.

Thanks for the Petzl name. It linked me to the Karst company that makes caving gear including your Myo lite head lamp and carbide lanterns. A carbide headlight would be really Retro. As to your light system, is it user serviceable. If so take it apart and go to a local bulb supplier to see if they have better bulbs that fit your system. Remember if your system is made of plastic a hotter bulb could melt it. Better to keep the old system running and go to the lighting and geekiness sticky threads for ideas. I am working on a 100 watt system.