Mine has no lever, no adjustment. However, I still like the unit. Maybe I have an older model, or a different model. I also bought the *PETZL Tactikka Plus*. It is another headband unit that uses a cluster of 4 LEDs, arrainged in a single horizontal line. They are all white, but it has a flip-up red filter to turn the light red. This one does have 4 illumination levels. Push the switch once to turn it on at maximum brightness. Quickly depressing the switch a second time dims it one setting, a third time dims it yet again. The fourth time you hit the switch in rapid succession makes the lights blink rapidly. This is intended as a beacon and has no use at the telescope. If you depress the switch slowly, it just turns the LED's on and off. The LED housing itself tilts, like the Lenser unit. There is an accessory available from PETZL (though not included with the Tactikka Plus) that allows you to clip the light unit on-and-off, so it can be used on a belt clip or helmet, as desired. It takes 3 AAA batteries. I think at the lowest illumination setting, the Tactikka Plus is just about right for use at the telescope, for my eyes at least. Unlike the Lenser, which as Jim points out has a seperate battery compartment on the rear of the headband, this one stores it's batteries in the front housing with the LEDs themselves. A compact housing, and no wire clipped to the headband. I have to say that the dimming ability makes the Tactikka Plus slightly more astro-friendly than the Lenser, but if you get a Lenser with a dimming lever, then it's a toss-up. My last red-light purchase is the* Smith & Wesson "Galaxy" 13 LED flashlight.* It is a rugged, machined aluminum unit that has been black anodized. It features 10 bright white LEDs as well as 3 Red LEDs that can be used independently or together. They each have their own dedicated switch so you don't have to cycle through white light to get to the red. It uses 3 AAA batteries, just like the headband lights. This is a very heavy-duty unit and comes with a nylon belt holster with seperate compartment for a spare set of batteries. Knurled grip. This flashlight was built with the outdoors in mind and will last a long time. I prefer it to plastic flashlights that I never fail to break, given enough time- and a good cold winter episode that can make plastic brittle. I bought all three of my new red-LED lights through Amazon.com. They all shipped from a third party, but only Amazon takes your financial information. Transit time was about one week or less for all. Interestingly, a good set of name-brand, alkaline batteries were included with all 3 lights. I'm probably going to keep all 3 with me when at the telescope, or at least in the car when at SPOC. On Fri, Mar 27, 2009 at 7:56 PM, Jim Gibson <jimgibson00@yahoo.com> wrote:

Chuck, Mine has a little lever on the battery pack at the opposite side of the head band from the light. The adjustment seems rather coarse, or in other words when I move the lever nothing seems to happen then all of a sudden it goes either bright or dim depending one which way you are sliding the lever.