Of Your Lamps, Which is Your Favorite and Why?

[ryukin2000]

I have the NC HC50, ZL H51w and fenix HL30. My favorite and go to is the HC50. Love the 18650 capacity and hot spot . Use it when I'm doing anything in the garage. The H51w I like using for reading at night.

 

[Charles L.]

I was tempted to try and buy some 18650 headlights for the increased brightness and to be able to use the same batteries as my custom 6P but they all failed to satisfy me, they either broke down, were too heavy, not waterproof, had complicated user interfaces, crushed batteries, etc, etc.

They all failed? That's a sweeping condemnation of a whole lot of lights. Which lights failed you, Aperture?

 

[Aperture]

They all failed? That's a sweeping condemnation of a whole lot of lights. Which lights failed you, Aperture?

Point taken, but let's turn it around and see if you guys can help me find a 18650 headlight as I really would like to own a good one.

As said I use my headlamp for canoeing (needs to be submersible), night hikes (needs to be light as it will be carried for 4-8 hours walking), trekking with backpack for 2-3 weeks in rural areas (needs to reliable, compatible with primaries), camping, etc.

So, which 18650 headlamp:
- Weighs around 100 grams with battery installed (Minimus is 90 grams)
- Is compatible with CR123a as backup, preferably also AA (extra accessories like batterypack, adapters, etc allowed)
- Is guaranteed submersible (not just advertised as such)
- Has an extremely simple user interface (so no endles press and hold sequences to remember and cycle through)
- Has a proven track record for reliability in all types of weather (-20 to 40 degrees Celsius, snow, rain, storm, etc)

I had high hopes for the Nitecore HC90 with its power slider as I really liked the build quality of the HC50 I tested but I read on CPF that it has reliability issues with the slider which makes it a big no-no for me as it was already on the heavy side (twice the weight of the Minimus). Also a third of my Nitecore flashlights proved not to be waterproof while advertised as such, I did not test the waterproofness of the HC50 though as it was't mine.

I own a Spark SD6 which crushes my Eagletac 3400mAh batteries and leaked water within 5 minutes of being submersed because the lens was press fit.

Zebralights look very nice but are not compatible with CR123 as far as I know and I read on CPF that they are not waterproof because the lens is press fit. I'm assuming Armytek has the same issue (please enlighten me if not so) but I was really impressed of the 1000+ Lumen output (though it took my friend some fumbling to get to turbo mode).

Black Diamond (forgot the model) died on me in the field within two years and a Princeton Tec APEX Pro lasted only a few months, though this was probably my own fault as throwing lights is bad karma

So in the end I just gave up the desire to own a good 18650 headlamp and bought another old model Minimus which is compatible with the batterypack of my trusted Saint (4 years and counting).

 

[Charles L.]

Actually, it sounds like you have the right headlamp for you

Lightest 18650 headlamp of which I am aware is the ZL H600, but it still exceeds 100g on my scale (112g with battery and strap). You're right, ZL is not compatible with CR123. I can't speak to its water resistance under tough conditions, except to say I've had mine in pouring rain and my son has dunked it in the bathtub without incident. And none of my headlamps are more than two years old, so I can't really opine about their long term durability.

Minimus UI and durability sound really nice. Right now I am spoiled by the 1000+ lumen output of my ZL and Armytek, but I won't be so happy if they fail within a few years.

 

[Aperture]

Actually, it sounds like you have the right headlamp for you

Yes and no, it checks all the boxes for the things that really matter for me in the field but the beam pattern could be smoother, the light color could be more neutral, the output is't even close to the current gen headlamps and I have to use LiFePo batteries because the old Surefire headlamps are apparently not compatible with the 4.2V IMR cells let alone compatible with 18650.

And btw 112 grams still sounds very lightweight compared to the Nitecores which weigh around 180 grams operational

 

[davidt1]

I just traded my my 3 year old H51w for a nice knife. That light had over 2,000 hours of use on it and still working like it's supposed too. Tested it for waterproofing before sending out. The cry-for-attention posts are not worth responding to anymore.

 

[Aperture]

I just traded my my 3 year old H51w for a nice knife. That light had over 2,000 hours of use on it and still working like it's supposed too. Tested it for waterproofing before sending out. The cry-for-attention posts are not worth responding to anymore.

Sorry David if I've offended you (or your favourite brand) in any way but gear requirements are based on personal use, interest and tastes as Charles already mentioned.

2000 hours of use is impressive by any means, may I ask in what setting the majority of those hours the headlamp was used in?

 

[davidt1]

2000 hours of use is impressive by any means, may I ask in what setting the majority of those hours the headlamp was used in?

About 80lm most of the time.

 

[Peppie]

I see mention of the Wizard Pro (warm).
On their website they list two with that description.
One is 3000k, 630 lumens, cree XM-L2 S6
The other is 4000k (also referred to as neutral light), 1120 lumens, cree XM-L2 T6

Which one are people noted as their pick?

Would one or the other be better indoors as a work light? Or neither?

 

[mos]

Would one or the other be better indoors as a work light? Or neither?

Hello,
just to summarize the difference:
Armytek Wizard Pro XM-L2 (Warm 90CRI) vs Armytek Wizard Pro XM-L2 (Warm)

Maximal light output: 630 LED lumens 1120 LED lumens
Beam distance: 50m 70m
LED: Cree XM-L2 S6 Cree XM-L2 T6
LED Tint: Warm White CRI90 3000-3300K Neutral White 4000K
Output levels and runtimes:
630 lm (1h), 370 lm (3h), 170 lm (7h), 20 lm (30h), 4 lm (9d), 0.3 lm (100d), 2 Strobes
1120 lm (1h), 465 lm (3h), 230 lm (7h), 47 lm (30h), 6 lm (9d), 0.4 lm (100d), 2 Strobes


Basically any light close to 2700 K is equivalent to a standard incandescent light and will look more naturally. LInk to Cree data. IMHO 90CRI is better for indoor.

 

[jinya1004]

Favorite is my H600w

It's got enough spill and throw for most outdoor activities.

The 1000+ lumens easily impresses

 

[SoundWorx]

I have an Armytek Wizard Pro V2 (warm) that I use mostly at work as a magnetized lamp. Great tint and it's much better for 90% of my applications than a light with a hotspot. The magnet was a must for me, it replaced my Olight S10 baton. I have more places to put a 90° light than I do a straight light. The Wizard is a very well built light too and 10 meters waterproof? Yea, I'll never go that deep in water.

 

[Peppie]

I ended up with a [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Zebralight H602W XM-L2 Flood LED Headlamp - Neutral White.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Suits my needs at the workbench. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]The switch functions and afterglow sometimes throw me though and the battery doesn't seem to last as long as I expected but that could be my unrealistic expectations or just forgetting how many times it's been used.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I've never bothered trying it in outdoors but the light is what I need for the intended work in close quarters. [/FONT]

 

[markr6]

The switch functions and afterglow sometimes throw me though and the battery doesn't seem to last as long as I expected but that could be my unrealistic expectations or just forgetting how many times it's been used.

What kind of battery are you using? If it's not even close to specs, it could be a bad/cheap battery which worries me a bit even though the lamp has over-discharging protection.

 

[Peppie]

What kind of battery are you using? If it's not even close to specs, it could be a bad/cheap battery which worries me a bit even though the lamp has over-discharging protection.

Switching between 18650s, both protected 3.7 volts; AWIC 3100mAh, RediLast 2900mAh

I always run on high and have not actually timed it but I really don't feel that I get close to the specified 2 hours.

 

[Willie]

I use Panasonics in my H602w and I don't think I get the expected runtime on high either, but I usually run it on lower settings.

For indoor work, I don't think you will find a better headlamp than the H602w.

 

[ahtoxa11]

My favorite is the ZL H52w right now.


I've previously been using PT EOS and PT Quad.

PT EOS - failed after 45 minutes of moderate rain. The light comes on and all modes work, but it either doesn't turn off via the switch or turns off by slowly dimming over a period of 10 - 60 seconds rather than instantaneously. Housing wasn't cracked and battery compartment was dry.

PT Quad - still in use, but only gets light around-the-house use - the housing has a small crack on top and it's too floody for much of my typical outdoor usage requirements.

I used to be a fan of PT, but after my EOS failed in the rain and the Quad cracked, I probably won't buy another PT headlamp in the future.

 

[Fresh Light]

I've got the Fenix HL55 and absolutely love the thing. In turbo it's a 900L NW XM-L2 before dropping down after 30sec, which seems like longer than I thought it would, to 420 lumens. The drop down is less noticeable than you might expect. With a good 3400 you'll get 3.75hrs in 420L and in 10L "eco" mode you can get up to 150hrs. Quite a nice light for around 60 bucks w/o looking too hard for a deal. I know Vihn Amps them up, but i find the 155L mid and 55L low plenty bright anyway.


Since this is my only real experience with a decent HL, is there anybody that's tried or owns a HL55 and has something that they like better?

 

[Charles L.]

Lots of interesting replies to this thread. Fresh Light, I'm not familiar with the HL 55 but it looks like a nice lamp. My own headlamp collection has certainly grown in the 4 months since this thread began! Favorites have changed slightly:

1. Zebralight H600F (back on top)
2. Petzl Tikka RXP
3. Armytek Wizard Pro

Really, I'd be happy to have any one of them.