Fenix HL30 pre-production Review

[subwoofer]

It does look like a XP-G, but the reviewer said it was a XP-E...

The Fenix specification sheet supplied with the review sample stated XP-E. If I remember when I get home I'll whip the lens off and double check.

Hmmm, that is not as easy as untwisting the tail cap half a turn. A master switch could be useful maybe?

A similar styled head lamp in the TIKKA XP2 is 88g but AAA are around 15g I think so the total is around 133g say, so close to the 141g of this and 2xAA. Looks pretty big on that styrofoam head you have there though. Not a normal size head is it?

The head is a bit small, in hat size probably XXS, it is just the most neutral thing I have to model a headlamp, not particularly liking self portraits, and not having Worzel Gummidge's abilities. I'll try to get something of a more 'average' size for future reviews.

[RedForest UK]

I'd put any money on that being an XP-G, the die covers the whole area under the dome.

[subwoofer]

Just taken the lens off for a close look and it is an XP-G.

[Sarratt]

Just taken the lens off for a close look and it is an XP-G.

Is that a good or bad thing ?


Why the big questioning ---- Fenix says xp-g(r5)

So ? Don't assume that everyone here is as conversant with Emitter-Lingo as you are.

[eebowler]

What makes this light waterproof? I don't seem to be able to identify any o-ring to seal the light in the photos above. Thanks.

[YoSeKi]

A similar styled head lamp in the TIKKA XP2 is 88g but AAA are around 15g I think so the total is around 133g say, so close to the 141g of this and 2xAA.

Petzl Tikka XP 2 is 52 grams without batteries and 88 grams with 3xAAA batteries.

[skycamnz]

Ah, a Fenix headlamp with a red LED and tactical capability! Waiting patiently for them to hit the shelves

[spinkid]

Received mine yesterday but wish it came Thursday as I spent the weekend till yesterday helping with the storms in MD for work and would of put it through its paces on day 1. Only went out for some yardwork last night just to mess around with it. I am actually impressed with the beam in real world use. I am going to take this out for my work light and see how it goes when I go on-call. I think this is going to replace my Spark as about the only thing I really like about that light now for work is the runtime. With the Fenix, on the 45lm mode and its 10.5 hours runtime then with combined with the 80 degree beam this should work out perfect. The only early gripe is the headband. It almost seems like it came wrong as it does not want to stay in position. I will mess around as it's most likely operator error, but when its on, the light sits comfortable and is very stable with no noticable bounce when walking.

[cave dave]

... The only early gripe is the headband. It almost seems like it came wrong as it does not want to stay in position. I will mess around as it's most likely operator error, but when its on, the light sits comfortable and is very stable with no noticeable bounce when walking.

You are right the headband did come wrong. When I re-threaded it to match the diagram in the instructions it worked much better. If you look you can see a small gap in the adjustment buckle and by pulling it through that you can reformat the strap to match the diagram. I'll add a picture to this post later.

Edit to add picture:
This is how I reconfigured the headband. I do not have a before picture.

[cave dave]

Just got mine today. So far it seems pretty nice. I've been wanting a decent 2AA light for years, since I wanted to standardize on AA size batteries. It wasn't unusual for me to have 4 different battery formats in my pack on one cave trip.

Here is a picture of that O-ring.


I am not crazy about the way the battery compartment has to be popped open, it would be near impossible to open with gloves on or really cold hands. The screw on the Princeton Tecs is a much better closing mechanism. I would also prefer if it started on low every time but the mode memory is better than starting on high every time like so many headlamps do, and there will be times when memory is an advantage. The disadvantage is that you have to cycle through high and max to get to low.

Weight with eneloops is 105g.
The PT EOS with eneloops is 87g.

[YoSeKi]

I am not crazy about the way the battery compartment has to be popped open, it would be near impossible to open with gloves on or really cold hands.

On the bright side, there is no hinge to break. The hinge on Princeton Tec battery compartment can break.

[eebowler]

I am not crazy about the way the battery compartment has to be popped open, it would be near impossible to open with gloves on or really cold hands. The screw on the Princeton Tecs is a much better closing mechanism.

Thanks for the pics. I completely agree with you about the battery compartment. It also makes changing cells a hassle because the cover can fall or get lost etc.. I'm not impressed Fenix.

YoSeKi, I've had lots of trouble with the PT Apex hinge but none the EOS.

[spinkid]

Cave dave, Thanks for the pic. I took it apart as well and made it match the diagram. It honestly took me a little bit to figure out, but now its perfect. So far so good with the light and hopefully it stays that way.

The battery compartment is a little tough to open, but time will tell if I like it.

[bedazzLED]

Just got mine today and I must say, although it's a reasonably good headlamp, I do have a few reservations about it.

I tried it with Alkalines and the first two low modes were both reasonably bright but no difference between them.
Tried Energizer lithiums and the levels went medium, medium, high, high.
Tried Eneloops and now I have 4 beautifully spaced levels.

First off the good points. It feels quite solid, headband is comfortable, red LED is a good feature, on Eneloops the levels are evenly spaced, and the beam is quite good.

There are a few points I'm not too happy about though.

First off, the battery cover is a fail. It feels flimsy, does not feel like it is on properly, and is not easy to open at the best of times.
Secondly, I'm not convinced about the longevity of the switches.
Last of all, I am not convinced the tilt mechanism will last. I have seen this mechanism on the LED Lenser H7 headlamp and I had to replace it 3 times before I gave up on it. It just wears out too easily and renders the light useless. I suppose only time will tell, and sure I'll be putting it through boot-camp over the next few weeks.

I don't think my trusty old HP10 will be retired any time soon, and there's always my awesome Spark SD-6 sitting there ready for duty.

I like Fenix lights, have a heap of them (30+ over the years), and I really want to like this light, but sorry Fenix I only score this one a 5/10.

[bon1]

There are a few points I'm not too happy about though.

First off, the battery cover is a fail. It feels flimsy, does not feel like it is on properly, and is not easy to open at the best of times.
Secondly, I'm not convinced about the longevity of the switches.
Last of all, I am not convinced the tilt mechanism will last. I have seen this mechanism on the LED Lenser H7 headlamp and I had to replace it 3 times before I gave up on it. It just wears out too easily and renders the light useless. I suppose only time will tell, and sure I'll be putting it through boot-camp over the next few weeks.

Sadly, all these points were already discussed by the people who were elected to review the pre-production model of the Fenix HL30--as it could be read by anyone who went do the doyouhike dot net forum (in Chinese, I had to use one of those online translators). I can only guess that the pre-production models offered outside of the Chinese borders were of a higher build quality?

Since you have a Fenix HP10 and I guess that it must be similar to the Fenix HP11, do you think that it's got a too bright spot compared to its spill? I'm asking this to you as I'm looking for a good (any number of) AA-cell headlamp and this seems to be one of the few choices available in this format. I'd preffer not having to rely on the provided light diffuser.

Eventually, I hope that Fenix decides to make a quality version of the HL30 headlamp as I like its modes (as reported with NiMH), battery format, and beam pattern.

[derfyled]

I wish they will offer an all black version. The yellow gives a cheap impression...

[bedazzLED]

Since you have a Fenix HP10 and I guess that it must be similar to the Fenix HP11, do you think that it's got a too bright spot compared to its spill? I'm asking this to you as I'm looking for a good (any number of) AA-cell headlamp and this seems to be one of the few choices available in this format. I'd preffer not having to rely on the provided light diffuser.

Hi bon1.

I found the spot on the HP10 was a little too strong, so I ended up putting on some diffuser film on the lens and now it's absolutely perfect. Heaps of flood, still got a little bit of throw. Ended up getting the diffuser film over at the marketplace from member phaserburn.

If you do go with the HP10 or HP11 and need some of the diffuser film to try out, just send me a pm on which one you ended up with, where to post it, and I'll send you a piece to try.

[ser1a]

great head flashlampu, I use fenix for running and it is great! Use with my sanyo XX and it lasts really for really long time. Great value !

[GoCarp]

great head flashlampu, I use fenix for running and it is great! Use with my sanyo XX and it lasts really for really long time. Great value !

Thanks for posting this. I was needing a new headlamp for running and this may fit the bill.

[arizona1]

i just got one of these and it doesnt have the 4 lumen switch. It goes from 45 lumen, to 45 lumen, to 100, then 200. Why does it repeat the 45 lumen twice but not go to 4 lumen?

[Labrador72]

Thanks for posting this. I was needing a new headlamp for running and this may fit the bill.

Isn't it a tad on the heavy side for running? I mean the batteries are not in a separate holder so all the weight is in the front.

[subwoofer]

i just got one of these and it doesnt have the 4 lumen switch. It goes from 45 lumen, to 45 lumen, to 100, then 200. Why does it repeat the 45 lumen twice but not go to 4 lumen?

What cells are you using?

[arizona1]

I found a disclaimer in the package saying that new batteries will cause the headlamp to shut off the lowest power until the batteries drain a little. I was also disappointed to find out that the turbo mode (200 lumens) shuts off after 5 min

[Labrador72]

Does it shut off completely or does it step down to the next level?

[snala]

I want to know how far it projects on 200 lumens mode? I know it's set up for spread but how far does it go say compared to a HP11 etc? This really sounds like what I'm after i.e Red LED and 2 AA's but how far roughly does the beam go? Not looking for 100m lighting up everything for example but does it light out to say 40m and you can see everything like a normal 200lumen light would quite easily?
I'm wanting to use this for rabbit hunting at night with a shotgun so really what i'm asking is will this cover shotgunning shooting ranges. My friend uses the HP11 which does this easily but i'm not as keen on the 4 battery set up etc.

[subwoofer]

I want to know how far it projects on 200 lumens mode? I know it's set up for spread but how far does it go say compared to a HP11 etc? This really sounds like what I'm after i.e Red LED and 2 AA's but how far roughly does the beam go? Not looking for 100m lighting up everything for example but does it light out to say 40m and you can see everything like a normal 200lumen light would quite easily?
I'm wanting to use this for rabbit hunting at night with a shotgun so really what i'm asking is will this cover shotgunning shooting ranges. My friend uses the HP11 which does this easily but i'm not as keen on the 4 battery set up etc.

I would say this is not going to work as your only light when rabbit hunting at night. A flood beam runs out of steam quickly and you will be lighting up the gun and your arms a lot more than the much throwier beam of the HP11.

The HL30 is great for everything you need to do close up and to about 10-15m away, and in this regard, much better than the HP11, but for longer distances you would need the throw of the HP11 and extra power and runtime.

Personally I prefer a light mounted to the gun as I have found the alignment of the headlamp when shouldering the gun can be awkward if this is your only light source. The TK45 has worked well for me in this instance.

[larcal]

Hi Subwoofer. Parasitic drain is new to me, and not something I appreciate. Do you know why this has to be? Is it because it has a mode memory and if so does that mean my Fenix ld20 would not have drain but my Ld22 would? Both newly aquired. Too bad about the durability of hinges and the difficulty with battery cover. I'm with bon 1 in hoping for an upgrade. Thanks for the review.

[subwoofer]

Hi Subwoofer. Parasitic drain is new to me, and not something I appreciate. Do you know why this has to be? Is it because it has a mode memory and if so does that mean my Fenix ld20 would not have drain but my Ld22 would? Both newly aquired. Too bad about the durability of hinges and the difficulty with battery cover. I'm with bon 1 in hoping for an upgrade. Thanks for the review.

Parasitic drain is due only to the switching method employed, and is not due to memory which generally does not need power to maintain. The switching method is mainly chosen based on the desired user interface and power handling requirements.

On lights with no parasitic drain they will have switches that physically cut the circuit, completely isolating the battery from the driver, preventing any current flowing and power being used. This may not be suitable to use on high power lights where the switch needs to cope with high currents and may suffer from arching and contact wear.

Lights with parasitic drain use an electronic switch to turn the light on and off. This electronic switch does not make or break the circuit, instead it provides a signal to the light's electronic control circuit. This means some power is needed just to monitor the switch which provides a signal - hence the parasitic drain. However this has the advantage of allowing for various switching features and controlling high currents.

You should be able to find lots more information on parasitic drain on CPF and see the different user interfaces this can offer.

[larcal]

There are a few points I'm not too happy about though.

First off, the battery cover is a fail. It feels flimsy, does not feel like it is on properly, and is not easy to open at the best of times.
Secondly, I'm not convinced about the longevity of the switches.
Last of all, I am not convinced the tilt mechanism will last. I have seen this mechanism on the LED Lenser H7 headlamp and I had to replace it 3 times before I gave up on it. It just wears out too easily and renders the light useless. I suppose only time will tell, and sure I'll be putting it through boot-camp over the next few weeks.

Hi Bedazzled--wondering if you have been able to run enough "boot camp" yet to have a firmer opinion about your reservations. I know, probably not in just 3 months, but I'm particularly concerned about the hinge issue.

[larcal]

Thanks Subwoofer. So I guess every electronic switch has parasitic drain. Wonder what features/advantages my LD22 lacks as opposed to this HL30 because it has no electronic switch (I assume). If a switch has no click would you say that is a reliable indication that it is electronic?

"subscribe to thread" seems to be automatically selected under "go advanced" but even so got no email telling me you replied. Seems like it never has. My error, somehow?