Heliotek Inc is one of those companies that unfortunately hasn't reached critical mass at CPF, and while this thread isn't likely to be the deciding factor, i'll at least sleep well knowing that i've done my part. For those who aren't aware of their prior offering(s), you owe it to yourself to read the linked pages, because the HTE-1 is such a well-designed instrument that you shouldn't consider yourself a flashaholic if you don't have at least a passing familiarity with it. (smirk) That, and i don't feel like redoing what other people have already done so well.
I happened to e-mail Bill when they were in the process of deciding which LED to go with, so i've known the new version was coming for over two months and have been chomping at the bit. You can't *use* the HTE-1 and not appreciate the thought that went into it, so i was rather amped to have everything i know and love and twice as much light. At the same time though, different is different, so there wasn't any guarantee of a complete lack of "that's a shame..."
So now that i'm all preambled out, i guess i should finally get around to the actual review part of the review. The short answer is that i like it. A lot. Not twice as much as my HTE-1 v2 since a torch is more than its output - what a concept, eh? - but outside of the initial twinge, i'm not going to mind passing the "old" one on to my sister. Still though, not everyone has a use for a dive-rated, severe weather torch with solid reach and on-board diffuser that exudes quality and is able to toss at least 60lm out the front for no less than six hours while floating, and i'm not going to try and convince you that you do.
As the name implies, the HTE-1A isn't a significant departure from the previous incarnation design-wise. It's still driving an LED at 1.2watts and directing that through a reflector that would demand respect if it wasn't so humble. That being said, don't think there aren't numerous changes, it's just that most of them don't jump out and bite you.
The one that drove the new version is not surprisingly ye olde LED. The 1A sports a Cree XR-E (Q2 brightness, WG color bin), and while the Luxeon-I gave enough light to easily get the job done, this will go over well with those who scoff at them and those who could use a bit more reach but don't want a beam with minimally bright corona/spill. Of course, it likely doesn't occur to the former that a well-designed torch is a tool, so a Heliotek wouldn't be considered anyway. For the record though, their stated lumen are minimum OTF. Both of mine do better, my HTE-1 significantly so.
Following the "if it ain't broke" line of thought, it's shipped the same way it's always been, right down to the little baggie to keep the extra set of L91s dry when they sit in the little holster-pocket. The first thing i did - to satisfy the little kid in me - was check out the serial number and Cree. I'm not sure what i was expecting with the latter, but it looked like a Cree on a pedestal set inside a fantastically deep reflector. Consider it the smoothbore of the parabolic world. That done, i popped in two cells and made sure that the laser spot is still there. In spades. In fact, it's a little larger: 4in (10cm) at 7ft (213cm) instead of 3in. Woo-hoo!
A quick side note for those who have a previous model... Comparing my two, the HTE-1A's inner surround - what i call the corona - is noticeably smaller. At 7ft my previous one measures 28in (71cm) wide; the current measures 22in (56cm). We can thank the confluence between the XR-E's different-from-Luxeon distribution pattern and Heliotek's desire to keep the focused spot for this. Since the spill of the current is brighter than the corona of the previous, i expect time will prove this little more than "notable", but like i said, different is different. The spill width is unchanged at 56in (142cm).
Next i carted the HTE-1A and HDS to the bathroom for a little lumen estimating (which would be easier if the HDS had momentary-on). I'm confident that with a known starting point and enough back-and-forths that you can come up with a fairly solid lumen value, and i'm giving my HTE-1A 4.9 quad-trillion (rounding up to the nearest 4.9 quad-trillion). Speaking a bit more scientifically, i'll say 57lm with the diffuser and 67lm without it. Considering i got along just fine with my HTE-1's 28 and 33, you can imagine how satisfied i am.
Another change previous owners will notice is the end cap. It now has a little notch opposite the lanyard cut-out. This isn't its purpose, but you can use it to make fishing the lanyard lock-pin out a snap. The bigger alteration though is that for some unknown reason the current version is marshmallow that they painted black. Gotcha! It's really GE Lexan resin, same as the front. They've chosen to lock it down with the main lanyard slot opposite the switch. I've used the HTE-1's rotation feature (albeit more along the lines of "because it's there" than "because it really mattered"), so i was initially disappointed to see it gone, but apparently there was a complaint by someone who used one on a ship about the end cap pulling off. I have no idea how that was managed, but i'm generally not one to argue against making something even more bullet-proof.
Obviously i can't give it much of a go during the day, but i can already relate that it feels good in the hand, with the (momentary/constant)(on/off) switch still having the ever so solid-sounding clicks on the constant-on/off side. Unlike every other torch company out there (as far as i know), Heliotek uses Santoprene on the battery case, which seems not unlike what Monadnock uses on their Super Grip batons. For those who aren't familiar, trust me: it's good stuff. The weight clocks in at 6.4oz (181g) loaded with the clip and lanyard. Not that we don't all have smaller torches, but, maybe due to the balance point, its lighter in hand than you expect. For comparison, a loaded 2D Mag-lite is a bit over 24oz (680g) and a loaded 6D is 51oz (1446g).
And that's about it for now. I'll add more to this after i've put it through its paces, but before i go i'll just say that i'm firmly of the belief that Heliotek's torches could be an acid test for whether or not you see the larger picture. If your inclination is to deride it because "it's ugly" or "such-and-such does such-and-such better", then you don't. It's as simple as that.
Okay, one more paragraph. Heliotek tests all their circuit cards for efficiency prior to installation. Definitely not something i was expecting. Additionally, each torch is given a 15-minute (900s) random frequency vibration test and a water submersion test equivalent to over 200ft (61m). And just to complete the package, their customer service is top notch. (grin) Just don't expect to reach them on a friday during the summer.
The first four are the 1A and my Streamlight 3C Luxeon, the latter of which is also a well-designed torch. The third pair is before and after shots of the diffuser in action.
Aperture/f-stop/focal length are the same for each pair. All pix link to larger versions.
ADDITION - duplicated in post #10
I took it for a quick spin tonight and fell in love with it all over again. It throws just as well in the real world as the indoor pix suggest, but my giving a number for the throw wouldn't do it justice, because it's the shape of the beam that makes it so impressive. It not only has that tight hot spot, but a corona which is bright enough to be useful even at distance, and for mid-range stuff, the spill is easily bright enough that you don't have to "search" for what you're looking at. Something i didn't notice inside is that there's a secondary spill. It won't win any awards, but it's bright enough to be useful, and i'm sure it contributes when the diffuser is being used. Speaking of the diffuser, its beam is very similar to that of the Pierce M10w, and since that's the torch i always have in my pocket when i'm at home, that's rather high praise coming from me. (I keep trying to get my Pierce and Spy to have a kid, but that's a story for another thread.) I *have* run across a caveat though: the increased output means that the diffuser is brighter as well. I'm not sure i'm up to the task, but i may put black nail polish around the top edge.
http://www.heliotekinc.com/ ... (still) not updated, but they'll ship the 1A if you order the HTE-1
http://loz.zelandeth.org/cpf/heliotek/index.htm
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/heliotek_hte-1rev2.htm
(smirk) A lot of words, i know, but i'm also trying to do my part in bringing back the long-lost art of reading. In that vein, please don't quote the first post if someone asks a question that's already answered. Just gently remind them that i already covered that.
I happened to e-mail Bill when they were in the process of deciding which LED to go with, so i've known the new version was coming for over two months and have been chomping at the bit. You can't *use* the HTE-1 and not appreciate the thought that went into it, so i was rather amped to have everything i know and love and twice as much light. At the same time though, different is different, so there wasn't any guarantee of a complete lack of "that's a shame..."
So now that i'm all preambled out, i guess i should finally get around to the actual review part of the review. The short answer is that i like it. A lot. Not twice as much as my HTE-1 v2 since a torch is more than its output - what a concept, eh? - but outside of the initial twinge, i'm not going to mind passing the "old" one on to my sister. Still though, not everyone has a use for a dive-rated, severe weather torch with solid reach and on-board diffuser that exudes quality and is able to toss at least 60lm out the front for no less than six hours while floating, and i'm not going to try and convince you that you do.
As the name implies, the HTE-1A isn't a significant departure from the previous incarnation design-wise. It's still driving an LED at 1.2watts and directing that through a reflector that would demand respect if it wasn't so humble. That being said, don't think there aren't numerous changes, it's just that most of them don't jump out and bite you.
The one that drove the new version is not surprisingly ye olde LED. The 1A sports a Cree XR-E (Q2 brightness, WG color bin), and while the Luxeon-I gave enough light to easily get the job done, this will go over well with those who scoff at them and those who could use a bit more reach but don't want a beam with minimally bright corona/spill. Of course, it likely doesn't occur to the former that a well-designed torch is a tool, so a Heliotek wouldn't be considered anyway. For the record though, their stated lumen are minimum OTF. Both of mine do better, my HTE-1 significantly so.
Following the "if it ain't broke" line of thought, it's shipped the same way it's always been, right down to the little baggie to keep the extra set of L91s dry when they sit in the little holster-pocket. The first thing i did - to satisfy the little kid in me - was check out the serial number and Cree. I'm not sure what i was expecting with the latter, but it looked like a Cree on a pedestal set inside a fantastically deep reflector. Consider it the smoothbore of the parabolic world. That done, i popped in two cells and made sure that the laser spot is still there. In spades. In fact, it's a little larger: 4in (10cm) at 7ft (213cm) instead of 3in. Woo-hoo!
A quick side note for those who have a previous model... Comparing my two, the HTE-1A's inner surround - what i call the corona - is noticeably smaller. At 7ft my previous one measures 28in (71cm) wide; the current measures 22in (56cm). We can thank the confluence between the XR-E's different-from-Luxeon distribution pattern and Heliotek's desire to keep the focused spot for this. Since the spill of the current is brighter than the corona of the previous, i expect time will prove this little more than "notable", but like i said, different is different. The spill width is unchanged at 56in (142cm).
Next i carted the HTE-1A and HDS to the bathroom for a little lumen estimating (which would be easier if the HDS had momentary-on). I'm confident that with a known starting point and enough back-and-forths that you can come up with a fairly solid lumen value, and i'm giving my HTE-1A 4.9 quad-trillion (rounding up to the nearest 4.9 quad-trillion). Speaking a bit more scientifically, i'll say 57lm with the diffuser and 67lm without it. Considering i got along just fine with my HTE-1's 28 and 33, you can imagine how satisfied i am.
Another change previous owners will notice is the end cap. It now has a little notch opposite the lanyard cut-out. This isn't its purpose, but you can use it to make fishing the lanyard lock-pin out a snap. The bigger alteration though is that for some unknown reason the current version is marshmallow that they painted black. Gotcha! It's really GE Lexan resin, same as the front. They've chosen to lock it down with the main lanyard slot opposite the switch. I've used the HTE-1's rotation feature (albeit more along the lines of "because it's there" than "because it really mattered"), so i was initially disappointed to see it gone, but apparently there was a complaint by someone who used one on a ship about the end cap pulling off. I have no idea how that was managed, but i'm generally not one to argue against making something even more bullet-proof.
Obviously i can't give it much of a go during the day, but i can already relate that it feels good in the hand, with the (momentary/constant)(on/off) switch still having the ever so solid-sounding clicks on the constant-on/off side. Unlike every other torch company out there (as far as i know), Heliotek uses Santoprene on the battery case, which seems not unlike what Monadnock uses on their Super Grip batons. For those who aren't familiar, trust me: it's good stuff. The weight clocks in at 6.4oz (181g) loaded with the clip and lanyard. Not that we don't all have smaller torches, but, maybe due to the balance point, its lighter in hand than you expect. For comparison, a loaded 2D Mag-lite is a bit over 24oz (680g) and a loaded 6D is 51oz (1446g).
And that's about it for now. I'll add more to this after i've put it through its paces, but before i go i'll just say that i'm firmly of the belief that Heliotek's torches could be an acid test for whether or not you see the larger picture. If your inclination is to deride it because "it's ugly" or "such-and-such does such-and-such better", then you don't. It's as simple as that.
Okay, one more paragraph. Heliotek tests all their circuit cards for efficiency prior to installation. Definitely not something i was expecting. Additionally, each torch is given a 15-minute (900s) random frequency vibration test and a water submersion test equivalent to over 200ft (61m). And just to complete the package, their customer service is top notch. (grin) Just don't expect to reach them on a friday during the summer.
The first four are the 1A and my Streamlight 3C Luxeon, the latter of which is also a well-designed torch. The third pair is before and after shots of the diffuser in action.
Aperture/f-stop/focal length are the same for each pair. All pix link to larger versions.
ADDITION - duplicated in post #10
I took it for a quick spin tonight and fell in love with it all over again. It throws just as well in the real world as the indoor pix suggest, but my giving a number for the throw wouldn't do it justice, because it's the shape of the beam that makes it so impressive. It not only has that tight hot spot, but a corona which is bright enough to be useful even at distance, and for mid-range stuff, the spill is easily bright enough that you don't have to "search" for what you're looking at. Something i didn't notice inside is that there's a secondary spill. It won't win any awards, but it's bright enough to be useful, and i'm sure it contributes when the diffuser is being used. Speaking of the diffuser, its beam is very similar to that of the Pierce M10w, and since that's the torch i always have in my pocket when i'm at home, that's rather high praise coming from me. (I keep trying to get my Pierce and Spy to have a kid, but that's a story for another thread.) I *have* run across a caveat though: the increased output means that the diffuser is brighter as well. I'm not sure i'm up to the task, but i may put black nail polish around the top edge.
http://www.heliotekinc.com/ ... (still) not updated, but they'll ship the 1A if you order the HTE-1
http://loz.zelandeth.org/cpf/heliotek/index.htm
http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/heliotek_hte-1rev2.htm
(smirk) A lot of words, i know, but i'm also trying to do my part in bringing back the long-lost art of reading. In that vein, please don't quote the first post if someone asks a question that's already answered. Just gently remind them that i already covered that.
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