I've been searching for beam shot for the Wizard Pro, but didn't find any with light level and distance details. So can any of you Wizard owners give me an idea of the "reach" of the light. I'd like quite a bit of runtime, ~8 hours, so how far out will I have effective lighting if I run the light at 185 lumens? For SAR about 70'/20 meters of reach is nice.
Armytek Wizard/Pro Thread
- Thread starter soul347
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SubLGT
Flashlight Enthusiast
It appears to me that Armytek is now calling their headlamps "multi-flashlights".
http://www.armytek.com/multi-flashlights-all-purpose-lights-for-every-task.html
As a multi-flashlight, it is ironic that it is so difficult to remove the Armytek from its rubber cradle, so that we can use it for other purposes than as a headlamp.:thumbsdow
Here is an amusing quote from the above link:
"So now it's a high time to know why Armytek multi-flashlights managed to gain such public apprehension." :laughing:
http://www.armytek.com/multi-flashlights-all-purpose-lights-for-every-task.html
As a multi-flashlight, it is ironic that it is so difficult to remove the Armytek from its rubber cradle, so that we can use it for other purposes than as a headlamp.:thumbsdow
Here is an amusing quote from the above link:
"So now it's a high time to know why Armytek multi-flashlights managed to gain such public apprehension." :laughing:
more_vampires
Flashlight Enthusiast
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ZOMG! That is the good stuff, sir. Right on! Got it! (I hope.) No, wait? "Apprehension?" I saw it, too! I don't want to get arrested for buying a flashlight!
As a multi-flashlight it must be multi-role with aluminum foil, rubber bands, string, magnets, kittens, and stuff. Not jail time!!!
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Duckslayer2095
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Hey guys,
This is my first post here, however I am a long time reader of this forum as well as the BLF forum. Thanks for all of the great info and reviews that are given here!
I am wanting to purchase a warm tint Wizard Pro, but am having a hard time deciding on whether to wait for the v.2 to come back in stock, or purchasing the v.1 on amazon. The v.1 would save me a little money too. Any suggestions on what to do? Is the v.2 worth the extra money/wait? Also, I have not been able to find whether the new version is brighter than the v.1. It is rated at higher lumen output, as well as being rated in OTF lumens vs LED lumens, however I have not heard it mentioned anywhere that it is truly brighter.
If anybody could help me decide/ clear this up I would really appreciate it!
This is my first post here, however I am a long time reader of this forum as well as the BLF forum. Thanks for all of the great info and reviews that are given here!
I am wanting to purchase a warm tint Wizard Pro, but am having a hard time deciding on whether to wait for the v.2 to come back in stock, or purchasing the v.1 on amazon. The v.1 would save me a little money too. Any suggestions on what to do? Is the v.2 worth the extra money/wait? Also, I have not been able to find whether the new version is brighter than the v.1. It is rated at higher lumen output, as well as being rated in OTF lumens vs LED lumens, however I have not heard it mentioned anywhere that it is truly brighter.
If anybody could help me decide/ clear this up I would really appreciate it!
RAM2
Newly Enlightened
Armytek confirmed the V.2 output and throw are same as the earlier versions. The specifications are different due to OTF rating and more accurate performance measurements. V.2 has a new driver, new UI and less weight. Some people are unhappy that Pro V.2 does not have the means for indicating the battery voltage used in the earlier version.
More information is available here http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?288932-Armytek-wizard/page25.
Good luck.
Derek Dean
Flashlight Enthusiast
Howdy Duckslayer2095, and welcome to CPF,
Since you're a new member, and you're considering a light that uses 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable cells, I want to make sure that you are aware of the special handling during use and recharging that these cells require.
They have a lot of power in a small space, and while used in a light like this they are probably very safe, it would be prudent for you to take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with these simple safety precautions:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Using-Li-ion-cells-in-LED-flashlights-safely
http://batteryuniversity.com/
Have fun!
Since you're a new member, and you're considering a light that uses 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable cells, I want to make sure that you are aware of the special handling during use and recharging that these cells require.
They have a lot of power in a small space, and while used in a light like this they are probably very safe, it would be prudent for you to take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with these simple safety precautions:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Using-Li-ion-cells-in-LED-flashlights-safely
http://batteryuniversity.com/
Have fun!
Duckslayer2095
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Hey thanks a lot Ram2! I had contacted Armytec about this question but they only specified that the output was the same as the v1.5, so I wasn't sure about the first version. Thanks for clearing that up, I may go with the first version and put the extra money towards higher quality batteries and charger.
Derek Dean, thanks for your help and warning. I just read through that thread as, well as many others, and feel I have a pretty good idea of the risks/precautions now.
Thanks again for the help.
Derek Dean, thanks for your help and warning. I just read through that thread as, well as many others, and feel I have a pretty good idea of the risks/precautions now.
Thanks again for the help.
Hi Henrik, got a chance to do a test and take a picture (see below). I can say the Wizard Pro warm has quite an impressive throw on main mode 2 especially for a light that has no hot spot and a diffused lens. In the picture I am standing at one end of a basement that is about 30-35m wall to wall in a pitch black setting, so all the light you see is coming from the wizard. The light on this mode easily reaches the other end and I could imagine it could go further. I think armytek did a good job balancing throw and flood for a headlamp. How much distance do you need and for what? It will give me an idea on if the wizard can do what you want it to. Take note that the tint is not perfectly captured by the camera.
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Thank you Soul for the reply. Unfortunately your beam shot is not showing up in my browser. Any chance you can check and see what the problem is?
I am using headlamps for as my main light for Search & Rescue. I've noticed a few posts here on CPF suggesting that big, super bright, long throw lights must be ideal for SAR, but I think it depends greatly on terrain, weather and other conditions.
Here in New Mexico, the majority of the searches my team takes part in, take place in the Sangre de Christo mountains, where we encounter steep rough terrain with large rocks, arroyos, fallen dead trees, shrubbery etc. In terrain like that it is not possible to reliably search an area further than 10 - 20 meters ~ up to 70' from where you're standing - sometimes less. We constantly consider Probability of Detection (POD) for the areas we search, i.e. the percentage likelihood that you would have found the missing person if that person was in the area you just searched. And around here we simply can't get a satisfactory POD by standing in one spot and shine a big, bright light around. There is no other way than crawling through piles of deadfall, into drainages and so on. The rough terrain also means that we rarely use handheld lights - we need two hands for support/balance/safety. I do carry a Sunwayman D40A in my pack, and have a Nitecore P25 arriving tomorrow (yay), but I've only used the D40A when trying to decipher faint trails through rough country. So headlamps is the main light source for us.
The headlamp covers all tasks from unloading the truck, donning backpacks, reading maps/GPS, trail finding and searching the areas around us. The majority of the time is spent searching, where the claimed 130 lumen semi-spot output of a Black Diamond ReVolt has worked well for me. If it weren't for the PWM of the ReVolt I would probably keep using it - but in rain and snow the PWM drives me batty
Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I'm looking for.
I am using headlamps for as my main light for Search & Rescue. I've noticed a few posts here on CPF suggesting that big, super bright, long throw lights must be ideal for SAR, but I think it depends greatly on terrain, weather and other conditions.
Here in New Mexico, the majority of the searches my team takes part in, take place in the Sangre de Christo mountains, where we encounter steep rough terrain with large rocks, arroyos, fallen dead trees, shrubbery etc. In terrain like that it is not possible to reliably search an area further than 10 - 20 meters ~ up to 70' from where you're standing - sometimes less. We constantly consider Probability of Detection (POD) for the areas we search, i.e. the percentage likelihood that you would have found the missing person if that person was in the area you just searched. And around here we simply can't get a satisfactory POD by standing in one spot and shine a big, bright light around. There is no other way than crawling through piles of deadfall, into drainages and so on. The rough terrain also means that we rarely use handheld lights - we need two hands for support/balance/safety. I do carry a Sunwayman D40A in my pack, and have a Nitecore P25 arriving tomorrow (yay), but I've only used the D40A when trying to decipher faint trails through rough country. So headlamps is the main light source for us.
The headlamp covers all tasks from unloading the truck, donning backpacks, reading maps/GPS, trail finding and searching the areas around us. The majority of the time is spent searching, where the claimed 130 lumen semi-spot output of a Black Diamond ReVolt has worked well for me. If it weren't for the PWM of the ReVolt I would probably keep using it - but in rain and snow the PWM drives me batty
Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I'm looking for.
Man I would love to have an adventurous job like that . I tried to fix the picture link. Let me know if it works now.
With your use case, I think the Wizard Pro has several advantages over the Black Diamond Revolt:
-More rugged. Shock proof and water proof
-Higher outputs
-Much longer run times with a single 18650. If you want to use high output constantly, one spare 18650 is all you need for the road. Low voltage indicators and built in battery voltage reading makes it easy to know when you need to swap batteries.
-Lights up wider area with no hotspot, yet has decent throw, and the beam is not harsh on the eyes.
-Holder that can rotate 360 degrees for maximum flexibility, which I think is a must in your situation.
Since you're mostly looking within 10-20m, I think the 2nd output mode would be perfect and will easily light up that distance and beyond. Another nice feature is while in one of the main modes, you can double click and hold to go to max output, then as soon as you let go it will go back to one of the main modes. This is useful for when you just want to really light up an area for a few seconds, then quickly go back to original output. I am not quite sure what tint is better for search and rescue. When you need to really light up something far, I think that Nitecore P25 is an excellent choice. Just clip it to your backpack strap or somewhere easily accessible and you're good to go. I have a Nitecore SRT7 which is almost identical to that P25 in terms of beam pattern and throw, and I can say it is excellent.
With your use case, I think the Wizard Pro has several advantages over the Black Diamond Revolt:
-More rugged. Shock proof and water proof
-Higher outputs
-Much longer run times with a single 18650. If you want to use high output constantly, one spare 18650 is all you need for the road. Low voltage indicators and built in battery voltage reading makes it easy to know when you need to swap batteries.
-Lights up wider area with no hotspot, yet has decent throw, and the beam is not harsh on the eyes.
-Holder that can rotate 360 degrees for maximum flexibility, which I think is a must in your situation.
Since you're mostly looking within 10-20m, I think the 2nd output mode would be perfect and will easily light up that distance and beyond. Another nice feature is while in one of the main modes, you can double click and hold to go to max output, then as soon as you let go it will go back to one of the main modes. This is useful for when you just want to really light up an area for a few seconds, then quickly go back to original output. I am not quite sure what tint is better for search and rescue. When you need to really light up something far, I think that Nitecore P25 is an excellent choice. Just clip it to your backpack strap or somewhere easily accessible and you're good to go. I have a Nitecore SRT7 which is almost identical to that P25 in terms of beam pattern and throw, and I can say it is excellent.
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Thank you Soul - the picture shows up now and it's very helpful. If that back wall is around 30 - 35 meters away, that should be plenty of light and throw for the majority of my uses.
Unfortunately SAR is not my job - I wish we are all volunteers and provide all our own gear, vehicles etc. But I still enjoy it - very gratifying, and feels good to contribute to the community that way.
The advantages you mention are clear, and the addition of brief Max mode is definitely an advantage. As for tint, I bought a neutral tint D40A, and am very happy with it. The more accurate color rendition of the neutral white lights, I believe does help in SAR use, where we may be looking to distinguish a dark colored piece of clothing in a dark forest bottom full of shadows and other dark colored stuff; rocks, stumps branches, leaf piles etc.
Unfortunately SAR is not my job - I wish
we are all volunteers and provide all our own gear, vehicles etc. But I still enjoy it - very gratifying, and feels good to contribute to the community that way.The advantages you mention are clear, and the addition of brief Max mode is definitely an advantage. As for tint, I bought a neutral tint D40A, and am very happy with it. The more accurate color rendition of the neutral white lights, I believe does help in SAR use, where we may be looking to distinguish a dark colored piece of clothing in a dark forest bottom full of shadows and other dark colored stuff; rocks, stumps branches, leaf piles etc.
Ah I see. Either way, that is something I'd love to volunteer for. I lost a friend of mine to a flash flood and they had to do a search and rescue effort. Unfortunately I wasn't there at the time to help, but I wish I was. How often do you join SAR teams?
By the way, I can also confirm that the Wizard Pro doesn't suffer from the PWM issue that you have with the Revolt. I have a Petzl Tikka Plus 2, and on the lower output you can definitely see that strobe effect against things like rain, an electric fan, etc. I used my Petzl side by side with my Wizard Pro, and the Wizard Pro doesn't create that strobe effect on any mode, even the lowest firefly mode. The output levels also decrease on my Petzl as the battery drains, while the Wizard is constant all throughout, but take note as the battery reaches near empty, turbo is no longer accessible. I'd imagine though that you wouldn't drain the battery that far, even on a whole night of searching. I use a 3400mah Nitecore 18650 battery btw.
Let me know if you have any more questions, or if there are some other headlamps you are considering alongside the Wizard.
By the way, I can also confirm that the Wizard Pro doesn't suffer from the PWM issue that you have with the Revolt. I have a Petzl Tikka Plus 2, and on the lower output you can definitely see that strobe effect against things like rain, an electric fan, etc. I used my Petzl side by side with my Wizard Pro, and the Wizard Pro doesn't create that strobe effect on any mode, even the lowest firefly mode. The output levels also decrease on my Petzl as the battery drains, while the Wizard is constant all throughout, but take note as the battery reaches near empty, turbo is no longer accessible. I'd imagine though that you wouldn't drain the battery that far, even on a whole night of searching. I use a 3400mah Nitecore 18650 battery btw.
Let me know if you have any more questions, or if there are some other headlamps you are considering alongside the Wizard.
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Sorry to hear about your friend. That's tough.
We generally do not allow non-trained/non-certified personnel to join an ongoing search, for their safety and ours. First rule of SAR: do not turn one rescue into two
Here in NM, you apply to join a SAR Team. Every SAR volunteer in NM must pass the State Field Certification, which consists of 1) a "pack check"; you must show that you own the required equipment 2) show some simple map/compass skills and 3) a written test. Once you have joined a team and passed your Field Certification, most teams have list of "core competencies" that you must acquire. My team for instance require map/compass and GPS navigation, snowshoe skills, basic search techniques etc. etc. Once your team mentor confirms that you have all the skills and equipment necessary, you are put on the "calling tree" and are eligible to respond to "Missions". In NM the SAR volunteers function under the Dept. of Public Safety and the State Police, who will initiate a Mission and start the "trickle down" activity that eventually leads to you getting a call at 2am Clearly it's not possible for every team member to respond to all call-outs, but we respond as best we can.
In order to remain "Active" and on the calling tree our team requires each member to participate in a minimum number of team meetings, team trainings and missions each year.
It varies a lot how much we are called out - it was fortunately very quiet over the holidays, but in the month or two leading up to the holidays we had 4 or 5 call-outs.
I would certainly encourage you to look up your local SAR team. I know we are always looking for new members. And the needed functions are so varied that we can find a role for everyone: ground-pounders (that's me), communications, base support, transportation, 4-wheel vehicles/drivers, dog handlers and so on.
We generally do not allow non-trained/non-certified personnel to join an ongoing search, for their safety and ours. First rule of SAR: do not turn one rescue into two
Here in NM, you apply to join a SAR Team. Every SAR volunteer in NM must pass the State Field Certification, which consists of 1) a "pack check"; you must show that you own the required equipment 2) show some simple map/compass skills and 3) a written test. Once you have joined a team and passed your Field Certification, most teams have list of "core competencies" that you must acquire. My team for instance require map/compass and GPS navigation, snowshoe skills, basic search techniques etc. etc. Once your team mentor confirms that you have all the skills and equipment necessary, you are put on the "calling tree" and are eligible to respond to "Missions". In NM the SAR volunteers function under the Dept. of Public Safety and the State Police, who will initiate a Mission and start the "trickle down" activity that eventually leads to you getting a call at 2am
Clearly it's not possible for every team member to respond to all call-outs, but we respond as best we can.In order to remain "Active" and on the calling tree our team requires each member to participate in a minimum number of team meetings, team trainings and missions each year.
It varies a lot how much we are called out - it was fortunately very quiet over the holidays, but in the month or two leading up to the holidays we had 4 or 5 call-outs.
I would certainly encourage you to look up your local SAR team. I know we are always looking for new members. And the needed functions are so varied that we can find a role for everyone: ground-pounders (that's me), communications, base support, transportation, 4-wheel vehicles/drivers, dog handlers and so on.
You made me wonder if I should join local SAR team. Sometimes also our army is called for SAR. I remember when I was doing my service in army and I was in the weekly changing SAR group. Whole group had to run a lap for every missing item when we did the pack check. Dear god we run many laps. But I don't remember if the group was ever called out during my time in the army. I think joining now as volunteer might be interesting without all the running after pack checks
Sorry for offtopic
I'm very interested in joining a SAR group one day as well. Thanks for sharing those details.
I also think that for those purposes the Wizard Pro would be a great headlamp. I use it often for navigating some pretty rocky terrain in the dark, and it makes the job easy.
I also think that for those purposes the Wizard Pro would be a great headlamp. I use it often for navigating some pretty rocky terrain in the dark, and it makes the job easy.
nihilistnarwhal
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Update on this problem: After emailing support, Sandra seemed to confirm CR123/RCR123 should work and allow me to change battery type, and then it would work with 18650 batteries. Since CR123s are cheaper and might not be a waste for me as RCR123 would be, I bought some and the light works just fine. Switched back to 18650 selection (x1) and it works with 18650, switch to CR123 (x2) setting and it works, switch to RCR123 (x3) setting and it doesn't like 18650 anymore.
The state indicator is now staying off in firefly 2/3, so perhaps I was mistaken before. It can't be turned off for main/maximum modes.
I'm searching for a pocket clip that will fit into the lanyard gap - any suggestions? Going off a cloth taper measure, the lanyard circle seems to be about 22-23mm inner diameter, roughly 1mm width, and the space available with the end completely screwed on looks 1.5-2mm. If anyone has proper calipers and a v2 pro I'd appreciate a more accurate measurement for my search!
Charles L.
Enlightened
Hi Henrik,
I don't have the BD Revolt, but do have the Spot and Storm as well as an Armytek Wizard Pro warm. The Wizard is a much nicer light with a far nicer overall beam pattern, but it is floodier. At comparable lumen outputs, I believe the Spot and Storm out-throw the Wizard. Of course one can compensate by ramping up the lumens of the Wizard, at the cost of battery life. If you need a lamp with greater throw, I might look at some of Armytek's more direct competitors such as Zebralight, Spark and Skilhunt -- TBH I'm not even sure about the Spark and Skilhunt because I believe they too use a TIR optic like Armytek, but the ZL H600w is a throwier light. Not that you'd go wrong with a Wizard Pro -- it's in the top 3 of my headlamp collection for sure
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