candle lamp
Flashlight Enthusiast
Armytek Predator (XP-G2 R5) & Predator X (XM-L U2) [ 1x18650, 2x(R)CR123A ] Review
The revised model line, Predator v2 & Predator X v2 are available with an upgraded emitter, variable bezel types, and build. They are tactical lights that run on 1x18650 Li-ion (or LiFePO4) or 2x(R)CR123A batteries.
The packaging is basic, but a solid cardboard box. The both lights come packaged between two pieces of styrofoam, with a holster with closing flap, removable stainless steel clip, lanyard, rubber grip (attached), rubber ring instead grip, tailcap rubber switch boot, two spare O-rings, and very detailed user manual. (The manual is available for download on Armytek website.)
.
.
Manufacturer Specifications from user manual :
• Constant brightness for whole operation time
• Fully programmable settings to fit your needs
• Excellent tactical flashlight for Hunting
• Ultra-transparent and tempered glass with anti-reflective and lens coating
• The transparency of the glass is 98-99%.
• The flashlight is designed on the basis of the new-generation electronic driver S-Tek™
• The current stabilization types are entirely changeable through the user menu: full stabilization (FULL), simple semi-stabilization (SEMI), stepped stabilization (STEP).
• Firefly mode 0.1 lumens, working for 130 days with 1x18650 Li-Ion battery.
• Advanced electronic protection from incorrect battery installation, without reducing the efficiency of the driver
• Constant and smooth light output. Important notice: no irritating flickering effect.
• The S-Tek™ driver, due to a built-in sensor, constantly monitors the temperature of LED and the electronic circuit and will prevent the LED overheating in extreme environments.
• The voltage supply selection allows using the cheaper batteries without protection board (PCB), for example: LiFePO4 or Li-Ion.
• Indication of battery voltage at user's request (ex.: 3 blinks - pause - 6 blinks = 3.6 Volts).
• The automemorization of the last used mode can be turned on or off.
• The ability to save the user's individual settings in the Custom preset.
• The ability to reset of all settings of the flashlight to those built-in by the manufacturer (Military or Outdoor presets) or to the user's saved preset (Custom).
• To ensure functionality in difficult conditions, the electronic driver of the flashlight is placed in a special aluminum capsule and has been completely covered with a durable compound. This actually protects it from both the environment and from mechanical damage.
• Body material: aviation-grade aluminum T6061-T6.
• Water resistance standard: IPX-8 (the highest)
• Two silicone O-rings are installed at each side of the battery tube of the flashlight.
.
.
The anodizing (seems type III) is a very matt black and consistent throughout with no damage or blemishes of other faults to be found on my samples. There are letterings & identification labels on the head, battery tube, and tailcap. All they are sharp, clear, and bright white against the black background. There is no real knurling to speak of on the light, but grip is good (i.e., much better than expect), thanks to the unique anodizing finish. The grip is on the end of the battery tube.
.
.
The light has 3 parts (i.e. head, battery tube, and tailcap).
.
.
The Predator comes in a choice of stainless steel bezel types (flat or crenellated) & color (black or gold or silver), and my review sample is the black crenellated bezel allowing light to shine through when left placed head down.
There's no cooling fins on the head. The light has an O-ring & extra L-ring of a specific shape between the bezel and reflector. There is a raised positive contact disc in the head, so flat-top 18650 batteries should work fine. There is an outer golden connection ring for detecting head tight/head loose. The user manual says the light has reverse polarity protection to protect from incorrect battery installation (i.e., the electronics of the Predator & Predator X have in-built reverse polarity protection.)
.
.
The light uses ultra-transparent (transparency : 98~99%) and tempered AR coating lens. The purple hue is reflected on the lens of the Predator, and the greenish blue hue is reflected on the one of the Predator X respectively. It seems the greenish blue reflections on the Predator X are due to the internal reflections of the light from LED and green board bouncing off the reflector. The aluminum reflector has a smooth pattern and is very deep. Surface finish on the reflector was perfect from visual inspection, and each well-centered LED sits at the bottom of the reflector cup.
.
.
The head has only some shallow radial lines & six long flat faces mainly for aesthetic effect. There is a raised ring machined around the rear area which has six shallow flat faces on it which serves well as an anti-roll feature, and also provides good grip for twisting body.
.
.
The battery tube (i.e., body) has a clean cylindrical design with two flat faces machined on where manufacturer name & model name are printed. The body lacks knurling to speak of, but grip is much better than expect. I couldn't find it is slippery even when twisting the body with wet hands. The surface finish is unique and very good. Armytek claims the thickness of the anodizing is 60~70μm which is much thicker than most other lights (20~30μm).
.
.
The screw threads are standard triangular-cut. Threads on both ends are well machined, with those on the rear end being anodized which allows the light to be locked-out when the tail cap is slightly loosened. There are double O-rings on both ends. As supplied, threads on both ends are well lubricated. Threads on either ends on the body mate well with the head and tailcap with no issues of cross-threading or grinding.
.
.
The wall thickness of the body is thick, and the light feel solid.
.
.
The rubber grip is removable and is on the end of the battery tube. It can be removed after removing the O-rings on the body first. It also works as a good anti-roll device, and helps with holding the light in a cigar style grip. You can put the rubber ring on the body instead of the rubber grip. The grip has a hole for lanyard attachment. However the thickness of the rubber grip is too thick to insert the small split-ring into it. So I had to use the lobster-claw for lanyard attachment, by detaching the split-ring from it.
.
.
The tailcap switch is a forward clicky. The negative terminal at the tailcap has a strong elastic spring covered with a metal flat disc to increase surface contact area and have no risk of scratching battery. There are no holes allow you to unscrew the metal ring to access the switch. You can access by unscrewing the outer stainless steel ring on the tail end. Due to the protruding forward clicky, the light can't tailstand. The switch has average tension with short travel and tactile clicking feedback.
.
.
User Interface
The most distinctive aspect of the Predator & Predator X is the user programming interface with an extremely wide range of constant output modes and various flashing modes. There are two factory presets and one user's preset. You can make your own preset for output levels, the number of output modes, the strobes frequency, the battery types, the type of output regulation (stabilization), the type of auto-memorization.
You can check the battery voltage in the light for any line (i.e., First or Second line). The voltage indication depends on the output level of the mode.
The light is turned on/off by the forward tailcap switch (i.e., press for momentary on, click for lock on). There are two lines (First line & Second line), and the output modes are arranged in two lines. Head tight means "First line", and head loosened means "Second line". To change the output modes, loosen/tighten the head in the First line, while you have to tighten/loosen the head in the Second line.
In the First line, you can change any of those constant output modes to any level from Firfly to Maxmum (i.e., three types of Firefly, and any output level from 1 to 100%), by using continuously-variable ramping interface.
To select the output level in the first line, turn the light on with head tight. Loosen the head, wait until the switch to the Second line, and then quickly tighten the head, wait again until the switch to the First line, and then quickly turn the light off/on. Note that all the above has to be done within 3 seconds. The light will begin ramping from Firefly to Max. output, which takes about 50 seconds in total. (i.e., the light will demonstrate three types of Firefly one after the other during 10 seconds. Then within 40 seconds, a gradual increase in output will take place with a double blinks at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% output). Once Max. output is reached, the light restarts at firefly and cycles through again as you can see the above. You can select and memorize the output mode by a quick loosen/tighten head within 1 second. The predator & Predator X have a quite the same continuously-variable ramping interface as shown in the above graph.
You can access the Setup Menu from the Second line only. To enter the Setup Menu in the second line, turn the light on with head loose. Tighten the head, wait until the switch to the First line, and then quickly loosen the head, wait again until the switch to the Second line, and then quickly turn the light off/on. Note that all the above has to be done within 3 seconds.
There are 5 Sub Menus (or 5 items) as follows :
Item 1. Current Second Line Mode Selection & Setting
1) 3 types of Firefly or any output from 1 to 100%
2) Strobe
3) Beacon
4) SOS
Item 2. Factory Defaults Reset & Custom Saving
1) Military (by default)
2) Outdoor (by default)
3) Custom
Item 3. Selection the power source
1) 2xCR123A 3V (lithium batteries, minimum voltage 2V)
2) 1x18650 Li-Ion 3.7V (Li-Ion rechargeable battery, minimum voltage 2.8V) - by default
3) 2xRCR123A Li-Ion 3.7V (Li-Ion rechargeable batteries, minimum voltage 5.6V)
4) 1x18650 LiFePO4 3.2V (LiFePO4 rechargeable battery, minimum voltage 2.5V)
Item 4. Setting up the First Line
1) Number of modes : 1 ~ 10 modes
2) Method of automemorization the last mode
2-1) Turn automemorization on - by default
2-2) Turn automemorization off
3) Type of stabilization
3-1) FULL : Full stabilization on all modes and types of power source - by default
3-2) SEMI : Semi-stabilization
3-3) STEP : Stepped stabilization
Item 5. Setting up the Second Line
1) Selection the number of modes : 1 ~ 5modes
2) Method of automemorization the last mode
2-1) Turn automemorization on - by default
2-2) Turn automemorization off
3) Type of stabilization
3-1) FULL : Full stabilization on all modes and types of power source
3-2) SEMI : Semi-stabilization - by default
3-3) STEP : Stepped stabilization
[New 13.03.04]
You can use the 2 Factory default presets (Military & Outdoor) for Predator X :
1. Military
- First line : 670lm --> 6lm --> 108lm (Full Stabilization)
- Second line : Strobe 15hz --> Firefly 1.5lm (Full Stabilization)
2. Outdoor
- First line : 540lm --> 108lm (Full Stabilization)
- Second line : Strobe 15Hz --> 6lm --> Firefly 1.5lm (Full Stabilization)
Note that the all above lumens are LED lumens, neither OTF lumens nor ANSI lumens.
In the above Item 3, the seclection of the power source is necessary and very important for the correct indication of the low battery.
For example, if you set 2xCR123A for unprotected 18650 li-ion, the light will let you know the signal of the low battery voltage at around 2.0V. (i.e., your unprotected 18650 will be drained or discharged to 2.0v). [New 13.03.04]
.
.
From left to right, VicLite 18650(2600mAh) protected, Rofis TR31, Armytek Predator, Armytek Predator X, Xtar TZ58, Nitecore P25.
.
.
The head size & light weight excluding battery of five lights are as follows :
TR31 - 39.7mm / 165g, Predator - 39.5mm / 163g, Predator X - 39.5mm / 165g, TZ58 - 40.2mm / 134g, P25 - 40mm / 172g
.
.
It is good size to hold and can be used as an tactical light. Overall grip is fine.
.
.
Measured Dimensions & Weight
.
.
The light comes with a basic nylon holster with a velcro strap on the head (both lights are the same). The elastic at the side gives a nice snug fit. So the light fits in the holster either head-up or head-down. It has a loop allows to carry it in horizontal position.
.
.
The CR123A & 18650 fit well in the body. All types (i.e., true flat-tops, wide and small button-tops) of 18650's work fine on my sample. Overall build quality is excellent.
.
.
PWM
1. Predator
.
.
2. Predator X
The lights show no sign of PWM at any output level. Both lights are constant current controlled as the manufacturer claims. I notice there is no buzzing sound at any levels.
.
.
Runtime
I have tested on only maximum output for three different stabilization (regulation) with protected 1x18650 (2600mAh) li-ion. Of course, the runtime will depend on stabilization pattern, battery types, and output levels.
1. Predator
The runtimes for 10% of max. output are as follows :
1) Full stabilization : 69 min.
2) Semi stabilization : 147 min.
3) Step stabilization : 142 min.
.
.
2. Predator X
The runtimes for 10% of max. output are as follows :
1) Full stabilization : 68 min.
2) Semi stabilization : 124 min.
3) Step stabilization : 144 min.
.
.
3. Predator & predator X
Full stabilization shows very nicely flat regulation with a sharp drop & completely turning off at the end of run. I think that drop & turning off are due to my battery's protection circuit. Armytek confirm me that the light has the signal of the low battery voltage or a high temperature of LED. It blinks 3 times every 60 seconds. If the user is not reacting to the warning blinks (e.g., does not switch the light to a lower mode to save energy or reduce temperature of LED), then when the critical levels are reached (i.e., low voltage or high temperature), the light automatically switches to the Firefly mode. Therefore the user retains control of the light. However, one must understand that when the battery is fully discharged, even in the Firefly mode, the user loses control of the light.
The light doesn't turn off near the depletion of the battery in Semi & Step stabilization. It runs longer time with gradually decreased output or step-by-step decreased output as shown in the above graph. If you don't want to lose your way in the dark suddenly or unexpectedly, use the light by selecting Semi or Step stabilization.
.
.
Relative Output Comparison
.
.
[New 13.03.04]
Both lights have a very nice Firefly mode which is very useful. [New 13.03.04]
.
.
Beamshot
1. White door beamshot for Predator & predator X
- ISO100, F/4.0, 1/400sec, Auto white balance
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.
- ISO100, F/4.0, 1/800sec, Auto white balance
.
.
- ISO100, F/4.0, 1/1250sec, Auto white balance
.
.
2. White door beamshot with other lights
- ISO100, F/3.5, 1/500sec, Auto white balance
.
.
- ISO100, F/3.5, 1/800sec, Auto white balance
.
.
- ISO100, F/3.5, 1/1250sec, Auto white balance
.
.
3. Indoor beamshot (about 7m from the target)
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1/4sec, Auto white balance
- TR31
.
.
- Predator
.
.
- predator X
.
.
- P25
.
.
.
.
4. 55m Outdoor Beamshot
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
- Control Shot
.
.
- TR31
.
.
- Predator
.
.
- Predator X
.
.
- P25
.
.
.
.
5. 60~65m Outdoor Beamshot
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
- Control Shot
.
.
- TR31
.
.
- Predator
.
.
- Predator X
.
.
-P25
.
.
.
.
The revised model line, Predator v2 & Predator X v2 are available with an upgraded emitter, variable bezel types, and build. They are tactical lights that run on 1x18650 Li-ion (or LiFePO4) or 2x(R)CR123A batteries.
The packaging is basic, but a solid cardboard box. The both lights come packaged between two pieces of styrofoam, with a holster with closing flap, removable stainless steel clip, lanyard, rubber grip (attached), rubber ring instead grip, tailcap rubber switch boot, two spare O-rings, and very detailed user manual. (The manual is available for download on Armytek website.)
.
.
Manufacturer Specifications from user manual :
• Constant brightness for whole operation time
• Fully programmable settings to fit your needs
• Excellent tactical flashlight for Hunting
• Ultra-transparent and tempered glass with anti-reflective and lens coating
• The transparency of the glass is 98-99%.
• The flashlight is designed on the basis of the new-generation electronic driver S-Tek™
• The current stabilization types are entirely changeable through the user menu: full stabilization (FULL), simple semi-stabilization (SEMI), stepped stabilization (STEP).
• Firefly mode 0.1 lumens, working for 130 days with 1x18650 Li-Ion battery.
• Advanced electronic protection from incorrect battery installation, without reducing the efficiency of the driver
• Constant and smooth light output. Important notice: no irritating flickering effect.
• The S-Tek™ driver, due to a built-in sensor, constantly monitors the temperature of LED and the electronic circuit and will prevent the LED overheating in extreme environments.
• The voltage supply selection allows using the cheaper batteries without protection board (PCB), for example: LiFePO4 or Li-Ion.
• Indication of battery voltage at user's request (ex.: 3 blinks - pause - 6 blinks = 3.6 Volts).
• The automemorization of the last used mode can be turned on or off.
• The ability to save the user's individual settings in the Custom preset.
• The ability to reset of all settings of the flashlight to those built-in by the manufacturer (Military or Outdoor presets) or to the user's saved preset (Custom).
• To ensure functionality in difficult conditions, the electronic driver of the flashlight is placed in a special aluminum capsule and has been completely covered with a durable compound. This actually protects it from both the environment and from mechanical damage.
• Body material: aviation-grade aluminum T6061-T6.
• Water resistance standard: IPX-8 (the highest)
• Two silicone O-rings are installed at each side of the battery tube of the flashlight.
.
.
The anodizing (seems type III) is a very matt black and consistent throughout with no damage or blemishes of other faults to be found on my samples. There are letterings & identification labels on the head, battery tube, and tailcap. All they are sharp, clear, and bright white against the black background. There is no real knurling to speak of on the light, but grip is good (i.e., much better than expect), thanks to the unique anodizing finish. The grip is on the end of the battery tube.
.
.
The light has 3 parts (i.e. head, battery tube, and tailcap).
.
.
The Predator comes in a choice of stainless steel bezel types (flat or crenellated) & color (black or gold or silver), and my review sample is the black crenellated bezel allowing light to shine through when left placed head down.
There's no cooling fins on the head. The light has an O-ring & extra L-ring of a specific shape between the bezel and reflector. There is a raised positive contact disc in the head, so flat-top 18650 batteries should work fine. There is an outer golden connection ring for detecting head tight/head loose. The user manual says the light has reverse polarity protection to protect from incorrect battery installation (i.e., the electronics of the Predator & Predator X have in-built reverse polarity protection.)
.
.
The light uses ultra-transparent (transparency : 98~99%) and tempered AR coating lens. The purple hue is reflected on the lens of the Predator, and the greenish blue hue is reflected on the one of the Predator X respectively. It seems the greenish blue reflections on the Predator X are due to the internal reflections of the light from LED and green board bouncing off the reflector. The aluminum reflector has a smooth pattern and is very deep. Surface finish on the reflector was perfect from visual inspection, and each well-centered LED sits at the bottom of the reflector cup.
.
.
The head has only some shallow radial lines & six long flat faces mainly for aesthetic effect. There is a raised ring machined around the rear area which has six shallow flat faces on it which serves well as an anti-roll feature, and also provides good grip for twisting body.
.
.
The battery tube (i.e., body) has a clean cylindrical design with two flat faces machined on where manufacturer name & model name are printed. The body lacks knurling to speak of, but grip is much better than expect. I couldn't find it is slippery even when twisting the body with wet hands. The surface finish is unique and very good. Armytek claims the thickness of the anodizing is 60~70μm which is much thicker than most other lights (20~30μm).
.
.
The screw threads are standard triangular-cut. Threads on both ends are well machined, with those on the rear end being anodized which allows the light to be locked-out when the tail cap is slightly loosened. There are double O-rings on both ends. As supplied, threads on both ends are well lubricated. Threads on either ends on the body mate well with the head and tailcap with no issues of cross-threading or grinding.
.
.
The wall thickness of the body is thick, and the light feel solid.
.
.
The rubber grip is removable and is on the end of the battery tube. It can be removed after removing the O-rings on the body first. It also works as a good anti-roll device, and helps with holding the light in a cigar style grip. You can put the rubber ring on the body instead of the rubber grip. The grip has a hole for lanyard attachment. However the thickness of the rubber grip is too thick to insert the small split-ring into it. So I had to use the lobster-claw for lanyard attachment, by detaching the split-ring from it.
.
.
The tailcap switch is a forward clicky. The negative terminal at the tailcap has a strong elastic spring covered with a metal flat disc to increase surface contact area and have no risk of scratching battery. There are no holes allow you to unscrew the metal ring to access the switch. You can access by unscrewing the outer stainless steel ring on the tail end. Due to the protruding forward clicky, the light can't tailstand. The switch has average tension with short travel and tactile clicking feedback.
.
.
User Interface
The most distinctive aspect of the Predator & Predator X is the user programming interface with an extremely wide range of constant output modes and various flashing modes. There are two factory presets and one user's preset. You can make your own preset for output levels, the number of output modes, the strobes frequency, the battery types, the type of output regulation (stabilization), the type of auto-memorization.
You can check the battery voltage in the light for any line (i.e., First or Second line). The voltage indication depends on the output level of the mode.
The light is turned on/off by the forward tailcap switch (i.e., press for momentary on, click for lock on). There are two lines (First line & Second line), and the output modes are arranged in two lines. Head tight means "First line", and head loosened means "Second line". To change the output modes, loosen/tighten the head in the First line, while you have to tighten/loosen the head in the Second line.
In the First line, you can change any of those constant output modes to any level from Firfly to Maxmum (i.e., three types of Firefly, and any output level from 1 to 100%), by using continuously-variable ramping interface.
To select the output level in the first line, turn the light on with head tight. Loosen the head, wait until the switch to the Second line, and then quickly tighten the head, wait again until the switch to the First line, and then quickly turn the light off/on. Note that all the above has to be done within 3 seconds. The light will begin ramping from Firefly to Max. output, which takes about 50 seconds in total. (i.e., the light will demonstrate three types of Firefly one after the other during 10 seconds. Then within 40 seconds, a gradual increase in output will take place with a double blinks at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% output). Once Max. output is reached, the light restarts at firefly and cycles through again as you can see the above. You can select and memorize the output mode by a quick loosen/tighten head within 1 second. The predator & Predator X have a quite the same continuously-variable ramping interface as shown in the above graph.
You can access the Setup Menu from the Second line only. To enter the Setup Menu in the second line, turn the light on with head loose. Tighten the head, wait until the switch to the First line, and then quickly loosen the head, wait again until the switch to the Second line, and then quickly turn the light off/on. Note that all the above has to be done within 3 seconds.
There are 5 Sub Menus (or 5 items) as follows :
Item 1. Current Second Line Mode Selection & Setting
1) 3 types of Firefly or any output from 1 to 100%
2) Strobe
3) Beacon
4) SOS
Item 2. Factory Defaults Reset & Custom Saving
1) Military (by default)
2) Outdoor (by default)
3) Custom
Item 3. Selection the power source
1) 2xCR123A 3V (lithium batteries, minimum voltage 2V)
2) 1x18650 Li-Ion 3.7V (Li-Ion rechargeable battery, minimum voltage 2.8V) - by default
3) 2xRCR123A Li-Ion 3.7V (Li-Ion rechargeable batteries, minimum voltage 5.6V)
4) 1x18650 LiFePO4 3.2V (LiFePO4 rechargeable battery, minimum voltage 2.5V)
Item 4. Setting up the First Line
1) Number of modes : 1 ~ 10 modes
2) Method of automemorization the last mode
2-1) Turn automemorization on - by default
2-2) Turn automemorization off
3) Type of stabilization
3-1) FULL : Full stabilization on all modes and types of power source - by default
3-2) SEMI : Semi-stabilization
3-3) STEP : Stepped stabilization
Item 5. Setting up the Second Line
1) Selection the number of modes : 1 ~ 5modes
2) Method of automemorization the last mode
2-1) Turn automemorization on - by default
2-2) Turn automemorization off
3) Type of stabilization
3-1) FULL : Full stabilization on all modes and types of power source
3-2) SEMI : Semi-stabilization - by default
3-3) STEP : Stepped stabilization
[New 13.03.04]
You can use the 2 Factory default presets (Military & Outdoor) for Predator X :
1. Military
- First line : 670lm --> 6lm --> 108lm (Full Stabilization)
- Second line : Strobe 15hz --> Firefly 1.5lm (Full Stabilization)
2. Outdoor
- First line : 540lm --> 108lm (Full Stabilization)
- Second line : Strobe 15Hz --> 6lm --> Firefly 1.5lm (Full Stabilization)
Note that the all above lumens are LED lumens, neither OTF lumens nor ANSI lumens.
In the above Item 3, the seclection of the power source is necessary and very important for the correct indication of the low battery.
For example, if you set 2xCR123A for unprotected 18650 li-ion, the light will let you know the signal of the low battery voltage at around 2.0V. (i.e., your unprotected 18650 will be drained or discharged to 2.0v). [New 13.03.04]
.
.
From left to right, VicLite 18650(2600mAh) protected, Rofis TR31, Armytek Predator, Armytek Predator X, Xtar TZ58, Nitecore P25.
.
.
The head size & light weight excluding battery of five lights are as follows :
TR31 - 39.7mm / 165g, Predator - 39.5mm / 163g, Predator X - 39.5mm / 165g, TZ58 - 40.2mm / 134g, P25 - 40mm / 172g
.
.
It is good size to hold and can be used as an tactical light. Overall grip is fine.
.
.
Measured Dimensions & Weight
.
.
The light comes with a basic nylon holster with a velcro strap on the head (both lights are the same). The elastic at the side gives a nice snug fit. So the light fits in the holster either head-up or head-down. It has a loop allows to carry it in horizontal position.
.
.
The CR123A & 18650 fit well in the body. All types (i.e., true flat-tops, wide and small button-tops) of 18650's work fine on my sample. Overall build quality is excellent.
.
.
PWM
1. Predator
.
.
2. Predator X
The lights show no sign of PWM at any output level. Both lights are constant current controlled as the manufacturer claims. I notice there is no buzzing sound at any levels.
.
.
Runtime
I have tested on only maximum output for three different stabilization (regulation) with protected 1x18650 (2600mAh) li-ion. Of course, the runtime will depend on stabilization pattern, battery types, and output levels.
1. Predator
The runtimes for 10% of max. output are as follows :
1) Full stabilization : 69 min.
2) Semi stabilization : 147 min.
3) Step stabilization : 142 min.
.
.
2. Predator X
The runtimes for 10% of max. output are as follows :
1) Full stabilization : 68 min.
2) Semi stabilization : 124 min.
3) Step stabilization : 144 min.
.
.
3. Predator & predator X
Full stabilization shows very nicely flat regulation with a sharp drop & completely turning off at the end of run. I think that drop & turning off are due to my battery's protection circuit. Armytek confirm me that the light has the signal of the low battery voltage or a high temperature of LED. It blinks 3 times every 60 seconds. If the user is not reacting to the warning blinks (e.g., does not switch the light to a lower mode to save energy or reduce temperature of LED), then when the critical levels are reached (i.e., low voltage or high temperature), the light automatically switches to the Firefly mode. Therefore the user retains control of the light. However, one must understand that when the battery is fully discharged, even in the Firefly mode, the user loses control of the light.
The light doesn't turn off near the depletion of the battery in Semi & Step stabilization. It runs longer time with gradually decreased output or step-by-step decreased output as shown in the above graph. If you don't want to lose your way in the dark suddenly or unexpectedly, use the light by selecting Semi or Step stabilization.
.
.
Relative Output Comparison
.
.
[New 13.03.04]
Both lights have a very nice Firefly mode which is very useful. [New 13.03.04]
.
.
Beamshot
1. White door beamshot for Predator & predator X
- ISO100, F/4.0, 1/400sec, Auto white balance
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- ISO100, F/4.0, 1/800sec, Auto white balance
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- ISO100, F/4.0, 1/1250sec, Auto white balance
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2. White door beamshot with other lights
- ISO100, F/3.5, 1/500sec, Auto white balance
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- ISO100, F/3.5, 1/800sec, Auto white balance
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- ISO100, F/3.5, 1/1250sec, Auto white balance
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3. Indoor beamshot (about 7m from the target)
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1/4sec, Auto white balance
- TR31
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- Predator
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- predator X
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- P25
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4. 55m Outdoor Beamshot
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
- Control Shot
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- TR31
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- Predator
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- Predator X
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- P25
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5. 60~65m Outdoor Beamshot
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance
- Control Shot
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- TR31
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- Predator
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- Predator X
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-P25
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- Predator & Predator X supplied by Armytek for review. Thanks!
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