[Review] Streamlight ProTac HL 5-X

jeff51

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Apr 9, 2012
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41
Location
Middle of Texas
Manufacturers Specs: 3500 Lumens with a runtime of 1.25Hrs on high, Beam distance 452m, and 51,000 Candela. It has a Glass lens, TIR optic, 6000 series "aircraft" aluminum with anodized finish, "C4 LED Technology", and a "sure grip rubber sleeve". Rated IPX7 – 1 meter water for 30 minutes and 1 meter impact.
This light works with 2x18650 cells or 4x123 batteries.

Here's a link to the Streamlight product fact sheet:
https://www.streamlight.com/docs/default-source/fact-sheet/321.pdf?sfvrsn=5

I found a good deal on this light at MidwayUSA . (Sept 2019 - the typical price has now dropped to the low $70s on other sites including Amazon)

It is sold in two flavors. One has the light, (2) 18650s with built in charging ports and a USB cord. The second is the light with (4) 123s (for less $$). I got the latter.

Light and batteries



Opening the box I found the 123s in a Ziploc bag and the strap already attached. The batteries were not at full voltage. Cleary I got sent a returned unit.


Specs on the outside.





The instruction sheet





Take a look at the "Lifetime Warranty".




It covers everything except the stuff that will break, like "bulbs" (I wonder do LEDs count as bulbs?), switches, and electronics (which get 2 years).
And you need proof of purchase!
And it doesn't cover abuse or normal wear.
Not exactly a "if you break it we will fix it" warranty that ought to come from a US company selling a "Duty/Tactical/Operators/Ninja" light.
And if you look in the right place, it's made in China.


The Specs as I measured them
Length = 9.5" (241mm)
Head OD = 2.245" (57mm)
Lens (visible) OD = 1.795" (45.6mm)
Heat sink OD = 2.34" (59.5mm)
Switch OD = 1.716" (43.59mm)
Tube OD = 1.231" (31.26mm)
Metal at end of tube OD = 1.05" (26.67mm)
Battery tube ID = 0.751" (19.07mm)
Weight with batteries = 1Lb, 3.1oz.




This is beefy for a 18650 light. For comparison a WOWTAC A4 is 0.9" (22.86mm) OD on the tube and is much lighter at 11.5oz. with batteries.

The end cap is not rubber coated. It has a single spring - tapering backwards from what we normally expect.
The threads and O-ring were dry and needed lubing. Even though the endcap and tube threads seem to be coated, the light can't be locked out by unscrewing the cap. It remains on even with the O-ring well exposed. Look closely and you can see the anodizing is already wearing off some of the threads.
The threads are a fine pitch with sharp tops – not square cut.

End Cap



The tube and switch area are covered in a firm rubber. Think Hogue grips or inner tube.
There is texture on most of the tube. It gives a very secure hold.

The switch does not protrude from the flat area on the switch portion of the light. This area is also rubber covered.



The head with the heatsink is not covered. There are crenulations on the rim. They are not sharp or deep (lawyer approved?). The purpose is, I assume, to let the user know if the light is on when placed face down on a flat surface.


Battery Tube




The battery tube is hefty. It is a bit large for an 18650 at just over 19mm ID. The cells will rattle if the light is shaken hard. The extra space makes me wonder if the batteries could get banged around if the light gets smacked around. Like maybe by the type of duty it's expected to fulfill?




Peering down the tube towards the business end I see a flat brass contact.
There are some projections on the side (to protect from reverse polarity?).

A flat top battery won't work. A slight protruding flat top (like a Sanyo GA) also won't make contact.
I used a magnet spacer for the Sanyo GAs and the Samsung 30Qs.
An additional spacer between the batteries is needed to make the battery stack (on the GAs) long enough to get a solid compression of the end cap spring.


The Optic



The reason this light caught my interest was the optic. Instead of a reflector, the HL 5-X has a huge TIR on the front.
I really like my pocket lights with TIR lenses. I wanted to see what supersizing one was like. The head feels super solid.

The UI
The UI is dead simple on this light. There are 3 programs to choose from.
High-Strobe-Low (the factory default).
High only.
Low-Med-High (the one I use).
There is no memory. So you always know what's going to happen.
The switch is a forward clicky. Momentary flashes are easy.
A very quick half press before fully engaging the switch changes the modes.
A full click always turns the light on. A second full click always turns the light off.

Swapping between programs takes 9 fast clicks and a hold. It is unlikely that a program will get switched by accident.
Clearly the UI is designed for those who the light is a tool.
Watching cop TV I see lots of clicking going on. Even with just limited choices they often end up in strobe mode when they don't want it.

The High, Strobe, Low makes a lot of sense for those who need such.
It could easily be renamed:
High - Where are you?
Strobe - Oncoming traffic don't hit me!
Low - I'm searching your car where's the dope?

I see in the instructions not to store or heat above 212F (!).
I wonder if they had a problem with EMS types boiling their lights to sanitize them?

Some may lament the absence of an end cap switch. This lights predecessor the HL 4 has one. Some users have been fitting the HL 4 end cap (For that thumb action goodness).

I find end switches are less useful as the light gets longer and heavier. This one is about at the limit.
I find the light too long and head heavy to hold in the approved tactical cigar pose. Thumb on the tail cap, body between the first and middle fingers.

I hold the light with the head cupped in my hand and the switch falls under my finger. The traditional overhand rest on the shoulder batter-up pose.

Runtime
On high using Samsung 30Q cells.
I decided that the max output is about 3200 Lumens. So that's how I scaled the chart.
Please note that the lumens listed are for entertainment purposes only (Jeff Lumens).
Any relation to real lumens living or dead is purely coincidental.


The first 10 Minutes. No cooling.



The thermal stepdown starts at the 1 minute mark and slopes down to 5.5 minutes where it flattens out around 1850 Lumens.

Full Runtime. No cooling



At about 14 minutes the first plateau slowly drops and at about 18 minutes flattens out at about 1500 Lumens.
The light maintains this brightness until about 1Hr. 17Min. Then there is some chatter.
Is the driver trying to maintain the brightness and the batteries not quite making the grade?
Around 1Hr. 22Min. the batteries are getting tired and the light ramps down to a very low level of about 145 Lumens.
I switched it off just long enough to try to step it up to high again. It briefly jumped to 600 Lumens then dropped back to the 145 range.
I stopped the test at 1Hr 34Min. The batteries were at 3.15v.

PWM
A light with crappy PWM is useless. Taking a look at the O-Scope – I see a current controlled light. There is no PWM. The runtime charts indicate the driver controls brightness very well. The different levels are dead flat.

Waveform LOW




There is a DC offset. On low a 500KHz sine wave can be seen. This is an artifact of the driver.

Waveform Medium



On Medium the 500KHz wave is starting to flatten out.

Waveform High



On High the scope can't count a Frequency. Pretty close to a straight DC as far as I can tell.


Impressions
The switch takes a long press to engage and click on. It's flat with the body. The long press should prevent accidental power ups. Using the light with heavy winter gloves might prove problematic. It's also not easy to find the switch if I'm in fumble mode. With heavy gloves in the dark? F'gettaboutit.

The head feels sturdy and (should) take quite a beating before giving up the ghost.

Some lights just feel right. This is one of them. The Convoy L6 and the Sofirn SP70 (both 2x 26650) feel heavy and clunky compared to the Streamlight. This one seems well balanced when carried in the Maglite "El Ka'bong" method.




The rubber coating and the hefty tube gives the impression that this light could take (or deliver) a beating.

Taking a look at the usual suspects



C8, HL 5-X, Maglight 4D, WOWTAC A4, Convoy L6, Sofirn SP70

Now everyone laydown
out so we can see you



L6, C8, A5, HL 5-X, Mag 4D, SP70


As far as weight the SL HL 5-X is at or maybe above the limit of what could be comfortably hung on a duty belt (along with all the other crap). Some other lights for comparison.

0Lb, 4oz – Surefire G2 (2x132, old school incan)
0Lb, 6.7oz – Convoy C8 (1x18650)
0Lb, 11.5oz – WOWTAC A4 (2x18650)
0Lb, 14oz – Streamlight Stinger DS HPL (3x sub-C NiMH)
1Lb, 3.1oc – Streamlight HL-5X (2x18650)
1Lb, 10.2oz – Convoy L6 (2x26650)
1Lb, 14.5oz – Sofirn SP70 (2x26650)
2Lb, 8.4oz – Maglite (4xD cell, incan (the original El Ka'bong))


What's it Look Like?

The center spot from the TIR projects a small to moderate sized hot spot. Not a flood or a pinpoint thrower (Goldilocks?).



This shot is a JPEG converted from RAW without processing. It highlights the flaws in the beam.

The HL 5-X has much larger hot spot than a C8 with the SST40


This C8 is also a RAW without processing.

The very center of the spot has a blueish tint – at least to my eyes. My Olight with a TIR also shows this blueish spot in the center.

Around the outside of the center spot I see a greenish tint. Once again kind of disappointing. When photographing the beam, the green meanies really show up compared to other light.

Streamlight Left, L6 (5000K) Right



This is closer to what I see with eyeballs. I see the center blue spot and a green outline around the hot spot.

One excellent point in the Streamlights favor is the spill.
It is much dimmer than the L6 or SP70 in the immediate area outside the hot spot.

L6 Beam




SP70 Beam




HL 5-X Beam



But outside that secondary cone of light the Streamlight has useful light almost to 180 degrees.

I really notice this when it's pitch black. Stuff that is not illuminated at all with the two throwers is visible with the Streamlight.
Much better for situational awareness. Really important for this lights intended use.


Lumens
The specs call for low 250 Lumens, Medium 1000 Lumens, and High 3500 Lumens.
I don't have a calibrated light box, but I do have an uncalibrated box and a ceiling (for bouncing) to compare various lights.

I compared it to several lights and waved my magic wand and call it 3200 Lumens and I used this as the max value for the runtime graphs.

On medium (1000 Lumens), The Box reads 910
On Low (250 Lumens), The Box reads 233

So it's clearly in the ballpark of the factory specs. My measurements could easily be off by a good margin and it could be out producing the factory specs for all I know.

When the batteries get low the light just dims and doesn't seem to have any low voltage protection. I have some crappy cells that I let run to 2.8v. It was still producing enough light to use for stumbling back to someplace where the fresh batteries are stored .


Conclusions
This is one stout feeling light. It is on the heavy side for duty belt carry (says someone who never wears a duty belt). The rubber coating makes for an excellent grip. The coating keeps the grip and switch area from getting too hot to hold during prolonged use.
The coating also makes it harder to clean if something nasty gets on it. The large ID battery tube lets the batteries rattle if the light is shaken hard.

The battery tube is slightly slimmer than the 26650 lights. The L6 1.377" (34.98mm) compared to the Streamlights 1.231" (31.26mm). Doesn't seem like much, but it feels better in my hand.
The switch area is smaller also making it just easier to hold for me.

The quality and color of the beam is not up to flashaholic standards (actually it sort of sucks in flashaholic standards). The target market for this light, I suspect, could care less. I wish there was a way inside to see if an LED swap could improve things.

The simple interface is good for non-flashaholics or Flasaholics not wanting all the magic modes.
I like the side button (only) control much better than the L6 that uses the side button for modes but must be turned off with the end button. On a light this size I think the single button is just fine. It's a shame you can't lock it out by unscrewing the tail cap.

So who's it for? It falls into the area between a duty belt light and general purpose/search and rescue light.
For law enforcement, this would be a great light if the weight can be tolerated.



I can see it on the belt of a night watchman type being used on low to light the way between dark areas and on high to peer into those dark corners if something goes bump in the night. The broader light will be an asset in this case.

Any job a 2xD cell Maglite does this could do better, thinks I. Neighborhood watch on foot or in a car would be right up HL 5s alley (so to speak). For a general use light in harsh conditions I think it fits the bill quite well.

I don't see a firefighter type using this as the broader hot spot and cooler tint would reflect back at the user in smoky conditions. The same for EMS types who might be searching in rubble post building collapse. A thrower that can peer down crevices would seem the better choice (says someone who has done neither).

Used alone or in combo with a headlamp, it would certainly do for close/medium range search & rescue. It is not too heavy to be carried for extended periods of time. The rubber coating is way nicer to hang onto in cold or hot weather with bare hands.
Something with more throw and runtime like the SP70 would do better for longer range searches.

It would be a good choice to give to someone emergencies. Stick some protected cells inside and don't tell them it goes brighter then low.




There are so many choices these days. One can afford to be picky when it comes to choosing a light for any purpose. When I bought it the full asking price was over $100, now it seems that it's selling in the low $70s for the 4x123 version (Sept, 2019). At 100 bucks, I'd pass unless I had a specific need for a simple UI heavy duty light. Even at $70, I'm not all that impressed. It's hell for stout and simple to use, but that's about it. I do like the wide spill. The big TIR is interesting. I will be keeping mine.

All the Best,
Jeff
 

Monocrom

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Aug 27, 2006
Messages
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Great review! Have had one for a handful of months now. Absolutely love it.
 

wrf

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Jan 7, 2009
Messages
124
Nice review - I appreciate the runtime charts.
On mine, when the output drops, clicking the light off/on returns it to a noticeably brighter level for a short time.
Doing this several times makes the head hot and drains the cells PDQ.
The large bore is perfect for my Keeppower 3000mAh R series protected button top cells.
My switch has some flutter so I have my light set to high-only mode.
 

jeff51

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Apr 9, 2012
Messages
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Location
Middle of Texas
"My switch has some flutter so I have my light set to high-only mode."

Thanks for the good words,
What does the flutter look like? I wonder if it's a driver problem.
Have you thought about trying to contact Steamlight about it?
All the Best,
Jeff
 

wrf

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Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
124
The switch travel, from momentary to click-on, sometimes breaks contact... resulting in unintended mode changes.
It was worse brand new out of the clamshell package then it is today. I suspect with more use and switch cycles it may cure itself.
I purchased the light for it's high mode anyway, so it is fine with me.
Getting ten-tap programming engaged was quite a challenge.

I like your comments about the beam profile -- I couldn't even begin to describe it.
I noticed that blue center spot right away.
Anyway, I bought it for the output, so I'm good with it.
 
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busseguy

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Jan 24, 2010
Messages
578
Thanks for pointing out the warranty info.

Looks like I have no reason to buy another Streamlight.
 

jeff51

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Joined
Apr 9, 2012
Messages
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Location
Middle of Texas
Thanks for pointing out the warranty info.

Looks like I have no reason to buy another Streamlight.

Yeah, That was a turnoff considering Streamlights reputation.
Shame - the more I play with it, the better I like it.

wrf,
I'll bet that was quite an adventure trying to get 9 clicks out of a wonky switch.
Wonder if some contact clean down the switch area would reach anything that made a difference.
All the Best,
Jeff
 

bykfixer

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Aug 9, 2015
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Location
Dust in the Wind
In early Stinger LED models two quick clicks did strobe from any position. I would like to have seen Streamlight stick with that than having strobe in the factory default. Hi/me/lo like the Stinger would have been more useful. Then option of hi only and lo/me/hi.

Do not make the mistake of ten tapping to a new mode over a shiney surface. I found out the hard way. If you do, wear sunglasses. No kidding.

Bezel up carry would certainly be better when running.

I was definitely glad to see a side switch used in the 5.

I use mine on medium or low mostly. The frosted optic provides a bunch of light spread out nice and even. Need to see farther away? Click to high.

I am a huge fan of Streamlight, yet keep reading more and more about quality control or design issues, mainly faulty switches so frankly their newer (cheaper) models do not interest me anymore. Used to be thin o'ring issues but that was easy to solve. Faulty switches aint cool Streamlight.
 

Dave D

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Mar 30, 2013
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1,289
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Andalusia, España
It's a nice light, but would benefit from dual switches and the same modes as a Stinger for Duty use.

Hopefully the next version will have those and run on 21700's. :thumbsup:
 

bykfixer

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Aug 9, 2015
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Location
Dust in the Wind
I have a late model Stinger LED and a late model Strion LED and really like how they has matching interfaces. Back in the press/hold to lower output and two click for strobe. I kinda like the half press to change modes on the HL4/5 but definitely prefer the two click to strobe way over strobe in between high and low.
 

Scotty321

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Jan 13, 2021
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Does anyone happen to know if the side switch on the Protac HL 5-X is electronic or mechanical?

Update: I picked one up a day or so ago. I liked the HL 4, and thought I'd give this a try. Notes below:

Electronic Side Switch
I'm pretty sure the side switch is electronic (see Swapping Tailcaps section below). After playing with it for a day, it is more responsive... much more so than the HL 4's tail switch.

Swappable TIR Optic
If anyone cares, the TIR optic for the 4 and 5-X are swappable. However, the HL 5-X uses a larger LED. Both have the 4 squares in the LED, but the HL 5-X's LED looks to be about twice the size. Also, I notice a tiny blue spot in the center of the spot when white wall hunting at 20 feet. With the HL4's frosted optic in the HL 5-X, the HL5-X hybrid is even more floody than the HL 4 in stock form. I'm assuming it's because of the smaller LED in the HL 4. I like the slight hotspot on the HL 4 for a general use light, so I'm keeping everything stock on both lights.

Beam Differences to HL 4
Where the HL 4's beam is floody, the HL 5-X is a large, defined spot. The HL 5-X's low is listed as 250 lumens (vs HL 4's 60 lumens). I wanted a lower power/long run-time mode floody light with a little reach for my emergency light, so I'm keeping the the HL 4 for that duty. With the hotspot, the HL 5-X is too much for me when trying to work on something close... definitely good for identification of something across a dark room. Also of note, the runtime's on the their website for both the HL 4 and 5-X are for the included Streamlight 18650's which are only 2600 mAh. They are longer to include a charging port and I'm assuming protection circuitry. I have not tested them with non-protected cells, but am using some 3400 mAh Nitecore 18650's in the HL 4.

CR123 fit
I did not notice significant rattle with CR123's in the HL 5-X, even though it doesn't have the internal stabilizer springs along the inner tube that the HL 4 has.

Ergonomics
I have to admit that the overall feel and button placement for the HL 5-X is spot on for me. The tailcap switch on the HL 4 is a little akward on this size of light with such forward weight distribution (near head). If they made the HL 4 the exact same except for a mechanical side switch instead of the electronic (HL 5-X) then I would pretty much have zero complaints with the HL 4.

Swapping Tailcaps
Although I can use the HL 4 tail switch on the HL 5-X, I wouldn't recommend it. Not just because I don't know if the amperage is above spec, but I'm pretty sure the side switch is electronic. This makes the tailcap switch a dedicated lockout button. It will not turn the flashlight on, as it only completes the circuit. The side switch must be pressed after the tailcap is pressed in order to turn the light on after using the tailcap to turn it off... so the side switch would be like the standby on, and the tailcap is like a circuit breaker. With the tailcap twisted out a half turn, my HL 5-X DOES lockout. However, I don't notice any anodizing issues like in the OP's pictures and I don't know if the anodizing will rub off over the long haul. My threads were bone dry, so I lubed them.

Overall
Overall, I think that the HL5-X is great for identification of things at distances over 20 feet. I would hate to use it for looking at things close up (like a breaker box). As such, my HL 4 is here to stay as my emergency light, and the HL 5-X is being dedicated to when I need to identify things at longer ranges, or when a wide spot is a good choice.
 
Last edited:

JAS

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Nov 16, 2002
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Rosemount
I was just issued one of these at work today.

I charged up the batteries at home and tried it, briefly.

My gut feeling, so far, is that it is a bit too big and heavy for me working day shift.
 
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