Fenix HM65R It seems something wrong with it

Timucin · Jun 22, 2020

Two days ago, I bought Fenix HM65R. When I checked the battery level, one indicator light was on which shows that the battery level is %21-%40 according to Fenix operating instructions page https://www.fenixlighting.com/product/fenix-hm65-rechargeable-headlamp/. After trying different combination of lighting for a while the battery level dropped below %20, one indicator was flashing which means it's almost empty.

So, I plugged in my original Samsung phone charger https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/m...icrousb-usb-cable-white-ep-ta20jweusta/#specs . Immediately three lights were on constantly and the fourth indicator was flashing as in this video:

This situation didn't change for 4 hours from the very first second of plugging in the charger till it got fully charged. After 4 hours four indicators were on constantly which means that charging had been completed.

It took 4 hours to fully charge even it's said it takes two hours in its user manual and on its official web page. But what's more interesting is that it started to get charged with three indicators on and one flashes constantly till it get fully charged. Why it didn't act as it's said on its official web page "In charging process, one indicator flashes: below 20%, one constant-on and one flashes: 21%-50%, two constant-on and one flashes: 51%-80%, three constant-on and one flashes: 81% – 95%, four constant-on: charging complete."?

Is there anything wrong with my headlamp?

Another issue is that Is Fenix lying about run time of this headlamp hm65r? I thought so after reading BrightLight and 71k5' threads http://budgetlightforum.com/node/68966 and amazon.com reviews like:
" 1,400 lumens for 2 hours, false and not true – reduces to lower lumen after 15 mins
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
Just got this in the mail 2 days ago. I was testing the 1,400-lumen stage on both of the lamps to see if it would last 2 hours as the website described. Didn't last 15 mins before the housing got too hot. I think there's a fail switch that if it gets too hot than it has to drop to the lower lumen setting. I'm not sure if this is like for all high lumen head light or if it's because the battery is right next to the housing causing it to be too hot. Either way, be aware of the 2-hour setting at 1,400 – not true. Also did it with full battery and same thing. I'm really disappointed, also Fenix said they made this particular brand in China. Not impressed! Item was returned due to false advertising. I tried looking at the manual that came with it, nothing in there says that the mechanism in the housing would reset after 15 mins if it gets too hot. I understand it gets hot in there but if you're going to mention that you can hold 1,400 lumens at 2 hours than you need to make sure you can do that with the correct housing to handle the heat. False adv.".

If so, I'll return it.

fenix store · Jun 24, 2020

Timucin said:
Two days ago, I bought Fenix HM65R. When I checked the battery level, one indicator light was on which shows that the battery level is %21-%40 according to Fenix operating instructions page https://www.fenixlighting.com/product/fenix-hm65-rechargeable-headlamp/. After trying different combination of lighting for a while the battery level dropped below %20, one indicator was flashing which means it's almost empty.

So, I plugged in my original Samsung phone charger https://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/m...icrousb-usb-cable-white-ep-ta20jweusta/#specs . Immediately three lights were on constantly and the fourth indicator was flashing as in this video:

This situation didn't change for 4 hours from the very first second of plugging in the charger till it got fully charged. After 4 hours four indicators were on constantly which means that charging had been completed.

It took 4 hours to fully charge even it's said it takes two hours in its user manual and on its official web page. But what's more interesting is that it started to get charged with three indicators on and one flashes constantly till it get fully charged. Why it didn't act as it's said on its official web page "In charging process, one indicator flashes: below 20%, one constant-on and one flashes: 21%-50%, two constant-on and one flashes: 51%-80%, three constant-on and one flashes: 81% – 95%, four constant-on: charging complete."?

Is there anything wrong with my headlamp?

Another issue is that Is Fenix lying about run time of this headlamp hm65r? I thought so after reading BrightLight and 71k5' threads http://budgetlightforum.com/node/68966 and amazon.com reviews like:
" 1,400 lumens for 2 hours, false and not true – reduces to lower lumen after 15 mins
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
Just got this in the mail 2 days ago. I was testing the 1,400-lumen stage on both of the lamps to see if it would last 2 hours as the website described. Didn't last 15 mins before the housing got too hot. I think there's a fail switch that if it gets too hot than it has to drop to the lower lumen setting. I'm not sure if this is like for all high lumen head light or if it's because the battery is right next to the housing causing it to be too hot. Either way, be aware of the 2-hour setting at 1,400 – not true. Also did it with full battery and same thing. I'm really disappointed, also Fenix said they made this particular brand in China. Not impressed! Item was returned due to false advertising. I tried looking at the manual that came with it, nothing in there says that the mechanism in the housing would reset after 15 mins if it gets too hot. I understand it gets hot in there but if you're going to mention that you can hold 1,400 lumens at 2 hours than you need to make sure you can do that with the correct housing to handle the heat. False adv.".

If so, I'll return it.

First I'd like to address the problem regarding the battery indicator lights and apparent charging difficulties. We can verify that the Samsung wall adapter that you linked above should indeed work. We actually have one of them that we use in our repair center! One thing to note is that there are at least two different Samsung wall adapters that look pretty much exactly the same. The Samsung Fast Charging wall plug that you linked to should work but there is another 3A wall plug that will not. Again, these look nearly identical. Please check to make sure that you are using the correct one. The problem with the lights staying steady even though the battery is probably not that full sounds like it is an incompatibility with either the wall plug or the micro-USB cable.

In regards to the runtime: Yes, the HM65R does indeed get hot! It has to drop down so it does not overheat and damage the unit. The advertised 2 hours is an accumulated runtime. You will notice that on the specifications chart in the product images that it says "The Turbo output is measured in total of runtime including output at reduced levels due to temperature or protection mechanism in the design"

This is saying that you can run the light on Turbo for 2 total hours, not 2 consecutive hours.

I hope this helps!

coldengrey · Nov 18, 2020

Can anyone either independently measure and/or cite with link to any COMPETANT reviewer measuring and verifying the Fenix cited High (NON TURBO) 400 Lumens with MORE THAN DOUBLE, EVEN HUGE 21700 (powered by only an 18650) runtime of 22 HOURS!??
In addition, any Official Fenix Public Relations Representative able to double check validity of Product Specs Listed on Official Website as well as product packaging, as well as retailers, with Product Design Team / Engineering Department to ABSOLUTELY CONFIRM, with an Official, On Record statement regarding the 22 Hour runtime, is NOT, in fact a typo?
LEGAL Dept should also be made aware, while I simply returned mine (after disappointing estimated < 4 hr, I'm guessing) another friend of mine, who also bought one with me (far more knowledgable and familiar with LED Flashlights, than I) is actually so disappointed, contemplating filing official complaint with his US State Attorney General Office of Consumer Protection as he had actually tested and measured a 'far less ambitious runtime' than claimed 22 HOUR 400 LUMEN RUNTIME.
I, however am far more understanding and patient. I would love to be contacted, personally, directly by Fenix. I would definitely be willing to accept another unit to test out, to see if he and I, were both, perhaps, shipped defective power sources (batteries) in the sealed factory fresh package, ordered and shipped directly from Official Fenix Direct Website.
Thanks in advance for time and energy in addressing this situation.
JD m.d.

fenix store · Nov 25, 2020

JD,
Thank you for your question! Runtimes are measured by the ANSI standard and are accumulated runtimes.

The ANSI standard of measurement is defined by the time that it takes light to dim down from the listed output to 10% of that output. So in testing, the light is turned on to the 400 lumen output and slowly over time the battery will drain and the light will slowly dim until it reaches 40 lumens at 22 hours.

The reason that we see something different in "actual" runtime is because Fenix lights have digital brightness regulation. This regulation prevents the light from dimming and instead just reverts to the next brightest output that the battery can comfortably handle.

The point at which you see the light drop to the Medium setting would be the point at which the light would begin to dim in a flashlight without the digital brightness regulation.

We hope this helps! Let us know if we can answer any other questions!

coldengrey · Dec 5, 2020

There was no fluctuation to light output settings, nor output. Simply died.
I'll need to look at advertised specs on official packaging - giving varying runtimes for varying lumen output, to me or any of my peers, I believe would reasonably conclude that a chart citing x# runtime , specific runtimes for each specific lumen/level output - would have a reasonable expectation that the clearly listed chart - hi, med, low lumen settings, each demonstrating an ADVERTISED #x hrs/min runtime (with consideration to batteries charge cycles, capacity remaining at 100% full, environmental variables) - should run for the x# duration in each of charts corresponding, advertised runtime.
If some ANSI standard allows such misleading ratings, measured runtimes - I'd propose that there should be a BOLD ASTERIC next to each and every value cited on the spec list.
Is this a uniform procedure for listing ALL fenix's products advertised specs? Cause after seeing 22hrs runtime, I realized this product have an almost unimaginable runtime vs any other brands product line models, including magnitudes higher runtime for even any of Fenix's other headlamps listed specs.
ANSI standard may in fact allow such devious controlled measurements for it's certification. That HARDLY equals fenix (or any other mfr) may mislead and be in violation of Division of Consumer Affairs, by stating false, unsubstantiated measurements attached to a a lumen measurement, 400L as a CONSTANT FIGURE - nowhere does the column or row denote: '400 Lumen is not a constant value' ... is not in violation of shady, misleading, patently false labeling charts as they do, when a stated constant single value (400L) is specific to a stated variable (runtime is exclusive to the SET, CONSTANT VALUE OF 400Lumen - that stated variable (runtime) 22hrs, is attached in chart to a single, non fluctuate or range - in stats and charts, without listed ranges, 400 Lumen output as listed, 400=400, such as the chart is labeled and demonstrates.

fenix store said:
JD,
Thank you for your question! Runtimes are measured by the ANSI standard and are accumulated runtimes.

The ANSI standard of measurement is defined by the time that it takes light to dim down from the listed output to 10% of that output. So in testing, the light is turned on to the 400 lumen output and slowly over time the battery will drain and the light will slowly dim until it reaches 40 lumens at 22 hours.

The reason that we see something different in "actual" runtime is because Fenix lights have digital brightness regulation. This regulation prevents the light from dimming and instead just reverts to the next brightest output that the battery can comfortably handle.

The point at which you see the light drop to the Medium setting would be the point at which the light would begin to dim in a flashlight without the digital brightness regulation.

We hope this helps! Let us know if we can answer any other questions!

Fenix HM65R It seems something wrong with it

Timucin

Newly Enlightened

fenix store

Flashlight Enthusiast

coldengrey

Newly Enlightened

fenix store

Flashlight Enthusiast

coldengrey

Newly Enlightened

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