Woods Walker
The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Company info:
https://www.armytek.com/products/fl...rmytek-wizard-pro-v3-xhp-50-white-silver.html
With that out of the way here is a little background. I purchased an Armytek Tiara Pro V2 "w" some time ago. It has been on many adventures providing good service. Wonderful headlamp friendly beam profile and tint. Very high turbo mode and low low firefly. It can run NiMH, Lithium AA primaries, alkaline and lithium ion. Basically if the batteries are AA sized and under 4.2 volts that's a go!
Armytek Tiara V2 Pro XM-L w.
As stated it's really good but I craved even more power and longer run times also what kinda name is "Tiara" anyways. I heard there was a new LED which could push 2000 lumens from 1X18650. Heard that AT had a V3 Wizard headlamp using the XHP50. Heard there was a 30% off sale. Making a long story short purchased the new headlamp over a month ago and been using it. For size comparison. Tiara on the left, Wizard on the right.
The newest version, Wizard Pro XHP50 w.
Shares the same optic etc as the Tiara and older versions of the line. It's a very good optic and window for a headlamp. It projects a floody beam with some punch. I couldn't be happier with the beam profile for many applications. It's not 100% perfect for everything but does so many headlamp jobs very well.
Same beefy tail cap spring which can be found in the Tiara and Prime EDC lights. In fact the tail caps are interchangeable. The prepper in me likes that.
The double O rings came properly lubricated.
The voltage is listed from 2.4 to 9 volts so many battery types will work. Make certain to use higher drain protected lithium ion or un protected lithium ion to access the higher levels. I have read lower than 7A will result in decreased performance and/or tripping the protection circuit. I run 3500 mAh unprotected 18650 or Protected 3500 with up to 10A. Though had luck with batteries which I thought wouldn't work properly as well. Best to test out the batteries and light combo before fielding the gear.
2Xcr123 Lithium primaries.
2x16340 Lithium ion.
1X18650 Lithium ion.
It will run both protected and unprotected lithium ion batteries. The Wizard can be set for 1X lithium ion, 2x cr123 or 2x lithium ion. Armytek stated (if my memory is correct) when set for lithium ion the light will shut down at 2.6 volts but I always change the batteries when it fails to operate Main 2 Tier 1 aka 30 lumens properly. The voltage tends to be in the upper 2s to sometimes 3 at that point. Goes without saying it could run longer if needed on lower modes but prefer not to run down my lithium ions.
The power switch can indicate low voltage and/or overheating by going from green to yellow to finally red with a changing frequency of flashes. It can get very warm in the highest modes but I hardly ever actually use those. I find the voltage indication to be more of a rough guide than precise measure. Generally it will start to turn before the performance of the light indicates lower voltage. So it is mildly useful when first turned but IMHO it's limited but not totally worthless. At least not on my example. On side note the green LED can be set to flash all the time as a marker. Unless set it will flash on modes higher the firefly. I think it would take decades for the drain from the green light to deplete the battery.
Took me about 20 photos to actually capture this flash. I was hopelessly out of sync.
I normally charge the 3500 mAh 18650 high drain unprotected lithium ion starting at around this level to about 4.2 volts if possible.
This is a complex gear item and frankly I don't use all the features. I prefer to just use stuff and see how it works rather than humping the numbers. So lets go!
Field testing.
If something has a water resistance rating (IXP) I like to test for that. Better to find out in a semi controlled situation in as much as night hiking is ever totally under control. If it's rated for a good dunk should the opportunity should arise I will submerse the gear. Opps....
I used a very precise scientific methodology to determine time, depth and other factors making the dunk test fair and uniform across the board. For example this time I walked 100 or so feet from the brook to take a ****. Then kinda pondered how cold the wet headband would feel like for the rest of the hike. Thought about the bear signings in the area as it was dark. Pure science wins again. The water rating held! At least good enough for my purposes. No sign of water intrusion.
Full insanely bright Turbo mode. It's just too bright. It's ok for the.....is that a bear or zombie.... moments but dang is it bright. I had a difficult time adjusting down the camera's contrast. I adjust that when taking field beam shots to best capture what I think is happening. Everyone sees things a bit differently to some extent IMHO. It is listed as 2400 LED/1800 out front lumens (minus 7% for NW LED not applied).
Turbo Mode 2. 900 lumens. Still crazy bright.
Turbo Mode 1. I scampered down these rocks using Main 2 mode 3 but the leaves were too slippery for working two cameras. All the modes and the hike is within the video.
Main 2 mode 2. 165 lumens. One of my favorites for trail running.
Firefly modes.
Firefly 1. 0.15 lumens. Too low for much of my usage but glad it is there.
Firefly 2. 1.5 lumens. Sometimes use it in doors or in camp.
Firefly 3. 5.5 lumens. One of my favorite modes. It's great for rooting around the pack and many jobs that don't involve swinging an axe in the dark
.
Looking inside my pack with Firefly 3.
Field use observations. Pros and Cons.
Pros.
1. The clicky switch feels more responsive and solid than the one on my Tiara. Both work but for some reason this one feels and sounds better.
2. The Main 2 mode 1 30ish lumens runs for a long long time. It's a sweet spot in terms of long runtime and usefulness. I also really like Firefly 3
3. One of the best tinted NW lights I have ever used but that is within the eye of the beholder.
4. 18650 batteries are epic energy. I still like AA for when on the fly, shorter usage or within my BOB but lithium ions are really nice.
5. Near prefect (for me) headlamp beam profile. Not sure if it's good engineering or just an incredibly lucky accident but the Tiara and Wizard are floody enough for near headlamp range work but somehow can still see down trails or roads.
6. Reasonably comfortable when running. In the video I run down dirt roads, over fallen trees and along abandoned rails. Considering the weight of the battery and entire body are on the forehead it didn't flop around all that much. I mean it wasn't perfect but rather ok. Also the Tiara headband and by extension Wizard is very very comfortable during cold weather. The silicone holder doesn't feel all that cold against the forehead.
7. I like the mode spacing better than the older Tiara UI however believe Armytek now uses the same UI for both. Don't quote me on that.
8. Highly water resistant. Beyond the dunk tests (done for both headlamps) I have ran with them for miles through heavy rain. Left them on the ground during heavy rain in camp. Walked for miles in soaking rain at night. I never worry about it. That's a good feeling.
9. Stupid bright.
10 UI has disco modes out of the way. Never accidentally activated them.
11. Tail cap lock out. This makes life easy. I just lock out the headlamp with a twist tossing it into my pack. I think accidental activation on turbo within a pack could get ugly. Then again it takes 3 clicks to hit turbo so not sure how that would happen. That said entropy isn't kinda so I lock it out.
12. I like the wide voltage range.
13. Not that heavy. Per my digital postal scale. XHP50 Wizard Pro V3 with naked 3500 mAh 4.9 ounces, without battery 3.6. Tiara Pro V2 with 840 mAh protected keepPower 3.2 ounces, without battery 2.9 however keep in mind the Wizard has an over the head strap as well.
Cons.
1. Stupid bright. Yup it's actually too bright on Turbo mode 1. That's ok as there is a Turbo mode 2. Still it's stupid bright. LOL But then again I guess that's also "Pro" number 9.
2. Gets really hot on the stupid bright mode.
3. Expensive. Buy this on sale unless you must own it now. Nearly 100 dollars is a great deal of money for this gear class for many consumers. I do think it's worth the money but even better on sale. For those who don't own a Wizard the XM-L or XP-L versons might also be good options as the prices will and are falling. Got an XM-L wizard for my uncle as a Christmas gift but don't tell him!
4. There maybe a micro flicker or more correctly pulse on Main 2 mode 1 or maybe it is my imagination. Doesn't harm the field usage so didn't include that observation within the video.
5. Lithium ion and CR123 batteries can be problematical for purchase at the local B&M. One pro to lights using AA/AAA like the Tiara, Fenix HL30/50 or PT EOS is ready availability of inexpensive primary and NiMH batteries.
That's about it. Here is a video!
Edit to add.
I don't do intentional drop tests often because being a goober the drops will come soon enough. Here is the setup. I open the passenger side of my truck's door to grab my pack and some papers. However my pack is on top of the headlamp which then gets dragged off the seat tossing said headlamp which promptly bounces off the door hitting the driveway like a comet. At first I thought it was my phone but was happy to see it was the headlamp. A free drop test when failure would have no consequences other than mailing the light back for repair.
And there it is. Gotta love entropy. Without it we wouldn't be alive to know it will kill us one day.
No damage to bezel or glass.
Only the smallest of marks on the edge of the tail cap. On a side note this is actually a non pro tail cap. Put the one it came with on a 1x18650 Prime body. I don't really need a magnetic holder on a headlamp so changed it out.
Edit to add.
And another update. It appears AT has changed the harness with the Wizard. A new plastic one came attached to another Wizard I ordered this time a V3 not pro XP-L Cool White.
Ok the silicone harness had a few issues the biggest being it's a PITA to remove and replace the light. This negated IMHO it's EDC potential.
New plastic harness installed on left, old silicone on right.
One pro is the potential to change out the entire light in the field without missing a step. Just swap out the bodies. Probably faster than changing the batteries.
Enough lets hit the woods.
We are going to do 5 miles of moderately paced trail jogging. Moderately paced because of the load and terrain.
The following are beams from the XHP-50 main mode 2.
Some spots are good, actually probably the majority but all I tend to remember is the fallen trees and rocks.
Main mode 1.
Done.
Also used it tonight around the house. I think the plastic is an improvement over the silicone harness. That said this isn't my first rodeo with this concept.
I still have this headlamp but found the plastic harness too difficult to remove the light from and heard reports of the arms snapping off. The Wizard harness is easy enough to remove and the light didn't fall out during my run. Feels solidly in there but time will tell if it holds up.
https://www.armytek.com/products/fl...rmytek-wizard-pro-v3-xhp-50-white-silver.html
Superb light of amazing constant brightness due to powerful electronics and active temperature control without timers
Multi-flashlight "10 in 1" is for many activities: car, fishing, hunting, home, work, city, picnic, bike, outdoor, travel
Efficient TIR-optics and no "tunnel vision" effect even after continuous use
Multicolor Warning Indication of low battery level and high temperature
Side switch for comfortable one-hand operation and easy modes switching with advanced operation
Multicolor State Indication and ultra low current drain in OFF-state – more than 25 years
Comfortable headband for reliable fixation of the flashlight – it won't slip even while you're running
Solid body without long wires, weak rubber connectors and unnecessary boxes
Removable magnet in the tailcap, removable clip, strong lanyard and possibility of tail-stand for multipurpose use
Compact and light-weight flashlight of guaranteed durability stands up harsh impacts and falling from 10 meters
Total protection from water, dirt and dust penetration - flashlight continues to work even at the depth of 10 meters
Light & Optics
LED LIGHT OUTPUT: 2300lm
OTF LIGHT OUTPUT: 1800lm
BEAM DISTANCE: 130m
PEAK BEAM INTENSITY : 4200 cd
LED: Cree XHP50
OPTICS : TIR-optics
STABILIZATION OF CONSTANT BRIGHTNESS REGARDLESS OF FROST AND LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE : FULL (constant brightness)
HOTSPOT: 70 °
SPILL: 120 °
HOTSPOT DIAMETER AT 5 METERS: 7 m
Dimensions & Weight
LENGTH: 101mm
BODY DIAMETER: 24.5mm
HEAD DIAMETER: 29mm
WEIGHT (WITHOUT BATTERIES): 48g
Modes.
OUTPUT LEVELS AND RUNTIMES: 1674 lm (1h), 837 lm (1h 40min), 363 lm (3h 30min), 167 lm (8h 30min), 28 lm (50h), 5 lm (12d), 1,4 lm (40d), 0,14 (200d), Strobe 3, Strobe 2, Strobe 1
NUMBER OF MODES: 11
Body & Durability
WATERPROOF AND DUSTPROOF STANDARD : IP68 (highest)
WATERPROOF & SUBMERSIBLE: 10m
IMPACT RESISTANCE: 10m
With that out of the way here is a little background. I purchased an Armytek Tiara Pro V2 "w" some time ago. It has been on many adventures providing good service. Wonderful headlamp friendly beam profile and tint. Very high turbo mode and low low firefly. It can run NiMH, Lithium AA primaries, alkaline and lithium ion. Basically if the batteries are AA sized and under 4.2 volts that's a go!
Armytek Tiara V2 Pro XM-L w.
As stated it's really good but I craved even more power and longer run times also what kinda name is "Tiara" anyways. I heard there was a new LED which could push 2000 lumens from 1X18650. Heard that AT had a V3 Wizard headlamp using the XHP50. Heard there was a 30% off sale. Making a long story short purchased the new headlamp over a month ago and been using it. For size comparison. Tiara on the left, Wizard on the right.
The newest version, Wizard Pro XHP50 w.
Shares the same optic etc as the Tiara and older versions of the line. It's a very good optic and window for a headlamp. It projects a floody beam with some punch. I couldn't be happier with the beam profile for many applications. It's not 100% perfect for everything but does so many headlamp jobs very well.
Same beefy tail cap spring which can be found in the Tiara and Prime EDC lights. In fact the tail caps are interchangeable. The prepper in me likes that.
The double O rings came properly lubricated.
The voltage is listed from 2.4 to 9 volts so many battery types will work. Make certain to use higher drain protected lithium ion or un protected lithium ion to access the higher levels. I have read lower than 7A will result in decreased performance and/or tripping the protection circuit. I run 3500 mAh unprotected 18650 or Protected 3500 with up to 10A. Though had luck with batteries which I thought wouldn't work properly as well. Best to test out the batteries and light combo before fielding the gear.
2Xcr123 Lithium primaries.
2x16340 Lithium ion.
1X18650 Lithium ion.
It will run both protected and unprotected lithium ion batteries. The Wizard can be set for 1X lithium ion, 2x cr123 or 2x lithium ion. Armytek stated (if my memory is correct) when set for lithium ion the light will shut down at 2.6 volts but I always change the batteries when it fails to operate Main 2 Tier 1 aka 30 lumens properly. The voltage tends to be in the upper 2s to sometimes 3 at that point. Goes without saying it could run longer if needed on lower modes but prefer not to run down my lithium ions.
The power switch can indicate low voltage and/or overheating by going from green to yellow to finally red with a changing frequency of flashes. It can get very warm in the highest modes but I hardly ever actually use those. I find the voltage indication to be more of a rough guide than precise measure. Generally it will start to turn before the performance of the light indicates lower voltage. So it is mildly useful when first turned but IMHO it's limited but not totally worthless. At least not on my example. On side note the green LED can be set to flash all the time as a marker. Unless set it will flash on modes higher the firefly. I think it would take decades for the drain from the green light to deplete the battery.
Took me about 20 photos to actually capture this flash. I was hopelessly out of sync.
I normally charge the 3500 mAh 18650 high drain unprotected lithium ion starting at around this level to about 4.2 volts if possible.
This is a complex gear item and frankly I don't use all the features. I prefer to just use stuff and see how it works rather than humping the numbers. So lets go!
Field testing.
If something has a water resistance rating (IXP) I like to test for that. Better to find out in a semi controlled situation in as much as night hiking is ever totally under control. If it's rated for a good dunk should the opportunity should arise I will submerse the gear. Opps....
I used a very precise scientific methodology to determine time, depth and other factors making the dunk test fair and uniform across the board. For example this time I walked 100 or so feet from the brook to take a ****. Then kinda pondered how cold the wet headband would feel like for the rest of the hike. Thought about the bear signings in the area as it was dark. Pure science wins again. The water rating held! At least good enough for my purposes. No sign of water intrusion.
Full insanely bright Turbo mode. It's just too bright. It's ok for the.....is that a bear or zombie.... moments but dang is it bright. I had a difficult time adjusting down the camera's contrast. I adjust that when taking field beam shots to best capture what I think is happening. Everyone sees things a bit differently to some extent IMHO. It is listed as 2400 LED/1800 out front lumens (minus 7% for NW LED not applied).
Turbo Mode 2. 900 lumens. Still crazy bright.
Turbo Mode 1. I scampered down these rocks using Main 2 mode 3 but the leaves were too slippery for working two cameras. All the modes and the hike is within the video.
Main 2 mode 2. 165 lumens. One of my favorites for trail running.
Firefly modes.
Firefly 1. 0.15 lumens. Too low for much of my usage but glad it is there.
Firefly 2. 1.5 lumens. Sometimes use it in doors or in camp.
Firefly 3. 5.5 lumens. One of my favorite modes. It's great for rooting around the pack and many jobs that don't involve swinging an axe in the dark
.
Looking inside my pack with Firefly 3.
Field use observations. Pros and Cons.
Pros.
1. The clicky switch feels more responsive and solid than the one on my Tiara. Both work but for some reason this one feels and sounds better.
2. The Main 2 mode 1 30ish lumens runs for a long long time. It's a sweet spot in terms of long runtime and usefulness. I also really like Firefly 3
3. One of the best tinted NW lights I have ever used but that is within the eye of the beholder.
4. 18650 batteries are epic energy. I still like AA for when on the fly, shorter usage or within my BOB but lithium ions are really nice.
5. Near prefect (for me) headlamp beam profile. Not sure if it's good engineering or just an incredibly lucky accident but the Tiara and Wizard are floody enough for near headlamp range work but somehow can still see down trails or roads.
6. Reasonably comfortable when running. In the video I run down dirt roads, over fallen trees and along abandoned rails. Considering the weight of the battery and entire body are on the forehead it didn't flop around all that much. I mean it wasn't perfect but rather ok. Also the Tiara headband and by extension Wizard is very very comfortable during cold weather. The silicone holder doesn't feel all that cold against the forehead.
7. I like the mode spacing better than the older Tiara UI however believe Armytek now uses the same UI for both. Don't quote me on that.
8. Highly water resistant. Beyond the dunk tests (done for both headlamps) I have ran with them for miles through heavy rain. Left them on the ground during heavy rain in camp. Walked for miles in soaking rain at night. I never worry about it. That's a good feeling.
9. Stupid bright.
10 UI has disco modes out of the way. Never accidentally activated them.
11. Tail cap lock out. This makes life easy. I just lock out the headlamp with a twist tossing it into my pack. I think accidental activation on turbo within a pack could get ugly. Then again it takes 3 clicks to hit turbo so not sure how that would happen. That said entropy isn't kinda so I lock it out.
12. I like the wide voltage range.
13. Not that heavy. Per my digital postal scale. XHP50 Wizard Pro V3 with naked 3500 mAh 4.9 ounces, without battery 3.6. Tiara Pro V2 with 840 mAh protected keepPower 3.2 ounces, without battery 2.9 however keep in mind the Wizard has an over the head strap as well.
Cons.
1. Stupid bright. Yup it's actually too bright on Turbo mode 1. That's ok as there is a Turbo mode 2. Still it's stupid bright. LOL But then again I guess that's also "Pro" number 9.
2. Gets really hot on the stupid bright mode.
3. Expensive. Buy this on sale unless you must own it now. Nearly 100 dollars is a great deal of money for this gear class for many consumers. I do think it's worth the money but even better on sale. For those who don't own a Wizard the XM-L or XP-L versons might also be good options as the prices will and are falling. Got an XM-L wizard for my uncle as a Christmas gift but don't tell him!
4. There maybe a micro flicker or more correctly pulse on Main 2 mode 1 or maybe it is my imagination. Doesn't harm the field usage so didn't include that observation within the video.
5. Lithium ion and CR123 batteries can be problematical for purchase at the local B&M. One pro to lights using AA/AAA like the Tiara, Fenix HL30/50 or PT EOS is ready availability of inexpensive primary and NiMH batteries.
That's about it. Here is a video!
Edit to add.
I don't do intentional drop tests often because being a goober the drops will come soon enough. Here is the setup. I open the passenger side of my truck's door to grab my pack and some papers. However my pack is on top of the headlamp which then gets dragged off the seat tossing said headlamp which promptly bounces off the door hitting the driveway like a comet. At first I thought it was my phone but was happy to see it was the headlamp. A free drop test when failure would have no consequences other than mailing the light back for repair.
And there it is. Gotta love entropy. Without it we wouldn't be alive to know it will kill us one day.
No damage to bezel or glass.
Only the smallest of marks on the edge of the tail cap. On a side note this is actually a non pro tail cap. Put the one it came with on a 1x18650 Prime body. I don't really need a magnetic holder on a headlamp so changed it out.
Edit to add.
And another update. It appears AT has changed the harness with the Wizard. A new plastic one came attached to another Wizard I ordered this time a V3 not pro XP-L Cool White.
Ok the silicone harness had a few issues the biggest being it's a PITA to remove and replace the light. This negated IMHO it's EDC potential.
New plastic harness installed on left, old silicone on right.
One pro is the potential to change out the entire light in the field without missing a step. Just swap out the bodies. Probably faster than changing the batteries.
Enough lets hit the woods.
We are going to do 5 miles of moderately paced trail jogging. Moderately paced because of the load and terrain.
The following are beams from the XHP-50 main mode 2.
Some spots are good, actually probably the majority but all I tend to remember is the fallen trees and rocks.
Main mode 1.
Done.
Also used it tonight around the house. I think the plastic is an improvement over the silicone harness. That said this isn't my first rodeo with this concept.
I still have this headlamp but found the plastic harness too difficult to remove the light from and heard reports of the arms snapping off. The Wizard harness is easy enough to remove and the light didn't fall out during my run. Feels solidly in there but time will tell if it holds up.
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