[Submitted as a REVIEW]
Introduction
This light is a PROTOTYPE provided by Helius for review. It was shared with me that the company has experience machining for other manufacturers and is now working on creating a product line of their own with a goal is to create unique and innovative designs that don't break the bank.
Here's the key review details in one table:
*The Helius website lists a keyring and USB cable being included. A distributor in comments below mentions that spare O-rings will also be included in the retail product.
Packaging
Being a PROTOTYPE, this light shipped in a simple clear plastic bag inside a padded envelope. No retail packaging, documentation, spare parts, or accessories were included.
Design
The Helius Sigma IX is a small keychain light using a single 10150 rechargeable li-ion battery. There are few flashlights this small.
The distinguishing feature of the Sigma IX is the green tritium bar framed nicely into the tail end of the light by stainless steel. Tritium glows on its own for 20 years – meaning the Sigma IX is easy to find in the dark regardless if off or on.
The size is quite small. To give some perspective, here's the Sigma IX next to AAA and AA batteries. The 10150 lithium-ion rechargeable battery is the same diameter as AAA but about 1/3 the length.
And here it is alongside a keyfob and AA battery
I measured the overall length at 2 3/4 in and diameter at 1/2 in. Weight was tested, with battery, at 32 g / 1.1 oz.
The Helius logo and Sigma IX model designation is embossed on the head of the light. The writing is legible but quite subtle. No other writing is present anywhere else on the light. Between the head and the tritium is some minor machining detail: One line and five round depressions circle the light. These are purely aesthetic but do add some nice detail.
The Sigma IX has a Cree XP-G2 emitter behind a TIR optic. The emitter is slightly off center in this sample.
The tail of the light features the signature tritium bar framed by alternating stainless cutouts. Depending on how the light is turned, more or less of the tritium is visible. The cutout sections have chamfered edges. The narrow exterior of the tail is flat, so on a perfectly flat surface the light can tailstand. Few surfaces are that ideal, so practically speaking, the light does not tailstand.
From one angle:
And the Sigma IX from a different angle:
The keyring slot in the tail is a long oval almost as wide as the light itself. This allows a keyring to slide and fold against the light. As the Sigma IX is round, it will roll freely when on its side if not attached to something (like a keyring).
Removing the tailcap, we find square-cut threads. More lubrication would be preferred; the o-ring was dry. Cleaning and lubricating is in order.
Inside the tail is a solid contact plate. Hand assembly marks are visible on this prototype sample.
The front end of the battery tube has a gold-colored spring.
The head has triangular cut threads. Again, the lubrication could be a little better – though easily rectifiable.
In normal operation, the Sigma IX can be recharged without removing the head. There is one full turn between when the USB port is fully exposed and when the head is removed.
When charging, the indicator light is red. The red indicator is visible from a small hole in the threads opposite of the charging port.
When the head is fully removed, the light is also visible from the front.
When charging is complete, the indicator turns green. It is similarly visible from both side and end (if head is removed).
Both ends have o-rings for water ingress protection and Helius presents the light as having IPX-8 water resistance to 2m underwater. It suffered no damage when I placed it in shallow water.
The included 10150 battery makes up a small portion of the light. More detail about the battery is in the Performance section below.
The Sigma IX has reverse polarity protection. This was confirmed by reversing the battery and attempting to turn the light on several times; no damage resulted.
Performance
What's it look like when on?
The TIR optic produces a beam with a large hotspot and a gentle transition to corona. The corona itself is very wide with spill being faint and almost non-existent. Common with optics, the beam overall is smooth and floody.
Unfortunately, the off-center emitter in this prototype sample results in the beam being a bit imbalanced. It is not noticeable in outdoor use, but indoors at short distances it is evident.
In this image, the hotspot is slightly to the right relative to the center of the corona.
I would consider the beam color to be neutral; it is one of the most neutral XP-G2 lights I've come across. Very faint yellow and green is visible on Low against white walls but in real-world use was not evident.
To demonstrate the color balance, here is the Helix Sigma IX with lights with emitters of various temps.
(L to R: Singfire BLF348 with neutral 219B, Lumintop Tool Al with XP-G2, Helius Sigma IX with XP-G2, Olight S1R with XM-L2, Lumintop Tool Cu with warm 219B)
As you can see, the Sigma IX's beam color falls in the middle of the range.
Helius rates the Sigma IX at 130 lumens on High. I was unable to replicate this result, getting just 73 lumens at 30 seconds. (The internal 10150 battery had been charged to 4.17 using the internal charger – then rested for 30 minutes – prior to this test.)
From 90 lumens at turn on and 73 at 30 seconds, the light dropped to 64 lumens at 1 minute. It held over 60 lumens through 10 minutes, 50 lumens through 20 minutes, and then started dropping more dramatically from minute 21 onward. At 29 minutes the Sigma IX dropped to 6 lumens – which is under 10% of initial output. The runtime of 29 minutes on High is within 1 minute of Helius's 30 minute rating.
I did let the light run another 5 minutes to the 34 minute mark; the output was down to 1 lumen. There is no low-battery flash or other indicator though the reduced output is indicator enough to alert the user that the battery is low.
Helius rates the Low mode at 20 lumens. I got a result of 11 lumens at turn on and 10 lumens at 30 seconds. Output slowly declined from there. Output was 9 lumens at 30 minutes and 8 at 90 minutes. At 150 minutes (2 hours 30 minutes), the output started to fall more dramatically. At 186 minutes (3 hours and 6 minutes), the output was under 1 lumen – so the runtime as tested is 3:06 on Low. I let the light continue running until the rated 4.5 hour mark; the output was roughly 0.3 lumen.
Beam distance at 1.46 meters was 358 Cd – equivalent to 38 meters of throw. This is less than the 621 Cd and 49 meters of throw that Helius rates the Sigma IX at.
I detected no PWM visually or by camera on either High or Low modes. I do not believe the Sigma IX uses PWM. If it does, the PWM is extremely fast.
The light did not get hot to the touch at any point during the tests. Head temperature stayed under 90F when tested indoors at 72F.
A deep dive down the rabbit hole about the battery and light output…
I immediately pulled and tested the battery after the 34 minute High runtime test and found it to be at 2.74v. After a 30 minute rest, the battery voltage had bounced back 3.33v. It was pulled immediately following 270 minute Low runtime test as well and the battery registered 2.67v. After resting, it bounced back to 3.19v.
The Sigma IX asks a lot of the 10150 battery and the battery is certainly the limiting factor in the output. I confirmed this with a 10440 battery and wire; the output was higher. (Those numbers are not being posted here as the light won't operate as a complete unit as such.)
The included 10150 battery is made by GPBM Industry. It is rated at 85mAh with a max discharge current of 0.17A. Model number is GP105L08.
After the High runtime test, I recharged the battery using the Sigma IX's internal charger. An inline USB meter registered 99mAh delivered with an initial peak draw of 0.14A. Part of this 99mAh would have been used by the Sigma IX's charging electronics and indicator LEDs, so the battery's 85mAh capacity rating seems reasonable. The battery took 1 hour to charge – exactly what Helius's specifications report.
Cree's Product Characterization Tool shows the XP-G2 typically produces 42.1 lumens at 0.17A. To produce 73 lumens (as I tested at 30 seconds), Cree states that 0.305A is required. Considering these are total lumens and not out-the-front lumens from a flashlight – and that efficiency is lost through the driver – it's safe to say that the Sigma IX on High is asking the GPBM Industry 10150 to expend more than twice its rated amperage.The battery is the limiting factor in the output performance.
Update 4/19/2017: I had a telephone conversation with Helius about the output. They've tested retail samples and report that they are in the vicinity of 130 lumens; the prototype I tested here was an early edition prototype and they are confident the retail product will have higher performance than I reported here. I will likely be provided another sample to re-test.
Outdoor Beamshots
All photos taken with a Canon SD4000IS camera. 1/4" exposure, ISO1600, Daylight white balance. The night was clear.
White deck railing in lower part of picture is 15 ft. away and the white fence in the distance is 75 ft. Pictures are in line with what I observed.
Control shot:
Low:
High:
Interface
The Helius Sigma IX's interface is simple: twist the head to turn the light on Low; turn it a bit further to activate High mode. There are no hidden modes and nothing more complicated to discuss.
Commentary
The output falling short Helius's specifications on High is a demerit though the output is still good given the small battery. The quality of the gold plating on the head end contact could be improved and I'd hope for better LED alignment.
But the chassis machining is top notch, the design is unique and classy, the tint is agreeable, and tritium is included. I don't recall seeing any other stainless flashlights this size with tritium, recharging, and a $55 price point like the Sigma IX.
I realize it's intended to be a keychain light, but I prefer to use it as a nightstand light. The tritium makes it easy to find in the dark and it looks a lot nicer sitting out during the day than a typical flashlight. The low could be a little lower for middle-of-the-night use, but for a dual mode light the two levels are well spaced.
As a final reminder: a prototype – not a retail sample – was tested for this review. Regarding the output numbers falling short of specifications: Helius has responded that this was likely specific to the early prototype I was provided and that they have confidence in the final retail product meeting specifications per their sphere-based measurements.
Meter: Dr. Meter LX1330B
Integrating "sphere": Homebuilt tube-style device calibrated on other known lights and test results. Numbers should be considered relative to each other and my other review figures but absolute accuracy is not guaranteed.
Introduction
This light is a PROTOTYPE provided by Helius for review. It was shared with me that the company has experience machining for other manufacturers and is now working on creating a product line of their own with a goal is to create unique and innovative designs that don't break the bank.
Here's the key review details in one table:
Packaging
Being a PROTOTYPE, this light shipped in a simple clear plastic bag inside a padded envelope. No retail packaging, documentation, spare parts, or accessories were included.
Design
The Helius Sigma IX is a small keychain light using a single 10150 rechargeable li-ion battery. There are few flashlights this small.
The distinguishing feature of the Sigma IX is the green tritium bar framed nicely into the tail end of the light by stainless steel. Tritium glows on its own for 20 years – meaning the Sigma IX is easy to find in the dark regardless if off or on.
The size is quite small. To give some perspective, here's the Sigma IX next to AAA and AA batteries. The 10150 lithium-ion rechargeable battery is the same diameter as AAA but about 1/3 the length.
And here it is alongside a keyfob and AA battery
I measured the overall length at 2 3/4 in and diameter at 1/2 in. Weight was tested, with battery, at 32 g / 1.1 oz.
The Helius logo and Sigma IX model designation is embossed on the head of the light. The writing is legible but quite subtle. No other writing is present anywhere else on the light. Between the head and the tritium is some minor machining detail: One line and five round depressions circle the light. These are purely aesthetic but do add some nice detail.
The Sigma IX has a Cree XP-G2 emitter behind a TIR optic. The emitter is slightly off center in this sample.
The tail of the light features the signature tritium bar framed by alternating stainless cutouts. Depending on how the light is turned, more or less of the tritium is visible. The cutout sections have chamfered edges. The narrow exterior of the tail is flat, so on a perfectly flat surface the light can tailstand. Few surfaces are that ideal, so practically speaking, the light does not tailstand.
From one angle:
And the Sigma IX from a different angle:
The keyring slot in the tail is a long oval almost as wide as the light itself. This allows a keyring to slide and fold against the light. As the Sigma IX is round, it will roll freely when on its side if not attached to something (like a keyring).
Removing the tailcap, we find square-cut threads. More lubrication would be preferred; the o-ring was dry. Cleaning and lubricating is in order.
Inside the tail is a solid contact plate. Hand assembly marks are visible on this prototype sample.
The front end of the battery tube has a gold-colored spring.
The head has triangular cut threads. Again, the lubrication could be a little better – though easily rectifiable.
In normal operation, the Sigma IX can be recharged without removing the head. There is one full turn between when the USB port is fully exposed and when the head is removed.
When charging, the indicator light is red. The red indicator is visible from a small hole in the threads opposite of the charging port.
When the head is fully removed, the light is also visible from the front.
When charging is complete, the indicator turns green. It is similarly visible from both side and end (if head is removed).
Both ends have o-rings for water ingress protection and Helius presents the light as having IPX-8 water resistance to 2m underwater. It suffered no damage when I placed it in shallow water.
The included 10150 battery makes up a small portion of the light. More detail about the battery is in the Performance section below.
The Sigma IX has reverse polarity protection. This was confirmed by reversing the battery and attempting to turn the light on several times; no damage resulted.
Performance
What's it look like when on?
The TIR optic produces a beam with a large hotspot and a gentle transition to corona. The corona itself is very wide with spill being faint and almost non-existent. Common with optics, the beam overall is smooth and floody.
Unfortunately, the off-center emitter in this prototype sample results in the beam being a bit imbalanced. It is not noticeable in outdoor use, but indoors at short distances it is evident.
In this image, the hotspot is slightly to the right relative to the center of the corona.
I would consider the beam color to be neutral; it is one of the most neutral XP-G2 lights I've come across. Very faint yellow and green is visible on Low against white walls but in real-world use was not evident.
To demonstrate the color balance, here is the Helix Sigma IX with lights with emitters of various temps.
(L to R: Singfire BLF348 with neutral 219B, Lumintop Tool Al with XP-G2, Helius Sigma IX with XP-G2, Olight S1R with XM-L2, Lumintop Tool Cu with warm 219B)
As you can see, the Sigma IX's beam color falls in the middle of the range.
Helius rates the Sigma IX at 130 lumens on High. I was unable to replicate this result, getting just 73 lumens at 30 seconds. (The internal 10150 battery had been charged to 4.17 using the internal charger – then rested for 30 minutes – prior to this test.)
From 90 lumens at turn on and 73 at 30 seconds, the light dropped to 64 lumens at 1 minute. It held over 60 lumens through 10 minutes, 50 lumens through 20 minutes, and then started dropping more dramatically from minute 21 onward. At 29 minutes the Sigma IX dropped to 6 lumens – which is under 10% of initial output. The runtime of 29 minutes on High is within 1 minute of Helius's 30 minute rating.
I did let the light run another 5 minutes to the 34 minute mark; the output was down to 1 lumen. There is no low-battery flash or other indicator though the reduced output is indicator enough to alert the user that the battery is low.
Helius rates the Low mode at 20 lumens. I got a result of 11 lumens at turn on and 10 lumens at 30 seconds. Output slowly declined from there. Output was 9 lumens at 30 minutes and 8 at 90 minutes. At 150 minutes (2 hours 30 minutes), the output started to fall more dramatically. At 186 minutes (3 hours and 6 minutes), the output was under 1 lumen – so the runtime as tested is 3:06 on Low. I let the light continue running until the rated 4.5 hour mark; the output was roughly 0.3 lumen.
Beam distance at 1.46 meters was 358 Cd – equivalent to 38 meters of throw. This is less than the 621 Cd and 49 meters of throw that Helius rates the Sigma IX at.
I detected no PWM visually or by camera on either High or Low modes. I do not believe the Sigma IX uses PWM. If it does, the PWM is extremely fast.
The light did not get hot to the touch at any point during the tests. Head temperature stayed under 90F when tested indoors at 72F.
A deep dive down the rabbit hole about the battery and light output…
I immediately pulled and tested the battery after the 34 minute High runtime test and found it to be at 2.74v. After a 30 minute rest, the battery voltage had bounced back 3.33v. It was pulled immediately following 270 minute Low runtime test as well and the battery registered 2.67v. After resting, it bounced back to 3.19v.
The Sigma IX asks a lot of the 10150 battery and the battery is certainly the limiting factor in the output. I confirmed this with a 10440 battery and wire; the output was higher. (Those numbers are not being posted here as the light won't operate as a complete unit as such.)
The included 10150 battery is made by GPBM Industry. It is rated at 85mAh with a max discharge current of 0.17A. Model number is GP105L08.
After the High runtime test, I recharged the battery using the Sigma IX's internal charger. An inline USB meter registered 99mAh delivered with an initial peak draw of 0.14A. Part of this 99mAh would have been used by the Sigma IX's charging electronics and indicator LEDs, so the battery's 85mAh capacity rating seems reasonable. The battery took 1 hour to charge – exactly what Helius's specifications report.
Cree's Product Characterization Tool shows the XP-G2 typically produces 42.1 lumens at 0.17A. To produce 73 lumens (as I tested at 30 seconds), Cree states that 0.305A is required. Considering these are total lumens and not out-the-front lumens from a flashlight – and that efficiency is lost through the driver – it's safe to say that the Sigma IX on High is asking the GPBM Industry 10150 to expend more than twice its rated amperage.The battery is the limiting factor in the output performance.
Update 4/19/2017: I had a telephone conversation with Helius about the output. They've tested retail samples and report that they are in the vicinity of 130 lumens; the prototype I tested here was an early edition prototype and they are confident the retail product will have higher performance than I reported here. I will likely be provided another sample to re-test.
Outdoor Beamshots
All photos taken with a Canon SD4000IS camera. 1/4" exposure, ISO1600, Daylight white balance. The night was clear.
White deck railing in lower part of picture is 15 ft. away and the white fence in the distance is 75 ft. Pictures are in line with what I observed.
Control shot:
Low:
High:
Interface
The Helius Sigma IX's interface is simple: twist the head to turn the light on Low; turn it a bit further to activate High mode. There are no hidden modes and nothing more complicated to discuss.
Commentary
The output falling short Helius's specifications on High is a demerit though the output is still good given the small battery. The quality of the gold plating on the head end contact could be improved and I'd hope for better LED alignment.
But the chassis machining is top notch, the design is unique and classy, the tint is agreeable, and tritium is included. I don't recall seeing any other stainless flashlights this size with tritium, recharging, and a $55 price point like the Sigma IX.
I realize it's intended to be a keychain light, but I prefer to use it as a nightstand light. The tritium makes it easy to find in the dark and it looks a lot nicer sitting out during the day than a typical flashlight. The low could be a little lower for middle-of-the-night use, but for a dual mode light the two levels are well spaced.
As a final reminder: a prototype – not a retail sample – was tested for this review. Regarding the output numbers falling short of specifications: Helius has responded that this was likely specific to the early prototype I was provided and that they have confidence in the final retail product meeting specifications per their sphere-based measurements.
Meter: Dr. Meter LX1330B
Integrating "sphere": Homebuilt tube-style device calibrated on other known lights and test results. Numbers should be considered relative to each other and my other review figures but absolute accuracy is not guaranteed.
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