# Armytek Wizard Pro v3 headlamp/right angle review (18650, XHP50)



## maukka (Jun 18, 2017)

*Disclaimer: The Armytek Wizard Pro v3 XHP50 (White) was provided for testing by the manufacturer free of charge*







Wizard Pro v3 XHP50 with a magnetic usb charger is the newest version of the high end 18650 headlamp made by Armytek. It sports a Cree XHP50 emitter with heavy emphasis on durability. It's also one of the largest and most powerful 18650 headlamps on the market.

Features and manufacturer’s specifications
Battery: 18650
Input voltage: not listed
LED: Cree XHP50, available in warm and "white" (tested)
Waterproof: IP68, 10 meters, 2 hours
Impact resistance: 10 meters
Mode memory: yes

Manufacturer’s output specs
Maximum output: 1800 lumens 
Other output levels: 900/390/165/30/5.5/1.5/0.15 lumens
Beam distance: 130 m
Light intensity: 4200 candela

Measured dimensions and weight
Length: 110.5 mm
Head width: 29.3 mm
Handle width: 20.5 mm
Tailcap width: 24.5 mm
Weight: 73 g for the light (with pocket clip), 45 g for an 18650 battery, 43 g for the headband

More info on the manufacturer's product page


*Box and contents*

The light is packaged in a colorful retail box, which shows the light through some plastic.





















*Bundled in the box with the light:*
Magnetic usb charging cable
Headband
Pocket clip
Two spare o-rings
User manual

*User interface*

The Wizard Pro is controlled by a backlit electronic switch.






The switch and UI is identical to the Armytek Prime C2 Pro so most of this paragraph is just copy-paste. However, according to Armytek's specifications there's no support for two lithium ion batteries. I didn't try and fry my sample with two 16340/18350s.

The button is excellent and has a distinct click to it. Double and triple clicks are no problem unlike on some mushy switches. There's a backlight on the button. Three yellow flashes in succession every two seconds means that the light is running warm, three red flashes repeated every second means it is getting too hot (60°C claimed, 70°C tested) and will lower the output to protect the emitter and battery. The output will increase again if the light is cooled down as long as the battery is still up to the task.

The button light will flash every five seconds while the light is on. By default this behavior is disabled on firefly modes, but can be enabled. The color of the flash will indicate if the battery is almost full (green) or under 75% (yellow). When the battery voltage gets low, the flashes are yellow (<25%) and finally red (<10%). These can be distinguished from the heat warning because they occur once every two (yellow) or one second (red), not with triple flashes.

There are seven brightness levels in total which are grouped into three sets:

Three firefly modes
Three main modes
Two turbo modes
Three special modes: strobe, beacon high, beacon low

*Operation is as follows*

From off:
Single click turns the light on on previously used brightness (includes strobe and beacon modes)
Double click turns the light on on main mode group (sub mode is memorized)
Triple click turns the light on on turbo mode group (sub mode is memorized)
Quad click turns the light on on special mode group (strobe, low beacon, high beacon)
Press and hold cycles the modes from the lowest upwards all the way to turbo 1, release to select mode

From on:
Single click turns the light off
Double click switches from main to firefly or from firefly to main or from turbo/special to main
Triple click switches to turbo modes
Quad click switches to special modes

If any of the turbo or special modes was used previously, a double click from off flashes briefly that mode before settling on the main mode group. This isn't a big problem even at night as you can always hold the switch down and start cycling the modes from the lowest firefly mode.

There's two operational modes, general and tactical. The default mode is the general, which corresponds to the UI described above. In tactical mode the switch is momentary with mode memory. The light will be on only when the switch is pressed down. Changing modes is not possible in the tactical mode.

To access tactical mode unscrew the tailcap to 1/4, press the switch and tighten the tailcap again keeping the button pressed. To return to the general mode press the button and while keeping it pressed unscrew the tailcap to 1/4.

*Physical appearance*

The newest version of the Wizard Pro has some fins near the head. Otherwise the appearance hasn't changed on this iteration.

The magnetic tailcap has some genius engineering behind it. To charge the battery (any standard 18650), you open the tailcap just a bit which activates the metal tailcap contacts via the partly anodized threads on the body and tailcap. Even if there is live voltage on them, there's a diode preventing current from flowing and causing possible problems when the contacts are shorted. The center contact is recessed so this doesn't happen whenever the light is attached magnetically to a metal surface.
















The end of the cable lights up during charging. Red means charging, green is ready.

The headband holder is very easy and fast to use. Just slide the light in on the clearly marked gaps. Aiming is easy but the light is not going to fall. Using the headband when the pocket clip is attached isn't impossible but requires fiddling with the clip angle.






I wished the headband came pre-assembled from the box, since it will take a couple of minutes going through the instructions to get it right.






Spring in the tailcap and a raised button on the driver side enable users to choose whatever style of 18650 battery they might have.

*Armytek 3200 mAh battery measurements*






The bundled 18650 3200 mAh battery is of good quality. It was tested by charging it at 1.0 A to 4.2 volts and discharging at 8 watts down to 2.5 volts. 8 watts equals the power draw when the Wizard Pro is used on the turbo 1 mode. This test was done after numerous runtime tests so it represents the performance after some use.

Length: 65.1 mm
Width: 18.5 mm
Weight: 45 g
Protected: no
Capacity: 3012 mAh
Energy: 10.8 Wh
Internal resistance: 0.06 ohm (measured at 8 amps)

Armytek offers several different batteries with their lights, but mine came with a 3200 mAh one. The cell under the Armytek wrapper is most likely an LG INR18650 MH1, since some revealing text can be made out through the heatshrink and that's what 3200 mAh rebranded 4.20 volt batteries usually are. The internal resistance also matches my MH1 cells.

*Discharge curve at 8 W*




Discharge curve at 8 watts down to 2.5 volts. Voltage blue, current red. Blue/red: Armytek 3200 mAh, pale blue/red: Sony VTC6. Total energy of the cells at 8 watts is identical (10.8 W) -> runtime is the same. The battery is not a high discharge one, but quite enough for the Wizard Pro. The LG MH1 is rated for 10 A discharge.

*Charge curve*




Charging with the integrated USB charger takes a bit over 7 hours with 0.7 amps drawn from the usb power supply. I would like something a bit faster, but if you usually charge yours overnight this is fine. After charging I measured the voltage at 4.09 and 4.13 volts. The first test was done straight from the box, the second one much later. When topped off in a SkyRC MC3000 the cell received 319 mAh and 108 mAh more capacity. 

*Size comparison*






18650 battery, Olight H1R Nova, Olight H2R Nova, Armytek Wizard Pro v3, Skilhunt H03, Zebralight H600Fd Mk3






The Wizard Pro is the biggest headlamp I have tested.

*Beamshots*

_Finnish summer is here and it pretty much never gets dark. I'll post some outdoor beamshot comparisons as soon as possible._

*Beam, tint and color rendering*

Thanks to the diffusing TIR optics, the beam is smooth and floody even with the multiemitter XHP50. There is no artifacts and practically no color shift, which is ideal.





The white Wizard Pro is just a tiny bit warmer than a cool white light. The tint is slightly biased towards green, but the difference is not really noticeable without a side by side comparison. Reportedly the warm white Wizard Pro is truly warm so there's a neutral 4500-5000 K option missing.





Next to the truly neutral Zebralight H600Fd, the Armytek does look a bit cool, but all of this depends on the ambient light and the conditions your eyes have accustomed.





Tint in different brightness modes. As is usually the case there's some shift when the current is increased. Tint is greenish on the lower modes. In reality it's not very bad without a reference, since the tint doesn't change from the center to the edge, see below.





Tint in different parts of the beam with the corresponding duv values (distance from a neutral black body radiator, positive number means green/yellow tint, negative rosy/magenta/pink). There's pretty much zero shift, nice!

*Spectral data and color rendering*

For spectral information and CRI calculations I use an X-rite i1Pro spectrophotometer with HCFR, Babelcolor CT&A and ArgyllCMS spotread for the graphs and data. For runtime tests I use spotread with a custom script and an i1Display Pro because it doesn’t require calibration every 30 minutes like the i1Pro.

*Explanation of abbreviations (click link to read more)*

CCT = correlated color temperature, higher temperature means cooler (bluish)
CRI (Ra) = color rendering index consisting of 8 different colors (R1-R8), max value 100
CRI (R9) = color rendering index with deep red, usually difficult for led based light sources, max value 100
TLCI = television lighting consistency index, max value 100
CQS (Qa) = Proposed replacement for CRI, RMS average of 15 color samples
CRI2012 (Ra,2012) = Another proposed replacement for CRI, consists of 17 color samples
MCRI = Color rendering index based on the memory of colors or 9 familiar objects
*NEW Read more about the IES TM-30-15 method here (link is external) *
TM-30 = The newest color rendering method using 99 samples. Preferred for comparing LEDs.
TM-30 (Rf) = Accuracy of colors, fidelity index. Replaces CRI(Ra).
TM-30 (Rg) = Gamut of colors, saturation index. Higher number means more saturated colors.
Tint dev. (“Duv” in the CTA screenshots) is the tint’s distance to the black body radiator line in the CIE graphs. The higher the number, the greener the tint. 0,0000 means absolutely neutral white and negative numbers mean rosy/magenta tint. Anything over 0,0100 can be described as visibly green.

If you have an hour to spare, I recommend watching this presentation on IES TM-30-15 which also shines light into color rendering in general.













*Runtimes and output*

Since I don't have a professional sphere with a reference calibration light source, all the lumen measurements are just approximations. Lumen and candela measurements were taken with an Xrite i1Pro spectrophotometer, not a lux meter.






Runtime on max output (Turbo 2) with and without external fan cooling.





You can witness the thermal regulation doing its work by decreasing output when the light gets too hot and increasing after cooling. In some situations this results in slow oscillation when the controller hunts for the correct output vs. temperature. This change in brightness is not easily perceivable.

Runtime on the 2nd highest mode (Turbo 1) with and without cooling.





The Wizard is a bright headlamp. Not quite as bright as advertised, but for all practical applications, perfectly adequate. There's rarely any need for over 500 lumens on a headlamp anyways, which is pretty much where the output stabilizes on the turbo modes after a while. Some driver inefficency makes for a bit shorter runtimes than on the competition.

The light will not turn abruptly off when the battery voltage drops very low. It stays a bit under 40 lumens for a long while, so you'll have a bit of light.

Output comparison in room temperature with the Olight H2R.




The final brightness after stepping down is not that much different.





The temperature regulation works well on the Wizard Pro. With enough cooling, it can sustain output of over 1000 lumens until the battery is drained.

The boost driver is also excellent. I was able to access turbo with lesser batteries (NCR18650B) even when they were half drained.

As usual I tested the efficacy of the Wizard Pro using a Sanyo 18650GA battery on 400-800 lumen mode with fan cooling.




The Armytek runs a bit behind the pack on its turbo 1 mode. The efficacy is better on the dimmer main modes, but won't match the current champ, the Olight H2R.
















*Temperature*

The temperature regulation keeps the head of the light at about 60 °C by adjusting output. This is quite hot to touch, but the system will keep the light from damaging itself and simultaneously allowing as much light output as is possible.

Here's the temperature of the head after 60 seconds and 10 minutes.











After 10 minutes, the body is too hot to hold.

*PWM*

There's no PWM on any mode.

There's some 1 kHz output noise whenever the side switch led flashes. This is not visible nor audible.






*Standby current*

As the switch is electronic, there is a small current being drawn from the battery even when the light is not turned on. I measured the parasitic standby drain at 8 µA. This means it would takes tens of years to drain a 18650, but of course the battery's self discharge rate is faster.

*Verdict*

There's not much to critizise about the newest Wizard Pro especially for the sale prices it's going at the moment. It is a great product all the way from its retail presentation to the performance and usability. The familiar matte finish feels special and makes for a grippy surface without aggressive knurling. Machining and build quality overall is excellent. 

With the included pocket clip and the well designed headband retaining mechanism the Wizard transforms easily to different purposes. There's also a strong magnet in the tailcap, which helps mounting the light straight to ferrous surfaces.

Usb charging works reliably albeit a bit slowly. The tailcap contacts are not live when it is screwed all the way in. Even in the charging position there's a diode preventing current from flowing out.

The electronic side switch has a good tactile click to it and after a while, the user interface will grow on you. There's instant access to all the three main mode groups (firefly, main, turbo) as well as mode memory. There was no inductor whine or other distracting noises from the driver on my sample.

The cool white version has a pretty neutral tint with no excess of green or blue. On the lower modes the tint skews towards green, but thanks to the minimal shift on different parts of the beam, it's not offensive without a neutral reference. The beam is very nicely diffused without any artifacts. It is ideal for close distance work and powerful enough to light up the whole trail in front of you. I do wish that there would be a true neutral white option between the cool and warm white lights somewhere between 4500 and 5000 K, preferrably at a higher CRI as well.

As for the turbo modes, they're just that. Lots of light for a while. In practice the Wizard Pro is able to sustain 500 lumens during the summer months at ambient temperatures over 20 degrees. External cooling helps with this and in some situations the light may able to output 800-1000 lumens without stepping down.

The driver is not as efficient as on the best ones on the market, but other than that, the Wizard is a splendid headlamp. And as usual I'd also like a neutral white (4500-5000 K) option with high CRI. There are a lot of Cree XHP50 options for that.

+ Consistent tint throughout the beam (no tint shift from center to edge)
+ Excellent finish and build quality
+ Headband is easy and fast to use
+ Great tactile feel of the switch
+ Instant access to all main mode groups, including firefly and special modes
+ True firefly modes
+ Very low standby drain
+ Real thermal control with a two stage warning light on the switch (yellow - red)
+ No timed stepdowns, flat regulation as long as the light is cooled adequately and the battery is up to it
+ Turbo is available with drained lower current batteries too (18650B at 50 % works fine)
+ Safe magnetic tailcap charging system
+ Waterproofing and impact resistance (not tested)
- No real neutral white and high CRI option available
- Charging could be faster than 7 hours
- Quite big for an 18650 headlamp
- Tint gets greenish on lower modes
- After prolonged high output, the light cannot be held with bare hands due to heat


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## MAD777 (Jun 18, 2017)

Unbelievably detailed review, as usual!


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## Lou Minescence (Jun 18, 2017)

This is probably going to be moved to the reviews section
Thanks for the great review.
I really like my Wizard pro too. I just wanted to share that my lense had broken. The light did take a 3.5 ft drop off my head as I bent over and land on the tail cap putting a ding in the paint. The lense was not broken untill 3 days later. Either the fall cracked it or the bezel ring was pressed too tightly against the glass. 




I wonder too if the textured glass is strong. Many of my headlamps including other Wizards have taken the same fall with o damage.
Anyway, the Wizard is off to the hospital in China.


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## TCY (Jun 18, 2017)

Another great review from maukka, thanks:twothumbs


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## JanezFord (Jun 18, 2017)

Are you sure that Zebralight H600Fd is the MK3? I have both MK2 and MK3 and the one on the picture looks more like MK2 than MK3.


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## maukka (Jun 18, 2017)

JanezFord said:


> Are you sure that Zebralight H600Fd is the MK3? I have both MK2 and MK3 and the one on the picture looks more like MK2 than MK3.



Yep, they changed the Mk3 tube a while ago but the model name stayed the same. Mine is from October 2016.


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## FlashlightR (Jun 18, 2017)

Thanks for the review !! I have the new XHP50 Wizard pro warm for a couple of months now and I still like it a lot. I hope the new Tiara, Viking and Elf lights with usb charging option will be released soon.


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## ArmyTek (Jun 19, 2017)

Thanks for the review!


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## Woods Walker (Jun 21, 2017)

Moved to headlamps.


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## Derek Dean (Jun 22, 2017)

We are indeed fortunate to have folks who have the ability and inclination to put together these types of highly informative reviews. Well done mate!


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## iamlucky13 (Jun 26, 2017)

Excellent. I've been curious for a while to see how Armytek's compare to their specs. Hopefully they acknowledge that independent verification is possible and focus on reporting specs accurately. I'm also glad to see CCT reported, since what their "warm" and "white" models output has been a bit of a mystery so far.

Glad to hear you were able to get used to the interface. When I was shopping, I was apprehensive about their ability to manage as many modes as it has, but once I figured out what the manual for my Armytek was trying to tell me, the interface became very natural to me.


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## Woods Walker (Jun 27, 2017)

"There's some 1 kHz output noise whenever the side switch led flashes. This is not visible nor audible."

With the standard Pro XHP50 (not magnetic chargeable) I can just see that noise on a white wall sometimes when using M1. Not is the woods however.


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## wawrik (Aug 18, 2017)

I've received Pro V3 Magnet USB version as replacement for standard Pro V3 version. Can I also use 2×CR123 primaries as before? It is not mentioned in manual so I'm scared I can't...


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## Chad Varnadore (Aug 27, 2017)

Thanks for the terrific review! Sounds like the Olight is clearly the better performer in all areas, except for durability. I just lost a Skillhunt to a 5-6 foot fall onto a concrete floor: the LED itself seems fine, but the low battery indicator kept blinking, even though the battery was only half spent. I swapped batteries anyway. It wouldn't come on at first, then it would, but would shut off after about 5-10 seconds and the switch would start flashing red. Tried it again a day later and it won't come on at all. I'm guessing it's maybe something to do with the thermal control circuitry was damaged in the fall. I think I'm done buying expensive flashlights that can't withstand more than a ridiculously short 1.5 meter fall. Armytek seems to have the durability market cornered. No other manufacturers even seem to care about that aspect of design. Any suggestions on where to buy Armytek? I know Armytek's website has a sale going on older models at the moment, which would probably just as useful considering how rapidly turbo appears to roll off, but I need something with a magnetic base too. I don't care about the magnetic charging though.


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## blah9 (Aug 27, 2017)

Awesome review! Cool to see what has been going on with the newer Wizards. I have one of the old Wizard Pro Warm headlamps and am still completely satisfied with it.


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## scs (Aug 27, 2017)

Chad Varnadore said:


> Thanks for the terrific review! Sounds like the Olight is clearly the better performer in all areas, except for durability. I just lost a Skillhunt to a 5-6 foot fall onto a concrete floor: the LED itself seems fine, but the low battery indicator kept blinking, even though the battery was only half spent. I swapped batteries anyway. It wouldn't come on at first, then it would, but would shut off after about 5-10 seconds and the switch would start flashing red. Tried it again a day later and it won't come on at all. I'm guessing it's maybe something to do with the thermal control circuitry was damaged in the fall. I think I'm done buying expensive flashlights that can't withstand more than a ridiculously short 1.5 meter fall. Armytek seems to have the durability market cornered. No other manufacturers even seem to care about that aspect of design. Any suggestions on where to buy Armytek? I know Armytek's website has a sale going on older models at the moment, which would probably just as useful considering how rapidly turbo appears to roll off, but I need something with a magnetic base too. I don't care about the magnetic charging though.



illumn
goinggear
andrew-amanda
or direct from AT because there's no guarantee dealers have latest models with latest drivers and/or firmware.


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## Chad Varnadore (Aug 27, 2017)

scs said:


> illumn
> goinggear
> andrew-amanda
> or direct from AT because there's no guarantee dealers have latest models with latest drivers and/or firmware.



Thanks! I've added all those to my favorites to keep in mind for next time. Though at full retail, I'd probably just go with amazon for the added security and to have it faster, being a prime member. Several amazon prime vendors seem to be adding a few additional package perks too, for the same or lower prices. But I keep reading that this light has supposedly been on sale, but so far I haven't been able to find anything other than full SRP or thereabouts.


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## Kallyfudge (Aug 31, 2017)

Mine arrived yesterday, I got the warm version from flashaholics. My version *does* have the cooling fins despite the flashaholics website showing different. I was worried about that. It is my first headlight and first 18650. 

I like the tint, I will try and post a comparison to my olight r50vn and reylight pineapple if interested. 

I coulddnt turn the light on when it arrived and had no way of checking voltage. I charged it up and it works fine. I have to mention that the magnetic charger will go green if you move it around a bit whilst charging. I think this is when its almost done charging but it was hard to tell without any testing equipment.

My XSTAR Dragon VP4 Plus arrived today. I checked battery voltage when fully charged, after playing around with the light last night and fully charging using supplied magnetic charger today. It was at 4.14v, bobbed it into the charger and charged at 1A. This added another 88mAh to the battery and voltage measured 4.20 dropping within 5 sec to 4.19v.

Having only used olights navigation before, I quickly learnt the way this light works, I like it and think it will be OK for running at night. 

The instructions to assemble the headband were pretty useless, would have taken me a long while to work it out via trial and error. Check youtube, theres a video guide of someone assembling it and its easy enough.


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 17, 2017)

scs said:


> illumn
> goinggear
> andrew-amanda
> *or direct from AT because there's no guarantee dealers have latest models with latest drivers and/or firmware*.



Are you sure there's a guarantee of latest models and firmware when buying direct from Armytek? I found an amazon.US review complaining they didn't ship him the newer Wizard Pro with cooling fins. It seems that for US customers who buy from Armytek's own storefront on amazon (US store), they were still shipping the older versions just a few weeks ago, even though their listing clearly shows the newer version and it appears to be shipping internationally, based on the rather steep shipping charge, so it wouldn't have been old stock that they'd previously shipped to amazon's own warehouse - it wasn't available for Prime shipping. 

I contacted Armytek using the email link directly on their site - waited several days for a response. When it finally arrives they didn't even bother to answer ANY of my questions (asked a very simple question about whether or not their Predator/Viking filters flip open and closed or have to be manually attached/detached when switching between filtered and non-filtered light, if they were shipping the newer Wizard Pro (magnet, white) version with cooling fins from their own site, and something else I don't currently recall). Instead their response just asked for my location, as if that would matter when ordering direct from their Canada site. Do they not treat orders from every country equally or something? I tell them I'm in the US and my state and zip, and further volunteer that I was looking at buying a Predator and/or Viking in addition to the Wizard, just in case my question about the filter confused them, since they don't make filters for the Wizard being a right angle light. Their next response was bewildering to say the least: It had absolutely nothing to do with any of the questions I'd asked. They apparently assumed I was planning on buying via amazon, even though my email clearly stated I wasn't, only that a review I'd read there gave me some concerns I needed addressed before ordering. 

Armytek's support email leaves a LOT to be desired. Now I'm a little fearful it might be a reflection of what we might expect should we ever need to file a warranty claim. After all, a 10 year warranty doesn't hold much weight for anyone who doesn't live in a country that the manufacturer has a physical presence and thus can be held accountable by that countries laws. A 10 year warranty also doesn't mean as much when the company hasn't even been in business 10 years. Who knows if they'll be around in another 10. I'm still scratching my head how Armytek hasn't completely cornered the flashlight market in the $50-$150 pricerange or at least driven other companies to up their game, considering ALL of their competition not only doesn't come close to Armytek durability ratings - for tactical and trade flashlight designs that demand durability no less - but tout pretty pathetic durability ratings by comparison that are wholly inadequate to any real tactical application or rough work environment.


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## scs (Sep 17, 2017)

Chad Varnadore said:


> Are you sure there's a guarantee of latest models and firmware when buying direct from Armytek?



That was straight from the horse's mouth.
Sorry if it read like I was vouching for Armytek. I wasn't and I won't.



Chad Varnadore said:


> I found an amazon.US review complaining they didn't ship him the newer Wizard Pro with cooling fins. It seems that for US customers who buy from Armytek's own storefront on amazon (US store), they were still shipping the older versions just a few weeks ago, even though their listing clearly shows the newer version and it appears to be shipping internationally, based on the rather steep shipping charge, so it wouldn't have been old stock that they'd previously shipped to amazon's own warehouse - it wasn't available for Prime shipping.
> 
> I contacted Armytek using the email link directly on their site - waited several days for a response. When it finally arrives they didn't even bother to answer ANY of my questions (asked a very simple question about whether or not their Predator/Viking filters flip open and closed or have to be manually attached/detached when switching between filtered and non-filtered light, if they were shipping the newer Wizard Pro (magnet, white) version with cooling fins from their own site, and something else I don't currently recall). Instead their response just asked for my location, as if that would matter when ordering direct from their Canada site. Do they not treat orders from every country equally or something? I tell them I'm in the US and my state and zip, and further volunteer that I was looking at buying a Predator and/or Viking in addition to the Wizard, just in case my question about the filter confused them, since they don't make filters for the Wizard being a right angle light. Their next response was bewildering to say the least: It had absolutely nothing to do with any of the questions I'd asked. They apparently assumed I was planning on buying via amazon, even though my email clearly stated I wasn't, only that a review I'd read there gave me some concerns I needed addressed before ordering.
> 
> Armytek's support email leaves a LOT to be desired. Now I'm a little fearful it might be a reflection of what we might expect should we ever need to file a warranty claim. After all, a 10 year warranty doesn't hold much weight for anyone who doesn't live in a country that the manufacturer has a physical presence and thus can be held accountable by that countries laws. A 10 year warranty also doesn't mean as much when the company hasn't even been in business 10 years. Who knows if they'll be around in another 10.



Thanks for the info. If true, that makes them liars. One more reason to stay away from them if you so choose.




Chad Varnadore said:


> I'm still scratching my head how Armytek hasn't completely cornered the flashlight market in the $50-$150 pricerange or at least driven other companies to up their game, considering ALL of their competition not only doesn't come close to Armytek durability ratings - for tactical and trade flashlight designs that demand durability no less - but tout pretty pathetic durability ratings by comparison that are wholly inadequate to any real tactical application or rough work environment.



I believe their lights, construction wise, should be and are tougher. However, it hasn't been determined whether they are CONSISTENTLY as impact and water resistant TO THE DEGREE AT advertises. I'm personally turned off by their persistent exaggeration of output, throw, and runtime performance. The out of box reliability of their lights is also a gamble. I'm therefore not a bit surprised that AT doesn't have a bigger share of the market.

To those who still willingly choose AT, I simply try to help them along. If they get a light they're happy with, great. If they don't, then that's fewer that will buy AT in the future. It's a win-win situation.


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## Dio (Sep 17, 2017)

scs said:


> Thanks for the info. If true, *that makes them liars.* One more reason to stay away from them if you so choose.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I bought an Armytek Predator Pro as one of my first 'high end lights'. It no longer gets used. Not only was I mislead about where they are made, my personal experience (and MANY others' it seems) with their warranty/product support is absolutely pathetic.

I didn't initially know but the PP I purchased came with the lens installed backwards and as such, a simple wipe of the lens with a soft cotton cloth rendered many clearly visable scratches on the exposed surface. From my initial Lux tests, about 10-15% was lost over the initial numbers due to what is the equivalent of 'lens fogging' albeit permanent due to actually scratching up the AR coating which should have been facing the emitter not the user. 

I contacted AT after I worked out what was going on (removed lens, wiped other side and no more scratches appeared, wiped originally exposed side some more and low and behold, further scratching occurred) which was about a month after receiving it and was basically abused and called an idiot for wiping the AR coated side.......ahhhh well, had you not sent it out with the wrong side exposed it wouldn't have happened....they basically said I should have been able to tell that the AR coating was facing the wrong way, flipped it and called it a day. I asked how exactly a user is to know without obvious signs like scratching and received no further response despite resending the email another two times over the course of a few weeks. Get stuffed if you call that customer service!!!

It has also been long established that AT are straight up trying to scam/mislead consumers based on their CANADIAN MANUFACTURER claims. They have absolutely no production done anywhere but China. No matter how many times they are called out on this, they refuse to change their wording so for me that is the 1st reason not to buy from them as a new user - I just wish I knew this before looking into whether or not others had issues.

It seems to read like this: customer A has a great experience or customer B has a terrible experience so flip a coin, you might get lucky but I'd never take my chances again.

Then you have the outright dangerous operation of the new high powered models. Seems they just had to one-up everyone else and make a headlamp that produced an absolutely insane output but neglected simple safety features like functional thermal management like Zebralight. So so many users have reported their XHP-50 headlamps getting to near scalding temperature before THEY THEMSELVES shut it down as the light simply doesn't do what it is supposed to..

Not really surprising as they couldn't even get the lesser powered headlamps working for a number of years (did they ever!?!) as I read numerous reports of users receiving defective models in their infancy only to send them back and literally wait months and months - some over a year - with no light, no communication and no refund. 

At the end of the day, anybody foolish enough to know all of this and still buy (DO YOU LIKE GAMBLING???) an AT really has money to burn if you ask me. It's kinda like throwing your money out the window of your car at a busy intersection and hoping to find it in a weeks time. No thanks...


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 17, 2017)

scs said:


> That was straight from the horse's mouth.
> Sorry if it read like I was vouching for Armytek. I wasn't and I won't.
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks for the response. At this point I don't know whether to write off their email support as just being a new or poorly trained rep, who wasn't familiar with their product yet, or a warning to steer clear. They'd hardly be the first online site to hire completely unqualified first tier support lines. Though that still doesn't explain or excuse why my initial email was bumped to a more qualified operator, if the agent who responded couldn't even follow the questions. Their are a number of amazon vendors selling Armytek, but Armytek's own amazon store appears to be rather new, based on how few feedback ratings they've received, which wasn't pretty - I think it was only 60% positive when I looked the other day. At the moment I'm wishing I didn't pass on Gear Best's $30 price on the Skilhunt H03 a week ago. I could have gotten 2 for the price of one comparable LED Armytek or 3 for the price of the XHP50 Wizard and had one or two to spare should I drop another light when working off a ladder.


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 17, 2017)

Dio said:


> I bought an Armytek Predator Pro as one of my first 'high end lights'. It no longer gets used. Not only was I mislead about where they are made, my personal experience (and MANY others' it seems) with their warranty/product support is absolutely pathetic.
> 
> I didn't initially know but the PP I purchased came with the lens installed backwards and as such, a simple wipe of the lens with a soft cotton cloth rendered many clearly visable scratches on the exposed surface. From my initial Lux tests, about 10-15% was lost over the initial numbers due to what is the equivalent of 'lens fogging' albeit permanent due to actually scratching up the AR coating which should have been facing the emitter not the user.
> 
> ...




Thanks for that. I thought it was Olight that was supposed to be making people nervous wearing their light on their head? Maybe I need to look closer at Nitecore and Zebralight or just wait for Skilhunt to drop back to half price again. I've already seen them under $35 twice in the past few months. Or maybe a $30 Wowtac.


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## Dio (Sep 17, 2017)

Chad Varnadore said:


> Thanks for that. I thought it was Olight that was supposed to be making people nervous wearing their light on their head? Maybe I need to look closer at Nitecore and Zebralight or just wait for Skilhunt to drop back to half price again. I've already seen them under $35 twice in the past few months. Or maybe a $30 Wowtac.



I've got over a dozen ZL's so I may be biased but IMO you really can't touch them in terms of usability and reliability. I have read of the Olights getting very hot but that really just comes down to how hard it is manage heat on something isolated from thermal relief (like your hand drawing heat away or very low ambient temps) which isn't to say that they are dangerous in that regard. 

IMO the danger with the Olight in question is the iffy charging contacts reportedly being able to create sparks in the event they are shorted out. I would trust Olight to have their thermal management under control but some users may still find they are less than comfortable with how hot they can get.

With the ZL the thermal management is user programable to an extent - from 'stock' you can go 5 levels less severe meaning thermal management will allow it to get hotter before throttling output back or 5 levels more severe meaning it will drop output down at a lower threshold which means the light wont get as hot. Basically the hotter you allow it to get is up to your choosing. With thermal management all the way down, even a ZL will get uncomfortably hot for some users. 

I prefer to err on the side of caution and set it to cut output at a lower temp threshold. This also benefits runtimes as less energy is wasted trying to maintain a high output...LEDs run far more efficient at lower temps AFAIK..


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 18, 2017)

Thanks again. The Zebralight headlamp sounds very good, great in fact. Though I couldn't find a drop rating on their site. But I assume it's about the same as most, since their water rating was consistent with other lights, maybe a little deeper. Most of the consumer reviews I found have been overwhelmingly positive. Unfortunately, I had to cross it off my list for lack of a pocket clip and no magnetic tail. I could have probably gotten by without the magnetic end, as I've got plenty of small craft magnets I could have stuck to it myself (or glued rather, if the tailcap is aluminum like the casing) to achieve the same purpose - at least I don't assume such would have had ill effects on the battery or circuitry, if it wasn't designed for such. But, no pocket clip was a deal breaker for my application. Which was odd considering their AA headlamps include clips, but none of their 18650 models do.


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 24, 2017)

Well, after much deliberation while reading loads of consumer complaints and praise - truthfully it was as much burnout from reading and watching videos on the same topic for two weeks without a convincing conclusion one way or the other - I picked a horse and gambled on what made me so excited in the first place, the Armytek. I ended up buying through an Amazon(US) vendor though, who would at least respond to my pre-sell questions, assuring me they're shipping the latest model or the one with cooling fins anyway. A couple other buyers from the same listing reported getting the newer version too. And being Prime, I'm covered by amazon for at least 30 days while I test it out, not to mention it'll be here a lot faster than if it were to ship from Canada or China, and I needed it weeks ago. The Olight was the runner up. I almost bought both, but I just don't need two, especially if the Wizard is even half as tough as Armytek claims. I'd have loved to see the extra brightness Olight has pulled out of the XHP50. But the top switch just didn't seem as functional for one handed operation. And, in my work, it's a foregone conclusion I'll end up dropping the thing more than 4.5 feet at some point. Oh well... fingers crossed, I didn't pass up the $30 Skilhunt sale again for nothing. Though, if the Armytek doesn't pan out, and I doubt I'll give them a second chance if it doesn't, I'll probably opt for the Olight and tack on a few years of accident protection for another $15.


BTW, anybody tried charging a magnetic charging Wizard off Olights magnetic charging stand? Any reason that wouldn't work?


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## Kaban (Sep 24, 2017)

Can you charge this Armytek (or the Olight for that matter) with a USB car (cigarette lighter) charger or through a USB wall charging block?


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## maukka (Sep 24, 2017)

Yes. Anything that has a normal USB charging port (female type A) will work.


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## Kaban (Sep 24, 2017)

So which one is the preferred light the Armytek or the Olight H2R?

The only thing I was never a fan of on my Armytek Predators is the complex UI. Having dozens of lights, I never remember how to work the damn thing after not using it for a while.


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## maukka (Sep 24, 2017)

Considering the latest version of the H2R doesn't leak current out of the tailcap anymore, I think it's one of the best 18650 headlamps on the market. The UI is subjective of course, but there's no denying that the Olight is more efficient than the Armytek so you get more out of your battery. Then again, Armytek's temperature regulation is more sophisticated.

Which one would I choose then? Neither. I love my Skilhunt H03 with a high CRI Nichia 219C 4000K.

But if Armytek comes out with a high CRI Nichia 144A version of the Wizard Pro...


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 24, 2017)

maukka said:


> Considering the latest version of the H2R doesn't leak current out of the tailcap anymore, I think it's one of the best 18650 headlamps on the market. The UI is subjective of course, but there's no denying that the Olight is more efficient than the Armytek so you get more out of your battery. Then again, Armytek's temperature regulation is more sophisticated.
> 
> Which one would I choose then? Neither. I love my Skilhunt H03 with a high CRI Nichia 219C 4000K.
> 
> But if Armytek comes out with a high CRI Nichia 144A version of the Wizard Pro...



Is there some place to send a Skilhunt for such modification? I've got a H03 that won't turn on 2/3 of the time, but when it does turn on it seems to still operate fine, so I don't know if it might be worth fixing or if the modification would also fix the problem. It fell about 5 feet onto concrete and hasn't worked right since.

I was under the impression the Olight had higher temporary peak output, but that the Armytek had higher sustained output. Is that not correct?


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## Kaban (Sep 24, 2017)

Whose warranty department is better to deal with and quicker/less pain in the butt in case something happens? Olight or Armytek?


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 25, 2017)

Kaban said:


> Whose warranty department is better to deal with and quicker/less pain in the butt in case something happens? Olight or Armytek?



Since nobody with actual experience is responding, I'll try to help. Based on months of reading customer discussion and reviews and watching video reviews, and spending several hours per day doing nothing but such for the past 2-3 weeks in particular, focused on the Armytek and Olight line, one would expect Armytek to have the better warranty support, being that their warranty is 10 years no hassle and their lights are rated to be virtually indestructible, so there shouldn't be any question of abuse in warranty claims. Where the Olight is 5 years and only rated for the bare minimum impact and waterproofing, no better than a $20 light, which is essentially no impact resistance adequate to protect the electronics inside themselves.

That said, a lot of what I've read leaves one with a distinct impression that Armytek might give better service to reviewers and customers who live in Canada, the country they're based in. While the light itself is supposed to be virtually indestructible, quality control or replication consistency seems to more problematic for Armytek than Olight. Meaning, it would seem you're more likely to get a defective Armytek than a defective Olight. Still, those who haven't had problems, swear by Armytek in such a absolute manner, one wouldn't want to even consider another brand. And even many who have had problems seem to feel the same. Again, reviewers who've had problems, which seems to be most of them, which is kind of scary, all seem to think very highly of Armytek's post-sell support. Customers outside of Canada have reported significantly less satisfaction, from non-responsive email support, to not living up to their idea of hassle-free, compared to the likes of Surefire. But, most people who are satisfied with any product don't post about it. Those who have problems represent a disproportionate amount of feedback found online for most products. One can reasonably assume the same is true for flashlights. 

In all my research, I really don't remember reading any personal experiences with Olights customer support, good or bad, which I took to be more praise for their quality control than their actual support department. But most of the reviews of the Olight appeared to come from new customers who's previous experience with flashlights in general were incandescent or the kind of cheap LEDs that are featured in amazon lightning deals daily for $5-$15. Outside of this board and video reviews, most customer feedback I read didn't appear to even be aware of Armytek, as they credited Olight for unique innovation that as I understand it Armytek came out with first - you know the kind of "best flashlight ever made (first quality LED I ever bought)" type of reasoning.


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## Kaban (Sep 25, 2017)

Thank you Chad for taking the time to respond! Helped alot.


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## Kaban (Sep 25, 2017)

I almost pulled the trigger on the Wizard Pro V3 last night, but came to my senses after reading how long it takes to recharge an 18650 with their provided USB charger.

For me it's a deal breaker. I realized I do not need a light with 2000+ lumens. I don't even need a light with 1000 lumens. 500 is good enough for me.

Is there any option out there for rechargeable headlamps that offer much quicker charge times than 5+ hours (as needed in the Wizard Pro)? I do not need crazy output so my though was maybe a smaller battery light would require less charge time?

Any input?


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 26, 2017)

Kaban said:


> I almost pulled the trigger on the Wizard Pro V3 last night, but came to my senses after reading how long it takes to recharge an 18650 with their provided USB charger.
> 
> For me it's a deal breaker. I realized I do not need a light with 2000+ lumens. I don't even need a light with 1000 lumens. 500 is good enough for me.
> 
> ...




It's another "crazy output" light - uses the XHP50 LED, same as the Wizard - but the Olight H2R is said to charge very fast, and features the same USB magnetic charging. I can't recall reading any exact charging times though, just general impressions with it's charging speed, which some sounded rather hyperbolic, but I do remember at least one saying it was considerably faster than Armytek. Sorry, I don't remember specifics. It wasn't a high priority for me. If I need more than one battery in a day, I always keep an extra 18650 or two charged and ready. You could also invest in a stand alone universal battery charger that'll charge faster, like some from Nitecore, Eastshine, etc.


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 27, 2017)

This is one seriously schizophrenic charging interface. I assume that having to loosen the tailcap for charging is at least partly how they prevent it from shorting when in use. But aside from it being the new gold standard for slow charging, it's extremely finicky as well. I finally got the tail cap positioned where it seemed to stay solid red, indicating it's charging. Seven hours later I'm wondering why this things not green yet. I move it maybe a half inch and it turns green indicating it's through. What timing right? I start to disconnect the magnetic charger and it turns red again!?! It's just flipping back and forth between red and green with every movement. So, I take the battery out and put it in my universal charger/tester and it shows it's still only about 2/3 charged after 7 hours!!?!! So, I left it in the universal charger and popped a Lumintop (rebadged Panasonic cell) button top 18650 in the Wizard, as I wanted to see what it could do before hitting the sack. Grabbed the Klarus XT12GT too and went outside. WOW! This thing is brighter in turbo than I expected and the Olight is supposed to be significantly brighter still? Makes me really want to see the XHP50 version of the Viking! Standard bright should be more than adequate for work though, and it seems to stay relatively cool in standard modes. Twenty minutes go by and I check the Armytek cell and it's almost fully charged with the Eastshine charger set to fast charge (I want to say 1000mah, but the mah part might be the wrong terminology). I check again at 30 minutes and it's already done. I figure the Wizard magnetic charging couldn't do in 7 hours what the Eastshine could have done in 2 hours max. I really like the light so far, but I'm concerned the charger isn't working properly, being how it so easily flips between green and red. Armytek should have realized making the charger to remain green, even when disconnected from the light, would be problematic. 

Any chance of user error on my part? Is there a trick to beyond what the instructions tell you? I was charging via a computer USB. Next time I'll try a USB tied directly to an outlet.

My only other concern so far is with the impact resistance rating. Armytek's site claims 10 meters. But the box only claims half that. Which is a pretty big difference. It's still at least 3x what anybody else rates theirs for, but being that they redesigned the light with cooling fins, it begs the question, did redesigning the light decrease it's impact resistance? Or did they do further testing and discover their original claims were overly optimistic? Or maybe it's just a case of the company that printed the box messing up. 

Like I said, I tried the light with a 3400mAh protected Lumintop (Panasonic cell) and it worked perfectly as far as I could tell. However, the Lumintop is about 1/8 or an inch taller than the 3200mAh Armytek cell that comes with the light, not including the button on the top. Any reason why using the longer button top Lumintop might be bad for the light?


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## maukka (Sep 27, 2017)

If you charged using a USB2.0 port, it may well take nearly 10 hours to fully charge the battery, since they only supply 500mA. With a 3.0 port you should be closer to the 7 hours I tested. For these sort of problems it is always handy to have an inline USB power meter.


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 27, 2017)

maukka said:


> If you charged using a USB2.0 port, it may well take nearly 10 hours to fully charge the battery, since they only supply 500mA. With a 3.0 port you should be closer to the 7 hours I tested. For these sort of problems it is always handy to have an inline USB power meter.



Thanks. It was 2.0.


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 28, 2017)

BTW. Armytek got back with me saying their site was correct on the impact resistance being 10 meters. She said the 5 meter rating was a mistake on their first batch of boxes. If so, that also would seem to confirm what an amazon vendor told me about the non-fin pictures being from a pre-production version of the light, that all production units have featured cooling fins. Since mine came with fins and the misprinted box... Still, it's rather fishy. I suppose they could have printed more boxes than they made lights originally, since an amazon customer claimed he received the non-fin version direct from armytek. Which I'm inclined to believe him, considering soon after I brought his review to Armytek's attention, they removed the picture with fins in the listing, rather than removing the non-fin pictures, implying the non-fin picture was correct, for the version they're selling through their US amazon store anyway.

Who knows... Maybe the original version had fins and they dropped the fins in later versions, as that would explain some things. I certainly can't tell the fins do much; they get just as hot as the head, which doesn't just get too hot to leave your hand on, it's practically too hot just to touch. This is the hottest light I've used by far. The Skilhunt got very warm in turbo, but nowhere near so hot that you practically couldn't hold your hand on it long enough to turn it off. Even the shaft gets extremely warm. In turbo 1 the switch will blink green for several minutes before turning orange. It'll stay orange for at least twice that length of time, but it's still almost too hot to clip to a shirt pocket or hold the head of the light where the switch is, long before it actually starts blinking red. I'd guess turbo 1 is usable for maybe 5-10 minutes. Turbo 2 turns orange pretty much as soon as you activate it, even before it's very warm. It turns red within a minute or two, which is so hot it makes you wish you were wearing gloves. I thought the circuitry is supposed to ramp down the brightness to keep the heat under control. If so, you can't tell it by touch. It just seems to keep getting hotter, until you take it out of turbo, even when just in turbo 1, which I thought was only supposed to be a little over 700 lumens. Nice light, but I think they should have put in at least one turbo mode that's better regulated for extended run times, or amped up the standard high mode closer to 500 lumens. At least that's my thinking today. Who knows about tomorrow...


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 28, 2017)

I was testing the light more last night seeing if it would actually get hot in standard high mode. It was still only warm after about 25 minutes, which was when I had to cut the test short as the orange light had been blinking for at least 10 minutes indicating low battery. At first I thought it was indicating warmth, but it didn't feel hot enough to justify orange. I then remembered that flashing orange had multiple purposes, both as a heat indicator and a battery indicator. Sure enough it couldn't do turbo anymore, indicating the battery must be getting weak. According to the literature, orange means less than 25% battery remaining, where red means less than 10%. I was a little surprised that while orange the light had become virtually useless already, as it apparently didn't have the power to cycle anything brighter than twilight modes. I was able to double click into standard a couple times, but couldn't cycle the modes once there. It was fine after charging overnight. Still, I'm thinking that combining heat indication and low battery indication the way they have wasn't the best idea. Aside from being easy to misdiagnose what it means, I'd suspect it might proove too complicated for the electronics over time.

More charging criticism: I charged it again last night, this time using a wall outlet with an AC to USB converter plugged in. It had finally turned green after about 8 hours. But as soon as I touched it (literally, my finger had just slightly made contact) it went red again for anther 2.5 hours, turned green, then red again as soon as I picked it up, then, after about a minute of holding it, it finally went green again and stayed green no matter what angle I held it at. Crazy right? So, unconvinced it was fully charged, I put the battery in the Eastshine charger, which showed it still had about 1/4-1/5 of the way to go!?! It took another 5-10 minutes at 1000mah on the Eastshine to finish charging. No point in even using the built in charging if the Eastshine is the more accurate of the two.


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## Chad Varnadore (Sep 30, 2017)

Is there any purpose to the wristband? The only thing I've come up with is possibly weaving it through the headband cradle for a little extra padding. It seems like the hard plastic would be rather uncomfortable against your bare skin while running at night. That's not something I do, but should I start, I'll probably slip it into the Skilhunt's rubber headband, as I'm not sure I'd trust the light to stay in the plastic cradle for that type of activity.


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## Kaban (Oct 1, 2017)

I ended up purchasing a Tiara C1 Pro. Got it in middle of last week and already used the heck out of it during a camping trip this weekend. This more than enough headlight for me. The modes are very easy to cycle through, the highest turbo mode is incredibly bright, very impressive for such a small light. The charging seems more than quick enough for my needs and the magnetic usb charging bit is very easy to use.

Overall I am very happy with the purchase as well as their customer service. Florence answered all of my questions in a series of emails. I like that Armytek is still using the same anodize coating on their lights. I fell in love with it when I got my first Predator years ago and it's one of my favorite finishes of any light I have.


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## Chad Varnadore (Oct 4, 2017)

Kaban said:


> I ended up purchasing a Tiara C1 Pro. Got it in middle of last week and already used the heck out of it during a camping trip this weekend. This more than enough headlight for me. The modes are very easy to cycle through, the highest turbo mode is incredibly bright, very impressive for such a small light. The charging seems more than quick enough for my needs and the magnetic usb charging bit is very easy to use.
> 
> Overall I am very happy with the purchase as well as their customer service. Florence answered all of my questions in a series of emails. I like that Armytek is still using the same anodize coating on their lights. I fell in love with it when I got my first Predator years ago and it's one of my favorite finishes of any light I have.



Did you get it while it's on sale? I think I might order a Doberman. 50% off is about too good to pass up.


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## Chad Varnadore (Oct 4, 2017)

BTW, my magnetic charging Klarus XT12GT needed a recharge tonight. After fully charging from red to green using the magnetic charging cord the Klarus comes with (it took somewhere between two and four hours) the Eastshine tester/charger - which looks the spitting image of Nitecore's chargers - showed the battery to be fully charged, not just 3/5 to 4/5 charged, like it does when checking the Wizard after supposedly fully charging (turns green) for 12+ hours via their magnetic charger. So there is clearly some charging deficiency with the magnetic charging in the Armytek, beyond just being outlandishly slow. Otherwise, I really like the light, from operation to the cosmetics. Something about just looking at this thing makes me think of old navy diving movies.


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## shock003 (Oct 21, 2017)

Lou Minescence said:


> This is probably going to be moved to the reviews section
> Thanks for the great review.
> I really like my Wizard pro too. I just wanted to share that my lense had broken. The light did take a 3.5 ft drop off my head as I bent over and land on the tail cap putting a ding in the paint. The lense was not broken untill 3 days later. Either the fall cracked it or the bezel ring was pressed too tightly against the glass.
> 
> ...



I too had an issue with a cracked lens. I bought my light (Wizard Pro V3 XHP50 Cool White) earlier this year in March directly from Armytek. (I didn't get the Fin version, but maybe it wasn't out yet) I only owned the light for a couple weeks, and I vaguely recall it dropping from my waist level but wasn't until days later I saw my cracked lens. I have to say emailing them was a PAIN and took many emails to poke them. In the end, I was able to send the damaged light in and get a replacement. 
(I have a similar picture as yours, but unable to embed in this thread w/o uploading somewhere else)


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## shock003 (Oct 21, 2017)

I want to add a little review myself...ok, my previous thread was about experiencing a cracked lens like another member. Frustrating to say the least. I only owned the light for two weeks max! 
But once I got my replacement...
Overall I LOVE this light. The flood is a wall of light. I can use protected high drain (10A) Keeppower batteries AND... per a reviewers recommendation, use unprotected. Both fit and operate fine. I also love the battery life indicator light - important when I am in doubt of battery life. 
Others may have a similar debate as I did... some many different companies and some many variations. I looked at Olight, Skilhunt, Nitecore... for various reasons I narrowed down to: Armytek and Zebralight.
I just could not make up my mind between the AT and the Zebralight H600 Mk III. So I bought BOTH. BTW, The Zebralight will fit in the new plastic holder that AT uses. Very smart design for AT and I am so happy the Zebralight fits as well. Why? I can wear it on a headband and quickly remove for handheld use. 
Anyway, I LOVE the Zebralight! I have been debating their lights off and on for years and so glad I bought it. 
I take both lights with me on all my trips. That way I have a back up or can loan to someone who may need a light for any reason.

Which one do I love better? Honestly: Zebralight. Smaller, sleeker design. Longer run time. I love the UI. Very simple for me anyway...or maybe after using it a while helped. I don't bother going into the further programmed mode settings. I love the default settings. A tad more on the spot side than the wall of flooded light of the AT. But that is fine for me.

With that said, I never regretted buying BOTH. I use and LOVE both. The magnet tail cap of the AT is a nice option. I should mention I debated the center LED designs of Spark and a few others (Fenix). I thought the off-center LED would bug me. Nope. Not one bit. I am hooked. Mainly because of the multi-use of these types of lights. 
And, I see the AT is now less money than 6 months ago AND comes with a battery/charger! Just my luck? Ugh. So now there is LESS of an excuse not to buy (BOTH?) for all you out there debating. hah.

My primary use is outdoors backpacking. And I can't tell you the number of times I hike in darkness for many reasons. Especially when climbing mountains and doing 'alpine starts' to bet the sun rise and consequently; the snowmelt. 
I use to make my own headlamps that were BRIGHT (900-1300lm in fact) but now, I love the battery/housing design of these lights. Very light-weight and can be hand held in addition to a headlamp. Personally, I prefer Cool White because they are much brighter and provide beautiful, clean white light. They are not at all cold blue, btw. I tried NW in some homemade test lights, and sure... the color is nice, but they feel dim and almost cloudy. When I am outside in a dark forest, I want BRIGHT pure light. Sure, I debated CW vs NW for many many days. I mean, these lights aren't cheap. I didn't want to make a mistake. Sometimes (recently) I think of buying a NW to compare in person because my homemade NW lights are NOT using the exact LED and may look more yellow than what is actually used in AT or Zebra and others. I did build a P60 using a Nichia 219c. Beautiful tint...but again, feels too dim for me. 
So I may just stick to my CW instead of splurging on a spare NW version, and I want so many other lights instead!
I wonder if the world needs one more video reviewer... so I can get lights for free to review. Not sure how to start... I suspect I need a following first on lights I own and then get noticed? I have an edge over most all reviewers.... I go into the wilderness often and year round. Hmmm.


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## Lumencrazy (Oct 22, 2017)

First you need to have a following


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## aginthelaw (Nov 22, 2017)

Armytek warranty is alive and kicking. I just received a replacement for a v1 wizard pro that had the lockout issue. I demonstrated the issue in a video, and within hours received a reply the light would be replaced (thanks Florence!) though I really didn’t need the latest and greatest, I got the v3 with the fins, usb rechargeable with battery included, brand new in the package. I also got a 2nd battery as an incentive for paying for shipping instead of insisting they cover it (can always use a new buttontop). I’ve heard that these are lg mh1 batteries, and come without pcb. Did I mention this is the 2nd time they’ve done this for me?


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## Tachead (Nov 22, 2017)

aginthelaw said:


> Armytek warranty is alive and kicking. I just received a replacement for a v1 wizard pro that had the lockout issue. I demonstrated the issue in a video, and within hours received a reply the light would be replaced (thanks Florence!) though I really didn’t need the latest and greatest, I got the v3 with the fins, usb rechargeable with battery included, brand new in the package. I also got a 2nd battery as an incentive for paying for shipping instead of insisting they cover it (can always use a new buttontop). I’ve heard that these are lg mh1 batteries, and come without pcb. Did I mention this is the 2nd time they’ve done this for me?


The best warranty is the one you don't need to use. Armytek's warranty seems to need to be used way too often imo.


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## blah9 (Nov 23, 2017)

Glad it worked out for you. Thanks for sharing. Thankfully I'm happy with my old Wizard Pro Warm but if I wanted a new headlamp I'm honestly not sure which brand I would go for at this point. Eh I'd probably give them another shot because I love mine so much but it is a shame you had to use the warranty.


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## one5 (Nov 23, 2017)

Newbie here, but using headlamps for long years.

I'm very disappointed with Armytek's, also with user support. Wizard V3 Pro non-USB stopped working during its second trek in mountains pretty far from civilization. So I've been one week without light. OK, sometimes it happens. 

Non-USB version is sold out, so Armytek replaced it for USB version, but without battery. My friend who lives next to my street obtain USB version with 3200 mAh battery - and second battery as an compensation for shipping cost. Florence never explained why they can't send replacement with battery to me also. Instead of that she offered to send (as shipping costs compensation) some parts that I can't use - filters for Predator flashlights, guns remote switch... What for? I have no Predator, I have no guns...

USB version doesn't support 16350 batteries which I used in non-USB version. I have a lot of them, because I use it in Steripen. I should buy a pair of good 18650. This batteries makes my purchase of Wizard Pro pretty more expensive, and I can't use it in any other trek gear.

Replacement doesn't arrived until now, but I think it doesn't matter. I'm looking for better quality headlamp with better user support.


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## Johns957 (Nov 27, 2017)

I bought one of these from Andrew Amanda flashlights prior to hurricane season.
I like the light and have had no issue with it. I wrote support with a simple question about operating it.
I never received a reply from. Hope I never really need them.


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