# Fenix HM61R ticking all the boxes?



## kreisl (Dec 30, 2019)

After all those _many _successful Zebralight/Armytek/Olight/Nitecore years in this flashlight category the *HM61R *is Fenix's inaugural(?) entry in the 18650-angled headlamp/headlight market, finally oo:
Let's cut to the chase and list the special/outstanding positives and negatives, the summary first. If you're interested in further explanations/descriptions/details, feel free to read on, i might bump the thread with more little technical details with time moving on.

*Pro's*:

any protected or unprotected 18650 battery (≤ 70.7mm) can be used AND recharged in the light! because of the physical reverse polarity protection the battery should have a protruding defined button top. i use a generic protected NCR18650B, which has a wide top, with a neodymium magnet as a defined button top for a total of 70.5mm length
light can be used without restrictions while the battery is being recharged. only very few rechargeable flashlights have this extraordinary "light during recharge"-feature! it is even documented in the manual.
light can be powered by USB cable alone, with no battery inside, with 1 restriction only: Turbo-mode would drop to High-mode after a few seconds. this "usb light"-feature is unheard of and not documented in the manual.
the pocket clip doesn't need to be removed before you clamp the light on the plasticky holder at the headband
the headband is super light-weight, comfortable, easy to clean, has nicely tight elasticity which doesn't seem to wear down or wear out. i expect this modern material to outlast the functionality of the more cloth/fabric-like materials employed for years by the competition.
wearing the handband, a blindman can clamp the light on and off single-handedly, with ease after some practice. since it's so easy (hence fun), i do the clamping-unclamping all the time. the securing rubber band is not needed; only in an extreme incident could the lamp get clamped off from the holder.
practically zero standby current drain. uneffingbelievable.
fenix high-efficiency electrical circuitry with constant brightness regulation mas thermal regulation, Fenix-Lumens at competitive runtimes. current driven, PWM-free.
most new premium flashlights (incl Fenix) are rated for 1.0m, few for "illegal" 1.5m drop impact resistance. this one's got a surprising *2.0m* rating , a typo?
last but not least, literally. this light is rechargeable and still ranks among the shortest, compactest, light-weightest 18650 headlamp on the entire market, with or without headband! i absolutely enjoy the small size and agreeable looks of the product mmwuah.:kiss:

*Con's*:

none. imho this product ticks all the boxes indeed, gets my Strong Buy recommendation. however there are two things to note/know to save the buyer from possible disappointment in that area.

*Note*/*Know*:

the _hotspot_ at mode1/mode2/mode3 looks tinted greenish, especially in the lowest two modes; i've seen much worse though, even in my cherry-picked light collection. mode4/mode5 have a bright white hotspot, all good here. mode3 has a creamish-tinted hotspot, not bright white. i doht like greenish CW tints (i rather prefer arctic CW tints and their purplish spills) but since the Pro's really outweigh the poor hotspot tints of mode1/mode2 and we have come to accept the natural tintshift phenomena in current-driven power LED lights, i don't feel bad about the tint performance on the lowest 2 modes. personally, i use the light mostly on mode3 and mode4 and i am not bothered about what the light does on the lower modes. there's so much else to enjoy about the product! btw, for the Czech market Fenix released the HM61R AMBER version which should have a NW-tinted hotspot; i was once interested in getting my hands on that version but honestly don't care anymore. I am a happy satisfied HM61R user, no matter the version!!
the electronic switch on the first production batch to hit the market was a bit finicky, not too reliable at registering clicks. when early adopters pressed the button not decidedly or not in the center, they'd hear the clicking sound but not see any effect. Misfired buttons. i also heard that Fenix looked into the matter QA in the meantime. so i can't say where my unit falls into. if i put efforts into making the button misfire, it misfires, yes. but under normal or even casual operation the button is responsive and doesn't misfire. in numbers, i'd say in 95% of my button presses, the switch works as expected, in other words, the switch is a no-brainer on my recent production unit. only mechanical switches can guarantee a 0% misfire rate!
okay a third thing. the holder at the headband is made out of hard plastic. since it is not made out of rubber/silicone, one must take care of where/how the headband is handled/carried/stored/etc because the plastic material could crack/break/get crushed in an accident: you step on it, pretty sure it'll be toast yumm. handle with care, and not challenge its fragility. the lens is also made out of plastic and should not be resistant against scratching and harsh chemicals. again, handle with care.

*Summary*:Even though this is my first and only _18650 _headlamp, after all my research i can't imagine any superior angled-18650 headlamp product on the 2020 market. Allrounder, versatility, likability, this is _the _one for me! I've studied all the _Olites_, _Nietcores_, _Armytecs_, _Zebras_, rechargeables and non-rechargeables, and none of their models beats this Fenix initial release summa summarum imho ymmv. While it is of course similar in many ways to other angled-18650 lights, the few differences make the difference in the end. At the desk, workbench, in the house, around the premises, the HM61R has become my most often used personal lighting solution (standing light, handheld flashlight, or headlamp), and by now i also prefer wearing this nicely fitting headband to my worn out Olight headband. Picky and critical as i am, i am glad that i hadn't bitten before, namely many years ago when the countless Armytec Wizards made a splash and i was never willing to try on such a monstruous form factor. Finally time has come, and I _am _a Fenis fan, look no further.​
That's all one needs to know about the product from my point of view. Yes there is more to say about the product, small details, technicalities, mostly irrelevant. But if you're interested and want to read more of my blah, then i'll keep on adding below, stay tuned!

*Marketing / Manual*.
RTFM Read the fine manual first, it summarizes features and operation better than i could describe in my own words, and it does so in 7 languages (Engrish, Geman, Russian, Chinese, Espanish, Italy, Flench). So i doht see the point of restating/rephrasing its informative content:









Also look through the marketing pages, they doht contain much BS but give an accurate picture of what the product is about. :thumbsup:


*Headband w/ mount*. 
Unlike the confusing photo series in the manual, fortunately the headband comes fully pre-assembled (43g) OOTB out of the box, see the many unboxing videos on youtube. I did disassemble and reassemble the headband right away though, because i didn't agree how the small black plastic parts were facing and touching my scalp. Basically i reversed those plastic parts when reassembling the bands. Now the headband assembly makes more sense to me and feels more comfortable on my head. 




Regarding build quality, interesting, the band is thinner and lighter than the usual fare by _AT_/_ZL_/_OL_/_NC_ but it _feels _higher quality, better made, more functional. Only time will tell if this new/modern headband product is really(?) better built and longer lasting. I believe so. In contrast, my _Olight H1 Nova_ headband (29g) has run its course, worn out, reached the EOL after 3.5yrs of irregular use; i won't order the replacement part any time soon because the Fenix has become my preferred headlamp. How would i replace the Fenix headband in case of loss/theft/broken? If i wanted the original part, i would ask the one and only Fenix Germany Distributor about it after browsing through his catalog. Otherwise i could downgrade, trying a generic flashlight headband incl rubber/silicone mount from a different maker (the HM61R body has a Ø22.0mm diameter, with two Ø20.5mm diameters spaced 40.0mm apart, hope this helps).




Btw _AT_ was maybe the first with this kind of headlamp mount. A quick word on the securing rubber band of the mount, is it really needed? Imho absolutely not. The headlamp clamps so securely with a satisfactory "click" in the mount that even in a jogging environment it would be unthinkable that the light could come off. Also light shocks, hits, or similar short impacts couldn't get the light unclamped. The only realistic scenario where it'd make sense to secure the light with the rubber band is when you wear the headlamp on a helmet in a cave, industrial complex, oil rig, thick forest, and your helmet gets accidental brutal hits from protruding rocks, pipes, joists, girders, doors, tree branches. Needless to say, i removed the securing rubber band right away.


*Operation* / *UI*.
The light has 5 white light modes (mode1/mode2/mode3/mode4/mode5 = Eco/Low/Med/High/Turbo), 3 red light modes, behind-the-switch LED indicator for 4 battery levels _at_ startup and for low voltage warning _during _operation, electronic lockout, mechanical lockout, physical reverse polarity protection, last mode memory (white light only, no memory for red light modes). Very easy to memorize/learn the user interface:


Long-press toggles between light ON and OFF.
Short-press advances between the modes.
Very long-press activates the red light, no matter if the white light is ON or OFF.
From OFF, a click activates the battery level indicator.
From OFF, a double-click activates or deactivates the electronic lockout.





Personally i prefer the Olight H1 Nova UI which is the opposite, i.e. <click to turn ON/OFF, long-press to advance between modes>, but the Fenix needs the from-OFF click for the battery level indicator, which the Olight does not have. And lemme tell you, the Fenix battery level indicator is a very cool thing to have! Since the parasitic drain in the un-locked state is almost zero, the purpose of the electronic lockout is not to save battery energy but to prevent accidental activation (when you carry the light in your bag or pockets); however i'd rather twist the tailcap a quarter of a turn (mechanical lockout).

*Performance*.
This is a fact: the parastic drain is identical in the locked out state and the unlocked state! This means that regarding battery energy savings it doesn't matter if you do the double-click procedure to toggle the lock. Only if you fear accidental activation, which is imho less likely on a HM61R (long-press to turn ON) than on a Olight H1 Nova (short click to turn ON), could you make use of the electronic lock out; but i'd prefer the mechanical lock out instead ymmv. Yet here comes the best: the standby current is almost zero! At the tailcap i measured 0.00000448A = 0.00448mA = *4.48μA* @ full 18650 battery (3.61μA @ depleted battery). It would take ~100 years to fully deplete the Fenix 3400mAh battery through parasitic drain in the flashlight, ever heard of any crazier number in recent flashlight reviews? 
In the unlocked state, the white light mode ("White Mode") tailcap current readings are as follows:


mode#mode nametailcap currentat battery voltagecurrent tendencymode1Eco0.009 A4.2 Vincreasingmode2Low0.081 A4.2 Vincreasingmode3Med0.258 A4.2 Vincreasingmode4High0.775 A4.2 Vincreasingmode5Turbo3.000 A4.2 Vdecreasing

The "increasing" current tendency is to stabilize the constant lumens output when the battery voltage decreases over time; if you try to reproduce these current readings, yours will be most likely a bit higher because your battery was at a lower voltage than the 4.200V of my mc3k-prepared battery. On Turbo mode, the flashlight draws up to 3.0A (on a fully charged battery) and then the current draw stays in that 2.5A+ region, depending on the battery quality, battery capacity, and the heat build-up. You might even see a timed(?) drop in output after a few minutes as the official output graph suggests. The light has thermal protection, which makes it safe to leave the flashlight running on any of the 5 modes until the battery is depleted:





Please doht make me produce my own runtime graphs lol. It suffices to say that the constant lumens output is what we are accustomed to from a Fenix flashlight performance, see for example the constant brightness discussion of my beloved PD32 2016 flashlight. And apart from the constant brightness regulation, more importantly you do get the actual lumens as advertised: a light sphere calibrated to Fenix lights produces consistent results for all Fenix lights released after 2013, while in the past lumen claims by other manufacturers (off the top of my head: Cletus, Imalent, Nietcore, also Zebralight, but not recent Olight) would fall short in the same light sphere. The company has really earned the respect and trust of the flashlight community for not exaggerating lumens output and lumens claims. So, if Fenix advertises 400 Fenix-lumens constant output on mode4, then i trust that number with my dog's life. :thumbsup:

The light itself is floody, of course, due to the plastic (polycarbonate) collimator lens and its frosted/diffusive finish. There is no cover lens made out of glass or anything else to protect against scratches. Plastic is softer than glass and also gets damaged by harsh chemicals (say acetone, alcohol, and other solvents), so one should keep that in mind! The advantage of hard plastic is that it doesn't break/crack as easily as real glass, apart from being much lighter weight. That also explains how the rated drop impact resistance of unbelievable 2.0m must have come about. While glass would be more scratch-resistant, PC plastic weighs less and is more drop impact resistant. Oh well. Btw i wasn't able to disassemble the head to inspect the collimator further. On a white wall one can make out a more or less defined hotspot (tinted greenish CW on mode1/mode2), with no corona, and with a pleasant floody coolwhite spill (tinted arctic CW on mode3/mode4/mode5); the same tint performance as one would see from a CREE led, not better, not worse. I am wondering though why Fenix chose a LUMINUS led in this new headlamp release.

*Magnets* / *Weight*.
I checked. The light itself has two magnets. There is a third magnet inside the USB charging cable. As you know, neodymium magnets don't weigh nothing. In fact, neodymium weighs 3x as much as aluminum (mass density 7.612g/cm³ vs 2.7g/cm³). That's the only reason why this light can't be lighter weight than the Zebralight headlamp, which is neither magnetic nor reachargeable. The _Fenix _tailcap with its magnet weighs 11g, making up 20% of the flashlight weight of 54g. In comparison, the _Olight _H1 Nova tailcap has no magnet and weighs 6g only. The second magnet is cleverly located at the rear of the flashlight head and is to hold the magnetic connection to the USB charging cable. Why clever? Because it allows the user to charge any protected or unprotected 18650 battery in the light (button top or neodymium top needed because of physical reverse polarity protection!), he/she isn't restricted to a proprietary _Olight _18650 battery product to make use of the recharging functionality. And because the light can stand upright freely, without an _Olight _docking station, on the table, or even better: on any ferrous/steel/magnetic surface, while it is being recharged! Basically, having two independent magnets, the light is more versatile, the recharging doesn't get in the way of how you want to use the light. Question: Would the head magnet be strong enough to hold the light on a steel frame, car hood, or alike? No, it's just strong enough to establish a reliable electrical connection to the USB charging cable, nothing further. Btw i always wanted to have a light with such a compact _Klarus_-style magnetic USB charging cable (not the _Olight_-style :green; if memory serves me right, 8 years ago in 2012 _Klarus _was the first company to release a USB rechargeable power LED flashlight series, the initial versions of RS1A/RS11/RS16, and i immediately felt attracted to their magnetic charging port no pun intended. While _Armytek _and _Olight _tried their own popular designs of a magnetic USB charging port, i still think that the _Klarus _design is _the _way to go ymmv. Tbh _Fenix _must have thought the same way. Afaik the _Klarus _charging cable does not come with an integrated status LED. The _Fenix _charging cable has an integrated status LED (Green - Red - Yellowish), actually two, one on either side of the magnetic port.
The weight of the headband alone, with the plastic mount of course, is 43g. The total weight is *96g* (taped flashlight + headband, on my +1g kitchen scale), while the official number is "99.5g (excluding battery)", hmm.

*Magnetic USB Recharging* / *USB lighting mode*.
I can't tell if the charging electronics is built in the flashlight or in the USB cable. When disconnected, the yellowish LED light on the USB cable signals status:Disconnected. When connected, the USB cable signals status:Fully Charged with a green LED and status:Charging with a red LED, as simple as that. On my unit, the status LED turns green before a brand new battery has reached 4.174V, and it turns back red again when the battery voltage has dropped below 4.xxV, e.g. thru self-discharge plus parasitic drain. The switching between the statuses works without fail. When the battery is very much full and you don't want to wait for the charging circuitry to stop the charging automatically, one can make it stop by disconnecting and reconnecting the magnetic port, the status LED would show green then. It is a fun way to determine if the battery is full enough. Actually not! A difference between status LED's upon disconnecting and reconnecting (green instead of red, or red instead of green) is more of an indication of the charging circuitry being undecided whether to charge or not when the battery is very much full, so don't be surprised. When the battery is depleted, disconnecting and reconnecting the magnetic port will always result in a red status LED without fail.
Before, i never liked the idea of recharging a headlamp (which is why i bought the H1 Nova instead of the H1R Nova) because on the job i'd fly through a bunch of 16340's and back at home i wouldn't recharge them one after the other within the headlamp lmao. With this 18650 special headlamp it's a different game though: since the light unclips so easily from the mount, i use the HM61R as standing light and hand-held flashlight all the time, and while it is standing (and lighting or not) at the corner of my desk it is the most natural and fun thing to do to latch the magnetic USB cable to the light and give it a recharge. With 3500mAh capacity i should never run out of juice on a day's job, so it makes sense to leave the battery inside the flashlight all the time, never swap it. I love the recharging capability on this particular headlamp model! A must-have feature on any 18650-angled headlamp. Makes one wonder why Zebralight hasn't come up with a rechargeable headlamp (or flashlight for that matter) by now; for sure they didn't like the micro-USB charging ports which have been so popular among flashlight makers for years. I hate micro-USB and mini-USB ports in general, they're fragile or unreliable **** imho. If you liked the _Olight_ magnetic docking port, you'll like the _Fenix_ magnetic charger even better, promised.
On a depleted battery the _Fenix_ charging circuit draws up to "1.17A" from the USB hub (lemme put all USB current measurements in quotation marks because i doht trust the readings on my _XTAR_ EU4 display).



charge termination current: 0.12A doc (xtar only to 0.20A)
with magnetic port connected:


battery statusmode#mode name"USB doctor"tailcap currentnotesno batteryOFFLight Off"0.00A"0.00Azerono battery1Eco"0.00A"0.00Azerono battery2Low"0.06…0.07A"0.00Azerono battery3Med"0.22…0.28A"0.00Azerono battery4High"0.65…0.67A"0.00Azerono battery5**Turbo**"1.07…1.15A"0.00AzerodepletedOFFLight Off≤≥depleted1Eco"0.82A"0.91Adepleted2Low~"0.7A"~0.7Adepleted3Med"0.75A"0.6Adepleted4High"1.23A"0.57Adepleted5Turbo"1.16A"1.12AfullOFFLight Off"0.00A"full1Eco"0.40…0.20A" dec.full2Low"0.42…0.22A" dec.full3Med"0.48…0.29A" dec.full4High≥ "0.46…0.49A" inc."0.67A" stationaryfull5Turbo"1.20A"




























benchmark data

THIS REVIEW POST IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION THANKS COROONA

Battery level indicator.
An electronic circuit cannot know how full a battery is (in % or mAh), it can only directly measure voltage. Knowing a battery voltage, one can estimate the charge level. 


anyway the cheapest offer i could find was 56.92usd shipped thru China Post Registered Air Mail from a fishily new AliX seller 0 feedback.


----------



## electromage (Jan 2, 2020)

I'm sure Fenix is able to pull off a new design without issues, they've been making lights for a long time and I think they're good quality. The weight quoted is probably with the headband, but I think it's comparable to others in that form factor. The H1 is very light, and much smaller, how would an 18650 light match it?

You ask if it's ticking all the boxes but there's a lot of negative, do you think the light is crap? Your headband description is self-contradicting too... I'm confused.


----------



## colight (Jan 3, 2020)

The weight of 99.5g includes the headband, and I believe in Fenix quality, they have been producing lights for years.


----------



## jirik_cz (Feb 6, 2020)

Actually Fenix HM61R is the lightest headlamp in this class. Especially due to very light "hollow" headband. 

Here you can check the weight of Olight H2R, Armytek Wizard Pro and Fenix HM61R with included battery and headband. Only without optional clip (just few grams for each headlamp).
















It is also the shortest:






So seems pretty "mature" to me. No need to wait for three years for a new version.

Especially if you check the Fenix HM61 AMBER version which has neutral white tint, direct access to red light with double click from off state and included battery is also equipped with micro-USB for wider charging compatibility. So far it is only available in the Czech republic and Slovakia :thinking:

Here is the Czech video with the Fenix HM61R Amber


----------



## NPL (Feb 6, 2020)

Does the HM61R step down in high and medium mode to extend the runtimes like the hm65r and hm50r do? If yes, that would be a major deal breaker for me. 

Sent from my Pixel using Candlepowerforums mobile app


----------



## jirik_cz (Feb 7, 2020)

It does not, it is constant regulated so it maintains stable output untill the battery is depleted.


----------



## kreisl (Feb 8, 2020)

jirik_cz said:


> Actually Fenix HM61R is the lightest headlamp in this class.


Would you say that the Zebralight H600/H604-seriez headlamps are in the same class?
Those lights are spec'ed at "39g, 84.6g w/ ZL635 battery, *124.6g* w/ ZL635 battery and headband", meaning that the ZL headband weighs 40.0g only and the ZL battery only 45.6g. 

How would you describe the tint or the tint of the hotspot on the lower modes of your AMBER hm61r unit?

And what is the parasitic drain in standby mode, were you able to measure it?


----------



## Labrador72 (Feb 10, 2020)

There is also a Finnish special edition of this light called HM61R Black Edition but I think the only difference might be the black headband.


----------



## jirik_cz (Feb 14, 2020)

kreisl said:


> Would you say that the Zebralight H600/H604-seriez headlamps are in the same class?
> Those lights are spec'ed at "39g, 84.6g w/ ZL635 battery, *124.6g* w/ ZL635 battery and headband", meaning that the ZL headband weighs 40.0g only and the ZL battery only 45.6g.
> 
> How would you describe the tint or the tint of the hotspot on the lower modes of your AMBER hm61r unit?
> ...



AFAIK Zebralights are not rechargeable and do not have magnetic tailcap, so strictrly speaking they are not in the same "class" like the three headlamps above. 

The tint on the neutral white version looks good to me in all modes, I do not see any tint shifts in lower modes, but I'm not a tint snob 

Using my DMM the parasitic drain settles to 3.9 micro Amps in off state after few seconds. That should draw the battery in 102 years. Good enough for me :thumbsup:


----------



## Deadcell (Apr 6, 2020)

I was just wondering if others have tried this headlight out yet? Not many reviews online anywhere. It's on my short list to try out as the availability is good here in Canada. I just wish that it had a one lumen setting. Also the Fenix ARB-L18-3500, can it only be charged from within the headlamp itself? [FONT=Exo, sans-serif]Thanks in advance.[/FONT]


----------



## Deadcell (Apr 7, 2020)

Just to answer my own question, for others. I did a chat with Fenix today, the individual mentioned the battery can be charged outside the headlight. As long as the individual knew what he was talking about.


----------



## 3L3M3NT (Apr 15, 2020)

Deadcell said:


> I was just wondering if others have tried this headlight out yet? Not many reviews online anywhere. It's on my short list to try out as the availability is good here in Canada. I just wish that it had a one lumen setting. Also the Fenix ARB-L18-3500, can it only be charged from within the headlamp itself? Thanks in advance.



I bought 2 Fenix HM61Rs when they were on sale during Black Friday last year for me and my dad. So far I've really enjoyed using the light and my dad has found it quite handy for different tasks that require him to be able to use both hands, like when he was looking for a leak in the roof of one of his rental buildings. This is actually his first headlamp, so I think he's been surprised how convenient a headlamp is to use when normally he's used to having a flashlight in one hand and only having the other hand free to climb the ladder when they were going up into the roof.

I use the headlamp for going for night walks with my dog, because the weather was too crappy or I didn't have time earlier in the day. To be honest I don't have much of a choice when it comes to picking whether I use a flashlight or a headlamp when I go for a walk at night. I'm a C4 quadriplegic in a power wheelchair and I have limited use of my hands, so I have to use a headlamp on walks. Anyway I've been really pleased with how the headlamp has performed for my needs, which is mostly using the light on med, high, and occasionally turbo if I need better visibility of what's going on in front of me or like when I went for a walk last week when there was a light mist/fog in the air I used the turbo mode to punch through the mist.

Technically there is a one lumen setting, it's just under the red light function, which you can go straight to if you hold the button for 1.2 seconds.

The only other headlamp that I can compare it to is a HL55vn, which is where Vinhnguygen54 takes a stock HL55vn from Fenix and changes out the factory LED and replaces it either a XML2 or XML2 U4 LED for a tested 1100 lumens on Turbo. Compared to the stock LED, that tested at only 700 lumens, so that's a fairly substantial increase over the factory output. I wish I could give a comparison between the HL55vn and the new HM61R to show you how the two match up, but unfortunately a year some moisture got into the HL55vn. Rather than throw the headlamp away and buy a new one, I sent it to Vinh to see if he could get it working again. Lucky for me he was able to install one of his own drivers(DriverVNX2) and since he had it, I inquired about upgrading the LED to something newer, since the LED that was in there was almost 5 years old and I figured there had to be something better out there now. Vinh recommended the Luminous SST-40 HD LED, which he mentioned would have an output of around 2000 lumens on the highest mode.
His thread for reference about the modified HL55. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/v...5vn-Brightest-Headlamp&highlight=fenix+hl55vn
My comparison between his modified light and a factory light. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/v...est-Headlamp&p=4744945&viewfull=1#post4744945

If I can get the factory HL55 from my mom and a factory HL60R from my brother I could post some comparison shots of all 4 headlamps if you want?



Deadcell said:


> Just to answer my own question, for others. I did a chat with Fenix today, the individual mentioned the battery can be charged outside the headlight. As long as the individual knew what he was talking about.



Yep, he's correct you can charge the battery that comes with the HM61R on any stand battery charger that charges 18650 batteries.


----------



## Deadcell (Apr 22, 2020)

3L3M3NT said:


> I bought 2 Fenix HM61Rs when they were on sale during Black Friday last year for me and my dad. So far I've really enjoyed using the light and my dad has found it quite handy for different tasks that require him to be able to use both hands, like when he was looking for a leak in the roof of one of his rental buildings. This is actually his first headlamp, so I think he's been surprised how convenient a headlamp is to use when normally he's used to having a flashlight in one hand and only having the other hand free to climb the ladder when they were going up into the roof.
> 
> I use the headlamp for going for night walks with my dog, because the weather was too crappy or I didn't have time earlier in the day. To be honest I don't have much of a choice when it comes to picking whether I use a flashlight or a headlamp when I go for a walk at night. I'm a C4 quadriplegic in a power wheelchair and I have limited use of my hands, so I have to use a headlamp on walks. Anyway I've been really pleased with how the headlamp has performed for my needs, which is mostly using the light on med, high, and occasionally turbo if I need better visibility of what's going on in front of me or like when I went for a walk last week when there was a light mist/fog in the air I used the turbo mode to punch through the mist.
> 
> ...




Thanks for the reply Element, no it's ok a comparison is not needed. I still have not purchased a replacement for my Olight yet, Olight has not been emailing me so I guess I will have to call. I wish that 61R had a 1 lumen white option. The red might work ok.


----------



## TheWalkman (May 4, 2020)

Well fellow Flashaholics, between a serious case of Covid induced cabin fever and the evil designers at Fenix, I've fallen off the wagon and purchased another flashlight. In this case, the Fenix 61R. 

Dang. It's been at least a year since I last bought a flashlight (a Fenix 50R) and the temptation was too great. I thought I had this problem under control!

Fenix, if you're listening, please remove me from your mailing list and all your marketing materials!!!

Seriously, my 61R arrived today and this is one very cool light. It definitely meets all of _my_ check boxes: waterproof, lots of modes, great runtimes, red mode, headlight, relatively small and light, magnetic base. This is a fantastic light. What more could I want?

I promise, this will be my last flashlight purchase. Probably. Hopefully? Maybe? (Help!)

Fellow flashaholics, you have been warned!

Cheers


----------



## Deadcell (May 11, 2020)

Glad you like it so far. It’s on my list to buy still, once I receive my free Olight battery to test in my iffy H2R. In the meantime I ordered a PD36R for myself, as my two Rigid Industry Halo’s are going to be mounted to my kids dirt bikes for late rides in the forest. 
I wish Fenix would provide 0.5 or 1 lumen in every light they make however.


----------



## Kerisun (May 15, 2020)

It does not, it is constant regulated so it maintains stable output untill the battery is depleted.​


----------



## Lynx_Arc (Jun 22, 2020)

I would like to see a comparison to the Wowtac A2S headlamp of this one. I have an HL60R and the white modes/spacing is almost identical but the UI of the Wowtac is superior.
I just got my Wowtac off my hardhat and measured it. I have a camo headband I bought off Ebay for $2 and the 3400mah battery it came with in it. The total weight is 0.128Kg and the length is 1/16 of an inch over 4 inches.


----------



## Mike_Smith (Sep 18, 2020)

jirik_cz said:


> Actually Fenix HM61R is the lightest headlamp in this class. Especially due to very light "hollow" headband.
> ..
> So seems pretty "mature" to me. No need to wait for three years for a new version.
> 
> ...





I prefer a more neutral white tint and direct access to red light with double click from off state. I wonder why a) it's only in Czech/Slovakia markets and b) the different UX.

Curious about the color temperature and CRI, I found some specs on the LED:

Product name: Luminous SST-40-W Specialty White LED

Features:
• High Brightness Cool white LED with maximum output in excess of 1,800 lm
• Available in 5000K, 5700K and 6500K, 70 CRI (typical) color points
• Wide viewing angle: 120°

Luminus SST-40-W Product Datasheet

Fenix HM61R Multifunctional Rechargeable Headlamp Operating Instructions

3L3M3NT: What was the Black Friday price? It's currently 85 USD.


----------



## kreisl (Sep 30, 2020)

since yesterday it's official in my life of things :ironic:, i have retired my Olight H1 Nova, bam! It has been sitting on the window sill for many months without getting any use, looking sadly at coroona me, and whenever i wore a headlamp (which is maybe 1-2x per week) i preferred to choose the Fenix HM61R: i'd grab the fenis headband off the shelf, put it on fast (what a fast, secure and comfortable thing!), then grab the light off my desk and clip it on, blindly (usually using 2 hands), done, and off i go typically doing some work stuff. Beautiful setup!

The Olight .. i hand-washed :sick2: the worn-out headband, cleaned the H1 Nova, and packaged everything neatly back into the retail box and finally stored the package away; that's the official ceremony of retirement. Well, everything except for the nice Olight carry box which i continue to leave on the window sill with a bunch of 16340's in it to serve my Olight Smini Ti NW which is my "EDC" light in addition to my keychain light (Ultratac K18 SS 10180). I use the Smini, often placed between my lips, more frequently than the Fenix, but whenever i need a standing light, a headlamp, long runtime, or a powerful 1handheld flashlight (lacking a wrist strap), i'd pick the Fenix. Here a summary of what lights i use in everyday life:

- Nietcore TM15 on a "holder": main lighting for cleaning tasks, physical work tasks, or as wall bounce light; gets recharged every night
- Olight Smini Ti NW: most used light #stayathome, when navigating thru rooms and corners, often placed between lips for quick/lazy handsfree personal lighting, and when wearing the Fenix would be ridiculous/overkill. sometimes i'd take it with me when leaving home to supplement my real EDC light
- ultratac k18 ss 10180: my real EDC light since it's attached to my bunch of keys. invaluable personal lighting tool. powerful, useful, invaluable. beyond home it replaces the utility of the Smini. i've got at least 4 units of the k18 ss. imho the best EDC keychain light ever.
- fenix hm61r: as explained my now only headlamp, for personal lighting during work tasks in or around the house and whenever more lighting power than the Smini's is needed. it stays headband-unclipped on my desk, connected to the magnetic charging cable, ready to be used as regular flashlight; the headband sits far away on a shelf, ready to be grabbed like my baseball hats. for extra fun light in my shower i used to point the TM15, meanwhile i point the Fenix in _mode5_ to the shower cabin. our flashlight to light the shower! :huh: 

anyway i found it notable that i took the conscious decision to ban my beloved H1 Nova in favor of the Fenix. Whatever the H1 Nova can do, the Fenix does it better. Whatever the H1 Nova cannot do (e.g. it can't be used as jogging lamp imho), the Fenix cannot do either. i still love the Olight, so when time comes, i wouldn't mind reintroducing it to my everyday life (with a freshly sourced replacement headband) but for the time being i only need and want just 1 headlamp in my life. So if i had to choose which headlamp to stick with me for the rest of my life, i'd pick the Fenix, no doubt.

Time will tell how long the Fenix headband or the plastic holder on the headband will hold up. If the holder breaks (say by aging or thru an accident), we'll deal with it then. If the spare part isn't available, we could use a third-party headband (Armytek, etc) instead, I'm confident. Too early to worry.

Just know, the Fenis has become my one and only headlamp! :thumbsup:


----------



## 3L3M3NT (Sep 30, 2020)

Mike_Smith said:


> I prefer a more neutral white tint and direct access to red light with double click from off state. I wonder why a) it's only in Czech/Slovakia markets and b) the different UX.
> 
> Curious about the color temperature and CRI, I found some specs on the LED:
> 
> ...



The Black Friday price was $67.xx with free shipping from https://www.batteryjunction.com/

If you've never order here----> https://www.fenix-store.com/ They offer 20% off for any 1st time customer, so it would only be $68 shipped if my math is right. lol


----------



## bulgie (Oct 5, 2020)

Just got mine, after being strictly a Zebralight kinda guy for the last 12 years. I keep upgrading when they put out a substantially better model, and the old ones get relegated to car glove compartment, bedside table etc. I decided to try the Fenix because it's cheaper and has some actual advantages over ZL. Not sure yet how/where it will be deployed.

Mostly happy but there are some major downsides, the main one being the hotspot. All my ZLs are pure flood except a couple that are "floody". I only use them for two things, close-up worklight, and "be seen" light on bike helmet. For both of those, I want a flood. I know this is personal preference and there is a place for a light with more throw, but not for my uses. Someone please let me know if this light comes in a flood version and I just screwed up ordering the wrong SKU.

The other annoyance is that it doesn't take flat-top cells, which is all of mine. I guess this is probably a FAQ -- *where do I get a tiny magnet to attach to my flat-tops to give them a button on the + end?

*Lest I sound too negative, there's lots to like. I love the snap-in cradle on the headband -- ZL's is a pain by comparison. It's brilliant how the pocket clip can stay attached when it's in the headband.

I love how the ZL steps down in power mode when the battery is low, and I think I'm going to hate the behavior of the Fenix when it plunges me into darkness with no warning. Does anyone think that's a feature and not a bug? When would you want that?

I'll never use the USB charger, because I always have a bunch of charged cells lying around, so I'll just swap one of those in and put the dead one in the charger. The tail-cap magnet might be useful someday, but not in my normal usage, so that feature is pretty neutral for me.

I got the first-timer's 20% off deal, so I'm happy, but at regular retail I think I'd rather pay a bit more for a ZL. Fenix hasn't converted me with this light.

Mark B in Seattle


----------



## kreisl (Oct 7, 2020)

bulgie said:


> I love how the ZL steps down in power mode when the battery is low, and I think I'm going to hate the behavior of the Fenix when it plunges me into darkness with no warning. Does anyone think that's a feature and not a bug? When would you want that?


Marc B seriously your 5th post in 10years? great to see you posting here then appreciated:wave:

I once owned the Zebralight 16340 headlamp with *PID *and h*ted that feature, i found it too distracting and annoying. Now all ZL lights have PID and buyers seem to enjoy it, so my exceptional opinion doesn't count.

The Fenix has a diffusing plastic lens which makes the beam less hotspotty. There is a hotspot, sure, but at the same time it is a floody light (because of the funny lens). There are no different versions of the HM61R, other than the Czech version with AMBER tint.

The op mentioned that the light needs a 18650 battery with a protruding top and that i use a 18650 protected battery with a tiny magnet. ebay is my goto source for magnets but i also bought some off of BG, GB, FT, AX, etc. Anyway, the HM61R product package comes with a FREE 3500mAh protected Fenix battery with protruding top. If Fenix implements a mechanical reverse polarity protection, then usually i doht complain but say thank you fenis. My effing Zebralight AA light does not have any reverse polarity protection, neither mechanical nor physical nor electrical nor electronical, *ucks! :shakehead

Years ago I had never thought that i would use the recharging capability of my liion lights. But nowadays the lazy in me leaves the TM15 hooked to the power brick barrel plug charger every night (it's been "years" since i last opened the TM15 battery compartment), the Xiaomi phone hooked to the micro-USB charging cable all the time, and the Fenix light hooked to the magnetic charging cable all the time, with no detrimental effect. I doht like micro-USB charging ports (they are not long-lived!), so i understand why people doht use the micro-USB charging capability on their Klarus lights and whatnot. But Nietcore barrel plugs and this Fenix* airtight watertight dusttight* magnetic port?? They are game changers and very satisfactory to use. Robust, should last a lifetime, with thousands of plugging und unplugging, and super convenient.

The tail magnet found some great use today when the plumber did his maintenance work. He had his own personal light with tail magnet, an Olight 16340 flashlight but he couldn't make use of his because the Olight is straight not L-angled. He attached my magnetic Fenis to some pipe (or similar) in horizontal position and rotated the HM61R to position the beam on his work piece. Very cool. :thumbsup:
Let's be clear: If you buy a 18650 light for work (i.e. a work light), then it must have a magnetic tail. It adds so much to the versatility, and from one point on you wouldn't want to accept a 18650 work light without it. Sure, if you work in an environment surrounded by plastics only, then the magnetic tail doesn't function. lol.

Last but not least your quote. The Fenix never plunges to darkness, at least not without some warning in the meantime:







If you start on the higher modes, the light steps down from constant brightness to a noticeably lower level (again for constant brightness), and then later yet again to another lower level. When you realize that the light must have stepped down, it's also your realization that it's time to recharge the battery or to swap in a fresh battery. Before the Fenix leaves you in the dark, it gives you sufficient hints that you're running low on battery and should take some action.
But it is true that the Fenix offers constant brightness regulation (plus thermal regulation) which i wanted ymmv. As mentioned, i h*ted the Zebralight's PID, which meant in practice that the Zebralight brightness was never constant wtf :duh2:. ZL PID is constantly microstepping down or microstepping up the current, which means that the current is smartly electronically regulated (yes!) but also that the brightness is changing all the time (argh!).

Constant brightness for long runtimes and at "realistic/practical/conservative/safe/sustainable" high-lumens levels is what you get out of the Fenis. High efficiency, with no plunges into the dark. I wanted to clarify this point, we need to get our facts straight.

And again, the only(!) *confirmed *negatives of the HM61R product (compared to the direct competition) are the greenish hotspot tint* on the lower modes *(tint fetishists please stay away from HM61R and HM61R AMBER; i haven't experienced the HM61R AMBER tint, but better to err on the side of caution, the benefit of the doubt), and the questionable longevity/spare part availability of the plasticky holder.

Anyone else who got the light and likes it as much as i do?


----------



## linpp (Oct 7, 2020)

> The Fenix never plunges to darkness, at least not without some warning in the meantime


I get near 4 hours on high (400 lm)with a tiny stepdown at some point, then a significant reduction for 15 min., then firefly.


> Anyone else who got the light and likes it as much as i do?



I'm very satisfied with it, a huge step up from the Fenix HL 50.


----------



## 3L3M3NT (Oct 7, 2020)

I'm a big fan of the HM61R! I alternate between it and my modified HL55 that has a Luminous SST40 HD LED and Vinh Nguyen's DriverVNX2 UI to manage the light output. If I need a super bright headlamp, I go with the HL55vn, since Vinh mentioned that it should be putting out ~2000lm and it'll only step down when it's getting to hot unlike the factory interface that only has 30 seconds of Boost output. Most nights when I go for a walk with the dog or have some task to accomplish the HM61R is more than adequate for my needs though.

I will say that I like the bigger buttons that Fenix has used on both the HM61R and the HL55, since you can operate the light in the colder climates when mittens or gloves are necessary.

The upgrades on the HM61R that I really appreciate over the HL55 include:
-Battery indicator
-Headband
-It's removeable the the headband mount
-Magnetic tail cap
-Magnetic charging
-The fact that it came with a quality 18650 battery

Like I mentioned earlier, that this headlamp even converted my dad to a headlamp guy after I bought him one for his birthday. I may have even convinced a friend of ours to pick one up here in the future. He was really impressed with the magnetic tail cap. I try to spread the word about the HM61R as much as I can without being too annoying. Haha


----------



## bulgie (Oct 7, 2020)

kreisl said:


> Marc B seriously your 5th post in 10years?



What can I say, not a flashaholic, just a guy who uses them for work and play. I see the attraction, and I am in no way putting down the people who nerd out over flashlights – they're cool and worth nerding out over. I just have different things that I am a nerd for.



kreisl said:


> I once owned the Zebralight 16340 headlamp with *PID *and h*ted that feature, i found it too distracting and annoying. Now all ZL lights have PID and buyers seem to enjoy it, so my exceptional opinion doesn't count.



I don't know what PID means, but if it means dropping down in brightness before the battery is empty, then yes I like that. The brightness of the ZL seems (to my uneducated eye) very constant, until that threshold is hit, then it steps down enough, all at once, that I notice it, and I know it's time to switch cells.



kreisl said:


> The Fenix has a diffusing plastic lens which makes the beam less hotspotty. There is a hotspot, sure, but at the same time it is a floody light (because of the funny lens).



Yeah I have to admit that after using it a while, it's not that bad. I still prefer a pure flood with no hotspot, but this is livable, not a dealbreaker.



kreisl said:


> The op mentioned that the light needs a 18650 battery with a protruding top and that i use a 18650 protected battery with a tiny magnet. ebay is my goto source for magnets but i also bought some off of BG, GB, FT, AX, etc. Anyway, the HM61R product package comes with a FREE 3500mAh protected Fenix battery with protruding top. If Fenix implements a mechanical reverse polarity protection, then usually i doht complain but say thank you fenis. My effing Zebralight AA light does not have any reverse polarity protection, neither mechanical nor physical nor electrical nor electronical, *ucks! :shakehead



I don't know what "BG, GB, FT, AX" means, but yeah I don't expect much trouble finding a magnet. I only need one, that will stay with the light and get transferred to each battery that goes in. I was hoping for some guidance in terms of what diameter and height to buy, but I doubt it's too critical -- I'll take a stab at it and it'll probably work out fine.

BTW the last few ZLs I bought have reverse polarity protection, but they work with flat-top cells. So I don't see what the connection is. 



kreisl said:


> Years ago I had never thought that i would use the recharging capability of my liion lights.



My problem is, I use the light for long sessions that can drain even a fully charged cell. I need to be able to swap in a charged one to keep working, or riding in the case of my bike helmet lights.



kreisl said:


> Let's be clear: If you buy a 18650 light for work (i.e. a work light), then it must have a magnetic tail.



Hmm, I can't imagine ever taking it off my head, for working. With a floody headlight, everywhere you look is lit. The light source being so close to your eyes means you never see any shadows, or not worth mentioning. Seems to me, sticking the magnet to anything is going to be inferior to having it on my head.



kreisl said:


> Last but not least your quote. The Fenix never plunges to darkness, at least not without some warning in the meantime:



OK then great, I misunderstood. A previous poster (Maybe OP) said something about it not stepping down. I am glad that it does step down before the battery is empty – that's all I ask!

Thanks for taking the time to reply in such detail.

Cheers
Mark


----------



## kreisl (Oct 8, 2020)

Thx also for your detailed feedback! :wave:



bulgie said:


> I don't know what PID means, but if it means dropping down in brightness before the battery is empty, then yes I like that. The brightness of the ZL seems (to my uneducated eye) very constant,


The newer ZL models have "PID thermal regulated outputs", which means that the regulation uses a named _continuous immediate _electronic feedback loop for the current control. A cheap marketing trick to throw in unnecessary technical terms which sound fancy/superior but are the most common thing among the competition (like saying "_has reflectorless polycarbonate UV-filter impact resistant diffusion 21st century optics_" instead of simply saying that the light has a "_has cheap plastic lens which gets easily scratched and ruined by contact with chemicals_" ). Against the white wall my trained eye can see the effect of the ZL thermal regulation resulting in continuous non-constant brightness, changing with maybe *0.5Hz*. Ah never mind, this is a fenis thread lol. The fenis has thermal _protection _after all too. For further discussion of PID, please check the Zebralight threads.



bulgie said:


> I was hoping for some guidance in terms of what diameter and height to buy,


Nerds understand the abbreviations for banggood gearbest fasttech aliexpress, these are infamous online shopping websites with headquarters in the china. A popular magnet size for use as battery top is *Ø5.0mm×1.5mm*, and it's what i use too. 



bulgie said:


> BTW the last few ZLs I bought have reverse polarity protection, but they work with flat-top cells.


electronic reverse polarity protection (RPP) has its advantages and disadvantages, an electrical engineer could lecture you on that topic. my ZL doesn't have any kind of reverse polarity protection. the disadvantage of mechanical is that some flatter tops need a magnet. the advantage is that they're fail-safer (this is a point which cannot be argued or it'll become offtopic), so i prefer and love them mechanicals. You would have preferred the fenis with an electronic RPP, i prefer the fenis as it is, mechanical, ymmv.



bulgie said:


> Hmm, I can't imagine ever taking it off my head, for working. With a floody headlight, everywhere you look is lit. The light source being so close to your eyes means you never see any shadows, or not worth mentioning. Seems to me, sticking the magnet to anything is going to be inferior to having it on my head.


woht argue with that, all good there. just saying that, in yesterday's plumber example, the tail magnet came in handy (and i wouldn't have wanted his sweaty stinky greasy hair to have worn _my _fenis headband yuck haha :green:, and maybe he wouldn't have wanted to ruin his hair style through the headband). Also there are instances where i want my work light to generate shadows from a sideways angle. Example, lighting up dust or else on a flat surface which i am about to clean; i regard hours of cleaning as work ymmv. Whether you doht use the magnet or not, in the more general case it is better to have it than not to have it, just in case. Can't be argued. That's the whole reason _why _fenis armytek olight nietcore and and and released their headlamps wiv a tail magnet. It's an enrichment, in general. In particular, not for everybody. I understand.

Btw i like Zebralight a lot, they're iconic nietch. Iirc they were the first to make a splash in the cpf headlamp scene, and they're still the #1 at making the lightweightest products of their kind (exception: my Olight H1 Nova is lightweighter than any ZL 16340 headlamps). Well, the fenis has two(!) added magnets (the magnetic tail, and the magnetic charging port), and i make use of either and wouldn't want to miss them, so that adds to the flashlight weight. Without the two magnets, the fenis would weigh as little as a zebra (nice claim kreisl!! haha). So for people, who want ultimate lightweight (e.g. for jogging) and would never use the two magnets, the zebralight would be the better choice. :thumbsup:


----------



## kreisl (Oct 9, 2020)

3L3M3NT said:


> -Headband
> -It's removeable the the headband mount


haha, funny post, thanks for sharing!

Btw the headband itself, i.e. without the plastic mount/holder, is available as official spare part, Fenix *AFH-02* Headband Special Edition (MSRP US$9.95). Amazon and fenis distributors carry it already. It's a pity that the plastic mount/holder is *not *included in the AFH-02 product, and afaik it is *not *available as spare part.





We should report back as soon as one of us owners managed to break the plastic mount. Armytek *A01203 *(MSRP US$3.20) is the spare part number for the headband including the plastic mount/holder. Could the Armytek holder be used on AFH-02 and for HM61R?  Goinggear lists A01203 as "Discontinued" anyway. My local Armytek dealer sells the plastic mount for EUR2.50 mas shipping. Nice price but the Fenix diameter is prolly too slim for the Armytek plastic holder anyway:





If in distant future all fails, we could use a standard silicone holder?


----------



## kreisl (Oct 9, 2020)

kreisl said:


> because of the physical reverse polarity protection the battery should have a protruding defined button top. i use a generic protected NCR18650B, which has a wide top, with a neodymium magnet as a defined button top for a total of 70.5mm length


Fenix claims/advertises that the light has "◎Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery insertion". I re-examined and can confirm that the RPP has to be physical/mechanical. It is difficult to take depth measurements but with a Stanley blade as reference level, i am getting 71.25 for the center and 4x 71.1 for the brass(?) donut, so there is indeed a clearance of about 0.15mm which is veeery scarce.

After installing a *0.70mm* spacer (2x0.35 paperboard), the light still works with the supplied Fenix 3500 battery and i also get more consistent depth measurements. With a Stanley blade as reference level, 71.25 (raised solder point) vs 4×70.4 (donut), that's a *0.85mm *clearance, interesting, nice! As it appears, the light does not need a spacer mod after all. I am adding a loose 1×0.35mm paperboard spacer *anyway *because i doht like the look of the donut (is it lathed aluminum? is it installed brass? for sure it is metal, and metal is a conductor yikes).


----------



## 3L3M3NT (Oct 10, 2020)

kreisl said:


> haha, funny post, thanks for sharing!
> 
> Btw the headband itself, i.e. without the plastic mount/holder, is available as official spare part, Fenix *AFH-02* Headband Special Edition (MSRP US$9.95). Amazon and fenis distributors carry it already. It's a pity that the plastic mount/holder is *not *included in the AFH-02 product, and afaik it is *not *available as spare part.
> 
> ...



No problem, I'm happy to get the word out about this headlamp.:twothumbs

Yeah, I saw that they have that all black headband out there now. 
https://www.fenix-store.com/fenix-afh-02-headband-special-edition/

You can buy the HM61R Black on these two sites. 
https://scandinavianoutdoor.com/fenix/gear/lighting/head-lamps/hm61r-black/
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/fenix-hm61r-black-edition-headlamp/63321

You could buy the HM61R Ruby if you're looking for a Neutral White(NW) tint. They say the tint is 4500k. I wish I had the money to buy it just to see the differences and try it out.
https://www.kronium.cz/nabijeci-celovka-fenix-hm61r-amber/prod_2217.html

Granted I don't know why you would if you buy it on those sites, when you could buy both the HM61R and the special edition headband at https://www.fenix-store.com/ for less if you're a first time customer and use the 20% off they offer to first time customers.

I honestly don't think you would have to buy a new holder for the light. Fenix would more than likely warrant the holder and send you a new one, at least that's my experience when I emailed them about the headband on my HL55 being all stretched out to the point that it wasn't staying in place like it used to. Fenix just asked me for the Serial Number(SN) that's on the light and my address, then about 2 weeks later a new headband and top strap showed up at my place. I really don't see one of the holders breaking super easy and would probably have to be dropped from a pretty good height to break it and if it were to fall from a substantial height and the light was in the holder as well, you'd have more problems than just a broken holder imo.

The only way to know if the Armytek holder will work, would to be to buy it and give it a try. Unless someone has both lights and could see if it works.


----------



## kreisl (Oct 10, 2020)

3L3M3NT said:


> The only way to know if the Armytek holder will work, would to be to buy it and give it a try. Unless someone has both lights and could see if it works.





jirik_cz said:


>


yah, let's not worry much about the plastic holder. if it breaks in a freak accident, i would ask Fenix manufacturer (not distributor) for help first. I forecast the HM61R flashlight to survive tens of years (it has a 2m drop impact resistance rating, etc) around my house, but the product and spare parts might get discontinued much sooner. we all know how fast the Chinese product market is moving, nothing stays available in production/sale/storage forever.

@jirik_cz has both the Armytek headband and the Fenix. Unfortunately he isn't much around on cpf. I am really interested in knowing if the Armytek holder is *acceptably *usable for our headlamp.






You said -20% OFF? I am thinking about getting a second copy, soon.


----------



## linpp (Oct 11, 2020)

> Granted I don't know why you would if you buy it on those sites, when you could buy both the HM61R and the special edition headband at https://www.fenix-store.com/ for less if you're a first time customer and use the 20% off they offer to first time customers.


European here, actually,Fenix US isn't shipping to Europe, so sadly, no discount for us.


----------



## 3L3M3NT (Oct 11, 2020)

linpp said:


> European here, actually,Fenix US isn't shipping to Europe, so sadly, no discount for us.



That sucks to hear! It would be nice if there was either some store in Europe that offered 20% off to first time customers or something could be worked out with the Fenix US that you could still get 20% off, but would have to pay $15 for International shipping or something like that...

Hopefully you can get one if you haven't already picked one up.


----------



## linpp (Oct 12, 2020)

> Hopefully you can get one if you haven't already picked one up.


I paid 85 Euro ( 100 $ ), so yes, a 20% discount would have been welcome.
but remember: "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten." Benjamin Franklin.
But I am extremely satisfied with my first 18650 light.


----------



## kreisl (Oct 12, 2020)

kreisl said:


> Fenix claims/advertises that the light has "◎Reverse polarity protection, to protect from improper battery insertion". I re-examined and can confirm that the RPP has to be physical/mechanical.


Lol. Con fusion's perfect. I emailed Fenis China, asking very clearly what kind of RPP is implemented in the HM61R, physical/mechanical *or *electronic/electrical. They emailed me back, also with a very clear (and official?) answer: 


cocoATfenis said:


> "It is electronic."


Interesting. 

But I doht necessarily trust that answer. And maybe the question doesn't matter, since the light is, also clearly, advertised as having RPP, so wth cares which kind of RPP it *really *has. They say it's electronic, i say that _my _measurements hint at mechanical *ymmv *(and that i've added a 0.35mm paperboard spacer just to be extra safe).

Here a relevant example battery, my blue UltraFire4000 has a button top which protrudes by only 0.5mm (relative to the blue shoulder). It works nicely in the unmodded HM61R. As soon as i add the 0.35mm paperboard spacer, the light stops working, which means that a protrusion of 0.15mm is not enough to make contact:





What's interesting is that the UltraFire4000 has also a protruding _bottom_. It's difficult to measure, but the battery's (-)pole is raised by up to 0.20mm. If you try to measure the battery length with a metallic caliper, you'd short the battery, ouch. In any case, a raised bottom center _could _jeopardize the functionality of the mechanical RPP. *Btw imho *the mechanical RPP is not the brass donut but the two raised bars around the center raised (convex? concave?) contact disc. These bars are at the ~same level as the brass donut. If my measurements are correct, then it'd mean that a smooth flat bottom could not make contact with the center contact disc, regardless of the brass donut:





Eneloops have a raised bottom too, i.e. on a smooth flat metallic surface (like your metallic calipers) the Eneloop bottom would make electrical contact. In contrast, the bottom of the Sanyo 14500 battery would not make contact with your metallic calipers:





EDIT: I took re-measurements and discovered that not the ring is the RPP but the inner pair of bars. They are raised by over 0.4mm higher than the centerpluspole, meaning that there is a clearance of at least 0.4mm when a flat battery bottom is installed reversely, nice! This is how structural RPP is implemented, well done Fenis:







linpp said:


> But I am extremely satisfied with my first 18650 light.


In the op i mentioned that early sale units could be had for ~56$ shipped, now i've ordered a second unit for ~60$ shipped; however i understand that not everyone feels comfortable ordering from chinese vendors like aliexpress, alibaba, and so on. Btw some of these vendors like Gearbest used to be CPF dealers iirc. @linpp , congrats to the purchase of this top quality 18650 light! I believe the first thing that will fail will be the shiny plastic wrapper of the Fenix 3500mAh battery. I have enough experience with cracking plastic shrink wraps by XTAR, EAGLETAC, OLIGHT, TRUSTFIRE, etc, it's a shame. How do you like the tint of the light?


----------



## linpp (Oct 13, 2020)

> In the op i mentioned that early sale units could be had for ~56$ shipped, now i've ordered a second unit for ~60$ shipped;



thank you for the tip, I think I might order a second one as well,€ 56 is the cheapest offer I could find on Ali, not bad, although I guess the lower price probably has consequences as far as guarantee is concerned, none I presume.

I am using my HM 61 about 50% of the time out of the headband, so if I do get a second one I'll use it just as hand-held torch I think.


> How do you like the tint of the light?



I'm a tiny bit colourblind so I can't see the greenish tint you wrote about, but overall I'm very satisfied about the tint, for my eyes it is very near cold daylight, the old HL50 has a definite yellow tint, more like sunset.
I have been using the light the last few days outfitting my new van, plywood sides, installing tie bolts etc.
Quite a bit of fitting, sawing, drilling, like you I alternate between setting 3 and 4, depending on the distance.

This one is actually the third 18650 light I tried out, I received the Zebra H604d, which is pure flood, although I use the light mainly for work I still didn't like the fact that there was no spot at all.
I want to try out the H600F which is floody, but this light is not available right now.
I also tried the Armitek wizard pro V3,which I didn't really like, especially the temperature, too hot for my liking.


----------



## kreisl (Oct 14, 2020)

When using as hand-held torch, people could attach a wrist strap at the pocket clip (there's a convenient hole), me thinks for extra silly security. Just saying, some of us like attaching a lanyard on our tools. I haven't dropped my fenis yet but i have covered head and tail with duct tape haha to prevent scratches. There's nothing wrong with keeping cherished tools in best-looking condition for continuous joy :kiss:

Zebras should be lightweighter (because of two missing magnets), have higher energetic efficiency (ZL's trademark) and nicer tint (tint options to choose from). But this fenis _is_ lightweight, _has_ high efficiency, and is also really compact. Tint on mode3, mode4, mode5, very acceptable, no concern, better than yellow or hot tint imho.

So do you still have hands on the H604d or the Wizard Pro V3, what happened?

Congrats to the new van! Sounds like some wonderful times ahead! :huh: :thumbsup:

( buying from Ali, i doht expect warranty service from that vendor, he might be gone after a couple of months; vendors come and go on Ali. if there's a product problem within the first few weeks, one can get money back from seller or ali or paypal. during and beyond warranty period, fenis china is a good place to start asking for assistance. btw i doht like the fenix/nietcore/olight/cletus distributors *personally* in my country, as i h*te all local flashlight retailers where i live, i'm just wired like that:laughing:, so no wonder that i go shopping on ali, bg, gb, ft, hke, etc for flashlights and edc items )


----------



## jirik_cz (Oct 16, 2020)

kreisl said:


> @jirik_cz has both the Armytek headband and the Fenix. Unfortunately he isn't much around on cpf. I am really interested in knowing if the Armytek holder is *acceptably *usable for our headlamp.



It is not a perfect fit, because Fenix holder is quite a lot larger. But if you remove the clip from HM61R, it fits the Armytek holder acceptably. 

But I'm pretty sure that you can get replacement of original holder from your Fenix distributor if needed. In CZ, they offer it as a spare part. It is usefull if you use the headlamp with ALG-03 helmet mount. With spare holder you do not need to remove the headbands from holder, you just switch the holders.


----------



## kreisl (Oct 16, 2020)

jirik_cz said:


> In CZ, they offer it as a spare part.


Good to know, thank you so much for the information and photos! :twothumbslovecpf
With two hm61r retail packages in da house (for a single user me hehe), i'll hopefully never have the need to order that spare part! Out of fear that it might get out of stock/discontinued in future, i should order one unit and store in safe-keeping nonetheless, better be safe than sorry?:thinking:

Meanwhile the geman fenis distributor fenix.de has stocked the spare part too, for 6.90eur mas shipping lmao. :laughing:

Now that we know that the Armytek holder provides an acceptable fit, I'd order the _Armytek _spare part for sure, next time i place an order with that vendor, because it's only 2.50eur nice price.


----------



## McSpeed (Oct 31, 2020)

I believe the HM65R ticks all the boxes. All lights are a set of compromises. Weight? Hot spots? Cost? From a pure utility perspective, the HMR65R ticks all the boxes. Using two separate lights in one is the answer. Use the flood for closer up needs without hot spots. Use the spot for illuminating distances. Two totally different needs served in one headlamp. All the specs are cool and fun to compare but real world is where it’s at IMO.


----------



## n2mb_racing (Nov 1, 2020)

McSpeed said:


> I believe the HM65R ticks all the boxes. All lights are a set of compromises. Weight? Hot spots? Cost? From a pure utility perspective, the HMR65R ticks all the boxes. Using two separate lights in one is the answer. Use the flood for closer up needs without hot spots. Use the spot for illuminating distances. Two totally different needs served in one headlamp. All the specs are cool and fun to compare but real world is where it’s at IMO.



Is the HM65R lighter than the HM61R ?


----------



## kreisl (Nov 1, 2020)

McSpeed said:


> I believe the HM65R ticks all the boxes.


ah you mean the HM65R instead of the HM61R, they're about the same weight i see. Yes compromises, that's why fenis released both models at the same time, one cannot have all advantages of either model in 1 single light. Good to have a fair choice. i never tested the HM65R because i knew what i wanted/preferred, so i chose the HM61R. Imho this model sets the *new reference* in the _1x18650 L-angled headlamp_ category. At home/indoors I use it as handheld flashlight all the time; and i wouldn't do so if the headband was a nietcore or olight or zebralight headband. And i really enjoy the fun headband clamping/unclamping, when i need handsfree operation. Sometimes while wearing the headlamp on the head for handsfree operation (walking, orientation, moving, working), i'd *spontaneously unclamp* the light to deploy it differently, e.g. because maybe i'd need/want lighting of an object from a different perspective/direction (and i might use the tailcap magnet too in that instance). And then i'd clamp the light back "on my head" and continue with "headlight".

Just beautiful. :kiss: (Of course, one can do such temporary clamping/unclamping with an Armytek Wizard Pro too)



n2mb_racing said:


> 147g total?!


i'm measuring 146g total (light+headband+battery), not sustainable for professional jogging haha. Yes the 2 internal magnets contribute to the weight. One could remove the tailcap magnet with the right kind of tool to uninstall the spring. The alu tailcap weighs ~11g. With the magnet uninstalled it would weigh ~3g, saving 8g (guesstimate doht quote me on that).

Soon i'll post pictures of my 2 units.


----------



## n2mb_racing (Nov 1, 2020)

kreisl said:


> i'm measuring 146g total (light+headband+battery), not sustainable for professional jogging haha. Yes the 2 internal magnets contribute to the weight. One could remove the tailcap magnet with the right kind of tool to uninstall the spring. The alu tailcap weighs ~11g. With the magnet uninstalled it would weigh ~3g, saving 8g (guesstimate doht quote me on that).



Yeah. I'm currently running with the Zebralight H52 with a Vapcell INR14500 L10 1050mAh battery. It's 70 grams with band and battery. Very light! But, only runs an hour at full brightness (300 lm). Most of my night runs are about that length, so that's usually ok. But, around the house work I end up changing the battery quite a few times. But, I'm curious to try moving up to 500 or 600 lm for 2 hrs with a 18650 light... Especially high CRI, might help me to spot sticks and holes, to prevent tripping on them.


----------



## kreisl (Nov 1, 2020)

n2mb_racing said:


> Zebralight H52 with a Vapcell INR14500 L10 1050mAh battery


H52. 

SC52. 

Talking of SC52 haha, have you studied my post on SC52's "missing" reverse polarity protection? The Vapcell is a flat-top battery and since it makes electrical contact in your SC52 unit, it could mean that your flashlight is *not *protected against reverse battery insertion. I might be wrong though, so just take my words as a warning. You could find out by taking exact measurements with a digital caliper. Feel free to post your comments on SC52 in that thread, you're welcome. 

:thumbsup:

night running, sticks, holes, woah. long runtimes at 500lm are a tough ask from a runner's light which must be light-weight. Zebralight have the lightest headlamps. But i have no experience if even the lightest 18650 headlamps are _really _sustainable as a runner's light, in the long run no pun intended; of course, there _are _hardcore people around the world who do use 18650 headlamps like Wizard Pro or Zebralight _for _running: i believe i've seen geman forum threads on the topic but couldn't follow the argumentation sorry. personally, if i were a runner, i wouldn't run with a 18650 headlight, just my anti-preference thanks. Olight had a dedicated runner's light, the Olight *HS2* (2017) and Olight *Array* (2019), but it was discontinued quickly within 2.0 years iirc, apparently not a sales success. Good luck on your search!


----------



## n2mb_racing (Nov 1, 2020)

kreisl said:


> On a side note, have you studied my post on SC52's "missing" reverse polarity protection? The Vapcell is a flat-top battery and since it makes electrical contact in your SC52 unit, it could mean that your flashlight is *not *protected against reverse battery insertion. I might be wrong though, so just take my words as a warning. You could find out by taking exact measurements with a digital caliper. Feel free to post your comments on SC52 in that thread, you're welcome.



Good point. I'd better check my light. Seems likely to be missing reverse polarity protection since I've used unprotected UR14500P cells as well, both without a magnet.

Or just be really careful....


----------



## geepondy (Nov 1, 2020)

The HM61R seems to be advertised as an all around headlamp. I was looking at reviews online but do you think the beam profile is wide enough to make a good running headlamp? Fenix sure has a ton of headlamps with much overlap.


----------



## kreisl (Nov 2, 2020)

geepondy said:


> think the beam profile is wide enough to make a good running headlamp?





geepondy said:


> is the beam floody enough for running? I'm interesting in seeing the first 20 or 30 feet in front of me with good side illumination vs seeing 150 feet down the road. I like lights where the spill off is very smooth from the center, like the orange peel reflector look.


The beam is per definition *f*loody and very wide because of the plastic collimator lens with *f*rosted finish. The beam profile would be definitely wide enough for running purposes but i can't vouch for this Fenis model (or any other Fenix model) being suitable for jogging because of the weight and weight distribution. 146g on your head, and then all concentrated at the front, argh! The headband distributes the weight but nah .. imho "_no 18650 headlamp is really recommendable for jogging_" (_©2020 kreisl_), even though i never tried it, just my two cents as an opining couch potato haha. Fenix has/had an annoyingly vast selection of old/new headlamps, many of which were plasticky and light-weight (as headlamps should be) and similar in product properties, and i believe they have been trying to discontinue a good old portion. Yet afaik none of them was/is advertised as runner's light. 

Short answer: while the beam profile is suitable, the total product itself is imho not suitable for running. But if you really live in a van down by the river, then i'd say that the HM61R should be the perfect personal allround lighting solution for such a living situation. It's a simple tidy neat product and therefore likable, unlike the fiddly complex mess of the Olight Array and Olight HS2 which would get on your nerves after a while. Keep it simple, stupid.

If your amazon shop allows you to buy, test, return at no hassle/cost, then you could consider this option.


----------



## geepondy (Nov 2, 2020)

Thanks for the insightful answer. I can see your point. For a running headlamp, the weight distribution would probably better if the battery pack was on the rear. I can see how a headlamp with a battery of that size and everything at the front, would be front heavy, more so then my HL26R.



kreisl said:


> The beam is per definition *f*loody and very wide because of the plastic collimator lens with *f*rosted finish. The beam profile would be definitely wide enough for running purposes but i can't vouch for this Fenis model (or any other Fenix model) being suitable for jogging because of the weight and weight distribution. 146g on your head, and then all concentrated at the front, argh! The headband distributes the weight but nah .. imho "_no 18650 headlamp is really recommendable for jogging_" (_©2020 kreisl_), even though i never tried it, just my two cents as an opining couch potato haha. Fenix has/had an annoyingly vast selection of old/new headlamps, many of which were plasticky and light-weight (as headlamps should be) and similar in product properties, and i believe they have been trying to discontinue a good old portion. Yet afaik none of them was/is advertised as runner's light.
> 
> Short answer: while the beam profile is suitable, the total product itself is imho not suitable for running. But if you really live in a van down by the river, then i'd say that the HM61R should be the perfect personal allround lighting solution for such a living situation. It's a simple tidy neat product and therefore likable, unlike the fiddly complex mess of the Olight Array and Olight HS2 which would get on your nerves after a while. Keep it simple, stupid.
> 
> If your amazon shop allows you to buy, test, return at no hassle/cost, then you could consider this option.


----------



## McSpeed (Nov 5, 2020)

n2mb_racing said:


> Yeah. I'm currently running with the Zebralight H52 with a Vapcell INR14500 L10 1050mAh battery. It's 70 grams with band and battery. Very light! But, only runs an hour at full brightness (300 lm). Most of my night runs are about that length, so that's usually ok. But, around the house work I end up changing the battery quite a few times. But, I'm curious to try moving up to 500 or 600 lm for 2 hrs with a 18650 light... Especially high CRI, might help me to spot sticks and holes, to prevent tripping on them.



I would give the Hm65r a try. I’ll take. little bit more weight for a lot more light and run time. I used to run a lot in the dark without a light until I broke my ankle tripping on a cable strung across a sidewalk. 

The weight being in front is pretty comfortable. My last headlamp had the battery pack in back although it did not have the top strap like the Fenix and it tended to slide around more. 

I’m not here to sell you on Fenix, just sharing what I have experienced. IMO the light is the most important factor and everything else falls lower in order of importance. Like I noted before, it is a series of compromises. If weight is important you can use a low lumen light with a small battery. I buy a light for LIGHT! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## 3L3M3NT (Nov 6, 2020)

geepondy said:


> The HM61R seems to be advertised as an all around headlamp. I was looking at reviews online but do you think the beam profile is wide enough to make a good running headlamp? Fenix sure has a ton of headlamps with much overlap.



If you're worried about weight you could buy the HM61Rs little brother the HM51R.
https://www.blackcomb-shop.eu/en-US...P-JDS2vVRP0zkpjFH-gBkPgaAu4hEALw_wcB#one-size



kreisl said:


> The beam is per definition *f*loody and very wide because of the plastic collimator lens with *f*rosted finish. The beam profile would be definitely wide enough for running purposes but i can't vouch for this Fenis model (or any other Fenix model) being suitable for jogging because of the weight and weight distribution. 146g on your head, and then all concentrated at the front, argh! The headband distributes the weight but nah .. imho "_no 18650 headlamp is really recommendable for jogging_" (_©2020 kreisl_), even though i never tried it, just my two cents as an opining couch potato haha. Fenix has/had an annoyingly vast selection of old/new headlamps, many of which were plasticky and light-weight (as headlamps should be) and similar in product properties, and i believe they have been trying to discontinue a good old portion. Yet afaik none of them was/is advertised as runner's light.
> 
> Short answer: while the beam profile is suitable, the total product itself is imho not suitable for running. But if you really live in a van down by the river, then i'd say that the HM61R should be the perfect personal allround lighting solution for such a living situation. It's a simple tidy neat product and therefore likable, unlike the fiddly complex mess of the Olight Array and Olight HS2 which would get on your nerves after a while. Keep it simple, stupid.
> 
> If your amazon shop allows you to buy, test, return at no hassle/cost, then you could consider this option.



I like the suggestion of buying off of Amazon to give it a try and if you like it you could keep it or if either wanna save some money or don't like the HM61R, you could always return it.
If you liked it, but returned it to save some money you could buy it at https://www.fenix-store.com/ and save 20% off your order. 



McSpeed said:


> I would give the Hm65r a try. I’ll take. little bit more weight for a lot more light and run time. I used to run a lot in the dark without a light until I broke my ankle tripping on a cable strung across a sidewalk.
> 
> The weight being in front is pretty comfortable. My last headlamp had the battery pack in back although it did not have the top strap like the Fenix and it tended to slide around more.
> 
> ...



I'm with you there! It's better to have a longer runtime and brighter light than what you think you might need, then the other way around where it's too dim and runs out of battery before you complete your run/activity.


----------



## seery (Nov 6, 2020)

The Fenix HL55 checks all the boxes for us.

Simple UI, no strobe, no hidden modes, awesome beam pattern, excellent color rendition, long runtimes, large switch that’s easy to operate (even with winter gloves), 160 degrees of tilt with positive solid ratcheting, true IPX8 rating, no external charging ports, runs on 18650 or CR123s, and most importantly it’s the toughest most durable headlamp I’ve ever seen. 

One of ours has taken a few falls from over 10 feet onto concrete and has never missed a beat.


----------



## kreisl (Aug 10, 2021)

I like to protect my HM61R against unnecessary scratches, with black tape.

After much use and mostly due to the generated heat, the adhesive of the cheap black tape becomes all gooey, so i've been renewing the cheap duck tape around the exposed parts (head, tail) once or twice per year. No problem. No need to buy higher grade tape. I just use whatever is available in the household.

In any case, here comes the relevant info, how to do it neatly:

Roll out some duck tape and pseudo-stick it onto "non-stick-paper" (like the backing paper from label dispensers). I have lots of backing paper, left-overs from book protection foils; they have a +1cm grid for book alignment, which comes in handy.
On that backing paper, draw 2 circles whose centers are spaced exactly 45mm apart. One circle should be a "10" on my rotring stencil, the other circle should be a "10" on my other stencil.
Cut the circles out with a Stanley knife. That's actually very easy to do neatly.
Do parallel line cuts (parallel to the imaginary line between the two circle centers), leaving about 5mm margin for the bigger circle cut-out. Because of symmetry, the margin will be 5mm on either side of the bigger circle.
Remove the backing paper and align the tape on the flashlight's head, doing a *perfect cylindrical* sticky wrap. Let the ends overlap to one side of the head.
Complete the sticking: try your best to stick the rest of the cylinder to the spherical head.
Here a pic of the back:






Here a pic of the front:





Not bad kreisl.

Not bad.


----------



## Lynx_Arc (Aug 10, 2021)

Why not just put a layer of tape on it with sticky side out wrapped tightly and a layer on top of that with the sticky side normal so the sticky is sandwiched between 2 layers of tape.


----------



## kreisl (Aug 11, 2021)

@Lynx_Arc Sounds like an idea, thanks! The adhesive side should stick to the anodized aluminum imho. Makes it more secure.

pro tip:
when you remove the degraded\damaged black duck tape after 6 months and there are gooey adhesive residues on the anodized aluminum, which you want to clean away, do the following: simply use a tiny stripe of fresh black tape and dab it onto those residues! by tearing off the fresh stripe fast, the residues will stick to the fresh tape and leave the flashlight surface. dab fast, with a shearing force to the side, you'll figure it out. after the dabbing all residues should be gone! no need to clean with rubbing alcohol or acetone afterwards.


----------



## Lynx_Arc (Oct 9, 2021)

kreisl said:


> @Lynx_Arc Sounds like an idea, thanks! The adhesive side should stick to the anodized aluminum imho. Makes it more secure.
> 
> pro tip:
> when you remove the degraded\damaged black duck tape after 6 months and there are gooey adhesive residues on the anodized aluminum, which you want to clean away, do the following: simply use a tiny stripe of fresh black tape and dab it onto those residues! by tearing off the fresh stripe fast, the residues will stick to the fresh tape and leave the flashlight surface. dab fast, with a shearing force to the side, you'll figure it out. after the dabbing all residues should be gone! no need to clean with rubbing alcohol or acetone afterwards.


I tend to try WD40 for cleaning sticky stuff off and then using alcohol to wipe off the WD40 greasiness.


----------



## kreisl (Oct 10, 2021)

kreisl said:


> okay a third thing. the holder at the headband is made out of hard plastic. since it is not made out of rubber/silicone, one must take care of where/how the headband is handled/carried/stored/etc because the plastic material could crack/break/get crushed in an accident: you step on it, pretty sure it'll be toast yumm. handle with care, and not challenge its fragility. the lens is also made out of plastic and should not be resistant against scratching and harsh chemicals. again, handle with care.


yesterday i tried to repair some motorized roller shutter, and since it's indoors work, i always wear the headlamp. an important spare part had fallen into a deep tight crevice around the corner, i couldn't reach it (with a piece of bent wire or similar grabbing tool) and i could hardly make it out with a mirror redirecting the lighting because the view was blocked by my fumbling hands (or their shadows). absolutely tricky to make the lost item visible to my eyes _and _to try to reach it with a grabbing tool, all this with two hands only!

I had to clip'n unclip the light fast, repeatedly, to determine an optimal lighting location. As it turned out, the light being unclipped and standing right next to my eye gave me a unique tiny viewing slot to hold the mirror with my left hand while operating the grabbing tool with my right hand without any of the shadows getting into my viewing line. long story short, after all a too challenging of a retrieval task, in the end i gave up, so last night i reordered the spare part for some 10€ aha.

anyway.

when i tried to unclip the light with my right hand (while holding the mirror in my left hand), i.e. single-handedly as i often did, i lifted the tail section first to unclip that successfully and then continued to lift (=tilt) the light to let the head section get unclipped automatically, in order to complete the unclipping of the entire light. That's the tried and proven operating procedure to unclip this light single-handedly, as long as you do it carefully and not brutally!

However this time the single-handed unclipping resulted in the head section clip to break and pop away. It flew away like a fly. WTF. Yeah, my bad, i guess. I mean, if you unclip the light *carefully *(i.e. not fast, not brutally, not etc.), with one or with two hands doesn't matter, then the plastic material woht fail you.






I just caht believe that this breakage happened to me, the tool-petting poser kreisl! 






Fenix used a low density polymer type of hard plastic (*very cheap* quality!) which is light-weight and serves its purpose of clipping and holding a light but which easily snaps, breaks, cracks. Shame on Fenix. Replacing the part would cost 14.5€ shipped lmao. Why would someone pay that much to get the same very cheap quality again?? I would accept a free replacement from the distributor or the manufacturer but not this. Or i'd accept paying 14.5€ in return for a high quality item. But this plastic part is made out of sh*t material quality, worthless, cr*p.

Going forward, what are my acceptable options?

I simply continue to use the broken holder (holder1), as _one _intact clip suffices to hold the light; and i could finally make use of the rubber securing strap. And once that clip eventually breaks off too (i would update this thread then stay stuned!), i would throw the holder away and _could _use the holder of my 2nd hm61r unit as replacement (holder2). From then on, i would handle the holder2 with even more care and caution, in an effort to *never *break the clips *again*.
Or, i should really give the rubber clip holders by Armytek/Skilhunt/etc a try. Some day, i will. I am interested. No hurries though.

Most importantly, do i regret having purchased the hm61r as my primary, most used flashlight (for work, walks, or as headlamp), is the cr*ppy plastic material of the otherwise very functional holder reason enough to turn one's back on the product? No and no. The light is just too great, the headband itself is also fantastic (holding up so far, at least), and only because Fenix chose a cheap quality plastic (advantage: light weight!) for the clipping holder it wouldn't be fair to dismiss the entire product. This Fenix product does indeed tick all the boxes, show me another 18650 headlamp which clearly beats it in all aspects. As of 2021, there isn't one.

But true enough: shame on Fenix for having chosen this cheap plastic material (similar to ABS) for the holder. Since literally millions of polymer plastic varieties exist on the market, the responsibles at Fenix Company should have chosen a durable robust hard plastic material like HDPP instead. The other week i had to destroy a bunch of household plastic products into little pieces for recycling purposes; most of them were made out of polypropylene, and man, some of the items, at only 1.0mm wall thickness, were super tough to cut/break/crack/destroy/tear/snap/anything/etc. It opened my eyes on how robust and unbreakable items made out of polypropylene can be! Yeah sure, it is higher density (=heavier) than the "ABS" which Fenix used for producing the holder but let's be honest here, the original hm61r holder is not suitable for professional use, in a real duty work environment.

Uncareful unclipping of the light resulted in a broken clip. What a joke!


----------



## Lynx_Arc (Oct 10, 2021)

kreisl said:


> yesterday i tried to repair some motorized roller shutter, and since it's indoors work, i always wear the headlamp. an important spare part had fallen into a deep tight crevice around the corner, i couldn't reach it (with a piece of bent wire or similar grabbing tool) and i could hardly make it out with a mirror redirecting the lighting because the view was blocked by my fumbling hands (or their shadows). absolutely tricky to make the lost item visible to my eyes _and _to try to reach it with a grabbing tool, all this with two hands only!
> 
> I had to clip'n unclip the light fast, repeatedly, to determine an optimal lighting location. As it turned out, the light being unclipped and standing right next to my eye gave me a unique tiny viewing slot to hold the mirror with my left hand while operating the grabbing tool with my right hand without any of the shadows getting into my viewing line. long story short, after all a too challenging of a retrieval task, in the end i gave up, so last night i reordered the spare part for some 10€ aha.
> 
> ...


I use a right angle Wowtac A2S with an aftermarket headband with rubber loop holder and it works well but it isn't easy to remove the headlamp at all from it especially one handed. I chose the headband for 2 reasons, the first is the original headband had over the top strap and these were single strap. The second reason is headbands wear out in heavy use and I use the headlamp on a hard hat and since I bought 2 of these if one did get damaged or worn out I would have a backup. I was once considering the Fenix HL30 (I think) headlamp that takes 1AA or 1 CR123 with separate tubes for each. The light has a metal clip type holder that likely scratches the light a lot wearing the anodizing off which is a drawback. I didn't buy the headlamp because the runtimes/outputs were not good enough for my uses too low for too short of time to suffice in heavy use. I instead use 18650 headlamps now and strongly recommend that format over any other out there to folks.


----------



## Stefano (Oct 10, 2021)

I think the soft rubber mount could be a good option to replace the broken one. 
Unfortunately Armytek no longer produces them and only the Zebralight choice remains The Armytek rubber ones were larger and more comfortable than the Zebra ones. 
It can also be used as an angular torch with the whole headband holding it in your hand.
If you only buy the rubber holder you should spend little


----------



## kreisl (Oct 11, 2021)

kreisl said:


> I simply continue to use the broken holder (holder1), as _one _intact clip suffices to hold the light; and i could finally make use of the rubber securing strap.


last night for some work around de house i tried that solution (1 clip, plus original rubber strap) and it worked really well. with the headband mounted on de head, i use 2 hands for the clipping\unclipping (incl. strapping\unstrapping) and one can manage to do it without a mirror haha.
maybe it's best to do it with the headband *not* mounted on de head. as a reminder, i had broken the clip when i was trying to unclip the light singlehandedly with the headband mounted on de head: the rough uncontrolled *singlehanded* unclipping resulted in the breakage.


----------



## Lynx_Arc (Oct 11, 2021)

Perhaps it is time to have a second light that doesn't need to be unclipped around when working so you don't need to undo your headlamp at all. After all 2 lights are better than 1.


----------



## kreisl (Oct 11, 2021)

Lynx_Arc said:


> Perhaps it is time to have a second light that doesn't need to be unclipped around when working so you don't need to undo your headlamp at all. After all 2 lights are better than 1.


yee-yee, i do have 2 units of the light. 


and for work jobs i always have the nietcore tm15 with me. that retrieval job was exceptional; usually i wouldn't unclip the headlamp during work. but sure, if i had more work jobs like that, more frequently, i would take the 2nd unit with me as standalone light. good thinking there!


----------



## Lynx_Arc (Oct 11, 2021)

kreisl said:


> yee-yee, i do have 2 units of the light.
> 
> 
> and for work jobs i always have the nietcore tm15 with me. that retrieval job was exceptional; usually i wouldn't unclip the headlamp during work. but sure, if i had more work jobs like that, more frequently, i would take the 2nd unit with me as standalone light. good thinking there!


I tend to use work lights myself around a lot and it is very dark and I've become somewhat fond of COB work lights even though the output isn't necessarily the best tint the flood of decent light makes it a lot easier on the head as you can move your eyes instead of your head to see things. I'm constantly looking for interesting and useful work lights and for now my favorite is a $20 2x18650 COB/LED light that the COB rotates about 225 degrees and the light has adjustable output on both modes plus can operate as a power bank if needed. It has strong magnets that can on most metal surfaces can hold it perpendicular while you adjust the COB head.
Over all I think headlamps can do about 80% of the job but at times need a little "help" from other well chosen lights. I often walk around the place with a headlamp on to take the trash to the curb and check on things after a strong storm but at times you need light that isn't mounted on your head but in your hand. 

While I like the idea of removable right angle headlamps I find that being easily able to do so presents a problem with having a sturdy holder for the headlamp. I have a Fenix HL50R and like it but wish it were the right angle version they have out now but when I bought it there wasn't that option and it was on clearance at Academy Sports I had to jump through a lot of hoops to get one half off..... about $40 for it costs about $10 more than my Wowtac, performs very close to the same as it essentially I keep it at home and use it for non rough service. I abuse the wowtac a lot and don't worry about it because I can get another one a lot cheaper than a Fenix one and prefer the UI and lack of (to me) useless unhidden red 5mm LED mode.


----------



## kreisl (Oct 24, 2021)

Thank You Fenis.

i've been using the 'rear clip' (i.e. where i clip the tail section of the light) together with the fenis rubber strap. let's recall that the 'front clip' got broken off. 
it's been fine like that. but today i undid the strap and then tried to unclip the tail section (single-handedly or not, caht remember, doesnt matter) and clack!, this clip broke off too:






And i tried superglue, pattex classic, etc etc, no adhesive is suitable (one could try flaming or acetoning instead) to repair the clips:





Never mind the clips and repairing, the plastic material is just utter cr*p! 
So, no!, i am *not *gonna use the plastic holder of my 2nd hm61r unit as replacement!!

From now on i'll keep using the nice headband w/ broken plastic holder, securing the light with the original rubber strap only. Let's see how that goes in the long run (stay tuned for updates). Since i doht go jogging with the headlamp, i expect the holder to still be functional and secure for my purposes (work, walks, no running). But my gosh Fenix why couldn't they have chosen a more durable plastic material and construction??


----------



## 3L3M3NT (Oct 24, 2021)

I just wonder if by you removing the headlamp with one hand was putting a force on those plastic clips in a direction they weren't designed to bend causing them to snap off?

Sometimes with semi rigid plastic all it takes is a push in the wrong direction and like you found out, they just snap right off.

I know the few times I remember removing the light from the holder I undid the rubber strap and pulled the light straight out while the headlamp was in my hands. 
I can imagine if you're trying to remove the light while it's on your head you may not be pulling the light straight forward and are removing it at a slight angle. 

You could keep one on your head at all times and use the one with the broken tabs as just a light for the times when you normally would have removed the light, you can just use the other one. 

Otherwise you should contact Fenix and see if they'll get you a replacement. 
I always say that it never hurts to ask.


----------



## kreisl (Oct 26, 2021)

kreisl said:


> If my measurements are correct, then it'd mean that a smooth flat bottom could not make contact with the center contact disc, regardless of the brass donut:


i had forgotten that i had taken similar measurements before lol.

anyway, I retook measurements, more helpful ones:





From these new measurements the clearance is a generous *0.5mm*. But also note that the distance between the raised parts is somewhat wide with *8.4mm*:





It means that the diameter of the raised center section of your battery minus(-) pole must be wider than 8.4mm. For example, a diameter of 10.0mm would be safe enough, and we can assume that all (protected and unprotected) 18650 batteries with a raised minus(-) pole meet this requirement. Instead of taking measurements off of your battery, one can paint the raised center section with a whiteboard marker (whiteboard pen) and then rotate the battery inside the flashlight tube. From the remaining circle mark one can draw some conclusions about the safety of reverse battery insertion of that particular battery model (here: _generic protected NCR18650B with button plus(+) pole and raised minus(-) pole_):





This also explains why some NCR18650B battery models with wide plus(+) poles don't work in the flashlight unless you insert a small magnet:





Your turn to guess which batteries work with or without magnets:





*Runtime graph. *
The headlamp was also reviewed in some detail here including runtime graphs:








Fenix HM61R Rechargeable Headlamp Review - ZeroAir Reviews


The Fenix HM61R is a rechargeable headlamp in a slim package that includes a versatile red secondary emitter. Read on for testing!




zeroair.org




( NOTE: the blog author measured a "Quiescent Current (mA): 0.83" or *830μA*. apparently his unit is defective since in the OP i had measured "*4.48μA* @ full 18650 battery (3.61μA @ depleted battery)". there is *no way* that any flashlight maker would accept the release of a flashlight model with ~1mA parasitic drain lmao!! )


----------



## kreisl (Oct 26, 2021)

3L3M3NT said:


> if you're trying to remove the light while it's on your head you may not be pulling the light straight forward and are removing it at a slight angle.


dito.

i was clipping'n unclipping at a slight angle. it was _my _way of clipping'n unclipping the light blindedly AND single-handedly. the *unclipping *at a slight angle broke the one clip and weeks later also the other clip.

I was unclipping carefully, slowly. Nevertheless it broke the clips.
Clearly, one must unclip (and clip) carefully and slowly straight forward!

Ah never mind. The *rubber strap* holds the light just fine against the broken plastic, secure enough for my purposes (frequent usage but with no running/jogging/jumping).


----------



## haro (Nov 21, 2021)

kreisl said:


> Thank You Fenis.
> 
> i've been using the 'rear clip' (i.e. where i clip the tail section of the light) together with the fenis rubber strap. let's recall that the 'front clip' got broken off.
> it's been fine like that. but today i undid the strap and then tried to unclip the tail section (single-handedly or not, caht remember, doesnt matter) and clack!, this clip broke off too:
> ...



you may use also the clip from a Armytek Wizard C2 headband; see my foto below, this clip is avialable as spare part from Armytek





is fits not 100%, also a O-ring about 30 mm diameter can be used for fastening


----------



## kreisl (Jan 1, 2022)

kreisl said:


> *Con's*:
> 
> none. imho this product ticks all the boxes indeed, gets my Strong Buy recommendation. however there are two things to note/know to save the buyer from possible disappointment in that area.
> 
> ...



Good news. At New Year's Eve party a guy showed me his new unit of the HM61R. The beam had no greenish tint, it looked *arctic coolwhite*, i.e. artificial bright white with a purplish hue in the spill area: classical coolwhite with no greenishness and no yellowishness and no creamishness whatsoever. I like this kind of CW tint ymmv!
Of course, one cannot know if all recent production units come with this arctic CW tint, maybe he just won the tint lottery. But with his sample as proof, there's now confirmed hope for shoppers who are late in the market and didn't want a HM61R unit with any kind of greenishness in the tint: great CW tints on the HM61R do exist (by now) hooray!

His switch registers *100% reliably*, so Fenis definitely improved on that compared to inaugural production. "No more misfires" with the button anymore! (If your newly purchased unit misfires sometimes, return it to the dealer, he sent you old production.)
The hardplastic holder on the headband is still cr*p, unchanged. It's not meant for rough handling (e.g. stepping on it) or rough operation (one-handed unclipping, that is). The *rubber band* saves the day, if you crack the plastic clamps.
The light is explicitly rated for 2.0m drop impact resistance. However, unlike in Sofirn SP40 headlamp, the battery is not caged\suspended between two springs. Let's not live in false belief that this fenis model can withstand _more_ drops and rough handling than a Zebralight (a company which refuses to employ the ANSI\FL-1 rating) or a Skilhunt or a Sofirn. It probably can't. Afaik Fenis did nothing, implemented nothing, to make this light (the electronics) more robust than the competition, no double springs, no potted electronics. In particular, try to avoid the repeated shocks when you place the light with its strong magnetic tail on a magnetic metallic flat surface; these repeated shocks (of the battery against the driver disc) *will cumulate* to an eventual electronic defect in the light, and you'd have to go through the warranty procedure. If you bought the light from an authorized Fenix retailer (best: the Fenix importer in your country), then you will have no problems with the Fenix 5 year FREE warranty service. I did exchange the protective tape from no-name tape to original T-REX duct tape which is thicker and firmer; it should provide effective protection against scratches, dings, dents, shocks:


----------



## Stefano (Feb 8, 2022)

I got this headlamp today. I bought it on Amazon at a very low price thanks to a temporary offer.
I bought it only to have a Headlamp Cool Withe to use combined with the PD36R and have the same tint color.
It seems I was lucky, my PD36R has a good tint (I have seen other examples of PD36R with a very blue tint) the tint of the HM61 and the PD36R seem to coincide. For the moment I have only tried it in the dark room, the HM61R tint is good, the switch looks ok.
I found the low_red light much better than the HL60R, I don't have an interest in it but it can be useful.
I will soon change the support with a rubber one and with a Zebralight band.
Much perplexity for the battery, I measured the voltage before charging it and I found 3.91 V (I usually find lower voltages on new batteries)
But the battery is a 3400mA ARB18 and not a 3500mA one I looked at the descriptions on the sales page, watched a lot of Youtube videos and I always see a 3500mA battery.
I wonder if I haven't received a used flashlight that someone bought and returned with a 3400 battery keeping the 3500 battery for themselves.

What battery did you find inside, 3400 or 3500?
Thanks


----------



## n2mb_racing (Feb 8, 2022)

I wonder why you'd get the HM61 today when the HM65R-T is lighter and brighter?


----------



## kreisl (Feb 8, 2022)

welcome to the owners' club, and congrats to the good tint and good switch. as mentioned by me, those two former (2019) issues should not exist anymore, we're in 2022 and production quality of our model has matured to final top quality stage; no doubt fenis became aware of dissatisfactory tint and switch thru early adopters' criticism right after the release in 2019. Good idea to xchange the holder (from plastic to rubber)! i like the headband itself though, which is why i continue to wear it (with the broken plastic holder).

i found inside 3500mAh (Fenix ARB-L18-3500 12.6Wh), and the ANSI FL-1 specs were made with this battery. Seeing a brandnew 3400 inside would puzzle me too. hope you can figure it out.


----------



## Stefano (Feb 8, 2022)

n2mb_racing said:


> I wonder why you'd get the HM61 today when the HM65R-T is lighter and brighter?


I already own a special edition HM65R (both leds with 5000 K tint) it has a constant stabilization better than the standard HM65R and the HM65R-T
I bought this HM61R because it has the same tint as the PD36R, theoretically even with HM65R-T I would have had the same tint but only with the main led (SST40) the other flood_led would have been with a warmer tint.
The weight difference between HM61R and HM65R-T is minimal (only 8 grams difference)
In my experience an L-shaped flashlight is more comfortable carried hanging around the neck or in a pocket. 
When I'm not using my Headlamps I wear them hanging behind my neck, with HM65R I have a different sensation of bulk, I only use it on a few occasions. 
For everyday transport I prefer the L-shape such as Zebralight, Armytek or the HM61R


----------



## n2mb_racing (Feb 8, 2022)

Stefano said:


> I already own a special edition HM65R (both leds with 5000 K tint) it has a constant stabilization better than the standard HM65R and the HM65R-T
> I bought this HM61R because it has the same tint as the PD36R, theoretically even with HM65R-T I would have had the same tint but only with the main led (SST40) the other flood_led would have been with a warmer tint.
> The weight difference between HM61R and HM65R-T is minimal (only 8 grams difference)
> In my experience an L-shaped flashlight is more comfortable carried hanging around the neck or in a pocket.
> ...



Interesting. I use mine for running, so I'm always looking for the lightest and brightest. I only need about 1.5 hours run time. The HM65R-T is good, but the dimming after a short period of time is annoying. I'd prefer it to stay brighter and run through the battery quicker. 

I also have a Zebralight H52 with a 1050 mAh li-ion battery, which I love. But, the run time can be a bit short when it is cold (~45 minutes) at 300 lm. But, it is only 70g with the battery and strap!


----------



## Stefano (Feb 8, 2022)

I briefly tried the HM61R outdoors.
My initial evaluation is positive I think it's a good headlamp, Fenix did a good job.
I was expecting a different beam, it is wide but it is not like that of Armytek Wizard/Elf models (TIR lens) I am used to.
There is a fairly visible central part, it is quite reminiscent of the Zebralight Frosted lens (Zebralight Frosted lens produced after 2015)
At first this thing bothered me a little but after I had to admit that the result is good, the HM61R has a good balance between throwing and flooding, I would not have expected it to have so much to throw but I should have guessed it by looking at the cd on the technical specifications .
The first two levels have a slightly darker tint (too cold) but this is normal on lights with this SST40 led, however the level of 5 and 50 lumens with this cold tint give me a feeling of low light (this by using the headlamp on the outside) normally I use 4000 K tint and I'm used to that color tint.
150 - 400 and 1200 lumens give a lot of satisfaction, the beam is good and there is more throw than I wanted but keeping a good side view and in front of the feet, this will appeal to most average users who often tend to complain of headlamp with wide beam and little throw.
With an outside temperature of around 4 C° (39,2 Fahrenheit)I used the Turbo for about 2 or 3 minutes without seeing visible changes in brightness.
Good red light on all three positions, maybe 5 lumens is not enough to water the garden in the summer, we will see in a few months if it is true that the red light attracts fewer insects.
The 5 lumens of red light are comfortable for wandering around the house, the intermittent red light is very visible even if it has a slow flashing frequency (for the benefit of autonomy), maybe I would have liked a slightly faster frequency.
I would have liked a switch with a deeper travel similar to that of the HL55 / HL60R to have a distinct click and greater ease of use with gloves.
The charging cable seems to be working fine, when the indicator light turned green I took out the battery and checked the voltage it was only 4.09 V.
I reinserted the battery and struggled a bit with the magnetic cable until I could see the red again and the charging started again. I don't think this is a flaw as it happens with all the headlamps with magnetic charging that I have seen so far (Wizard, Wizard Pro including the recent ones that have a new 1A charging cable) The magnetic charging of all the headlamps of the various brands not always foolproof, sometimes you need to make a few attempts to get a red charging light.
Difficulty in varying the inclination using the Fenix support but this will change when I remove it from the original support to use it with that of another brand.
Hope it's understandable enough (I use Google Translate)
Now I just have to understand if I received a headlamp with the original battery or not, I don't understand why I found a 3400 mA battery inside.

Edit: I recharged the HM61R after the outdoor test, when the indicator light turned green I took out the battery again and measured 4.17 V Here too, in my experience, everything is normal, it is rare to see the full voltage of 4.20 V with a magnetic charging cable This non-total recharge involves a greater elongevity of the battery (and offers a good margin of safety against accidents)


----------



## Stefano (Feb 8, 2022)

kreisl said:


> welcome to the owners' club, and congrats to the good tint and good switch. as mentioned by me, those two former (2019) issues should not exist anymore, we're in 2022 and production quality of our model has matured to final top quality stage; no doubt fenis became aware of dissatisfactory tint and switch thru early adopters' criticism right after the release in 2019. Good idea to xchange the holder (from plastic to rubber)! i like the headband itself though, which is why i continue to wear it (with the broken plastic holder).
> 
> i found inside 3500mAh (Fenix ARB-L18-3500 12.6Wh), and the ANSI FL-1 specs were made with this battery. Seeing a brandnew 3400 inside would puzzle me too. hope you can figure it out.


Thanks for the information, I asked Amazon for a replacement, let's see the specimen that arrives at the weekend what battery it has inside. 
A second specimen allows me to evaluate even if I get a better tint, I did other tests and I found that there is a slight difference in the tint .. the HM61R is slightly colder than my PD36R but it won't be easy to get a tint equal, with the PD36R that I got for me I was lucky, all the ones I saw previously were very bad as a tint at low levels.


----------



## Stefano (Feb 8, 2022)

n2mb_racing said:


> Interesting. I use mine for running, so I'm always looking for the lightest and brightest. I only need about 1.5 hours run time. The HM65R-T is good, but the dimming after a short period of time is annoying. I'd prefer it to stay brighter and run through the battery quicker.


With the standard HM65R the brightness drop would have been even worse, the R-T version has an acceptable brightness drop. 
For this I bought the SuperRaptor version which has constant brightness, leds with the same tint and an additional brightness level (600 lumens) 
It now seems finished (there is a limited production reserved for the Nordic countries) but the SuperRaptor 2 is available which is based on HM65 R-T. 
HM65 is a great headlamp, maybe Fenix should make a clone of it but with 21700 battery


----------



## n2mb_racing (Feb 8, 2022)

Stefano said:


> With the standard HM65R the brightness drop would have been even worse, the R-T version has an acceptable brightness drop.
> For this I bought the SuperRaptor version which has constant brightness, leds with the same tint and an additional brightness level (600 lumens)
> It now seems finished (there is a limited production reserved for the Nordic countries) but the SuperRaptor 2 is available which is based on HM65 R-T.
> HM65 is a great headlamp, maybe Fenix should make a clone of it but with 21700 battery


Where can you get the super raptor 2?


----------



## n2mb_racing (Feb 8, 2022)

Stefano said:


> With the standard HM65R the brightness drop would have been even worse, the R-T version has an acceptable brightness drop.
> For this I bought the SuperRaptor version which has constant brightness, leds with the same tint and an additional brightness level (600 lumens)
> It now seems finished (there is a limited production reserved for the Nordic countries) but the SuperRaptor 2 is available which is based on HM65 R-T.
> HM65 is a great headlamp, maybe Fenix should make a clone of it but with 21700 battery


And have you seen a runtime plot of the SuperRaptor 2 in turbo? How does it drop?


----------



## Stefano (Feb 8, 2022)

n2mb_racing said:


> And have you seen a runtime plot of the SuperRaptor 2 in turbo? How does it drop?



This discussion on this page is moving towards OT, if you need more information about the HM65R Super Raptor model the page dedicated to HM65R would be better.

Searching I found a graph that shows the Turbo runtime chart which seems to show a 1700 lumens (but I don't understand why, I remembered that using two LEDs together the power is limited to 1500 lumens total)

When I use the Super Raptor 1 my preference is 400 spot + 400 flood or 600 spot + 400 flood.

I have no idea if if the HM65R Super Raptor 2 is steadily regulated as version 1, reading some tables it would seem not ..(700 lumens for 3 hours or 500 lumens for 4 hours).
For this reason I preferred SuperRaptor 1 (I don't know if it is out of stock) I like more version 1 (with spot led XM-L2) because it has a flood light with 130 lumens instead of 70 lumens.
Also consider that on version 1 the tint is identical for both LEDs (both 5000 K)
On version 2 I don't know if this is maintained or if they are different.

You can buy it on any Finnish website, a Google search gives you many possibilities.
I asked the official Finnish Fenix importer who, however, could not ship due to constraints (they can only ship to Finland, an authorization from my local Fenix dealer would be required to ship outside that country)
I found a Finnish sporting goods store that wasn't subject to those limits and bought there (paying a ridiculous price despite international shipping)


----------



## Stefano (Feb 8, 2022)

kreisl said:


> i found inside 3500mAh (Fenix ARB-L18-3500 12.6Wh), and the ANSI FL-1 specs were made with this battery. Seeing a brandnew 3400 inside would puzzle me too. hope you can figure it out.


I received a quick response from Fenix to my request for HM61R battery information, this removes any doubt about my Amazon purchase:

"Due to the shortage of ARB-L18-3500 cells, the battery of HM61R was changed from 3500 to 3400 in the second half of 2021.
So there are two versions of HM61R on the market, HM61R ARB-L18-3500 and HM61R ARB-L18-3400."


----------



## Lynx_Arc (Feb 8, 2022)

In reality most battery makers and companies providing batteries use the idea that a battery has to be within a certain range + or - of percentage of what capacity is listed. If a 3500mah battery is within 5% of capacity that is within 175mah of that number or from 3325 to 3675 mah which includes 3400mah easily.


----------



## Stefano (Feb 10, 2022)

Solved the battery problem I have to understand if I have a good example with the tint
I don't like it only on the 5 and 50 lumens level, it has a greenish tint, It reminds me of the tint lottery I saw on the first examples of PD36R..

150-400 and 1200 lumens the HM61R tint is good 
Do other HM61R owners also have greenish tint on the first two levels?


----------



## kreisl (Feb 10, 2022)

Stefano said:


> Do other HM61R owners also have greenish tint on the first two levels?


hmmm. the op says that his early production unit has greenish tint on the first two levels. but he also said that a newer production unit (late 2021) had totally non-greenish tint on all levels. he called it "antarctic cool white" or something, which implies blueish/purplish hues and bright white hotspot with no greenishness, on all levels.

yeah let's hear other owners. please check serial number to state production date.


----------



## Stefano (Feb 10, 2022)

Thanks for the tip, I hadn't thought about the serial number.
But even querying the Fenix site with the serial code I don't get the production date I still think it's recent given the 3400 battery

Edit:
I confirm the arctic white but only on the level of 400 and 1200 lumens.
On 150 there is still green tint but it is acceptable.


----------



## kreisl (Feb 10, 2022)

if you got your unit from amazon , you could request a replacement unit (it's free of cost since you'd be returning one of the two total, it's called *cherry-picking*, a pretty common thing with flashlight shopping on amazon) .


----------



## Stefano (Feb 10, 2022)

I asked for a replacement and it will arrive on Monday so I can see if it's better.


----------



## kreisl (Feb 14, 2022)

I made a relevant or let's say interesting observation:
When the light is 'on' and you interrupt the circuit (e.g. by unscrewing the tailcap), the light turns 'off' (obviously!), and when you screw the tailcap back on, the light continues to be 'off'.

However, when the light is 'on' and you interrupt the circuit *only for* a fraction of a second (up to 0.5sec or so), the light turns off during that short time (obviously!) but then returns to the 'light on' state, i.e. the light does *not *stay turned off. 

For example, a *shock *like bumping the magnetic tailcap on a metallic surface will cause the battery inside to jump at the (+)contact disc and lose momentarily electrical contact. Instead of the light turning off and staying off, we witness a singular light "flicker". One can reproduce this behaviour with a paper clip *experiment*: remove the tailcap, short the tail contact with a paper clip, turn the light on, interrupt the tail contact for a millisecond, and you'll see a flicker instead of continued black darkness, but interrupt the tail contact for 1 second (or longer) and you'll see continued black darkness and you need to press the switch to turn the light back on.

I use the tailmagnet's function often. So whenever i magnestick the light to an attracting surface (with a little shock), i would witness the singular flicker. That made me think and conduct that paper clip experiment.


----------



## sirpetr (Feb 15, 2022)

kreisl said:


> I made a relevant or let's say interesting observation:
> When the light is 'on' and you interrupt the circuit (e.g. by unscrewing the tailcap), the light turns 'off' (obviously!), and when you screw the tailcap back on, the light continues to be 'off'.
> 
> However, when the light is 'on' and you interrupt the circuit *only for* a fraction of a second (up to 0.5sec or so), the light turns off during that short time (obviously!) but then returns to the 'light on' state, i.e. the light does *not *stay turned off.


Its simple. In the circuit there are some input capacitors which keep voltage high enough to overcome very short interruption. When the interruption is longer, input voltage drops bellow operating level and MCU or whatever drives the circuit shuts down.


----------



## Stefano (Feb 16, 2022)

I received the replacement flashlight on Monday but only tried it today. 
It always has the 3400 mA battery (found at 3.89 V) unfortunately the tint looks identical. 
Now I'll try it fine with the lux meter, my eye says the replacement torch has the low light level (5lumens) dimmer than the other - but the 50 lumens one seems a little brighter. 
The other levels appear identical in brightness.


----------



## kreisl (Feb 16, 2022)

sorry to hear that there's no tint improvement between the 2 copies. i'd keep the one with the brighter 50lm!
thanks for sharing your endeavors, appreciated


----------



## Stefano (Feb 16, 2022)

kreisl said:


> sorry to hear that there's no tint improvement between the 2 copies. i'd keep the one with the brighter 50lm!
> thanks for sharing your endeavors, appreciated


I ran the test with the meter, there are no big differences apart from maybe a 10% difference on the 50 lumens level I decided to keep the first copy. 
It is not a purchase gone badly, with this type of led I expected a worse tint, but I would have liked the 150 lumens level to be arctic white as well. 
I bought this headlamp to use it outdoors in combination with the Fenix PD36 so the levels used will be 400 and 1200 lumens and these have a good tint. 
For close range and low levels I have Armytek and Zebralight or other Fenix models. 
I don't guarantee it but maybe in February I will be able to do some beamshot.


----------



## Stefano (Feb 17, 2022)

I removed the HM61 from its original holder and inserted it into a Zebralight holder and band. 
I don't judge if the old or the new is better but for my habit I prefer it that way, also the soft rubber holder is better if I have to keep the light in my pocket or hanging behind my neck. 
In a cellar I used the HM61R at the level of 50 lumens, for me who am used to the warm tint it was terrible.
I bought this version because I needed a Cool Withe headlamp otherwise I would have definitely bought the czech version (HM61R Amber) with neutral tint.
Now only one outdoor test is missing together with the PD36R to confirm that the purchase was right.


----------



## n2mb_racing (Feb 17, 2022)

Stefano said:


> I removed the HM61 from its original holder and inserted it into a Zebralight holder and band.
> I don't judge if the old or the new is better but for my habit I prefer it that way, also the soft rubber holder is better if I have to keep the light in my pocket or hanging behind my neck.
> In a cellar I used the HM61R at the level of 50 lumens, for me who am used to the warm tint it was terrible.
> I bought this version because I needed a Cool Withe headlamp otherwise I would have definitely bought the czech version (HM61R Amber) with neutral tint.
> Now only one outdoor test is missing together with the PD36R to confirm that the purchase was right.


Curious, why did you pick the HM61 over whatever Zebralight you already had?


----------



## Stefano (Feb 17, 2022)

n2mb_racing said:


> Curious, why did you pick the HM61 over whatever Zebralight you already had?


As I wrote in the previous messages, I needed a headlamp with a cold tint to use coupled with another flashlight that uses the same SST40 led (Fenix PD36R) 
I also thought of an Armytek or a Zebralight with a cold tint but then I preferred this Fenix because it paid only 69 euros on Amazon, good price, no shipping costs, maximum guarantee in case of problems. 
if I didn't like it I could have returned it but the shape of the light beam was good for my purpose and I decided to keep it.
Magnetic charging is convenient. 
I don't need ultra low levels like Armytek or Zebralight as it will be used at high power.


----------



## sirpetr (Feb 18, 2022)

Lynx_Arc said:


> In reality most battery makers and companies providing batteries use the idea that a battery has to be within a certain range + or - of percentage of what capacity is listed. If a 3500mah battery is within 5% of capacity that is within 175mah of that number or from 3325 to 3675 mah which includes 3400mah easily.


It depends much on what discharge current are you using and if you go to the lowest alowable voltage (2.5V). In my experience same (quality) batteries under same discharge parameters tend to be very close each other, definately not 175mAh.


----------



## Stefano (Apr 30, 2022)

After a long time I have been using the HM61R this evening. 
No beamshot for the moment.
I took a 10 minute walk with the HM61R and PD36 TAC (not PD36R) using them individually and also in pairs. 
I would have liked an additional light level with intermediate power between 400 and 1200 lumens (600 would have been perfect) 
Despite being an excellent beam, I came to the conclusion that I would have preferred a wider light beam (even if this would result in a lower throw). 
HM61R has a good throw but this pays a little in the side view, for those who use only one light this is good because you will have a good vision in depth and a sufficient close view. 
But a headlamp is used to see closely and if Fenix reads this I would say that perhaps it should improve the opaque lens to get a slightly wider beam. 
I used the 1200 lumens level a lot, the heat management is good and the power drop takes a long time to show (outside temperature around 12 ° C) 
I wanted to take the old HL60R with me but I forgot it at home, I used it a lot but always in the house or garden and I wanted to see how it behaved. 
The old models HL60R despite having an accentuated spot has a beam that I really like, the spill is wide and bright enough. 
Using the HM61R (1200 lumens) together with PD36 TAC (level of 1000 lumens) is quite spectacular, unfortunately the SST 70 led of the PD36TAC has a very bad tint at low levels, used alone it is acceptable for me only in the 2000 and 3000 lumens levels . 
I hope it is understandable (I use Google translate)


----------



## DRW (Apr 30, 2022)

The HM61R is my favorite light. If I could only have one model, this would be it. We have several.

It's my EDC without the headband. With the headband It's my hunting, fishing, boating light.

The proprietary magnetic charging is the only drawback. At least the charging cable is inexpensive.


----------



## kreisl (May 1, 2022)

DRW said:


> The proprietary magnetic charging is the only drawback. At least the charging cable is inexpensive.


hehe what you regard as drawback i see as a buying factor:

the interface is water-tight; no rubber cover is needed
the port doesn't degrade thru stress, abuse, overuse (_mech._)
automatic plugging, blindly
no connectivity issues (_elec._)
the magnetic force even enhances the elec. conn.
Since i have two units, i haven't looked for spare cable units, but i've seen noname ones on AliX. And doht Apple laptops have similar pull-away magnetic charging ports too? I had too many other type of charging ports (Mini-USB, Micro-USB, barrel connector) failing mostly _mech._ not_ elec._ (NIETCORE, IMALENT, KLARUS), which makes me appreciate a magnetic port even more.

I would always choose this port over a barrel connector charging port.
I would always choose this port over a USB connector charging port.

I love it. Absolutely love it.
Clear words, by, the, kresil, thanks.


----------



## DRW (May 1, 2022)

kreisl said:


> if you got your unit from amazon , you could request a replacement unit (it's free of cost since you'd be returning one of the two total, it's called *cherry-picking*, a pretty common thing with flashlight shopping on amazon) .


Who pays the cost when you "cherry pick"? The returned light has lost value.


----------



## Stefano (May 1, 2022)

DRW said:


> Who pays the cost when you "cherry pick"? The returned light has lost value.


It is again offered for sale as "used but in very good condition" at a slightly lower price. Amazon always buys things in large stocks and has very high profit margins no losses for him


----------



## Stefano (May 1, 2022)

DRW said:


> The HM61R is my favorite light. If I could only have one model, this would be it. We have several.
> 
> It's my EDC without the headband. With the headband It's my hunting, fishing, boating light.
> 
> The proprietary magnetic charging is the only drawback. At least the charging cable is inexpensive.


On Amazon it is not for sale, in Europe I saw that it is for sale on a Dutch Fenix site for only 5.90 euros (and shipping costs the same) the price is good for those who want to buy a spare cable. 
The magnetic cable also has another advantage, you can recharge the flashlight by connecting it to a power bank and then put everything in your pocket or backpack. 
The worst thing that can happen is that it disconnects while if it were micro_USB with a strong bump or some strange movement the charging socket could be damaged.


----------



## DRW (May 1, 2022)

kreisl said:


> the interface is water-tight; no rubber cover is needed


I think if you look into it you'll find the rubber cover on Fenix lights is more of a dust cover. I've seen comments from Fenix indicating the at least some of their lights are waterproof without the rubber cover.


kreisl said:


> .. Apple laptops have similar pull-away magnetic charging ports too?...


Yes, I'm pretty sure that's where I first saw magnetic charging connectors. I think they are a great idea, but a laptop and flashlight have very different use cases. I never carried a laptop when I was a cop, but I always carried a flashlight.


kreisl said:


> I would always choose this port over a barrel connector charging port.


I agree.


kreisl said:


> I would always choose this port over a USB connector charging port.


As I mentioned previously, I would prefer a USB C (or micro) port. Since the charging cable is about $6, I picked up two extras, one for the truck, one for the office, one for the kitchen (normal charging area), and one for my hunting pack.


----------



## DRW (May 1, 2022)

n2mb_racing said:


> I wonder why you'd get the HM61 today when the HM65R-T is lighter and brighter?


It doesn't have RED, the two levels of RED is important to me as a hunter.


----------



## DRW (May 1, 2022)

Stefano said:


> It is again offered for sale as "used but in very good condition" at a slightly lower price. Amazon always buys things in large stocks and has very high profit margins no losses for him


Cleary, you don't understand how Amazon works (from the sellers side of things). It is a conglomeration of sellers, much like eBay. The difference is eBay never competes with it's sellers. Amazon does compete with it's sellers, where it attempts to monopolize commodity items.

Someone lost money on the return, but you are right it wasn't Bezos. It was likely one of the many independent sellers on Amazon who lost the $$.


----------



## Stefano (May 1, 2022)

DRW said:


> Cleary, you don't understand how Amazon works (from the sellers side of things). It is a conglomeration of sellers, much like eBay. The difference is eBay never competes with it's sellers. Amazon does compete with it's sellers, where it attempts to monopolize commodity items.
> 
> Someone lost money on the return, but you are right it wasn't Bezos. It was likely one of the many independent sellers on Amazon who lost the $$.


This even if the item is "sold and shipped by Amazon" ?


----------



## DRW (May 1, 2022)

Stefano said:


> This even if the item is "sold and shipped by Amazon" ?


That's Amazon competing against it's sellers. 

I don't see any Fenix lights "sold and shipped by Amazon" on the US site. However, I will admit that I don't have the patience to check every listing. Every listing I checked indicated fulfilled by Amazon, that means a third-party seller owns the inventory and pays Amazon to distribute and ship their products. That third-party seller is the one who looses money on the cherry picking scheme.


----------



## Stefano (May 1, 2022)

DRW said:


> That's Amazon competing against it's sellers.
> 
> I don't see any Fenix lights "sold and shipped by Amazon" on the US site. However, I will admit that I don't have the patience to check every listing. Every listing I checked indicated fulfilled by Amazon, that means a third-party seller owns the inventory and pays Amazon to distribute and ship their products. That third-party seller is the one who looses money on the cherry picking scheme.


Here on the Italian Amazon I only buy lights if sold and shipped by Amazon, this gives me the maximum guarantee of replacement and/or refund.
Also useful when a specimen with an unconvincing tint occurs, I can ask for a replacement, observe the two specimens together and then keep the best one and return the other.


----------



## Stefano (May 2, 2022)

I took some photos even if I don't have an ideal place to take beamshot (these photos don't satisfy me very much) I used a fenix HL60R and the HM61R. It is easy to distinguish them because the HL60R is neutral (about 4500 K) while the HM61R is cold (about 6000 or 6500 K) In the first two photos I used the level of 400 lumens for both, in the following photos the turbo for both (HL60R = 950 lumens against the 1200 of the HM61R)
The photos are animated GIFs, I set a slow delay between the two photos.


----------



## Stefano (May 22, 2022)

Tonight I walked the HM61R using the Turbo level. 
Great brightness but after a few minutes it decreases a lot (outside temperature 18 ° C - slight wind) - I also noticed a slow and steady descent but immediately. 
I wondered if the thermal sensor actually intervenes at 65C ° as the manufacturer declares or if it intervenes at lower values as it seems to be in vogue lately among many brands.
Always walking I have seen that when the brightness drops a lot and it is turned off for about 30 seconds or 1 minute when it is turned on again it delivers the maximum brightness again. 
At home I used the lux meter (Turbo level - temperature in the house 22.5 ° C - no ventilation) - it starts to drop immediately but slowly. 
After 60/70 seconds from switching on there is only about 3% less, then it starts to go down much more quickly.
After 2 minutes from switching on we are at 30% less but it remains stable up to about 3 and a half minutes when it goes down again but at this point the sensor intervenes more energetically because I see it go up and then go down. 
After 5 minutes it drops to about 50% of the initial value and then rises to about -40%. 
I then took a hair dryer (cold air) to see how it reacts to the flow of air. 
It is not immediately reactive like the Zebralights but slowly rises to about -25% of the initial value - I kept the air cold for about 1 or 2 minutes but without seeing the initial value again. 
All in all an acceptable behavior for a very small headlamp. 
From reviews seen on the web in better cooling conditions than tonight I would have seen about 800/850 constant lumens. 
Maybe I would have preferred a slightly larger size (or cooling fins) to have a constant brightness for some more time. 
But maybe I am spoiled by the results I have with the old Wizard Pro V3 but which has larger dimensions and also the cooling fins


----------



## kreisl (May 23, 2022)

Are you describing the *Turbo *level performance thru words? ✨ 😎 👍

Btw it was measured by Zeroair in beautiful detail and posted in graphical format:






I keep using my HM61R every effing day, without fail. And i appreciate the compact form factor and the magnetic charging and the tail magnet and the lighting-while-charging feature more and more. Still the best 18650 angle headlamp out on the market imho, even though i never tested any other models lol.


----------



## Stefano (May 23, 2022)

kreisl said:


> Are you describing the *Turbo *level performance thru words? ✨ 😎 👍
> 
> Btw it was measured by Zeroair in beautiful detail and posted in graphical format:
> 
> ...


----------



## Stefano (May 23, 2022)

My test is without cooling so very complicated to describe with Google translate 
I am sure that with wind or low temperatures the behavior of the Headlamp would be as shown in the graph.
After the fun it was convenient to use the magnetic charging.


----------



## kreisl (May 26, 2022)

DRW said:


> Since the charging cable is about $6, I picked up two extras, one for the truck, one for the office, one for the kitchen (normal charging area), and one for my hunting pack.


In our country the pinche geman fenis dealer charges more like €10 mas shipping (sku: _FEE30RLadeka_), the cable is supposed to be compatible with Fenix E18R, E30R, and HM61R.

The current price of the AX alternative [sku: _4000571189305_], marketed by Trustfire, product model TrustFire *MW1 USB*, is higher:




The sales page $11.73 shipped clearly states compatibility with E18R E30R HM65R [sic].

Ah now i also understand why the headband's plastic holder is formed like it is. One could mount it *upon *the headbandless plastic holder for helmets, the Fenis *ALG-03 V2.0* (compatible with HL55, HL60R, HM60R, HM61R, HM65R, HM70R). €6.50 mas shipping, aha.

To me, the plastic holder, the plastic helmet mount are toy-like quality and not suitable for real duty or long-term work. Not professional quality. Seriously what my grandmums would expect from "Made In China"-quality! On the positive side, the parts are super light-weight and can be replaced for "little" money (for a professional worker, €10 for a critical spare part is relatively little money me believes).


----------



## Labrador72 (May 27, 2022)

Stefano said:


> I have no idea if if the HM65R Super Raptor 2 is steadily regulated as version 1, reading some tables it would seem not ..(700 lumens for 3 hours or 500 lumens for 4 hours).
> For this reason I preferred SuperRaptor 1 (I don't know if it is out of stock) I like more version 1 (with spot led XM-L2) because it has a flood light with 130 lumens instead of 70 lumens.



The SuperRaptor2 was designed to be geared towards trail running and other outdoor sports.
That's why the SuperRaptor2 headlamps from the first batch didn't have mode memory and always start on the lowest level too.
It is supposed to be steadily regulated.

The SuperRaptor2 seems to have a design very similar to the HM65R ShadowMaster which is another HM65R% special edition for the UK market: The SuperRaptor just has a flood light instead of the red lgith and the sport-fit headband instead of the standard AFH 02 headband.

IMHO, the UltraRaptor2, at least those from the first batch, are the best trail and utlrarunning headlamp Fenix has ever released to date.
The best places to buy them online in Finland are scandinavian.com and varusteleka.com: both stores have excellent customer service.


----------



## Stefano (Sep 4, 2022)

Does anyone know what wavelength the red led of this headlamp has? how many (nm) nanometer ?
The red leds should be two 2835 but I can't find any information about it.


----------



## Stefano (Sep 5, 2022)

Stefano said:


> Does anyone know what wavelength the red led of this headlamp has? how many (nm) nanometer ?
> The red leds should be two 2835 but I can't find any information about it.


I learned a little while ago from Fenix that the HM70R has a wavelength of 630nm
They didn't answer me about the HM61R but at this point I assume it could be the same value.
In fact, the red led of the HM61R is very pleasant.

Yesterday I canceled an order for Zebralight H502pr because it has a wavelength too high (650/670 nm) and therefore has a much darker red.

Edit: Fenix also confirms 630nm for the HM61R


----------

