# My experience with Armytek headlamps



## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 22, 2016)

As I promised in an earlier thread, "questions and observations about armytek for interior home renovation", I am writing in an effort to document my experience with Armytek flashlights. I have now purchased 8 Armytek headlamps. I kept 6 and have given 2 as gifts. So far, I have had to return 3 lights. I have heard some bad stories about Armytek quality control but wow that's a 37% failure rate!


See earlier post if you so desire: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ns-about-armytek-for-interior-home-renovation


See the last two lights I just put in the mail: https://youtu.be/zp9HuE_ot6k


I gave a Tiara A1 Pro v2 XP-L (warm) to my father and one to my father-in-law. If these have issues I would hear about it so they are working fine.


I don't Know if this has something to do with recent production runs or if I just have terrible luck. I have noticed that some recently produced pro lights have yellow buttons while the older pro models have white buttons. I know the color of the button has nothing to do with what's inside but just think it is interesting that I have 3 failed lights all with yellow buttons. I have only purchased pro versions so I dont have experience with the regular ones.


I will say that Armytek did replace my faulty Wizard Pro v3 XHP50 (warm) although I agreed to let them ship from China which took a month. I will not make that mistake again. That light had an intemittent flicker which was anoying as you could imagine. I cleaned the contact, made sure all settings were correct but the problem persisted so I had it replaced. Armytek really didn't give me any problems on the return except the long turnaround time which is my fault for agreeing to shipment from China.


I still really like these headlamps. I use them mostly for home renovation and can't remember how I survived without them. I just wish Armytek had better quality control.


Here is my current list of Armytek headlamps in the order I got them:
Wizard Pro v2 XM-L2 (warm) >>>> white button
Wizard Pro v3 XP-L (warm) >>>> white button
Wizard Pro v3 XHP50 (warm) >>> yellow button (replaced under warranty)
Tiara A1 Pro v2 XP-L (warm) >>>> white button (Father's)
Tiara A1 Pro v2 XP-L (warm) >>>> white button (father-in-law's)
Tiara A1 Pro v2 XP-L (warm) >>>> white button
Tiara A1 Pro v2 XP-L (warm) >>>> yellow button (sent back with bad flicker)
Tiara C1 Pro v2 XP-L (warm) >>>> yellow button (sent back with cracked lens)


As you can see from the list, I have bad luck with yellow buttons. I was going to buy a lot more Armytek headlamps for Christmas and hand them out but I don't want to return a bunch of lights for other people. I reserve that kind of fun for myself (sarcasm). 


All this said, I will still continue to buy Armytek lights as long as they stand behind their warranty and don't hassle me when I need to return one. My oldest XM-L2 has taken quite a beating and is still going strong which keeps me coming back. I like tough tools. We will see how my most recent return goes and I'll update you.


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## gunga (Dec 22, 2016)

I'm on the fence. I'm not sure this helps me decide if it's worth risking.


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## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 23, 2016)

I say go for it but if you get the wizard XHP50 you will need unprotected cells. I personally don't have any protected 18650s anyway so that was not a problem for me. Just make sure everything ships from Canada if you order directly from Armytek. Or you could pick a retailer with a good reputation. When these lights aren't pissing me off they are awesome. They probably have the new production runs dialed in by now.


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## scs (Dec 23, 2016)

gunga said:


> I'm on the fence. I'm not sure this helps me decide if it's worth risking.


You're in Canada, so I say go for it as well, especially because most folks reported being reimbursed for return shipping.
If AT ever gets tired of dealing with losses from defect returns, they'll either straighten up, shorten their warranty, or just go under.
Thing is, when you do get the one from AT, like others have mentioned, it's great. But you have to play the AT lottery for a chance to win.


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## gunga (Dec 23, 2016)

Yeah. I.think I'll try it... Thanks!


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## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 23, 2016)

If you wait and order directly from AT on December 25 they will give 30% off.


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## Tachead (Dec 23, 2016)

Thanks for the review. 

I just got my first Armytek headlamp. I went with the Tiara C1 Pro V2 XP-L(Warm) and like it a lot so far.

I did have trouble with one other Armytek flashlight but, Armytek was awesome to deal with and even rush shipped me a replacement at no charge. They also paid for return shipping for the problem light. I am pretty happy with my dealings with Armytek so far. They always ship my orders fast, reply quickly to my emails, and have even went above and beyond when it comes to customer service more then once now. I say give them a try Gunga, it is awesome that they are right here in Canada and I have really taken a liking to their lights and UI.


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## gunga (Dec 23, 2016)

Thanks. I'll order a couple on the 25th. Fingers crossed they work well!


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## ven (Dec 23, 2016)

I thought AT changed their policy recently and now took returns USA/Canada side and not China.............sure i read that.


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## Tachead (Dec 23, 2016)

ven said:


> I thought AT changed their policy recently and now took returns USA/Canada side and not China.............sure i read that.


Yep, as far as I know all USA and Canadian customers are handled through their new Ontario, Canada location/warehouse. All other countries deal with the Chinese location. All of my dealings with them have been through their Canadian location. It's very convenient now for me as I am in Canada.


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## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 24, 2016)

ven said:


> I thought AT changed their policy recently and now took returns USA/Canada side and not China.............sure i read that.



Confirmed. I sent all returns to Canada. However, if something is out of stock in Canada Sandra may ask if they can ship from Chinese stock. My advise........Don't allow that if in US or Canada. Request that all replacements are shipped from Canada. I would have had my light at least two maybe three weeks earlier. The advantage I got was a new production light with a plastic cradle I have not seen before. It snaps in on your forehead instead of having to get the light through the rubber hoops. I like it.


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## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 24, 2016)

See cradle/holster video: https://youtu.be/8NiarK8TY5A


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## gunga (Dec 24, 2016)

Cool idea. Something different.


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## scs (Dec 24, 2016)

Lazyspacetruck said:


> See cradle/holster video: https://youtu.be/8NiarK8TY5A


Is the snap on mount all hard plastic? Is it comfortable to wear for a long time?
Thanks.


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## Tulip bush (Dec 24, 2016)

Interesting......just last week purchased two tiara a1, one for me one for a Christmas present for my dad.
First one flashed twice more or less as you went into turbo, occasionally flickered and would then knock down to a different level or off.
Second one flashed twice soon as put in turbo, occasionally flickered, but would hold turbo......this I have wrapped for my dad as he will rarely use turbo and will meet his needs.

Sent first one back, vendor very good and sent me another straight out, this was worse than the first and would only cycle up four levels then flash twice and switch off.

I was using some of those black n purple eneloops charged in my nitecore charger......went out and bought some durecell 2500, had more or less the same results. The AA batteries work fine in my tk41.

The vendor checked my first tiara and experienced the flashes, but he says it is now working with no flashes or flickers...odd.

I have exchanged my second for a wizard as I already have one of those, this given a quick check works fine just like my other wizard does.

The vendor did say the software may have been updated and improved in the tiara, he has talked to his supplier who reports he wasn't aware of any faults with the tiara, but the vendor says he's not totally convinced.

I do also own a prime warm, which is much warmer than my wizard warm,,,,it has a lovely tint, only thing that really bugged me when I bought it was you can see dust inside around the lens bit surrounding the led, contacted armytek about this who told me it doesn't affect the light, they're right it doesn't, but it did annoy me at the time.

Im still tempted witha tiara, but would like to here other people's views on them, especially how it runs in turbo.

All in all, not impressed with all three tiaras not performing as they should.


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## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 24, 2016)

scs said:


> Is the snap on mount all hard plastic? Is it comfortable to wear for a long time?
> Thanks.



Yes it is hard plastic. I honestly haven't worn this one all day yet but I have worn it for a couple of hours while I was hanging a door at my house and it was comfortable. If you look at the video closely you can see that it is contoured on both geometric axes which contours to my forehead well.


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## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 24, 2016)

Tulip bush said:


> Interesting......just last week purchased two tiara a1, one for me one for a Christmas present for my dad.
> First one flashed twice more or less as you went into turbo, occasionally flickered and would then knock down to a different level or off.
> Second one flashed twice soon as put in turbo, occasionally flickered, but would hold turbo......this I have wrapped for my dad as he will rarely use turbo and will meet his needs.
> 
> ...



That sux! When I buy a light I want the light to be just like the other ones. What I mean is I don't want quality control to be a factor. I want to be able to judge the light solely on its merits as it was designed. That means no dust behind the lens, no cracks, no blemishes of any kind because I want to do all that in use. I want to be the first one to put the scratches on the light. Is that too much to ask? Anyway, I also want to remind readers to set the light for the battery they are using. We all know but others may get this behavior and panic because if the light is set for the voltage range of a 14500 battery and gets NiMh voltage it may display this behavior even though the light is fine. Just a heads up.


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## Tulip bush (Dec 24, 2016)

Lazyspacetruck said:


> That sux! When I buy a light I want the light to be just like the other ones. What I mean is I don't want quality control to be a factor. I want to be able to judge the light solely on its merits as it was designed. That means no dust behind the lens, no cracks, no blemishes of any kind because I want to do all that in use. I want to be the first one to put the scratches on the light. Is that too much to ask? Anyway, I also want to remind readers to set the light for the battery they are using. We all know but others may get this behavior and panic because if the light is set for the voltage range of a 14500 battery and gets NiMh voltage it may display this behavior even though the light is fine. Just a heads up.



The non pro tiara I believe can't be set for 14500, no mention in the instructions.


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## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 24, 2016)

My Tiara lights that work as designed are great! Both the A1 and C1 versions. They have a rock solid user interface and do not flicker at all when the proper battery is programmed. They work great with eneloop and with 14500 lithium ion. They don't last very long on Turbo but I have quite a stack of eneloops that I use when I'm working. Playing the lotto is fun right?

To be clear I run 18350 in my Tiara C1. I don't run anything in it now because it had a cracked lens and is back in Canada in a junk bin most likely. However the light performed perfectly aside from that issue.


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## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 24, 2016)

Tulip bush said:


> The non pro tiara I believe can't be set for 14500, no mention in the instructions.



I'm sure you are correct. I don't have experience with the non-pro versions. However, I would probably check anyway because Armytek doesn't seem very good at updating instructions or stuff on their website in general. I can't even find that cradle that I showed in the video anywhere on the website under spare parts. Even if I had the non-pro version I would probably check by holding the button down from the off position and running through all the modes to see if it will enter the programming function.


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## Tulip bush (Dec 24, 2016)

Lazyspacetruck said:


> I'm sure you are correct. I don't have experience with the non-pro versions. However, I would probably check anyway because Armytek doesn't seem very good at updating instructions or stuff on their website in general. I can't even find that cradle that I showed in the video anywhere on the website under spare parts. Even if I had the non-pro version I would probably check by holding the button down from the off position and running through all the modes to see if it will enter the programming function.



Your right, you should definitely check, I did, but nothing happened, but it wouldn't surprise me if somebody told me otherwise.


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## Tulip bush (Dec 24, 2016)

Anybody got a high cri wizard? I had one but sold it unfortunately when I was strapped for cash, enjoyed using it in the house, but can never remember taking it out with the dogs. Have they made any high cri tiara a1's yet?


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## iamlucky13 (Dec 24, 2016)

Tulip bush said:


> The non pro tiara I believe can't be set for 14500, no mention in the instructions.



My understanding is this is right. It has no low voltage protection for unprotected 14500's, and the battery meter (if it has one) is only programmed for AA, so it will always display full when used with 14500.

I have the Pro and have left it set for AA so I can use it with either without resetting it. 



Tulip bush said:


> Anybody got a high cri wizard? I had one but sold it unfortunately when I was strapped for cash, enjoyed using it in the house, but can never remember taking it out with the dogs. Have they made any high cri tiara a1's yet?



They previously made a high CRI Tiara Pro A1 with the XM-L2 warm emitter, but appear to have discontinued it just recently.

I've had mine for about two months. No problems so far. Very warm and pleasant beam, but doesn't win any awards for brightness.


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## gunga (Dec 24, 2016)

Do you have a warm xpl in comparison? How is the tint and colour rendering compare?


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## gunga (Dec 25, 2016)

Oh well. Bought a warm xpl tiara a1 pro and high cri xml2 tiara c1 pro. Hoping for good results!


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## Lazyspacetruck (Dec 25, 2016)

gunga said:


> Oh well. Bought a warm xpl tiara a1 pro and high cri xml2 tiara c1 pro. Hoping for good results!



I'm hoping for good results as well. Just pulled the trigger on two lights myself. I went for the partner C2 pro v3 xhp35 (warm) and the Dobermann pro xhp35 HI (warm).

Let's see what this xhp35 is all about. Let us know how your purchase goes and I'll do the same.


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## iamlucky13 (Dec 25, 2016)

gunga said:


> Do you have a warm xpl in comparison? How is the tint and colour rendering compare?



Sorry, I don't. I will be very curious to learn what your impressions are comparing the two.


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## Heiti567 (Dec 26, 2016)

What disturbes me most about Armytek is their handling of versions.
When you order an Armytek via a local seller or distributor you'll never know what you get.
I decided to buy a Tiara V2 Pro warm XM-L2 after I read the manual on their webside.
But the flashlight I recived had a different manual and differs in the UI and performance.
The seller ask me " how did you recognize that it is not a V2 version? ". 
That is a good question because there are no version informations on the light.
The seller gave me 25€ refund just to keep me from sending it back.
He does not want to get bothered with the Tiaras any more causeed by to much breaks and acceptance.
Other deales quit selling Tiaras for the same reasons.


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## Woods Walker (Dec 27, 2016)

Lets see. Returned one XHP-50 Pro Wizard and got good CS. The Tiara XM-L Pro has a few UI bugs which on rare occasions when the right (and unknown) combinations of clicks and low battery levels come together just appear. Just a twist of the tail cap and maybe fresh battery will clear them so given the rare, rare occurrence I don't worry about it. They survived prolonged submersion, extreme cold and bad weather. Dang that XHP-50 NW has one of the best tints ever. Also feel the beam profile (all their headlamps use the same optic I think) is about the best ever for a general purpose headlamp IMHO. Just gave my uncle a CW XM-L Wizard STANDARD I got during a black Friday sale from AT. Wished I also purchased one for myself. Also the CW tint was ok. 

The primary downsides are the flashing button with the Pros as people have mixed feelings and experiences with it. A website which getting the proper numbers involves a combination of cross referencing various sources, outright speculation and wishful thinking. Lack of communication on which version someone purchased (Often not on the box or instructions for some models) As for quality control as there is no reason not to believe the OP and other reports. I will say if you get a good one they're very good. As for the button color I remember the yellow buttons used to be for the Standard versions then the Pros got the white. But then the white was used for both and now the yellow is back for both. Or maybe not. Maybe it is just whatever boots they got get used? Dang if I know.


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## vadimax (Dec 27, 2016)

There is a Russian saying: mice were crying, pricking themselves, but continued to gnaw a cactus


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## Heiti567 (Dec 27, 2016)

Living close to the Netherlands I prefer cheese rather then cactus and bought some Zebralights.
But I still like my Wizard NW USB. Armytek should print their version information on the lights this way it would be easier for everyone.


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## SubLGT (Dec 29, 2016)

Lazyspacetruck said:


> ...The advantage I got was a new production light with a plastic cradle I have not seen before. It snaps in on your forehead instead of having to get the light through the rubber hoops. I like it.



Now that is a good idea. 

I have owned 4 Armyteks. Three of them have, or had, electronics issues. Maybe they should think of hiring a new circuit designer?


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## Shaysrebellion (Dec 29, 2016)

SubLGT said:


> Now that is a good idea.
> 
> I have owned 4 Armyteks. Three of them have, or had, electronics issues. Maybe they should think of hiring a new circuit designer?



75% failure.....wow.......not going to buy one now

I have 2 zebras, one has an electronic issue.... 50% failure
I have 2 fenix and both have parasitic drain... 100% failure


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## Shaysrebellion (Dec 29, 2016)

Shaysrebellion said:


> 75% failure.....wow.......not going to buy one now
> 
> I have 2 zebras, one has an electronic issue.... 50% failure
> I have 2 *nitecore* and both have parasitic drain... 100% failure


 Cant edit post above

Had 5 surefires and all worked great, too expensive, not enough features, night bright enough, but they worked


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## Lazyspacetruck (Jan 3, 2017)

Happy New Year!
I have the replacements for the lights I returned and all seems fine so far. They have yellow buttons. My new lights were also delivered but I'm on vacation and won't see them until I return.


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## iamlucky13 (Jan 3, 2017)

Lazyspacetruck said:


> See cradle/holster video: https://youtu.be/8NiarK8TY5A



That's interesting. Does it seem pretty secure and durable? It seems they are not selling it separate on their website, at least not yet.

I've got the silicone style. The part of the holder behind the headband is pretty thick and leaves what another CPF user called "Zebralight horns" on my forehead after extended use. It's also very hard to remove the light for handheld use. This could be better.


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## Heiti567 (Jan 4, 2017)

nkon does sell them as spare parts.


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## LightObsession (Jan 4, 2017)

Lazyspacetruck said:


> See cradle/holster video: https://youtu.be/8NiarK8TY5A



Getting better, but still can't leave the pocket clip on the light while in the headlamp.


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## gunga (Jan 6, 2017)

Okay. Updates. I got my 2x tiara pro today. 11 days, decent since I ordered on Christmas day. 

Tiara pro c1, high cri xml2 
Tiara pro a1, warm xpl 

Coincidentally I picked up a lightly used tiara pro a1, high cri xml2 yesterday from a local fellow. 

While these are all v2 models, the ones from Armytek have yellow buttons and follow the manual (with two turbo modes). The local a1 has a white button, a single turbo mode and small differences in the programming interface. Annoying. 

I thought I would get annoyed by the pro UI because I didn't want to learn yet another complicated light (I have lots). In the end, the extra flexibility of the pro model (especially access to moonlight when on) was appreciated and easy to master. 

The flashing green state indicator is annoying. I wish I could properly shut it off. I used the control sequence in the manual and did a lot of research. No dice. On regular and turbo modes, it always flashes every 5 seconds. On moonlight, it flashes 2-3 times (Armytek direct lights) or 4-5 times (tiara bought locally) then stops. This is annoying but acceptable.I have not managed to change the behaviour of this in any way using any of the Armytek methods I've seen.

Overall the UI is quite good. I just wish I could shut off the green flashing. I also wish they were more consistent. When it is used as a headlamp, you will not really notice the flashing, but I like to use them as handheld lights, flashing is distracting and may wake the kids (it's way brighter than the moonlight mode).

Level selection is good, with nice spacing. Moonlight is a touch brighter than the crazy dim I like, but is good.

The finish is a bit chalky. Grippy, seems durable, picks up grease and dust like mad. Unique.

The lights are HUGE. The Tiara A1 (AA light) is the same size as my Zebralight H600fc iii (18650 light) except the battery tube is skinnier on the Armytek. It's comical. I know it's done to same on manufacturing costs but it's still way too big. The C1 is still big but at least it seems more justified and it fits 18350 batteries. That is cool.

The construction seems solid. I've heard of a lot of issues, especially after light usage. Hopefully I don't succumb to this.

Beam is a nice punchy flood as has been described before. my favourite beam pattern.

Tint. This is where things get interesting. The XPL "warm" is around 3800-4000K estimated. It is quite pleasant with a very mild green/yellow tinge. It's hard to really notice unless you look for it. Overall, one of the nicest XPL neutrals I have seen. The only issue is that I'm spoiled by Nichia 219A/B/C, 5D1 XML2, XML2 Easywhite etc. The green is much more noticeable when compared to some of these beautiful LEDs. Again, it's one of the niceest XPL neutral I've seen (most have been so gross and green I've modded everything to Nichia). So, by itself, it's great, but it doesn't rival a Nichia.

The high CRI XML2 is interesting. Very warm (2800-3000K) , with an orange colour cast. Very much incan like. Looks a bit dimmer than it is due to the colour. Overall, very cozy tint. Like a candle. So while it's high CRI, everything looks tinted, like an incan light. It's not for all applications, but is unique, cozy, and comfortable. Great for late at night, relaxing times. Good outdoors too.

So, all in all, I like all of them. Not perfect, not compact, but unique and usable. Nothing super annoying (except the blinking button). I know the non-pro models don't blink but I like the UI flexibility of the pro. 

Overall, I'm undecided. I may return one or both of the headlamps I got from Armytek. Can't return the locally bought one but it's pretty nice. Just not sure I can justify all these, and I might just want the next gen Zebralight instead.


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## gunga (Jan 6, 2017)

Never mind. I ended up editing my above post.


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## gunga (Jan 10, 2017)

I'm going to return everything. I thought I could use the clips I bought on a zebralight but not without a bit of Machining or filing. 

The tiara pro a1 is redundant because I got a high cri one locally. 

The tiara pro c1 is nice but somehow I got screwed by ordering on the USA site vs the Canadian site (the prices are different?!). They won't refund the difference without another order. 

Also, they have ignored my phone calls the the Canadian "office" and email. I finally got a response after posting on the form on my order. 

I'm already leery of this company. With that kind of "service", I'd rather wait for a next generation zebralight.


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## Tachead (Jan 10, 2017)

gunga said:


> I'm going to return everything. I thought I could use the clips I bought on a zebralight but not without a bit of Machining or filing.
> 
> The tiara pro a1 is redundant because I got a high cri one locally.
> 
> ...


Sorry to hear that Gunga. I wonder if something is going on at the office(the holidays maybe?)because all my dealings with them have been great. They even upgraded me to faster shipping for free so a gift I bought could be here for Christmas. They also sent me a bunch of o-rings at no charge and took care of a warranty issue for me very quickly. All my emails have been answered within a couple of days and the one time I talked to them on the phone was a good experience. The lady I talked to was very friendly and helpful. I would give them a shout again man. Hope you get taken care of👍.


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## gunga (Jan 10, 2017)

Did you call the Canadian office? I called 5 times over a week and a half. Left 2 messages and have had no response.


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## Tachead (Jan 10, 2017)

gunga said:


> Did you call the Canadian office? I called 5 times over a week and a half. Left 2 messages and have had no response.


They called me after I sent them an email to the [email protected] address.


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## Tachead (Jan 10, 2017)

I wonder if they are closed or something is going on? I was a bit leery of them too and waited quite a while to try them but, I honestly have been impressed with their products and service so far. I had an issue with a light early on but, it was replaced and everything has been good since. I have been putting a lot of use on my Prime C2 Pro V3 XHP35(Warm) and it has became my favorite EDC. I have 3 of their lights now to try out and will be putting them through their paces this year. I will post my thoughts again after they have a bunch of months of hard use on them. I hope they work out because I love the 10 year warranty and having them right here in Canada to take care of us.


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## gunga (Jan 10, 2017)

It's now [email protected]. 

I'll try again.


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## Tachead (Jan 10, 2017)

gunga said:


> It's now [email protected].
> 
> I'll try again.


Right, that's what I meant. I just typed it wrong.


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## Lazyspacetruck (Jan 10, 2017)

Partner C2 pro v3 xhp35 (warm) 
Dobermann pro xhp35 HI (warm)

I finally got some time to play with these two lights after New year's. They seem great. The Doberman doesn't seem as warm as I expected but I really like the tight beam pattern which is why I bought it and the cooler tint is probably better for my purposes anyway.

The partner is as expected. I bought it for my wife because she is a property appraiser and had a crappy Colman light. There's no comparison.

I just hope they last a long time. My main concern with armytek is the fact that the tiara I returned and the wizard xhp50 actually developed electrical or operating system issues but worked well from the start. As an engineer that bugs me. Well I guess that would bug anyone but here's what I'm trying to say:

I'm worried that Armytek has poor design and not simply poor quality control. I hope that is not the case because I really enjoy these lights but my gut tells me that they tend to rush to production before they have time to work out the kinks. This is why they seem to crank out one version after another so quickly. They are fixing known issues. 

How did these lights develop these flickering issues without impulse force trauma? They could be getting too hot. They could have sloppy boards and conductors are too close together or pathways have some gunk on them before they are potted and the heat changes resistance until it finally fails in dramatic flickering fashion. Poor user interface programming could also be an issue.

However, like I've said before, some of my Armytek lights have been rock solid and I really like them. I have now purchased ten armytek lights and have taken advantage of warranty replacement on three. They were good to me and all lights are functional as we speak. I will update if something changes or if I buy more.


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## iamlucky13 (Jan 11, 2017)

gunga said:


> I'm going to return everything...



That's unfortunate. Hopefully the return gets sorted out.

Your comments above echo my thoughts very closely (A1 Pro, Warm, 90CRI, white button) - I was concerned the interface would be confusing. It turns out the manual is confusing, but the interface is my favorite of all my lights. The light quality is very close to an incandescent.

The flashing is obnoxious at times, and it's bulky and heavy compared to the competition, but I'm keeping mine, as the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion.


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## coffeecup66 (Jan 11, 2017)

vadimax said:


> There is a Russian saying: mice were crying, pricking themselves, but continued to gnaw a cactus



Excellent ! Unbelievable how they keep gnawing !!!


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## gunga (Jan 11, 2017)

Well. Armytek is finally responding. Email only. They fixed the pricing on the tiara c1 high cri, so I'll keep it (tint and size is nicer than the a1 high cri, less orange). I'm returning the tiara a1 and clips. Took effort but seems like they are dealing with things.


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## Lazyspacetruck (Jan 11, 2017)

coffeecup66 said:


> Excellent ! Unbelievable how they keep gnawing !!!



What you may not understand is these lights are great for my use. I'll explain:

I don't just put these on a shelf and play with them or use them on camping trips. My guys work with these things all day. They are in attics and crawl spaces and everywhere in-between. My guys will toss them to each other and they are not NBA stars. Although, to be fair, a simple toss and catch is harder when you are in an attic walking on ceiling joists. I probably use my lights more in a week than most do in a year. 

I was lucky that the lights I've had to return didn't have much use (no jobsite use except for hours of paint work) and I could tell for sure that the problem was a defect and not because we drop these things a LOT. Most of the time they fall on wood but sometimes they fall on concrete or tile. My oldest XM-L2 has probably been dropped more than most people's lights get dropped over 10 years. 

Yes I'm critical of Armytek because I hold them to a high standard. That doesn't mean I don't respect what they have done with the design and construction of these lights. They just need to spend more time in R&D phase and do their very best with quality control in my humble opinion. 

They may take a financial hit in the beginning but it would likely be a viable investment. I believe it would benefit their financial bottom line in the long run. But this is a decision they have to balance with other considerations as well, such as the financial benefit of cranking out tons of new versions of lights with new emitters that people buy like candy and then set on a shelf where they will never know that their particular light has an issue that will develop after 160 hours of use. 

It may be simpler than that though. It may be that the designs are awesome and the production process is to blame. I have friends who have had China mass produce some promotional products and they generally send samples before they fire up a production run. My advice is for Armytek to abuse these samples and try to make them fail or send them to product testers who will do it. Sending samples to members of this forum would not be a bad idea.

These lights are tough. That's why I like them. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has a better option. I have some 18650 batteries with dented positive conductors due to impact. These lights have beefy springs on the negative terminal but if they had springs on both sides, they would be even more durable. The trade off is size. But if the springs are produced with a good “k” factor (F=kX) they would likely not require much length to dissipate external impulse force without damaging the battery or the positive end of the light.

It's a physics problem, more specifically a dynamics problem that can be solved. It depends on the maximum desired height of fall, average mass of an 18650, mass of the light, and the maximum desirable spring length would be a constraint that would be a factor as well. It would be an iterative calculation though because the mass of the light and center of mass of the light+battery combination would change slightly every time you change the spring and housing lengths. The oscillating frequency would change as well. Ever seen one of those as-seen-on-TV shake weights? Ok, now I'm just rambling. Time for sleep.

I want a headlamp that has a battery sandwiched between two strong springs and is built like a tiny tank. Anyone?


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## gunga (Jan 18, 2017)

Well. I got my refund but they didn't refund the 12% tax. 

More Chasing to be done. This is clearly a Chinese company with a Canadian warehouse. Canadian companies don't operate like this.


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## coffeecup66 (Jan 18, 2017)

555 said:


> .




...y ?


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## gunga (Jan 18, 2017)

I paid to armytek. I'm just making a comment because they keep advertising about being Canadian. They don't provide Canadian service. From what I have seen over decades of purchases. Nonetheless the comment is not too relevant. I'm just annoyed at how much work was needed to use my 30 day satisfaction guarantee.

Weeks to get a response, then mistakes and missing details. Annoying.


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## scs (Jan 19, 2017)

gunga said:


> I paid to armytek. I'm just making a comment because they keep advertising about being Canadian. They don't provide Canadian service. From what I have seen over decades of purchases. Nonetheless the comment is not too relevant. I'm just annoyed at how much work was needed to use my 30 day satisfaction guarantee.
> 
> Weeks to get a response, then mistakes and missing details. Annoying.



Sorry to hear that, gunga. Hope things get resolved soon and in a satisfactory manner. Apologies for encouraging you to try Armytek.


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## coffeecup66 (Jan 19, 2017)

fydt said:


> ... ..



...


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## Trango (Jan 19, 2017)

It may be a bit off topic, but anyone knows if Nkon is dropping Armytek lights? They have lowered the price on all of them and only have 4 models on the list now. Something similar was going on with Fenix before they dropped them.


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## coffeecup66 (Jan 19, 2017)

... said:


> ...



H

Cheers.


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## Woods Walker (Jan 19, 2017)

Getting ready for a multi day hot tent outing maybe later this weekend. Going to pack the Wizard. Also I have at least 1000 foot miles on the Tiara and much of that at night. I am not worried about any potential failure during this weekends outing but always pack two lights.


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## gunga (Jan 19, 2017)

scs said:


> Sorry to hear that, gunga. Hope things get resolved soon and in a satisfactory manner. Apologies for encouraging you to try Armytek.



They completed the refund. 

No worries. It was on me. I read about the good reports here, read their return policy, Canadian shipping (a good thing) and Canadian office with (non functional) phone number and thought all would be smooth. 

So far the product is fine. It has some annoying quirks but so do most lights. 

Service has been annoying and took much more effort than I anticipated, hence all my complaints. If they would pick up the phone or return a call just once, this would not have happened. I'm guessing it's just a Canadian number that is used occasionally for outgoing calls. No one listens or responds to the messages. 

Overall this has left a sour taste in my mouth. So far the product is good and the service is typical of an Asian manufacturer. No better. No worse. 

My issue was just that I was expecting better. Note, I'm an Asian Canadian so it's not a race thing. Just a customer service thing. 

My taxes were refunded. My shipping was not, but since the product was not defective I didn't expect it to be. 

Time will tell how the product endures. The unique UI and LED tint are what prompted me to keep them. I hope they prove reliable.


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## gunga (Jan 19, 2017)

Note, the 12% is Canadian sales tax for items bought in Canada.


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## Tachead (Jan 19, 2017)

Sorry you had some troubles Gunga, glad you got it sorted out. 

My experience has been pretty good so far with Armytek but, I had one defective light which was replaced without hassle. I have been having to chase them for a refund of my shipping that they promised me however and I will update how that turns out. Overall I am quite happy with their product thus far but, I think they still need to work a bit on their website and customer service. Hopefully my lights prove reliable in the long term and I hope they continue to improve as it is nice having a company so close here in Canada.


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## Trango (Jan 19, 2017)

coffeecup66 said:


> Hi Trango,
> 
> Tried here ? : https://eu.nkon.nl/contacts
> 
> Cheers.



Don't want to bother them (I already do it enough when I need it), don't have any Armytek lights on my buy list atm. Was just curious if anyone know something.


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