# ArmyTek Predator G2 V2.0 and Predator X V2.0 dual Review



## subwoofer (Jan 4, 2013)

As consumers, and as flashlight enthusiasts, we are spoiled for choice as there many excellent lights on the market. There are a fewer number of outstanding lights, and in my opinion the ArmyTek Predator V2.0 (in whichever version you prefer) is outstanding.

In this review I have two versions of the ArmyTek Predator V2.0 on test, the Predator G2 (fitted with the XP-G2 R5 LED) and the Predator X (fitted with an XM-L U2).









Initial Impressions:

The ArmyTek Predator arrives in simple packaging that belies its incredible versatility.

The V2.0 still sports the matt anodised surface of the original Predator. This feels different to standard smooth anodising and gives the Predator a covert appearance. The finish seems to make the Predator feel less cold to touch and has good grip.

Compared to the Predator V1.2, the V2.0 has a new removable silicon rubber tactical grip ring, updated removable pocket clip, slightly larger diameter head/reflector (about 5mm bigger), is slightly shorter overall (about 6mm shorter) and has an updated selection of emitters. Initially slightly dubious about a rubber grip ring, this is very comfortable and secure to hold.

In designing the Predator, ArmyTek have managed to make what appears to be an incredibly robust and a truly military-grade light.

When you pick up the instruction sheet, your jaw might drop when you see just what the Predator is capable of, but DON’T PANIC, as you can use the Predator in its default configuration. If you are feeling a little more adventurous it doesn’t take too long to get into programming it. (Plus I’ve put together a Predator Programming Crib Sheet which will hopefully help make it simpler to do – more on that in the User Interface section)








What is in the box:

The two versions of the Predator v2.0 on test are the XP-G2 R5 (1C tint) Smooth Reflector with 5º hotspot and 24º spill






And the XM-L U2 (1C tint) Smooth Reflector with 8º hotspot and 55º spill.






Both arrived in identical boxes (just the labels shown above on the end of the box being different).






And both look the same inside.






Each Predator comes with a bezel-down holster, lanyard, pocket clip, two spare o-rings, spare switch boot, and a rubber blanking ring to use if you remove the tactical grip ring. (as both are the same I’ve only shown the Predator X)






This is the Predator X with XM-L U2.








Taking a closer look and looking inside:

When taking a closer look, most aspects of the body design are identical, so will only be shown once. The LEDs and reflectors will be shown for the G2 and X models

The side of the battery tube has two flat areas with the logo and model.






The Predator V2.0 now has a removable silicon rubber tactical grip ring which has a hole for fixing a lanyard through.






The head of the light has anti-roll flats (which combined with the grip ring keep it stable on a flat surface).






Another change from the earlier version is the tail-cap switch, which no longer sports crenulations, making the button easier to press and reducing the length of the tail-cap. The switch boot retaining ring looks like it will be a bit more challenging to remove though, now that it is smooth.






The positive contact is a raised metal pad. The battery tube ring-shaped contact is slightly raised, but has texture that makes it look like a raised part of the PCB rather than a metal contact ring, so this may not be as robust as the positive contact.






At the head end of the battery tube, the threads are bare. Two o-rings are used to seal the battery tube.






The threads are standard and cleanly cut. As supplied they are well lubricated.






At the tail-cap end there are also two o-rings and the threads are anodised. Again as supplied they are well lubricated.






The negative terminal in the tailcap is a strong spring with a metal cap to increase surface contact area and stabilise the end of the spring.






First LED is the Predator X’s XM-L U2.






A closer look.






Looking into the deep well finished reflector of the Predator G2 for a first look at the XP-G2 LED






And straight into the reflector






Looking a little closer the G2’s surface is more even than the XP-G with a lack of visible conductor strips.








Modes and User Interface:

The Predator’s user interface has two inputs. The first is the forward-clicky tail switch, and the second is the head being tightened or loosened.

With the head tightened you are using what ArmyTek refer to as Line 1 modes.

With the head loose, you are using the Line2 modes.

Each ‘Line’ can have multiple output modes. By default Line 1 has three constant output levels (equivalent to say Max, Medium and Low), and Line 2 has one flashing and one constant (strobe and brighter of three ‘firefly’ modes).

To change mode within the ‘Line’ you are using, either loosen then tighten (or tighten then loosen if using Line 2) quickly to move to the next output mode in that ‘Line’.

As supplied, you can just start to use the Predator like this, and you don’t HAVE to do any programming to customise it……..but you can, so why not.

This is where the Predator really is outstanding. No other light I know of gives the user so much control. It can be quite daunting at first when you take a look at the instructions:

(click to open the full size version of each page)


 



You are able to set the:

Number of output levels for each ‘Line’
What each and every output level (constant and firefly, strobe, SOS or beacon) is within the ‘Line’ (Line 1 only uses constant and firefly outputs)
Line memorisation on or off
The output stabilisation for each ‘Line’ (Full, Semi or Step)
The power source type (2xCR123 or 2xRCR123 or 1x 18650 Li-ion or 1x18650 LiFePO4)
Reset to factory defaults or use custom presets.

Also included is a battery voltage check feature which will indicate the battery voltage with a set of flashes.

Now that is outstanding!

Initially I found consulting the full double sided A3 sheet of instructions a bit overwhelming when trying to make a few changes, so I put together a single side of A4 as a set of condensed programming notes:

(click to open the full size version)




This summarises the three main tasks:

Setting up the Line 1 modes output levels.
Using the main Setup menu to configure the majority of options.
Displaying the battery voltage

You will still need to consult the ArmyTek instructions for the detail and planning what you want to set up, but hopefully this condensed guide will help you actually carry out the programming.


So with all of this choice, the biggest problem is deciding how you want to customise it.



Batteries and output:

The Predator can run on2xCR123 or 2xRCR123 or 1x 18650 Li-ion or 1x18650 LiFePO4.

Although you can get away without bothering to change the power source in the menu, doing so optimises the Predator to work with the chosen power source (effectively changing the lower cut off voltage and therefore the low battery warning voltage). This allows you to safely use unprotected Li-ions as the Predator itself will prevent damage to the cell once the low voltage limit has been reached.

When set to 2xCR123 the Predator will run them down to 2V allowing you to get the most out of them.

Due to the terminal design, the Predator can use button or flat top cells. However I did come across one issue when trying to use AW’s 3100mAh cells.

AW’s 3100mAh cells have three raised dots on the negative terminal. When screwing the tail-cap on, the metal cap on the Predator’s negative terminal spring, catches on these dots and gets dragged sideways. As you can see here, the battery terminal has a groove scored into it when this happened.






Inside the tail-cap there is similar damage where the negative terminal cap dug in. When this happened the tail-cap switch was bypassed and the light came on without the switch being pressed.






This only happened due to the raised dots. The AWs are the only cells I have with this design feature, but unfortunately it means you cannot use them with the Predator.

Due to this, all testing was carried out with Fenix ARB-L2 18650 cells and CR123 primary cells.


_To measure actual output, I built an integrating sphere. See here for more detail. The sensor registers visible light only (so Infra-Red and Ultra-Violet will not be measured)._

*Please note, all quoted lumen figures are from a DIY integrating sphere, and according to ANSI standards. Although every effort is made to give as accurate a result as possible, they should be taken as an estimate only. The results can be used to compare outputs in this review and others I have published.*


Predator G2 using ARB-L2I.S. measured ANSI output LumensPWM frequency (Hz)Military (default) High4970 Military (default) Medium840 Military (default) Low50
 
(High on CR123 was 487lm)

All output modes are free of any sign of PWM.



Predator X using ARB-L2I.S. measured ANSI output LumensPWM frequency (Hz)Military (default) High5930 Military (default) Medium840 Military (default) Low30
 
(High on CR123 was 586lm)


As mentioned previously the Predator uses three different types of output stabilisation (see the instructions for more details), including FULL stabilisation which maintains the specified output level without dropping at all until the battery can no longer maintain that output.

The default configuration is for the Line 1 modes to be run as FULL stabilisation, so this is how I tested the maximum output runtime test.

First up is the G2. At the end of the runtime, the trace becomes noisy – at this point the Predator started to flash to indicate the battery was low. The low battery flash continued for over half an hour giving you light you could find your way about with. Switching off and on in Line 1 resulted in no output. Changing to Line 2 while off did allow further use on firefly modes.






Next is the Predator X. Again at the end of the runtime, the trace becomes noisy – at this point the Predator started to flash to indicate the battery was low. The low battery flash continued for over half an hour giving you light you could find your way about with. Switching off and on in Line 1 resulted in no output. Changing to Line 2 while off did allow further use on firefly modes.







Another aspect of the Predator’s output that must not be looked over are the excellent ‘firefly’ modes. At a specified 0.1lm, 0.5lm and 1.5lm these are too low for my integrating sphere to measure. Bearing in mind that ArmyTek have specified their outputs as at the LED, the real output of these firefly modes is probably even less.

On the lowest mode, looking straight into the G2 shows the emitter’s surface structure.






The Predator X goes even lower






As I can’t measure these low outputs, here are the two Predators next to two other well known low output lights.

Far left is the Quark AA on moon mode, then the Predator G2, Predator X and the Photon Freedom Micro all on their lowest modes.






Interestingly the Predator X’s lowest output appears to be about half that of the G2 version. Both are significantly lower than the Quark Moon mode and the Predator X is not far off the Photon Freedom Micro which is one of the lowest outputs out there (but the Photon achieves this with a terrible PWM whereas the Predator’s output has no PWM).




In The Lab

NEW for Winter 2012 _ANSI standards include maximum beam range. This is the distance at which the intensity of light from an emitter falls to 0.25lux (roughly the same as the lux from a full moon). This standard refers only to the peak beam range (a one dimensional quantity), so I am expanding on this and applying the same methodology across the entire width of the beam. From this data it is possible to plot a two-dimensional ‘beam range profile’ diagram which represents the shape of the illuminated area.

In order to accurately capture this information a test rig was constructed which allows a lux meter to be positioned 1m from the lens and a series of readings to be taken at various angles out from the centre line of the beam. As the rig defines a quadrant of a circle with a radius of 1m, all the readings are taken 1m from the lens, so measuring the true spherical light intensity. The rig was designed to minimise its influence on the readings with baffles added to shield the lux meter from possible reflections off the support members.

The distance of 1m was chosen as at this distance 1lux = 1 candela and the maximum beam range is then calculated as the SQRT(Candela/0.25) for each angle of emission.

In this plot, the calculated ANSI beam ranges are plotted as if viewed from above (for some lights there may also be a side view produced) using a CAD package to give the precise 'shape' of the beam._


Starting with the 5m range grid, the G2’s beam profile.






And the Predator X’s on the 5m range grid. Although the spill of the G2 is specified as 5º hotspot and 24º spill and the Predator X with 8º hotspot and 55º spill, although the Predator X does have a stronger spill, the difference is not as obvious as it is in the beamshots.






However zooming out to the 50m grid shows a bigger difference with the G2 being a strong thrower.






And the Predator X having a generally wider beam up to 150m (with the broader spill using up the extra output of the Predator X).








The beam

The G2 version’s beam is very smooth with a very even and round hotspot






Underexposing the beam shot shows the very bright and round small hotspot






The outdoor beam shot confirms how good the throw of the Predator G2 is.






The Predator X’s beam has a much brighter spill and much wider hotspot.






The difference between the Predator X and G2 version being even more obvious outdoors (same exposure setting as the G2)








What it is really like to use…






The older Predator V1.2’s tail switch was always a bit stiff to operate. It is nice to see that ArmyTek have addressed this with the new Predator V2.0 as the switch requires much less force to operate.

The holster supplied is designed for bezel down carry, and is a ‘gentle fit’ as the elasticated side panels hold the Predator gently while allowing very easy insertion and removal.

You can use it straight out of the box, but knowing what the Predator is capable of I programmed the G2 version with:

Line 1 – as default Military mode
Line 2 – 0.1lm, 0.5lm, 1.5lm, beacon, strobe (with auto memorisation)

And the Predator X as:

Line 1 – as default Military mode
Line 2 – 0.1lm, 0.5lm, 1.5lm
(in this configuration Line 2 (loose) will always give a firefly mode and Line 1 (tight) a brighter mode, so just make sure it is loose and it will be on a firefly output)

….these are my preferences, at least for now…

The Predator G2 is one of the best throwers I have used, not in absolute range, but in the fantastic beam quality and a very good range. At longer distances where the spill fades away, the Predator G2 projects a perfect disc of light, like a spotlight, allowing you to scan areas a long way away.

The Predator X provides a more even spread of light so has a smaller overall range but lights up a wider area. This is better for closer and indoor use than the G2.

Both beam profiles are excellent, and it is difficult to pick a favourite as the G2 has better throw, but the X has the lower firefly output and higher maximum output. I sense a CPF resolution to the problem of deciding – simply get both.

The new tactical grip ring feels really comfortable, much more so than metal grip rings, and with my XL hands (well that is my glove size) the Predator is a good fit in my hand. The softer touch tail switch with forward clicky action makes for easy, silent momentary use, and coupled with the ultra-low output levels is perfect for night time forays.

I’ve kept the default full stabilisation on Line 1 as the totally consistent output regardless of the state of the battery is excellent. The low battery warning means you are not plunged into darkness even when using full stabilisation, and as the two ‘Lines’ can be set with different stabilisation modes you could easily program the same output levels in each ‘Line’ but with different stabilisation – one for times when maximum performance is needed and one for when extended runtime is preferred.

For an idea of the size of the Predator V2.0 compared to other 1x18650/2xCR123 lights, here they are shown with (from the left to right) the FOURSEVENS Maelstrom X7, Fenix TK15 and Fenix TK22. It is the size of the excellent quality reflector that makes the Predator slightly longer and it is this reflector that gives the Predator such a great beam.






I still feel slightly restless about whether I have the Predator G2 and X set up just as I want them. With so many options it makes you wonder. But of course the joy is that you can change the configuration any time you like. The only slight issue being that you need to plan this as you really need the instructions in front of you for reference if you are going to make a change (it is not something I would do out in the field).

The build quality, beam quality and extensive features and customisation options really do make this an outstanding light, and genuinely one of my all-time favourites. The Predator is a light you’ll make up any excuse to use it ‘just for the sake of using it’, well I do.







Test samples provided by ArmyTek for review.


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## subwoofer (Jan 4, 2013)

reserved...


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## AVService (Jan 4, 2013)

Sub
Well I have waiting for this review.
Thanks

As usual thanks for the detail and somehow getting across the "Essence" of this light aside from just the specs.
I too think this is one of my favorite lights and it does set a standard for construction and feel that is rarely duplicated.

I have been comparing mine(G2) all week with the new AE4 Pioneer and the Solarforce Masterpiece which is a thrower too and overall the Predator just does it all as well or better than anything else I have.

One thing though about the review,I can not seem to get into the crib sheet you made to look at and print it?
Programming this one is challenging for sure but it pays off in a custom light made the way I like it.

Also I imagine we have similar interests given your name here?

Thanks Again

Ed


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## subwoofer (Jan 4, 2013)

AVService said:


> Sub
> Well I have waiting for this review.
> Thanks
> 
> ...



Thanks, doing this review really was a pleasure 

The instructions and my crib sheet were set up using photobucket's standard clickable thumnails; thanks Photobucket for links that don't work!

I've fiddled/fixed the links now, so hopefully you should now be able to see them.

(And yes, I used to be a freelance writer for 'CarHifi Magazine' in the UK and have a love of all things audio)


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## rickypanecatyl (Jan 4, 2013)

Great review - thanks!!

My 1 dimensional mind was curious what was the lux @ 1m for the G2?


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## subwoofer (Jan 4, 2013)

rickypanecatyl said:


> Great review - thanks!!
> 
> My 1 dimensional mind was curious what was the lux @ 1m for the G2?



Peak reading for the G2 was 29300lux @1m giving an ANSI beam range of 342m

Peak reading for the X was 17000lux @1m giving an ANSI beam range of 261m


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## 430Scuderia (Jan 4, 2013)

Thank you for presenting this review. I too have been waiting a long time for this type of comparison as I have been contemplating the purchase of these lights.

I see the packaging description show the tint bin on the XP-G2 R5 1C which should be a cool white.

In your beam shots, is it me or does the beam color seem sort of green? Or maybe you have green interior walls? ON your stair rails, the color looks more normal. 

Or is it perhaps in real life use, it's not that green and perhaps more closer to a neutral white color? 

Also did they no longer supply the tube of Nyogel lubricant anymore? Thanks!

Anybody else know of a reputable dealer in the USA where I can purchase these lights that does not have the letters "L J" in them?


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## AVService (Jan 4, 2013)

I got no tube of Nyogel with mine and did get it from L.J. for under $90.00 shipped.
I think it is the most light for the money that I have?

Also outside at night the beam is just bright white on mine which is the same emitter and bin as the reviewed XP-G2.


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## 430Scuderia (Jan 4, 2013)

Wonder if L J took it out intentionally or is Armytek no longer supplying it along with light(s)?

Thanks for your feedback on tint color.:thumbsup:



AVService said:


> I got no tube of Nyogel with mine and did get it from L.J. for under $90.00 shipped.
> I think it is the most light for the money that I have?
> 
> Also outside at night the beam is just bright white on mine which is the same emitter and bin as the reviewed XP-G2.


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## nanotech17 (Jan 4, 2013)

Nice review subwoofer - appreciate your time on these. :thumbup:

Sent from S3 using Tapatalk 2


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## splaer (Jan 5, 2013)

Thanks for the great review. I have been waiting for this one. SInce the v2 predator has a wider and shorter head will the throw of the v2 not be as good as the v1.2 or does the extra lumen output compensate?


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## python (Jan 5, 2013)

Great review. Thanks!!!
I have been waiting a long time for this type of comparison too.


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## subwoofer (Jan 5, 2013)

430Scuderia said:


> Thank you for presenting this review. I too have been waiting a long time for this type of comparison as I have been contemplating the purchase of these lights.
> 
> I see the packaging description show the tint bin on the XP-G2 R5 1C which should be a cool white.
> 
> ...



You are right regarding the walls. Unfortunately I don't have a suitable location to really show the tint. In the indoor shots the woodwork (stairs and skirting) are white and the walls are Farrow and Ball 'String' so make the colour look warmer than it is. The woodwork gives better idea of tint.

The beam is Cool White.

The Predators came direct from ArmyTek and there was no Nyogel supplied with either of the two review samples.



nanotech17 said:


> Nice review subwoofer - appreciate your time on these. :thumbup:





python said:


> Great review. Thanks!!!
> I have been waiting a long time for this type of comparison too.



Thank you, the reviews are a lot of work, and it is positive feedback (or constructive criticism) that helps keep going.



splaer said:


> Thanks for the great review. I have been waiting for this one. SInce the v2 predator has a wider and shorter head will the throw of the v2 not be as good as the v1.2 or does the extra lumen output compensate?



The V2.0 Predator has a wider head but it is the same length, not shorter. (the mention of being shorter in the review refers to the overall length being shorted due to the shorter tail cap, not the head being shorter)

I have the R5 Predator V1.2 so can visually compare the beam to the V2.0 G2 R5. The slightly larger reflector gives the same beam profile with the same size hotspot. If you superimpose the beams at any distance, they match almost perfectly in appearance (though not brightness).

Side by side the G2's hotspot is significantly brighter (to the eye), maybe twice as bright as the V1.2 R5's hotspot. When white wall hunting, the hotspot of the older V1.2 looks like it may have a slightly darker centre, but this is only really noticeable as the G2 V2.0's hotspot is beautifully even all the way across.

I thought the V1.2 Predator was good, the V2.0 is outstanding.


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## charlie613 (Jan 5, 2013)

nice review 
will add this to my want no my need list


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## splaer (Jan 5, 2013)

Thanks for the quick reply. That definitely sells this light for me. Now i just need to find out if panasonic 3400's fit in it..


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## rickypanecatyl (Jan 5, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> Peak reading for the G2 was 29300lux @1m giving an ANSI beam range of 342m
> 
> Peak reading for the X was 17000lux @1m giving an ANSI beam range of 261m



Thanks for the feedback! Those are some good #'s... a little more throw than a Deree DBS R2, twice the lumens and slighly smaller!

One more question on the UI... I hate blinky modes and there's times I want to know my light is coming on in either moonlight, or full power.

Is it possible to set it up so that with the head tight it comes on at max power and then each click brings it down, and then with the head loosened the first click turn in on in the lowest firefly mode and then each click raises the lumens? (I don't know if that made sense...)


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## splaer (Jan 5, 2013)

Those are the defaults settings for the g2 and x in the default military mode. Line 1 (head tightened) comes on full brightness. Modes are changed by a quick loosen tighten of head in line 1. Line 2 (head loosened quarter turn) is the moonlight mode but does have auto memorization on by default so you could turn it on in a beacon or strobe mode if that is the last mode that you used. The auto memorization can be turned on and off in either mode in any configuration. You can also reprogram any of the two lines (head tightened or head loosened quarter turn) to be any set of lumen output you could imagine. I do not think any part of the armytek lights that are not fully customisable with a quick reference to the detailed instruction sheet.


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## RI Chevy (Jan 5, 2013)

Wow! Awesome review of the light. Extremely descriptive and one of the best reviews I have ever read on here. Thank you for doing this for us.


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## AVService (Jan 5, 2013)

Not only that but you also have 3 different presets of the 2 programmable lines.

You have the default Military,Outdoors and Custom presets each with 2 lines of settings.
So if after screwing around with it trying to get it like you want it at any time you can revert to the other factory presets and not lose the custom set lines either.

It even trumps the HDS programing in this way as there are just a lot of options in 3 presets.

The 1st line can have up to 10 different settings and the 2nd line 5 I think?

It is an amazing light!


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## kj2 (Jan 5, 2013)

Thanks  was just looking into the xpg2 version


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## 430Scuderia (Jan 5, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> You are right regarding the walls. Unfortunately I don't have a suitable location to really show the tint. In the indoor shots the woodwork (stairs and skirting) are white and the walls are Farrow and Ball 'String' so make the colour look warmer than it is. The woodwork gives better idea of tint.
> 
> The beam is Cool White.
> 
> The Predators came direct from ArmyTek and there was no Nyogel supplied with either of the two review samples.



Thanks for the clarification and the great review/beam shots. I definitely appreciate your good work/time into this. 

This will definitely be on my short list. Now all I need is to find a reputable dealer.


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## tobrien (Jan 5, 2013)

thanks for this awesome review. 

i've been obsessed with my XP-G2 predator


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## sbbsga (Jan 5, 2013)

Thank you for the amazing side-by-side reviews! The beam profile plots are brilliant. :twothumbs

I finally got my first Predator when the XP-G2 was released, superb build quality. I also like that it gives different voltage readings at different brightness levels. 

I was excited when the XM-L version was released but I will wait patiently for the Predator X with XM-L2 - the Smart-series too!


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## kj2 (Jan 6, 2013)

How high is the intensity on the XP-G2 version btw?


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## sbbsga (Jan 6, 2013)

kj2 said:


> How high is the intensity on the XP-G2 version btw?



I saw it on post #6.


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## kj2 (Jan 6, 2013)

sbbsga said:


> I saw it on post #6.



Thanks  I over-looked that one


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## kj2 (Jan 6, 2013)

read this review, and viewed some YouTube videos. Think the XP-G2 version will be my first 2013 light


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## HaileStorm (Jan 6, 2013)

Thanks very much for this review! I have been waiting for this and I must say, you did a great job with this review!

I was wondering if I should've waited for the xml-u2 version but after reading your review, I'm really glad I got the xp-g2 instead. I want the predator as a thrower and those lux numbers provided just proves that the xp-g2 is a better thrower. 

Thanks again for this awesome review!


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## HaileStorm (Jan 6, 2013)

One other thing for clarification. I have the xp-g2 v2 which is rated at 568 led lumens but how come this one (see attached picture) is rated at 670 led lumens? Screenshot from armytek.com. Under key features.


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## 430Scuderia (Jan 6, 2013)

This thread http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/sh...-terms-and-questions-about-your-orders/page11 post #304 said they were running it @ 2.1A. I wonder if they backed it down to 1.5A?:thinking:

Can any owner(s) of the new light test this out to verify?



HaileStorm said:


> One other thing for clarification. I have the xp-g2 v2 which is rated at 568 led lumens but how come this one (see attached picture) is rated at 670 led lumens? Screenshot from armytek.com.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 7, 2013)

Can anyone with an xp-g2 bought around nov. 2012 clarify/test output of the predator w/ a lightbox? I'm wondering if the older versions of the xpg2 are 568lm or 640lm. Or did they upgrade the emitter to make the new preds churn out 640lm? If so, they should call it a v2.1 or something...


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## subwoofer (Jan 7, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> Can anyone with an xp-g2 bought around nov. 2012 clarify/test output of the predator w/ a lightbox? I'm wondering if the older versions of the xpg2 are 568lm or 640lm. Or did they upgrade the emitter to make the new preds churn out 640lm? If so, they should call it a v2.1 or something...



ArmyTek specify LED lumens (check your instruction sheet). The higher value you are concerned about not having is the LED lumens, not the ANSI lumens output that I have measured and the constant output shown on the runtime graphs.

If you have a G2 V2.0 I'm pretty sure it will be the same as the one on test.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 7, 2013)

Thanks, subwoofer. Here are pictures of my box and it's manual.









Mine is the R51C version which is the middle one in the spec sheet. It states 568 lumens which is weird since the website states 670 lumens. I ordered mine on the 1st of Nov. though and I noticed the production date on your sample is dec. 2012. Is it possible for armytek to draw more power out of the same emitter?


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## subwoofer (Jan 7, 2013)

HaileStorm, it looks like you just have the older instruction sheet. It seems to have XP-G S2, not XP-G2 in the specs, so I would think you just have one that was sent before the updated instruction sheet was ready. You can get the new instructions off their website.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 7, 2013)

I'll check on that but the middle variant of the predator in the manual states xpg2 R5. Kindly check it again, I just find it really weird that Armytek is giving us random numbers for the same model.


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## subwoofer (Jan 7, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> I'll check on that but the middle variant of the predator in the manual states xpg2 R5. Kindly check it again, I just find it really weird that Armytek is giving us random numbers for the same model.



You are right, I hadn't noticed that as on the instructions I have the G2 reference is in the heading as well as the LED line.

The main point I was making it that if you have a Predator V2.0 With XP-G2 LED I'm sure it is all present and correct. Don't worry too much about the included paperwork.

Enjoy the Predator you have!


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## HaileStorm (Jan 7, 2013)

That comforts me a little bit, thanks subwoofer! I did email hkequipment.net and they said all XP-G2 models are 670 lumens and that they made a mistake with the specs before. How could that happen, though? Really weird...


----------



## kj2 (Jan 7, 2013)

Hmm, will probably take a few weeks before a dealer here has the XP-G2 version in stock. Hate custom-fees, otherwise I would buy it on eBay..


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## tallyram (Jan 7, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> That comforts me a little bit, thanks subwoofer! I did email hkequipment.net and they said all XP-G2 models are 670 lumens and that they made a mistake with the specs before. How could that happen, though? Really weird...


I'm in the same boat as you. I pm'd Armytek over in the marketplace and they responded just like the dealer that you mentioned. I like this light so much that I'm thinking about getting another! And thanks for a great review, Subwoofer!


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## BLUE LED (Jan 8, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> Peak reading for the G2 was 29300lux @1m giving an ANSI beam range of 342m
> 
> Peak reading for the X was 17000lux @1m giving an ANSI beam range of 261m



My Armytek Predator XP-G2 is 30,000 Lux and my older Predator XP-G R5 version is 17,000 Lux.

It is nice to see that the XM-L Predator X has some throw too. Please could you bring this one to the CPF Meet.


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## BLUE LED (Jan 8, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> Can anyone with an xp-g2 bought around nov. 2012 clarify/test output of the predator w/ a lightbox? I'm wondering if the older versions of the xpg2 are 568lm or 640lm. Or did they upgrade the emitter to make the new preds churn out 640lm? If so, they should call it a v2.1 or something...



Mine is 511 Lumens, but there will always be variations between different units. It isn't anything to worry about, as the beam is beautiful and I suspect the lumens listed are emiiter and not ANSI FL1.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 8, 2013)

BLUE LED said:


> Mine is 511 Lumens, but there will always be variations between different units. It isn't anything to worry about, as the beam is beautiful and I suspect the lumens listed are emiiter and not ANSI FL1.



Did you measure LED lumens or ANSI FL-1? If you measured ANSI, then 511 lumens is respectable given the 20-25% output loss due to optics. When did you purchase your XP-G2, if you don't mind me asking?


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## BLUE LED (Jan 8, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> Did you measure LED lumens or ANSI FL-1? If you measured ANSI, then 511 lumens is respectable given the 20-25% output loss due to optics. When did you purchase your XP-G2, if you don't mind me asking?



When measuring Lux and Lumens, I always use ANSI FL1 standards. This is to ensure a fair a method of comparing my lights.


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## 0000001221 (Jan 8, 2013)

Hi I m just get my new Predator V1.2 (while I m waiting for my V2) but flashlight I get out of the box looks like V2 instead of V1.2!!! Every where on the box, manual says V1.2 but flashlight itself looks exactly like V2 apart the model number (which is not on the photos of V2) G10901 . So is there any chance that V1.2 can be in V2 body??? Thanx for help:wave:


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## HaileStorm (Jan 8, 2013)

^ I don't think that's possible unless someone deliberately swapped out the internals which I higly doubt since that would be rather pointless... Maybe you could take a pic and share it here?

Blue: When did you purchase your pred?


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## BLUE LED (Jan 8, 2013)

Turn your Predator on in firefly mode and look at the LED for the small dots. You could also test the lux.

I purchased my Predator in late 2012. I will have to go through my Paypal history to find out the exact date.


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## 0000001221 (Jan 8, 2013)

I just purchased predator last saturday. On the box is date 06/03/2012. Body is for 100% V2 but there is model No. G109.01 witch indicate V1.2. In FireFly mode led has lines instead of dots. Is rather confusing :thinking:


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## subwoofer (Jan 9, 2013)

0000001221 said:


> I just purchased predator last saturday. On the box is date 06/03/2012. Body is for 100% V2 but there is model No. G109.01 witch indicate V1.2. In FireFly mode led has lines instead of dots. Is rather confusing :thinking:



I think G109.01 means the Predator. If you look at the photos in the review of the end of the box, there is "Predator X G109.01" and "Predator G109.01" printed on them.

The body being V2, (with the rubber grip ring?) and the LED having lines rather than dots visible on it, might mean it is a transitional model from before the G2 LED was being used, but the body had been updated.

Might be worth dropping Armytek a message over on marketplace.


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## 0000001221 (Jan 9, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> I think G109.01 means the Predator. If you look at the photos in the review of the end of the box, there is "Predator X G109.01" and "Predator G109.01" printed on them.
> 
> The body being V2, (with the rubber grip ring?) and the LED having lines rather than dots visible on it, might mean it is a transitional model from before the G2 LED was being used, but the body had been updated.
> 
> Might be worth dropping Armytek a message over on marketplace.



Thanx for answer. So that s mean that is more rare :twothumbs which I like it. Anyway I just compared beam shots from selfbuild s review of V1.2 and mine Hot Spot is lot smaller. I played with it all night and it s throwing very well. And BTW there is a rubber grip ring on it and clip is also V2 only led seems to be different. I just can wait for proper V2 should arrive sometime s next week .


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## HaileStorm (Jan 9, 2013)

BLUE LED said:


> Turn your Predator on in firefly mode and look at the LED for the small dots. You could also test the lux.
> 
> I purchased my Predator in late 2012. I will have to go through my Paypal history to find out the exact date.



Thanks, Blue! I'll take Armytek's word for it then. I guess all V2.0s are indeed 670 LED lumens which I guess should explain why it throws further than the Predator X and my Romisen T602. 

They should correct it on all websites then since pages like Amazon.com and a lot of other websites still advertise the V2 Preds as 568 lumens. This creates a lot of confusion for us flashaholics since we won't know whether to upgrade or not .


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## BLUE LED (Jan 9, 2013)

0000001221 said:


> I just purchased predator last saturday. On the box is date 06/03/2012. Body is for 100% V2 but there is model No. G109.01 witch indicate V1.2. In FireFly mode led has lines instead of dots. Is rather confusing :thinking:



You have the older XP-G R5 version.


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## Stanley_BA (Jan 9, 2013)

I also had Predator with the newer body V2 but with the original XP-G, I purchased it around the october last year. Then there was the Predator with the new XP-G2 but with the original 1,5A driver, which gave 568 LED lumens. And then there was recently in CPFM mentioned the new driver which puts 2,1A, this is the newest model which gives with XP-G2 670 LED lumens. Armytek has made some unnecessary chaos with this.


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## yearnslow (Jan 9, 2013)

Awesome review. I WAS going to buy a TK22 or an E2DL, but I may have to do some thinking now.....


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## 0000001221 (Jan 9, 2013)

yearnslow said:


> Awesome review. I WAS going to buy a TK22 or an E2DL, but I may have to do some thinking now.....



Stop thinking!!! Buy Predator!!! :devil:


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## HaileStorm (Jan 10, 2013)

Stanley_BA said:


> I also had Predator with the newer body V2 but with the original XP-G, I purchased it around the october last year. Then there was the Predator with the new XP-G2 but with the original 1,5A driver, which gave 568 LED lumens. And then there was recently in CPFM mentioned the new driver which puts 2,1A, this is the newest model which gives with XP-G2 670 LED lumens. Armytek has made some unnecessary chaos with this.



Can I ask where you got your info from? I've been wondering if Armytek has indeed changed something inside the preds.


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## Stanley_BA (Jan 10, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> Can I ask where you got your info from? I've been wondering if Armytek has indeed changed something inside the preds.



Well sure. The original Predator V1.2 had XP-G and 1,5A driver with 500 LED lumens, my friend had it. Then I ordered one, I got the thicker V2 body but still with the original XP-G and 1,5A driver and 500 LED lumens.
Then a new version appeard with the new XP-G2 LED and was advertised with 568 LED lumen. That is the 14% difference in the performance between XP-G and XP-G2.
And then on 19.12.2012 I found information right from Armytek in CPFMP in the Order thread that the XP-G2 version is driven by 2,1A and has 670 LED lumens.
So if this newest driver would be there from the beginnig of the XP-G2 models, I don´t know why they would advertise it with so much lower lumen number.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 10, 2013)

Exactly my thoughts, they can't just have given 568 lumens as a random number. Either they measured it wrong, someone in marketing made a typo error OR they changed the driver. Is there any way to test out the amp draw of the preds?


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## KeeblerElf (Jan 10, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> That comforts me a little bit, thanks subwoofer! I did email hkequipment.net and they said all XP-G2 models are 670 lumens and that they made a mistake with the specs before. How could that happen, though? Really weird...



Thanks for posting this. I also received the old instruction sheet with mine, and was concerned about which were the real specs. But I checked firefly mode and I see dots on the emitter, so I suppose there's nothing to worry about!

Also, someone asked about 3400mAh batteries. My Eagletac 3400mAh 18650 fits in my Predator.


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## Atakdog (Jan 11, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> That comforts me a little bit, thanks subwoofer! I did email hkequipment.net and they said all XP-G2 models are 670 lumens and that they made a mistake with the specs before. How could that happen, though? Really weird...


Thats really good to know. I recived my predator only a few days after they changed the specs to 670 and I was considering sending it back for an exchange.


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## JustinTime (Jan 14, 2013)

Ok, now this is getting worse. I received my new V2 Armytek via Fedex today. They've changed the paperwork for the worse again. Now there is no sticker over the lable on the old info sheet. They've reduced the light output rating from 670 led lm > 568 led lm > 540 led lm. Additionally, Armytek has reduced the distance for the beam as well. I don't have way to check the beam intensity via lux meter either to truly know if I got duped. Pic below


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## subwoofer (Jan 14, 2013)

JustinTime said:


> Ok, now this is getting worse. I received my new V2 Armytek via Fedex today. They've changed the paperwork for the worse again. Now there is no sticker over the lable on the old info sheet. They've reduced the light output rating from 670 led lm > 568 led lm > 540 led lm. Additionally, Armytek has reduced the distance for the beam as well. I don't have way to check the beam intensity via lux meter either to truly know if I got duped.



Does it really matter if you have an older specification section on your instructions sheet?

Does your light have a G2 LED (earlier posts describe how to check)?


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## KeeblerElf (Jan 14, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> Does it really matter if you have an older specification section on your instructions sheet?
> 
> Does your light have a G2 LED (earlier posts describe how to check)?



I have word from Armytek that at least some of the XP-G2 LEDs are 568 lumens (and possibly other max outputs as well); see [http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...tek-Prdator&p=4114659&viewfull=1#post4114659].


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## subwoofer (Jan 14, 2013)

KeeblerElf said:


> I have word from Armytek that at least some of the XP-G2 LEDs are 568 lumens (and possibly other max outputs as well); see [http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...tek-Prdator&p=4114659&viewfull=1#post4114659].



So the driver was updated by the look of it. So it seems that as well as checking for a G2 you would also need to check the tail cap current to know if you have the 1.5A or 2A version.


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## JustinTime (Jan 14, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> So the driver was updated by the look of it. So it seems that as well as checking for a G2 you would also need to check the tail cap current to know if you have the 1.5A or 2A version.



And how would one go about checking the tail cap current when the tail cap is off? I'm sorry if my questions are dumb. I just want what I bought; and I distinctly remember clicking on 670 led lumens.

This has got to be a nightmare for Armytek right now.


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## KeeblerElf (Jan 14, 2013)

JustinTime --

You may want to post in Armytek's subforum. If you bought directly from them, you should have recourse. Mine was bought through another seller, but I didn't realize at the time that I should look out for different max outputs, and the light has been EDC'ed since then, and is no longer in "new" condition. With some luck, I hope to sell it as gently used.


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## subwoofer (Jan 14, 2013)

JustinTime said:


> And how would one go about checking the tail cap current when the tail cap is off? I'm sorry if my questions are dumb.



By effectively substituting the tail cap with a 10A DC rated multimeter. The multimeter (running as an ammeter) then completes the circuit and you can read off the current.

Put one probe on the edge of the battery tube making a good a contact as you can, and the other probe onto the negative terminal of the battery.

Just make sure you select the maximum output setting before taking off the tail cap as you won't be able to change modes during the test.


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## JustinTime (Jan 14, 2013)

KeeblerElf said:


> You may want to post in Armytek's subforum. If you bought directly from them, you should have recourse. Mine was bought through another seller, but I didn't realize at the time that I should look out for different max outputs, and the light has been EDC'ed since then, and is no longer in "new" condition. With some luck, I hope to sell it as gently used.



I've already emailed them. Mistakes happen and I wish not to drag Armytek's name through the mud without giving them the opportunity to make this right. For that reason I really don't want to discuss this on open forum until I've been taken care of or cast aside. Thank you for all the information.

Oh...also, I don't want to ruin Subwoofer's review any more than has already been done. Sorry Subwoofer.


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## JustinTime (Jan 14, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> By effectively substituting the tail cap with a 10A DC rated multimeter. The multimeter (running as an ammeter) then completes the circuit and you can read off the current.
> 
> Put one probe on the edge of the battery tube making a good a contact as you can, and the other probe onto the negative terminal of the battery.
> 
> Just make sure you select the maximum output setting before taking off the tail cap as you won't be able to change modes during the test.



Got it, I need to borrow a multimeter.


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## J M B (Jan 14, 2013)

Mine came in today. It reads 2.My instruction page also shows mine with 540 lumens output.

1 amps at the tail cap.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 15, 2013)

Hi, I tested mine via the battery and tailcap area and here's what it read:







Can anyone tell me if this reads 2.1amps or not? Sorry, I'm new to multi meters so I'm clueless...


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## subwoofer (Jan 15, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> Hi, I tested mine via the battery and tailcap area and here's what it read:
> 
> Can anyone tell me if this reads 2.1amps or not? Sorry, I'm new to multi meters so I'm clueless...



In this photo you have the mulitmeter set to read voltage, not current (the dial is pointing to DCV).

It looks like it is reading 3.4V

On first glance I don't think this mulitmeter can cope with 10A DC it looks like the maximum will be 0.25A so you would blow the fuse if you tried to use this one.

You need a multimeter with 10A DC capability.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 15, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> In this photo you have the mulitmeter set to read voltage, not current (the dial is pointing to DCV).
> 
> It looks like it is reading 3.4V
> 
> ...



Oh, okay haha! Is there any way to convert those figures to amps? It's the only multimeter I can find around the house


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## subwoofer (Jan 15, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> Oh, okay haha! Is there any way to convert those figures to amps? It's the only multimeter I can find around the house



In short, no.

If you knew the exact load the battery was driving, then you could work out the current, but the load will be dynamic based on the battery voltage. As the load is not constant this calculation would not be possible.

You need a suitable multimeter. You should be able to get one very cheaply, but make sure there is a 10A DC capability.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 15, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> In short, no.
> 
> If you knew the exact load the battery was driving, then you could work out the current, but the load will be dynamic based on the battery voltage. As the load is not constant this calculation would not be possible.
> 
> You need a suitable multimeter. You should be able to get one very cheaply, but make sure there is a 10A DC capability.



Great. Okay, thanks for the info, guess I'll be looking for a new multimeter.


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## splaer (Jan 15, 2013)

Fluke 117 is a good choice if you wanted a "higher" end meter that is still reasonably priced. But any 10A DC capacity meter will provide accurate enough results. Also JMB, was your predator purchased from armytek directy or elsewhere? I recently emailed them regarding the specifications of this light and was actually referenced to this review (props to subwoofer) and they clarified 2.1 amps is what the led is driven at. Looking forward to getting mine,its on sale on there site now as well. 

Thanks for the comparison review as well subwoofer, helped with my decision.





HaileStorm said:


> Great. Okay, thanks for the info, guess I'll be looking for a new multimeter.


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## JustinTime (Jan 15, 2013)

Armytek emailed me back informing me that they sent me the 2.1a version. Just to see for myself; I bought a cheap $14.00 Innova multimeter from O'reillys auto parts today. We use Flukes at work but I don't go back in until tomorrow. Mine does in fact read 2.1 amps with a fresh 18650 in the tube.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 15, 2013)

Subwoofer, will this multimeter be able to test the amp draw from my lights?


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## JustinTime (Jan 15, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> Subwoofer, will this multimeter be able to test the amp draw from my lights?



I'm not subwoofer so I hope you don't mind me answering. Yes the multimeter pictured will do what you need. See the left hand lead plug says 10A, Then select 10A on the dial at about the 4 'o' clock position.


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## subwoofer (Jan 16, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> Subwoofer, will this multimeter be able to test the amp draw from my lights?



From what I can see in the photo it looks fine. Read the manual, as for the current measurements you have to plug the red lead into the left hand socket, but for voltage into the right (black would always be in the middle one). A multimeter will be a good investment and useful for all sorts of tests.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 16, 2013)

Thanks, justintime!

So I bought a multimeter already and immediately checked the draw current of mine. Turns out I have the 1.5a version . 

So now, my question is, is 102lm improvement in power noticeable? i'm wondering if I should replace my 568lm pred with the 670lm pred...


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## subwoofer (Jan 16, 2013)

HaileStorm said:


> Thanks, justintime!
> 
> So I bought a multimeter already and immediately checked the draw current of mine. Turns out I have the 1.5a version .
> 
> So now, my question is, is 102lm improvement in power noticeable? i'm wondering if I should replace my 568lm pred with the 670lm pred...



Bear in mind the lumen figures you are quoting are LED lumens, not OTF or ANSI lumens. This means the true difference in output will be closer to 75lm with losses of around 25%.

This means you are getting approximately 421lm (ANSI) and the version on test gave 497lm (ANSI) and the 76lm difference will be almost impossible to tell by eye.


If you ordered the 2A version but got the 1.5A you might want to get it swapped out of principle, but otherwise save yourself a load of hassle and enjoy the one you have.


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## HaileStorm (Jan 16, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> Bear in mind the lumen figures you are quoting are LED lumens, not OTF or ANSI lumens. This means the true difference in output will be closer to 75lm with losses of around 25%.
> 
> This means you are getting approximately 421lm (ANSI) and the version on test gave 497lm (ANSI) and the 76lm difference will be almost impossible to tell by eye.
> 
> ...



Well that puts things into perspective. Thanks, subwoofer!


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## RI Chevy (Jan 16, 2013)

If you did not get what you paid for, then I personally would let them know about it and let them correct it. Just me on principle. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.


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## JustinTime (Jan 17, 2013)

I agree; I wouldn't necessarily just replace it unless you specifically bought it for the 670lm version. Entirely up to you though since you're the one that needs to be happy with it.


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## jezdec (Jan 17, 2013)

NICE review....
...does anyone know where I can buy this monster

...sorry...foud it....what a stupid question....:sick2:


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## HaileStorm (Jan 17, 2013)

Well I did purchase it the time they advertised the xp-g2 as 568lm. Since I don't really think that 100lm is a big step forward but still... I bought the xp-g2 a month before they uprgraded the driver which kinda puts me in an awkward situation. Kinda regretting buying too early but what the heck, 100lm shouldn't be too noticeable. 

I do hate the fact that Armytek tries to cover it up by saying all xp-g2 models are 670lm and stating that they just "made a mistake" which points toward typo error of some sort. They could just admit that they changed the driver on the newer xp-g2 preds. I even emailed them the date of manufacture stamped on my box along with pics. They just lied about it and said that all xp-g2's (including mine, considering the date stamped) are 670lm. That's kinda off in my perspective. And I had so mich faith in the brand... Sad to say. I still love my light but Armytek has to be more informative, for the lack of a better term.


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## Onthelightside (Jan 17, 2013)

This is so confusing! I got a Armytek predator actually as a gift at the end of december (2012). It was ordered from light Junction and it came in a hard plastic case not the cardboard case like the one pictured here in the review. I really love this light but I am sort of wondering if I really got the version 2 light or some 1.x.x light. It has the body of a V2 with the rubber ring and such but the instructions do have the sticker over them. The light still throws like a monster but I am curious if I really got the new version. Any other way to tell?


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## phantom23 (Jan 17, 2013)

If it really is 568 LED lumens (compared to 513lm in XP-G S2 version) it means that basically all the additional 0,7A is wasted. Here are the results I found on the local forum (from professional lightmeter):

Predator XP-G R5 V.2 *21500* lux 1,5A (current from battery) 
Predator XP-G2 R5 V.2 *30500* lux 2,15A

Why is it wasted then? Here are ergotelis's results who just swapped the emitter in "classic" 1,5A Predator:

Armytek PRedator R5: was 345 lumen and ~17,000 lux, now 411 lumen and 27.150 lux!

Proportions are the same! All you get extra from those additional 0,7A are additional heat and shorter runtime!


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## rickypanecatyl (Jan 22, 2013)

Appreciate the tangent guys as I got a lot of good multi meter education there!

2 random questions... do you guys think the 1.5 amp version will/would be significantly more reliable than the 2.1 amp version? (I don't know... do LED's, drivers burn out exponentially faster when overdriven? If 2.1 even is overdriven...)

Secondly as I've never seen one in person, how does the size of the predator compare to a scorpion with turbohead? Bigger, smaller, the same?


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## BLUE LED (Jan 22, 2013)

rickypanecatyl said:


> Appreciate the tangent guys as I got a lot of good multi meter education there!
> 
> 2 random questions... do you guys think the 1.5 amp version will/would be significantly more reliable than the 2.1 amp version? (I don't know... do LED's, drivers burn out exponentially faster when overdriven? If 2.1 even is overdriven...)
> 
> Secondly as I've never seen one in person, how does the size of the predator compare to a scorpion with turbohead? Bigger, smaller, the same?




I would not expect the 1.5A to be significantly more reliable over the 2.1A version, as this is only a little over-driven. I find the heak-sinking adequate, but not exceptional for this light weight XP-G2 thrower.

The Armytek Predator is smaller and lighter than the Thrunite Scorpion with Turbo head. It also throws better and has excellent regulation using a single high capacity 18650 cell. For me this is an excellent choice for a compact single 18650 light.


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## jamesEMT (Jan 22, 2013)

Hey Subwoofer I just finished the review. Great job. I had a question that is just a little off topic and was hoping you could help me. I have the Predator X v2.0 and I was wondering if the v1.2 body and tail cap would fit and work with the v2.0 predator head? I just like the v1.2 body and tail cap better. also do you know where I can buy accessories for the predator? Like the bezels for the head or tail cap?


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## subwoofer (Jan 23, 2013)

jamesEMT said:


> Hey Subwoofer I just finished the review. Great job. I had a question that is just a little off topic and was hoping you could help me. I have the Predator X v2.0 and I was wondering if the v1.2 body and tail cap would fit and work with the v2.0 predator head? I just like the v1.2 body and tail cap better. also do you know where I can buy accessories for the predator? Like the bezels for the head or tail cap?



Thanks 

The V1.2 tailcap switch is much stiffer and needs much more force to get it to click on. I would stick with the V2.0 switch it is much better.

If I get a chance, I might still compare the v1.2 threads and see if they might be compatible. I won't risk damaging the threads by screwing them together if they look different.

As far as accessories go, I would contact Armytek over on CPFMP.


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## phantom23 (Jan 23, 2013)

BLUE LED said:


> I would not expect the 1.5A to be significantly more reliable over the 2.1A version, as this is only a little over-driven. I find the heak-sinking adequate, but not exceptional for this light weight XP-G2 thrower.
> 
> The Armytek Predator is smaller and lighter than the Thrunite Scorpion with Turbo head. It also throws better and has excellent regulation using a single high capacity 18650 cell. For me this is an excellent choice for a compact single 18650 light.


On the other hand 2,1A won't give anything extra. Maybe except significantly shorter runtime.

Predator is really good compact thrower indeed but it has one little disadvantage - tight spill. I sold mine because I needed EDC with decent throw while Predator is a dedicated thrower. Pocketable but beam profile isn't very useful.


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## BLUE LED (Jan 23, 2013)

jamesEMT said:


> Hey Subwoofer I just finished the review. Great job. I had a question that is just a little off topic and was hoping you could help me. I have the Predator X v2.0 and I was wondering if the v1.2 body and tail cap would fit and work with the v2.0 predator head? I just like the v1.2 body and tail cap better. also do you know where I can buy accessories for the predator? Like the bezels for the head or tail cap?



My older Predator parts are not interchangeable with my new Predator XP-G2.


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## BLUE LED (Jan 23, 2013)

phantom23 said:


> On the other hand 2,1A won't give anything extra. Maybe except significantly shorter runtime.
> 
> Predator is really good compact thrower indeed but it has one little disadvantage - tight spill. I sold mine because I needed EDC with decent throw while Predator is a dedicated thrower. Pocketable but beam profile isn't very useful.



Perhaps the Eagletac G25C2 MK II XM-L U2 would be a better choice for your needs or a X10 XM-L2?


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## pinkblot (Jan 23, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> As consumers, and as flashlight enthusiasts, we are spoiled for choice as there many excellent lights on the market. There are a fewer number of outstanding lights, and in my opinion the ArmyTek Predator V2.0 (in whichever version you prefer) is outstanding.




Thank you for a very thorough, very impressive review 

I couldn't find any mention of a jack for an external switch, only the push button switch and the turning of the head switch. No external jack on this one? Is there another version of this model with an external jack?

Thank you :thumbsup:


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## ferdasyn (Jan 25, 2013)

Got mine today! After reading this thread was interested to see what version they sent me, especially since the included manual lists 513 LED lumens. Switched the light on, took the tailcap off and interestingly it measures 2.4A, anyone else have this or idea what's going on? Battery is 3400mAh Keeppower and the date on box 10.2012 NJ.


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## subwoofer (Jan 25, 2013)

ferdasyn said:


> Got mine today! After reading this thread was interested to see what version they sent me, especially since the included manual lists 513 LED lumens. Switched the light on, took the tailcap off and interestingly it measures 2.4A, anyone else have this or idea what's going on? Battery is 3400mAh Keeppower and the date on box 10.2012 NJ.



Ammeter inaccuracy? Battery voltage low?

Remember the Predator has a regulated output, so if the battery voltage is a bit low, to maintain the same power output it will have to draw a higher current.

The 2A driver designation would have to be with a fully charged battery (4.2V) as the current must increase as the battery voltage falls or it would not be able to maintain the output. (P=IV)


----------



## LightForce (Jan 25, 2013)

ferdasyn said:


> Got mine today! After reading this thread was interested to see what version they sent me, especially since the included manual lists 513 LED lumens. Switched the light on, took the tailcap off and interestingly it measures 2.4A, anyone else have this or idea what's going on? Battery is 3400mAh Keeppower and the date on box 10.2012 NJ.



You maybe have near-depleted battery, you should recharge it or you have bad DMM.

Mine Predator X shows 1.7A at 3.8V battery voltage under load. Another DMM shows 0.5V between flashlight body and battery so 1.7A x (3.8V + 0.5V) = 7.3W.

Cree PCT tool shows 3.25V for 2.1A LED current (ArmyTek specs) so the LED power is 6.8W

6.8W/7.3W x 100% = 93%

ArmyTek driver is very efficient!


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## ferdasyn (Jan 25, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> Ammeter inaccuracy? Battery voltage low?
> 
> Remember the Predator has a regulated output, so if the battery voltage is a bit low, to maintain the same power output it will have to draw a higher current.
> 
> The 2A driver designation would have to be with a fully charged battery (4.2V) as the current must increase as the battery voltage falls or it would not be able to maintain the output. (P=IV)



Battery is new and was just charged, 4.07V right now, light switched on current is pretty steady at ~2.35A. Multimeter should be fairly accurate, UT61D. 

I'm pretty newb with flashlights but any chance the "S-tek" driver just draws different current from different batteries? Of course the multimeter could be wrong, will have to see if I get chance to try with another.

cheers for the great review btw :twothumbs


edit: mA setting actually gives about 2.25A, so probably just DMM being inaccurate.


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## Fliz (Jan 25, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> The difference between the Predator X and G2 version being even more obvious outdoors (same exposure setting as the G2)


 Very nice review, not to long to be boring and with all relevant data, I really like it. One question from me -> at the quoted picture, what is the distance from the flashlight to that tree (or fence)? Cheers P.S. about month or so I am contemplating to order Predator X but that complicated mod programing is kinda holding me off this purchase! Maybe I order Viking instead!!!


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## LightForce (Jan 25, 2013)

Fliz said:


> Very nice review, not to long to be boring and with all relevant data, I really like it. One question from me -> at the quoted picture, what is the distance from the flashlight to that tree (or fence)? Cheers P.S. about month or so I am contemplating to order Predator X but that complicated mod programing is kinda holding me off this purchase! Maybe I order Viking instead!!!



You don't need to program flashlight in order to use it. Predator has flat runtime on 18650, ultralow firefly mode, low voltage and high temp warnings and looks better of course. It is unusual flashlight and X version with XM-L is just otstanding. It has less throw but more spill and overal brightness to work in closer distances.


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## Fliz (Jan 25, 2013)

Yes, but I am still paying for something that I am (potentially) not going to use! 
But, still nice flashlights, love matt finish


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## marcham (Jan 25, 2013)

If only it would be available with an xm-l2 led, then it would be a no brainer! I I haven't found anything else that comes close in terms of output, efficiency and choice of settings. 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


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## Kaban (Jan 25, 2013)

Really wanna get the Predator X with the XLM. I love my XPG predator.


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## Kaban (Jan 25, 2013)

marcham said:


> If only it would be available with an xm-l2 led, then it would be a no brainer! I I haven't found anything else that comes close in terms of output, efficiency and choice of settings.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


Just sit back and wait for it dude, they're gonna make one eventually.


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## phantom23 (Jan 26, 2013)

BLUE LED said:


> Perhaps the Eagletac G25C2 MK II XM-L U2 would be a better choice for your needs or a X10 XM-L2?


They're bigger and floodier with less runtime, with stepdowns... I'm thinking about Nitecore MT25 with emitter swapped to XP-G2.


LightForce said:


> Cree PCT tool shows 3.25V for 2.1A LED current (ArmyTek specs) so the LED power is 6.8W


Characterization tool shows the average numbers, Cree doesn't check Vf of their emitters - it varies so in real life it could be 3,1V or 3,35V as well.


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## gilly (Jan 26, 2013)

Just got my Predator X this week. Great light and the programming is not that tough! Even though the XM-L isn't going to throw like the XP-G2, it throws well over 100m. Lowest firefly mode is almost as low as my HDS Rotary! Awesome versatility. Matte finish is very, very nice. Nice job Armytek!

Highly recommended!

Thank you, subwoofer, for a great review!


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## 0000001221 (Jan 27, 2013)

Hi,
Which LiFePO4 batteries and charger You recommend for Predator??? 
Thanx......


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## subwoofer (Jan 28, 2013)

0000001221 said:


> Hi,
> Which LiFePO4 batteries and charger You recommend for Predator???
> Thanx......



Sorry, not something I can help you with as I've never used LiFePO4. Try asking in here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?9-Flashlight-Electronics-Batteries-Included

or contact ArmyTek through CPFMP to see if they have any recommendations.


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## UMDTERPS (Feb 2, 2013)

Can someone tell me how to get the clip on to this flashlight? For the life of me I can figure it out...


----------



## dajabec (Feb 2, 2013)

UMDTERPS said:


> Can someone tell me how to get the clip on to this flashlight? For the life of me I can figure it out...



Did you take off the o-ring?


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## UMDTERPS (Feb 2, 2013)

dajabec said:


> Did you take off the o-ring?




I figured it out, you have to take off the grip on the end!


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## innersmile111 (Feb 3, 2013)

how is the pocktet carry...is is too bulky?


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## 0000001221 (Feb 4, 2013)

innersmile111 said:


> how is the pocktet carry...is is too bulky?


I would say is just about the max You want to carry in pocket.

BTW I carry 2 Predators at all the time because I can't make decision which one to take so I end up with two of them.....You know when You love them......


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## dajabec (Feb 4, 2013)

Agree with that. ^^^

The best thrower of lights it's size, and the biggest size you'd want in your pocket.... so it's pretty much the best pocket thrower  

Not to mention that it does a bunch of stuff other lights can't!


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## 0000001221 (Feb 5, 2013)

dajabec said:


> Agree with that. ^^^
> 
> The best thrower of lights it's size, and the biggest size you'd want in your pocket.... so it's pretty much the best pocket thrower
> 
> Not to mention that it does a bunch of stuff other lights can't!



....and also is incredible sexy.....


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## JustinTime (Feb 11, 2013)

phantom23 said:


> They're bigger and floodier with less runtime, with stepdowns... I'm thinking about Nitecore MT25 with emitter swapped to XP-G2.



To clarify, the ET G25C2 mk II's step down is for power conservation purely and can be shut off in UI. Also, the size seems the same to me between my Predator and G25C2 mk II.


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## cjdscratch (Feb 11, 2013)

I am new to these forums. I just ordered a xp-g2 predator based on the reviews. Looking forward to this light.


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## cjdscratch (Feb 15, 2013)

Received my PredatorV2 XP-G2 yesterday. I absolutely love the UI and finish of the light. Unfortunately I got one with the old 1.5amp driver. So I shipped it back to the retailer today. Can anyone point me to an online retailer that actually has one with a 2 amp driver. Or do I just have to order directly from Armytek...


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## Fliz (Feb 15, 2013)

How did you determine that it is a 1.5A version? via measurements or some other method? 
I don't know if you can post links here but if you can please tell us where did you get it (to avoid until they restock 2A version)!
Thanks


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## cjdscratch (Feb 15, 2013)

I used a multimeter to test. It came in a yellow case with a sticker on it that said V2. I purchased it from light junction. They were unaware that it was not the 670 lumen version. They said to send it back to them and they would take care of it. They said they would test the other lights they have in stock.


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## Fliz (Feb 15, 2013)

I will definitely have to ask about amps consumption before buying.


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## BLUE LED (Feb 25, 2013)

The new Predator X comes with XM-L2. You may need to specify to ensure that you receive the correct one. I am always looking for more lux and lumens.


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## marcham (Mar 16, 2013)

BLUE LED said:


> The new Predator X comes with XM-L2. You may need to specify to ensure that you receive the correct one. I am always looking for more lux and lumens.



Really? Website still shows xm-l but I've been waiting for the xm-l2 version to come out. Did you buy direct from armytek? 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


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## BLUE LED (Mar 16, 2013)

marcham said:


> Really? Website still shows xm-l but I've been waiting for the xm-l2 version to come out. Did you buy direct from armytek?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD



You can buy it HK Equipment flashlights.


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## IronMac (Mar 18, 2013)

I just got my Predator X directly from Armytek but there is no indication that it is an XM-L2 version.

Box says U2 for brightest LED tint; 1C for color LED tint; 01 2013 for AO; and on the right hand column of the label it says SMO, (8/55) v 2.0. 

So...XM-L or XM-L2?

edit: Box label simply say "Predator X" with a very bolded "X". No numbers behind it.

edit 2: The manual is still the old manual from what I can tell. And on the Predator X's page on the Armytek site, the link to the manual leads to the same old manual as in the box.


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## Fliz (Mar 18, 2013)

it's pretty easy to distinguish XM-L and XM-L2 emitters...
*This is old XM-L*






*and this is new XP-G2* (XM-L2 is just bigger a bit)




you have a bunch of pictures at the first page of this topic


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## subwoofer (Mar 18, 2013)

Fliz said:


> it's pretty easy to distinguish XM-L and XM-L2 emitters...
> *This is old XM-L*
> 
> 
> ...



Unfortunately you've shown an XM-L U2 and an XP-G2 LED there (The review samples did not include an XM-L2).

The XM-L2 does indeed have a similar look to the XP-G2 as it has removed the conductor lines form the emitter surface:

http://www.cree.com/led-components-and-modules/products/xlamp/discrete-directional/xlamp-xml2

But it has a larger surface area than the XP-G2


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## Fliz (Mar 18, 2013)

crap, thrue, that is XP-G2 but the XM-L2 is just bigger and it has silver looking base, not green like old XML/XPG's...


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## BLUE LED (Mar 18, 2013)

IronMac said:


> I just got my Predator X directly from Armytek but there is no indication that it is an XM-L2 version.
> 
> Box says U2 for brightest LED tint; 1C for color LED tint; 01 2013 for AO; and on the right hand column of the label it says SMO, (8/55) v 2.0.
> 
> ...



Put firefly mode on and look for the dots within the LED. If you see them = XM-L2 Good times


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## IronMac (Mar 19, 2013)

Thanks everyone but especially subwoofer and BL. The picture that subwoofer linked to is very similar to my LED. Then, BL's suggestion of looking for the dots - there are three of them along one side of the LED (or within the edge of it), clinches that I have an XM-L2.



P.S. for AO it's 03 2013. and not 01 2013 as I had originally posted.


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## subwoofer (Mar 19, 2013)

IronMac said:


> Thanks everyone but especially subwoofer and BL. The picture that subwoofer linked to is very similar to my LED. Then, BL's suggestion of looking for the dots - there are three of them along one side of the LED (or within the edge of it), clinches that I have an XM-L2.
> 
> 
> 
> P.S. for AO it's 03 2013. and not 01 2013 as I had originally posted.



Unfortunately, Blue LED was referring to dots all over the LED emitter surface. The three dots you are referring to are most likely the wire connection points and XM-L U2 has 3, but the newer XM-L2 has only two. Sounds like you have XM-L U2.


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## subwoofer (Mar 19, 2013)

The XP-G2 has these dots which are visible when on firefly:






The XM-L2 should look similar


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## IronMac (Mar 19, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> Unfortunately, Blue LED was referring to dots all over the LED emitter surface. The three dots you are referring to are most likely the wire connection points and XM-L U2 has 3, but the newer XM-L2 has only two. Sounds like you have XM-L U2.



Wow! Talk about finally getting down to it. You're right!

The Armytek site says XM-L U2 with 760 lumens while the HK Equipment site says XM-L2 U2.

Grrrrrr....I ordered directly from Armytek instead of HK because I assumed (stupid, did not look close enough) that I was getting the latest and brightest from Armytek.

Suggestions on what to do now? Return and re-order from HK?


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## Fliz (Mar 19, 2013)

I can only confirm that I have a good experience with hke...


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## subwoofer (Mar 19, 2013)

IronMac said:


> Wow! Talk about finally getting down to it. You're right!
> 
> The Armytek site says XM-L U2 with 760 lumens while the HK Equipment site says XM-L2 U2.
> 
> ...



As the mistake was yours (sorry that was not meant to sound harsh), I'd keep the one you have and not worry too much. Remember the figures quoted are emitter lm not OTF/ANSI so you loose a percentage of these extra lumens anyway. Considering all the time and effort you will need to expend to get a replacement I wouldn't bother, you still have a great light.


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## IronMac (Mar 19, 2013)

Fliz - Yes, I've had good experiences with them too when ordering my last two lights.

subwoofer - Yep, my mistake (no worries about being harsh). My mistake was assuming that the Armytek site would have the latest model of their own light. I think someone else on this forum also had an issue with getting an earlier model from LightJunction(?) which is why I went direct to the source. 

I just emailed HK to see if they have one in gold flat. If they don't carry a gold flat I am going to keep the light, otherwise, the light is going straight back to Armytek unless I sell it somewhere with full proviso.


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## IronMac (Mar 19, 2013)

Ok, got the reply from the incredible Stanley over at HK...they do not carry the flat bezel versions. Looks like I will be keeping this light for the foreseeable future. It really is an awesome light once you figure out the programming (which I have yet to finish doing).

I strongly suspect that Armytek themselves will have the XM-L2 U2 lights soon. Until then, your best bet is to order from HK if you can use a crenellated bezel.

subwoofer, thanks for all the assist!


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## marcham (Mar 19, 2013)

I'm guessing they'll wait for dealers to be sold out of the old version before updating the website? 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


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## IronMac (Mar 20, 2013)

marcham said:


> I'm guessing they'll wait for dealers to be sold out of the old version before updating the website?



I can't really think of a reason why Armytek would not have the latest version on their site. Unless, they and HK order from a manufacturer and HK managed to get favorable treatment and even then HK only managed to get the crenellated versions.


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## marcham (Mar 20, 2013)

If they advertised a new version of the light and dealers still have lots of old stock then dealers would be forced to sell the old model at a discount. If they wait until very little stock remains on the shelf, they keep their dealers happy! 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD


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## cloudbuster (Mar 30, 2013)

anyone know why they have different spec?
For the XP-G2 R5
on armytek: 670 lm 1h 20min, 540 lm 1h 55min, 108 lm 14h 20min, 6 lm 155h
on HKE: 670 lm 1h 50min, 390 lm 3h, 111lm-13h10min, 73 lm 20h, 6 lm 150h

what page have the real spec so for future checks I will now where to look.

also which one would be a better companion for the zebralight SC600w? predator XP-G2 R5 or XM-L2 U2

Thanks.


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## RobCob (Mar 30, 2013)

If I were you I would go wit the XP-G2. The Zebralight is super floody so between the SC600 and the XP-G2 you would be able to cover all your lighting needs, both flood for close and throw for distance.


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## cloudbuster (Mar 31, 2013)

Done ordered the XP-G2 should be here soon


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## bluemax_1 (Apr 5, 2013)

I was wondering if this light might be the ticket for my needs (especially with the incredible customizability of the UI), but upon further reading, I have a couple of questions. Is the ONLY method of mode switching via the head twist?

If I had the light on in one of the lower modes and wanted to go straight to Turbo/Max or tactical strobe, can this be done one-handed?


Max


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## subwoofer (Apr 5, 2013)

bluemax_1 said:


> I was wondering if this light might be the ticket for my needs (especially with the incredible customizability of the UI), but upon further reading, I have a couple of questions. Is the ONLY method of mode switching via the head twist?
> 
> If I had the light on in one of the lower modes and wanted to go straight to Turbo/Max or tactical strobe, can this be done one-handed?
> 
> ...




One of the Predator's strong points is that in any particular setting it it a straight forward single mode light with momentary on. There will be no accidental mode changing when you most need reliability.

In a truly tactical light you don't want the possibility of it changing modes on you.

Consider the Predator a highly customisable, pre-set tactical light.

So, no, it is not possible to change mode on the Predator without twisting the head.


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## cloudbuster (Apr 19, 2013)

any one know of a good holster for the predator. the stock one metal clip broke and because is all nylon it feel floppy in my belt.

I have this holster for my SC600w and is amazing I like it http://www.niteize.com/product/Tool-Holster-Stretch.asp
I like the hard plastic clip on the back that way it dont feel floppy on my duty belt.
Thanks.


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## sdr (Apr 24, 2013)

As far as Armytek having the latest version. I can't speak about the XM-L version but I don't think you can get any fresher than this...





Observe date in lower left hand corner of label. This little guy will join forces with my Zebralight SC600 Mk I. 

The Predator just arrived this morning, so I could not be happier to find this MOST EXCELLENT review by Subwoofer. I thank you, sir! I'm sure that I will be referencing this thread quite often. My initial impressions of this light are thus-far all favorable. After using the SC600 as my primary EDC light for the last year and a half I'm sure that it will take a bit to get use to the tactical tail switch of the Predator.

Thanks again and cheers, my friend!


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## Grizzlyb (Apr 25, 2013)

kj2 said:


> read this review, and viewed some YouTube videos. Think the XP-G2 version will be my first 2013 light



Yesterday we received the Armytek PredatorX with the XP-G2 and the Armytek VikingX with the XM-L U2. 
There was time to run some test on these light, and we are very impressed buy the build quality. 
The overall feel is not that of cold metal, but the anodizing feels more like hard rubber, warm with a good grip. 

The XP-G2 with 540lm and the XM-L U2 with 650lm give us a good way to see both beams together and discus the pro's and con's for our use. 
First feel is that the XM-L U2 puts out a "ton" of light with a big hotspot and an nice wide spill. Very useful for searching a wider area over a reasonable range. 
The XP-G2 impressed us greatly with the throw capability. Nice small hotspot with little spill. 
Perfect for using a Strobe, disorienting an opponent, without putting the hole place in full daylight. 
Promising light for our LEO's. 

Simple to use, both identical momentary on the back and 2 mode lines accessible by turning the head 1/8 turn. 
I won't go into detail of accessing the advanced settings, SUBWOOFER did a great job there. 

What we are very happy about, is that the Strobe frequency in these lights CAN be changed. We raised it from 15Hz standard to around the 18Hz mark. 
Once You get the hang of it, advanced settings are pretty straight forward and simple. 
Head turned left is set on 540lm high mode, but can be changed to almost any lm output we like. Head turned 1/8 clockwise, and it always starts in 18Hz strobe. 
Just the way we need it to. 
This Predator with an XP-G2 emitter is one of the best throwers we have ever tested in this size. 

We will have night shift on Sunday evening, and will try to make some video's and photo's from it on the 50 yard shooting range

thanks for the excellent review Subwoofer


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## subwoofer (Apr 25, 2013)

Grizzlyb said:


> What we are very happy about, is that the Strobe frequency in these lights CAN be changed. We raised it from 15Hz standard to around the 18Hz mark.
> Once You get the hang of it, advanced settings are pretty straight forward and simple.



Thanks to your very interesting strobe thread, I have set my Predator V2.0 XP-G2's strobe to 20Hz and posted to say as much in your thread.

It did require the use of my integrating sphere and an oscilloscope (with markers set to indicate I had reached the desired frequency), and also needed a few goes as the strobe frequency ramps up quite quickly.

Once programmed, the Predator is very simple to use and pre-set the mode you want.


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## Grizzlyb (Apr 25, 2013)

subwoofer said:


> Thanks to your very interesting strobe thread, I have set my Predator V2.0 XP-G2's strobe to 20Hz and posted to say as much in your thread.
> 
> It did require the use of my integrating sphere and an oscilloscope (with markers set to indicate I had reached the desired frequency), and also needed a few goes as the strobe frequency ramps up quite quickly.
> 
> Once programmed, the Predator is very simple to use and pre-set the mode you want.



We tried to mach it with the 20Hz strobe lights we have, but we stopped fraction short of the mark. So we estimate it between 18 and 20. 
We wanted to test these Armytek lights after reading your review. So far it's living up the expectations.


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## bluemax_1 (Apr 25, 2013)

Grizzlyb said:


> Yesterday we received the Armytek PredatorX with the XP-G2 and the Armytek VikingX with the XM-L U2.
> There was time to run some test on these light, and we are very impressed buy the build quality.
> The overall feel is not that of cold metal, but the anodizing feels more like hard rubber, warm with a good grip.
> 
> ...


How do you find the size of the hotspot and spill of the XP-G2 when up close (2-4m)? I thought the hotspot was pretty tight requiring more precision to hit someone in the eyes with the strobe's full intensity. That and the narrow spill seemed to only light up the upper torso at close ranges, sometimes not reaching a person's hands. I agree about the throw though. Excellent throw from a 1x18650 light.

From your descriptions, it appears that you prefer the XP-G2 to the XM-L?

The thing I found odd about the XM-L vs the XP-G2 is that the spillbeam is the same.
The XP-G2 has a 5-degree hotspot and 40-degree spillbeam
The XM-L has a 10-degree hotspot and the same 40-degree spillbeam

The X has a much bigger hotspot twice the diameter of the XP-G2, but the same narrow spillbeam. From ~10 feet (3 meters), the XP-G2 hotspot is ~10.4" and the XM-L hotspot is about 21"


Max


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## kj2 (Apr 26, 2013)

Seeing now on the ArmyTek website, they have a new Predator Pro v2.5 (670 led lumens) version.
The Predator v2 version is discontinued.


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## subwoofer (Apr 26, 2013)

kj2 said:


> Seeing now on the ArmyTek website, they have a new Predator Pro v2.5 (670 led lumens) version.
> The Predator v2 version is discontinued.



A smart move by Armytek.

A basic model with a fixed set of modes (but still the same casing, LED, reflector) and the Professional version which is the fully featured programmable version. If anyone were put off by the programming (even though the default modes are perfectly usable) then they can choose the cheaper basic model and not have to worry about it.

Personally I still love the flexibility of the fully programmable Predators, but can see the benefits of offering this choice.


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## WilsonCQB1911 (Jun 7, 2013)

Do you think this is one of the best lights you've ever owned? I'm trying to convince myself I don't need one. Unless its truly amazing, I can hold off.


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## Swedpat (Sep 3, 2013)

Thanks Subwoofer for the great review! :thumbsup:

Today I received an ArmyTek Predator XP-G2 warm light. This is my very first experience of ArmyTek and I will share my impression. First of all: the non-slip surface is great. Not very much need of knurling here, why don't all flashlight have this? 
Very nice to hold. Then I look into the reflector. It's very noticable that it's a deep reflector. And very polished. The whole light just feels reliable and as a quality instrument. After a short reading of the manual I try the light out. The tint is warm and nice. And the spill is the narrowest of all my flashlights, even narrower than Solarforce M3 head which until now was the narrowest. Actually I like it; this is good for a tactical light intended for great distance spotting. Instead of spreading light long way to the sides it results in a brighter spill. This also contributes to making this light not so uncomfortable at short distances, which is typhical for throwers because of the huge difference in lux intensity between hotspot and spill.

I did some lux comparisons by holding the Predator together with other lights at same distance(~2m). The compared lights was Fenix TK15S2, Fenix TK50, Solarforce M3 head(attached on a Surefire 9P with extender and 2x18650) and Nitecore MT40, also Fenix TK20. I didn't determine lux value at a specific distance, but just wanted to read the percentual differences compared to these lights.

When I compared all these lights I got the result that Fenix TK50 still provides the highest lux value in my collection. It's still the king of throw, especially related to the total output. But not with a huge margin. Predator warm provides very similar throw as Nitecore MT40, but slightly outthrows Solarforce M3 head. Predator warm has more than twice the hotspot lux than Fenix TK15S2. At the 190lm level(same OTF output as Fenix TK20) the hotspot lux was around 50% higher. Consequently more than 5 times the lux at the highest output.

That could be surprising that Fenix TK50 outthrows these lights when the stated lux at 1m is 31261. As well MT40 and Predator are procilamed to have at least the same or higher. My experience is that the specs for some Fenix models are underrated, however. For example Fenix E40 has 17500lux according to the specs. But there is no doubt that my Fenix E40 has 20000+ lux(earlier measured 4times of TK20). It's pretty much between TK50 and TK15S2(stated 15900lux).

The conclusion is that ArmyTek Predator XP-G2 warm is a SUPREME thrower for it's size. And the tint is beautiful, pretty similar to former Malkoff M61W(and Neutral of the newer versions sold by Oveready). Actually the beam is nice and pretty artifact free despite the smooth reflector.

One thing which dissapointed me regarding Fenix TK15S2 is that the 400lm level does not work very well with 18650. It soon starts to slowly drop. I prefer a flat output as long as possible and then instant drop to the level below. 
ArmyTek Predator is claimed to have flat output until the battery is almost dead. I did a ceiling bounce comparison between Fenix TK15S2 and Armytek Predator: 2 fresh CR123/used 18650. While the both lights had full output with the CR123s(Predator warm is ~20% brighter) the TK15S2 had 80% of initial output with the 18650. Then I placed the same 18650 in the Predator: FULL OUTPUT! (~50% brighter than TK15S2 at that moment) I like that!

*Conclusion:* this is my first but not the last purchase of an ArmyTek. Great performance for the price. Likely I will order another within a few weeks. Propably a Barracuda XM-L2 warm! 

A note: The package didn't include any description of how to make use of all the programmable functions, only a quick guide. But that's enough for me, I want it simple and am so satisfied with the default modes; *first line*: of 6, 190 and 670m. 
To be honest: when I read your Photobucket pictures of the advanced settings it's just too much...


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## GlockLU (Sep 26, 2013)

I just ordered one. Thanks subwoofer for the review.


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## subwoofer (Sep 27, 2013)

GlockLU said:


> I just ordered one. Thanks subwoofer for the review.



What exact one have you gone for (emitter, bezel etc)? I am very confident you will love it.


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## op4llc (Jul 26, 2014)

does anyone know if it would be possible to swap a olsen [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]SFH 4715S led into this unit? im new to this so excuse me if there is something obviously wrong with this idea. if so explain to me what would be required or why it would not work...[/FONT]


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## bloodtype_Z (Aug 1, 2014)

Just received my predator x today, I put an 18650 in and when I turned it on it flashed quickly then turned off. The voltage on my battery was 3.7 volts so I'm not sure if the low voltage is the issue or if the light is DOA. Both of my 18650's are below 4 volts so I put them on an xtar vp1 to charge. I'm hoping the low battery is the issue and with fully charged ones the light will work. Has anybody turned one of these on with similar results? Any info would be great.


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## bloodtype_Z (Aug 1, 2014)

Update to my last post. Everything works fine, the batteries were too low and the light wouldn't turn on. After a full charge, batteries at 4.2 volts, the light works great.


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## RI Chevy (Aug 1, 2014)

Welcome to the Forum! :welcome:


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## subwoofer (Aug 3, 2014)

bloodtype_Z said:


> Just received my predator x today, I put an 18650 in and when I turned it on it flashed quickly then turned off. The voltage on my battery was 3.7 volts so I'm not sure if the low voltage is the issue or if the light is DOA. Both of my 18650's are below 4 volts so I put them on an xtar vp1 to charge. I'm hoping the low battery is the issue and with fully charged ones the light will work. Has anybody turned one of these on with similar results? Any info would be great.





bloodtype_Z said:


> Update to my last post. Everything works fine, the batteries were too low and the light wouldn't turn on. After a full charge, batteries at 4.2 volts, the light works great.



3.7V would have been far too low, and is a basically depleted resting voltage. Remember the Predator can change the 'power source' to allow it to go to a lower final voltage (for 2xCR123) but by default is on 18650 and the light itself protects the cell.


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## bloodtype_Z (Aug 5, 2014)

subwoofer said:


> 3.7V would have been far too low, and is a basically depleted resting voltage. Remember the Predator can change the 'power source' to allow it to go to a lower final voltage (for 2xCR123) but by default is on 18650 and the light itself protects the cell.



Thanks! I guess I went in to noob panic mode lol.


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