Armytek Wizard Pro Prototype Long-Term Testing

[Sukram]

I would like to purchase one of Wizard too. Want this headlamp, very very much
:thanks: Knight light

 

[Knight_Light]

I would like to purchase one of Wizard too. Want this headlamp, very very much
:thanks: Knight light

You are welcome. Unfortunately this headlamp is not for sale yet but hopefully will be soon. They are making some final changes and adjustments.

 

[Romanko]

They are making some final changes and adjustments.

Would be nice if they make changing modes only with switch button without screwing tailcap.

 

[Knight_Light]

Would be nice if they make changing modes only with switch button without screwing tailcap.

To switch modes you do not have to do anything but use the button. The only time you screw and unscrew the tail Is when you want to activate or deactivate certain features.

 

[syracuse]

I do not have the wide nor the neutral version but the initial impressions are very positive to say the least. The cool version actually appears a lot warmer than I thought it would be. The beam is nice and wide. I recently took it on a night hike and will be posting my comments soon in the review.

Thanks for a grate review :thumbsup:
I plan to buy a copy of NW version too. But if the CW is as warm as the CW Eagletac D25 series, I might change my mind. Could you please post the white wall beam shot of this light compare to the CW of ZL :ooo:?

 

[Knight_Light]

These are the changes to both the prototype headlamp and the review.

• One of the strobes was replaced by a decimal voltage indicator. You can now tell the voltage of the battery under load.
• Mode 2 in the prototype headlamp has been updated from 75 lm to 115 lm.
• The unofficial Armytek manual has been updated by Armytek.

 

[stp]

It is definitely different than ZL, but overall I like it and in my opinion it is better. Your interpretation of the UI is incorrect. I updated the UI in the review. I hope I was able to clarify it better than the unofficial manual.

Thanks, now it gets much better. Previously it looked from the instruction like click and hold when on would temporally switch to turbo.

And I agree they are different. They offer different advantages but I now can't say witch one would be better for me without playing with Armytek first. On one hand you have Armytek that offers momentary modes, fast access to Turbo all the time (and momentary Turbo with going back to previous mode) and easier access to strobe. On the other hand ZL have better access to firefly modes, way to easy switch to lower mode without going trough higher (blinding) and more hidden modes that allow you to better configure light for your needs especially at the lower end. I guess major point in deciding between them will depend if somebody uses mostly high-medium modes (Armytek) or firefly-medium (ZL). Obviously Armytek will be more powerful for now, H600 is kinda dated now.

So now do the worst-case scenario for ZL to one of the deepest sublevels. “The second sub-level of the High can be configured after 6 double clicks.” That is a lot of clicking.

I think that you are not fair here. This kind of operation isn't meant for constant use. It allows to better configure it for your needs. So you have 3 default modes + 3 other you may choose from 8 or so (8 in case of SC600, much less in case of older H600) in setup phase. If Armytek offered a way to fine tune Modes 1-4 to you liking somewhere deep in setup I wouldn't hold it against them and I would think about it as big advantage.

 

[Knight_Light]

On one hand you have Armytek that offers momentary modes, fast access to Turbo all the time (and momentary Turbo with going back to previous mode)

You only have access to Turbo all of the time if you are in Section 2. Double-clicking from Section 1 will bring you into the last memorized mode in Section 2. Once you are in Section 2 you have access to Turbo all the time regardless of mode.

and easier access to strobe.

Now with the specialty modes (including battery voltage indication as well as strobe) those you have access to from either Section 1 or Section 2 simply by quad clicking.

On the other hand ZL have better access to firefly modes, way to easy switch to lower mode without going trough higher (blinding) and more hidden modes that allow you to better configure light for your needs especially at the lower end.

This is incorrect. Access to the firefly modes is exactly the same in both lights, simply press and hold. The advantage with Armytek being that if you want to go into the next firefly mode you just simply continue to hold whereas with zebra light you have more clicks.

I guess major point in deciding between them will depend if somebody uses mostly high-medium modes (Armytek) or firefly-medium (ZL). Obviously Armytek will be more powerful for now, H600 is kinda dated now.

This is incorrect and the decision will be based on other factors. See the comment directly above.

I think that you are not fair here. This kind of operation isn't meant for constant use. It allows to better configure it for your needs. So you have 3 default modes + 3 other you may choose from 8 or so (8 in case of SC600, much less in case of older H600) in setup phase. If Armytek offered a way to fine tune Modes 1-4 to you liking somewhere deep in setup I wouldn't hold it against them and I would think about it as big advantage.

I think it is absolutely fair considering they wanted a worst-case scenario. :)


I understand that both the unofficial manual and my writeup are not the clearest since there have been a lot of misinterpretations of the UI. So I think the only way to clarify this is if you ask direct questions like. The light is off, how do I get into firefly modes? Click and hold would be the answer.

 

[stp]

You only have access to Turbo all of the time if you are in Section 2. Double-clicking from Section 1 will bring you into the last memorized mode in Section 2. Once you are in Section 2 you have access to Turbo all the time regardless of mode.

There is some clarification needed about Section 1 access at the bottom of this post. For me Section 2 is what I interpret as main section. This is why I ignored access from section 1 to not make the post longer. I think that it's not a problem because I told that IMHO it's better in ArmyTek. Anyway I understand that you want to clarify some of my points to not confuse others or to correct me in case of my another misunderstanding.

This is incorrect. Access to the firefly modes is exactly the same in both lights, simply press and hold. The advantage with Armytek being that if you want to go into the next firefly mode you just simply continue to hold whereas with zebra light you have more clicks.

You need to correct your instruction than because it says:

You Press and Release the ON & OFF switch. This puts you into the previous mode used (Firefly 1, Firefly 2, Mode 1, Mode 2, Mode 3 or Mode 4) except for Turbo and Strobe.

• Now if you decide to click and hold it will go to the next highest level. In one of the following ways (if you release the ON & OFF switch at any moment you will stay in whatever light level you were in).
  • If you are in Section 1 it will increase in level until you get into Section 2. It will go through all of the levels in Section 2 and then jump back down to the lowest level in Section 2 (Mode 1) and then repeat the process for as long as the switch is held down.
  • If you are in Section 2 it will increase in level until you are in Mode 4 and then it will cycle back down to Mode 1. It will repeat the process for as long as the switch is held down.

From here I understood that when the light is ON the only way to go back to firefly is by turning it OFF and press and hold.

So lets clarify:
When the light is ON in Section 2 and you press and hold, do the light cycle only trough Section 2 or trough Section 2 and Section 1? At what level the cycling starts? Firefly 1? One step higher than current?

This is incorrect and the decision will be based on other factors. See the comment directly above.

If the instruction is correct and you need to turn the light OFF to access Firefly then ZL have easier accessible Firefly modes.

If the cycling starts at any other level than firefly 1 you still have issue with blinding when switching to lower mode without going off.

And ZL has more low modes...so lets say that I still stand by my opinion. Depending on your answer the advantage of ZL in low modes will be quite serious or very small but it will be there. For high modes ArmyTek is for me not disutable winner after your clarification. But I'm not going to sugercoat things that I find important in deciding my next light :)

I think it is absolutely fair considering they wanted a worst-case scenario. :)

Bullshit. They? I wanted it but I don't think that setup options are part of regular usage patterns. Are you PR person for Armytek or are you going to honestly review it and compare with closest competition? :nana:

 

[Knight_Light]

For me Section 2 is what I interpret as main section.

You are correct in this regard.

You need to correct your instruction than because it says:

That is for when the light is already ON not from the off position.

From here I understood that when the light is ON the only way to go back to firefly is by turning it OFF and press and hold.

That is correct.

When the light is ON in Section 2 and you press and hold, do the light cycle only trough Section 2 or trough Section 2 and Section 1? At what level the cycling starts? Firefly 1? One step higher than current?

Just through section 2 one step higher then current unless you are in the mode 4 then it will go to mode 1.

If the instruction is correct and you need to turn the light OFF to access Firefly then ZL have easier accessible Firefly modes.

That is true unless you are talking about going to one of the sublevels in firefly.

I wanted it but I don't think that setup options are part of regular usage patterns.

They are part of the regular usage patterns if you need access to those levels. What if somebody needs access to both firefly levels?

Are you PR person for Armytek or are you going to honestly review it and compare with closest competition?

First of all I am doing this review to help people like you make an informed purchase decision based on facts and MY opinion of those facts it has nothing to do with PR for Armytek. As a matter of fact I have recommended zebra light as well as spark (another headlamp I love) in the forums.

So you can ask me questions about the light and I can answer them honestly and you can make your own decision with your hard-earned money or you can debate MY opinion on who’s UI is better, remember it’s just an opinion not fact.

The headlamp market is so underdeveloped compared to the flashlight market that when a company like Armytek comes out with an offering and at the same time asks the consumer for input I get excited about it and I am sorry that you feel that my enthusiasm for a product that I feel is the next evolution in this space is some sort of PR for Armytek. But I guess you can't make everybody happy. :)

 

[markr6]

Are you PR person for Armytek or are you going to honestly review it and compare with closest competition? :nana:

Sorry, but I wondered the same thing. And since my day already sucks here at work, I will try and not to come back to this thread for a few days to see how bad I get flamed :)

 

[Knight_Light]

Just posted the results of the Subfreezing Test. Passed at 6°F or -14.4°C.

 

[f22shift]

maybe i'm stupid the UI seems a bit overly complicated. i know zebralight offers tweaks but those are hidden. i can explain the ui to a non flashaholic in a few sentences. did you develop the UI for your needs or was there research on armytek's end.

there are definitely some nice features of the light. the indicator button. i like that the headlamp holder is wider at the ends which i think will improve the comfort.

i would like to see that bezel have notches for a needle nose pliers to swap out the optic for whatever you want. i hope it's not a pressed fit bezel. those are never entirely waterproof which would seem silly with a double o-ring at the battery end.

 

[Knight_Light]

maybe i'm stupid the UI seems a bit overly complicated.

I don’t think you or anyone else is stupid for having confusion over a UI that you don’t have access to physically. Having said that Armytek has had confusion in the past with some other products. Maybe that is the trade-off for having a robust and feature-rich product.

i know zebralight offers tweaks but those are hidden. i can explain the ui to a non flashaholic in a few sentences.

But then again you can always argue that those tweaks are part of the UI which complicates the overall operation of the headlamp. Don’t get me wrong I think zebra light has a fantastic UI. And when Armytek was asking for input on the CPF marketplace it was discussed.

Having said that. If I was to give this headlamp to a buddy on an expedition that had no idea how to use this UI I would tell them the basics and it would go something like this.

• Click and release the switch to turn on.
• Click and release the switch to turn off.
• Press and hold to cycle through different light levels.
• If you need access to lowest mode just make sure you turn off the headlamp then press and hold. If you need additional light continue holding until you reach a light level that you need.

did you develop the UI for your needs or was there research on armytek's end.

I had nothing to do with the development of the UI. I can or cannot say how much research Armytek did but I can tell you that they were on the marketplace asking for input for certain aspects of the light.

i would like to see that bezel have notches for a needle nose pliers to swap out the optic for whatever you want. i hope it's not a pressed fit bezel. those are never entirely waterproof which would seem silly with a double o-ring at the battery end.

The bezel is press fit according to Armytek. I know this is a bummer for a lot of people. I personally prefer screw in bezel’s. That is the one thing that I really enjoy on the Spark. As far as the waterproof issue goes I will be doing a 10 foot dynamic dive test with it. Let’s hope for the best.

 

[sbbsga]

As far as the waterproof issue goes I will be doing a 10 foot dynamic dive test with it. Let’s hope for the best.

If you have the time, would it be possible to have another dive test where the Wizard is at peak temperature on Turbo before it takes a dive into the water. The objective is to see if there is water ingress at rapid cooling. My ZL H502 has this problem at the bezel, maybe at the switch too but I could only guess as it is not see-through.

 

[Knight_Light]

If you have the time, would it be possible to have another dive test where the Wizard is at peak temperature on Turbo before it takes a dive into the water. The objective is to see if there is water ingress at rapid cooling. My ZL H502 has this problem at the bezel, maybe at the switch too but I could only guess as it is not see-through.

I think this is a great idea and will make for an interesting data point. I think this would be no different then someone hiking and accidentally falling into and/or dropping the headlamp into a body of water. Since the headlamp is unbearably hot on Turbo to hold with the naked hand I will do the test on Mode 4 (550 lm) to simulate a more realistic test.

 

[sbbsga]

I think this is a great idea and will make for an interesting data point. I think this would be no different then someone hiking and accidentally falling into and/or dropping the headlamp into a body of water. Since the headlamp is unbearably hot on Turbo to hold with the naked hand I will do the test on Mode 4 (550 lm) to simulate a more realistic test.

Thank you, looking forward to the results. :popcorn:

 

[stp]

<CUT>

Thanks for clarification.

That is true unless you are talking about going to one of the sublevels in firefly.
They are part of the regular usage patterns if you need access to those levels. What if somebody needs access to both firefly levels?

This thread is not about ZL and I don't want to distract it more (I already know all what I needed), so to keep it short: In ZL UI you have easy access to two (so yes, both) firefly levels from ON and OFF. First by click and hold, second by doubleclick after reaching first. Now, depending on particular light it could be all (H600 - 2.8 lm and 0.1 lm) or you have additional feature - you can preselect second mode from few given choices (SC600 default 3lm and one from: 0.6lm / 0.1lm/ 0.02lm) - yes preselecting is not fast but after you do it you have easy access to two firefly modes -3 lm and the preselected one. At last there is option to do that at all compared to ArmyTek. If you ever used ZL you should already know that all. I'm really feeling like I'm explaining it to the wall so it was my last try.

First of all I am doing this review to help people like you make an informed purchase decision based on facts and MY opinion of those facts it has nothing to do with PR for Armytek. As a matter of fact I have recommended zebra light as well as spark (another headlamp I love) in the forums.

So you can ask me questions about the light and I can answer them honestly and you can make your own decision with your hard-earned money or you can debate MY opinion on who’s UI is better, remember it’s just an opinion not fact.

The headlamp market is so underdeveloped compared to the flashlight market that when a company like Armytek comes out with an offering and at the same time asks the consumer for input I get excited about it and I am sorry that you feel that my enthusiasm for a product that I feel is the next evolution in this space is some sort of PR for Armytek. But I guess you can't make everybody happy. :)

There is quite thick line between cheering newcomer and doing trusted review. I have nothing against different opinions, I can respect them if they are based on logical arguments or if it's matter of preference. But some things you said in my opinion weren't very logical and you lost my trust. I'm wishing ArmyTek all the best because you are right - we need fresh blood and this headlamp have potential to be very good light but IMHO it's not all roses, it have many strong points but in my opinion it have also few weaker points that I tried to point in my previous posts. Personally the need to turn the light off even for a very short time to operate it in that two cases bothers me very much but I plan to give it a chance and check it if I will have opportunity.

Btw. Aswering other post: If somebody will want to borrow ArmyTek to somebody unenlightened :), IMHO the easiest and most straightforward way will be to switch it to tactical mode. It will make it very simple light to operate, you can preselect powermode and you don't need to bother with explaining the interface at all. And I think that it's another strong point of ArmyTek.

 

[Knight_Light]

There is quite thick line between cheering newcomer and doing trusted review. I have nothing against different opinions, I can respect them if they are based on logical arguments or if it's matter of preference. But some things you said in my opinion weren't very logical and you lost my trust. I'm wishing ArmyTek all the best because you are right - we need fresh blood and this headlamp have potential to be very good light but IMHO it's not all roses, it have many strong points but in my opinion it have also few weaker points that I tried to point in my previous posts.

I understand the point that you are trying to make. So let me clarify my stance on all of this. The first 2 entries of this thread are the review. The first entry is based strictly on facts and therefore is unbiased. The second entry is a mixture of fact, opinion and whatever combination of the two that may happen and therefore is biased according to my opinions, knowledge base, and previous experience (mind you all of this was posted in advance). Almost every other post by me in this thread is an interaction with someone such as yourself and is based on my opinion.

So if I lost your trust that’s fine and I respect that for the reasons that you gave. My suggestion is that you then just focus on the very first entry of this thread which is based on fact and it will give you an unbiased interpretation of the product.

Btw. Aswering other post: If somebody will want to borrow ArmyTek to somebody unenlightened , IMHO the easiest and most straightforward way will be to switch it to tactical mode. It will make it very simple light to operate, you can preselect powermode and you don't need to bother with explaining the interface at all. And I think that it's another strong point of ArmyTek.

That is not a bad idea on paper but in reality it would make very little sense. Most people would not want to keep their finger on a button to generate light output, especially in a headlamp (for which one of the strong points is hands-free operation).

 

[beamon]

Thanks very much, Knight_Light, for your excellent, detailed, and ongoing review of what looks like a wonderful headlamp. Although it presents some heat issues when used at high brightness levels, I'm especially impressed with how long it works at medium levels with a single battery. Armytek's specs on its water resistance (33 yd of submersion) and impact resistance (a drop of 33 ft) look incredible.

While it sounds like getting some hiking shots of the beam has posed some challenges, I wonder if you might be able to post some beam shots taken against a white wall. It would be great to see the tint and to get some sense of how the headlamp distributes light. Thanks so much for all your help!