The H03 has more thinner wall of tube and a bit less material in the head so it is lighter.
And I think the UI is better. The H02 has 4 modes fixed. But the H03 has 4 modes with selectable lower or higher submode and the light memorizing what you selected. For egzample I use it in low2, med2, High1, and turbo2. 2 is higher output than 1. you can switch between 1-2 with double click.
Definitely an XP footprint, but dunno if it’s even a real XP-G. Probably some generic Mystery Emitter. I’d love to swap it out for an XP-G2 or so, whatever’s the lowest Vf of the XP series, just to keep it in regulation as long as possible.
It’s not that “cool”, let alone “cold”, so don’t be scared off by that. I was out chiselling out a coupla feet of frozen snow that drifted up against a door (snowed, melted, refroze) for quite a while this past winter, and even reflecting off white snow, I didn’t mind it at all.
Gotta confess, with the price being what it is (and having like 4 spares), I kinda beat the Hell out of this critter, and other than losing the tethered rubber plug over the usb port (no idea how…), it’s held up admirably.
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Hey, anyone know/recall offhand if 219BTs have the same solder-pad pattern as XP-Gs? I’d love to go high-CRI in at least one of these puppies. 
5000K is wonderfully neutral. My first experience with 4300K was, “Hmmm, warm…”. Well, warmer than I was used to, at least.
The XM-L2 and XP-L both use the same exact chip. Just the XM footprint/package is bigger than the XP footprint/package.
So the XP-L is just an XM-L2 on a smaller substrate, with the dome shaved down on the 4 sides to make them fit when stacked next to each other.
Seems like the H02 isn’t too bad of a deal at all. Main differences seem to be:
- Overall lower lumens (not the U4 version of the XM-L2)
- Doesn’t have the TIR lens? Not sure
- 4 modes instead of 8 modes
- Low standby current below 0.5uA in H03 only
- H03 is slightly lighter (0.5oz)
H03: 0.5, 3, 20 (75hrs), 70 (25hrs), 160, 365, 490, 900
H02: 5, 110, 380, 820
Doesn’t seem to be available on gearbest right now, though =/
Downsides seem to be no firefly mode (0.5) or lower powered medium mode in the 20-70 range. Not sure if either can ramp up infinitely between their modes.
H02 has TIR.
No ramping on skilhunts.
H02 is taller and heavier than the H03.
But they have the same TIR or reflector.
H03 can preset all 4 modes in 2 levels with double click (low 1 / low 2 - medium 1 / medium 2 - high 1 / high 2 - turbo 1 / turbo 2).
If you’re a long distance hiker, then yes, 18650 is too heavy. I have a Zebralight H52 to cut down some of that weight and bulk, but unfortunately for you, I don’t think there’s a Nichia option. Since I’m out there to hike, I’m awake for very little time when it’s dark, so I can easily get 500 miles from a battery, so it’s safe to use a lithium primary AA, which saves even more weight. The H52 really is overkill for me, but I really like the ability to get a spare AA while restocking my food bag in town. The beam pattern is great for hiking too. Just the right amount of flood and throw to light up the trail, but still enough throw to find campsites if I waited to long to get off the trail.
From the imalent HR20 review Review: Imalent HR20 XP-L HI Rechargeable Headlamp
a comparison of different lamps how floddy the Skilhunt H03 is
!https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5535/31165320802_57100e6450_o.gif !
Lumenzilla has a giv with all brightness settings. The last picture
https://lumenzilla.com/en/reviews/review-skilhunt-h03-tir-optic.html
For HR20 and H03 NW there are coupons on Gearbest
My H03 bought from Gearbest 4 weeks ago is ~4500K and nice , but as always it’s a bit of a lottery.
For outdoor use, high CRI is what matters more than anything else, if you want to be able to see details.
The Nitecore NU20 CRI is a very nice lightweight headlamp.
Nice comparison…
I swapped out the default TIR from my RJ02 to a 60°. Very nice.
Tried a 90 and 120 which I got yesterday, but didn’t like the beams. Too much of a “bullseye”, rather bright ring around the periphery, then slightly darker towards the middle, then pretty much the same hotspot as my 60. It’s annoying even in practice, not just white-wall hunting.
Sticking with the 60, as it’s nice and smooth. If I need a little more throw, I got the come-with TIR just in case.
The Imalent HR20 is a nice package, but it has a normal beam, not a wide one, what more people prefer on a headlamp.
All comparisons I’ve read favour the H03 for headlamp and normal use.
I have a H03 so I buy the HR20 on purpose for a far throwing headlamp.
Consider what you’re going to be using the headlamp for, before deciding on the battery type. An 18650 light really only makes sense if you need really long run time, or very high output + decent run time. Also, you don’t want to be bouncing around too much with the bulk and weight of an 18650 light on your head. Otherwise, a AA/14500 light makes more sense.
A 1xAA or 14500 light will give you about 8 hours at 50 lumens output, which is probably what you’ll be using most of the time. If you want to use it at 200 lumens, that just means you need to change the battery every couple of hours. If you need higher output than that on a constant basis, then you probably want an 18650 light.
I am considering this. It might be nicer to have a lighter weight headlamp, and just carry a spare 14500 battery in my backpack.
I’ve read some mixed reviews - for camping/hiking, would you say most people end up using ~ 20 lumens (low mode) or ~ 50-70 lumens (medium mode)?
That will help me get a better estimate of the runtime I’d get from each battery.
Can anyone help me fill out this chart for most batteries?
| Average Runtime | Low (~20 lumens) | Medium (~50-70 lumens) |
| 186500 | 75hrs@20 | 25hrs@70 |
| 14500 | x | 3hrs@50 (acebeam) |
Anyone have a good sense of how long I’d typically get on a 14500 in medium (50-70 lumens)? The 3hrs on that acebeam seems really short, but found another thorfire that seems to show similar. Makes me lean towards an 18650.
I’m not seeing anything that does 8 hours @ 50 lumens like you described.
You really should pick up a Skilhunt H03.
It is a wonderful light, and I find it more comfortable than many of the smaller headlights that I had before becoming an BLF geek. It really does not seem heavy or bulky to me at all.
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Do you want to have the ability to really light things up and see everything clearly, or do you just want to have enough light to make sure you don’t trip over a sleeping Black Bear? As far as lighting up stuff in your immediate field of vision goes the H03 is a game changer. However, if you are content with stumbling around on 50 lumens then its probably overkill.
Personally I would rather have the ability to really light things up when need be, it makes working on things like setting up a tent, cooking, or taking out the garbage much less of a struggle. If all you are doing is walking down a trail for 10 miles maybe you want a tiny headlamp like a nitecore NU10. if you want to work around the campsite the H03 is a no brainer.
If you need to see longer distances, then there are other versions of the H03 that are less floody, or you could go with the Nitecore HC30 / Imalent HR20
Skilhunt H03 - 18650
High 2: 160 lumens 11 hours
Medium 1:70 lumens 25 hours
Medium 2: 20 lumens 75 hours
Skilhunt H15 - 14500
150 lumen 3 hours
50 lumen 8.5 hours
I have both and use the H03 for different reasons.
Runtime is 3x, for only 5mm longer. Compact and lightweight for 18650, warm white, good user interface, moon, if I want brighter.
H15 is kinda big and heavy for a AA
On a reasonably efficient light, you should get about 100-150 lumens/watt out of your flashlight, using a modern Cree LED, and depending on the drain (middle modes are usually most efficient).
A 18650 has about 12 watt hours of energy.
An Eneloop Pro NiMH AA has about 3 watt hours of energy.
A good 14500 also has about 3 watt hours of energy.
So, you can figure out the approximate run time by using the formula:
run time in hours = capacity * efficiency / output
For example, a 14500 light with an efficiency of 125 lumens/watt, and an output of 50 lumens, has a run time of
3 * 125 / 50 = 7.5 hours
So, that acebeam doesn’t seem very good, if you really only are getting 3 hours at 50 lumens.
Generally, I use 50 lumens for walking in the dark, if I only want to light up my immediate path. An occasional blast of high output to see further, if I need to. Though I normally use a thrower for seeing further. I can go down to about 10 lumens, if I want to preserve more night vision. But below 10 lumens, I can’t see the ground very well, even right in front of me.
I think I’m sold - the runtime on that 14500 is just way too short to justify the difference.