Budget headlamp: Nichia vs. "neutral white" Cree? 18650 too heavy?

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.

I made some compare pics.

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 $19.99 right now. (includes 2600mAH cell)

M4DM4X’s thread here.

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.

.
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.

The H03 can be light even with 18650
if you cut the 3. band it gets pretty light, then it weights 36.5g and 128g total

and it is Astrolux 18350 Tube compatible

I own a Skilhunt H03, and love it, but was just looking up information on the Imalent HR20 which I saw was available recently for less than $20 with coupon available on BLF. I just checked and that code has expired, unfortunately, but a current code from M4DM4X will get the HR20 for $26.99, so it’s competitively priced to the H03.

The HR20 has built-in USB charging, ramping control of output via a rotary knob, AND comes with a battery - all for under $30. And if weight is a concern, the HR20 is just 2-3 grams heavier than the H03 at 46 or 47 grams w/o battery.

I may need to order one myself!

here’s a BLF review of the HR20, in case you want to give it a look:

Imalent HR20 BLF review

Like I say, that H03 is sweet, but being priced close to the H03, you’d have to give the HR20 a look, at least!

Oh, I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it but the H03 also has a magnetized tailcap, which may be handy for some uses.

raynman

Lexel I saw that H03 shorty and I has a short S41 tube home so I immediately done this to mine :smiley:
It is so cute!
Did you shorten the tube? On my the O-rings doesn’t seal this way but the light works.

Love my Imalent HR20W (Neutral). The infinite ramping by dial is the best feature that no other headlamp in it’s category has from what I am aware of.

There is no need for the top strap IF you use the right strap/ mount. I popped the Imalent into a Thrunite TH20 mount/ strap and wow! The strap and mount are thicker and beefier and do a fantastic job of holding the Imalent tight. I can hike for hours with minimal bounce and no discomfort. It doesn’t fit in perfectly (a little tight and harder to twist and tilt) but damn close.

I’ll get the Skilhunt H03R next…