Skilhunt H15 Issues

I have a bunch of Skilhunt H15s and two H02s. When they work, I really like them. I like the neutral white tint, beam pattern, user interface (starts at low mode, gets progressively higher), size and weight (especially the H15). I have used them many times with no problems. But some times, they will get stuck in weird modes almost every time I use them. For instance, it will get stuck in the lowest mode only or other times it will get stuck in the lowest two modes. Most of the time, with a little fiddling, I can get them back to regular operation. But it gets annoying. Of the ~6 H15s that I have, I have only opened 2 or 3. I believe at least two of them have these issues. I could check the others.

I would like to have one or two nice headlights that I can really count on. I’m willing to pay a reasonable amount for quality.

1. Has anyone else encountered these issues? If so, do you have any suggestions on how to fix it?
2. I’m thinking a driver swap might fix the issue. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good driver?
3. Can anyone suggest an alternative brand/model that would be more reliable/better quality? I like the size and weight of the H15. I also like the AA/14500 option. The 450 Lm on turbo are plenty for me. I usually run it in medium mode (50 Lm). It should have a decently wide angle beam (not a thrower).

Thanks!

I have not had any issues with mine. My H15 does not get the same use that the H02 does but it does get used regularly. For you to have more than 1 light acting up worries me. I know stuff happens so the occasional problem is no big deal.

Is it the H02 or the H15 getting stuck in the lower modes? When you mention "fiddling" can you get more specific (please)?

The only failure that I have seen was from getting dropped (not mine) and that caused the daughter board on the drive to break its solder connections (which is why I have and wish that these eventually get potted drivers).

I cannot help with a AA/14500 driver but I do know that a driver can be had from RMM (Mountain) and even Dr. Jones...who btw also dropped his. You will have to piggy back onto the original driver board or get one and sand it down because the original is something like 20mm on the H02.

As for reliable....I believe that most are all the same. The Xtar H3 and Nitecore HC30 do not use daughter boards on their drivers. The Nitecore HC50 seems to be a tank with our people at work but it is heavier. I just grabbed the new ArmyTek Wizard but I cannot say anything except they claim to be better able to handle warranty with their new Canadian office.

Thrunite does offer a AA/14500 for USA customers for $29.99. I was considering getting one to see what it is about

I probably owe it to everyone to be a little more thorough in keeping track of the issues I’ve had. I wanted to see if others were having similar issues before I really spent some time figuring it out. So I will try to keep a log of the issues that I’ve had to see what happens, how many of my lights are affected, etc. I have 6 H15s and 2 H02s. As I encounter an issue with one, I will write up the problem and how I fixed it if I was able, mark that light, set it aside and try another one. I have only been using two of the H15s. The other four are in boxes. So it’s possible that it is just one bad light that I got mixed up into thinking was both of the lights I’ve been using. Stay posted.

In general, I’ve had more issues with the H15. When it gets stuck in a weird mode, I will try a couple of things to fix it. Most of the time one of these will fix it, but it doesn’t seem to be the same every time:

- Remove the battery, wait a while and reinstall the battery.

- Double click to enter strobe mode then double click to go back to regular mode.

- Long hold a bunch of times, including when off.

  • Randomly click a bunch of times.
    It seems to happen more often with AA batteries vs. 14500.

As far as I can remember, I’ve only had one issue with an H02. It stopped working after a very minor bump. So that could be that something got damaged. I haven’t been able to get it working again.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback. And wish me luck. I hope that I find it’s just one bad light. I like these lights.

I only have one of each H02 and H15, but I do notice the H15 being a bit more fussy with AA batteries (specifically Eneloops) than I would expect. Sometimes it would refuse to power up and like you I would remove the battery (to measure voltage) and then put it back in only to find it worked again. I’m not sure what’s going on there, but my feeling is the driver is a bit marginal on AAs and as the voltage drops a bit it seems to get worse. I now use a 14500 and haven’t seen this happen at all.

Unfortunately I cannot offer anything for using the H15 with Eneloops. I do sometimes use AA but usually it is 14500. It is important (to me) that I try and learn as much as possible because 1) My co-workers and I use the hell out of headlamps at work and 2) If Skilhunt has an issue that needs corrected they will do so.

The H02.....my money is the driver. It may a good idea for me to see/ask if it would be possible to get some H02 driver assemblies.

I wanted to give a quick update. I have specifically been using only one of my H15s with a 14500 battery over the past 3 weeks. I’ve probably used it at least 10 times and have had no issues. So it seems that my issue may have been with either a bad one or using AAs. I will keep playing around with them and let you know what I come up with.

@Bugsy36- See if they can get some H15 drivers as well…. I dropped mine several times, the one that got it was off the desk… :person_facepalming:

I had no issues with my H15 being fussy with AA/Nimh or 14500, though I used both equally (kept the NiMh as a spare)

Thanks for doing more detailed look jmwhite151, all too often people do not want to track what is actually going on.

Working on trying to access H15 drivers :)

Hello, anyone knows a way to turn off the light location and the h03 without clicking 2 times?

I have found Fenix headlamps to be very reliable. For a 1xAA headlamp I highly recommend the Fenix HL21. It has a beam range of 93m, and is IPX8 to 2m. It has three brightness modes, 3 lm, 47 lm, 97 lm, plus SOS. Single quick click of the button switch for on/off, click and hold to ramp brightness one level, double click for SOS, and it has mode memory. Head strap is ample for any head size, even over cap or padded hood. Inherently a long throw lamp (for its size), it comes with a flip-up diffuser that makes it suitable for close up work when the diffuser is deployed. I have used my Fenix HL21 for cross-country hiking, and it has been subject to some rough treatment for many years without any problems. It may be hard to come by these days, as I don’t think it is currently in production.

For an 1x18650 headlamp, I like the Fenix HL55, I think the JetBeam HC20 is also a good headlamp. The HL55 with a large hot-spot and bright spill is much better for close to medium range and reading, and has excellent mode spacing, the HC20 lets you see further into the distance and thus is good for hiking in open country. But note, I do not have the same long term experience of these lamps as I do with the Fenix HL21.