[Review with Cd measurement] Haikelite SC26 XHP35 HD 26650/26350 flashlight

LED Flashlights – General Info 26650 Flashlights
1

Hi everybody!
Gearbest asked me for a review and I choosed the Haikelite SC26 XHP35 HD version of this flashlight. I only got the flashlight and no other compensation for the review.
You can buy it HERE
Please use my link because gearbest watch how many sold over my link and if they happy they will give me more lights to test review.

I choosed the dark blue version which has a nice deep blue color but the tailcap a little bit different shade than the rest of the light.

The tailcap has the Haikelite SC26 engraving a little off-center and it has a very thick spring. It has no magnet.

It came with a 26650 and a 26350 short tube, two spare O-rings, User manual and a clip. The light doesn’t have any Anti roll cutout so the clip is useful for anti roll purposes but sadly not as a clip. It fits only with long tube and the top is at the flashlight’s half and opens from tailcap. So it is very head heavy on a belt or in the pocket the whole head is out of pocket. The tubes have smooth and well lubed square threads.

The head has some heatsink fins cutted almost full around. Only the switch stops the fins.

The switch has blue lighting when the light is on and it turns red under 3,4 volts

It has a slightly orange peel reflector around the XHP35 HD led.

The bezel is not glued so I removed to see the internals.

The led has a little foil ring on the centering ring maybe for short protection for reflector with wires because they used a very small 16mm copper DTP MCPCB. It has more space. I don’t know why they used so small MCPCB.

The driver held in by a retaining ring. It is also without glue so I removed that too.

The switch PCB has some hot glue.
it has good 4mm thick led shelf.

The driver’s other side. It is 28mm in diameter.

It feels comfortable in hand. It is much smaller than the older SC01.

Size comparison with short 26350tube. From left to right:
Haikelite SC26, Emisar D4S, Lumintop ODF30, Sofirn SP33, Wuben T70, Convoy C8

Size comparison with long 26650 tube. From left to right:
Emisar D4S, Lumintop ODF30, Haikelite SC26, Sofirn SP33, Wuben T70, Convoy C8

Front ends:

Firmware and using the light:
My bad because I didn’t read the description carefully… I thought that this flashlight has the beloved Narsil firmware because I read ramping and 8 click setting and because Haikelite has Narsil in other models. But no. It is a ramping firmware and it has mode sets also but it is toooooo simple so I call this a dumbware. Even if they not have ramping it would be better if they use the MT07S or SC01 firmware. Sorry but I saw many flashlights try ramping because Narsil was so succesful but they forgot the keyfeatures. Narsil was not successful because ramping. It was great because how it ramps and it has tons of switch combinations and features like temperature, battery level blinking, multiple stepdown options and more features. So lets move to the SC26:

You can lockout the flashlight only by unscrewing the tailcap half turn.
From off:
Short click to on. That is all! I’m not kidding. It doesn’t have long click for moon or double click to turbo or a button lockout. Nothing!

From on:
8 clicks to switch between ramping and mode sets
Double click to turbo.
In ramping: hold to ramp. Release and hold again to change direction.
Ramp max is same as turbo.

In mode sets: hold to cycle through Low-Mid-High
Double click to turbo
five clicks and led blink five times. Don’t ask :smiley: Manual doesn’t say 5 clicks anywhere but when you do it it blinks five times. Not in ramping. If somebody know what is this please tell me!

Here you can see the mode set levels and a control shot:

It has 55°C thermal stepdown protection but I measured 45°C at head when stepped down.

Numbers:
As you can see it puts out 1839 lumens in turbo instead of 2050 manufacturer rated but we saw worse than that at other lights so this is OK.
To refer title no matter how hard I searched nobody made an intensity measurement of this flashlight so finally I made one. The more interesting that Haikelite doesn’t stated anywhere an intensity measurement also.
My number is 24400 cd
The current draw in turbo is 6,1A

All measurements done with fully charged Liitokala 26650 battery.
And for the end:
I recently got a few compact 26650 lights so I made a comparison video. I know it is long but please watch it. Beam compares in end part.

It is sad that the host was pretty good but this firmware is too simple for me. Maybe this light was built for beginners and because of almost 2000 lumens it has a nice useful beam it was OK for them and for modders it is a nice host. But for a host only it is a bit pricy. So it is a good and safe light for beginners but more advanced users will find it a bit boring. I think I will replace the led with an SST40 or Samsung LH 351D or an XP-L HI and put in a fet driver with Andúril firmware and use it that way.
Thank you for reading this through!
I hope you found it interesting in some way. Please subscribe to my youtube channel to not miss any videos.
Have a nice day!

2

Thanks for the review! I still really love my green SC26 NW HI version. :+1: :sunglasses:

3

Can you test if it’s a steel spring or a copper alloy spring using a magnet?

It would be really nice if you could do so.

4

I bought two of these (blue and tan) and I think they were my most disappointing lights of 2018. Aside from the Group Buy debacle, the beams have an annoying halo that’s quite problematic and distracting when trying to look at objects that are within range. Even though the colors and design are very slick, there is some sloppiness such as the lack of uniformity for the tritium cutouts. When I need a light like this, I find that I almost always reach for my Emisar D4S or D4 over these.

5

Both the large spring in the tailcap and the smaller one on the driver side are non magnetic.

6

Thanks for the review. Yes, the ramping and UI are not Narsil quality but I like it anyway, mainly for it’s simplicity . It is very stream lined and feels good in the hand. I put DC Fix on mine and the beam is beautiful now. (HD version) Nice tint. BTW, there is lock out with 2 clicks and then hold. I paid $32 so I’m happy.

7

[quote=pennzy]
BTW, there is lock out with 2 clicks and then hold.

[quote]

The manual doesn’t tell lockout but I will try when get home. Thanks for the info!

8

Yeah, manuals usually suck . I got that from the product description where I bought it. I see at your link there is a flash sale.

9

Do you know what that 5 clicks and then led blinks mean in mode sets? I can’t figure it out. Does your have that same behaviour?

10

I bought two as well (blue and silver), and the UI has made them both shelf queens. I don’t think I have used them again since the day I recieved them. It’s such a shame because they are really beautiful lights too! For me, the inability to turn the light on at the lowest ramp setting is what made the flashlight a bust. It takes one full click (click and release) to turn the light on. And the light turns on at whatever setting you last used. Dark bedroom headed to the bathroom, BOOM 2000 lumens :person_facepalming:

I’ve been begging to get a replacement driver for it, but I can’t find a 28mm boost driver anywhere.

On the shelf they will remain :weary:

11

That was my biggest problem with Wuben T70 also. just with BOOOM 4200 lumens. Otherwise that is also a very good light.

12

May I ask where you got the DC Fix? I think it’s around $18 and I’m just not sure if I want to pay that just to fix the artifacts on two flashlights. Also, what’s the HD version? I’ve heard of people using the “frost” or “sand” version for diffusion, but couldn’t seem to google HD version. Any advice is appreciated!

13

Just chimed in to say that I don’t agree. It is not OK to lie to your customers and others doing the same is not a justification.

14

nice review

could you measure the LED current?
6.1A on about 3.8V on Input means like 20W to LED depending on losses and driver efficiency

15

Thanks for the review, I was close to buying one of these and decided to hold off for a decent review. :nerd_face:

16

XHP 35.2 HD (not Hi) is what I mean by HD. The DC Fix can be bought from member Boaz in small quantities or from Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TDOSNG/?coliid=I2TYNEVH9AYLW&colid=3GRZ15FENU5NE&psc=0&ref\_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

17

As far as I can tell it gets you into group sets 1-5

Modes UI: (5 groups)
5xClicks to select 5 groups ; The light flashes once and turn it off to select Group 1 ; The light flashes 5 times to select Group 5.

  1. Group: Low 150lms > 450 Lms> 1050 Lms
  2. Group: 2lms(<1ma)> 750lms> max 2050lms
  3. Group: 2lms(<1ma)> 150lms> 750lms>max 2050lms
  4. Group: 2lms(<1ma)> 20lms > 150lms > 750lms> 1200lms >Max 2050lms
  5. Group: 2lms(<1ma)> max 2050lms > Strobe> SOS

Probably have to click 8 times first to change from ramping to modes. Once in modes click 5 times to select the group.

8xClicks to enter Modes UI from Ramping UI
8xClicks to enter Ramping UI from Modes UI

18

But why this is not in the user manual? I don’t understand them why made a nice host and ruin it with the UI and user manual that missing information. Tried the lockout and worked on mine. I will try through the mode sets and measure all levels then extend the review with that info. Thank you!

Lexel I will measure led current in a few days.

19

See my google tables and compare stock light lumens to measured lumens… Most of them over estimated by manufacturer at least by 10-20. A few has better numbers than factory and some correct. I have the Brinyte PT18 Oathkeeper for test now and first it was made around 1300 lumens instead of 2000. It was a used prototype so it have gone through a lot battery changes. Then I cleaned the threads and contacts and it made 2050 lumens. So if some residue and not clean contacts can cause 40 output loss I’m ok with 10-15% difference but not like the Imalent DT35 made. It was rated 8500 lumens and I got 4500 no matter what I done to it. I complained but not worth the time…
I will not use my time to complain for all lights that I get 10-15% difference. In real life you can’t see that. But 40-50% you can see it. I will try it with some other battery and clean all contacts if that make any difference with SC26 tomorrow.

20

nice review but not a light im intrested in. I think a saw a comparison review on youtube that you made. very nicely done.