Group Buy Active >> Skilhunt H15 and more >> Review Inside



Most here know that I work nights as a mechanic at one of the largest theme parks in the world. Unfortunately preventative maintenance and inspections cannot be performed while guests are riding these machines :) It is because of this that I ended up here on BLF because having light and being able to see is a necessity.

I originated in the automotive industry as a Master Technician. Over time I have learned what my cousin used to mean by shouting at me to "get the light" 30++ years ago. LOL. Back then we used those antique drop lights with rough service bulbs that cost $2/piece. In the late 70's and early 80's that could be considered expensive.

Today we have all sorts of different types of lights at our disposal. As we all know the most common is the flashlight but even the flashlight has its shortcomings. It was not until last year that I realized what the benefits were to a quality headlamp whether I am at work at the theme park or working on cars at my brother's shop. Nowadays if I must use my hands I want a headlamp handy. If I only would have known years ago when changing or repairing faucets for mom and dad. :)

I have gifted many headlamps from Skilhunt, Nitecore, Xtar, JetBeam, and even Rayfall. I myself constantly return to the Skilhunt. No matter what the lights is, we put all lights through their paces and only the toughest can survive. Now enough of the back story.....

Today we are reviewing Skilhunt's latest addition. It is the Skilhunt H15 that can be powered by the AA (Alkaline or Nimh) or the 14500, button tops only. That is my prime appeal to this headlamp. Skilhunt does not claim the light itself is much lighter than its predecessor the H02 but it is a tad bit lighter and and even more so when you place batteries in each. The H15 is considerably lighter then its 18650 counterpart.

Below are size comparison pics. The first pic is that of the Xtar H2 (16340/CR123), Skilhunt H15, and the Skilhunt H02. Batteries also included for reference.



The H15 body diameter is only slightly smaller (by about .5mm) but the head changes considerably. H15 on left H02 on right.

Of course, one of the best things about the Skilhunt headlamps is that they are mod-friendly. They all now come with NW emitters where most headlamps are still CW only but since I do not have an H01 I cannot vouch for it. With that said, want more power? More or fewer modes or even Moppydrv (similar to Guppydrv)? Mountain Electronics sells the drivers ( driver1 and driver2 ) for it that work with electric switches. The pic below shows the typical driver ring for access to the driver.



Initially I was not fond of the switch being located on the side but this light comes with a lighted/flashing switch (that can be turned off) that acts like a beacon when off. I never realized how invaluable that would be until getting some lights that had Pilotdog68's lighted tail switch. Try finding a light in the dark, in the bedroom, or most commonly in the car. Yeah, it is a nice addition. By the way...to turn that off one only has to have the light "off" and then hold the switch for 2 seconds and the beacon stops and the light is in stand-by.

The UI is typical (for me). Click = On (to last mode used) // Click = Change modes // Long Press and hold (while on) = Off // Long Press and hold (while off) = Low.


That same beacon acts as the Low Voltage Indicator for Li-ion batteries by flashing 2x per second.



This H15 only comes with the TIR. It is understandable considering that its max output is about 500 lumens and this headlamp was not intended to throw as compared too the H02R with a reflector. Having used several different headlamps I have a preference to the TIR and the lack of a hotspot. As a reference, the Nitecore HC50 is rated at 565 lumens so this H15 is not under-powered.




I cannot say much about the cooling fins. At 500 lumen I do not feel this light gets warm enough to worry and thus look at the fins more like an aesthetic touch than a functional one BUT I do not doubt that this light can get a new 3A driver and equally handle the output of a H02.




The AA/14500 was a nice addition. While the 14500 has less run-time than a 18650 I do believe in spare batteries and for me at work it would be no trouble at all, especially when 14500's can charge very quickly. Above all - AA Alkaline batteries can be had in just about every convenience or grocery store around the world. That adds a considerable amount of versatility as well as allows for some people to avoid Li-ion technology all together.

Conclusion

This headlamp is a no-brainer for me. Dual power source, smaller package, 500 lumen. I would recommend it to anybody looking for a headlamp but especially those that do not have any headlamp because this tries to give the best of all worlds in terms of package size, output, and power sources.

Note: Even though not photographed, this light does include the Skilhunt headband and the pocket clip.

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I am putting together an interest list for the new Skilhunt H15 headlamp. This one can use either AA or 14500 and output will be 215 (AA) and 450 (14500). I will be posting a review in the next couple days. This is one of the few brands that have headlamps in CW and NW.

If we can get enough people together (20) we can get a good price.

I also need to know how many may be interested in the:

  1. H02 with TIR
  2. H02R with reflector
  3. H01 with TIR.

Those numbers are separate from the 20 we need for the H15.

Screen Name

Skilhunt H15

Skilhunt H02

Skilhunt H02R

Skilhunt H01

Aardvark X
Martini X
Interval X
Nguyen X
Intracloud X
RemanG X
RemanG X
Cbrake10 X
X
Easyrr X
Cone X
Chadvone X
Trigger619 X
X X
Invisiblejules
X
X
X
Luisgcan X
Rafalklis X
Dave101 X
ThaO916 X
Paul321 X
Lctr X
Gunga X
Qandeel X

Interested in the Skilhunt H15.

Please put me on the H15 list Bugsy.

Even though I do not have this in my hand (hopefully today), this brand of headlamp is also mod-friendly compared to most and this is one of the few brands that have headlamps in CW and NW.

+1 skilhunt H15

I’m in for the Skilhunt H15.
Thanks

In for a good price on the H15

All added. :)

Somewhat interested Who’s the vender ?

I’ll go for it as long as it is budget priced.

I would go for it if its under $20. lol fat chance though right?

Thanks Matt

Put me down for three in NW!

I’d be interested in a H15 NW and maybe a H02R

Interested in a H15 NW. Thanks

Half way there :) Hopefully I will get to post my review tonight.

Bugsy, I’d be in for one too. As always, thanks for your efforts on our behalf.

Interested. Been waiting on a review.

I’ll wait for your review before I consider this light.
Looks nice though. Already have a few H02’s, but I’m curious about the smaller format of the 14500 carrying H15.

Looking forward to your review! :slight_smile:

count me in. thanks