3 in 1 review. At the end there will be a summary for those who like only particulars, in each topic I will bold the key sentences for those who read a little more, and a long waffling for everyone else. Enjoy!
(review translated by my girlfriend, she is good at this English language thing, but not so good at flashlight vocabulary...)
For VERY large photos: click -> on the photo page right click -> "Open image in new tab"
I got this flashlight from Banggood for a review, here's a link:
https://www.banggood.com/Astrolux-HL01-XPL-or-SST20-1200lm-4000K-or-5000K-or-6500K-Anduril-UI-Type-C-Rechargeable-2in1-Magnetic-LED-Headlamp-L-shape-18350-or-18650-Flashlight-Headlight-p-1602591.html?akmClientCountry=PL&rmmds=buy&ID=62830106266666&cur_warehouse=CN
Table of Contents:
-General parameters
- Package content
- Appearance, parameters
- UI, runtime and charging
- PWM
- Waterproof
- Light pattern, tint
- Beamshots
- Usage and my experiences
-Picking holes
- Gallery
- Summary
Brand & Model: Astrolux HL01 2in1 LED Headlight L-shape Flashlight
Diode type & tone temperature:
XP-L HD 4000K Warm white
XP-L HD 5000K Neutral white
XP-L HD 6500K Cool white
SST20 4000K Warm white
Peak Beam Intensity: 6,900 CD
Max brightness: 1200 Lumens ( in the first second 1181 was max I obtained)
Range: 166 meters (in tests it shone nicely at 60 meters, then it... well... at 90 meters it was ok, but at 166 meters it didn't light enough, I checked)
Software: open-source GPL v3. Anduril firmware
Modes: Anduril UI (i.e. stepless change of brightness and other things)
Extra AUX LED: Blue
The battery: 1x 18650 or 1x 18350 Li-ion (not included)
(Important: only the 18350 flats fit... but even flats barely fit.)
USB charging: Yes, USB type C fast charging 2A (I got 1.5A, which is even better)
Driver: Texas Avenger FET Driver with charging
Spotlight: Distracting OP reflector
Lense: glass with AR-coating
Flashlight material: Aeronautical Aluminium
Switch: Rubber (I'll add that it is highlighted on turned off flashlight)
Fall resistance: 1 metre
Water resistance: IPX7 equivalent, do not submerge in water (hmm, but IPX7 is after all...ugh, never mind)
Additionally: Magnetic cap
Case colour: Black / Gray / Silver stonewashed
The weight:
with tube 18350: 96g
with a tube 18650: 122g
Dimensions:
tube 18350: 86.7mm x 24.8mm
tube 18650: 124 mm x 24.8 mm
(length x tube diameter)
Very nice cardboard
Inside:
- Flashlight
- Headband
- Battery tube for 18350
- Clip
- String
- 2 spare o-rings
- User's manual
SHOE SACHET
I'm not going to describe it one by one, but I'll tell you the most important part:
A backlit switch, but only with the flashlight off. Doesn't bother, it's still easy to find because it's on top.
I like the design of the head, on the sides there's grille, nice back, around the reflector a steel ring with cut-outs. Plus, the USB port is covered by a removable ring instead of a rubber stopper, good news for those who don't like these rubber stoppers. *relief*
EDIT: I've just noticed that I don't have two o-rings near the USB port, and all the other flashlights have. Why? I don't know.
There's the pill head at the controller, and the double-spring cap. Everything's great.
The 18350 battery tube is included, but the quality of its threads leaves a lot to be desired - they are not greased, and more importantly, they do not fit well and they are difficult to screw on.
Diodes aux look...cool. Very cool.
As for the dimensions, it's quite long and big as a headlamp:
with a tube 18650
Well, that's not the worst of it. The worst is that it is badly balanced in the handle and leans significantly to one side, which you can feel when wearing. I will tell you more about this and my thoughts in application and my experience
with the 18350 tube it is better, although it still has the same dimensions as the FW3A of 18650
but then it doesn't fit the handle
And even when it comes in, it leans terribly to one side so that it's uncomfortable to wear
UI, runtime and charging
UI
Anduril, but I think it' s a modified version... I'm inserting a link to the BLF where I've raised the subject of the strange behavior of the flashlight. Luckily, all I had to do was to clean this pill that was in contact with the battery from the controller's side. It was covered in black air raid and that caused the anomalies. More information under the link: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/60606
Runtime
The temperature sensor is calibrated and the maximum temperature is set to 60 degrees. No cooling. Flashlight got very hot, and the test took 7 minutes. When I stopped the test it was about 600lm and it kept falling and the casing was scalding.
However, I didn't make a time chart, I might add it later.
Charging
Charging 1.5A, red light charging information
Charged battery has 4.12V
Connected to the charger, it can light up without batteries as the head itself, taking up a maximum of 1.8A
Yes, at the lowest brightness the PWM is visible
IPX7, but they wrote not to submerge it. I'm sure the water will leak through the ring covering the USB port at the head. There's no gasket, so it's a weak spot. A rubber stopper would be more waterproof, but the ring is more durable.
EDIT: I just saw that only mine doesn't have O-rings by the ring, and the others do. An oversight? If so, it's pretty big. There are spare 2 o-rings, but you know... they're spare, the flashlight's supposed to be ready, not "do it yourself."
Max Turbo brightness ~ 1181lm. Neutral tint 5000K, XP-L HD diode in combination with an OP reflector lights more focused than scattered light, but I like this distribution of light in the headlamp.
ISO200, t2s, f/3.5 sunlight color balance
Turbo ~ 1130lm
And a more real situation, i.e. shining ahead at a distance of about 6 meters, brightness around the "flash" when increasing the brightness (although there is no flash in this version, there is only a temporary stopping of the ramping. However, it is about 170lm
What can I say? It lights up nicely (Translate to: pretty strong and far away, and pretty wide, the colour is neutral)
Although I still don't think it's a legitimate headlamp...
Astrolux HL01 is advertised as a headlamp. It has a headband and looks like a headlamp. But...it doesn't work well in this role. It's big and heavy. But it would be nothing if it wasn't for the fatal balance of weight in the headband. The torch is much heavier on one side, it leans. Take a look for yourself:
I don't recommend it for intensive walking in the mountains and definitely not for running. The button is placed in a strange place, as it is on the top, not on the side. This suggests that it is better to use this torch as a hand torch than a headlamp.
But stop! I know what you'll say. You will say that on the Banggood website this torch is put in the handle differently, a little further pressed, like in the second picture and then it is ok.
So..:
1. then it tilts as well
2. These grooves on the case are not to be ignored, this is a place for rubber rings.
3) Then it is not possible to unscrew the ring covering the USB port - that was not the intention at the beginning
In my opinion, the Chinese gentlemen didn't think about the design, and when they got the torch in their hand they thought about it:
- Oh, boss, that torch is leaning pretty much.. Well, what can we do about it...
- Let's take it deeper, take a picture and say that's how to use it.
- But those grooves on the case were not supposed to be for handles?
- What grooves?
- mhm ok
On the Banggood page linked at the beginning there is a review from YT that FLASHAHOLICS did and in 0:37 you can see that the torch is put on the handle as I did, that is, in a way that will clearly lean. But they even put the 18350 version on the handle which is a total disaster to wear something like that.
And that's what "cooperation" looks like: the Banggood shop is so nice that they support Flashaholics by sending flashlights, and they, in turn, for fear of the shop's dissatisfaction, only say what the shop wants to hear.
Let's stop for a moment, because a nice sunset has appeared over my city:
However, the pictures won't reflect that. Nevertheless, this is one of my favourite situations, in which during sunset the sky is somewhere far away clear, with thick black clouds and light rain above me. And also this fuzzy light, blurred by the clouds, evenly colored everything around it in yellow-orange.
The dog seems as moved by the weather as I am
Let's see what he thinks of the flashlight
Probably not much
Let's get back to the subject!
The button on the top of the flashlight as well as the belt clip, the grid on the head improving the grip and the magnet in the cap indicate that this is a handheld flashlight, a work-type flashlight and not a headlight. And now it is very good, because it is functional. As I wrote in the Summary, I believe that the headlamp's function is only an accessory, not its purpose. Of course, on a insistent basis, it can only be a headlamp, but it's not comfortable and every owner will certainly admit it. However, to the garage as it's great - there is a magnet, there is a clip, there is the function of the headlamp.
So if you want a headlamp, it won't be the best choice for you. But if you want a multifunctional well-made angle torch, that's it.
1. At the beginning I had a problem with software that was changing its modes itself, etc. More information at https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/60606.
All I had to do was clean the connectors, because they were covered in black. Yeah, but imagine someone who admires the blue aux diodes on a switched off flashlight, and here he suddenly jumps turbo straight into his eyes. The flashlight should be functional from the moment it is taken out of the box, not after it is cleaned. The discussion on BLF shows that it is only in my copy.
(I think my girlfriend was in some kind of hurry and overlooked this headline :P )
Astrolux HL01 is an interesting proposal of a headlamp. We have here an XP-L HD diode (different light colors to choose from) with which the OP reflector works well. Anduril software gives a lot of control possibilities. Additionally, the magnet in the cap, clip, bow, replaceable 18350 battery tube and everything would be fine if not for the fact that...it is not a good headlamp. It works much better when held in hand, everything in its construction indicates that this should be 80% of its use. The headband is just an accessory and another function.
Pros:
+ Built-in C-type USB charger
+ Blue backlighting of the switched off flashlight
+ Magnet, clip, lots of features
Cons:
- Heavy and big as for the headlamp.
- Badly balanced in the handle - leans to one side
About host - threads, knurling o-rings and so on
Rating: 5/10 as a headlamp
Rating: 8,5/10 as a handheld angle torch with headlamp function
About light - UI, tint and so on
Rating: 9,5/10
1 - very bad flashlight hurts to look at, terrible quality, not worth any (even very low) price
5 - average flashlight, at a reasonable price - for the average person "great". Or better flashlight, but overpriced
10 - flashlight meets all my expectations in a given category (e.g EDC, headlamp, thrower), it's durable and neatly made, perfect light tint, worth its (even slightly inflated) price - just pure perfect, so I doubt any light can get a 10 from me
