I have been reading a while on this forum before registrering and really enjoyed the discussions and advice. However now I have a need and I cannot seem to find the right flashlight.
What I want;
- 21700 headlight (must fit protected cells)
- With L shape so it can also be used as EDC
- Good quality, decent design
Good connection with headband
What I prefer;
- Additional red LED
No propieraty charging port like magnets etc, preferred USB-C
What I have found;
- The armytek wizard C2 pro max seemed okay, despite not having a red LED or USB-C port, however I read quite some negative things about Armytek
- The Nitecore HC35 suits my needs however it does not have a great clamp on the headband (only one), no red led and I do not like the design, it looks kind of dull
The Fenix HM70R fits my needs in having an USB-C port, decent headband, and additional red LED, unfortunately the shape is not very suitable for everyday use or carrying in it a pocket beside my wallet. Same goes for the AceBeam H30.
So does anyone know a decent L-shaped 21700 flashlight that meets my requirements?
Would like to hear your response,
Best Regards,
Quadrupel
Thank you, I have looked at the Wurkkos HD20 but in a review I read on this forum I noticed it only works with flat top unprotected cells. Also since it is so much cheaper than Fenix or more known brands I was a bit worried about the quality.
Hi, I like Dutch and Belgium Quadrupel beers so that’s why I signed up with this name. I noticed Quadrupel was taken so I put an 8 behind it. I did not know it belonged to an active member which seems to mind :D. I will be more than happy to request for a name change if that is possible and if this satisfies you?
Regarding your other, possibly sarcastic questions. I have several other 21700 lights, I like the size and I like to change the batteries between them. And you can upgrade a 18650 to a 21700 but you can’t downgrade the 21700 batteries to an 18650 light. USB same reason, I have a lot of USB cables and accessoires such as solar chargers. Don’t like to have one specific magnet cable and then lose that. Red light is for walking at night through nature and not disturb to much animals or draw too much attention. L-shape is so I can wear it on my head, on the straps of my backpack, the front pocket of my vest, the pockets of my jeans etc. And I didn’t took your nickname, I put an 8 behind it, means its eighttimes worse or less original then yours . But again, still happy to change it if you want.
Well, that’s the point of wanting an L-shaped one. Because most of the time I will not be using it on my head but rather on the straps of my backpack or the pocket of my jacket. It makes it really versatile while still having the option of wearing it on your head.
Ooops, I didn’t notice it would only take flat top unprotected cells :zipper_mouth_face:
About price, Wurkkos has been delivering some good flashlights, budget but competent, so I wouldn’t take price as a major factor in this buy. You’ll probably find some nice budget solutions (not sure if with all the specs required here, though) :+1:
You might enjoy playing around with Parametrek’s great website. He’s put together a huge database and made it very searchable…pretty cool.
Here’s a link for what it came up with for headlamps on 21700 (x1). I left off the “angle” option under type because that included some defunct lights that were just right angle lights without a headband or headlamp configuration. Slim pickin’s for 21700 headwear…
One of my customers is currently evaluating 3 HD20s. So far they are quite impressed. They use them for night time service work and need high high output for long duration. Certainly not as heavy as the cheap ones with a power bank of 2 18650s. I assume that the battery they ship with it is the same as the TS21. My charger shows it as meeting the spec of 5000 mAh. That is a very significant bump from most 18650s. The light is big but it really isn’t all that heavy and they say the strap is good and makes it pretty comfortable.
Sure appears to be decent quality to me. Don’t see anything justifying spending 3x as much for one of the premium brands given my experience with Sofirn over the past few years. My SC31 pro has hit the concrete enough times to leave some serious scratches and dents yet hasn’t missed a beat. Perhaps with enough demanding use the better lights my hold up a bit better but I really doubt they are going to hold up 3x as well. I did have an Armytek for a while and it was a nice light. However, it grew legs somehow… Stuff happens. At least with the Wurkkos / Sofirn it won’t be as hard on your wallet;-)
The red light is a whole different animal. I know there are uses and need for such a thing but I don’t have any recommendations as it is not something I see a need for myself.
I suggest you buy the headlight that best suits you and forget about the EDC feasibility of it, and any compromise that may require. Buying a second light for EDC may be a better choice.
Regarding your comment I have requested a nick name change with the admin. I hope this satisfies you.
Regarding my topic question I was looking at considering a smaller headlight, for example a 16340 based headlight because then I can use possibly two in my bigger lights and still make them interchangable if needed.
But I have a few questions that Google didn’t answer,
- First of all does anyone know if a Fenix PD36R does take 2x 16340 batteries? Because it is mentioned only 1x 18650 or 21700 but the smaller Fenix PD35 does take 2x 16340 batteries.
Does anyone the maximum charging voltage of 16340 batteries? Because I have some folomov A1 universal charging cables but in a few reviews I read that it gives 0.8 - 0.9 A charging rate to smaller batteries. And some reviewers suggested that this was on the high side, however I found other topics that said that you can even go as high as 2.5A before destroying the battery. So not sure exactly here what is the limit.
If nobody here knows, Fenix can tell you for sure if it has a normal driver or a buck/buck-boost in there. To run two cells in series like that you need either a buck driver so the emitter doesn’t get over-volted and fry, or a 6v emitter (a bit too large for headlmaps).
That charger will be fine. I don’t know if it actually puts out the full current or if it (likely) changes current during the charge curve as the similar Olight one does. Even if it’s full current that’s still not really enough to damage your cells. If they are standard drain cells it would be nicer to use a bit lower current but it’s not mandatory. For the few higher-drain-capable 16340 cells out there, no worries at all. If you really wanted a lower charge current for them, then pick the charger carefully because some won’t do less than 500mA at all, and some won’t even fit the short 16340 cells, so you need both features.
. But again, still happy to change it if you want.
