I have always enjoyed my ArmyTek Tiara C1 Pro headlamp (even though it failed after a few years and was replaced under warranty). I use it alternately with a 18650 Wizard Pro for hunting... I use the smaller light for morning hunts where I only need the light for my pre-dawn hike to my hunting area. I use the 18650 light for afternoon/evening hunts where there is also the chance I may be making a shot at dusk and then finding and field-dressing an animal after dark.
Anyway, I am one of those folks who likes to have a back-up... you know, the old "One is none; two is one" line of thought. As much as I love my ArmyTek headlamps, both have failed. As I mentioned, the Tiara was replaced. My Wizard was recently sent to ArmyTek in China for examination/replacement and I'm waiting to hear from them. So, for back-ups, I'm thinking of looking for another brand.
I already have a Zebralight H600w to back up the Wizard. I've had it for years and think it's a great light. I don't seem to find many 18350 lights, though. I do have a Thrunite T1 but 18350 headlamps don't seem too common. I'm very interested in the JETBeam HR10. I haven't found much written about it on the 'net.
Anyone have any experience with the HR10? Why the lack of 18350 lights?
Lotta shorty lights are for 16340s and won’t fit 18350s. Go figure.
Depends on the light. My 18650 Nitecore MH20 is almost the same exact size as my 16340 Wuben i332 (and both have onboard usb charging, yet).
Despite being half the size, the equivalent 18350 has much much less than half the capacity of the 18650, more like a bit less than a third, and likely doesn’t have the current-handling of the 18650.
That said, Convoy’s S2+es have shorty tubes in all colors. People are gaga over Sofirn/Wurkkos shorty tubes which are interchangeable among models (eg, Wurkkos FC11 head on a Sofirn SP40 tube with Sofirn SC31pro tail).
My tabletop light is a SC31pro with shorty tube and… someone’s magnetic smooth-top tail. And it’s actually shorter than my 14500/AA Xeno E03.
Two of my faves are D4V2 and Nitecore EC11 and both 18350 capable. I like the smaller size though D4V2 even with an 18650 in there is still pretty diminutive. Lightbringer has a sensible point though about the capacity disadvantage.
I realize the difference in size vs. battery capacity is not a selling point but, to me, the size/weight difference is the bigger factor. When I drop my Tiara C1 Pro in my jacket pocket, it seems to disappear and there's still room for other stuff. When I drop the Wizard Pro in that pocket, it feels like I'm carrying a small rock or weight; it crosses the line from unnoticed to noticeable and dominates the space.
Also, I have some 18350 batteries on hand that are underutilized. And I get all cross-eyed when I clip a regular flashlight to the brim of a ball cap.
As for CRI preference, I can live with the "warm" light of my Tiara C1 Pro Warm. As for finding other 18350 headlamps, it seems like a "beggars can't be choosers" kind of deal... I'm lucky to find one I'll like, let alone one with a preferable LED!
The simple solution would be for me to just pick up a second Tiara C1 Pro Warm. I'm quite pleased with the one I have... as long as it continues to function!
I would guess ArmyTek's "warm" lights are more like what most would describe as "neutral white"?
ArmyTek is not good about providing detailed specifications for their products. I recently sent them a question regarding two Tiara headlamps they show with identical specifications but different product codes and a 33% price difference.
I really am torn between the perfect way the ArmyTek lights fit my needs/preferences versus the history of poor reliability I've experienced: two headlamps, two failures. My two ArmyTek flashlights are still working fine but are rarely used. I would feel so foolish if I bought a third ArmyTek headlamp and it also failed...
“White light” ATs are NW, “warm white” is no misnomer imo. I find them mostly yellowish, with the XHP50.2 Wizard a little more neutral, but still on the warm side. Of course, they’re way above 2700K, so their light is colder than the light one usually use indoors.
Wizard or Tiara is with me when I’m running, and they never failed on me. I like the magnetic charging port. It comes in very handy if you often have to recharge the light. Also like that ATs don’t use proprietary batteries. Never had the wish to replace them, and that means something. Of course, there might be better lights in some sense, but no light is significantly better imo. But then the Armyteks had replaced a ca. 2012 Black Diamond Storm. The difference between them is what I call significant ;-).
Same here... single-click for as functions as possible.
I just picked up a Thrunite T1 that is a wonderful little light except that I really dislike the ramping brightness control vs. a stepped one. Is there such a thing as a light that allows you to completely customize the user interface? Now, that would be something! (Probably something too complicated for me to figure out!)
I like 18350s. Highly regarded comparing to 16340.
I sold my Baton II to buy the T1. Just because of the 18350.
Big mistake. The Baton has a defined beam.
The T1 is all over the place. The warm light is terrible.
Not only that. The 18350 in the T1 is so big it won’t fit anything else.
1st and last Trunite for me.
