Armytek Barracuda Pro Max was sent to me directly from armytekstore.de for review.
For the flashlight’s technical details and to purchase: https://www.armytekstore.de/
A discount code “Bright15” is available for a 15% discount, which can be entered at checkout.
Armytek has recently updated its flagship products, including the new Armytek Barracuda Pro Max. I thank ArmytekStore.de for giving me the opportunity to test the latest version of their highest-performing flashlight in terms of throw.
Armytek Barracuda Pro Max is a tactical flashlight with a focused beam and a long range of up to one kilometer. It is particularly suitable for navigation, hunting, and search and rescue activities. The Armytek Barracuda has been updated in recent years to this new, higher-performance version, which now features two buttons: a new silent tactical button at the tail and one on the side. The aircraft-grade aluminum construction has an excellent anti-abrasion finish. Thanks to a high-performance LED and a smooth reflector, it reaches a maximum light output of 2800 lumens and is powered by a 21700 rechargeable 5000mAh battery (included in the sales package) that can be charged via a proprietary magnetic charger (included).
The Barracuda Pro Max features 5 light modes with a low battery indicator and a maximum battery life of 10 days.
It is IP68 certified (waterproof and dustproof) with a maximum immersion depth of 25 m for 5 hours.
MAIN FEATURES:
- LED: Unspecified (I think it’s a Luminus SFT70)
- Optics: Smooth reflector
- Light output, lumens: 2800 lm
- Material: 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum
- Max beam distance, meters: 1000
- Angle of view: 4°: 55°
- Number of modes: 5
- Tactical operation for quick access to maximum brightness and strobe modes.
- Steel bezel with black titanium coating
- Real-time active temperature control
- Full short-circuit protection
- Can be used with any 21700 lithium-ion battery (also compatible with 18650 lithium batteries or 2 CR123A batteries)
- Maximum battery life: 10 days
- Matte anti-abrasion finish
- Waterproof and dustproof standard: IP68
- Safe immersion depth: 25 m
- Safe drop height: 25 m
- Operating temperatures: -40 to +40 °C
- Battery status indicator and low battery indicator
- 10-year warranty
Dimensions and weight
Head diameter: 64 mm
Body diameter: 25.4 mm
Length: 188 mm
Weight (without battery) 256 g
Weight (with battery) 329 g
*Warranty and Support
Armytek provides free warranty repairs for 10 years (excluding batteries, chargers, mounts, switches, and connectors, which have a 2-year warranty) from the date of purchase if proof of purchase is provided.
The warranty does not apply to magnets, silicone covers for connectors and buttons, silicone mounting rings and mounts, clips, silicone grips, holsters, lanyards, O-rings and pads, or Velcro straps. The warranty also does not extend to damage caused by misuse.
The Armytek Barracuda Pro Max comes in a beautiful hard plastic case protected by molded foam. The case details the key features of the new Barracuda.
The sales package is excellent and complete, including various carrying solutions.
Inside the box we find: Armytek Barracuda Pro Max, Armytek 21700 5000mAh rechargeable battery, proprietary magnetic USB charging cable, holster, steel Clip, 18650/CR123A adapter, adjustable lanyard, silicone grip, 2 spare O-rings, and a multilingual quick start manual.
The sales package includes several accessories:
The nylon holster is well-made, simple, and durable, semi-rigid with a button closure. As with other products, the lower part is open, so the tail is unprotected. It has several attachment options: to a belt of any width, to a MOLLE mount, or to equipment using a durable plastic D-ring.
The Barracuda Pro Max stays securely in place once inserted into the holster.
The Steel Clip with black titanium coating is suitable for attaching to clothing, equipment, or a belt. It’s short but stays securely in place once inserted into the flashlight. Tactical grip is facilitated by the included cigar grip silicone ring. The clip and silicone ring can be used together.
Finally, the package also includes a high-quality lanyard with a ring and quick release.
In addition to the accessories included in the package, the Armytek Barracuda Pro Max is compatible with other additional accessories such as the magnetic weapon mount for quick attachment and detachment with a single movement (AWM), Weaver or Picatinny rail mounts, and universal mounts for attaching the flashlight to various types of weapons. The MRS-02 magnetic remote switch is also available for momentary on (only when the button is pressed) and for continuous light. Easy to attach with a single movement, it is not necessary to unscrew the rear cap.
Armytek Barracuda Pro Max is made of 6061-T6 aircraft-grade aluminum with good thicknesses and anti-abrasion matte finish HA Type III 400HV.
It holds well in the hand even in rainy conditions with an excellent grip. As in this case, I have always appreciated this type of finish on Armytek torches. The size and weight are significant but not excessive (188 mm and 329 g with battery included).
On the head of the Barracuda Pro Max we find a smooth reflector (SMO) with the Luminus SFT70 LED at the center (not specified by Armytek). Armytek Barracuda Pro Max features tempered glass with anti-reflective coating and a steel bezel, for optics protection, with a matte black titanium coating.
Even on the Barracuda Pro Max we find numerous writings on the torch that are easily legible.
The Barracuda Pro Max’s user interface is controlled by two buttons. The tactical button on the tailcap turns the flashlight on and off, while the side button changes modes. The rubber side switch is slightly raised with a quiet click.
The tail button, made of metal and rubber, is a two-stage with a nearly silent click. Pressing the button halfway produces a momentary-on light for as long as the button is held down. Pressing it fully down results in a light that stays on until the next press. Because it’s protruding, it’s easy to find and press, but its protrusion can lead to accidental activation.
The sales package includes a proprietary USB magnetic charging cable that allows for quick charging even in wet conditions. To charge the 21700 battery supplied with the flashlight, simply attach the magnetic connector to the tailcap. I measured a full charge time of about 2 hours and 45 minutes (max 2A).
CHARGER COLOR INDICATION
Charger not connected:
• Green: Device is in standby mode.
Charger connected:
• Flashing green: Battery voltage assessment.
• Flashing red: Clean the external and internal contacts of the tail cap, as well as the contact areas of the charger.
• Flashing orange: The USB power source voltage is too low to continue charging properly, or there is poor contact between the charger and the battery. Clean the tail cap and the threads of the flashlight parts, or use a different power source.
• Red: Charging at the rated charging current is in progress.
• Orange: The USB power source voltage is too low, the charging current is low.
• Green: Charging is complete.
I was only able to unscrew the tail cap of the Armytek Barracuda Pro Max. The central body is smooth, while the head has numerous cooling fins to mitigate the temperature reached when used at higher light levels.
The threads of the central tube arrive well lubricated. They are anodized on the bottom, allowing, by slightly unscrewing the cap, the mechanical locking of the flashlight. At the two poles, for contact with the battery, there are two reinforced springs for better protection of the battery and driver. The Barracuda Pro Max has complete protection against short circuits, even in the event of contact between the magnetic connector and metal objects, and has a double O-ring for water and dust protection with IP68 certification (submersible to 25 meters for 5 hours).
The unscrewable tail cap has a battery symbol on it to help you remember the correct orientation (positive pole toward the head). The cap has a small hole for inserting the included lanyard. Since the switch protrudes, the flashlight cannot be placed upright (candle-style).
For effective operation of the flashlight, Armytek recommends using brand-name 21700 lithium-ion batteries without PCBs; the included 21700 rechargeable battery with 5000mAh is a 17A discharge current and is protected against short circuit, overdischarge, and overload. You can also use 18650 lithium-ion batteries without PCBs with a diameter of up to 18.7mm and a discharge current of at least 15A, along with the battery adapter. Finally, if necessary, you can also use two CR123A lithium batteries.
Let’s see Armytek Barracuda Pro Max next to other flashlights:
User Interface (UI):
The user interface with these two new buttons has completely changed for the better, with quick and easy control.
Armytek Barracuda Pro Max has 5 preset modes. The tail switch is dual-stage, allowing for Momentary-On.
By default, the flashlight has no memory but always turns on in Turbo mode. The memory can be enabled (or disabled) to allow the last mode used after turning off.
Instructions for use (taken from the online manual):
N.B. Before use: Tighten the tailcap completely.
On/Off.
Full press of the tactical button with a click.
If auto-memorization of the last used mode is enabled, the flashlight turns on in the last used main mode or Turbo.
If auto-memorization is disabled (by default), the flashlight turns on in Turbo mode.
Tactical Activation.
Partial press of the tactical button without a click from the off state. The flashlight turns on
in the last used main mode or Turbo until the button is released.
Cycle through constant light modes (except Firefly mode).
Press the side button on the flashlight when it is on. Each press changes modes. The modes cycle. Pressing the side button when the flashlight is off does not cycle through the modes.
Activate Strobe mode (if enabled).
The flashlight is on: Two quick, consecutive presses of the tactical button with a click, with a short pause between them.
The flashlight is off: Half-press the tactical button followed by a quick click, with a short pause between each.
Activate Tactical Strobe Mode (if enabled).
Two quick, consecutive presses of the tactical button with a short pause, starting from the off state.
The flashlight remains active until the button is released.
Activate Firefly Mode.
Press and hold the side button, press the tactical button with a click, while holding
the side button. Release the side button. The next press of the side button will activate Turbo Mode.
Activate Tactical Firefly Mode.
Press and hold the side button, press the tactical button with a half-press while holding the side button. Release the side button.
To enable/disable Strobe Mode.
Press and hold the side button while holding the flashlight on for 5 seconds. The flashlight will flash once. Release the button.
To enable/disable auto-save.
Press the side button on the powered-on flashlight and hold it for 10 seconds. Continue holding the button when the flashlight flashes once after 5 seconds. After another 5 seconds, the flashlight will flash twice. Release the button.
Lockout function. Unscrew the rear cap 1/4 to prevent accidental activation.
Beam and Runtime
The Barracuda Pro Max’s beam has a concentrated beam with a focused spot and a narrow spill thanks to the smooth, deep reflector.
The central hotspot, specified by Armytek as 4°, has a smooth transition to the lateral illumination (spill) of 55°. Armytek also specifies that the beam creates a 7m diameter hotspot at 100m. This type of configuration makes the Barracuda Pro Max suitable for medium- and long-range illumination for search, hunting, navigation, or tactical applications.
When tested against a wall, at a short distance, no rings or particular artifacts are noticeable. The lateral illumination (spill) is very bright.
The luminous intensity, in candela (cd), was measured at a distance of 5 meters using a luxmeter after 30 seconds from start-up. As can be seen in the table below, the values are excellent, with a range of over 1000 meters achieved in turbo mode.
Using the OPPLE Light Master, a fairly accurate device even if not calibrated, I measured the CCT color temperature and Ra color rendering index at the highest brightness setting, in turbo mode. The beam color is good and not too cold. The flicker index (risk) is in the green range.
In the thermal imaging test, the images below were taken 1, 2, 3, and 5 minutes after activating the 2800-lumen TURBO mode.
The Armytek Barracuda Pro Max features a design with numerous cooling fins on the head for better heat dissipation and a spring on the positive and negative terminals to protect the drivers and battery from overheating. As you can see from the runtime graph, the Turbo brightness drops sharply after 2 minutes. This trend is reflected in the temperature, which, after reaching nearly 58 degrees, drops as the brightness decreases thanks to the Armytek Barracuda Pro Max’s active temperature control.
Runtime tests were performed indoors (approximately 18°C) with the included 5000mAh battery fully charged. I used the LX1330B Luxmeter for the test.
Please note that the values shown in the graphs should be taken primarily as reference values because they were obtained using equipment and environmental conditions different from those used in a laboratory. Measurements made with the Luxmeter report values in Candela (cd) and not brightness (lumens).
The Barracuda Pro Max features real-time active temperature control. When the temperature approaches +58°C, the brightness decreases, preventing overheating of the flashlight and battery, as well as LED degradation.
When the battery voltage drops, the brightness will gradually decrease; when the mode brightness drops below approximately 25% of the nominal value, the main LED flashes twice.
As can be seen from the graphs below, the runtimes match those declared by Armytek.
The first test was performed with the Barracuda Pro Max in Turbo mode at 2800 lumens. The runtime matches the manufacturer’s specifications. After 2 minutes from power on, brightness drops sharply to 1100 lumens. This brightness level is maintained for over 76 minutes before another stepdown to the Main 1 level of 240 lumens. This drop, due to low battery, is signaled by the flashlight with two quick flashes.
The second test in Main 2 mode at 630 lumens immediately maintained a steady performance for over 180 minutes before a sharp drop, again bringing the brightness level back to the Main 1 level of 240 lumens.
The third test with the lowest setting (excluding the Firefly setting) Main1 at 240 lumens also maintained constant brightness for over 540 minutes before starting to decline due to battery life. The battery life of almost 10 hours is excellent.
The first 5 minutes:
VIDEO Unboxing and Use
CONCLUSIONS:
The Armytek Barracuda Pro Max pleasantly surprised me, starting with the beautiful hard plastic case that came with all the necessary accessories. The materials are high-quality, and the flashlight is well-finished with an excellent anti-abrasion matte finish.
The new Barracuda Pro Max now features two silent switches and an intuitive, simple user interface.
The beam output is impressive, combined with good regulation (over two minutes in turbo mode) and efficient temperature control.
Armytek Barracuda Pro Max is a tactical flashlight designed for long-range illumination with good battery life and excellent water and dust resistance (IP68, submersion depth 25 m for 5 hours).
A very interesting product and definitely recommended.
Thanks for reading the review.
Roberto M.
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