I’ve had some difficulty in finding the specs for the above light. Just received this info from Armytek in case anyone here is interested:
Maximal light output: 950 LED lumens (powered by 14500 battery)
Beam distance: 40m
LED: Cree XM-L2 U2 LED
Tint: Cool White 5500K
Optics: TIR-optics
Stabilization of constant brightness regardless of frost and low battery voltage: FULL
Hotspot: 70 ° Spill: 120 °
Power source: 1xAA / 1x14500 Li-Ion
Output levels and runtimes (powered by AA battery): 550 lm (30min), 250 lm (1h 10min), 85 lm (4h), 12 lm (30h), 2 lm (240h), 0.1 lm (100d), 2 Strobes
Number of modes: 8
Type of mode switching: Side switch
I have one on order and am looking forward to trying it out. Not sure it falls under a “budget” light category.
I had problems posting this earlier so will just post some initial impressions with a plan to post a few photos later.
I’ve had two nights to play with this light.
First impressions:
- very solid build with excellent threads - has two orings on the threaded area so should be quite water resistant. Has a nice heft to it that makes it feel durable.
- came with two tailcaps - one with a magnet and one without.
- included two spare orings, pocket clip and of course the headband. The headband is a one piece (does not go over top of head) but considering the weight I doubt it will be a problem.
- did not include a manual however one is available as a pdf on the armytek website.
- switch is good - neither too easy nor too hard to press.
- modes are great - I’ve only used duraloops in it as my 14500’s are on order. It is quite bright on high and the low low is great at night in low (no light) light conditions.
- compared to my Fenix HL30 it seems a bit brighter on high and the beam is a bit tighter. I believe that the tiara is a bit warmer than the Fenix from my limited experience. Don’t get me wrong, both lights are great although the tiara is handier as a stand a lone flashlight - the form works much better for me and it’s likely I’ll be using it as a flashlight much more than in the headband.
- the silicon holder holds the light quite firmly but from very limited experience with it I don’t think it’s too tight. One can always use a bit of silicon grease on it if necessary.
- the modes on the tiara take a bit of getting used to but work well once figured out. The two strobes and battery level indicator are well hidden and should not deter those who dislike “disco modes”.
the finish is excellent - dull black. There were two very small wear areas on my light where the finish has worn off. This is not a concern to me as I’m sure there will be more soon. Not sure how they happened however it may be from rubbing while in transit.
All in all a very nice light and one that I recommend.
Compared to one aa duraloop. Magnetic end cap is installed, other beside the light.
Clip can be installed up or down. Fits tightly and should be quite secure. Headband and silicon holder in background.
As far as “550 lumens” I don’t have any way to measure this. It is bright on high with an aa duraloop. Personally I don’t worry too much about lumen claims as much as other attributes of a light. Will be interesting to see how much brighter with a 14500 lion battery.
most excellent price. I was getting ready to purchase, just shopping for the best price when I came across this. I think something like $64 shipped was the best I had found. Ordered an A1 Pro WW. Maybe I should have got CW as the lens is diffused. I would to have the miniscule C1 Pro as well.
Finally got my Tiara A1 pro. Very solid product. Love the beam from the TIR. UI takes a little to get used to but once you figure it out it makes sense. The only thing I would change on the UI is that double clicking to high wouldn’t overwrite last mode memory. Fits very nicely in my hand and the clip is near perfect. Perfect would be a black finish instead of stainless.
I don’t know why Armyteck gets so little air play. After handling this light and reading reviews on their other stuff I’m going to keep my eyes open for a deal on a Predator.
I got my Armytek Tiara A1 Pro Warm from Illumn (née Illumination Supply) yesterday. Overall build feels solid as heck. I tested runtime on max output for several types of NiMH cells as Armytek's regulation scheme for 1xAA was of much interest to me. I performed two runs using two different cells of each brand. A fan kept the Tiara A1 cool as Max output causes pretty massive (for 1xNiMH especially) heat buildup in still air. The Tiara will temporarily reduce output to cool down if necessary. In my experience it became toasty but still touchable in the absence of air circulation — thankfully the Tiara's overtemp protection kicks in before it gets too hot to turn off, change modes, or change the battery.
The first plot averages the lux reading values of the two runs for each brand. One reading was captured per minute, thanks to the time lapse setting on my camera
The second plot below is comprised of the individual runtimes that were averaged to arrive at the plot above. More telling here is that there are two levels of regulated runtime on Max. I'll designate them H1 and H2.
I'll hazard that when heat is not an issue, H1 and H2 work based on limitations on current draw. When cell voltage dips below a threshold the driver will no longer increase the input current required for H1. The driver reduces current draw and the cell's voltage should subsequently rebound somewhat. The driver resumes increasing current draw while cell voltage drops to yield stable H2 output until the cell hits a lower bound for voltage once again at which point the light drops out of regulation.
Nice job, Armytek! I'm excited to see a manufacturer really optimize top end performance for the heavy current draw that NiMH can support. That said, I'm gonna have to pick me up some 14500 cells for EDC use
