- i’m also buying the skilhunt (still not sure whether h02 or h02r… btw have a look here Skilhunt H02(R) mini review, potential issues, and a funny fix )… would probably prefer an armytek or a zebralight, but at this moment (great deal for the skilhunt and no particular offers for the other two, not that i know at least…) they are about twice the price and it’s not worth it imho. I have’t found any other good alternatives…
There is a good deal for Jetbeam HC20 for 28 usd Review: JETBeam HC20 headlight i have bought one and it’s on the way, but it seems too bulky and too throwy for outdoor usage
Well, Fenix HL55 it’s also interesting.
s.
yes, the deal on the skilhunts is still active and in case it should stop before you buy, here is another deal on a different shop, 2-3 usd more but still a good price http://m4dm4x.com/2015/01/22/today-sometihing-different/
- Armytek Wizard (or Wizard Pro) is the armytek you should consider
as for:
- Skilhunt H02 (or H02R)
Nitecore HC50
those 2 are pure floody headlamps, some people like them but i would never use them for outdoors, especially if you go off trail you can’t be limited to see just a few meters in front of you. No alternatives for the nitecore, but i’d consider zebralight H600 instead of H602 (zebralight does a tons of similar models and it’s easy to get lost, it took me a while to understand 602=no reflector, 600=reflector, w=natural white instead of cool white, F=frost… and all the combination oh these) or H600F which falls somehow in between the two
here you get an idea of h600 vs h602 (and pure flood vs intermediate beam in general)
(consider the guy is facing straight in front of him, if you look down as you normally do when you are walking you can see your steps with the h600 also)
HL10 is pure flood, see above (also pure flood and low output is even worse, you are wasting most of your precious light)
I would not use a single AAA for outdoors (actually i always carry my olight i3s, but if i know i’ll be walking at night i carry a proper headlamp as well), if you do at least carry a couple 1-2-3 extra eneloops depending on your trek
Fenix HL21 is way too throwy and needs heavy modding (i have it)
Fenix HL50 is probably perfect for you but a bit mor pricey… good deals on aliexpress though. You can use 1x eneloop AA on normal usage and CR123A when you need maximum output/runtime to weight/performance in cold (below –20C)
review: Fenix HL50 (XM-L2 T6 Neutral White, CR123A or 1xAA) Review | Candle Power Flashlight Forum
If HL50 is out of your budget, you may consider HL23, but i don’t know much about it.
that is true, as i wrote i’m buying a 18650 headlamp, but i’m not sure if would if it was my only headlamp. Maybe i’d go for something like a 1xAA zebralight/armytek or HL50 if i wanted just one good allround headlamp.
BUT… a h600 with battery weights the same as a spot/tikka, a few grams more for the armytek and skilhunt, and for the batteries in the worst case you can buy a couple of cr123a in most supermarkets… so it’s probably a bit overkill as a only headlamp but drawbacks are not such a big deal imho.
Personally i don’t like Spot (talking about the old model, but the actual looks very similar), imho it’s not much better than the average tikka: no regulation, ip-x4 and the build looks weak (and i don’t like the way the lid is attached with those plastic bands). I’d rather spend the extra money for the Storm (which i did in fact :p). It’s ip-x7, much sturdier construction and it’s regulated (it drops out of regulation at some point, wich i think is the best behaviour in regulated lights for outdoors cause while the light dims you still have plenty of time of light… a regulated light that suddenly switch off it’s very dangerous for outdoors, and even if it warns you a few minutes before doing it might still be dangerous if you don’t have backup batteries)
The only things i didn’t like of the old Storm are the UI (no way to switch to full power quickly, and the strobe gets easily in the way) which seems they have resolved with the new model, and it’s a bit too throwy imho (as most other tikkas or similars… i have swapped the xp-e with a xp-g2 and now it’s better)
I totally agree. Even though i was surprised from the new tikkas, still have that weak and plastic feeling, but they finally have a regulated driver at least (only tikka XP and tikka PLUS). I have tried a new tikka XP, weird beam shape and way too cold, but not so bad in general.
Very good advises, we could see that you have worked on the subject (more than me !!!).
So to resume:
-I’m going to buy a Skilhunt H02R (I posted a message on the deal to have information).
Thanks for your other deal but there is no possibility on Banggood (neither on other websites) to know if they send NW or CW headlight. In the deal on the forum this is a NW.
If I found the Skilhunt overkill for my use I will be back to look for something else.
-I’m going to look at the Fenix HL23 which is the one that is the most close to my needs. The only issue I have is that I would rather prefer an other form factor (more compact, without the protuberance of the lens).
I keep in mind the remark from Iker and I will put the HL23 in concurence with the Black Diamond Spot (or the Storm because the Spot is not waterproof).
Thank you all, I’m listening if you have other comments.
A lightweight total flood (no optic) headlamp is extremely handy around the house, in tents, and slow pace walking/trekking, the Zebralight H502w is one of such headlamps, and a gem.
I really like the Skilhunt H02 for walking in the woods, I have the H02R also but my preference for hiking is more flood. The light gives great mode spacing to allow extended run times if needed or large amounts of light. It appears to built very solid and will run on 18650 or 2 cr123 if needed.
I can’t speak to the other lights but personally I wouldn’t use the aaa headlamps for anything more than a short trip, I don’t like the limited run time.
The patterns are really close, the R does have more throw but I don’t the have range in my yard to show it. I would not say there is significant loss due to the diffuser. The tint difference makes the H02R look brighter IMO but really is minimal.
My camera died so only pictures I could take are with my phone. The first picture is H02R CW the second is H02 NW. The distance to the house is about 50 meters
H02R CW
H02 NW
It’s sounds to me like the H02R would work well for you but I think either will make you happy.
you may want to consider “M4D M4X”’s offer of codes to get deals.
he has a code for the “crelant ch10” headlamp it has two memories and it ramps from moonlight-120 lumens (low) and from about 80-450 lumens on high, you can choose and then save the two prefered brightnesses. Oh and it is $21 delivered (to the US) YPMV (your postage may vary).
and of course Zebralight H52 (H502 is pure flood) and Armytek Tiara A1 which probably set the standard in this category
and a couple of images for size reference (too bad the H1 is so long…)
in the middle: Xtar H1, Fenix HL50 (AA setup), Fenix HL50 (16340 setup)
in the middle: Zebralight H600, Xtar H1, Xtar H2
from left: Fenix HL50, Spark SG5
Fenix HL50, Zebralight H52, Armytek Tiara A1
P.S.
i personally prefer 1xaa/14500 headlamps to 1xcr123a/16340 because when you are using rechargable lithiums you get better performances with 14500 size (see here http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?345370-AW-16340-750mAH-vs-AW-14500-750mAH ) and should you run out of batteries AAs primaries are way easier to find everywhere compared to cr123a. Not to mention you also have the eneloop option.
On the other hand, the form factor of 16340 headlamps is maybe preferable cause they are more compact (AA headlamps can be quite long, nearly as much as 18650 headlamps sometimes… see Xtar H1 and Zebralight H600)
I would buy Armytek Wizard Pro 2, it has great mods never need to run on max, 18640 will run for days with reasonable modes, as per AA Armytek has also other lights pretty powerful ones too, but with those i would only use energizer lithium non-rechargeables, those would be the most reliable
For a lightweight 1xAA hiking light I think the Fenix HL21 is hard to beat. It has excellent throw for such a small headlamp, but it also comes with a flip-up diffuser. You can swap between flood and throw at the flick of a finger.
fedcas said, quote: “Fenix HL21 is way too throwy…”
Personally, the long throw is one of the reasons I love the Fenix HL21. The fact that it comes with a flip-up diffuser that turns it into a flood light is another reason. It is also strong, IPX8 2m waterproof, has three modes, 3, 47, and 97 lumins, plus mode memory, and an SOS mode.
The 2xAA Fenix HL35 with 90m FL1 beam range, sounds like a viable alternative to the HL21. Though I have never actually used a HL35. The Nitecore HA20 is another 2xAA headlamp that looks good on paper.
There are other 1xAA headlamps, most seem to be quite expensive. Here are some names.
XTAR H1 Commander
Armytek Tiara A1 Pro V2
Zebralight H52w
What ever you get, get something that has a water resistance of IPX6 or above. My recommendation is the Fenix HL21.
jeromepeng20121027 said, quote: “Maybe this one will be suitable for you”
!!! WARNING WARNING WARNING !!!
Whenever you see an add for an unbranded lamp, and the add starts with the words “High Power”, or “CREE”. It is a very good bet that the lamp is cheap rubbish. Personally I would not touch the lamp, linked in the jeromepeng20121027 post above, with a barge pole.
Flour, those are great choices. From my experience, Fenix is a LOT better than petzl, blackdiamond and princeton tec. If any light you own has too spoty of a beam, you can use Scotch satin tape over the lens or you can look for something more dedicated like dcfix to diffuse the light. If you’re still interested in getting a 1AA/14500 light, Fenix recently came out with one.
)… would probably prefer an armytek or a zebralight, but at this moment (great deal for the skilhunt and no particular offers for the other two, not that i know at least…) they are about twice the price and it’s not worth it imho. I have’t found any other good alternatives…
602=no reflector, 600=reflector, w=natural white instead of cool white, F=frost… and all the combination oh these) or H600F which falls somehow in between the two
