[Review] - Armytek Tiara C1 Pro Magnet USB - XP-L HD Warm, 980lm, 18350 - by Lock

lock · 2018-05-19T13:17:47.000Z

Hi guys !!!

Today we will see the little Tiara C1 Pro Magnet USB sent to me by Armytek for the review.

Packaging and content

The Armytek Tiara C1 Pro Magnet USB comes in a colored card box which shows all the main information about the product. Thanks to the presence of a transparent plastic window, it is possible to see the flashlight from the outside.

The package is very rich in accessories and includes:

The flashlight “Tiara C1 Pro Magnet USB”
18350 Li-Ion 900mAh
Clip
2 x Spare O-rings
Magnet USB charger
User Manual
Plastic Holder
Handband & Headband

Here you can find the manual instruction.

Features:

Superb light of amazing brightness due to powerful electronics.
Rechargeable flashlight with magnet USB charger.
Efficient TIR-optics and no “tunnel vision” effect even after continuous use
Multicolor State Indication and ultra low current drain in OFF-state –more than 25 years
Multi-flashlight “10 in 1" is for many activities: car, fishing, hunting, home, work, city, picnic, bike, outdoor, travel.
Total protection from water, dirt and dust penetration – flashlight continues to work even at the depth of 10 meters.

Specifications:

LED light output: 980lm
OTF light output: 840lm
Beam Distance: 102 mt
Beam Intensity: 2600 cd
Optic Lens : TIR
Body Material: Aircraft-grade aluminium
Body Anti-Abrasive Finish: Premium type III hard anodizing
Hotspot: 70°
Spill: 120°
Spot diameter to 5m: 7 mt
Battery: 18350
LED: Cree XP-L, Warm White
Waterproof: IP68, 10 mt, 5 ore
Impact Resistance: 10 mt
Memory Mode: Si
Momentary On: yes, for all levels (included strobe)
Operation Temperature: -25 +40 °C
Low auto-discarge and low parasitic drain

Dimensions & Weight

Lenght: 79 mm
Body diameter: 24,5 mm
Head diameter: 29 mm
Weight: flashligh 60g, battery 22g, clip 5g
Total weight with headband and battery: 102g

Output Levels and Runtime

The output levels are really many and well spaced. Overall are eleven: 2 Turbo levels, 6 normal levels, and 3 special levels (strobe):

Turbo2: 840 lm/30min
Turbo1: 410 lm / 1h
Main3: 205 lm / 2.4h
Main2: 84 lm / 6.5h
Main1: 31 lm / 15h
Firefly3: 5,6 lm / 2.5d
Firefly2: 2,4 lm / 8d
Firefly1: 0.4 lm / 60d
Strobe3: 1Hz / 84 lm / 90h
Strobe2: 1Hz / 410 lm / 3.3h
Strobe1: 10Hz / 840 lm / 1.7h

Armytek declares that the Warm version has about 7% less light intensity than the Cool version and a 3% lower shooting. The values measured by lightbox (self-built and therefore NO-professional) are as follows:

Firefly1: n.d.
Firefly2: 1.5 lm
Firefly3: 4.5 lm
Main1: 31 lm
Main2: 80 lm
Main3: 193 lm
Turbo1: 400 lm
Turbo2: 833 lm

And here they are shown in the graph

Body and materials:

The Tiara C1 Pro is a head flashlight, angular, small and very compact with a diameter of slightly greater than a normal 18650 battery.

The body is made of aeronautical aluminum with a scratch-resistant matte black coating.

As for the other Armytek that I tried to touch immediately gives an excellent feeling of strength and build quality. There is no type of aesthetic defect and everything is taken care of in the smallest details. Aesthetically it is very similar to the older sister Wizard from which it differs almost exclusively for the length of the body.

The only part of the flashlight that can be unscrewed is the tailcap that allows the insertion of the battery and allows to interact with the UI for the selection of the various modes (we will see in the continuation of the review). Once the tailcap has been unscrewed, on the body we can see the presence of a pair of O-rings placed under the threads whose purpose is to allow a perfect waterproofing of the flashlight.

At the center of the body we can see the two grooves that allow the light to be connected to the plastic support or for the insertion of the belt clip (if the clip is mounted the light can not be connected to the support)

The plastic frame for the installation of the light on the elastic band is very convenient: it allows you to release the light very quickly if you need to use it by hand without having to remove the band from the head or helmet. The only drawback could be that of risking that the light accidentally disengages from the support, for example when walking in the dense vegetation or in the cave.

Below the head we notice the presence of some dissipating fins that allow to efficiently dissipate the heat produced by the XP-L LED.

The threads are very precise and flowing and they get really well lubricated by Nyogel. They are not anodized but nevertheless the physical lock-out of the interface is always possible by unscrewing the ¼ turn tailcap. Slightly unscrewing the tailcap, it is also possible to enter the charging mode (see below).

The tailcap is magnetic and has the proprietary connection for charging using a USB cable (supplied). The magnet (non-removable) is very powerful and allows you to attach the flashlight on any ferromagnetic material even in a horizontal position.

The particular TIR lens does not allow to see the LED that in this case is an XP-L in the Warm version. The very clean, very pleasant, very warm color, makes the colors well, especially in nature.

At the negative pole we have a spring not plated with gold but with a good section and good resistance. Below it is the magnet and the battery charging circuit. On the positive pole there is a protruding button.

The lettering is really well done and is present both on the head where it is recalled the type of LED mounted, both on the body with the indications on the model of the flashlight, and on the tailcap where it is reported the company logo and directions on the direction towards which the tailcap must be unscrewed in order to access the charging function.

There is no type of knurling but the satin finish that Armytek adopts on its flashlights does not miss it. In fact, thanks to the special processing, the light, on the whole body, offers an excellent grip even with wet or completely wet hands.

The bezel and bezel ring around the power button are made of stainless steel.

A belt clip is also included in the package. It has a good thickness, offers good resistance and can be mounted in both directions. The rigidity is adequate so there is no risk of losing the flashlight. Inserting and removing the clip is really a business, the grip is really very firm.

The support that allows the assembly of the Tiara C1 Pro on the Headband and on the Handband is made of plastic material, holds the light firmly and allows the insertion and extraction of the same without any kind of problem. Thanks to it the flashlight can be positioned in both directions.

The flashlight is very small, holds well in hand, and is very comfortable to use on the head thanks to the soft and elastic Headband even during intense activities such as running.

There is no difficulty in finding the power button even in total darkness whether you use the flashlight on your head or in your hand or if you wear gloves.

The Tiara C1 Pro also resists water (10mt for 5 hours) and impacts from 10mt in height. I did some tests to test its impermeability in running water and I did not find any kind of infiltration.

Temperature control

The Tiara C1 Pro, used at high levels, tends to overheat very quickly and reach 50-55 degrees within minutes. At this temperature the light starts to self-regulate the output and therefore to decrease the power.

The temperature control is very efficient: when the light overheats (the red LED starts to flash under the power button) the brightness is lowered to allow it to cool down. Once cooled, the light will automatically increase the output trying to return to the initially set level. The starting level may also never be reached again if the temperature of the light during its use is always too high.

The switch

The switch, the only one on the light, allows you to control the whole user interface. It is made of yellow rubber and offers good grip to the touch. It is very responsive, has a short stroke and offers excellent tactile feedback and a nice click on the pressure. To activate it you need to make a good pressure.

Inside there is a status LED which acts as a “warning indication” or “battery status notification”

Low battery: under 25% charge will flash Red every 2 seconds. With the lowering of the voltage the light will perform the stepdown on the lower section to preserve the battery from any stress. When the charge is less than 10%, the LED will flash Red once a second. If it flashes Green it means that the battery is charged.

Temperature control: When the flashlight overheats, the LED will flash three times consecutively at 2-second intervals. When a critical temperature is reached, the LED will flash three consecutive times at 1 second intervals and the brightness will be automatically decreased. After the flashlight has cooled, the brightness will automatically rise again. There are no preset timers for the stepdown, but only active controls in real time by measuring the temperature

When switching from one mode to another the switch will emit a single Red flash, while in general when the light is switched on the switch will indicate the status of the battery.

Among the various functions it is also possible to activate or deactivate the operation of the status LED (by default it is deactivated in the "OFF State" and in the "Firefly Mode".To activate it, simply unscrew the tailcap by ¼ turn, press and keep the button pressed, screw the tailcap and unscrew it again.The settings will remain stored even if the battery is removed.

The charging system

To charge the Tiara C1 Pro just use the special cable supplied.

To start the battery charging phase, unscrew the tailcap and connect the cable. If this operation is not carried out, the LED on the cable will start to flash indicating that the tailcap has not been correctly unscrewed.

Approximately, to recharge the supplied cell, it takes from 2 to 3 hours depending on the charger that is used. Armytek recommends power supplies with an output current of 1A or higher.

The LED located under the power button indicates the recharging status of the battery:

Red LED: battery charging
Green LED: battery charged
Red flashing: indicates that the tailcap it has not been positioned correctly and therefore you have to unscrew it ¼ of a turn to start the refill.

The Tiara comes with a 900mAh 18350 flat top rechargeable battery. A dedicated circuit prevents the excessive discharge of the battery so it is also possible to use unprotected cells.

User Interface

The UI provides 11 levels divided into 4 sections: Firefly, Main, Turbo and Strobo. Using the interface is quite simple, it takes very little practice to be able to take advantage of all the different levels.

With the flashlight OFF

With one click the light is opened to the last stored level
Pressing and holding will enter the Firefly mode section.
Pressing and holding will cycle the different levels (F1, F2, F3, M1, M2, M3, T1) excluding Turbo 2.

With the flashlight ON:

With one click the flashlight is switched off. Pressing and holding will cycle through the various levels of the current section, so if for example you are in the Main section, holding down, the various Main levels will cycle (1,2,3)

With 2 clicks: from the firefly section, with two clicks, you will go to the Main section (or from Main to Firefly)

With 3 clicks: from each mode you enter the Turbo section. From here holding the power button will cycle between the two available turbo levels

With 4 clicks: from every mode you enter the Strobo section. From here holding the power button will cycle between the three available strobe levels ie: 1Hz (Low Mode), 1Hz (high Mode), 10hz (High Mode).

Tiara Pro also has two ways of using the interface:

General: the flashlight turns on and off with a simple click
Tactics: the light will turn on at the last level used only for the time during which the button is pressed. So a Momentary ON. This type of function can be used when you need to illuminate only for brief moments or if for example you want to communicate in code (I can think of the morse code for example).

To switch from Tactical mode to General mode, press the power button, unscrew the ¼ turn tailcap and release the button. To switch from the General mode to the Tactical mode, however, simply unscrew ¼ the tailcap, hold down the button and re-tighten the tailcap.

Locator function:

This function allows the LED of the power button to be used as a light locator. To activate it, first turn the light on and off, unscrew the tailcap by ¼ turn, press and hold the power button, re-tighten and unscrew and finally release the button. At this point the LED underneath the power button will flash green every 5 seconds even if the light is off. To disable this option you can proceed in the same way with the same procedure used for activation.

Tint, beam, beamshots

The tint of the Tiara in my possession is a Warm White, very warm, pleasant especially when used in natural environments. To the eye it looks very similar to the tint of the Pro XHP50 Warm Wizard.

The beam is clean and uniform without any artifact. At the Turbo you really have a lot of light and you can illuminate well even at 20-30 meters.

The Tiara's spill (keeping it at a height of about 1.8m from the ground, for example in the forehead) starts about 30 cm away.

The "Firefly" levels, because of their very low brightness I could not take pictures with my camera. So all the following beamshots will cover the three levels Main and the two levels Turbo.

The targets are all located at a distance between 5 and 45m.

Beamshot 1: the trees at the bottom end are about 45m away

Beamshot 2: the structure is about 20m away

Beamshot 3: the gate is about 10m away

Beamshot 4: the tree is about 15m away

Beamshot 5: the house is about 5m away

Comparative Beamshot between Tiara C1 Pro Warm (on the left) and Wizard Pro v3 Warm (on the right)

Comparative Beamshot between the Turbo levels of the Tiara C1 Pro Warm and the Turbo levels of the Wizard Pro v3 Warm

Runtime test

The runtime tests were carried out in the home environment at a temperature of about 22 ° C using as power supply the 18350 Armytek battery supplied with 900mAh.

Obviously repeating the tests in other contexts with different temperatures, different types of cooling and power supply, the results could vary considerably.

The peak values of the various levels, measured by lightbox, are almost in line with what was declared by the company.

Turbo2 (Real Output) – Home Environment 22°C – Uncooled – Battery 18350 Armytek 900mAh

Turbo2 (Relative Output) – Home Environment 22°C – Uncooled – Battery 18350 Armytek 900mAh

Turbo1 (Real Output) – Home Environment 22°C – Uncooled – Battery 18350 Armytek 900mAh

Turbo1 (Relative Output) – Home Environment 22°C – Uncooled – Battery 18350 Armytek 900mAh

Some special meetings ...

Other shots with knives….

Rotary shots….

Dimensional comparison with other flashlights

Service and Warranty

Armytek provides the light with a warranty of 10 years (excluding batteries, chargers, buttons and connectors on which the warranty years are only two). Obviously all damages caused by improper use of the light are excluded.

Conclusions...

The Tiara C1 Pro, just like the Wizard, has proven itself up to expectations. Unlike the older sister is much more compact and shorter and this makes it much more comfortable for example to take it with you inside the pants. Obviously, given the different power supply and the different type of LED the power is much lower and the runtime very limited (at Turbo 2 we have almost 30 minutes before shutdown).

After testing it for a few of days I can confirm, as with the Wizard, that the Tiara C1 Pro is a very good front end, reliable, well adjusted and full of features.

The complete and intuitive UI allows you to have at your disposal 11 different levels (including special ones) for any type of requirement. Specifically I find the firefly level of only 0.14 lm very useful with an exceptional theoretical runtime of 60 days and the presence of a turbo of over 900lm (even if kept only for a few minutes).

Excellent "Real time" control of the temperature that regulates the brightness avoiding overheating. This uses a real thermometer that continuously analyzes the temperature reached (therefore no timed stepdowns).

The adjustment is quite flat as long as the light remains at acceptable temperatures (40-50 ° C) and as long as the battery is able to provide the necessary energy.

The beam is flood, wide and uniform, ideal for outdoor walks. The tint is very warm, without any dominant, makes colors well and does not tire your eyes even after many hours of use.

The Tiara Pro is waterproof and resistant to diving up to 10m depth. It also resists impacts up to a height declared by the house of 10m.

Indispensable in this type of flashlight is the presence of the magnetic tailcap that allows you to attach the flashlight on any metal surface and very convenient the presence of the integrated USB charging (by a proprietary cable). Obviously if the Tiara was equipped with a micro USB or Type-C it would certainly have been much better.

Excellent product, excellent workmanship. Recommended in my opinion for a daily use as EDC to always have with him in the bag or car. I see it a little limited by the runtime in the use for night walks in the outdoors unless you have a stock of 18350 in tow.

I consider it, for example, adequate, given the great lightness, to those who run or short evening walks.

The excellent performance, the wide range of modalities, the quality of the materials, the sturdiness and the usability make this product very attractive and certainly recommendable to everyone.

Thanks for reading!

chadvone · 2018-05-19T14:48:32.000Z

Thanks for doing this review.

You Sir are handy with a camera.

SKV89 · 2018-05-20T04:53:04.000Z

Many thanks for doing this extremely detailed review. I own many Armytek flashlights and I love the nice warm tint and build quality. I just wish they start releasing Hi CRI versions or update their product line since they javent had new Models for two years I think.

firedome · 2018-05-20T11:08:49.000Z

Nice review, thanks! :+1:

CRX · 2018-05-20T14:07:29.000Z

Some nice pictures there :+1:

clemence · 2018-05-20T14:51:33.000Z

Very very nice pictures! Love the scenery.

I found this tiny headlamp is more useful than my Wizard Pro. Even for trekking or running, the top head strap isn’t really necessary. The only problem are direct drive like T2 runtime curve, and short overall runtime. Highest practical mode is T1, which I find already too bright for most daily uses. I expect there will be 21350/20350 version.

- Clemence

dmsoule · 2018-05-20T20:48:02.000Z

Great review, very detailed, and excellent photos.

Anyone know a USA dealer which carries this in warm white?

Mkduffer · 2018-05-21T00:16:24.000Z

Now that’s what I call “pic heavy”!

Thanks for doing this review. Been looking hard at this light for some time now, since I have an over abundance of 18350s, thanks to the Aspire sale from a few months back.

Sadly, doesn’t look like the quick release bracket works unless the pocket clip is removed.

Still, if anyone does a group buy, I’m in.

lock · 2018-05-21T08:05:39.000Z

thank you to everyone!

Mkduffer:

I just wish they start releasing Hi CRI versions

Also I hope for a Hi CRI LED though already the color rendering with these Armytek tints is excellent in nature

Mkduffer:

Sadly, doesn’t look like the quick release bracket works unless the pocket clip is removed. Still, if anyone does a group buy, I’m in.

yes, it is possible to mount the light on the bracket only if the clip is removed.

JasonWW · 2018-08-25T16:07:34.000Z

dmsoule:

Anyone know a USA dealer which carries this?

I’m curious about dealers as well. None of the usual stores I deal with carries this brand.

RotorHead64 · 2018-08-26T02:25:12.000Z

Thanks for the great review and excellent pictures.
I know these are great headlamps and I’m usually the 1st to recommend them.
The only thing I wish for Armytek to do is offer these with a less floody optic. Say, 30deg instead of 60deg. Better for up close tasks because you can use less output for the same intensity on target=more runtime.
Also Armytek has the best clip in the business bar none.

JasonWW · 2018-08-26T03:26:41.000Z

I wish someone would explain how the charger mechanism works. Similar designs, such as from Olight, require a special battery which has both the positive and negative electrodes near the tail cap. It looks like this light uses a regular 18350, so the charging mechanism should not be capable of working.

If I got one, I would probably try to replace the TIR with a reflector since I have several small reflectors left over from lights where I’ve replaced them with TIR lenses.

Can anyone tell me how wide of a band will actually fit in the molded plastic holder?

Mkduffer · 2018-09-06T01:08:38.000Z

JasonWW:

I wish someone would explain how the charger mechanism works. Similar designs, such as from Olight, require a special battery which has both the positive and negative electrodes near the tail cap. It looks like this light uses a regular 18350, so the charging mechanism should not be capable of working.

Not all Olights require a special battery. I own an S10RII and it uses a standard 16340, but I know what you mean, as I also own an H1R Nova and it does take a special 16340. Basically what Olight is doing is moving the negative terminal of the battery closer to the positive to make connection easier. To be fair, I’ve never taken a good look at my S10, but they must have to run a special lead from the positive terminal of the battery down to the charging base.

dekozn · 2018-09-06T01:58:50.000Z

Thanks for the review.
Can you disable the indicator leds under the switch? I have a tiara a1 pro recently, and I can’t turn them off. I also can’t enter tactical mode and the manual also mentions blinking out voltage in strobe mode but I only have 2strobe modes and none of them blink out the voltage.
Does your tiara c1 have all these things working.?

Armytek · 2018-09-06T13:00:37.000Z

Hello dekozn.
It would be the warranty case, so, for more details, please, fill the warranty request: https://www.armytek.com/contact/warranty-request.html Then send an email to service@armytek.com in order to get your problem fixed.
Best regards,
Armytek team

dekozn · 2018-09-07T11:13:35.000Z

Allright, I have filled the warranty request and send them an email with a link to this thread. Lets see how they handle it.

1stein · 2019-02-06T18:16:26.000Z

Does anybody know if/where 18650 tube can be purchased for this light?

JasonWW · 2019-02-06T18:41:31.000Z

1stein:

Does anybody know if/where 18650 tube can be purchased for this light?

Due to the special charging design, I would ask Armytek. I doubt a regular 18650 battery tube would thread properly on both ends.

Bob_McBob · 2019-02-06T19:56:56.000Z

1stein:

Does anybody know if/where 18650 tube can be purchased for this light?

Unless Clemence (of virence.com) has any left, they are basically unavailable. Armytek won’t sell them to individuals, and they require a large order from dealers, who have no reason to stock them in the first place since they aren’t intended to be removed. If you are able to acquire one, the original battery tube is installed with red Loctite, so removing it is a huge pain in the ass.

Marc_E · 2019-02-06T20:11:57.000Z

Holy moly, i have never seen so many photos in one review!! Moving ones too! Got totally distracted by you holding a scorpion, i’d have run a mile! Different worlds