[Review] - Armytek Wizard Pro Magnet USB - 2300lm, CW, XHP50 - by Lock

lock · 2019-11-16T18:53:53.000Z

With this review we will see the Armytek Wizard Pro Magnet USB CW: beautiful and powerful front with integrated USB charging. Here you can find the Armytek website and here all information of the flashlight

Packaging and content
The Armytek Wizard Pro Magnet USB comes in a colored cardboard box with all the main product information. Thanks to the presence of a transparent plastic window, the torch is clearly visible from the outside.
The packaging is very rich in accessories and as a whole includes:

• The "Wizard Pro Magnet USB" flashlight
• A 18650 Armytek Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 3200mAh
• The stainless steel belt clip
• 2 x spare O-rings
• The proprietary cable for recharging (magnet USB charger)
• The user manual in English
• The Headband (already assembled)
• The Handband (wrist band)
• The plastic support to be used with the Headband or Handband

Here you can find the User Manual.

Main features
- Rechargeable torch with magnetic USB charger
- Side switch for interface control
- Tailcap magnet and tailstand capability
- Efficient TIR lens for a non "tunnel vision effect"
- Multicolored LED for status indications
- Active temperature control with automatic reduction / increase of power
- Battery over-discharge control
- Total protection against water, waterproof up to 10m (for two hours) and impact resistant up to 10m.
- Max runtime: 200 days in the lowest firefly mode
- 10-year Armytek warranty

Technical specifications
• LED light output: 2300lm
• OTF light output: 1800lm
• Beam Distance: 130 mt
• Luminous intensity: 4200 cd
• Optic Lens: TIR
• Body Material: Aircraft-grade aluminum
• Finish Anti-Abrasive Body: Premium type III hard anodizing 400HV
• Spot angle: 70 °
• Spill angle: 120 °
• Hotspot diameter at 5m: 7 mt
• Battery: 18650
• LED: Cree XHP50, Cool White
• Waterproof: IP68, 10 meters, 2 hours
• Impact Resistance: 10 mt
• Memory Mode: Yes
• Momentary On: Yes, programmable in "tactical" mode for any level (strobe included)
• Operating temperature: -25 +40 ° C
• Very low self-discharge and parasitic drain (25 years theoretical battery life)

Measured dimensions and weight
• Length: 110 mm
• Body width: 24.5 mm
• Head width: 29 mm
• Weight: 65g for the torch + about 48g for the 18650 (113g in total)
• Total weight with band and support for the torch: approx. 145g

Output levels and Runtime
The output levels are really many and well spaced. In total we have even eleven: 2 Turbo levels, 6 normal levels, and 3 special levels (strobe):
• Turbo2 Level: 1800 lm / 1 h
• Turbo1 Level: 900 lm / 1 h 40 min
• Main Level3: 390 lm / 4 h
• Main level2: 165 lm / 10.5 h
• Main level1: 30 lm / 50 h
• Firefly3: 5.5 lm / 12d
• Firefly2: 1.5 lm / 40d
• Firefly1: 0.15 lm / 200d
• Strobe3: 10Hz / 1800 lm / 2h
• Strobe2: 1Hz / 1800 lm / 5h
• Strobe1: 10Hz / 165 lm / 52h

The values measured by lightbox (self-built and therefore NOT professional) are the following:
• Firefly1: n.d.
• Firefly2: n.d.
• Firefly3: 5lm
• Main1: 39lm
• Main2: 160lm
• Main3: 380lm
• Turbo1: 800lm
• Turbo2: 1580lm

Body and materials
The Wizard Pro is a frontal torch with a thin and elongated shape with a diameter slightly larger than a normal 18650 battery. At the touch it immediately gives an excellent sensation of sturdiness and build quality. There is no kind of aesthetic defect and everything is treated in detail.

Aesthetically I like a lot, Armytek did a great job of design.

The only part of the flashlight that can be unscrewed is the tailcap that allows the insertion of the battery and allows you to interact with the UI for the selection of the various modes (we'll see later in 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 torch waterproofing.

Below the head we note the presence of some heat sink fins that allow to efficiently dissipate the heat produced by the voracious XHP50.

The fillets arrive really well lubricated (probably through nyogel) and although these are not anodized, Armytek has found the system to allow the physical lock-out of the torch by unscrewing the tailcap by a ¼ turn and at the same time allowing the battery to be recharged.

The physical lock-out allows to avoid accidental torch ignitions and the annoying parasitic drain (measured in about 8uA). Taking a fun and quick calculation, considering the 3200mAh battery, one would theoretically have 3200mA/8uA = 400.000.000 h corresponding to approximately (400.000.000/24)/365 = 25 years for a complete discharge of the battery. Obviously the data is only purely theoretical since a normal 18650 has a self-discharge that takes it to a minimum in much less time.

The tailcap is magnetic and has a proprietary connection for charging via USB cable (supplied).

The magnet (non-removable) is very powerful and allows the torch to be attached to any ferromagnetic material even in a horizontal position.

At the negative pole we have an unplated gold spring but a good section and good resistance. Below it is the magnet and the battery charging circuit. At the positive pole instead there is a protruding button.

The lettering is abundant and well done without smudging.

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

The tailcap is flat and allows the use of the torch in tailstand for example as a desk light.

The Wizard Pro is powered by a 18650 lithium battery. The space inside the battery compartment is abundant in length so there are no problems deriving from the size of the cells used. Both "flat top" and "top button" batteries are compatible thanks to the button on the positive pole. Armytek recommends the use of high drainage cells of at least 7A.
The package includes a 3250mAh 18650mAh high drainage Armytek label.

Anodizing is truly exceptional, well made and resistant to scratches. 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. I found particular difficulty in hooking it and unhooking it. Moreover, this operation leaves slight signs of anodization.

The support that allows the assembly of the Wizard on the Headband and on the Handband is in plastic material, keeps the torch firmly and allows its insertion and extraction without any problem. Furthermore, it is backwards compatible with the previous version of Wizard and can always be found on the Armytek website as a spare accessory.

The band is elastic, soft and very comfortable to wear

Some shots along with other Armytek torches ...

Temperature control
The Wizard Pro used at high levels, given the great power of the LED and the low surface on which to dissipate the heat, it heats up very quickly and reaches in a few minutes (3 minutes for the Turbo level 3 and about 10 for the Turbo1 level) i 60-65 degrees. At this temperature the torch begins to regulate the output and therefore to decrease the power.
Temperature control is very efficient: when the torch overheats (the red LED under the power button starts flashing) the brightness is lowered to allow it to cool down. Once cooled, the torch will automatically increase the output trying to return to the initially set level. The starting level may never be reached again if the torch temperature is too high.

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

Inside it there is a status LED that acts as "warning indication" or "battery status notification"

• Low battery level: below the 25% charge will flash red every 2 seconds. As the voltage drops, the torch will step down on the lower section to protect the battery from stress. When the charge is less than 10% instead the LED will flash red once per second. If it flashesgreen it means the battery is charged.

• Temperature control: when the torch overheats the LED will flash three consecutive times 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 torch has cooled down the brightness will automatically increase. There are no preset timers for the stepdown, but only controls that are active in real time by measuring the temperature

In general, the electronics of the torch allows constant brightness throughout the runtime. So if, for example, you use it at the "Main 2" level, you will have constant brightness until the cell is exhausted, except for any lowering of brightness due to active thermal protection.
It is also possible to activate or deactivate the operation of the status LED as desired (by default it is deactivated in the "OFF State" and in the "Firefly Mode". To activate it, unscrew the tailcap by a ¼ turn, press and hold the button , screw the tailcap and unscrew it again.The settings will remain memorized even if the battery is removed.

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 exploit all the different levels.

From torch off
• With one click the flashlight is opened at 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 the Turbo 2.

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

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

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

With 4 clicks instead of each mode you enter the Strobe section. From here keeping the power button pressed will cycle between the three available strobe levels: 1Hz (Low Mode), 1Hz (high Mode), 10hz (High Mode).

The Wizard Pro also has two ways to use the interface:
• General: the flashlight turns on and off with a simple click
• Tactics: the torch will light up at the last level used only for the time during which the button is pressed. So a Momentary ONz. This type of function can be used when you have 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 the Tactical mode to the General mode you need to keep the power button pressed, unscrew the tailcap by a ¼ turn and release the button. the tailcap.
For the Lock-out physical of the interface just unscrew the tailcap by ¼ of a turn.

Locator Function:
This function allows you to use the LED on the power button as a light localizer. To activate it, it will first be necessary to switch the torch on and off, unscrew the tailcap by a ¼ turn, press and hold the ignition button, re-tighten and unscrew and then release the button. At this point the LED under the power button will flash green every 5 seconds even if the torch is off. To disable this option you can proceed in the same way with the same procedure used for activation.

Tint, beam and beamshots
The color of this model is Cool but not too cold, I think around 6000K.
The beam is clean and uniform with no artifact. At the Turbo you have a real wall of light that allows you to illuminate "per day" at a distance of 30-40mt. The color is pleasant, not tired even if used for a long time.

Here is a comparison between Wizard Cool White and Warm White

Following some night beamshot.

Beamshot #1

Beamshot #2

Beamshot #3

Beamshot #4

Beamshot #5

Beamshot #6

Beamshot #7

Beamshot #8

Runtime test
The runtime tests were carried out in a home environment at a temperature of about 18 ° C using the Armytek 3200mAh battery as power supply. Obviously, repeating the tests in other contexts with different temperatures, different types of cooling and feeding, the results could vary considerably.
Following the runtime tests (with and without forced ventilation) using the supplied 3200mAh battery

Final Considerations
The Wizard Pro is an exceptional product from all points of view: from the aesthetic aspect to the functionalities, from the technical features to the power.
What you immediately notice when you pick it up is the particular matte finish of the body that always guarantees an excellent grip even with wet hands.

The general build quality is really high level, the details are taken care of.
The rubber side switch allows simple control of the entire interface. It is sensitive, precise and allows instant access to all sections of the UI (Firefly, Main, Turbo and Strobo) thanks to the various shortcuts. The status LED inside it allows you to understand when the temperature is rising or if the battery is running out.

The UI is very simple and provides quick and intuitive access to all available levels. There is a real firefly level of only 0.15 lm with an exceptional theoretical duration of 200 days a turbo of over 1800lm.
The beam is uniform, very wide and ideal for using the torch as an outdoor front. The torch is equipped with a steel clip to allow it to be connected and used even directly to the belt.

The color in this case is Cool, without any dominant, makes the colors well and does not tire the view even after many hours of use.
Excellent "real time" temperature control that regulates the brightness avoiding overheating. This uses a real thermometer that continuously analyzes the temperature reached (so not timed stepdowns).

The regulation is flat as long as the torch remains at acceptable temperatures (40-50 ° C) and as long as the battery is able to supply the necessary energy. With the increase in temperature (60-65 ° C) the thermal control intervenes which will decrease its brightness.

The Wizard Pro is waterproof and resistant to diving up to 10 meters deep. Moreover, it resists impacts up to a height declared by the house of 10m.

The magnetic tailcap and the integrated USB charging interface are indispensable.
Valid product of absolute quality, certainly to recommend !!

Thanks for reading !!!

Bearbreeder · 2019-11-16T18:56:03.000Z

Anyone willing to test the 10m drop rating?