I received the Brinyte HL16 NOCTUA directly from Brinyte for the review.
For technical details: https://www.brinyte.com/product/HL16-Noctua.html
For purchase: https://brinytestore.com/
Brinyte on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brinyte
Brinyte has recently released the new HL16 Noctua, a multifunctional EDC suitable for various scenarios and situations. HL16 Noctua features a CREE LED with a maximum light output of 520 lumens and 4 brightness levels, in addition to the special Strobe mode. It is equipped with "on the fly" magnetic charging and is powered by a 16340 battery included in the sales package.
Brinyte HL16 Noctua is small in size and light, equipped with a Clip it can be easily carried in any context. Thanks to the TIR optics, the magnetic tail and the 90° rotating head, it is the right choice in all situations where a light is needed, especially for outdoor sports and home use. HL16 Noctua can be mounted on the headband included in the package for even more freedom of movement. It has reverse polarity protection and is IP66 certified.
Main features:
• 0 ~ 90 degree swivel head
• The magnetic tail can stick to any iron material
• 6000K color temperature
• Intelligent battery indicator for charging and switching on
• Magnetic charging port design, for convenient charging
• Compatible with a 16340 battery or a CR123A battery
• With clip and head strap, easy to carry and free your hands
• Aluminum alloy reflector with professional optical analysis
• Overload, over discharge and overheat protection functions
• Reverse polarity protection prevents damage caused by improper battery installation
• High strength aircraft aluminum AL-6061-T6 with high quality military grade III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish
Levels / Runtime
High: 520 lumens / 1h5min.
Medium: 200 lumens / 1h40min.
Low: 60 lumens / 4h50min.
Moon: 5 lumens / 80h
Strobe: 520 lumens
Dimensions and weight
Weight: 51g, 1.8oz (including Clip, excluding battery)
Size: 22.5mm head, 85.5mm length
8.89 in the lead. 3.36in length
Brinyte HL16 Noctua arrived in a rigid white cardboard box of good consistency.
Inside the box I found:
- The Brinyte HL16 Noctua flashlight with Clip and 16340 battery inserted
- Magnetic charging cable
- Headband with silicone holder
- 2 x spare O-rings
- Manual, warranty and warnings
The steel Clip, included in the package and already mounted on the Noctua HL16, can be inserted on the torch in two different positions. Stays firmly and allows easy insertion into jeans.
The battery that I found included in the package is a 16340 High Drain protected by 650 mAh button top marked Brinyte.
HL16 Noctua has protection against polarity inversion and as contacts a button on the positive (in the head) and a spring in the negative (in the tail). In the threads on the body we find an O-ring for water and dust protection. Brinyte HL16 Noctua is IP66 certified (dust and wave protection).
The headband, included in the sales package, is well made and well adjustable. It is perforated to facilitate sweat and has a soft silicone torch holder. You can see the logo and the word "Brinyte" on the band.
Brinyte HL16 Noctua has excellent build quality; good thicknesses and materials, rounded edges and no construction residues. In the hand it holds and grips well despite the length of only 85.5mm.
The line is very beautiful, with the bezel and the frame around the button in blue color, as well as the head and the tail cap which have a particular prism processing. The HL16 Noctua is built in aluminum alloy with a military-grade hard anodized finish. The writings on the flashlight are well-made and are clearly legible.
On the head of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua we find a TIR optic with a CREE LED with Cool White tint in the center (on the optics we read R5) with approximately 6500K measured. With this configuration Brinyte HL16 Noctua reaches 520 lumens with 5000cd and covers a distance of 140 meters max. The HL16 Noctua has a blue bezel enriched by a particular stepped battlements that enhances its brightness.
Brinyte HL16 Noctua has a 90° rotatable head through 4 positions in addition to the initial one. The rotation is soft but safe thanks to the mechanism with which it is equipped.
For the management of the torch (UI) HL16 Noctua has a single switch of generous dimensions surrounded by a blue bezel and with the Brinyte "logo" engraved. The click is audible and the right pressure must be applied to operate the switch.
On the opposite side of the side switch we find the magnetic charging port. This "on the fly" connection system certainly speeds up charging operations and gives a greater degree of safety against the infiltration of dust and liquids. The charging cable is 50cm long.
In my tests the battery was fully recharged in about 1h30min (4.17V) with the maximum charge current of 0.7A.
HL16 Noctua has intelligent safe charging mode to avoid battery overheating during prolonged charging and ensure battery safety. Once charging has started, the LEDs around the magnetic socket are colored to indicate the status of the battery. The color is red when recharging and green when recharging is complete.
These LEDs also indicate the battery status once the Noctua HL16 is turned on.
GREEN: 100% - 40%
FIXED RED: 40% - 5%
FLASHING RED: 5% - 0%
The only unscrewable part of the HL16 Noctua is the tail cap. By slightly unscrewing the tail cap we obtain the mechanical block of the flashlight. Unfortunately, there is no possibility to insert a lanyard on the cap. In the tail there is a strong magnet to make the Noctua HL16 adhere to ferrous surfaces.
Brinyte HL16 Noctua next to other torches.
USER INTERFACE (UI):
Brinyte HL16 Noctua has only one switch and has 4 levels + 1 special level (Strobe). The spacing of the levels is good and the user interface (UI) is very simple.
High: 520 lumens / 1h5min.
Medium: 200 lumens / 1h40min.
Low: 60 lumens / 4h50min.
Moon: 5 lumens / 80h
Strobe: 520 lumens
ON / OFF - With the torch off, keeping the switch pressed, you access the selected level before turning it off. Press again to turn off.
Level selection - With the flashlight on, each click will cycle through the various output levels (HIGH - MEDIUM - LOW - MOON).
Strobe - With the flashlight off or on, a double click will activate the Strobe.
The Noctua HL16 has a memory function, allowing the torch off, with a click, to recall the last level used.
Beam and Runtime:
The beam of the Brinyte HL16 Noctua has a color that goes from the white of the spot to the yellowish of the crown and the violet of the spill outline due to the color of the bezel. The TIR optic gives the flashlight a good beam depth even at low light outputs. Surely the average level of 200 lumens is sufficient for a good vision of the walk to illuminate well up to over 10 meters. There is a slight PWM that does not disturb the naked eye vision.
The beginning of the spill from the feet is less than one meter. The maximum value of over 5500 candles found by me, in the test with the LX1330B Luxmeter, is higher than that declared by the house.
The runtime performed with the Brinyte HL16 Noctua, at the High (520 lumens) and Medium (200 lumens) levels, were done in a closed environment with a temperature of about 20 ° C. The battery used is the one found in the package, a fully charged 16340 Brinyte 650mAh. At the end of the test, the battery measured approximately 2.7V.
I would like to emphasize that the values expressed by the graphs must be taken as a reference above all because they are made with means and environmental conditions different from those used by the parent company in the laboratory.
The first test was done with the HL16 Noctua in the High level (520 Lm). After 2min30sec we have a sudden drop in the light output followed by a slow and constant decrease in brightness up to over 40 minutes.
The first 5 minutes.
Another test was made by placing the HL16 Noctua at the Medium level (200 Lm). At this level, the light output has a slow and constant decline for over 90 minutes before falling suddenly.
The High and Medium curves together.
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/embed/9HCXHES6Ulo
CONCLUSIONS
Having reached the conclusions I can say that the Brinyte HL16 NOCTUA is a really good product, well built and definitely a worthy companion for everyday. There are not many flashlights like Brinyte's HL16 Noctua capable of being used as a linear flashlight or headlamp with the possibility of rotating the head 90°. The magnetic tail and the Clip are always useful to wear it on the geans as well as the head band also included in the beautiful sales package. Too bad there is no possibility to put a lanyard either in the tail or on the Clip. I shot a few minutes with the medium level of 200 lumens which I think is ideal for walking with good lighting and autonomy. I don't know the selling price, but I definitely recommend buying it.
Thank you for reading the review.