Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm Review
Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm⌗
- Specifications
- Introduction
- Torch in use
- Build quality
- LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam
- Size and comparison
- User interface
- Batteries and charging
- Performance
- Beamshots
- Conclusion
- Price
- Product page
Specifications⌗
| Brand/model | Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm |
|---|---|
| LED | CREE XHP70.2 |
| Maximum lumens | 3,870 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 8,100 cd |
| Maximum throw | 180 m |
| Battery | 1*21700 |
| Onboard charging | Yes (Magnetic USB-A) |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Modes | 7 |
| Blinkies | 3*Strobe |
| Reflector | Smooth |
| Waterproof | IP68 |
| Review date | November 2023 |
Introduction⌗
The Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm is the long-range version of Armytek’s Wizard C2 Pro Max headlamp. It has a smooth reflector and a CREE XHP70.2 emitter for a longer beam distance.
The product name is a mouthful. It’s the long range headlamp with a 21700 cell!
Many of Armytek’s headlamps come with a TIR optic and produce a floody beam.
This long-range version produces a floody beam with a sharp spill, but it has a slightly longer beam distance.
Armytek reached out to ask if I would like to collaborate with them after seeing my review of the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro WR.
Armytek kindly provided this headlamp for review. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions of this torch.
Packaging⌗
The headlamp comes in a black and bronze box with Armytek branding. There are specifications on the box instead of on the printed user manual.
The following was included in the box:
- Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm headlamp.
- Headband.
- Armytek 21700 5000mAh cell.
- 18650 adapter.
- USB-A to magnetic charging cable.
- Pocket clip.
- Holster.
- Two spare o-rings.
- User manual.
The printed user manual is a simplified version of the online user manual. Armytek have published comprehensive user manuals on their website with specifications and advanced features.
Torch in use⌗
The headlamp is very comfortable to use while laying turf at night for several hours.
I mostly used the Main2 mode and I occasionally switched to Main3 temporarily for a bit of extra brightness.
The headband is one of my favourites. The elastic material does a good job at stopping sweat from dripping down into my eyes. The straps seem strong and durable. And they fit my big head.
The torch arrived in a holster. The quality of the holster is pretty good but I am most likely going to leave the torch in the headband and use it as a headlamp.
A pocket clip is included. It is another nice addition. The headlamp could be mounted to a strap on a backpack so that the beam is coming out at chest height instead of at head height. I find that there is less glare in the air when a headlamp is mounted at chest height.
I have an Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Nichia with a 4500K colour temperature mounted below the handlebars on my bike but I digress.
The warm 4000K colour temperature may help reduce glare and be better at penetrating fog at night compared to a cool white emitter.
The headlamp can tailstand and it has a magnet in the tailcap to allow it to be used as a work lamp.
Build quality⌗
The Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm is made of aluminium and it has a matte black anodised finish.
The button gives a satisfying click. It has a multi-colour state indicator for the battery level and the temperature.
There are a lot of threads. The threads are unanodised. They came well lubricated and the tailcap turns smoothly.
Speaking of threads and lubricant. There is a big thread about Thread lubricant on BLF. Armytek kindly included a 25ml tube of Nyogel 760G lubricant. The threads get dirty pretty quickly.
There is a spring near the head and a spring in the tailcap to allow a flat top or a button top 21700 cell to be used. I was able to fit short and thin unprotected 21700 cells and long and thick protected 21700 cells with built-in USB-C charging.
It would be nice if the charging ring on the magnetic tailcap was chamfered. It is almost sharp.
LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam⌗
The Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm has a CREE XHP70.2 emitter, a smooth reflector, a glass lens, and a press-fit bezel.
CCT, CRI, and duv⌗
I have taken Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI, RA of R1-R8) measurements with the torch positioned half a metre away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3).
The CCT is around 4063K. The CRI is around 71.
The Delta u, v is slighty positive (green) on lower modes and closer to pure white on Turbo2.
The beam produced has a white hot spot with a green corona and a purple spill. The shape of the beam looks a bit like a square pillow.
| Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firefly 2 | 4025 | 70.6 | 0.3831 | 0.3901 | 0.0054 |
| Main1 | 4039 | 71.3 | 0.3820 | 0.3875 | 0.0045 |
| Main2 | 4044 | 71.4 | 0.3815 | 0.3866 | 0.0042 |
| Main3 | 4055 | 71.4 | 0.3807 | 0.3848 | 0.0037 |
| Turbo1 | 4081 | 71.6 | 0.3788 | 0.3812 | 0.0026 |
| Turbo2 | 4139 | 72.1 | 0.3751 | 0.3744 | 0.0005 |
Calculate Duv from CIE 1931 xy coordinates
Dimensions and size comparison⌗
Dimensions⌗
I took the following measurements using a digtal caliper.
| Measurement | Unit (mm) |
|---|---|
| Length | 121.5 |
| Head width | 29.98 |
| Head depth | 25.58 |
| Tube diameter | 23.66 |
| Tail diameter | 27.48 |
| Battery length | 71.0 |
| Battery diameter | 21.45 |
Weight⌗
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Weight | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Torch | 80.6 |
| Headband | 57.1 |
| Battery | 69.3 |
| Torch with headband | 137.7 |
| Torch with battery | 149.9 |
| Torch with headband and battery | 207.0 |
Size comparison with its competition⌗
From left to right: Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm, Armytek Wizard C2 WR Warm, ZebraLight H600Fc Mk IV
From left to right: Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm, Armytek Wizard C2 WR Warm, ZebraLight H600Fc Mk IV
From left to right: Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm, Armytek Wizard C2 WR Warm, ZebraLight H600Fc Mk IV
User interface⌗
The headlamp has an electronic side switch to control the emitter.
There are two types of user interfaces available: General and Advanced.
To switch between General and Advanced:
- Unscrew the tailcap 1/4 turn while the torch is off.
- Press and hold the button.
- Tighten the tailcap.
- Release the button.
General UI⌗
The following modes are available in the General user interface: Firefly1, Firefly2, Main1, Main2, Main3, Turbo (last used in Advanced, Turbo2 by default).
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (mode memory) |
| Off | Press and hold | On (Firefly1) |
| On | Click | Off |
| On | Press and hold | Cycle (Main1, Main2, Main3) |
| Firefly1 | Press and hold | Cycle (Firefly2, Main1, Main2, Main3) |
| On | Two clicks | Turbo |
| Turbo | Two clicks | Last used mode |
Once you cycle out of the firefly modes, the torch will only cycle through the main modes. You will need to press and hold from off to enter Firefly1 again.
Advanced UI⌗
The following modes are available in the Advanced user interface: Firefly1, Firefly2, Main1, Main2, Main3, Turbo1, Turbo2, Strobe1, Strobe2, Strobe3.
The modes are grouped together:
- Press and hold for Firefly modes.
- Two clicks for Main modes.
- Three clicks for Turbo modes.
- Four clicks for Strobe modes.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Press and hold | On (Firefly1) |
| Off | Press and hold and continue to hold | Cycle (Firefly1, Firefly2, Main1, Main2, Main3, Turbo1) |
| Off | Click | On (mode memory) |
| Any | Two clicks | Main |
| Any | Three clicks | Turbo |
| Any | Four clicks | Strobe |
| Firefly | Press and hold | Cycle (Firefly1, Firefly2, Firefly3) |
| Main | Press and hold | Cycle (Main1, Main2, Main3) |
| Turbo | Press and hold | Cycle (Turbo1, Turbo2) |
| Strobe | Press and hold | Cycle (Strobe1, Strobe2, Strobe3) |
| On | Click | Off |
Strobe⌗
There are three strobe modes:
- Strobe1 (140 lm at 1 Hz for 90h)
- Strobe2 (3,870 lm at 1 Hz for 14h)
- Strobe3 (3,870 lm at 10 Hz for 6h 50min)
Multi-colour state indicator⌗
This is an example of a feature that is mentioned on the box, omitted from the printed user manual, and described in great detail on the online user manual.
There is a multi-colour state indicator under the yellow button. The indicator is used for the battery level and the temperature. It can also be turned on as a signal light (flash every 4 seconds to indicate the battery level).
| Indicator | State |
|---|---|
| Green flashes once every 4 seconds | Battery level ≥ 25% |
| Orange flashes once every 2 seconds | 10 ≥ Battery level < 25% |
| Red flashes once every second | Battery level < 10% |
| Orange flashes 3 times every 2 seconds | Warning temperature level |
| Red flashes 3 times every second | Critical temperature level |
The battery status indicator has three modes that can be cycled through:
- The indicator is switched off in Firefly modes and when the headlamp is off (default).
- The indicator is switched on all the time.
- The indicator is switched off all the time.
To change the battery status indicator mode:
- Unscrew the tailcap 1/4 turn while the torch is off.
- Press and hold the button.
- Tighten the tailcap.
- Immediately uncrew the tailcap 1/4 turn when a red indicator light turns on.
- Release the button.
- Tighten the tailcap.
I found it easier to perform that sequence of steps by holding the tailcap in my left hand and by holding the head in my right hand. I use my thumb to press and hold the button down while rotating the tailcap with my left hand.
Lock out⌗
There is no electronic lock out mode. The tailcap can be turned 1/4 to physically lock out the headlamp.
Low voltage protection⌗
There is low voltage protection built into the headlamp.
I tested low voltage protection by connecting the head of the torch to a bench power supply and then by lowering the voltage from 4.2V to 0V.
| Mode | LVP? | Cut-off voltage |
|---|---|---|
| Firefly1 | Yes | 2.67V |
| Firefly2 | Yes | 2.66V |
| Main1 | Yes | 2.67V |
| Main2 | Yes | 2.67V |
| Main3 | Yes | 2.67V |
| Turbo1 | Yes | 2.67V |
I checked each mode except Turbo2. My bench power supply is limited to 5A but Turbo2 requires at least 7.6A.
PWM⌗
I did not notice any visible PWM (flickering).
What I like about the UI⌗
- There are heaps of modes.
- I prefer the advanced UI because there are shortcuts to everything.
What could be improved⌗
- The shortcut to change between General and Advanced is a bit difficult to remember.
Batteries and charging⌗
Battery⌗
An Armytek 21700 3.7V Li-ion 5000mAh cell was included with an 18650 adapter. It arrived with a voltage of 3.47V.
Armytek recommends using a cell capable of a 15A discharge current. I measured 7.62A at turn on with Turbo2.
I carefully removed the wrap to reveal that the cell is an unprotected Samsung INR21700-50G (white). The data sheet for the Samsung INR21700-50G (green) mentions that it has a maximum continuous discharge current (CDR) of 9.8A and a maximum peak discharge current of 14.7A.
I tried the following cells:
| Cell | Top | Compatible? |
|---|---|---|
| Armytek 21700 3.7V Li-ion 5000mAh | Flat | Yes |
| Molicel P42A 21700 4200mAh | Flat | Yes |
| Samsung 50S 21700 5000mAh | Flat | Yes |
| Lishen LR2170HP 3000mAh | Button | Yes |
| NEXTORCH 21700 5000mAh USB-C | Button | Yes |
| Weltool UB21-50 21700 5000mAh USB-C | Button | Yes |
Charging⌗
The packaging states that charging will take 5h 20min.
Power supply: PinePower Desktop USB-A
USB Meter: AVHzY CT-3 (recommended by LiquidRetro)
Room temperature: 18 C
The tailcap needs to be unscrewed slighty (1/4th of a turn) and then the magnetic charging cable needs to be attached to the tailcap to start charging the cell inside the headlamp. This is a bit annoying. It would be nice if the magnetic charger could be attached without having to perform a quarter turn.
I charged the cell with the included magnetic charger from 2.88V to 4.15V. Charging completed after 5 hours 41 minutes. The charging rate was approximately 5V 1.2A.
Charging status indicator⌗
The charging indicator in the magnetic charger went red while charging and it went green when charging was complete.
When the charger is connected:
| Colour | Status |
|---|---|
| Green flashing | Evaluation of battery voltage. |
| Red flashing | Unscrew the tailcap to 1/4 for charging. |
| Orange flashing | Clean the tailcap and the threads of the flashlight parts, use a different power source. |
| Red | Charging with rated charging current is going on. |
| Orange | USB power source voltage is too low, charging current is reduced. |
| Green | Charging is finished. |
Power supply compatibility⌗
I tried the following power supplies with the USB-A magnetic charging cable:
| Power supply | USB Type | Protocol | Does it charge? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | QC | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | Yes |
Performance⌗
Specifications from the box:
| ANSI/PLATO FL1 2019 | Turbo2 | Turbo1 | Main3 | Main2 | Main1 | Firefly2 | Firefly1 | Strobe3 | Strobe2 | Strobe1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 3,870 | 1,210 | 420 | 140 | 42 | 6.5 | 0.5 | 3,870 | 3,870 | 140 |
| Runtime | 3h 15min | 3h 20min | 7h | 21h | 64h | 10d | 62d | 6h 50min | 14h | 90h |
| Beam Distance (metres) | 180 | |||||||||
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 8,100 |
Turbo2 drops to 840 lm after 50 sec.
Turbo1 drops to 840 lm after 12 min.
Strobe3 drops to 840 lm after 2 min.
Strobe2 drops to 840 lm after 10 min.
Lumen measurements⌗
I used a UNI-T UT210E clamp meter to measure the current at turn on, except for Firefly1 where I used a UNI-T UT139C digital multimeter.
| Mode | Amps at start | Specs | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firefly1 | 1.52 mA | 0.5 | |||
| Firefly2 | 0.01 A | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Main1 | 0.10 A | 42 | 69 | 67 | 67 |
| Main2 | 0.23 A | 140 | 162 | 159 | 160 |
| Main3 | 0.63 A | 420 | 431 | 426 | 420 |
| Turbo1 | 1.89 A | 1,210 | 1,198 | 1,173 | 1,128 |
| Turbo2 | 7.62 A | 3,870 | 3,738 | 3,733 | 906 |
Firefly1 was too low for my DIY lumen tube to detect.
Standby drain⌗
14.9 µA.
Runtime graphs⌗
I used my own DIY lumen tube with a TSL2591 sensor and forked bmengineer’s project RuTiTe to record runtimes.
Note: Lumen measurements may be off by 10% with my DIY lumen tube.
The room temperature was approximately 18 C.
Runtime⌗
Here is a summary of the runtime results:
| Mode | User manual | Runtime | Turn off | Final voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo2 | 3h 15min | 2h 50min 3s | 3h 44min 39s | 2.88 |
| Turbo1 | 3h 20min | 2h 56min 17s | 3h 43min 5s | 2.89 |
| Main3 | 7h | 7h 23min 40s | 7h 23min 40s | 2.87 |
| Main2 | 21h | 17h 33min 49s | 17h 33min 49s | 2.88 |
| Main1 | 64h | 10min+ | 10min+ | |
| Firefly2 | 10d | 10min+ | 10min+ |
“Runtime” is the time until the output reduces to 10% of the output at 30 seconds (as per the ANSI/PLATO FL1 2019 Standard).
“Turn off” is the time until my DIY lumen tube no longer detects more than one lumen.
“+” indicates that the light remained on after recording had stopped.
Firefly1 was too low for my DIY lumen tube to detect.
Turbo2 continued beyond 4 hours with an output below one lumen.
Turbo1 continued beyond 4 hours with an output below one lumen.
Main3 continued beyond 12 hours with an output below one lumen.
Main2 continued beyond 21 hours with an output below one lumen.
The output is regulated very well and the runtimes are impressive despite falling slightly short of Armytek’s claims.
Throw⌗
I took lux measurements with a UNI-T UT383BT at 30 seconds. Firefly2, Main1 and Main2 were measured at one metre. Main3, Turbo1 and Turbo2 were measured at five metres.
| Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firefly2 | 9 | 6 | ||
| Main1 | 164 | 25 | ||
| Main2 | 378 | 38 | ||
| Main3 | 1,025 | 64 | ||
| Turbo1 | 3,025 | 110 | ||
| Turbo2 | 8,100 | 180 | 9,775 | 197 |
Firefly1 was too low to detect at one metre.
Beamshots⌗
I went to a local park and aimed the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm at a tree 70 metres away while using Turbo2.
Beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 3.2", f3.2, ISO 100, 5000K WB.
Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm (Turbo2)⌗
Armytek Wizard C2 WR Warm (Turbo)⌗
Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Nichia (Turbo)⌗
Cyansky HS5R (Turbo)⌗
Brinyte HL18 Noctua (Turbo)⌗
Conclusion⌗
This long-range headlamp is a beast!
I feel pretty confident taking this headlamp out to work for several hours at night while using the Main2 mode.
The runtimes are awesome, albeit slightly shorter than what Armytek claimed.
The light output is well regulated.
The 180 metre beam distance is an improvement over the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max Warm’s 113 metres. But I kind of expected it to reach over 500 metres for it to be deserving of the title “long-range”. Perhaps Armytek could have called it a “reflector” version. Either way, there is definitely more throw with this headlamp.
71 CRI is a bit low. The Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Nichia has a higher CRI.
I highly recommend getting the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR if you are looking for a headlamp with an excellent runtime and a bit more throw compared to a headlamp with a TIR optic.
Pros:⌗
- Excellent build quality.
- Warm 4000K colour temperature.
- Impressive runtimes.
- Good beam distance.
- Regulated output.
- Comfortable headband.
- Magnetic charging.
- Supports a wide range of 21700 and 18650 cells.
Cons:⌗
- Runtimes fell slightly short of Armytek’s claims.
- Low CRI.
- Unscrew tailcap 1/4 turn to charge.
Price⌗
The Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR Warm is US$115 from armytek.com at the time of writing.
There is also an Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR available in a cool white version.
The Skilhunt H300R with a CREE XHP50.3 HI emitter and an 18650 battery is US$79.90 at the time of writing from skilhunt.com. It has a similar beam distance but the runtime is shorter.
Product page⌗
Here is a 15% promo code: TIMMC