A few weeks ago i was contacted by a lady from the Shenzhen xtar company in China asking me if i would be interested in reviewing one of their “Professional” flashlights.
As it happened my forthcoming itinerary included a hike this coming weekend as part of a large group where a torch would be a necessity.
A number of emails went back and forth between us and i was very wisely sent the Xtar H1 Multifunctional Head torch. It came today along with a really smart VC2 charging unit but alas no batteries. The unit takes the 14500 type of battery as well as the std AA battery we are all used to.
What better a time to put it through its paces.
However, in typical fashion i have hurt my knee and the likelihood of me being able to walk this weekend is looking slimmer by the day. I am still hopeful and fingers crossed that the swelling around the knee joint will subside and the pain disappear. I am doing all i can to make it happen.
I plan to do an end user review of the H1 and the charger as soon as possible and so i won’t bore you with spec’s etc here. Anyway, anyone who is interested can have a glimpse at this address. Its a nice piece of kit that’s for sure and i can’t wait to try it out.
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Be careful with your batteries: 14500 are usually 3.7 volt lithium ion or lithium phosphate (3.3v?), AA rechargeables are usually NiCd or NiMh, 1.2v. AA non rechargeables are 1.5v.
ReplyDeleteJJ
Thanks JJ. You are of course quite correct. The torch has circuitry to use both types and the efficiency varirs quite staggeringly between them. Its a pity Satmap dont use the 14500.
DeleteBe interested to read this Alan. My rather old Tikka has developed an intermittent flicker and I am worried it is going to give up. At the moment it is looking like I will get a Tikka XP but have been looking at other makes as well. With a lot of the none mainstream companies I notice the battery life is very poor and from the website info seems the same (between 2 and 4 hours).
ReplyDeleteThanks David. Yes with std AA on max power of 120 lumins you get 2.1 hrs. And on min you get 95 hrs.
DeleteWith 14500 battery you get an extra power setting of a huge 330 lumins for 1.5hrs or 180 hours on minimum. Not bad for a single AA size battery which can be bought pretty much anywhere even in remote post offices for example.
I will report back when i can get out and try it in anger.
Sorry to see you are a wee bit crook Alan. Hope you are on the mend soon. That looks an interesting bit of kit. Currently I run my Tikka on lithium batteries.
ReplyDeleteHi Dawn. Thanks. I seem to have twisted my knee and i am struggling to put any weight on it. Its a real nuisance. The whole piece of kit is well made and very light at 53grams. (Less battery) lighter than the Tikka i think.
DeleteLooks a lot like a Zebralight? Wonder who came first?
ReplyDeleteHi Andy, Yes it does. The H1 came out in 2013. Maybe i can do some digging and find out while i am laid up.
ReplyDeleteHi Andy, I may be wrong but it seems that the Zebra came onto the market before the H1 and although design wise they are similar looking i have not found a true like for like model. The H1 does seem to have more to it than the small Zebra head torch.
DeleteYou could of course ditch the house electrics and use only the new piece of kit to find your way about and use that as a basis for a report.
ReplyDeleteWhat and do my other knee in!ha. Its a thought but i havnt been out to buy a battery yet. I also feel i need to be out in the surroundings its meant for ie the outdoors. Thanks for the suggestion and you never know, i may give it a go.
DeleteVC2 charger is our new arrival, and it definitely worth reviewing carefully.
ReplyDeleteNew batteries now on charge for flashlight test ASAP. The VC2 is a smart charger.
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