interesting new headlamp design

[ryan162]

i found these while researching headlamp options. they are pricey but they have a CR123 version and a 18650 one. i like the idea of them because they are all flood and use the batteries id already have have with me. light output is average and run times are quite long. anyone using this style? i can imagine the flood style light would be handy for ladders.
zebralight H30 $47

zebralight H60 $79


and here are the knock offs
Ultrafire UF-H1 $35

Ultrafire UF-H3 $35.99

[ryan162]

i went ahead and ordered two of the Ultrafire UF-H3 (18650 powered) lights from HKequipment. ill write a review here when i receive them. i bet the price will come down on these soon because the prices are high in HKequipment for the other stuff they have and they are currently the best prices on the UF-H* line. I can already tell you the same rules for any cheap light will apply to these....ill take them apart and fix them where they need it and use them for EDC before the mines. Beam shots can be found here for the zebra lights.
http://fonarevka.lux-rc.com/. i expect the Ultrafires will be on par with brightness because they are using the same UI as the zebralights so most likely they are the same drivers as Zebra.

[Jeff]

Let us know how they turn out. Did http://www.dealextreme.com/ have them ?

[ryan162]

no, there kinda rare right now. the HK store didnt even have them yesterday. Kaidomain has the H1 and H2 but it has incorrect info for both so i dont know whats up with them. when DX gets them id bet they will be priced better

it will be awhile for a review. they have to take the slow boat to America and then the military plane to where im working. ill probably have them in 2.5 weeks or so.

i was very temped to get the amazingly small cr123 style, but it came down to what battery's do i want to have more on hand in the mines and the 18650 won out.

[BFELabs]

Little late to this party, but FWIW... One of my crew introduced the Zebralight to us, via the M60 Model. He used it extensively in the mines here, and has had excellent results with it (His write up of it can be found here: http://specialcircumstancesinc.blogs...mp-review.html ).
We're very impressed, and it's my recommended head-lamp anymore. I plan to replace most of my headlamps with one or another of the Zebralight models. They are relatively well priced, compared to other headlamps of their build-quality from name-manufacturers (such as SureFire), and I've got little objections to the cost for the quality, durability and support from the manufacturer. They appear to be very resilient for the mine environment, and inspire the confidence that they'll last a good long time even with rather rough use.
I'll stick to the originals over the knock-offs, I respect their innovation and ingenuity enough to pay for it (Not to be too moralistic - If they were knock offs of the similar SureFire design, I'd buy them in a heartbeat ). I think that if all you're after is the functionality of this minimalistic form factor, the knock offs should be fine.

[ryan162]

Ultrafire UF-H3 review

Manufacture specs: (A.K.A not often correct spec

* Cree XR-E Q5 LED, Max 230Lumens
* Single switch for easy operation
* Press for on/off, hold when powered on for adjust lighting level
* Soft touch push switch, minimum operating life of one million cycles
* Impact resistant LEXAN polycarbonate lens, provide lighting for wide area
* Precision machined casing from solid aircraft grade aluminum rods, with superior structural strength
* Durable hard anodized finish
* Magnetic headlight end let you stable the light on steel surface
* Reverse polarity protection
* Water and Dust proof for adverse weather
* Pocket clip installed
* Use 1x 18650 3.7v batteries (not included). burn time 150mins
* Size 9.5cm x 2.3cm
* Weight 95g (battery excluded)
* Ultrafire High Quality adjustable headband for H Series included



Initial impressions:

These are extremely light weight. The stated 95 grams seems about right or maybe even a bit high. When empty, it is lighter then my empty Ultrafire A20. At first it looked as though my batteries were too long but it turns out I was just afraid to tighten the cap down as tight as it needed to be. I use the common DX #05790 batteries that are roughly 66.3 mm long. Anything longer and you will most likely run into trouble. The head band is better made then I expected and include an awesome nylon thing that the clip can slide into to attach the light to the band quickly and effectively. The magnetic tail cap works but is not overly strong for the size of the H3. It will hold it in any angle but would not continue holding onto a car door if you closed it for example. The beam is all flood, any perceived increase in throw over a Zebralight would be negligible at best.

UI:

It’s quite impressive and fancy really. On the first click it turns on high. If you continue to hold or click again(and hold) it slowly ramps down to low and then ramps slowly back up to high and repeats this cycle until you release the button. Button stiffness is quite right. It’s stiff enough to help avoid turning on in the pocket but light enough so that it works every time you intentionally press it. One handed operation is not a problem. High mode is x amps and low is x amps. (no reliably multimeter here ATT). I do not hear or see any PWM at any level. Interestingly one light can hit a lower level then the other. It is so low on the one that you can comfortably look directly at the led. EDIT: Both lights are the same, but i just got lucky and hit the exact spot of the lowest setting on one.

Build quality:

The threads are a very fine pitch and show no obvious defects. One light was missing an o-ring and had dry threads the other had an o-ring and was lubricated just about right. The anodizing is consistent between the two lights and the caps match in color. Unfortunately I cannot seem to take these apart to comment on the internals. Removing the screws from the top does not seem to allow the switch to be removed, nore any of the other guts to come loose without some pulling that I’m not ready to do on a new light. You can however remove the rubber cap and I’m sure it would swap out with a Zebralight glow in the dark one. It is however different than the average rubber cap so the DX glow in the dark units will probably never work as good as the original button cap.

The dunk test:

Are you kidding me? It’s not a dive light! Lol sorry just a little CPF reference. The light with the o-ring should have no issue other then the lens area. I can’t tell without disassembly if there is anything at the lens to seal it. There is however a small lip externally that you could easily toothpick some silicone onto it for extra insurance if you are the type to walk in the dark, while it’s raining, using an all flood headlamp. I’d expect these to work, as any other light, in that it will be fine in any rain you care to walk in and survive a quick puddle drop.

Final thoughts:

These work great for what they are. I hope they hold up but I expect they will since they are working new out of the box and that is the greatest test for any “off brand” light.

Updates to include pictures and any further findings from repeated use

Here is the outside of the flashlights and its size in comparison with a 18650 cell. The pic makes it look alot longer for some reason lol. It's not that much bigger. the cell is 67mm and the headlamp is 95mm.


In addition to the elastic loops on the head band there is this section that you can slide the clip through. This feature was a nice surprise and has proven handy for working on aircraft. It doesn't hold tight but it hold well enough for working


Here is the insides as far as I can get without breaking something. the led is jammed against the lens and then the aluminum block wedges the assembly against the other wall. There's plenty of thermal paste in there but id have liked to see some on the other side of the block as well to carry the heat to the body better. They aren't driven very hard anyhow.

[Joanne]

Thanks for the info on this light.

It's great to have info like this on the forum where everyone can find it and make informed purchasing decisions.

Joanne

[ryan162]

1 year later and this light has been my daily carry at my job for over 9 monthes in addition to mine exploring duty. i work at night so its gotten plenty of use. there is a design flaw in the version i have that has since been fixed by ultrafire. my light has worn out the bottom battey contact after several monthes of use. ive had to fix it with solder . the new light is the UF-H3D. it has a better battery cap design and a better head strap. id still recomend either version for the price but the updated one is worth looking for.

[Stuart]

Sweet, glad to hear it is still working well for you. I should consider getting a couple of them for backup.