Armytek Barracuda "Thrower" [ XM-L U2, 2x18650, 4x(R)CR123A ] Review

candle lamp · 13.03.2013, 13:32

The Barracuda is a high output "thrower" light with a XM-L U2 emitter from Armytek. The light runs on 2x18650's or 4x(R)CR123A's batteries.

The light comes in a very nice plastic carry case with cut-out foam. Inside is the light, holster, two spare o-rings, tailcap rubber switch boot.
No instruction (or user manual) included, but I could download it on Armytek website.
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Manufacturer Specifications from Armytek website :

• Constant brightness in all modes
• Advanced electronic reverse polarity protection
• The reflector of the ArmyTek Barracuda flashlight is modeled and calculated in computer software for the design of optical systems that enables to produce a flawless light beam for a distance more than 500 meters.
• Ultra-transparent and tempered glass with anti-reflective and lens coating normally used in photo equipment only.
• The transparency of the glass is 98-99%.
• World's first search and rescue flashlight designed on the basis of the new-generation electronic driver with FLAT runtime technology.
• Advanced electronic protection from incorrect battery installation, without reducing the efficiency of the driver.
• Smooth light output. Important notice: no irritating flicker effects.
• Ecological algorithm of the stabilization control, which decreases the power consumption, making the flashlight very effective.
• Excellent runtimes for all modes due to high efficient electronics.
• The ability to use batteries with a flat contact.
• Protection from switching on accidentally (special turn of the tailcap).
• Water resistance standard: IPX-8 (the highest)

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Like the Predator & Predator X, the anodizing (seems type III) is a very matt black and consistent throughout with no chips or blemishes of other faults to be found on its surface. Lettering is clear and bright white against the black background. There is no knurling on the light, but grip is better than expect, thanks to the unique anodizing finish. There is nothing on the body works as an anti-roll device.
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The light comes apart into three parts (i.e. head, battery tube and tailcap) without the use of tools.
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The head has a black flat-ended stainless steel bezel ring with hard titanium coating. I understand gold or silver color bezel is also available. There are four shallow recessed lines around the top area of the head and three cooling fins around the bottom area.
The light has an O-ring & extra L-ring of a specific shape between the bezel and reflector. There is a spring on the positive contact plate in the head, so flat-top batteries should work fine. Armytek, however, recommend you use the protected Li-ion batteries, because the light has no low voltage indication for batteries. The light has electrical reverse polarity protection function to protect from improper battery installation.
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.

The light uses ultra-transparent (transparency : 98~99%) and tempered AR coating lens. The greenish blue hue is reflected on the lens. The aluminum reflector has a smooth pattern and it's fairly deep. Surface finish on the reflector is perfect from visual inspection, and well-centered XM-L U2 LED sits at the bottom of the reflector cup. There is a new XM-L2 U2 emitter version.
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.

There are six longitudinal shallow flat faces on the head which provide good grip for twisting body. The light has much longer head than a 2x18650 sized lights, due to a fairly deep reflector. Scroll down for seeing the head length of other lights.
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.

The battery tube (or body) has a clean cylindrical tube design with two flat faces machined on where manufacturer name with working voltage & model name are printed. The body lacks knurling to speak of, but grip is better than I expected. Grip is acceptable, but it's a bit slippery when twisting the body with wet hands. The body tube is wide to take protected 2x 18650 cells, as well as 4x(R)CR123A. I didn't experience any issues with longer cells.
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.

Threads on both ends are well machined, with the those on the rear end being anodized which allows the light to be locked-out when the tailcap is slightly loosened. The screws threads are good quality square-cut. There are double O-rings on both ends. As supplied, threads on both ends are well lubricated.
Threads on either ends on the battery tube mate well with the head and tailcap with no issues of cross-threading or grinding.
.
.

The wall thickness of the battery tube is thick, and the light looks sturdy & solid.
.
.

The tailcap switch is a forward clicky. The rubber switch cap is protruded from the tail end which is stainless steel. It means the tail switch is very good to access. But the light can't tailstand. The negative terminal at the tailcap has a strong elastic spring covered with a metal flat disc to increase surface contact area and have no risk of scratching battery. There are no holes allow you to unscrew the metal ring to access the switch. You can access by unscrewing the outer stainless steel ring on the tail end. The switch has average tension with short travel and tactile clicking feedback.
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User Interface

The light is turned on/off by the forward tailcap switch (i.e., press for momentary on, click for lock on). There are two lines (First line & Second line), and the output modes are arranged in two lines. Head tight means "First line", and head loosened means "Second line".

The 1'st line (i.e., head tightened) has Turbo mode only. There are three modes (i.e., Low, Med., High) in the 2'nd line.

When soft-pressing or rapid Off/On clicking of the tailcap switch in the 1'st line, the light always comes on in Turbo mode. When soft-pressing or rapid Off/On clicking the tail switch in the 2'nd line, the light always comes on in Low mode. The light has no memory for the last setting used (i.e., mode sequence is Low > Med. > High, in repeating sequence). There is no flashing modes (i.e, Strobe or SOS modes)
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From left to right, VicLite 18650(2600mAh) protected, Skyray STL-V2, Armytek Barracuda, Crelant 7G5CS U3. As you can see the above, the head of Barracuda is fairly long.
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The head size & body weight excluding battery of two lights are as follows :
STL-V2 - 61.9mm / 261g, Barracuda - 64mm / 392g, 7G5CS U3 - 64mm / 336g
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Barracuda is long light, as expected from a 2x18650's or 4x(R)CR123A's powered light since the batteries are arranged end-to-end. The overall size and weight of the light is reasonable for this class. If you want to carry it and have it feel well balanced, you need to shift to a grip nearer the head. Overall grip is acceptable.
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.

The light comes with a basic nylon holster with a velcro strap on the head. The light fits in the holster head-up only. It has a loop allows to carry it in horizontal position for belt.
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.

The 18650 & CR123A fit well in the tube. All types (i.e., true flat-tops, wide and small button-tops) of 18650's work fine. As noted above, the manufacturer recommend you use the protected 18650 cells. Overall build quality is excellent.
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Measured Dimensions & Weight

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PWM

The Barracuda shows no sign of PWM at any output modes. I think the light is constant current controlled as manufacturer claims. I noticed there is no buzzing sound at any levels.
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Runtime

The runtime for 10% output of Turbo & High mode is as follows :
1) Turbo mode : 94 min.
2) High mode : 171 min.

Runtime performance is very good and flat regulation is evident on Turbo & High mode I tested. The light settles around the 97% & 99% output mark of the initial output on Turbo & High respectively for the runtime with cooling. Runtime performance for 2x18650's seems quite consistent with the reported Armytek specifications.
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Relative Output Comparison

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Beamshot

1. White door beamshot (about 50cm from the white door)
- ISO100, F/3.5, 1/400sec, Auto white balance

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- ISO100, F/3.5, 1/500sec, Auto white balance

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- ISO100, F/3.5, 1/1000sec, Auto white balance

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2. White door beamshot (about 50cm from the white door)
- ISO100, F/3.2, 1/320sec, Auto white balance

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- ISO100, F/3.2, 1/500sec, Auto white balance

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- ISO100, F/3.2, 1/800sec, Auto white balance

The light shows a small size hot spot and medium spill beam for this class. Generally the beam is clean. A corona surrounds the hotspot which makes the hotspot seems slightly wider than it actually is. [New 13.03.15] The spill beam region is not too dim compared to the hot spot. The spill is narrower, probably due to fact that the Barracuda's reflector is relatively deeper than 7G5CS and the diameter of both heads is the same. The beam has a cool temperature, but close to neutral white on my review sample. [New 13.03.15]
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3. Indoor beamshot (about 7m from the target)
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1/4sec, Auto white balance

-Control Shot
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- 7G5CS U3
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- Barracuda
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5. 60~65m Outdoor Beamshot
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance

-Control Shot
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- 7G5CS U3
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- Barracuda
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6. 130m Outdoor Beamshot
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance

- Control Shot
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- 7G5CS U3
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-Barracuda
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6. 130m Outdoor Beamshot
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance

- Control Shot
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-7G5CS U3
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- Barracuda
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7. 155m Outdoor Beamshot
- ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance

-Control Shot
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-7G5CS U3
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-Barracuda
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Barracuda supplied by Armytek for review. Thanks!

13.03.2013, 13:32	1
candle lamp Увлеченный Регистрация: 01.08.2011 Последняя активность: 09.06.2017 16:17 Адрес: South Korea Сообщений: 132 Сказал(а) спасибо: 4 Поблагодарили: 401 раз(а) в 86 сообщениях	Armytek Barracuda "Thrower" [ XM-L U2, 2x18650, 4x(R)CR123A ] Review The Barracuda is a high output "thrower" light with a XM-L U2 emitter from Armytek. The light runs on 2x18650's or 4x(R)CR123A's batteries. The light comes in a very nice plastic carry case with cut-out foam. Inside is the light, holster, two spare o-rings, tailcap rubber switch boot. No instruction (or user manual) included, but I could download it on Armytek website. . . Manufacturer Specifications from Armytek website : • Constant brightness in all modes • Advanced electronic reverse polarity protection • The reflector of the ArmyTek Barracuda flashlight is modeled and calculated in computer software for the design of optical systems that enables to produce a flawless light beam for a distance more than 500 meters. • Ultra-transparent and tempered glass with anti-reflective and lens coating normally used in photo equipment only. • The transparency of the glass is 98-99%. • World's first search and rescue flashlight designed on the basis of the new-generation electronic driver with FLAT runtime technology. • Advanced electronic protection from incorrect battery installation, without reducing the efficiency of the driver. • Smooth light output. Important notice: no irritating flicker effects. • Ecological algorithm of the stabilization control, which decreases the power consumption, making the flashlight very effective. • Excellent runtimes for all modes due to high efficient electronics. • The ability to use batteries with a flat contact. • Protection from switching on accidentally (special turn of the tailcap). • Water resistance standard: IPX-8 (the highest) . . Like the Predator & Predator X, the anodizing (seems type III) is a very matt black and consistent throughout with no chips or blemishes of other faults to be found on its surface. Lettering is clear and bright white against the black background. There is no knurling on the light, but grip is better than expect, thanks to the unique anodizing finish. There is nothing on the body works as an anti-roll device. . . The light comes apart into three parts (i.e. head, battery tube and tailcap) without the use of tools. . . The head has a black flat-ended stainless steel bezel ring with hard titanium coating. I understand gold or silver color bezel is also available. There are four shallow recessed lines around the top area of the head and three cooling fins around the bottom area. The light has an O-ring & extra L-ring of a specific shape between the bezel and reflector. There is a spring on the positive contact plate in the head, so flat-top batteries should work fine. Armytek, however, recommend you use the protected Li-ion batteries, because the light has no low voltage indication for batteries. The light has electrical reverse polarity protection function to protect from improper battery installation. . . The light uses ultra-transparent (transparency : 98~99%) and tempered AR coating lens. The greenish blue hue is reflected on the lens. The aluminum reflector has a smooth pattern and it's fairly deep. Surface finish on the reflector is perfect from visual inspection, and well-centered XM-L U2 LED sits at the bottom of the reflector cup. There is a new XM-L2 U2 emitter version. . . There are six longitudinal shallow flat faces on the head which provide good grip for twisting body. The light has much longer head than a 2x18650 sized lights, due to a fairly deep reflector. Scroll down for seeing the head length of other lights. . . The battery tube (or body) has a clean cylindrical tube design with two flat faces machined on where manufacturer name with working voltage & model name are printed. The body lacks knurling to speak of, but grip is better than I expected. Grip is acceptable, but it's a bit slippery when twisting the body with wet hands. The body tube is wide to take protected 2x 18650 cells, as well as 4x(R)CR123A. I didn't experience any issues with longer cells. . . Threads on both ends are well machined, with the those on the rear end being anodized which allows the light to be locked-out when the tailcap is slightly loosened. The screws threads are good quality square-cut. There are double O-rings on both ends. As supplied, threads on both ends are well lubricated. Threads on either ends on the battery tube mate well with the head and tailcap with no issues of cross-threading or grinding. . . The wall thickness of the battery tube is thick, and the light looks sturdy & solid. . . The tailcap switch is a forward clicky. The rubber switch cap is protruded from the tail end which is stainless steel. It means the tail switch is very good to access. But the light can't tailstand. The negative terminal at the tailcap has a strong elastic spring covered with a metal flat disc to increase surface contact area and have no risk of scratching battery. There are no holes allow you to unscrew the metal ring to access the switch. You can access by unscrewing the outer stainless steel ring on the tail end. The switch has average tension with short travel and tactile clicking feedback. . . User Interface The light is turned on/off by the forward tailcap switch (i.e., press for momentary on, click for lock on). There are two lines (First line & Second line), and the output modes are arranged in two lines. Head tight means "First line", and head loosened means "Second line". The 1'st line (i.e., head tightened) has Turbo mode only. There are three modes (i.e., Low, Med., High) in the 2'nd line. When soft-pressing or rapid Off/On clicking of the tailcap switch in the 1'st line, the light always comes on in Turbo mode. When soft-pressing or rapid Off/On clicking the tail switch in the 2'nd line, the light always comes on in Low mode. The light has no memory for the last setting used (i.e., mode sequence is Low > Med. > High, in repeating sequence). There is no flashing modes (i.e, Strobe or SOS modes) . . From left to right, VicLite 18650(2600mAh) protected, Skyray STL-V2, Armytek Barracuda, Crelant 7G5CS U3. As you can see the above, the head of Barracuda is fairly long. . . The head size & body weight excluding battery of two lights are as follows : STL-V2 - 61.9mm / 261g, Barracuda - 64mm / 392g, 7G5CS U3 - 64mm / 336g . . Barracuda is long light, as expected from a 2x18650's or 4x(R)CR123A's powered light since the batteries are arranged end-to-end. The overall size and weight of the light is reasonable for this class. If you want to carry it and have it feel well balanced, you need to shift to a grip nearer the head. Overall grip is acceptable. . . The light comes with a basic nylon holster with a velcro strap on the head. The light fits in the holster head-up only. It has a loop allows to carry it in horizontal position for belt. . . The 18650 & CR123A fit well in the tube. All types (i.e., true flat-tops, wide and small button-tops) of 18650's work fine. As noted above, the manufacturer recommend you use the protected 18650 cells. Overall build quality is excellent. . . Measured Dimensions & Weight . . PWM The Barracuda shows no sign of PWM at any output modes. I think the light is constant current controlled as manufacturer claims. I noticed there is no buzzing sound at any levels. . . Runtime The runtime for 10% output of Turbo & High mode is as follows : 1) Turbo mode : 94 min. 2) High mode : 171 min. Runtime performance is very good and flat regulation is evident on Turbo & High mode I tested. The light settles around the 97% & 99% output mark of the initial output on Turbo & High respectively for the runtime with cooling. Runtime performance for 2x18650's seems quite consistent with the reported Armytek specifications. . . Relative Output Comparison . . Beamshot 1. White door beamshot (about 50cm from the white door) - ISO100, F/3.5, 1/400sec, Auto white balance . . - ISO100, F/3.5, 1/500sec, Auto white balance . . - ISO100, F/3.5, 1/1000sec, Auto white balance . . 2. White door beamshot (about 50cm from the white door) - ISO100, F/3.2, 1/320sec, Auto white balance . . - ISO100, F/3.2, 1/500sec, Auto white balance . . - ISO100, F/3.2, 1/800sec, Auto white balance The light shows a small size hot spot and medium spill beam for this class. Generally the beam is clean. A corona surrounds the hotspot which makes the hotspot seems slightly wider than it actually is. *[New 13.03.15]* The spill beam region is not too dim compared to the hot spot. The spill is narrower, probably due to fact that the Barracuda's reflector is relatively deeper than 7G5CS and the diameter of both heads is the same. The beam has a cool temperature, but close to neutral white on my review sample. *[New 13.03.15]* . . 3. Indoor beamshot (about 7m from the target) - ISO100, F/2.8, 1/4sec, Auto white balance -Control Shot . . - 7G5CS U3 . . - Barracuda . . . . 5. 60~65m Outdoor Beamshot - ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance -Control Shot . . - 7G5CS U3 . . - Barracuda . . . . 6. 130m Outdoor Beamshot - ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance - Control Shot . . - 7G5CS U3 . . -Barracuda . . . . 6. 130m Outdoor Beamshot - ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance - Control Shot . . -7G5CS U3 . . - Barracuda . . . . 7. 155m Outdoor Beamshot - ISO100, F/2.8, 1sec, Auto white balance -Control Shot . . -7G5CS U3 . . -Barracuda . . . . Barracuda supplied by Armytek for review. Thanks! [Исправлено: candle lamp, 15.03.2013 в 15:31] Причина: Correction of runtime graph title (XM-L2 U2--> XM-L U2) & [New 13.03.15]