Armytek Prime C2 Pro Max Review

Posted on by TLR

Preface

The Prime C2 Pro Max has very similar user interface as the Armytek Prime C1 Pro but in a larger form factor with much higher output.

Note: Stay tuned till the end of the review for the 15% discount code. The model showcased in this review is the normal Cool White version.

Packaging & First Impressions

This is what the light will come with as shown below.

  • The threads and double o-rings were well lubricated. Threads were smooth and clean (no gritty feeling).
  • It is uncommon for a production light to come with double o-rings, especially when it is not a diving-specific light whereby waterproofness is a key requirement.
  • The side electronic switch requires a slightly firm press to activate and helps in preventing any unwanted activation of the light.
  • There is no pocket clip included with this flashlight.
  • Magnetic tail cap is able to bear the light’s weight when attached horizontally and vertically (upside down) to a flat ferrous metallic surface.
  • Those with larger hands might find it a little challenging to attach the split ring so that the wrist lanyard can be used with the light.
  • Anodizing of the light is uniform without any missing specs.
  • The holster is able to support the full weight of the light and should hold up to the test of time.
  • The provided non-proprietary Armytek 21700 battery will work in other brands’ flashlights or external chargers.
  • Battery compartment can take other 21700 batteries that have a slightly longer and/or thicker battery width. With the 18650 battery adapter, using a high drain 18650 battery will work fine too.
  • Scanning the QR code with your phone/tablet on the box’s back would bring up the Armytek Prime C2 Pro Max’s product page.
  • Flashlight arrived with the mechanical lockout activated.

Front:

Back:

Sides:

Top:

Bottom:

Box Contents:

Quick Overview (Manufacturer Specifications)

  • Body Material: Aluminum
  • Body Color: Black
  • LED: Cree XHP70.2 (White or Warm options)
  • Battery Format: 1 x 21700 / 1 x 18650 (with 18650 Battery Adapter)
  • Output & Runtime (with included Armytek 21700 3.6V/5000mAh battery):
    • Firefly1 (0.4 lumen / 64days)
    • Firefly2 (7 lumens / 10days)
    • Main1 (45 lumens / 2days 16h)
    • Main2 (150 lumens / 21h)
    • Main3 (450 lumens / 6h 25min)
    • Turbo1 (1300 lumens / 3h) → (900 lumens after 37min)
    • Turbo2 (4000 lumens / 3h 4min) → (325 lumens after 2min)
    • Strobe1 (150 lumens @1Hz / 3days 18h)
    • Strobe2 (4000 lumens @1Hz / 12h 30min) → (900 lumens after 25min)
    • Strobe3 (4000 lumens @10Hz / 6h 42min) → (900 lumens after 4min)
  • Max Beam Distance: 260m
  • Waterproofness: IP68 Standard, 10m
  • Impact Resistance: 10m
  • Dimension: 133mm (length) x 41mm (head diameter)
  • Weight: 203g (including battery)
  • Battery reverse polarity protection
  • Accessories Included:
    • 1*Armytek 21700 3.6V/5000mAh battery
    • 1*Magnetic Charging Cable
    • 1*Holster
    • 1*Wrist Lanyard
    • 2*Spare O-Rings
  • MSRP: ~$115

UI (User Interface)

UI for this light is good for Every Day Carry (EDC) as it is somewhat easy to use after the initial learning curve.

Switching ON and OFF is done by the side electronic switch on the light, so no momentary activation is possible.

Simple Operation ⇔ Advance Operation Modes

Follow the steps below to switch between Simple Operation and Advance Operation modes.

  1. From OFF, 1/4 turn (anti-clockwise) of the tail portion of the light.
  2. Press Switch while turning back 1/4 turn (clockwise) for the tail portion of the light. LED will switch ON.
  3. Release Switch, you have successfully change modes.
  4. Repeat Steps 1 to 3, to switch between Simple Operation and Advance Operation modes.

Simple Operation

From OFF:

  • 1 Click  – Last brightness level (all modes are memorized) is activated.
  • HOLD (~1 sec) – Direct access to Firefly1 & Mode Change (light cycles through Firefly1, Firefly2, Main1, Main2 & Main3 → Main1, Main2 & Main3; Turbo is not part of the sequence). RELEASE to select mode.

From ON:

  • 1 Click – Light will switch OFF.
  • 2 Clicks – Direct access to Turbo; 1 Click to switch OFF or 2 Clicks to switch to previous mode.
  • HOLD – Mode change (light cycles through Main1, Main2 & Main3 → Main1, Main2 & Main3; Turbo is not part of the sequence).

Notes:

  1. All strobe modes are not available.
  2. There is 1 Turbo mode available only.
  3. From ON, the Mode Change will cycle through Firefly modes if the current mode is on one of the Firefly modes.

Advance Operation

From OFF:

  • 1 Click  – Last brightness level (all modes are memorized) is activated.
  • 2 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Main Modes Section (Main1 / Main2 / Main3); 1 Click to switch OFF or HOLD down to switch modes (Main1, Main2 & Main3 → Main1, Main2 & Main3).
  • 3 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Turbo Modes Section (Turbo1 / Turbo2); 1 Click to switch OFF or HOLD down to switch modes (Turbo1 & Turbo2 → Turbo1 & Turbo2).
  • 4 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Strobe Modes Section (Strobe1 / Strobe2 / Strobe3); 1 Click to switch OFF or HOLD down to switch modes (Strobe1,  Strobe2 & Strobe3 → Strobe1,  Strobe2 & Strobe3).
  • HOLD (~1 sec) – Direct access to Firefly1 & Mode Change (light cycles through Firefly1, Firefly2, Main1, Main2, Main3 & Turbo1 → Firefly1, Firefly2, Main1, Main2, Main3 & Turbo1; Turbo2 & Strobes are not part of the sequence). RELEASE to select mode, Firefly Mode Section is selected if selected mode is Firefly1 or Firefly2.

From ON (Firefly Mode Section):

  • 1 Click – Light will switch OFF.
  • HOLD – Mode change (light cycles through Firefly1 & Firefly2 → Firefly1 & Firefly2).
  • 2 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Main Modes Section (Main1 / Main2 / Main3); 1 Click to switch OFF / 2 Clicks to return to previous Firefly mode / 3 Clicks to go to Turbo Modes Section / 4 Clicks to go to Strobe Modes Section.
  • 3 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Turbo Modes Section (Turbo1 / Turbo2); 1 Click to switch OFF / 2 Clicks to go to Main Modes Section / 4 Clicks to go to Strobe Modes Section.
  • 4 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Strobe Modes Section (Strobe1 / Strobe2 / Strobe3); 1 Click to switch OFF / 2 Clicks to go to Main Modes Section / 3 Clicks to go to Turbo Modes Section.

From ON (Main Mode Section):

  • 1 Click – Light will switch OFF.
  • HOLD – Mode change (light cycles through Main1, Main2 & Main3 → Main1, Main2 & Main3).
  • 2 Clicks – Direct access to previous Firefly Mode Section (Firefly1 / Firefly2); 1 Click to switch OFF / 2 Clicks to return to previous Main mode / 3 Clicks to go to Turbo Modes Section / 4 Clicks to go to Strobe Modes Section.
  • 3 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Turbo Modes Section (Turbo1 / Turbo2); 1 Click to switch OFF / 2 Clicks to go to Main Modes Section / 4 Clicks to go to Strobe Modes Section.
  • 4 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Strobe Modes Section (Strobe1 / Strobe2 / Strobe3); 1 Click to switch OFF / 2 Clicks to go to Main Modes Section / 3 Clicks to go to Turbo Modes Section.

From ON (Turbo Mode Section):

  • 1 Click – Light will switch OFF.
  • HOLD – Mode change (light cycles through Turbo1 & Turbo2 → Turbo1 & Turbo2).
  • 2 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Main Modes Section (Main1 / Main2 / Main3); 1 Click to switch OFF /2 Clicks to return to previous Firefly mode / 3 Clicks to go to Turbo Modes Section again / 4 Clicks to go to Strobe Modes Section.
  • 4 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Strobe Modes Section (Strobe1 / Strobe2 / Strobe3); 1 Click to switch OFF / 2 Clicks to go to Main Modes Section / 3 Clicks to go back to Turbo Modes Section.

From ON (Strobe Mode Section):

  • 1 Click – Light will switch OFF.
  • HOLD – Mode change (light cycles through Strobe1,  Strobe2 & Strobe3 → Strobe1,  Strobe2 & Strobe3).
  • 2 Clicks – Direct access to previous Main Mode Section (Main1 / Main2 / Main3); 1 Click to switch OFF / 2 Clicks to go to Firefly Modes Section / 3 Clicks to go to Turbo Modes Section / 4 Clicks to go to Strobe Modes Section.
  • 3 Clicks – Direct access to last brightness level of Turbo Modes Section (Turbo1 / Turbo2); 1 Click to switch OFF / 2 Clicks to go to Main Modes Section / 4 Clicks to go back to Strobe Modes Section.

Notes:

  1. There is a total of 4 Modes Sections:
    1. Firefly (Firefly1 & Firefly2)
    2. Main (Main1, Main2 & Main3)
    3. Turbo (Turbo1 & Turbo2)
    4. Strobe (Strobe1, Strobe2 & Strobe3)

Multicolor State Indication

There are 3 operating modes for the Multicolor State Indication function.

  1. Indication is switched OFF partially → For Firefly modes and in OFF state only (default option from factory).
  2. Indication is switched ON.
  3. Indication is switched OFF completely.

Follow the steps below to switch among (A), (B) and (C) operating modes.

  1. From OFF, 1/4 turn (anti-clockwise) of the tail portion of the light.
  2. Press Switch while turning back 1/4 turn (clockwise) of the tail portion of the light and 1/4 turn (anti-clockwise) of the tail portion of the light again.
  3. Release Switch.
  4. Repeat Steps 1 to 3, to switch among (A), (B) and (C) operating modes. Settings will be retained even after switching battery.

The 3 separate functions whereby the respective LED behind the Switch will flash accordingly are as follows.

  1. Battery Level Indication
    1. Green LED → 1 Flash every 4 seconds (Battery >25%)
    2. Orange LED → 1 Flash every 2 seconds (Battery <25%)
    3. Red LED → 1 Flash every 1 second (Battery <10%, recharge immediately)
  2. Temperature Indication
    1. Orange LED → 3 Flashes every 2 seconds (High Temperature)
    2. Red LED → 3 Flashes every 1 second (Critical Temperature)
  3. Light Locator (if activated when function is switched ON in above situation (A) and (B)).

Power Indicator

The main LED (not Switch LED) will flash accordingly:

  • 2 Flashes – Power is <25%

Form Factor

For flashlights that are intended to use on a daily basis (EDC) and for possibly a longer period of time, form factor is extremely important.

This flashlight feels well balanced (not head/tail-heavy) and will fit well in a clenched medium sized hand. Easy activation of the side protruding switch can be done using the thumb.

The few grooves help to make the flashlight slightly “grippy”, even with wet hands/gloves but not overly aggressive (i.e. still fabric and pockets-friendly).

This flashlight is capable of tail-stand or head-stand perfectly without the slightest wobble.

Charging Process

With the provided USB Magnetic Charging Cable, the battery was charging at ~1.16A.

In order to start charging, 1/4 turn (anti-clockwise) of the tail portion of the light has to be done first (mechanical LOCKOUT is activated). As the mechanical LOCKOUT is activated, the light will not be operable during the charging process.

The following indicators on the Magnetic Charging head depicts the following:

  • Solid RED → Charging in progress.
  • Solid ORANGE → Slow charging in progress (due to low USB charging output).
  • Solid GREEN → Charging has completed (see below picture).
  • Blinking RED → Ensure 1/4 turn (anti-clockwise) of the tail portion of the headlamp, to start charging.
  • Blinking ORANGE → USB charging output is too low; use another USB charger / clean tail cap & threads.
  • Blinking GREEN → Checking of battery voltage.

Beam Style/Beamshots

The spill, corona and hotspot is somewhat predictable due to the smooth and deep reflector used. The LED is well centered for this sample. Hence, the beam has both “throw” and some flood for recognizing items in the near to mid-range distance.

The above beam profile is a rough interpretation of what is seen when white wall hunting.

The beam has a circular hotspot with some slight corona and squarish spill. There are some beam artifacts in the beam when whitewall hunting but not visible in real world usage.

All of the beamshots taken below are done so with the following camera settings (Firefly1: 5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Firefly2: 1.3sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Main1: 0.5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Main2: 1/4sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Main3: 1/6sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Turbo1: 1/10sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and Turbo2: 1/20sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB).
Some pictures have been adjusted slightly to depict as close as to what is seen in real life. The distance of the light from the door is 4.6m.

Control shot:

Firefly1 (0.4 lumen):

Firefly2 (7 lumens):

Main1 (45 lumens):

Main2 (150 lumens):

Main3 (450 lumens):

Turbo1 (1300 lumens):

Turbo2 (4000 lumens):

Mode (Output) Spacing

Mode spacing appears to be progressively brighter to the eye and the modes are well spaced enough to be able to know which mode one is currently in. With that in mind, TLR tend to view mode spacing as battery life indicators (amount of runtime left) rather than the specific output (lumens).

The Firefly1 mode at 0.4 lumen which is about perfect for bedtime night snack runs/washroom runs or with night-adjusted eyes.

Tint & CRI

Armytek did not disclose the tint (color temperature) and/or the CRI (Color Rendering Index) for the LEDs used in their light. For this light, a guesstimate would be in the 6500K and 70CRI ballpark.

However, there are tint shifts throughout the beam profile. The hotspot is a cool white tint whilst the corona possess a slight yellowish tint; and the spill having a slight purple tint.
This is still slightly noticeable in real life usage.

Waterproofness

The light was subjected to warm water submersion, followed by cold water submersion and left under room temperature running water tap whilst running on Turbo2.

No signs of water intrusion in the head, switch or body was seen.

Lockout Capability

Mechanical lockout is possible when needed, like during transportation in a bag.

A quarter turn (anti-clockwise) of the tail portion of the light will enable Mechanical LOCKOUT.

Scale Comparison (Ruler)

Summary

To sum up, we believe that the most important part of any review is if given the chance to purchase the same light for our own EDC or to gift to our loved ones out from one’s pocket (wallet), would we still do it?
For this flashlight, it is a YES, if the slightly larger form factor (due to the deep reflector) used and lack of pocket clip are not an issue for your usage.

The smooth deep reflector (yes, a flashlight with reflector is getting less common in recent times with most manufacturers preferring to use the TIR optics instead), LED option of Cool White or Warm White, Multicolor State Indicator function, customizable UI with Direct Access to Firefly/Main/Turbo/Strobe Mode Sections from OFF, magnet in the tail cap, nice holster and USB Magnetic Charging option are all plus points for this flashlight.

That said, we do hope that Armytek will have the small split ring for the wrist lanyard pre-installed from the factory as it is not exactly easy to install it with larger hands.

Here is a bonus size comparison with some of the other flashlights we reviewed previously.
From Left to Right: Armytek Prime C1 Pro, Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR and Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max, Olight Seeker 2 Pro, Armytek Prime C2 Pro Max and Nitecore MH12 Pro.

As with all gears, two is one and one is none.

Stay safe,
The Lite Review

Disclaimer: Light was provided for by Armytek (manufacturer) for this review. No other compensation was provided.

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Armytek Prime C2 Pro Max

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