Armytek Prime C1 Pro Review

Posted on by TLR

Preface

The Prime C1 Pro has very similar user interface as the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max and Wizard C2 Pro Max LR but in a much smaller form factor.

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

Packaging & First Impressions

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

  • The threads and o-ring were well lubricated. Threads were smooth and clean (no gritty feeling).
  • The side electronic switch requires a slightly firm press to activate and helps in preventing any unwanted activation of the light.
  • The pocket clip does not comes pre-installed from factory.
  • Pocket clip seems to be not easily removable and it will provide the ability to attach to a baseball cap plus provide deep pocket carry (bezel up).
  • 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 provided non-proprietary Armytek 18350 battery will work in other brands’ flashlights or external chargers.
  • Battery compartment can take other 18350 batteries that have a slightly longer and/or thicker battery width.
  • Scanning the QR code with your phone/tablet on the box’s back would bring up the Armytek Prime C1 Pro’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: Samsung LH351D (White or Warm options)
  • Battery Format: 1 x 18350 OR 1 x 16340
  • Output & Runtime (with included Armytek 18350 3.7V/900mAh battery):
    • Firefly1 (0.14 lumen / 40days)
    • Firefly2 (2.3 lumens / 5days)
    • Firefly3 (7.4 lumens / 2.2days)
    • Main1 (37 lumens / 15h)
    • Main2 (93 lumens / 6h 30min)
    • Main3 (195 lumens / 2h 35min)
    • Turbo1 (325 lumens / 1h 35min)
    • Turbo2 (930 lumens / 1h 25min) → (325 lumens after 2min 20sec)
    • Strobe1 (93 lumens @1Hz / 1day 5h)
    • Strobe2 (930 lumens @1Hz / 3h 35min)
    • Strobe3 (930 lumens @10Hz / 2h 20min)
  • Max Beam Distance: 112m
  • Waterproofness: IP68 Standard, 10m
  • Impact Resistance: 10m
  • Dimension: 67mm (length) x 24.5mm (diameter)
  • Weight: 72g (including battery)
  • Battery reverse polarity protection
  • Accessories Included:
    • 1*Armytek 18350 3.7V/900mAh battery
    • 1*Magnetic Charging Cable
    • 1*Pocket Clip
    • 1*Wrist Lanyard
    • 1*Spare O-Ring
  • MSRP: ~$60

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, Firefly3, 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, Firefly3, Main1, Main2, Main3 & Turbo1 → Firefly1, Firefly2, Firefly3, 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, Firefly2 or Firefly3.

From ON (Firefly Mode Section):

  • 1 Click – Light will switch OFF.
  • HOLD – Mode change (light cycles through Firefly1, Firefly2 & Firefly3 → Firefly1, Firefly2 & Firefly3).
  • 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/ Firefly3); 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 & Firefly3)
    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 long period of time, form factor is extremely important.

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

The grooves help to make the flashlight “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 ~0.26A.

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 GREEN → Charging has completed (see below picture).
  • Blinking RED → Ensure 1/4 turn (anti-clockwise) of the tail portion of the light, to start charging.

Beam Style/Beamshots

The spill, corona and hotspot is somewhat predictable due to the TIR (Total Internal Reflection) optic used. The LED can be clearly seen behind the TIR optic. Hence, the beam has both “throw” and some flood for recognizing items in the up-close to near range distance.

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

The beam has a mostly circular hotspot with some slight corona and squarish spill (most of the beam produced is focused into the hotspot). 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: 8sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Firefly2: 1.6sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Firefly3: 1sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Main1: 0.5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Main2: 1/4sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Main3: 1/5sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB, Turbo1: 1/6sec, F3.5, ISO100, 5000K WB and Turbo2: 1/10sec, 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 (0.14 lumen):

Firefly2 (2.3 lumens):

Firefly3 (7.4 lumens):

Main1 (37 lumens):

Main2 (93 lumens):

Main3 (195 lumens):

Turbo1 (325 lumens):

Turbo2 (930 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 0.14 lumen which is 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 3800K and 80CRI ballpark.

However, there are tint shifts throughout the beam profile. The hotspot and corona have a warm white tint whilst the corona possess a slight yellowish tint; and the spill having a yellow 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 initially complex User Interface is not an issue for your usage.

The included (removable) deep pocket carry clip, small form factor, 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 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: Foursevens Mini MKIII, Armytek Prime C1 Pro, Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR and Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max.

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.

Where to Buy Links

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Armytek Prime C1 Pro

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16340/RCR123A 18350 Armytek

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