I've been reviewing XTAR products for a while now and received this little surprise package today!

It came with an XTAR SD2 diving beacon, a set of XTAR 1.5V AA LR 3000mAh and a few extras – including a cute XTAR elephant. The SD2 features white, red, green and blue light, with steady or blinking modes, and it is powered by a single AA or 14500 battery. Although I don't dive, I can see it coming in handy for hiking as well.

The batteries are based on Li-ion technology and have an integrated voltage regulator to simulate 1.5V AA batteries. They are charged via USB-C. To make it convenient to charge more than one battery at the same time, XTAR provided a 4x USB-C power adapter – nice!

A big thanks to XTAR for this surprise and congratulations on 20 years!

(Bonus: The included hard case is a perfect fit for my Zoyi ZT-703S pocket oscilloscope including accessories!)

Summary

The Nitecore P27iX is a tactical flashlight that impresses with a well-designed user interface and four special "M515S" LEDs. The multi-stage tail buttons provide direct access to four brightness levels, while a sliding switch reliably protects the flashlight against accidental activation. Only the SET button on the head requires some getting used to. Also worth mentioning are the battery level indicators and the USB charging port with its metal flip cover.

The width of the beam can be adjusted in three steps – a useful, though not strictly essential feature. In addition to the four regular brightness levels, there are two particularly bright modes called "Search" and "Lumin Shield". Some of the button assignments can be customized to suit personal preferences.

A major drawback, in my view, is the proprietary battery. A design that works with standard 21700 cells would have been clearly the better option. The NL2155HPi is not only relatively expensive at over $30, but its long-term availability is also not guaranteed.

The full review is available here:

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website

Summary

The Armytek Predator Pro Max lives up to its name: compared to its predecessor, it is brighter, has a longer runtime and more throw – all while maintaining nearly the same size. It comes with a new side button, which eliminates the need to loosen or tighten the head to adjust the brightness. Other features like the electronic tail switch and the convenient magnetic charging system are still included.

However, if you don’t want to use the flashlight at full power all the time, it can quickly become a challenge to use: in the dark, the side button for adjusting the brightness is hard to find, as it neither stands out in color nor in shape.

The full review is available here:

English review at BudgetLightForum
German review on my website