Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max Magnet USB flashlight
Not just another angled flashlight, the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max Magnet USB has interesting features that put it apart from most of the competition
There are many flashlights, but this one is mine” is often all the difference we can find between a given flashlight and most others, but you may stumble on the occasional exception, such as the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max Magnet USB.
This is an angled (or “L”) flashlight with a hard anodized aluminum body, belt clip and side switch. Nothing exceptional up to now. Even the magnetic base and charger are a feature common to many other flashlights, and one I usually don’t like much, compared to, say, an USB-C port for reloading the internal battery.
Here is where things begin to be somewhat different, as the battery is not the ubiquitous CR 123 stack or 18500 battery, but a 21700 Li-ion, 5000 mAh beast of a battery. While it may seem overkill in a 120 mm long, 30 mm wide pocket flashlight, you may reconsider when you take into account the 4000 lumen maximum output of this flashlight.
Yes, that’s right, four thousands lumen, out of a single led. The “Hot Surface” warning on the top of the flashlight is to be taken seriously: just a few seconds at maximum power against bare skin are enough to scald, and if laying on flammable materials this little critter can actually set them on fire, giving a new, very realistic meaning to the british term “torch” for a flashlight.
The "Hot Surface" warning is to be taken seriously when the flashlight is pushed to its 4000 lumen limit.
This is why the flashlight is provided with a safety measure: just unscrew the bottom ¼ turn and the light is in safe mode, which should always be used when carrying it for ordinary purposes, particularly in a bag or backpack, as the side button can be easily pressed.
A flashing led within the button will make the user aware the flashlight is in operational mode (safety off): green flashing indicates the battery is OK, red flashing indicates the battery needs recharging.
Luckily enough, 4000 lumens is not the only setting this flashlight is capable of: it’s just the most powerful, called “Turbo 2” mode, which in this case won’t be turned off after a few moments, but will last a full 50 seconds before the flashlight reverts to a milder, safer and cooler 900 lumens, which are more than enough to burn a long lasting afterimage in your retinas. Speaking of which, this flashlight is no joking material: do not shine it at full power in anyone’s face. It won’t hurt permanently, but they won’t thank you: such intense light can be very nasty, bordering on painful for some, and will partially blind you for some time.
The flashlight with its removable clip
Recharging is through a magnetic USB connector compatible with any "fast charge" smartphone charger.
A standard AA for comparison then, left to right, a classic lithium CR123 a 18650 and the 21700 used in the Wizard C2 Pro Max
The Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max with instruction leaflet, head band, included battery, 18650 adapter, spare o-rings and the bracket for mounting on a bycicle
On the other hand, the stippled optics make for a very bright lighting on a wide surface. The second “Turbo” mode, called “Turbo 1”, outputs 1300 lumens for a full 12 minutes, before reverting again to 900 lumen, and with a 110-130° hotspot, the Wizard C2 Pro Max Magnet USB will make broad daylight in a very large area.
The next three modes are called “Main” 3, 2 and 1 and will output 450, 150 and 45 lumens respectively. Battery duration is 7h, 21h and 64h.
The last two modes are “Firefly” and “Strobe”.
Firefly outputs at 4.6 lm for a full two weeks of continuous emission, or 0.35 lm (the true “firefly” mode) for a staggering 2 months.
You can use the clip in various ways, such as to carry the light on a jacket neck, so that it better follows body movement
Strobe has a tactical 10 Hz fast strobe at full 4000 lm for 2 min and then 900 lm for another 48 min (but who in the hell strobes for 2 full minutes?), a 1Hz emergency strobe for 10 mins reverting to 900 lm with an overall duration of 14 hours, and a 150 lm, 1Hz search and rescue strobe lasting 90 hours.
Switching between modes is easier than understaing how to on the user manual, which is not very clear.
You can switch on the flashlight by pressing the button in various patterns to select the operating mode.
Long pressing the button with the flashlight on swaps between levels within the selected mode.
Short pressing the button with the flashlight on switches it off.
The magnet is powerful but, no, you can't use it this way as a WML. Rather be careful not to carry it in your pocket with magnetic stripe cards.
The Wizard C2 Pro Max on its headband. You have to remove the clip first.
Other than dealing with emergencies, strobe mode can be used to prevent them by making us more visible on roads.
To select modes, proceed as follows:
- a long press of the button will switch on the flashlight in firefly mode.
- 1 quick press will switch on the flashlight in the last mode, last level it was set into.
- 2 quick presses switch on the flashlight in Main 1 (45 lm) mode.
- 3 quick presses will switch on in Turbo 1 (1300 lm) mode.
- 4 quick presses will switch on in tactical Strobe (4000 lm, 10 Hz) mode
An interesting feature is the battery charger, that performs a quick battery assessment before starting to recharge: a green light indicates recharging the battery is not necessary, while a red light indicates the battery needs recharging. Just unscrew the cap ¼ turn to start recharging (fixed red light). This is done to preserve battery life avoiding unnecessary recharges.
If, for any reason, you need to be positively sure the battery is at full charge, just buy another battery so that you can use a fully charged battery whenever needed.
So, for example, to get the flashlight in emergency strobe mode just press the button quickly 4 times, so that the light switches on in tactical strobe mode, then keep it pressed to switch to emergency strobe. If you briefly push the button the flashlight is switched off.
Even if the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max Magnet USB flashlight is not a firearms flashlight, it can have tactical uses, illuminating wide areas with super-bright light, and can work as a self-defense tool with the strobe mode, which will confuse and temporarily blind an opponent, but where it really shines (pun intended) is as a general purpose, everyday working light, brightly illuminating work areas for hours or even days, and doing a marvellous service as a nightstand light, where the firefly modes will not hurt your eyes in the night or wake anyone. If you use it just as a nightstand light, remember to recharge it on your birthday, and that’s it.
