Convoy H1 Headlamp Review

Finally got a Convoy H1 headlamp in for testing!  The H1, is another solid 18650 Convoy light, for a low price.  Read on for some testing!

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Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Convoy H1 Headlamp product page.

Versions

There’s only one body and emitter option, but that emitter can be had in a number of different temperatures.  6500K, 5000K, and 4200K (seen here) are the options.  Banggood also lists a 3000K option.

Price

These are currently $28.31 at banggood (referral link).  Click that link for me…. but then go buy this for $22.99 at the official Convoy Aliexpress store!

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Short Review

A good headlamp for a low cost.  Also highly modifiable, which is a nice bonus.  I wish there was a 18350 tube for it, though.

Long Review

The Big Table

Convoy H1 Headlamp
Emitter:	Cree XM-L2 (4200K)
Price in USD at publication time:	$28.31 at banggood
Cell:	1×18650
High Runtime	Mid Runtime
LVP?	Switch Warning
Switch Type:	E-Switch
Quiescent Current (A):	?
On-Board Charging?	No
Claimed Lumens (lm)	1048
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	807 (77% of claim)^
Candela per Lumen	6.5
Claimed Throw (m)	–
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	270lux @ 4.383m = 5187cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	144.0 (107.5% of claim)^
All my Convoy reviews!

^ Measurement disclaimer:  Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.

What’s Included

• Convoy H1 Headlamp
• Pocket clip
• Headband

Package and Manual

No manual is included.

Build Quality and Disassembly

This light is a very “Convoy” light.  Everything about it is as you’d expect.  The quality is higher than the purchase price, in my opinion.

Big cooling fins on the head!

The threads on the tail end are anodized, square-cut, and smooth.

There are springs on the head and tail.  Also, note the retaining ring on the head – the parts come out easily.

The head and tail are not the same – the tube is not reversible.

Size and Comps

Product size (L x W x H): 2.45 x 2.45 x 10.50 cm.

The H1 is pleasantly shorter than the venerable Convoy S2+, but all the same…. it’s unclear to me why these parts aren’t interchangeable.  The S2+ is such a watershed light, it’d have been nice to be able to screw an angle head right on the body we all already have.  Then it could work with the mechanical tail switch (as hard on/off) and/or have a tailcap to replace the mechanical switch for e-switch only operation.

It’s hard to notice in this photo, but the H1 is noticeably girthier than the S2+.

Retention and Carry

This is primarily a headlamp, and the package includes an around-the-head band with a silicone attachment.

It’s a very simple band, but does hold the light.  I wouldn’t plan to jog or run using this band, but for camping or hiking or smoking cigars or whatever low impact activities you do, it’s probably good.  At the very least, it’s comfortable.

The light doesn’t fit in the band any certain way – there aren’t grooves on the body to go in a specific place.  But it’s held securely enough anyway.

It’s also possible to use with the pocket clip.

Speaking of the pocket clip – the one that’s included is the same format as you’re used to on the S2+.  Friction fit, deep carry.  It’s a good clip, but possibly not all that secure.  I wouldn’t lanyard to the clip, for sure.

There are two grooves on the head.

And one groove on the tailcap, which allows for a very deep carry.

Power and Runtime

The H1 is powered by a single 18650.  It fits into the light in the usual way – positive end toward the head.  The tiny spring on the positive end should allow the use of any type 18650 with no issues.  I’ve tested it with the LG HG2 3000mAh 18650, as seen below.

Output on High is (as typical) unregulated and just trails off from initial output, as cell voltage drops.  Also of note is the output at 30s is much below the claim – the actual claim of 1048 lumens is likely for the 6500K color temperature version, which would typically have a higher output than warmer emitters.

Output on the second-from-highest mode also trails downward with cell voltage.

Testing on bench power shows that the indicating switch goes solid red at 2.9V, and flashing red at 2.7V.  The light is electrically off at around 2.4V.

Modes and Currents

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens	Tailcap Amps
100%	1048	–	807	2.85
30%		–	254	0.68
3%		–	25	0.09
0.1%		–	1	0.02

Pulse Width Modulation

All 3 lower modes have PWM, but it’s not PWM I notice glaringly.

For reference, here’s a baseline shot, with all the room lights off and almost nothing hitting the sensor.  Also, here’s the light with the worst PWM I could find.  I’m adding multiple timescales, so it’ll be easier to compare to the test light.  Unfortunately, the PWM on this light is so bad that it doesn’t even work with my normal scale, which is 50 microseconds (50us). 10ms.  5ms.  2ms.  1ms.  0.5ms.  0.2ms.  In a display faster than 0.2ms or so, the on/off cycle is more than one screen, so it’d just (very incorrectly) look like a flat line.  I wrote more about this Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight and explained a little about PWM too.

User Interface and Operation

There’s a single switch on the H1.  It’s an indicating e-switch, on the side of the head.  The switch cover is translucent white, and the indicator LED is red.  The indication is quite bright, too.

Here’s a UI table!  There is no manual as far as I’m aware, so most of this is just the stuff I notice, and it’s possible this isn’t a comprehensive UI table.

State	Action	Result
Off	Click	On (Mode Memory)
Off	Hold	Moonlight
On	Click	Off
On	Hold	Mode advance (Moon>L>M>H direction)
On	Double Click	No Action
Off	Double Click	High

I was not able to identify any strobe-type outputs in the UI.

LED and Beam

In my review copy is a Convoy XM-L2 in 4200K.  It’s a quite warm 4200K I think.  The small shallow reflector has a light orange peel.  The lens is held in place by a screw-down retaining ring.

These beamshots are always with the following settings:  f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure.

Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)

I keep the test flashlight on the left, and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.

I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!

Conclusion

What I like

• Low cost
• Very simple UI
• Warm emitter options
• Good quality
• easily modifiable

What I don’t like

• The parts don’t fit the S2+ (unfair to ask for this maybe?)
• Unregulated output

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Notes

• This light was provided by BangGood for review. I was not paid to write this review.
• This content originally appeared at zeroair.org.  Please visit there for the best experience!
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