Range
It is difficult to quote a range as it has so many variables, the age of ones eyes, the objective size of the scope, the amount of light you require for target ID, etc. A reasonable expectation is 220 metres or so, we tested this unit casually at that distance and had no problems. This torch gives more throw than the Wolf Eyes Defender III due to it's much larger head and aspheric lens. The head is approximately 10mm larger than the Defender III (the NightHunter head is 45mm diameter) and the aspheric lens is 20mm ! thick in the centre. The extra size in the head is important to get the optimum distance and concentration from the beam - think of it like a magnifying glass trying to light paper, no point making a 20cm torch if you need the magnifying glass 30cmm from the paper!
NightHunter head showing aspheric lens
Wolf Eyes NightHunter at 225 metres (click for larger)
Close up from above 225m photo (click for larger)
Beam Pattern
The beam of the Nighthunter is variable, on its tightest (narrowest) beam it presents a small square the shape of the LED on your target.
Aspheric Lens with TCR
The Wolf Eyes Nighthunter features an aspheric lens (like a magnifying glass) on the front and then has Total Capture of internal Reflections with a highly polished mirror finish reflector. This ensures all light coming from the LED passes through the aspheric lens and then lands on your target.
Dual Tailcap including tapeswitch
The dual tailcap included with the Nighthunter functions both as a normal switch and can have the included tapeswitch screwed into the tailcap. When the tapeswitch is not in use there is an attached rubber cap for the threads.
Construction
The Wolf Eyes Nighthunter has an incredibly rugged construction, probably unlike most other torches or flashlights commonly used in Australia in police or military work. We recently compared the wall thickness to a consumer torch, the Led Lenser P7 and found the walls were DOUBLE the thickness in the Sniper! The NightHunter is a high output torch with modest size. Most people don't realise that LEDs put out considerable heat, but unlike an incandescent torch which projects the heat out the front, LEDs heat the base they are mounted on. Overheating an LED results in permanent damage and reduced light output for the life of the LED. To remove the possibility of damage to your LED, Wolf Eyes have a brass liner inside the torch and a substantial aircraft aluminium body. The brass liner, as well as maintaining high electrical conductivity, mates to the mount of the LED and conducts heat along the body of the torch or flashlight, using the mass of the body as a heatsink to dissapate the heat.
All Wolf Eyes Nighthunter are anodised tactical black and have a 5 Year Warranty on the body.
LED
We presently use the Cree R2 Turbo High Output LEDs in this hunting torch. We have previously used Q5, R2 & R2 HO in this unit. There is a R5 version now available from Wolf Eyes but we choose to keep the R2 Turbo High Output version as it is a natural thrower of an LED, where the R5 (despite it's slightly higher output) is a natural flood LED and so has less throw. As always, we are testing new LEDs as they come out and will update when an LED which has increased performance for it's intended usage.
Size Comparison
Regulation
Wolf Eyes torches are regulated, meaning they don't dim or lose intensity like many other torches including other LED torches. The regulation has two advantages, it means the power to the LED is consistent, so the LED will be running at it's optimum with the battery being boosted as it is being depleted, the second advantage is you don't overboost the LED which can permanently damage it, this happens with torches not designed for rechargeable batteries or accumulators. Of the 2 hours 2 runtime of high intensity light this torch is capable of, the first 1 hour and 40 minutes is regulated, with a slight dimming in the last 20 minutes.
Australian Approved Charger
The Wolf Eyes Sea LIon Hunter comes complete with rechargeable battery and Australian approved charger. We have noticed a number of torches on the Australian market with non approved chargers. The advantage of an Australian approved charger is that it is both safe and legal to connect to an Australian power supply, meaning it meets OH&S requirements and also your insurance is ok in a residential or business situation.
Rechargeable Batteries
The battery utilised in the Sniper is the LRB168A (18650) rechargeable lithium ion battery. Utilised predominantly in notebooks, this battery provides large outputs (including rapid discharge high amp outputs) from a relatively compact package. So powerful is this battery that it powers the Tesla Roadster electric car (an electric car built on a Lotus Elise chassis with a 0-100kmh time of 3.9 seconds). One huge advantage of the Wolf Eyes Nighthunter flashlight is that it has been built with these rechargeables in mind, rather than disposable CR123 batteries (which cost $10 each in shops in Aus). This means we can use the 18mm versions of the batteries which are 50% more powerful than the 17mm versions. Torches or flashlights designed to only fit CR123 batteries, such as the Surefire 6P or Surefire G2 (in fact most of the Surefire line) can only fit the 17mm version (available in our recharge kit), which means 2/3rds the power.
All Wolf Eyes batteries are protected, meaning they have a small computer chip built in to one end, this controls charging and discharging, designed to reduce the risks of powerful batteries. We have seen lithium ion batteries explode and would never sell an unprotected version.
As many are aware, most police departments in Australia or the Australian Defence Force do not generally supply batteries for their staff. So a rechargeable torch (or rechargeable flashlight, depending on your terminology) is both an environmentally sound decision but also an economic necessity. Some police officers have reported that their rechargeable torch has paid for itself in as little as 3 months when compared to their previous CR123 battery older style torch. With our rechargeable batteries you can top up at any time, no need to wait for the battery to run down, so you are always prepared for that critical mission.
Environmentally, rechargeable batteries are a winner. Like most quality lithium ion batteries, our rechargeable batteries are rated for 1,000 recharges under ideal conditions. Even if you took 500 recharges as a reasonable figure, each rechargeable battery you use would save 2,000 AAA batteries, 1,500 C cell batteries or 1, 000 CR123 batteries from landfill, a wothwhile saving (based on a 2 x CR123, 3 x C cell or 4 x AAA torch providing similar runtime). Even if the environment isn't your priority when purchasing a torch or flashlight, the financial saving is huge and as a bonus you get to feel good about the environment.
Cold Weather Performance
One of the huge advantages of rechargeable lithium ion batteries, besides their huge outputs, is the ability to operate in colder temperatures. Many have been frustrated by the loss of power in AA and NiMh batteries in cold temperatures. That is not a problem with Lithium Ion. To take the photos here, we turned a torch onto low, placed it in a tray of water in a freezer for 4 days till the water became an ice cube, then removed and photographed. The torch was on for the 4 full days in the freezer!
Waterresistant
Due to the adjustable head of the NightHunter it is not fully waterproof but is easily capable of taking heavy rain.
In the box:
1 x Nighthunter body including tapeswitch
1 x Fast charger
1 x LRB 168A battery
1 x Gift Box
Accessories
Chargers
A short video showing the 4 levels of the NightHunter
This torch isn't 'just as good as a Wolf Eyes' - it is a Wolf Eyes!
You deserve it.
