Orb Raw 1W

Joe Talmadge

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 30, 2000
Messages
2,200
Location
Silicon Valley, CA
I always wonder when I pick something up that seems really well-done, but no one else is talking about it. I picked up a 1W Raw -- $39 base price, plus shipping, 2-stage switch -- I think a month or two ago, whenever they came out. I'm incredibly pleased with it, especially at the price. I was looking for a light that was:

- CR2 size form factor
- At least 2 brightness levels
- Ran best on regular batteries rather than rechargeables

I bought the $39 Raw just because it was available, but it's so well-done and fit my needs so well that I might just close the book on this class of light for now. Nice brightness and throw for such a tiny thing, nice choice of brightness for low. Love the little tritium vial for finding it in the dark. Just plain kicks butt. I think total price ended up more like $70ish once the shipping, tritum vial, and two-stage switch were added.
 

Joe Talmadge

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 30, 2000
Messages
2,200
Location
Silicon Valley, CA
Direct drive. I've been using mine quite a lot and it fires up nice and bright each time, but I tend to use the light in shorter bursts, so in my imagination at least the battery gets time to relax and get its voltage back up. REgulation would be nice, but then you'd lose a bunch of that wonderful form factor. I'd been thinking of getting a CR2 Ion when it comes out, as the "ultimate" regulated CR2 light, but the Raw 1W might be filling the niche well-enough for me that I'm thinking about spending my pennies on the next level up -- a great 123A light like HDS. The CR2 Ion has some killer features though, including regulation, but bigger, more expensive, and most likely much more flood-y light.

Joe
 

vandrecken

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Oct 8, 2005
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114
Location
Cheshire, UK
I got the standard, single level, raw a few months ago - I think just before the 2 stage switch was released. I love it. I've carried it every day since and ordered the upcoming nickel silver version so that it will wear a little better than the aluminium. I agree with you Joe. I'd say primary or secondary cell, 1 or 2 levels, the simplicity and lumens / gram make this little light a classic.
 
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Lobo

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Dec 31, 2005
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1,577
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Sweden
vandrecken said:
I got the standard, single level, raw a few months ago - I think just before the 2 stage switch was released. I love it. I've carried it every day since and ordered the upcoming nickel silver version so that it will wear a little better than the aluminium. I agree with you Joe. I'd say primary or secondary cell, 1 or 2 levels, the simplicity and lumens / gram make this little light a classic.

Do you mean the sterling silver one? That's not a flashlight, but a really bright and shiny piece of jewellry(no pun intended). :nana: :)
Man, didn't think they could make the orb raw much more desirable with the tritium vial, but they did.
 

HighLight

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 7, 2005
Messages
398
Location
Canada
I have the two stage 3 watt RAW on my keychain. Smaller than my thumb and it lights up the house across the street. 6-8 hour runtime on low setting. Rechargable li ion battery. I've found my EDC. Its perfect.:rock:
 

PJD

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Joined
Mar 20, 2002
Messages
1,092
Location
NW FL
Joe..I'm glad to hear that you're so pleased with your 1W Raw! I ordered one back on the 12th of Dec that I'm still waiting to be "posted". I was told twice that it would be shipped (on the 20th and the 28th), bit it still hasn't shipped...oh well, it's good to know that it's probably gonna be worth the wait! I got the tritium and two-stage in mine as well; I'm really looking forward to getting this light.

PJD
 

prasinos

Newly Enlightened
Joined
May 1, 2006
Messages
16
Location
Greece
Hello everybody

I am also thinking of buying the Orb raw 1W. It looks like a great light at an affordable price.

Could you please answer a few questions:
1. Is the 1W bright enough on high?
2. How is the low setting? Too low or adequate?
3. Do you have any problems with the light not being waterproof/waterresistant?
4. Is the tritium really helpful or is just a cosmetic addition (and what color did you get?)?

Thanks for your time
-prasinos
 

Jay R

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Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
1,656
Location
Bracknell, England.
Lobo, the Raw NS is not the silver one. The nickel silver one is twenty pounds more than the standard and a bit smaller.
 

Planterz

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 14, 2005
Messages
1,162
Location
Tucson, AZ
If you keep the light on your keychain, a big tritium traser makes your entire keychain easy to find in the darkness. I don't have an Orb, but I've got a tritium glowring, and I'd only take it off if I had a similarly sized amount on a light on my keychain. An Raw NS with 3 tritium markers for example (I added a small traser to my Jil Intelli, but it's too small to replace the big glowring).

Not needing a flashlight to find your flashlight is always handy.
 
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