xevious
Flashlight Enthusiast
I just received my Regal WT1 (v2) by Regalight. Ernsanada already wrote a very nice detailed review and I agree mostly with what he said. So, I'll try not to supply repetitive details. Here are my impressions:
Overall
I really think that this was one of the better value flashlights of 2007. And thanks to Ernsanada for giving us a really nice detailed review to help us make up our minds. I hope my little write-up gives some useful info to anyone else considering this light. Oh yeah, sorry--it wasn't quite as "quick" as I thought it would be. :laughing:
Overall
- The amount of light put out by this form factor is amazing. It's just a little bit longer than a Surefire L4, but reportedly pumps out a whopping 220 lumens. The weight is very good and balanced--just about right (maybe 4oz more would be perfect).
- The shape reminds me a little of the Romisen RC-G2, but there's no contest in which is the superior light. The same would be true in comparing the WT1 to a Surefire (you know the winner), but I have to say it puts up a good fight. If the edges were a little smoothed out, some knurling was added to the barrel, and the threads given a little extra refinement--wow. But then you're heading into Surefire price territory.
- You really get a lot for your money. Along with the light comes two reflectors (OP and SMO), two clicky switches (one single mode forward, and one 2-mode reverse clicky), two switch boots (one black, one day glow), a nice lanyard with button lock, extra o-rings, and a holster. I don't think the best 2xCR123 light from DX could come close to the overall package (there will always be something lacking, be it the beam pattern, tint, regulation, finish, modes, etc).
- The HA-III anodizing is excellent. It would be nice to have some knurling for more grip. I'm going to add a few O-rings to help with that (several very nice barrel grooves will accommodate them).
- The head is made of two parts, with 6 "U" shaped indentations on the outside. The top section of the head that the bezel screws onto begins the 6 indentations, but they don't widen enough where they meet the lower half of the head. They should be a little bit wider so the lines are contiguous. It's a minor point, but does make the light look a little bit "off".
- The bezel has a nice edge... sharp enough to do damage but smooth enough not to chew through a pocket. It will be an effective tool for defense.
- The largest ridge of the light is at the bottom of the head, where your fingers naturally grip the light. The cuts of the 6 side indentations and the ridge edging on the head have sharp edging. I can understand wanting to provide some extra grip, but the edging should have been smoothed off a bit more. I can see your fingers getting gouged by them if striking with the light bare handed.
- You can remove the head and use the light as a candle, especially if you have the 2-mode clicky installed (the lower setting is more kind to the eyes), but the switch boot juts out 1mm too far, preventing the light from tail standing. Seriously, I think the boot could have been shortened by 1mm and still work really well.
- The tail cap has only one hole (no additional "U" hole), so if the boot wasn't an issue but you had a lanyard attached, it wouldn't stand straight.
- The barrel is definitely wider than CR123 batteries and when installing the cells, you expect that you'll hear them rattle around. Not so. The tail cap holds them tightly in place.
- Every threaded section of the light (tail cap, head, bezel) also has o-rings. This shows thoughtful design and gives confidence for water resistance (WT1 is rated to 15 feet).
- All threads are well machined. They could use a little extra lube as provided, but it's nothing to complain about.
- The provided switches are loud, especially when compared to the soft click of a Pila. But they certainly work well. The forward clicky is excellent with good pressure for the momentary on. The reverse clicky with 2-modes tempers the power to the Cree module and the high beam is noticeably brighter than the low beam. However, the low beam could be reduced by another 25%.
- The 2-mode clicky starts with low and then delivers high--this is good. However, there is no "off" in between. So, no matter what, you'll always be cycling through both beams. The good thing is that you simply "double click" to get the high beam, which should satisfy anyone wanting the high beam right away. But if all you want is the low beam, you'll either have to "double click" to get the light off without letting the brighter beam flood the area, or cup the light.
- The reflector is very easily changed by unscrewing the bezel.
- The smooth reflector has a very clearly defined spot accompanied by a usable spill. But the yellow corona around the spot is quite prominent. The OP reflector is excellent as it does not reduce the spot brightness by very much, yet smooths out the spot edge and "blends" the yellow corona well. I plan to leave the OP reflector in.
- The emitter module is well seated in the tube and would probably be a major pain to extract if you wanted to upgrade the emitter sometime later on (this ain't no Dereelight). However, there is a black plastic flange encircling the emitter (instead of potting), to help protect the emitter connections and circuitry. So, it might not be too difficult to swap emitters with a little soldering while leaving the module in place. The host seems to handle heat from the emitter well. The Cree Q5 definitely pumps out the power. For the first few minutes, you don't feel much of any rise in temperature... but after 5 minutes it is noticeable. At 10 minutes the barrel is just a little warmer, but it's definitely nowhere near as hot as an incandescent. The internal heat sink seems to be doing its job well.
I really think that this was one of the better value flashlights of 2007. And thanks to Ernsanada for giving us a really nice detailed review to help us make up our minds. I hope my little write-up gives some useful info to anyone else considering this light. Oh yeah, sorry--it wasn't quite as "quick" as I thought it would be. :laughing:
Last edited: