Orb Raw toughness and reliability?

I am a new member here and have been reading posts regarding the Orb Raw flashlight. Just wonder if current Orb Raw owners could share some information about the toughness and relaibility of this little light.

I am planning a one month trip from home, which will include some high altitude area (above 4000m), dusty area, some 2 to 3 hours night hiking. I will bring the Princeton Tec EOS headlamp as a backup and am trying to choose the flashlight.

When choosing the flashlight I am looking for 1)lightweight, 2)good throw 3)runtime at least 6 hours per battery change/charge 4)toughness/waterproof.

The Surefire L2 would be perfect for throw, runtime and toughness, except that it is too big, considering the length and the extra batteries I have to take (at least two sets of batteries as backup?)
The CR2 Ion does not have very good throw (based on other member's opinion, I donot own one)
I have HDS 42 XRGT, but it is heavy and big compare to Orb Raw and yes the lighter the better, when I am tired two onunces less means a lot to me.
I have the Surefire E1L, but it does not have very good throw too, even less than HDS.


The Orb Raw satisfied the lightweight (the lightest), throw and runtime (on low). But I remember someone suggests that this is a collector's flashlight and is not suitable for rough use and the reliability is questionable. So I just wonder if some Orb Raw owners have really taken it to rough use and what they do to make it adjusted to rought use, esp. used it in outdoor conditions, camping, hiking, etc, I know it is not waterproof, but can you put some kind of plastic over it to make it sort of waterproof, has the Orb Raw ever failed under outdoor condition?

The Raw NS is heavier and shorter runtime on low mode, though has O-Rings.
Or other suggestions on my choice based on my request?

Thanks in advance.

I would choose the NS over the standard Raw, it might be heavier but its probably tougher.
You could get a E2L body for you KL1 which will make it a bit brighter a give you better runtime.
Another option is the A2, good throw and lots of runtime on low.

If i am not wrong, the Orb RAW is not waterproof so outdoor use should be a no-no.

SF L2 has no good throw, it is a pure "wall of light" thing.
SF E1L has better throw than L2. E1L is pure thrower!
Orb Raw is luxury light, but it is not very functional. I wouldn't even think about getting in to the mountains. The runtime is 10 min on high and several hours on low. But "low" is not much brighter that a keychain lights. Also it is no water-resistant - not recomended!

Thanks for the suggestions.

As for the Orb Raw output on low, I think I read somewhere before that it has at least more than 25 lumens (E1L has), isn't that more than keychain lights? Please correct me if I am worng.

don't know about actual lumens, but visually it is a little brighter than my PhotonFreedom Max key-chain. I am giving it 10 lumens max

If your not leaving for alittle while, I would wait or look for FF3 smallest 123 cell light avaible, its alittle larger then the orb, but has many brightness levels, and the 123 type battery almost doubles the runtime of the orbs battery. Also its waterproof, rugged/dourable and very bright.

Thanks Whitelitee, I am not leaving at least until late October so I can wait a while. I will do my search, but do you happen to have a preview of the light you are mentioning?

I really wouldn't recommend the tiny Orb's for what you're planning. It is a bit of a jewel, not something you throw in a bag and forget It's output is impressive for the size though (can't comment on low as I have the original without the two stage).

I have added o-ring to my RAW and sprayed it good with watter for 1-2 minutes without any damage. I would guess that it would survive heavy rain . Not sure about submersion, though.

The latest Orb Raw designs, such as the NS, have o-rings so they are probably up to par with many lights, and dunkable, I would think. Just received an NS. It's heaven. . . Feels rugged. The nickel silver won't scratch up like the regular aluminum Raw.

I have 2 Orb Raw Ti lights. One was just dropped off the dining table onto the hardwood floors today. It works w/o any problems and not a scratch.

Both of my lights have UXOJ LuxIII Leds. They are tiny, but WOW; they put out a bright smooth beam.

They will run hot after short periods of high output due to their small size. I think the lights getting hot is a good sign of proper heatsinking.

I don't worry about getting them wet, although I have not done so.

The run time is short, but with being rechargable and having multiple batteries, the issue is mitigated for me.

An exolion maybe what you are looking for. They are lighter, but larger than the Orb Raw Ti/NS/Ag. They will also run on RCR2 and CR2. The Flupic driver will give multiple levels of light.

ychang said:

I am planning a one month trip from home, which will include some high altitude area (above 4000m), dusty area, some 2 to 3 hours night hiking. I will bring the Princeton Tec EOS headlamp as a backup and am trying to choose the flashlight.

When choosing the flashlight I am looking for 1)lightweight, 2)good throw 3)runtime at least 6 hours per battery change/charge 4)toughness/waterproof.

[...]

I have HDS 42 XRGT, but it is heavy and big compare to Orb Raw and yes the lighter the better, when I am tired two onunces less means a lot to me.
I have the Surefire E1L, but it does not have very good throw too, even less than HDS.

Click to expand...

(All these weights are with cells / batteries)
The PT EOS is well over 100 grams with alkalines.
HDS B42 is ~ 78 grams
Orb Raw is 30+ grams

The HDS is a bulletproof light, and compared to it, the Orb Raw is a toy. I would trust the HDS far more than the Orb. The weight difference really is minimal. If you were to use the EOS as your primary, then you'd have more leeway in your backup, although I'd still avoid the Orb (maybe a FF3 would fit), but if you're going to be using the handheld as your primary, consider taking the HDS or one of the Surefires you like.

Another option, depending on whether the headlamp is true "backup", or if you're going to need decent throw combined with hands-free operation (i.e. the EOS is a necessity), bring a PT Aurora (80 grams with alkaline cells) as the backup in order to meet your weight budget, and carry the HDS as your primary.

rider said:

The HDS is a bulletproof light, and compared to it, the Orb Raw is a toy. I would trust the HDS far more than the Orb.

Click to expand...

But. . . why? Haven't read about any reliability problems at all with the Orb. My NS feels quite the opposite of a toy--exquisitely machined, solid and rugged in feel, too.

Here's a link to the review of the FF3. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/109517

For your application, I would choose a great headlamp. I use my RAW everyday - quite a bit actually. Like other luxeons, it stands to drops just fine.

Holds up well but obviously not as rugged as other lights in terms of waterproofness and there are loose parts that you need to be careful about such as the spring.

Personally, I would have no problem using it for the outdoors but I'll likely carry two - one for spare. But that's me.

Mo

ychang said:

I am planning a one month trip from home, which will include some high altitude area (above 4000m), dusty area, some 2 to 3 hours night hiking. I will bring the Princeton Tec EOS headlamp as a backup and am trying to choose the flashlight.

When choosing the flashlight I am looking for 1)lightweight, 2)good throw 3)runtime at least 6 hours per battery change/charge 4)toughness/waterproof.

I have HDS 42 XRGT, but it is heavy and big compare to Orb Raw and yes the lighter the better, when I am tired two onunces less means a lot to me.

Click to expand...

I am not quite sure whether your priorities for an outdoor/nighthike flashlight are set properly. In my experience reliability and ease of use is very much top on the list. When you're tired (very easy in high altitude) then you need a light that you can turn on and just forget about it. 0%-brainpower-flashlight! And in my opinion only a headlamp fulfills these criteria. You do not want to challenge your security because you should hold on to a rock, have to pull back a branch or stumble. With a handheld flashlight you're in trouble during such a situation. If you hike at night then light is absolutely essential and you do not compromise because of two ounces.
Secondly, I found that 95% of the time I prefer a low level flood type beam for hiking. You do not need a lot of light outdoors to find your way securely. A very bright strongly focused beam only lights up a small spot in front of you and leaves the rest of the world in the dark. Only 5% (or less) of the time I need some throw to check where the path is leading or which way to take. This is of course only in terrain without the need to watch out for wild animals.
And then lastly – try to go with one common battery type for all your flashlights. Then you only need to plan for one set of backup energy, independent whether you use your primary or secondary light. This additionally increases security and reduces weight.

umm... 6 hours runtime is impossible with a small light.

becuase you want light weight too and the two things are conflictin against each other.

i know of a light that may work... the streamlight propolymer 3c luxeon. 6hours runtime

here is a link to a review of it : http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/streamlight_propoly_3c.htm

chesterqw said:

umm... 6 hours runtime is impossible with a small light.

Click to expand...

Eh ??? My Orb Raw works for several hours on 'low' and only weighs 27g.

My keyring lights weigh about 4 grams and they last for hours.

I would love an orb raw, but the lack of o`ring for water proofing has put me off.

you`d think orb would have made some some sort of effort.

regards.