ROK
Enlightened
Introduction
Past 4 months was real pain for me. I had a new and good light but I couldn't open it to keep maker's secret project.
Here I'd like to share my impression of the new flashlight BitZ. The 2 lights were provided free of charge :nana: for test & review. I have got the sand blasted bare Al proto Bitz 4 moths ago for a test and production HA one only 2 days ago for a review. (Thanks HgRyu for tasting it first :goodjob
I have no connection with his business. Its price is $135. And I do not know the available quantity.
This custom-made light is made by the long time CPF member HgRyu. And the light is available in his website here: http://www.bitz.kr/.
CPF sale thread is HERE
Specification - by maker
• Material : Titanium (Bezel, Clip), 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum Alloy (Head, Body)
• Finish : Type III Hardcoat Anodized Natural Finish and ChemKote Interior for enhanced Corrosion Protection
• Lens : Sapphire Crystal Glass, optical grade (Anti-Reflective coating for one side)
• LED : SSC P4 bin – USXOH
• Driver : High efficient Buck-Boost converter with 3 regular brightness levels and 4 hidden signals.
• Reflector : High quality Orange Peel aluminum reflector
• O-ring sealed Twist On-Off (no battery rattle)
• Battery : One 3V CR123A or one 3.6V RCR123A (recommend AW's protected Li-Ion cell)
• Dimension: Diameter 20.3mm, Overall Length 72mm
• Hole for DIY Tritium vial or Glow-Powder on tail (hole size for 1.5mm X 6.5mm). Sorry, no tritium for international shipment.
• Accessories : Titanium Pocket Clip, 2 Split Rings (one stainless steel, one polished brass)
• No commercial packing
Driver and Brightness levels, Hidden Signals - by maker
• BitZ Pocket use high efficient Buck-Boost converter and it will control power to the LED even though you use 3.6V rechargeable Li-Ion battery. So, LED will not be damaged by unregulated high current from Li-Ion battery. Off course, birightness by regular 3V CR123A and 3.6V rechargeable Li-Ion battery will be same.
• Input voltage range : 1.8V ~ 5.5V
• There are basic 3 Brightness levels (Medium-Low-High) and hidden 4 Signals (Strobe-Locater-Extreme Low-S.O.S.)
• Brightness (estimated) : High (120~130lumen), Medium (30~40lumen), low (10lumen)
• Current to LED (tested) : High (500mA), Medium (150mA), Low (30mA)
• Rumtime (tested) : High (1~2 hours), Medium (3~6 hours), low (12~24 hours) depending on 3V or 3.6V. (see runtime graphs for details)
• Runtime for Signal mode (RCR123A, CR123A) : Strobe (8, 12 hours), Locater (24, 36 hours), Ext.Low (45, 70 hours), S.O.S. (8, 12 hours)
• Basic 3 brightness levels has Memory Function. You will get next level by Off and On within two seconds.
• You will get into Signals by consecutive 8 On and Off. No memory function for Signal.
• Locater signal : useful mode for tracking and camping as "follow me" signal or location signal.
• Extreme Low : This mode is useful as a overnight candle at tent. Current to LED is 10mA.
Runtime Graph - by maker
• Tested by primary Panasonic CR123A and rechargeable AW RCR123A batteries.
What's in the package
Light comes in a zip-lock bag, as other custom light do, with each SS and brass split-rings and 2 spare o-rings.
The Design and Construction
When I saw BitZ first time, it reminded me the Fire-Fly and Nautilus. Yes, the Bitz belongs to the custom CR123A light class like the FF and Nautilus.
As you see the manufacture's specification, The BitZ used high grade parts, e.g. Titanium bezel ring, Titanium pocket clip, custom made Al reflector and sapphire crystal lens etc.
For size comparison
There is no marking on the head and body.
Overall CNC machining is outstanding with no sharp edges.
Threads are smooth and very durable. The feeling of twist switching is butter smooth.
I have tested over 15,000 on/off cycles.
Switching operation is still flawless. But my fingers are… you can imagine…:mecry:
You can see the slight off center of LED. But I believe it does not affect the beam quality.
Knurling is in the middle between aggressive and smooth. So, it provides decent gripping.
Favorite but expensive Ti bezel ring and pocket clip are standard parts. And both are natural Titanium color. I have drilled one hole on the proto pocket clip and polished it with fine grit sand paper. It's better than natural Ti to sand blasted bare Al proto Bitz.
The color of HA is, my favorite color, dark grey. It is very similar to Surefire's dark grey color with no hint of greenish. And HA quality is top notch and color matching is perfect. I could not find any flaw on the anodizing.
The slot on the tail end can accept 1.5mm X 6.5mm tritium vial. I have attached a 1.4mm X 6.5mm yellow tritium vial on the proto BitZ and 1.4mm X 6.5mm green vial on the production one.
Weight is only 48g with AW protected RCR123A and well balanced.
Let's see the inside of Bitz
ChemKote applied inside the tube and thread to protect corrosion.
You can find the brilliant design of leaf spring mechanism that can eliminate the battery rattle.
Unfortunately the bezel of production BitZ is sealed by some adhesive. I believe I can disassemble the bezel without any damage but I didn't. Because I love its beauty and I have a proto sample. So, I'll show you exploded pics of proto head as follow. I don't know what's changed between proto and production.
LE is tight fit in the head to make ground path and heat sinking.
At hi mode, Bitz reached warm quickly but not hot in the hand. Therefore I guess BitZ has a proper heat sinking.
Driver Circuit & Runtime
Personally I love a buck/boost driver due to the flexibility of battery use. Thankfully BitZ has a buck/boost circuit. When I checked its function with my DMM, output currents are identical regardless of primary CR123A or RCR123A. And the maker specification of output currents is reliable.
BitZ has 3 brightness levels (Low - Mid- Hi) and hidden 4 signals (Strobe – Locator - Extreme Low - SOS).
The brightness levels are changed if you turn off/on within 2 seconds. You can notice the brightness level set with one blinking at Mid and Low ranges. Bitz also has a memory function in 3 brightness levels.
IMO 500mA Hi is good compromise between performance and heat sinking for this small light.
Mid is enough to walk around the house and hiking at night.
Low is perfect for indoor use.
From any brightness level
- 8 off/on (off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on) : Strobe
- 9 off/on : Locator
- 10 off/on : Extreme Low
- 11 off/on : SOS
There is slight whine (buzz) noise on the Extreme Low mode but very good function on the other modes.
The runtimes of Bitz on Hi are 60min and 72min with AW protected RCR123A and Energizer CR123A respectively. After 72min it will go mid-mode with the primary CR123A.
So, manufacturer's runtime graph is very reasonable.
Beam quality
Sorry, crappy pics. I need a good camera. My camera does not catch the difference of each bright level. So, I'll post the comparison beam shot.
Beam shows excellent quality. Thrower hot spot with smooth corona and plentiful side spill though small reflector.
BitZ Hi(left) vs McR2—S Piglet Hi (500mA)
BitZ Low vs McR20-S Piglet Low (50mA)
Bitz Ext. Low vs McR20-S Piglet Low (50mA)
I could not find any penetration of water in 1 hour washbowl test.
Conclusion
The BitZ is an excellent quality EDC light. Machining is flawless and switching is very smooth and durable.
cons:
- Slight whine noise at Extreme Low mode
- Slight off centered LED (I hope this is only in my case)
pros:
- Everything else!
- Decent size and weight for a pocketable EDC light
- Multi-level brightness and decent runtimes.
- Great beam quality
- Flawless machining and well matched HA
- Reasonable price and actual shipping cost
- What do you want more…?
If you looking for a good quality, comfortable and decent size EDC light, it's a BitZ
Cheers to HgRyu :twothumbs
And thank for long reading. :bow: :bow: :bow:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited
How to open the BitZ head!
Deleted by the request of manufacturer.
Past 4 months was real pain for me. I had a new and good light but I couldn't open it to keep maker's secret project.
Here I'd like to share my impression of the new flashlight BitZ. The 2 lights were provided free of charge :nana: for test & review. I have got the sand blasted bare Al proto Bitz 4 moths ago for a test and production HA one only 2 days ago for a review. (Thanks HgRyu for tasting it first :goodjob
I have no connection with his business. Its price is $135. And I do not know the available quantity.
This custom-made light is made by the long time CPF member HgRyu. And the light is available in his website here: http://www.bitz.kr/.
CPF sale thread is HERE
Specification - by maker
• Material : Titanium (Bezel, Clip), 6061 Aircraft Grade Aluminum Alloy (Head, Body)
• Finish : Type III Hardcoat Anodized Natural Finish and ChemKote Interior for enhanced Corrosion Protection
• Lens : Sapphire Crystal Glass, optical grade (Anti-Reflective coating for one side)
• LED : SSC P4 bin – USXOH
• Driver : High efficient Buck-Boost converter with 3 regular brightness levels and 4 hidden signals.
• Reflector : High quality Orange Peel aluminum reflector
• O-ring sealed Twist On-Off (no battery rattle)
• Battery : One 3V CR123A or one 3.6V RCR123A (recommend AW's protected Li-Ion cell)
• Dimension: Diameter 20.3mm, Overall Length 72mm
• Hole for DIY Tritium vial or Glow-Powder on tail (hole size for 1.5mm X 6.5mm). Sorry, no tritium for international shipment.
• Accessories : Titanium Pocket Clip, 2 Split Rings (one stainless steel, one polished brass)
• No commercial packing
Driver and Brightness levels, Hidden Signals - by maker
• BitZ Pocket use high efficient Buck-Boost converter and it will control power to the LED even though you use 3.6V rechargeable Li-Ion battery. So, LED will not be damaged by unregulated high current from Li-Ion battery. Off course, birightness by regular 3V CR123A and 3.6V rechargeable Li-Ion battery will be same.
• Input voltage range : 1.8V ~ 5.5V
• There are basic 3 Brightness levels (Medium-Low-High) and hidden 4 Signals (Strobe-Locater-Extreme Low-S.O.S.)
• Brightness (estimated) : High (120~130lumen), Medium (30~40lumen), low (10lumen)
• Current to LED (tested) : High (500mA), Medium (150mA), Low (30mA)
• Rumtime (tested) : High (1~2 hours), Medium (3~6 hours), low (12~24 hours) depending on 3V or 3.6V. (see runtime graphs for details)
• Runtime for Signal mode (RCR123A, CR123A) : Strobe (8, 12 hours), Locater (24, 36 hours), Ext.Low (45, 70 hours), S.O.S. (8, 12 hours)
• Basic 3 brightness levels has Memory Function. You will get next level by Off and On within two seconds.
• You will get into Signals by consecutive 8 On and Off. No memory function for Signal.
• Locater signal : useful mode for tracking and camping as "follow me" signal or location signal.
• Extreme Low : This mode is useful as a overnight candle at tent. Current to LED is 10mA.
Runtime Graph - by maker
• Tested by primary Panasonic CR123A and rechargeable AW RCR123A batteries.
What's in the package
Light comes in a zip-lock bag, as other custom light do, with each SS and brass split-rings and 2 spare o-rings.
The Design and Construction
When I saw BitZ first time, it reminded me the Fire-Fly and Nautilus. Yes, the Bitz belongs to the custom CR123A light class like the FF and Nautilus.
As you see the manufacture's specification, The BitZ used high grade parts, e.g. Titanium bezel ring, Titanium pocket clip, custom made Al reflector and sapphire crystal lens etc.
For size comparison
There is no marking on the head and body.
Overall CNC machining is outstanding with no sharp edges.
Threads are smooth and very durable. The feeling of twist switching is butter smooth.
I have tested over 15,000 on/off cycles.
Switching operation is still flawless. But my fingers are… you can imagine…:mecry:
You can see the slight off center of LED. But I believe it does not affect the beam quality.
Knurling is in the middle between aggressive and smooth. So, it provides decent gripping.
Favorite but expensive Ti bezel ring and pocket clip are standard parts. And both are natural Titanium color. I have drilled one hole on the proto pocket clip and polished it with fine grit sand paper. It's better than natural Ti to sand blasted bare Al proto Bitz.
The color of HA is, my favorite color, dark grey. It is very similar to Surefire's dark grey color with no hint of greenish. And HA quality is top notch and color matching is perfect. I could not find any flaw on the anodizing.
The slot on the tail end can accept 1.5mm X 6.5mm tritium vial. I have attached a 1.4mm X 6.5mm yellow tritium vial on the proto BitZ and 1.4mm X 6.5mm green vial on the production one.
Weight is only 48g with AW protected RCR123A and well balanced.
Let's see the inside of Bitz
ChemKote applied inside the tube and thread to protect corrosion.
You can find the brilliant design of leaf spring mechanism that can eliminate the battery rattle.
Unfortunately the bezel of production BitZ is sealed by some adhesive. I believe I can disassemble the bezel without any damage but I didn't. Because I love its beauty and I have a proto sample. So, I'll show you exploded pics of proto head as follow. I don't know what's changed between proto and production.
LE is tight fit in the head to make ground path and heat sinking.
At hi mode, Bitz reached warm quickly but not hot in the hand. Therefore I guess BitZ has a proper heat sinking.
Driver Circuit & Runtime
Personally I love a buck/boost driver due to the flexibility of battery use. Thankfully BitZ has a buck/boost circuit. When I checked its function with my DMM, output currents are identical regardless of primary CR123A or RCR123A. And the maker specification of output currents is reliable.
BitZ has 3 brightness levels (Low - Mid- Hi) and hidden 4 signals (Strobe – Locator - Extreme Low - SOS).
The brightness levels are changed if you turn off/on within 2 seconds. You can notice the brightness level set with one blinking at Mid and Low ranges. Bitz also has a memory function in 3 brightness levels.
IMO 500mA Hi is good compromise between performance and heat sinking for this small light.
Mid is enough to walk around the house and hiking at night.
Low is perfect for indoor use.
From any brightness level
- 8 off/on (off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off-on) : Strobe
- 9 off/on : Locator
- 10 off/on : Extreme Low
- 11 off/on : SOS
There is slight whine (buzz) noise on the Extreme Low mode but very good function on the other modes.
The runtimes of Bitz on Hi are 60min and 72min with AW protected RCR123A and Energizer CR123A respectively. After 72min it will go mid-mode with the primary CR123A.
So, manufacturer's runtime graph is very reasonable.
Beam quality
Sorry, crappy pics. I need a good camera. My camera does not catch the difference of each bright level. So, I'll post the comparison beam shot.
Beam shows excellent quality. Thrower hot spot with smooth corona and plentiful side spill though small reflector.
BitZ Hi(left) vs McR2—S Piglet Hi (500mA)
BitZ Low vs McR20-S Piglet Low (50mA)
Bitz Ext. Low vs McR20-S Piglet Low (50mA)
I could not find any penetration of water in 1 hour washbowl test.
Conclusion
The BitZ is an excellent quality EDC light. Machining is flawless and switching is very smooth and durable.
cons:
- Slight whine noise at Extreme Low mode
- Slight off centered LED (I hope this is only in my case)
pros:
- Everything else!
- Decent size and weight for a pocketable EDC light
- Multi-level brightness and decent runtimes.
- Great beam quality
- Flawless machining and well matched HA
- Reasonable price and actual shipping cost
- What do you want more…?
If you looking for a good quality, comfortable and decent size EDC light, it's a BitZ
Cheers to HgRyu :twothumbs
And thank for long reading. :bow: :bow: :bow:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited
How to open the BitZ head!
Deleted by the request of manufacturer.
Last edited:
