Ra Twisty. Worth the price of admission!

Received my Ra Twisty 85TR from Battery Station today.
First BS is no BS. I got the Ra for the same price as everywhere else ($139) but BS threw in a nice Pelican case with 5 CR123s. Ship to delivery was lightning quick @ 48 hours.
Onto the light:
Pros:
- VERY VERY nicely made light. The price is not a con once you behold a Ra. The knurling and the ano are perfect and the SS bezel's polish and letterwork are flawless.
Also, it is reassuringly hefty and confidence inspiring the way a good EDC should be.
- Solid twisting function that requires a conscious effort to actuate. This light will not accidentally turn on in your pocket. I hope it loosens up a bit over time though.
- Useful red output.
Cons:
- You have to go through all the output settings to get from Off to Max and vice versa
- No clip. I need a clip (note my dual clipped Novatac 120E)
- Output is lower than comparable models from other makers.
The inevitable Ra vs Novatac comparison:
Beam:
- The Ra has a distinct hotspot and a remarkably defined circular spill.
- The Novatac 120E has a nice hotspot to spill transition bracketed by a fuzzy spill circle.
- Throw is about equal for distance I might use both lights for.
Handling
- I can actuate the Ra with one hand but it takes a deal of effort, however getting to the desired setting is easier to do. The Novatac is equipped with a convenient clicky but I have to count clicks to get to the various settings.
- The Ra can tailstand, the Novatac cannot.
- The Novatac can be carried via clip, in the pocket or via lanyard. The Ra has no clip.
- Both are about the same length but the Novatac is fatter.
- The Ra's knurling is more subtle than the Novatac's.
Price vs Workmanship
- Given the outstanding build, you can really tell where your money went with the Ra.
Price vs features
- The Novatac has a higher output and has more settings. The Ra has a useful red output.
My overall opinion on the Ra: How much is that Clicky? :twothumbs
Pics:

I ordered a 100Tw from Battery Station on Monday and received it Wednesday. My experience has been the same as yours. I cannot believe I waited so long to purchase this light. It's an amazing example of craftsmanship.

The only exception to your post I would make is that you consider the output of the low level to be a drawback. To me, it's perfect. Most lights don't go low enough. Additionally, you can program the light to make the low level brighter if you wish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D20iq_9umOg&feature=related

The free Pelican case was a very nice touch and definitely impacted my decision on which retailer to buy from. The lightning fast shipping made me glad I chose BStation.

Reprogramming

I couldn't quite get that. Is there a written version?

Good luck....i was an early adopter and still haven't been able to do it consitently....luckily i like the levels provided very much


http://www.ralights.com/?id=TwistyCustomize

Haha. This Twisty is Tricky to reprogram

I wanted the red to be the middle setting but think I'll just leave it be for now.

Okay I got the hang of it. My 85TR is now set to 25 > red > 85. :twothumbs

Man one day I am picking one of these up. I'll be adding some LDF to make it super flood though! :twothumbs

I just got a RA Twisty 85-TR from Battery Station.

Why did I waste all my money on other EDC flashlights?

The Twisty is, for me anyway, the absolute perfect EDC flashlight.

Throws decently.

Has very bright spill, making it just as useful up close.

Has red output! (this was what made me buy it in the first place, I absolutely need to have red output.)

It's a great light and all in all, the price isn't all that bad.

Look at an Ipod or other MP3 player, they are about the same price, yet the Twisty is an indestructable engineering marvel, while on the other hand the Ipod is made in China, isn't all that durable, and only lasts a few years.

You can see that once you put the cost in perspective you get a lot for your money with the RA Twisty.:twothumbs

Keep in mind that you can also program the light levels so the first level engaged is high, middle is medium, and the last is low-

Something of an HDS EDC LE setting, if desired.

It is a truly amazing little light. Congratulations!:twothumbs

loved the twisty, although im still a clicky fan, possible decrease in reliability and durability notwithstanding. bombproof!

LOVE the low low, lower than the NovaTac 120P by a bit. perfect.

Could someone tell me if a Minimag rubber bezel thing would fit well on there? Or is there another cheap option? I'm just thinking ahead about the quick on and off for the LDF. I think the Low low would be good to read by if it was flooded out some.

Has red output! (this was what made me buy it in the first place, I absolutely need to have red output.)

Click to expand...

I stand watches on a ship and a red light is a must :candle:. Twisty does away with the need to carry red filters or carrying a big 6P with a FM35!

It's a great light and all in all, the price isn't all that bad.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Compared to other US made lights from small makers, (First Light and NT come to mind) the 85 is competitively priced given its feature set.

Sgt. LED said:

Could someone tell me if a Minimag rubber bezel thing would fit well on there? Or is there another cheap option? I'm just thinking ahead about the quick on and off for the LDF. I think the Low low would be good to read by if it was flooded out some.

Click to expand...

It fits, but it's loose enough to slide off if the light is inverted.

The SuerFire F04 beamshaper fits perfectly on the ra, NV aND HDS bezels

Okay, first day at work carrying the RA in my pocket with an attached paracord lanyard that I pass around my beltloop.

Came in at 0500 and everyone in the ship's Chiefs berthing was still asleep. This is one of the reasons why a serviceman needs that red output! You don't want to disturb a bunch of sleeping NCOs! I had the RA in the ole oral hold technique while looking for something in my locker. It seems too fat for that purpose (and get your mind out of the gutter!)

Throughout the day there were a coupla times when I had my hands full I wished I had a clicky TC. Then one time the light activated in my pocket (I really don't know how I did that!). Aside from these two issues, the RA was very handy, unobtrusive and useful throughout the day. Additionally I am getting the hang of one handed activation.

In comparison (again) to the Novatac 120, I see no setback from "only" having 85 lumens in general day to day use. The RA lights nooks and crannies up just as good.

Looking forward to the RA Clicky. I hope it won't be in short supply after release.

If the Twisty has been on high and you then turn it off, I have found that it might actually later on have turned itself on again on low. My theory is that the contact wires, after having been fully compressed, gradually relaxes further after you have turned it off and then manages to engage the low setting by itself. For this reason I make sure to turn it one half round more when turning it off and I never saw the issue since.

paxxus is right. Just make sure you turn it past 'off' a ways. Then you can just leave it there or turn it back a little. But that keeps it from coming on by itself -- for me at least.

paxxus said:

If the Twisty has been on high and you then turn it off, I have found that it might actually later on have turned itself on again on low. My theory is that the contact wires, after having been fully compressed, gradually relaxes further after you have turned it off and then manages to engage the low setting by itself. For this reason I make sure to turn it one half round more when turning it off and I never saw the issue since.

Click to expand...

This is pretty much how I solved the issue. Just make a conscious effort to turn it out a bit more.