mchlwise
Enlightened
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2006
- Messages
- 949
Yesterday I received a JetBeam RRT-0 Raptor, generously provided by Flavio of www.bugoutgearusa.com for a "real world" review.
Now that I've had a day and a half to use it under a variety of conditions, here is what I've found:
Background:
I grew up in Los Angeles, and was living about 15 miles from the epicenter of the Jan. 1994 Northridge earthquake. The earthquake struck at about 4:30 a.m., well before the sun would come up, and plunged the entire southern half of California into a blackout. When the shaking stopped, I had a screaming and crying 3-year-old daughter in the next room and no way to see obstacles or dangers as I stumbled through the rubble of my home to try to get to her without a flashlight.
Since then, I've learned to never be without an easily-accessible flashlight 24/7, and I've followed with great interest the development of LED technology - particularly high-output LED flashlights.
My first introduction to JetBeam came about 3 years ago when they released one of their first lights, the Jet-1. It was somewhat of a ground-breaking light, and one that I was particularly attracted to, because it could run on either a CR123 cell or a standard AA battery, depending on which inter-changeable body you screwed the head of the light onto:
I've owned over 20 flashlights since then, from makers such as Surefire, Fenix, Nitecore, Lightflux, Dorcy, RiverRock, etc., and still consider the Jet-1 one of the best flashlights ever made.
Some of my major considerations for a flashlight are that it (obviously) be very bright when I want it to be, that it be reasonably efficient and have multiple easily-accessible modes, and perhaps most important of all, that it's easy to "feed". This usually means that it uses AA batteries, because in an emergency you can yank them out of your t.v. remote and have continued light. The downside, of course, is that lithium CR123's pack a lot more punch. An ideal flashlight would be able to run on either.
JetBeam RRT-0 Raptor
One of JetBeam's latest offerings is the RRT-0 Raptor, part of JetBeam's "Rapid Response Tactical" series. "Rapid Response" refers to the ability to quickly change between light levels via the selector ring.
First impressions
My first impressions of this light are that it's not just an average flashlight, it is a serious tool.
The light comes packed in foam in a handsome (cardboard) box with a magnetic closure, along with an instruction manual, warranty card, removable pocket clip, lanyard, spare o-rings, and tailcap boot. My light also came with the AA extender, which I believe is an optional accessory sold separately. The extender is "plug-and-play" - the light includes sophisticated circuitry designed to recognize and efficiently use whatever power-source you supply it with (more on this circuitry later).
The Raptor has an aluminum body, with military-grade hard anodizing in a dark grey, slightly greenish finish. The front bezel which holds in the glass lens is stainless steel, as is the ring at the tail which covers the switch and the selector ring. The threads of the head of the light are brass, and they are square threads (as opposed to more common "sharp" threads). It is waterproof to IPX8 standard, and impact resistant to milspec 810F.
The light utilizes a Cree R2 emitter, and the manual specifies that outputs are as follows (in lumens x hours):
CR123 - 240 x .75, 50 x 7.5, 25 x 12, 10 x 20, 1 x 100
AA - 180 x .75, 50 x 5, 25 x 10, 10 x 15, 1 x 80
I don't have the means to test JetBeam's claims in this regard, so your mileage may vary.
The light is somewhat "beefy", and will certainly never win awards for it's small size. The head alone is about 1.5 times the length of a CR123 cell, and the body is even longer. The head houses a largeish and deep reflector and the body includes a fairly deep guard around the switch which allows the light to stand on its tail.
The AA adapter is a straight-forward aluminum spacer milled to create additional heat-sinking capacity on the outside, and to take up the difference in diameter between a AA and a 123 on the inside.
There are o-rings at the joint(s) to ensure water resistance.
Function
The RRT-0 is a multi-mode, 5-level light with a tactical "forward clickie", momentary tailswitch. A slight press on the switch gives you light for as long as the switch is held. A little more pressure, and the switch clicks keeping the light on after the switch is released (until it is clicked again).
Modes are selected via the stainless steel selector ring at the head of the light. When using the light in a normal position (pointed away from you, looking at the tailcap) turning the ring clockwise increases brightness, and counter-clockwise decreases. I think of it as being similar to a volume knob on a radio. If I want more light, I simply "turn it up". Although this is a 5-level light, the selector ring has only 4 positions. The fifth level is an alternating low level between "low" and "lower low". When you move the selector to the lowest position, it will be the last low position you selected. To change from "low" to "lower low" or vice-versa, you simply move the selector quickly from low to "medium low" (or further) and back to low again.
I found use of the light to be very natural and intuitive. A feature I particularly liked was the ability to select the level with the light off. I could see use for this in numerous situations where you may have used the light say at it's highest level, but then want to be stealthy and use the light at a lower level. Other multi-level lights must be turned on and then cycled to the level desired, but the JetBeam's selector ring allows you to know exactly what level you will get before pressing the switch.
The brightness and "throw" of the RRT-0 is indeed impressive. I compared it to another tactical flashlight I own - a Fenix TK10. The Fenix is a two-cell light with a very impressive output, but it is matched by the RRT-0. The Fenix is advertised to put out 225 lumens, and side-by-side in an outdoor night comparison I would consider their output roughly equal. Runtime on a single battery will probably never compare to runtime of two combined batteries, but for the RRT-0 to put out the same amount of light was very impressive to me.
Output on a AA is obviously lower, but the ease-of-use and ability to quickly switch between battery types scores lots of points in my book.
"Issues"
As with any invention, the RRT-0 is subject to a certain level of opinion and criticism, and you will have to decide for yourself if it's imperfections are a deal-breaker or not.
Voltage
In their quest to make a light which can utilize any battery that can fit inside it, JetBeam has run slightly afoul of battery chemistry. CR123 cells and rechargeable RCR123 cells run on slightly different voltages, the RCR123s being higher. CR123's themselves vary in voltage with their nominal "running" voltage being just over 3 volts. When the cells are brand-new, however, the voltage is slightly higher and can "overlap" a bit into the low part of the voltage range of a rechargeable cell. The problem this causes is that for a brief period when a new battery is placed in the light, the light believes that it is in fact a discharged rechargeable battery and will come on only in lowest-low mode to protect what it thinks is a rechargeable cell from over-discharge. When I received the light along with a brand-new CR123, I had to leave the light on (in it's low mode, no other modes were available) for about 90 seconds until the battery voltage dropped slightly. I turned it off and back on, and the light then recognized the battery as a new cell and not a discharged rechargeable. For me, "breaking in" a new battery for a minute-and-a-half isn't a big deal, but some may be upset with the inability to simply "throw in a new cell and go".
Pre-flash
The other issue is a bright flash which occasionally appears for a fraction of a second before the light comes on at a low level. This can be distracting, annoying, and/or dangerous - but I believe it is avoidable and primarily caused by the user.
When the button is pressed, there is an almost imperceptible delay of a small fraction of a second before the light comes on. I believe the circuitry is "spooling up" for lack of a better term. If you press the switch slightly (not enough to click it) and release very quickly, the switch can make and then break contact before the light actually comes on. The next time the switch is pressed, the energy from the first press is still in the capacitor, so the emitter gets a brief "double shot" of juice and flashes at a higher level. At least that is my theory on what causes the flash. I have been able to consistently get a flash by quickly pressing and releasing the switch at varying levels, and I have been able to consistently avoid the flash by pressing steadily and with "commitment".
Cree Rings
The Cree emitters, which are used in the RRT-0, are notorious for being "ringy". When viewed on a light, solid background such as a white wall, the center "hotspot" is surrounded by a slightly darker ring, then a slightly yellowish tinted ring, followed by the wide spill-beam. The orange-peel in the reflector blurs the lines somewhat between the rings, but they are still visible if you are looking for them. In my real-world experience, they are unnoticeable and not an issue.
Conclusion
I've used a LOT of different kinds of flashlights, including various JetBeam models, and this is by far the best light I have had the pleasure of using. It is not without it's opportunity for criticisms, as discussed above, but it is nearer to perfect than any other light available that I am familiar with - as far as I am concerned. Some people may wish it had strobe or S.O.S. functions, but I prefer not to have them.
For a no-nonsense, versatile, dependable, tactical light, I think the JetBeam RRT-0 is going to be hard to beat.
Now that I've had a day and a half to use it under a variety of conditions, here is what I've found:
Background:
I grew up in Los Angeles, and was living about 15 miles from the epicenter of the Jan. 1994 Northridge earthquake. The earthquake struck at about 4:30 a.m., well before the sun would come up, and plunged the entire southern half of California into a blackout. When the shaking stopped, I had a screaming and crying 3-year-old daughter in the next room and no way to see obstacles or dangers as I stumbled through the rubble of my home to try to get to her without a flashlight.
Since then, I've learned to never be without an easily-accessible flashlight 24/7, and I've followed with great interest the development of LED technology - particularly high-output LED flashlights.
My first introduction to JetBeam came about 3 years ago when they released one of their first lights, the Jet-1. It was somewhat of a ground-breaking light, and one that I was particularly attracted to, because it could run on either a CR123 cell or a standard AA battery, depending on which inter-changeable body you screwed the head of the light onto:
I've owned over 20 flashlights since then, from makers such as Surefire, Fenix, Nitecore, Lightflux, Dorcy, RiverRock, etc., and still consider the Jet-1 one of the best flashlights ever made.
Some of my major considerations for a flashlight are that it (obviously) be very bright when I want it to be, that it be reasonably efficient and have multiple easily-accessible modes, and perhaps most important of all, that it's easy to "feed". This usually means that it uses AA batteries, because in an emergency you can yank them out of your t.v. remote and have continued light. The downside, of course, is that lithium CR123's pack a lot more punch. An ideal flashlight would be able to run on either.
JetBeam RRT-0 Raptor
One of JetBeam's latest offerings is the RRT-0 Raptor, part of JetBeam's "Rapid Response Tactical" series. "Rapid Response" refers to the ability to quickly change between light levels via the selector ring.
First impressions
My first impressions of this light are that it's not just an average flashlight, it is a serious tool.
The light comes packed in foam in a handsome (cardboard) box with a magnetic closure, along with an instruction manual, warranty card, removable pocket clip, lanyard, spare o-rings, and tailcap boot. My light also came with the AA extender, which I believe is an optional accessory sold separately. The extender is "plug-and-play" - the light includes sophisticated circuitry designed to recognize and efficiently use whatever power-source you supply it with (more on this circuitry later).
The Raptor has an aluminum body, with military-grade hard anodizing in a dark grey, slightly greenish finish. The front bezel which holds in the glass lens is stainless steel, as is the ring at the tail which covers the switch and the selector ring. The threads of the head of the light are brass, and they are square threads (as opposed to more common "sharp" threads). It is waterproof to IPX8 standard, and impact resistant to milspec 810F.
The light utilizes a Cree R2 emitter, and the manual specifies that outputs are as follows (in lumens x hours):
CR123 - 240 x .75, 50 x 7.5, 25 x 12, 10 x 20, 1 x 100
AA - 180 x .75, 50 x 5, 25 x 10, 10 x 15, 1 x 80
I don't have the means to test JetBeam's claims in this regard, so your mileage may vary.
The light is somewhat "beefy", and will certainly never win awards for it's small size. The head alone is about 1.5 times the length of a CR123 cell, and the body is even longer. The head houses a largeish and deep reflector and the body includes a fairly deep guard around the switch which allows the light to stand on its tail.
The AA adapter is a straight-forward aluminum spacer milled to create additional heat-sinking capacity on the outside, and to take up the difference in diameter between a AA and a 123 on the inside.
There are o-rings at the joint(s) to ensure water resistance.
Function
The RRT-0 is a multi-mode, 5-level light with a tactical "forward clickie", momentary tailswitch. A slight press on the switch gives you light for as long as the switch is held. A little more pressure, and the switch clicks keeping the light on after the switch is released (until it is clicked again).
Modes are selected via the stainless steel selector ring at the head of the light. When using the light in a normal position (pointed away from you, looking at the tailcap) turning the ring clockwise increases brightness, and counter-clockwise decreases. I think of it as being similar to a volume knob on a radio. If I want more light, I simply "turn it up". Although this is a 5-level light, the selector ring has only 4 positions. The fifth level is an alternating low level between "low" and "lower low". When you move the selector to the lowest position, it will be the last low position you selected. To change from "low" to "lower low" or vice-versa, you simply move the selector quickly from low to "medium low" (or further) and back to low again.
I found use of the light to be very natural and intuitive. A feature I particularly liked was the ability to select the level with the light off. I could see use for this in numerous situations where you may have used the light say at it's highest level, but then want to be stealthy and use the light at a lower level. Other multi-level lights must be turned on and then cycled to the level desired, but the JetBeam's selector ring allows you to know exactly what level you will get before pressing the switch.
The brightness and "throw" of the RRT-0 is indeed impressive. I compared it to another tactical flashlight I own - a Fenix TK10. The Fenix is a two-cell light with a very impressive output, but it is matched by the RRT-0. The Fenix is advertised to put out 225 lumens, and side-by-side in an outdoor night comparison I would consider their output roughly equal. Runtime on a single battery will probably never compare to runtime of two combined batteries, but for the RRT-0 to put out the same amount of light was very impressive to me.
Output on a AA is obviously lower, but the ease-of-use and ability to quickly switch between battery types scores lots of points in my book.
"Issues"
As with any invention, the RRT-0 is subject to a certain level of opinion and criticism, and you will have to decide for yourself if it's imperfections are a deal-breaker or not.
Voltage
In their quest to make a light which can utilize any battery that can fit inside it, JetBeam has run slightly afoul of battery chemistry. CR123 cells and rechargeable RCR123 cells run on slightly different voltages, the RCR123s being higher. CR123's themselves vary in voltage with their nominal "running" voltage being just over 3 volts. When the cells are brand-new, however, the voltage is slightly higher and can "overlap" a bit into the low part of the voltage range of a rechargeable cell. The problem this causes is that for a brief period when a new battery is placed in the light, the light believes that it is in fact a discharged rechargeable battery and will come on only in lowest-low mode to protect what it thinks is a rechargeable cell from over-discharge. When I received the light along with a brand-new CR123, I had to leave the light on (in it's low mode, no other modes were available) for about 90 seconds until the battery voltage dropped slightly. I turned it off and back on, and the light then recognized the battery as a new cell and not a discharged rechargeable. For me, "breaking in" a new battery for a minute-and-a-half isn't a big deal, but some may be upset with the inability to simply "throw in a new cell and go".
Pre-flash
The other issue is a bright flash which occasionally appears for a fraction of a second before the light comes on at a low level. This can be distracting, annoying, and/or dangerous - but I believe it is avoidable and primarily caused by the user.
When the button is pressed, there is an almost imperceptible delay of a small fraction of a second before the light comes on. I believe the circuitry is "spooling up" for lack of a better term. If you press the switch slightly (not enough to click it) and release very quickly, the switch can make and then break contact before the light actually comes on. The next time the switch is pressed, the energy from the first press is still in the capacitor, so the emitter gets a brief "double shot" of juice and flashes at a higher level. At least that is my theory on what causes the flash. I have been able to consistently get a flash by quickly pressing and releasing the switch at varying levels, and I have been able to consistently avoid the flash by pressing steadily and with "commitment".
Cree Rings
The Cree emitters, which are used in the RRT-0, are notorious for being "ringy". When viewed on a light, solid background such as a white wall, the center "hotspot" is surrounded by a slightly darker ring, then a slightly yellowish tinted ring, followed by the wide spill-beam. The orange-peel in the reflector blurs the lines somewhat between the rings, but they are still visible if you are looking for them. In my real-world experience, they are unnoticeable and not an issue.
Conclusion
I've used a LOT of different kinds of flashlights, including various JetBeam models, and this is by far the best light I have had the pleasure of using. It is not without it's opportunity for criticisms, as discussed above, but it is nearer to perfect than any other light available that I am familiar with - as far as I am concerned. Some people may wish it had strobe or S.O.S. functions, but I prefer not to have them.
For a no-nonsense, versatile, dependable, tactical light, I think the JetBeam RRT-0 is going to be hard to beat.
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