The mods should edit the first post… I also was hunting for a 219b version and mistakenly bought two of those due to false advertising on a certain chinese website… With Next Mode Memory these are basically junk and not worth your money. You can get other more practical 219c lights (or other high CRI emitters) for the same or less money. So as of 2018/2019 the Astrolux A01 advertised as 219b is basically fraud and should be called as such.
Noone is gonna read all the pages in this thread. Maybe only the first and the last.
So: The Astrolux A01 is not 219b anymore and has Next Mode Memory. Don’t buy it.
Similar with the BLF348 that still is advertised on another site as 219b. But there was at least no UI that could have been changed to the worse, so this would still be the better option for an inexpensive 219c light at least.
BLF-348 was never as nice a tint as the original A01. The 348 tint and CCT was all over the place, depending on the unit (I have several). The A01 tint was very consistent, and a very pleasant 4000K high CRI (I have several of those too).
My only gripe with the A01’s is the weak lens. I’ve had a few crack/break on me and it isn’t easy to find inexpensive replacements. With my latest replacement for my copper A01, I’ve used Sellotape on either side of the lens to give a little protection to it.
More in the other thread at Astrolux A01 about fixing the mode bouncing
(fished out the spring, put conductive lube on its wide end, pushed it back down the tube)
I think it only goes to “next mode” if you’re in a hurry to turn it back on.
Otherwise mine consistently start in low mode.
Haven’t timed it to figure out the delay, which would be set by that capacitor the pencil mod discharges.
But I haven’t tried getting the driver out of mine.
Several hours or overnight. And I didn’t get “next mode” I got “some other mode” - quite unpredictable, jumping from low to high or low to strobe to medium. As someone else described a few pages back in this thread.
Definitely needs the “pencil mod”or a resistor added over the capacitor.
I’d like to speak to the purchasing agent who saved a couple of pennies per light by dumping the good Manker driver and replacing it with a cheaper one.
Yep, both the original Manker driver and the current crappy “some other mode” driver for the Astrolux A01 has you cycle through L-M-H twice before it starts strobing.
It’s the added low-level before it starts strobing that strikes me as peculiar. It’s not supposed to do that.
I’ve got several of both BLF 348’s and AO1,
plus some others to compare.
The BLF is a fine light. Does it’s job. ON/OFF. with plenty of light.
BUT NO SOUL.
Just a smooth stainless tube with the “Singfire” model having more output.
The AO1 has “not so much” light. with differing levels,
But. both looks and feels good in the hand. Bonus.
The little Convoy (Stainless) I carry on keyring. 85ish lum.
On/OFF.
But you can’t hurt or scratch it.
Also. My little Copper O’light, 2 levels. Beaut light.
Second level, on bedroom wall. Equal to MID on AO1.
It’s NOT the strongest but the nicest light.
I just turn it back (or forward) to Low. Before turning off.
Problem solvered.
PS.
What the hell would anybody want a flashing cycle for on a toy torch.
I don’t even use it on the big ones.
In case you accidentally fall out of an airplane and end up on the side of a mountain, you can cycle thru all the modes to realize you got the driver without the strobe after cycling twice ...then you get eaten by a bear
I use strobe in crosswalks when crossing any street — even if I don’t see a car coming because one may pull out and race in my direction faster than my reaction time to pull out the flashlight.
So the little A01 is handy for that in case I’ve forgotten a bigger light.
The idea is to distract the drivers from their cell phones.