Review: Balder BD-1 3-mode AA/14500 Flashlight

Excellent review and happy to see the good performance on 14500. The engineering seems pretty decent to me.

It looks like a properly driven XPG in a very cool looking host. Kudos for the AA/14500 performance. To bad about the OP reflector, which I feel will hinder sales in their entire lineup.

All the top quality manufacturers use OP, I much prefer LOP to SMO in all but the most dedicated throwers. Balder are trying to look 'quality' but at a lower price. They have done it very well with the design, and they are trying to do it with the beam too. There is something about imperfect beams which really takes away from the overall quality feel of a light.

It's more convenient this way, since most reviewers will take wall beamshots and make a comparison. Secondly come the field beamshots. I think Balder realized that. Maybe with SMO their beampattern wasn't looking perfect. Now it doesn't matter anymore. It's a different acceptance now, they will release SMO reflectors, and no matter how the beampatterns will be, it was done by public request. Though I don't think they'll look bad.

Thanks for checking that for me, can you post up pics with the light size compared to other single celled lights for us.

Thanks OLD !

Nice review and light, now I need to know where can I buy one of these.

cnqualitygoods

Thanks!

Solarforce L2T - Skyline 2 - Balder - Jetbeam - Nitecore

Thanks old for posting that up for me, i am still in ga ga over the L2T can not wait for payday to get around.

Ive got 3 , and still tempted to pull the trigger on a 4th [ Thats crazy ] , why cant I be happy with 3 ?

Well its the flashoholic in you lol, always have to get more.

I was hoping for a slightly lower price. I'm searching for a replacement for my xeno. The mode separation is ok on alkaline. But horrible on 14500. Thought this might be perfect till I saw the price. You can never have everything. Too bad about the pwm also.

Wasted hit it right on.... "Thought this might be perfect till I saw the price."

Unfortunately, I'd have to agree... I really wanted one, but not for $45 and change.

Looks like I'll have to wait for the FandyFire copy.... Nutz

Dang that Skyline is sexxxxy........dude let me hold it lol. Now that sounded so wrong lol......

Matt, hope you don't mind if I put these graph I have made with your info, much better than text only, IMO ;)

(mouse over to see % performance)

Unfortunately the graphs dont tell the story as I didnt actually do full run times , I was only checking the regulation @ certain battery voltage levels ...

So the minutes would be some what misleading [ only partial runs ]

With the AA I started at 1.25v [ Nimh usually are 1.36v to 1.39v = well mine ] and the 14500 missed out on the 4.2v to 4v range , I think I started at 3.99v as I wanted to see where the output dropped off ...

Yeah, but still, enough to see that regulation is so so with AA (slightly better with 14500). ITP offers better regulation for the same price, IMO.

Just my 2 cents ;)

This is a no go for me. It is unacceptable in any modern flashlight.