I got a copper BLF edition in the BG xmas sale, just arrived.
To be honest it does not look ‘new’, the outer plastic packaging is very scratched/dirty, the inner cardboard was torn (as though light had been removed many times) and the light itself was scratched a lot in several places. The barcode label says Test so I am wondering if it was a review model.
For €7.40 I don’t complain …. but I would prefer if BG were honest about selling returns/grade B products.
I used to like a lot this light but got bitten with a recent (well that was last year) batch of A01 which had cold tint, PWM and NMM.
I grabbed a copper CPF Italia end of last year for an insanely low price, but i wish i could still get the fancy color Al versions to gift away.
Does anyone know if the ‘old’ or ‘classic’ A01 can still be bought?
PS: i’ve edc’ed a copper BLF Special Edition for a few years now… Love it with a leather lanyard and custom wood bead.
for those interested in the rundown on the Copper models (I hope Im remembering correctly):
the BLF A01 and the CPFitalia A01 have the good Manker driver… neither is available afaict
the Old-Lumens A01 and the Astrolux A01 have the bad Astrolux driver… the Old-Lumens model is available on banggood
That one (previous post) was just out of the crushed hard boiled egg bag where it developed these colors and texture. I gave it away and did the same to another one i’m still carrying. Unfortunately it does not last. Depending on usage it just get some sort of even patina… and some scratches. Here it is now, almost polished daily in my jeans pocket:
Yes, patina rubs off my carried lights also. And builds up when not in use.
Ive been carrying the one on the left, while the one on the right has been sitting on my desk
Another way to add patina is to put dish soap on the light. Plant food is even stronger, and can produce some nice green colors,
Do Manker, or anybody else still make\sell the original drivers?.
It’s a nice little light (Astrolux) . Or. Maybe.
Somebody could knock up a basic On\Off, or L\M\H one?.
for those interested in the rundown on the Copper models (I hope Im remembering correctly):
the BLF A01 and the CPFitalia A01 have the good Manker driver… neither is available afaict
the Old-Lumens A01 and the Astrolux A01 have the bad Astrolux driver… both are now sold out also
Still the best for a AAA light. 3 mode, with a pencil mod it loses the next mode memory. Its PWM also gives it way longer runtime and the 219c also gives it way better energy efficiency.
I bought the Manker light some time ago, possibly as long as late last year. I think they’re just trying to clear their stick, not making them any longer
Small AAA, firefly and neutral nichia is a winning combo.
Someone recently linked to this post recently so I thought I would chime in. I was doing a bit of looking around tonight and found two people selling the Astrolux A01 claiming Nichia 219B and driver with no next mode memory. About $9-10 a light, be prepared to wait a couple months for shipment from China.
I have the Manker E01 (reportedly the same light) and it could be a great little light, but mine has finicky threads that making skipping modes pretty easy. My wife borrows it periodically so its not so bad in use.
—
PocketSammich wrote: I don’t need this, but I want it. Please sign me up.
two people selling the Astrolux A01 claiming Nichia 219B and driver with no next mode memory.
…
I have the Manker E01 (reportedly the same light)
I’m going to go out on a limb and be a skeptic
I think they claim no next mode memory, but imo, it is no longer accurate, they probably did not change the website ad copy. I have seen people buy Astrolux A01 in the past year, and despite what I warned them, and despite what the website said, they got a light w NMM.
the Astrolux A01 is no longer the same as the Manker E01, the driver is different in the Astrolux now
you can tell because the Astrolux driver is now a different color, and does not have the word Manker on it anymore
If I am mistaken, please update my knowledge base with photos of the drivers in the actual lights you receive, and please confirm if they do not have NMM
I just ordered a A01 from…….nuts, I forget where. It was advertised as a 219B but I would reckon to say it isn’t. I don’t know the exact CRI of the light but I would hazard a guess of around 80 or so and the tint being around 5700K or so. The next mode memory sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. You also, sometimes get to strobe and sometimes you don’t. It’s a crap shoot really. I don’t care, it’s not worth it to send it back. I look at is as every time I use the light I know it’s going to be a surprise. If I really want a laugh I give it to the wife to try and figure out. Drives her crazy.
two people selling the Astrolux A01 claiming Nichia 219B and driver with no next mode memory.
…
I have the Manker E01 (reportedly the same light)
I’m going to go out on a limb and be a skeptic
I think they claim no next mode memory, but imo, it is no longer accurate, they probably did not change the website ad copy. I have seen people buy Astrolux A01 in the past year, and despite what I warned them, and despite what the website said, they got a light w NMM.
the Astrolux A01 is no longer the same as the Manker E01, the driver is different in the Astrolux now
you can tell because the Astrolux driver is now a different color, and does not have the word Manker on it anymore
If I am mistaken, please update my knowledge base with photos of the drivers in the actual lights you receive, and please confirm if they do not have NMM
When the Astrolux A01 (and CPF Italia A01) were on deep discounted sale the year before (Dec 2017), I got a few pieces of them. The CPF Italia A01 came with Nichia 219B and the Manker driver (no NMM and NoPWM in any modes), whereas the Astrolux A01 also came with Nichia 219B but with the newer (unmarked) driver, which has PWM in medium mode.
Later, I ordered another Astrolux A01 (about 4-6 months ago), the A01 now comes with Nichia 219C (instead of 219B), and the unmarked driver (has PWM on medium mode).
Both the CPF Italia A01 nor the BLF A01 copper (which also has the Manker driver and NoPWM) doesn’t seem to be listed in BG’s website anymore, so I would think that the recent Astrolux A01 now has the driver with PWM in medium brightness levels.
I stand corrected, I was only sharing what I saw in print. I don’t have plans at this time to purchase one, but it sounds like toddcshoe did and it was false advertising.
Back to your regularly scheduled programming . . .
—
PocketSammich wrote: I don’t need this, but I want it. Please sign me up.
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 http://budgetlightforum.com/node/62191 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.
I got a copper BLF edition in the BG xmas sale, just arrived.
To be honest it does not look ‘new’, the outer plastic packaging is very scratched/dirty, the inner cardboard was torn (as though light had been removed many times) and the light itself was scratched a lot in several places. The barcode label says Test so I am wondering if it was a review model.
For €7.40 I don’t complain …. but I would prefer if BG were honest about selling returns/grade B products.
The Copper A01 has been my keychain light since the group buy and is still going strong!
Recent Reviews:
XTAR DRAGON VP4 Plus Zanflare S2
Klarus XT2CR BLF Q8 Convoy S2+ DT
Nitecore P10GT Klarus XT11GT
Nitecore NU25 Nitecore HC65 Nitecore P26
Yongnuo YN360 Convoy C8+ Klarus FX10
Nitecore MT22C Folomov 18650S
FW3A Strobes
A word of warning. The lanyard broke the 4th time I used it. Fortunately the torch fell on my dog’s head so it was not damaged.
Hi, I’m looking for some clarification.
I’ve read through the thread, and as far as I understand, the Astrolux A01, as it is being sold on
Banggood now, is no longer the “winner winner chicken dinner “ that it used to be?
Thanks.
I used to like a lot this light but got bitten with a recent (well that was last year) batch of A01 which had cold tint, PWM and NMM.
I grabbed a copper CPF Italia end of last year for an insanely low price, but i wish i could still get the fancy color Al versions to gift away.
Does anyone know if the ‘old’ or ‘classic’ A01 can still be bought?
PS: i’ve edc’ed a copper BLF Special Edition for a few years now… Love it with a leather lanyard and custom wood bead.
you can still buy the Manker E01 in colors
afaik
Astrolux A01, NO!
Manker E01, YES!
Manker no longer makes the Astrolux A01, and now the A01 has NextModeMemory (NMM), because it no longer has the Manker driver
this post explains more details
http://budgetlightforum.com/comment/1269504#comment-1269504
for those interested in the rundown on the Copper models (I hope Im remembering correctly):
the BLF A01 and the CPFitalia A01 have the good Manker driver… neither is available afaict
the Old-Lumens A01 and the Astrolux A01 have the bad Astrolux driver… the Old-Lumens model is available on banggood
The dog or the light?
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
That one (previous post) was just out of the crushed hard boiled egg bag where it developed these colors and texture. I gave it away and did the same to another one i’m still carrying. Unfortunately it does not last. Depending on usage it just get some sort of even patina… and some scratches. Here it is now, almost polished daily in my jeans pocket:
Yes, patina rubs off my carried lights also. And builds up when not in use.
Ive been carrying the one on the left, while the one on the right has been sitting on my desk
Another way to add patina is to put dish soap on the light. Plant food is even stronger, and can produce some nice green colors,
which unfortunately also rubs off..
here are a few more variations in patina
Do Manker, or anybody else still make\sell the original drivers?.
It’s a nice little light (Astrolux) . Or. Maybe.
Somebody could knock up a basic On\Off, or L\M\H one?.
yes, afaik the non copper Manker model currently available
http://www.mankerlight.com/manker-e01-aaa-flashlight-102-lumen-nichia-21...
still has the original driver that the early Astrolux used (because Astrolux were made by Manker then, and no longer are)
for those interested in the rundown on the Copper models (I hope Im remembering correctly):
the BLF A01 and the CPFitalia A01 have the good Manker driver… neither is available afaict
the Old-Lumens A01 and the Astrolux A01 have the bad Astrolux driver… both are now sold out also
Not sold out anymore. Some colors are.
Still the best for a AAA light. 3 mode, with a pencil mod it loses the next mode memory. Its PWM also gives it way longer runtime and the 219c also gives it way better energy efficiency.
Its better to some people I'm sure!
I bought the Manker light some time ago, possibly as long as late last year. I think they’re just trying to clear their stick, not making them any longer
Small AAA, firefly and neutral nichia is a winning combo.
Someone recently linked to this post recently so I thought I would chime in. I was doing a bit of looking around tonight and found two people selling the Astrolux A01 claiming Nichia 219B and driver with no next mode memory. About $9-10 a light, be prepared to wait a couple months for shipment from China.
I have the Manker E01 (reportedly the same light) and it could be a great little light, but mine has finicky threads that making skipping modes pretty easy. My wife borrows it periodically so its not so bad in use.
PocketSammich wrote: I don’t need this, but I want it. Please sign me up.
I’m going to go out on a limb and be a skeptic
I think they claim no next mode memory, but imo, it is no longer accurate, they probably did not change the website ad copy. I have seen people buy Astrolux A01 in the past year, and despite what I warned them, and despite what the website said, they got a light w NMM.
the Astrolux A01 is no longer the same as the Manker E01, the driver is different in the Astrolux now
you can tell because the Astrolux driver is now a different color, and does not have the word Manker on it anymore
If I am mistaken, please update my knowledge base with photos of the drivers in the actual lights you receive, and please confirm if they do not have NMM
I just ordered a A01 from…….nuts, I forget where. It was advertised as a 219B but I would reckon to say it isn’t. I don’t know the exact CRI of the light but I would hazard a guess of around 80 or so and the tint being around 5700K or so. The next mode memory sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. You also, sometimes get to strobe and sometimes you don’t. It’s a crap shoot really. I don’t care, it’s not worth it to send it back. I look at is as every time I use the light I know it’s going to be a surprise. If I really want a laugh I give it to the wife to try and figure out. Drives her crazy.
"Everywhere I go, there I am"
When the Astrolux A01 (and CPF Italia A01) were on deep discounted sale the year before (Dec 2017), I got a few pieces of them. The CPF Italia A01 came with Nichia 219B and the Manker driver (no NMM and NoPWM in any modes), whereas the Astrolux A01 also came with Nichia 219B but with the newer (unmarked) driver, which has PWM in medium mode.
Later, I ordered another Astrolux A01 (about 4-6 months ago), the A01 now comes with Nichia 219C (instead of 219B), and the unmarked driver (has PWM on medium mode).
Both the CPF Italia A01 nor the BLF A01 copper (which also has the Manker driver and NoPWM) doesn’t seem to be listed in BG’s website anymore, so I would think that the recent Astrolux A01 now has the driver with PWM in medium brightness levels.
I stand corrected, I was only sharing what I saw in print. I don’t have plans at this time to purchase one, but it sounds like toddcshoe did and it was false advertising.
Back to your regularly scheduled programming . . .
PocketSammich wrote: I don’t need this, but I want it. Please sign me up.
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.
Just to make sure I’ve understood: the BLF-348 with Nichia 219C is no longer high CRI?
Is there a driver that could be modded into the currently degraded A01, to make it more like it was originally?
Like the Zeusray, the A01 has become a poster child for how lights are slowly degraded by corner-cutting over time.
Make it good, make it popular, make it cheaper, sell more based on the good reputation, make more money. Sigh.
https://www.google.com/search?q=quality+fade
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
My buddies fell into boiling water in his smoker for like 15 minutes. Still going strong 1 year later.
It’s still high CRI. Just not as nice a tint.
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).
Pity the new A01 is so bad, now.
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.
for those who want to get rid of the NMM
The Pencil Mod is here
but the Pencil Mod wont get rid of the PWM
nor the 219c …
the Astrolux A01 is on my Do Not Buy list
More in the other thread at http://budgetlightforum.com/node/62191 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.
Thank you
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