WTB: Jetbeam RRT01 – Any place to buy it?! + [RRT01 2019 discussion]

I dont know the ins an outs of glow tape
I received those two rings as a gift
good thing cause I cant cut a perfect circle, even to save myself from the dark… LOL

I did some deep googeling and found a JETBeam distributer in Australia (Pro-Tactical) who pointed me to this online retailer which still has some stock of the original RRT01 for $139AUD / $99USD. Not the cheapest but perhaps that’s why they still have some.

I’m new here and at the risk of sounding naive, it seems to me that there is a gap in the flashlight world for a great EDC and that it is entirely due to clicky UI’s.

How do BLF special edition / collaborations begin? Again I’m new here but it seems to me that the “ultimate” EDC light would have the following attributes:

-Nichia 219C 4,000 4,500 or 5,000k (or something else with high output, high cri, and a nice tint)
-Single emitter slightly throwy (Zeebralight) OR a tri-emmiter for a high lumen floody light (Emisar D4S)
–18350 or 18650
UI: most importantly a single ring dimmer switch (like the original JETBeam RRT01) that goes from OFF> Turbo with only one detent at the off position. Switch placement towards the head of the light and perhaps just 110 degrees of ring travel for one handed use. Lock-out by loosening the tail cap. No tail/side switch, no disco, no save-our-ship, no uv/blue/green/red/ir, no usb ports. Yes RGB battery indicator.

Pretty much everything else in the world doesn’t have a clicky UI: dimmer switches for overhead lights in a house, an electric drill, a bathroom sink faucet, the accelerator pedal in a car, the volume control on a stereo, the gas burner on a stove, etc. Imagine triple clicking or a press and hold to ramp up your leaf blower. An argument could be made that clicking into various fixed modes on a flashlight is like using DOS commands on a computer. Although rotary controls have been tried by many flashlight manufacturers over the years without significant success, I think it’s safe to say that very few of them have so far gotten it right. Designing the simplest light may be the most complex thing to do.

Apparently Pro-Tactical Australia toured a JETBeam factory in 2013:

This video from 2015 is pretty intense:

Although you are correct to a certain extent, the problem with implementing all of those feature in a flashlight is space. You ever look at the controls behind that dimming light switch? A lot going on back there. Everyone wants their pocket lights to fit in their pocket. Hardware dimming has been happening for a lot of years now. The dimming going on in flashlights now is all software controlled so it will all fit in our pockets and give us a simple button to use to control the output. The few rotary lights still use mechanical dimming with magnets. It keeps it to a manageable size that is still pocket friendly. We also like to keep our lights somewhat water resistant. Rotating parts on the outside of a light makes that a challenge, not impossible, but challenging. I think there are some dive lights that have slide type dimmers on them and they get up there in price quickly.

So that gets us to price. A lot of people who buy flashlights, just want light when you turn it on. That’s it. Nothing more nothing less. 90% of the flashlight buying public could care less about CRI, tint, beams and the latest wizz bang flashlight software/hardware. That is where flashlight companies make their money. The majority of the buying public, yep, the same majority that think the Bell and Howell Tac Light is a quality light. We are a minority, not to be catered to, although some people think they are, they make some lights with our suggestions in mind. They keep us happy with the latest emitters and what not. Then you have the people like ToyKeeper who keep cranking out great firmware that we can run on a increasing number of lights now. Also some great guys who work with manufactures to get someones idea made into a light for us all. Sure a few of the majority get turned into our minority but, nobody is retiring early on what we spend on flashlights.

We are extremely lucky to have the options we have now. 15 years ago we could have only dreamed of 5000 lumens of handheld light. Now it cost forty bucks shipped to your door.

The JetBeam RRT01 2019 is one sweet light. I am wondering if they will make a titanium version… I would buy one of those in a heartbeat…

They use to, it would be nice if they did it again.

O, yes, I know they did a limited titanium ran of the old version, but I was… unenlightened back then and missed it.

I hope they do the same with the new version. I will NOT miss that.

Agreed, it would be nice if they would. I will wait, not so patiently. :slight_smile:

Maybe we can petition Jetbeam for it. I believe they have e presence in this thread.

If enough of us show interest, they may do it.

Thanks for the reply. BUT flashlights have become so bright that modes are a necessity. I think that the same general public who just want a light to turn on and off would be most appreciative of an intuitive and quick rotary control. I understand that that amplifies the complexity and cost of a flashlight but it is 2019. A flicker free software or hardware compact dimming control with great tactile feel, simplicity, linear ramping, electrical efficiency, and water resistance. It’s been done already! Nearly every type of light would benefit from it, headlamps, throwers, floods, etc. Innovation in many areas often comes from hobbyists such as the people on this forum

Just got mine today. Boy does it suck. I don’t think mine is working properly. From the hard off detent, you get about 60% of the ring travel with no light, then when it does come out it flickers horribly. I do not remember the original RRT01 being like this. I take mine has a problem? Also sorry about portrait mode… this video was quick and dirty.

Wow, that needs to be returned. My old RRT-01 has a solid “off ”detent, then just a tiny bit of travel before the almost imperceptible low output begins. Very smooth.
BTW, I’ve really been enjoying your YT reviews.

… what do you want for $80 :wink:

Ok that’s what I thought. I sent HK Equipment on eBay a message with a link to the video. Let’s see what they have to say. Thanks man! I hope I get around to reviewing this one!

I’m a simple bro… a working light. Also I paid $70

Hum, those detents are really “marked” while rotating, aren’t they? Nothing like the old model that goes smoothly :zipper_mouth_face:

I hope the vendor makes it right for you. It is such a super simple operation. No double clicks, long clicks, etc. to memorize. I don’t think I want to go back to a ” morse code” multi-level light. Looking forward to your thoughts on a properly operating RRT-01.

Reminds me of my Sunwayman V10R after I accidentally put in the battery the wrong way once. Even though that lasted for just a second before I noticed, it never worked right again.

Result: For the first 60–70 or so of the ring’s travel the light would be in moonlight mode, starting very low and gradually getting brighter. Then over a tiny distance, maybe 1-2mm of turn the light would rapidly ramp from around 1% output to 100%. The transition was so quick that it looked like it simply jumped from moon to max, but if you took a lot of care to turn the ring extremely slowly at the transition point you could see that it actually did ramp up and wasn’t instant.

Yeah, mine doesn’t do any of that nonsense. It should definitely go back for a replacement.

Mine starts so low you can’t see it till you get right up on the lens, and it just gradually increases to max output, which you don’t have to go into the max detent to achieve.

Mine too, definitely send it back. Something is not right with the driver.

Long time off of BLF for me,I bought the new rrt-01 and I’m looking for 18350 recommendations for this light. I hope I didn’t make a mistake buying this light, I’m a sucker for infinitely variable flashlights.