fwiw, my HDS Rotary w 650mAh 16340 battery weighs 104 grams, and has no screwed on, nor deep carry, pocket clip option. And the HDS costs over 3x the price of the RRT-01
The HDS Rotary is the same 1” diameter but 1/2” longer, than the new RRT-01 which weighs 100 grams with a 1200 mAh 18350. The HDS is NOT 18350 compatible.
That means the new RRT-01 is shorter, has double the battery capacity, weighs slightly less, costs less than 1/3 the price, and the RRT-01 gets both WAY brighter, at least double the lumens, with the same emitter, and WAY dimmer, like 10 times dimmer or more!, than an HDS.
The HDS Rotary 250 has 24 hops in brightness, it is not smooth ramping like the RRT-01. I like the RRT-01 ramping UI better. The HDS Rotary requires using a tail button, plus turning a dial on the tail. The RRT-01 is MUCH simpler, no tail button, and imo the magnetic rotary dial on the RRT-01 is in a Much easier to use location, and is MUCH more responsive, than the HDS dial.
Half of the HDS Rotary 250 dial reaches no more than 2 lumens and above 110 lumens the HDS only has 2 modes, maxing out at 250 lumens.
otoh, the HDS Rotary can be purchased with a High CRI LED, which drops the max lumens to 200, and the HDS will turn itself off automatically, if the LiIon drops below 3v. On lowest modes, HDS uses PWM. RRT-01 uses Constant Current, which has its own version of flicker, ripple, or whatever you want to call it. Does it matter, nah. I own both. Do I like using PWM, no, but I dont like constant current ripple any better… it is what it is…
The HDS Rotary has a BUNCH of multi click interface and programming options, that Require training to access, and Requires referencing the manual to figure out. The HDS has a much more Vocal fan club. The silent majority of RRT-01 owners, stop buying lights after they get the magnetic rotary. HDS owners otoh, keep buying more and more of them, hoping for more throw, more brightness, more bling, and more “investment” value. The cost of an HDS Bezel and reflector, is almost the same as the cost as a complete RRT-01.
I have both HDS Rotary (which came out in 2011) and RRT-01 (which came out iirc in 2012). I EDC the RRT-01, because for me, it is “better”.
The RRT-01 can be handed to a muggle without a manual. I dub it the PoorMan’s Rotary… LOL!
l-r Folomov C1 10440 w 3000k E21a, Original RRT-01 modded w N219b 4500k 9080, HDS Rotary modded w N219b 3500k 9080