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

Assuming you use the forward switch and leave it off in a usable setting. If you keep the switch on and use the dial to turn off then obviously it’s more annoying to deal with

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The detent is very minimal
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But you are able to feel it? Just slightly? I’ll check mine again tomorrow, but I could not feel anything on my sample, but I only had a few minutes with it though…

My 2020 RRT-01 has detentes at each end of the ring’s traverse… but the detentes are so soft, they might as well not exist. It basically functions like a light without detentes.

In contrast, my RRT-03 has much firmer detentes at each setting.

I suppose a modder who wants a more pronounced detente could probably fix it simply by drilling the hole for the detente ball bearing a tiny bit deeper.

Have you tried this with night adapted eyes? I don’t own the 2020 but the 2019 model. When on, just after the first detent, light is visible only in absolute darkness with adapted eyes. Then it goes (to me) visually linear up to the end detent. Brightness just before and after the second detent can’t be discriminated by eye, but by a luxmeter. So, no visible “turbo” mode. I only have a V11R to compare it with, but in contrast to the SWM, the RRT01 2019 plays in a different league. I’d say it is as perfect as it could be, except for the missing turbo.

What I’m up to: Did Jetbeam really managed to ruin the regulation of the RRT01?

Yes, I test R9 on my skin.

you might also enjoy a triple in a Magnetic Rotary :slight_smile:
you can buy from Skylumen.com

or roll your own if you have the resources:
(pic is a link)

sorry to hear
Im glad you posted your first impressions.
this makes me rethink recommending the magnetic rotaries
you are not the first to make those observations… I have ways to live with them, but I wont blame you for stepping aside.

My lights get new control ring grease and new LED. I appreciate you making me aware that not everyone follows the upgrade path I use for my magnetic rotaries. To me they are not acceptable in stock form. I cannot tolerate low CRI.

sad but true (requires modding):
> detentes do vary, some are too hard, some are practically non existent
> lubrication and ring resistance, or lack thereof, also varies between lights

about the tailswitch
with your 2020, you have the option to use the switch to turn the light off and on, with the dial in any position. There is no need to turn the dial all the way down on the 2020,
use the switch to give yourself the option for Last Mode Memory.

> the ring does not produce immediate light from off

thanks for that clear explanation
RRT-01 are capable of lower lows than HDS… its a feature, not a bug… LOL

sadly, magnetic rotaries are not regulated on LiIon, only on CR123

about first impressions:
they can change, sometimes
The RRT-01 is far from perfect, its just better, for me now, than other imperfect lights

there is no perfect light, off the shelf
the RRT-01 can be improved, and imo it is a Fantastic Intuitive UI

I respect that a light with a loose ring can be unacceptable, and I encourage you to send it back. If you are willing to try your luck again, buy another one… hopefully the detente will be better, and also the lubrication.

devils advocate
the detente is not needed, since the 2020 has a switch
and, IF the control ring is disassembled and relubricated with Nyogel 767a, the detente is not needed even on the 2012 and 2019 models with no tailswitch. (I realize that is a Big If)

what I like about Magnetic Rotaries, that I cannot get in any other design

1. the ramping is totally intuitive, I dont need to read a manual, nor think about what mode steps the drive has

2. Magnetic Ramping is Visually Stepless. HDS has 24 hops, Spy has 7 hops, they are not visually Stepless.

definitely not perfect, but I can live with it, IF the LED gets changed and the ring lubricated.

I revise my recommendation of the RRT-01
Do NOT buy, unless you are in a position to Upgrade the LED and the control ring grease.

as an alternative, consider an FW3a or other Anduril lights… they have visually stepless ramping (150 hops), which I find useful and not jarring.

outstanding beam for my preference in tight “throwy” hotspots

sounds like moving the reflector (designed for a wider LED) closer to the 219b (smaller die), improved the beam.
very helpful tip :beer:

Spent some time swapping around parts in some of my magnetic ring lights last night.

A week ago, I accidentally destroyed the driver in my TCR-01. I had the light setup as a triple, but wasn’t satisfied with it as the output seemed too low.

  • I swapped in the driver from my 2019 RRT-01
  • I swapped in a high-CRI 219C originally taken from a Lumintop EDC18. This 219C has excellent rosy tint. Almost like the famous 219B. But I still wasn’t satisfied with the lumens. So I ended up swapping again for an XPL HI 5D …. much better. It’s not high CRI, but makes up for with vastly better output and throw.
  • I also swapped in an orange peel reflector.

Fairly happy with the light now. It looks very slightly throwier than my 2020 RRT-01 neutral, and its quite a bit smaller.

So as not to waste my 2019 RRT01, I swapped in the driver from any old EYE10. This was a driver where I had attempted wiuthout success to resistor mod it to up the current. And I had replaced the driver wires with 22 aug wires. It works now, but it’s definitely not as good as the original 2019 driver. Output is noticeably lower.

Guess I need to contact Jetbeam and see about ordering replacement drivers so I can upgrade my older lights for more output.

I find high-CRI to be nice, but raw output to be nicer. If I feel in the mood for high-CRI I’ll grab my D4V2 or an FW3A with SST20. With 18500 tube installed those lights are similar in size to the earlier model RRT-01, but have vastly more output while using a cell with twice the capacity (using 2200 mAh 18500 INR Vapcell).

> Fairly happy with the light now.

glad you are finding options you enjoy
thumbs up on buying a couple spare drivers, they are inexpensive, to save a host

> I find high-CRI to be nice, but raw output to be nicer.

both is best :slight_smile:

> If I feel in the mood for high-CRI…[multi emitter lights] vastly more output

I like your strategy,
high output and High CRI triples and quads
plus
high output throwy single LEDs

examples of throwy and floody beams on modded RRT-01
throwy single

floody triple and quad mule


here is a post that came up in one of my searches in this thread… those of you interested in LH351d for its high lumen output may find this encouraging:

pic links to original post

Sorry, i am not adept at quoting or know how to refer to a buried post…

Did you do the kraton tape adjustment and lose the centering ring / spacer on your 2020 as well?

Nice beam adjustment! Do you trust the kraton tape to isolate the bottom of the reflector from the wiring solders? And did it feel firmly seated without the ring / spacer?

Here is what I did on the 2020 model (it uses a more traditional centering ring which I kept and looked good with the LED I chose):

I cut flat parts on the centering ring so it would not “rock” against screw heads and clear my solder blobs. It sits nice and even now.




For the 2019 model I used the 3 layers of tape and left off the centering ring. Surprisingly, the reflector was not shorting anything even without the tape but that made it sit too low and the tape did give some extra piece of mind that it would be electrically isolated as well.

Those “blobs ” look nice snd clean compared to my work. Was taught after learning by experience (thx js), to solder before thermal pasting and anchoring down the mcpcb. And having an appropriate iron helps! Ive been known to leave mine on for days on end at work (by accident), and cleaning the tip on a wire wheel grinder (on purpose :blush: prob not a good idea right? ) needless to say, i think it runs a little cool now.

So i really had to lean in on reattaching the leads, they came out a little tall somehow (usable, and cleared the ring sides barely by luck, but i think they short out on the bottom of my reflector if i snug down on the bezel)

Thx! I like the clean look of this square cut centering ring also.
What are the radiused notches for? Different emitter footprint?

Jc

Higher end PCBs tend to have this extra bit of pad that comes out from the pos/neg pad and the thermal pad where extra solder spills over. I think it accounts for that.

So I was whining last week about being disappointed in my 2020 version because of a “loose” ring. FWIW I received a second one today and this sample is MUCH better. This ring is not “mushy” for lack of a better word, I’d say it’s minimum 50% firmer and smoother allowing me to easily dial in my desired brightness. The first one was loose enough to change brightness by itself in my pocket. Sure that’s not an issue if using the tailswitch, but for certain applications I prefer to have it on and turned all the way down.

I just swapped out with a high CRI Nichia (Thanks to J_S) and now i’m enjoying this light that I really wanted to like. That’s what this hobby is all about for me.

congratulations!
thanks for the update

the amount of grease on the ring makes a huge difference to me too

whining is good group therapy, glad you feel better now :+1:

at some point, if you want more detail,
pm me if you would like a walk through on the disassembly steps to do your own ring regrease,
glad it is not immediately necessary

Symptom- rrt01 stopped working at work today, after using a good hour, ons snd offs, not straight.
A little while later wouldn’t turn on. Took it apart snd it turned on as mule so i think my tall blobs were shorting again.
Resoldered the blobs snd now the light has a flicker at med-high levels.

… there’s a suspicious plasticy smell btw! Not a good sign. But the light does turn on. And the battery is charged i think. When it was brand new before i swapped emitter it flickered on all levels, i charged the batt and it never happened again, pre or post swap…
If burnt driver… can i crawl to jb and try to buy parts or is this going to be a do over?

Thanks for notch analysis earlier too

Jetbeam will sell you a driver.

The driver costs $10 and shipping costs $7. You can buy multiple drivers and shipping is the same.

Make sure your soldering is done nicely, with a bit of flux and without big blobs as the reflector will cause shorts in this light.

It is either a bad solder joint that is causing the flickering or the driver got damaged because of the short caused by the reflector.

Like pol77 said just small amount of solder, clean everything afterward.

I also like to add liquid electrical tape instead of kapton on solder points to avoid any possibility of shortening.

You can find iz here:

https://www.amazon.com/Star-brite-Liquid-Electrical-Tape/dp/B0000AXNOD

How does the liquid tape hold up to heat? Does it melt or smell when the LED gets very hot?

Not at all. It’a industrial rated and i’m using it on SBT90.2 hotrod without a twitch. It makes a hard rubber like insulated layer over anything and it’s even resistant to light mechanical damage. The best part is that you can remove it anytime

Thank you much! I suspected as much. I shall order new driver. Jetbeam is asking me where i got my light etc. I think they think i am complaining when i fully happy paying for driver and shipping.
Unless they want to send a freebee I’m ok with that but i did admit fault here, we’re tinkerers and that fun doesn’t come without some fails…

Edit- never mind, i think i burnt something out, hope jb will sell me a driver. Here’s pic of some crusty bead coming out of a thing amajiggy. And btw now ive tried another battery, took off the bottom driver cover which acts as reverse polarity lock out snd i could test with my flat top batteries.

-
Shouldn’t a shorted reflector act kind of like a bulb with a super high vf? What im asking is, shouldn’t it be a survivable incident, may have been 10 minutes vs 10 seconds during testing after emitter swap. The first time it was ok afterwards at all levels. This time didn’t come back ok, the battery pretty low, maybe i damaged it, it ots the stock battery may have lvp internal?? I should but have not tried another batt. I did charge the battery and after a reasonable charge time, indicator light went green. The smell made me think there’s a problem (flicker plus smell) snd btw flickers faster at higher current snd slowish at medium (maybe 3hz), no flicker at low. Please advise, thx. I will rework/ check solder snd spacing etc… but i think you guys right, time to order a driver (once jb deems me worthy)