Bronte RA01 (aluminum version)
Reviewer's Overall Rating: ★★★★☆
Summary:
| Battery: | 1xAAA or 1x10440 |
| Switch: | Twist switch (middle) |
| Modes: | 3 (Med, High, Low) |
| LED Type: | CREE xp-g R5 |
| Lens: | Coated GLASS lens |
| Tailstands: | No |
| Price Payed: | 19.50$ |
| From: | DealExtreme |
| Date Ordered: | Late 2012 |
Pros:
- Very lightweight! (similar to itp A3 eos)
- Very small (similar to itp A3 eos)
- Very powerful (a bit more than itp A3 eos)
- Very efficient electronics (regulation)
- Long runtime!
- Long and smooth threads
- Good anodizing
Cons:
- Bulky and ugly keychain
- A bit expensive
- No clip !!
- Can not tailstand (maybe not a con for someone)
- No memory !!
- Mode order (M H L, I prefer L M H or M L H )
Features / Value: ★★★★☆
This is not my first "Bronte" light that I have. The first one was the RA04 (http://dx.com/p/bronte-ra04-xpg-r5-led-90lm-3-mode-memory-white-light-flashlight-w-key-ring-1-x-aa-14500-114596?Utm_rid=43033281&Utm_source=affiliate) which I reviewed here https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/9065 .
After using the RA04 for some months, I wanted to have another Bronte, this time powered with AAA instead of AA, and with a better "color" on it´s body (different than the black boring color RA04 has).
Bronte lights, are good ones. They offer a robust construction, plus a very good and efficient electronics at a nor expensive nor cheap price (let´s call them... affordable price).
Now, this AAA Bronte light, impressed me when taking it out of the box, just by "realizing" how lightweight and tiny the flashlight is. I dont have digital scale, but if you remove the "stupid" keychain, I think it is about the same weight than the A3 eos. And the size, about the same in lenght and width.... Pity it has no clip!!!
It arrived in the typical cardboard box, similar than the one where the itp A3 comes, or the other Bronte lights comes.
Includes manual and 2 spare orings. The typical...
The purpose of this review, is not only reviewing the light itself, but also compare it to the itp A3 eos. (both the aesthetics and performance).
Design / Build Quality: ★★★★☆
This flashlight is about the same size than the itp A3 eos. It´s weight, about the same if you remove the big and bulky part of the keychain.
It arrived completely clean by the outside of the body, and veeery clean in the inside. No machining debris, and the threads + oring very very well lubed (comparable to the itp A3 eos in this matter).
As you can see, there is not much knurling (almost nothing...) on the outside. Similar to other Bronte lights, such as my RA04 (but the Ra04 has some knurling, this has none)
Well. Some people say that due to the fact that it has not knurling in the head part, switching on/off and changing modes is a bit challenging. At least for me, is not my case, I have enough grip to do it even with just one hand.
The "bad" thing of this light is the keychain, as said many times for me and others. It is big, bulky and heavy... The one in the A3 eos is the best I have seen/had.
Left: itp keychain. Right: bronte keychain. Yes the itp seems bigger, but I dont know why, I hate it...
Inside the head, the driver has no polarity protection. Be carefull when inserting the battery not to insert it backwards.
It has a slight orange peel reflector, about the same witdh than the one in the itp A3 eos, but maybe a bit (only a bit, maybe) deeper.
Cree XP-G R5 LED perfectly centered.
Now some photos near to the itp A3 eos (I have a "family" of some itp A3 and Olight I3...)
In the upper part of the photo, a red "black cat" modded with a tk703 extension tube making it 2xAAA.
From left to right, itp A3 Q5 (gold), itp A3 R5 (black), itp A3 Q5 (natural gray) and Bronte RA01 (blue)
Battery Life: ★★★★★
Due to it´s very good regulation and efficiency, it is not a "battery drainer" such as the Tank007 E09.
It´s power comsumption is very similar again to the itp A3 eos, giving about similar runtimes with a bit more of output (only a bit...). However, despite I dont have the measuring equipment and time necesary to give a 100% cientific conclusion, I think the Bronte RA01 has a better regulation than the itp A3.
Current draw measurements:
Ni-Mh High - 935mA
Ni-Mh Med - 296mA
Ni-Mh Low - 82mA
10440 High - 1160mA
10440 Med - 330mA
10440 Low - 75mA
Light Output: ★★★★★
This light gives about the same output than the other good typical lights in the AAA segment (I mean a max of about +/- 80 lumen during about +1 hour with a good 850mAh AAA Ni-Mh cell). Maybe a bit more lumens, but without measuring equipment is impossible to say.
RA01 with Ni-Mh on HIGH, 1m from a white wall.
itp A3 Q5 with Ni-Mh on HIGH, 1m from a white wall.
itp A3 R5 with Ni-Mh on HIGH, 1m from a white wall.
Clearly seen, that the itp A3 with xp-e Q5 concentrates more than the RA01 R5 and A3 R5 (same reflector, large die size)
RA01 with Ni-Mh on HIGH, 3m from a white wall.
itp A3 Q5 with Ni-Mh on HIGH, 3m from a white wall.
itp A3 R5 with Ni-Mh on HIGH, 3m from a white wall.
Again, the xp-e Q5 concentrates a lot more than both the others with R5.
My Lumen estimations are:
Ni-Mh Low - 3 lumen
Ni-Mh Med - 30 lumen
Ni-Mh High - 85 lumen
10440 Low - 8 lumen
10440 Med - 75 lumen
10440 High - 250 lumen decreasing fast
Summary: ★★★★☆
This is a 4 star light and not a 5 star, because of the lack of the clip and the "presence" of the "stupid, bulky and ugly" keychain loop that Bronte includes with their lineup of flashlights.
That is the only negative part of it. The rest, is all positive (very good eficiency and quality of the electronics + a robust construction).
I have choosen this light as my EDC when I am at home (replacing the Tank007 E09). When I go outside, the itp A3 eos Q5 goes ALWAYS with me (mostly due to the clip and keychain, because their size, weight and performance, is about the same...)