$8 shipping to US for a 15 gram light… ouch. So we are up to $30. I do keep hearing good things about this light. I’d change the UI though, and crank down the max lumens quite a bit because of the tiny battery.
I couldn’t resist adding the reviled Nitecore Tube to my most recent Illumn order (it is on sale for $5 there, 1.0 version). It’s only 9 grams and 45 lumens is plenty for a small light like this. I rather like it for what it is. Main issue is that it is notoriously unreliable. Mine still works but I won’t count on it for anything. Maybe Rovyvon can make something like it that is better. Nitecore copied Rovyvon with the Tiki so they might as well get copied back.
Yeah $21.42 is already at the upper limit of what I’d consider spending on something like this though. Two of them isn’t happening. The light is nice in some ways and crazy in others. I liked the Happy Hiker (DE) review linked from the product page fwiw.
I get some analysis paralysis looking at all those A[x] models which have very few obvious differences. Don’t know what the A3 is. I didn’t realize it but according to that German review, the side led in the A5x is also high cri and makes about 60 lumens. No idea if it has heat issues. If not, their suggestion of turning the A5x into a tiny headlamp by using the pocket clip to mount it on a bit of heat shrink tubing around an elastic cord is interesting. It would stow nicely in a small pill bottle or the like.
Lightbringer meant the A33. For some people it’s showing up as $18.95 for two. For me it showed as $22.95.
Oh yeah, I ordered more than just the A5x… just that with $8 shipping wouldn’t be very cost effective. Had a few accessories to pick up already on sale.
As for the A[x] series, there are differences. Some of them come in only certain materials and with different color options, while some have side lights. The A1 in polycarbonate is a good deal at $13. That material holds up better to scratches than anodized aluminum. Plus it’s lighter. I was pretty shocked that the new A8 still has Micro USB in it. The A33 has USB-C…
Thanks. I have an aversion to anything with non-replaceable batteries so am going to resist these even though they are nice lights. At $5 I can think of the Tube as a disposable, but it’s harder with these Rovyvons, especially for multiple units.
Man they make it look good on the outside huh? Pretty and sweet with all the frosting on top. Unfortunately the cupcake is half baked still. See that’s Psychology 101 for yeah, “Somehow if I pay more, I’ll be the winner!”
First set of discounts gone, A5x now 33% off instead of 42% (so it’s $24.something). I notice the A23 is available with a spare battery (https://www.rovyvon.com/products/a23) but the battery (600 mah) is $20+ with the light or $37 on ebay. The a23 is undoubtedly nice, but seems comparable to a small 14500 light that has a much simpler battery replacement story.
Any idea about replacement batteries for the A5x? Is the red secondary led preferable to the UV or vice versa? Main attraction of the UV is to charge up the GITD, I guess. Hey RovyVon, how about an Anduril version? That would allow customizing the UI and also setting it up for a 2 second UV pulse a couple of times per day, to keep the GITD glowing.
They were active for a while when their first lights were released, and I guess that their adoption of Nichias was a BLF influence
I hope that the A8X is a better version of the A8U, due to the PWM. The A5R is currently on my main keychain, and will now be replaced by the A8X. The A8U will probably replace the Nitecore Tube on my works’ keychain
They were cheaper yesterday, and tomorrow will even less discounted so, the later the worse for those trying to grab a deal.
As for the “clones”, honestly, and not talking bad of their quality or brands, I prefer to support RovyVon even if they are a bit more expensive!
Some people had issues with their lights, but not me so I will support them for their innovative work!
I don’t know why RovyVon is so enamored with XP-G3. So many of their lights have them. Thankfully they do provide Nichia as an option. A8X vs. A8U should be a wash, if you’re talking about the later release with the metal button. The older one had the PWM problem.
RovyVon does make very nice quality lights, excelling in the EDC format. I think their big thrower was a bit of a bust. Did not review well. With these really small lights, a built-in battery has been the way to go… but I think Sofirn has helped prove that it doesn’t have to be the case. Take the SC01. It has a removable 10180 cell. The Lumintop GT Nano runs on that too. Frankly, I’d like to see RovyVon abandon the built-in battery and go this route. Sure, it means a little higher cost, but better to have that flexibility of battery replacement. But granted, the sealed cell in my Aurora A8 is still performing well, even after a couple of deep discharges over the nearly 3 years of ownership.
I also believe in supporting a worthwhile brand. You want a deal, then wait for a sale. But I’d rather have a nice solid RovyVon than a cheapo $12 clone.
I gotta say the A5X battery has way more advertised capacity than a 10180: it’s more like a 10440, and it also leaves space inside the light for the side leds. In fact I’m a bit suspicious of the claimed capacity. The claimed weight also is a little bit below the measured weight, at least according to that German review. But the A5x is much lighter than any of the metal 10180 lights, because of its plastic body. I don’t know if plastic could be used with a 10180 or 10440 or whatever.
With the bigger Rovyvons, the proprietary battery seems to be a big fail. It’s more defensible in the tiny lights like the A5x.
The battery is replaceable, but it is proprietary and quite expensive. By commodity battery I mean something like a 14500, or in this case maybe 2x 10440. Any idea where to get a generic replacement for that expensive lipo cell?
Ah, OK. I see what you mean. Well, you have to think of the battery outside the conventional sense. These are long lasting. Having to replace it after a few years of very heavy use… not a big deal. And while not a commodity type battery, you can find them on a few battery sites. Of course, the question becomes, is the cost of that battery worth it relative to the price of getting a whole new flashlight. A future flash sale might make it worthwhile to skip a replacement battery. I had chatted with Kevin about these proprietary cells and he says he doesn’t pick some random supplier. He chose these as they passed his rigorous tests. Anyway, no harm in getting one of the cheaper models like A1 and living with it for a bit, to see if the package appeals to you. You might consider RovyVon an interesting brand to keep an eye on, or decide it’s not worth your time. I really like my old A8, despite the obvious PWM in mid-lower modes.
Of course replacing the battery (having to order from somewhere etc.) is a hassle. Can you suggest a battery site where replacements are even available, other than ebay as I mentioned? Replacing the whole light = more e-waste etc. One avoids the dilemma by just not buying the light in the first place. I think that is the best approach, unless the light has really unique and worthwhile features.
The A1 doesn’t appeal to me because I don’t see much benefit compared to a 1*AAA or 10440 tube-shape light with the LED at the end, that uses normal cylindrical batteries. The A23 is similar. The A5X is more interesting because of the side leds, but it is a lot more expensive.
They are nice in some ways, a similar approach to Nitecore, but with better execution. I’d like to see a RovyVon version of the Nitecore Tube. I.e. a very thin flat light about half the size of the A1/A5, with lower output and just one led. Instead of that horrible blue internal charge indicator led like on the Tube, it could use a deep red led that would double as charge indicator and night vision preserving red light. Or UV (like in the A5X) to charge up a GITD body is also nice.
