Balder BD-1 Review By old4570
The Balder BD-1 was provided for review by Balder Flashlights - and I would like to thank them for the opertunity .
Specifications from Balder :
BD-1
Features:
1. Replacement Stainless steel strike bezel
2. Strong metal clip attached on both side.
3. Compact size and light weight, suitable for EDC (every day carry)
4. Mil-Spec Type III Hard Anodized finish.
5. Made from Aluminum alloy, really strong.
6. Water proof to IPX-8 standard.
7. Fully-regulated circuit, Broad input voltage (1.0V - 4.2V) and battery compatibility (i.e. alkaline, NiMH, 14500)
8. Precision Aluminum reflector (Orange Peel)
9. Simple operation. High-Medium-Low. No SOS and strobe modes
10. Tail standing
11. Tactical switch for momentary on.
12. Prominent runtime
13. Anti-reverse protection.
14. Candle mode
Specifications:
1. Dimension: Head diameter 24mm, Tail diameter 24mm, length 106mm
2. Cree XPG R5 LED
3. Lumen and runtime:
Single AA:
Maximum output of 145 lumens for 1.5 hours
Minimum output of 6 lumens for 50 hours
4. Material: Aircraft Aluminum Alloy T6061
5. Weight: 70g (without battery),100g(with battery)
6. Water proof to IPX-8 standard
7. Battery: single 14500 or AA
8. Accessories: O-rings, user’s manual, lanyard
The BD-1 came very well packaged , it's actually packaged in a plastic case that helps protect the light during shipping , and should be more than strong enough to handle the odd bump and grind that post may be subject to .
The package includes the BD-1 light , as well as a lower profile bezel and some spare O rings , as well as some very clear and easy to understand instructions .
On removing the light I found a very modern looking flashlight , that exuded quality everywhere I examined the light , pleasantly surprising me that the light was such a quality product .
The Body
The body is exceptionally well made , the threads are well cut and clean , everything screws together nice and smoothly , it has O rings at all the joins , the knurling is well done and the HA 111 coating is evenly applied and color is even through out .
The light is built in 4 mayor parts , the tailcap , the battery tube , the pill or LED and driver assembly [ lower part of head ] , and the head [ containing reflector and lens ] .
The Tailcap
The tailcap consists of four parts , the main body of the cap , a clicky switch assembly [ self contained ] a plastic cap and switch boot . It looks to be extremely well thought out and executed and was ever so easy to disassemble . The clicky is often the source of a lot of issues in a lot of flashlights , and a lot of the time price has little to do with it . This light was no exception , the klicky was very sensitive to pressure and would turn on with the slightest touch from my thumb , and every so often refused to turn off .
As often is the case , all that was needed was a slight adjustment to the pressure put on the clicky switch by adjusting the switch rubber boot [ Trim the little nipple on the inside of the boot ] . Once this was done the clicky ran without a hitch , and was no longer overly sensitive to pressure on the switch .
The Battery Tube
The battery tube is made to be exceptionally strong , and from the amount of material looks to be almost bullet proof . Once again very well made , the threads are well cut and clean , and screwing either the head or tailcap on is just butter smooth .
The Head
The head consists of the main body encompassing the Lens , and reflector which is threaded and screws into the head holding the lens in place . Normally the Bezel holds the lens in place , but not in this case . Here the bezel screw on , threaded to the outside of the head , and due to the design , offers very little to no bezel block [ bezel blocks light output - spill ] . There are two options here , the larger Stainless Steel bezel that adds bling , and a lower profile , and more subdued bezel for those who may object to having too much bling , on there flashlight .
The Pill or LED driver Assembly
The pill looks to be very well put together , I haven't pulled it apart as yet , but it looks to be easily upgradable , should you wish to go down that path . It has a plastic cover on the driver side that unscrews and a cover over the LED base to stop the reflector from shorting on the negative or positive wires .
Performance
This is a AA - 14500 capable flashlight , it has 3 modes , High - Medium - Low [ In that order , with no memory ] , that are activated VIA a tail switch [ Forward Clicky or Momentary on ] . To change modes you use the Momentary function [ turning on the light without fully activating - clicking - the switch ] , and you have all of one second to turn the light of and on again to change modes , or you will stay in High mode [ the starting mode ] . The beam quality on this light was impressive , and surely will not disappoint , and on the 14500 I measured some 5500Lux + @ 1 meter [ throw ] . I did detect a somewhat low frequency PWM in both Medium and Low modes that some may not like , it's never been an issue for me , but I understand it bothers some .
AA Batteries
I hope I have used enough batteries here for the test : Lets start with some Nimh cells
Kodak = High - 103Lumen - 2.04A , Medium - 35L - 0.68A , Low - 1L - 0.04A
Eneloop = High - 106L - 2.04A , Medium - 35L - 0.68A , Low - 1L - 0.04A
Rayovac = High - 110L - 2.04A , Medium - 37L - 0.7A , Low - 1L - 0.04A
Recyko = High - 107L - 2.04A , Medium - 36L - 0.68A , Low - 1L - 0.04A
Some Lithium Batteries [ Cheap ]
1/ High - 74L - 1.53A , Medium - 26L - 0.52A , Low - 1L - 0.04A
2/ High - 92L - 1.78A , Medium - 33L - 0.61A , Low - 1L - 0.04A
3/ High - 71L - 1.57A , Medium - 25L - 0.54A , Low - 1L - 0.04A
A generic Alkaline battery
1/ High - 105 faded to 83L - 2A , Medium - 36L - 0.68A , Low - 1L - 0.04A
Generic [ Cheap ] Dry cells
1/ High - 65 faded to 50L - 1.25A . Medium - 19L - 0.44A , Low - 1L - 0.05A
2/ High - 49L - 1.25A , Medium - 16L - 0.44A , Low - 1L - 0.05A
Li-ion 14500
1/ 4.2v = High 365 faded to 344L - 1.81A , Medium - 119L - 0.51A , Low - 2L - 0.01A
2/ 4.18v = High 346 faded to 325 - 1.65A , Medium - 117L - 0.52A , Low - 2L - 0.01A
Conclusion
The clip can be relocated onto the tailcap , and for me felt like a much better location than the bottom part of the head . The clip may look like its not very strong , but it actually handles its job rather well , yet is still easy to relocate from the head to the tailcap without marring the finish . Due to the design of the light, the tailcap offers Lock Out , open the tailcap 1/8th of a turn and the circuit will be broken , and the light cant be accidentally activated . [ Turned on ]
You have two bezels to chose from , two different types of batteries [ AA and Li-ion 14500 ] , there are no annoying blinky modes , the light is relatively light for its size , and goes unnoticed when walking [ walked 1.4 kilometers with it ]
The performance on AA's is honestly middle of the pack , but the Li-ion 14500 really brings this light alive , and provides excellent performance [ output ] for a light this size . Its quite amazing how far flashlights have come in the last 12 months and the Balder BD-1 is a good example of this new generation , and the 1 to 2 lumen output is sure to please those demanding a very low low so as not to spoil there night vision , and those wanting output , the 300+ lumen on the 14500 is going to impress .
Pros
Solid tailstand capability
Forward Clicky
Nice Beam
Excellent Output on the 14500
No Blinky Modes
Excellent Build Quality and finish
Looks to be easy to Upgrade [ new Emitter ]
Dual Battery [ AA - 14500 ]
A Belt Clip that works [ and can be moved ]
Supper Low Low
2 Bezels + Spare O rings
Everything screws together butter smooth
No battery slop [ shaking light vigorously ]
Lock out Tailcap [ If you wish ]
Knurling is excellent
Cons
Tail switch needed adjustment to work flawlessly
PWM frequency on the low side
The Last Word
The Balder BD-1 is an attractive [ visually appealing ] flashlight , built to very high standards , that is AA and 14500 capable . Has excellent functionality , travels well on ones person , and is easy to use when needed . The BD-1 did not fail to impress , and I'm giving it a solid 9 out of 10 . The BD-1 lost a point [ half each ] for the two cons .
http://www.imagebam.com/image/13b8df148799668for larger picture
http://www.imagebam.com/image/7a05b0148800437 for larger picture
Light was in medium , and I used two different setting on the camera for the white wall shot .
.... Nutz