# Romisen Quality/Recommedations?



## B0wz3r (Oct 2, 2010)

Hi all,

The time change is coming up, and I'm working on revising and updating the emergency preparedness supplies and equipment for my family. I'm working on making BOBs for us for the first time and am going to be putting a flashlight in each.

I don't want to break the bank, but I'm not willing to use cheapo POS lights either. Right now I've got the new E21 at the top of my list, but I'd like to spend a little less if I can get away with it (primary to keep the wife happy). I've heard some good things about Romisens on here, but don't have any myself. I'd prefer a single 1xAA configuration; 14500 compatibilty is not a requirement, nor is focusability, but two modes and a strobe or SOS would be nice, but not absolutely necessary. They will be kept in the bags w/o batteries in them, but with a pack of L91s in each bag for the light.

Thanks in advance for any advice,

B.


----------



## sol-leks (Oct 2, 2010)

I might be speaking out of place, but I am confident in saying that the three most respected budget brands are: Romisen, ITP and Solarforce.

Now Solarforce only makes p60 parts and lights. ITP's lights are mainly a bit more expensive, around the price of the fenix E21 however they have the ITP A2 which might interest you if you don't mind a twisty switch.

Romisen lights only really come in 1 mode although shiningbeam has 2 mode versions. The modes aren't very well distinguished though. They are still great lights though, I own 3 or 4 and like them all and have never had them fail on me.

It sounds like the rc-g2 would be good for you. I would still order it from shiningbeam though bc of their excellent customer service and quality control.


----------



## recDNA (Oct 2, 2010)

I only have one romisen and I wont be buying any more. Pretty poor quality imo. I don't know the letters but mine is a single cr123 focusing aspheric. It has no strobe mode but if I leave it on for more than 2 minutes it blinks rapidly like strobe. High and low the output is about the same. Both modes blink.


----------



## PerttiK (Oct 2, 2010)

For BOB i would suggest 2AA lights, so you can store the batteries already in the light.
Most lights can have the tailcaps locked out so there would be no point storing the batteries outside the light.
I've got a few 2 mode romisens from shiningbeam, and while the build is quite good, the levels are too close to each other.
I would go with E21, but if you need more runtime than 11 hours, then I would look for ITP A2 or ITP SA2.


----------



## red02 (Oct 2, 2010)

Never had a Romisen, more than likely never will. I do have a Maratac AA which according to some on this forum is the same as ITP.

The Maratac worked as advertised but I made a gift of it to a friend, so I can't speak for the reliability long term. If not for the shipping cost, I would probably order another one from countycomm.

If I was putting together a similar kit, I would go for the LD10/20 and save myself the trouble of worrying about using low cost lights. I'm too poor to buy cheap.


----------



## jamie.91 (Oct 2, 2010)

My first light was a romisen rc-n3 and it's still in the doorcard of my car after over a year of ownership, I thinks it's a 3 mode (high low stobe), I use a rcr123 so I just get two high modes and a strobe. Bottom line it's a great light and definatley gets a thumbs up from me, also quite bright and out throws most other lights it's size.

Jamie


----------



## shipwreck (Oct 2, 2010)

Someone mentioned SolarForce. I have 5 of their lights with another on the way. You can get a very nice one shipped for $24.99.


----------



## Rexlion (Oct 2, 2010)

Any brand can have an occasional bad apple, but for the most part I think Romisens are decent quality. I keep a RC-N3 II in the car for emergencies and have a RC-P3 by the bed (I really like the side switch lights). But I find that the Romisens are not used much. No soft low mode like my ITP A6 or Quark RGB, not as pocketable as my Maratac AAA, not super bright like the A6 or my other MC-E or P7 lights, and can't clip to my shirt pocket the way my UF-H2 (imitation Zebra) can. But for the money, if you just need a basic light the Romisen will do fine.


----------



## B0wz3r (Oct 2, 2010)

Hi all,

Thanks for the info. My preference is still for the E21 but I know that getting the extra cost by my wife will be an issue. 

If the difference in levels in the Romisen's is not that significant, I'm not going to worry about modes... I'm more interested in reliability and durability than anything else for these lights. 

I will try storing them with batteries in, but am also going to put in a 2 pack of L91's in each bag as spares/backup. I want to make sure that each light will be able to go the three days (nights in this case I suppose) that you're supposed to be set up for before you expect to receive help.


----------



## mcnair55 (Oct 3, 2010)

I have only one Romisen light,the RC G2,bought from the market place.All I can say what a super little light,nice build and bright enough and will look to buying others.


----------



## Black Rose (Oct 3, 2010)

I had an RC-C3 but burned out the driver using a 16340 cell in it.

I had an RC-N3 Q5 from Shiningbeam and that was a great light.
We gave that light to my mother-in-law for taking the dog out at night. 

She loves it and her friend wants one as well.


----------



## Dude Dudeson (Oct 3, 2010)

I bought a Romisen RC-N3 II over a year ago and it still works fine. It's even been dropped on the sidewalk a few times.


----------



## choombak (Oct 4, 2010)

sol-leks said:


> I might be speaking out of place, but I am confident in saying that the three most respected budget brands are: Romisen, ITP and Solarforce.
> 
> Now Solarforce only makes p60 parts and lights. ITP's lights are mainly a bit more expensive, around the price of the fenix E21 however they have the ITP A2 which might interest you if you don't mind a twisty switch.
> 
> ...



Romisen lights have very poor runtimes, which turns me off. Their build quality, finish, etc. is reasonable, but a good runtime is more important than the look and feel.

-Amarendra


----------



## mcnair55 (Oct 4, 2010)

choombak said:


> Romisen lights have very poor runtimes, which turns me off. Their build quality, finish, etc. is reasonable, but a good runtime is more important than the look and feel.
> 
> -Amarendra



Not sure which Romisen you have but the build quality on mine is superb well above reasonable,the runtime is also good on my model using eneloops.At roughly a 1/4 cost of an equivalent branded make I got super value for money.


----------



## B0wz3r (Oct 4, 2010)

Thanks again for the info folks... I haven't ruled out any Romisens yet, but I'm still not prepared to shell out for the E21. I'm going to look into what Energizer has and see how they stack up features and price wise.


----------



## Sno4Life (Oct 4, 2010)

If you are looking at emergency preparedness, I think the Romisen flashlights wouldn't be a good fit because of the runtime issue. Single AA would be a good idea, because you would be able to use partially depleted cells without risking damage to the light, and AA cells have widespread availablity. I think the ITP A2 would be a really good compromise between light levels, quality, and runtime.


----------



## B0wz3r (Oct 21, 2010)

Hi all, just for fun I ordered an RC-29 II from Shiningbeam a couple of days ago. Received notification of shipment last night. Hopefully it'll be here tomorrow or Sat. 

Looking forward to checking it out/playing with it some... if I don't like it I can just give it to my son, but if I like it, I might just order another one for our BOB.

Thanks, everyone, for the input.


----------



## choombak (Oct 21, 2010)

mcnair55 said:


> Not sure which Romisen you have but the build quality on mine is superb well above reasonable,the runtime is also good on my model using eneloops.At roughly a 1/4 cost of an equivalent branded make I got super value for money.


 
RC-A4, the manufacturer runtime rating on a CR123 is 35 minutes. Given the price of CR123, I think this is not a good deal in the long run, given that a CR123 costs me ~$4 US here. I'd rather go for a Quark Mini-CR123 which gives me ~190 OTF lumens for 1.2 hrs. (or ~40 OTF lumens for 8 hours), and is much more efficient.

-Amarendra


----------



## goldenlight (Oct 21, 2010)

choombak said:


> RC-A4, the manufacturer runtime rating on a CR123 is 35 minutes. Given the price of CR123, I think this is not a good deal in the long run, given that a CR123 costs me ~$4 US here. I'd rather go for a Quark Mini-CR123 which gives me ~190 OTF lumens for 1.2 hrs. (or ~40 OTF lumens for 8 hours), and is much more efficient.
> 
> -Amarendra


 
a PERFECT example of getting what you pay for.

Thirty-five minutes on a Cr123 cell. That's just insanely WORTHLESS, for emergency use.

I hate to have to say it, but the 2AA LED Maglite multi-mode (Rebel LED) might be a good compromise between cost and run time and features.

Build quality is good, they have 2 levels, and beacon and SOS. The reflector is smooth, so they have decent throw, with some artifacts.

You could probably buy a (very little) used on on the CPF Marketplace for a very reasonable price, by posting a WTB ad.

Last year, around Thanksgiving, they went on sale at a VERY good price. $12.50, I think(?)

Many people bought them out of curiosity, and probably used them very little.

If you go that route, be sure to specify the multi-mode 2AA Rebel LED model.

Stay away from the XL100: they aren't very sturdy, and use 3 AAA cells: a VERY poor power source for an emergency light.


----------



## jacktheclipper (Oct 21, 2010)

+ 1 for the iTP A2

The low level is plenty bright for most uses if it's truly dark and the runtime is a big advantage in extended use situations .

EDIT: I own several Romisens and like them all ( RC-G2 II Q5 , RC-G2 II R5 , RC-29 II R4 , RC-N3 Q5 WW ) but for a B.O.B. the A2 would be my choice .


----------



## choombak (Oct 22, 2010)

B0wz3r said:


> Hi all,
> 
> The time change is coming up, and I'm working on revising and updating the emergency preparedness supplies and equipment for my family. I'm working on making BOBs for us for the first time and am going to be putting a flashlight in each.
> 
> ...



Since the light has to sit in your "emergency" kit, there are chances that you'd not be using the light for a long time. I'd rule out AA lights, since AAs' are prone to leaking if stored for a long time in adverse conditions (high temperature, humidity, or heck they just leak!). CR123 batteries are generally preferred for long-term storage (without leaking!), and cold climates. I assume that you may not have time to put a battery in the light in an emergency, so having a light always "ready" is helpful.

Having said that, I would also avoid single-point-of-failure. So get a AA light too, and have a couple of duracell AA batteries in the kit. For CR123, I do recommend the Quark Mini-CR123, which comes to ~$35 shipped with the cpf discount, and is bomb-proof - don't go by it diminutive size, or the name "mini". Again, don't go for a Quark AA light to avoid the similar failure modes. 

Good luck, and do let us know what you finally choose, along with your final thoughts, which may help us too. :wave:

-Amarendra


----------



## B0wz3r (Oct 22, 2010)

Yes, I'm aware of the storage issues with alkalines; that's why I specifically said I'm keeping L91 lithium primaries on hand for just such storage use.

I'm looking forward to getting the new Romisen; I'll test it out and see how it would work for such use. I'm awfully tempted to get something less powerful but more versatile, like a Photon Rex, as it has an optional accessories kit that includes a solar charger and a headband to use it as a headlamp.


----------



## Worldfusion (Oct 22, 2010)

I've seen many Rominsens and believe that they make torches for many different companies. As a cheap and cheerful torch they are quite good but you get what you pay for. I've never seen a manufacturing fault with them but build quality is not high. Output is very good but unfortunately matched with poor reflectors. My only real problem with them is that the bodies get VERY hot in a short space of time and I would question the safety of cells under this heat. Having said this, I have seen Surefires with melted cells and one that had become molded into its V70 holster!


----------



## specimen (Oct 22, 2010)

I have 3 of Romisen and happy with them.

The built quality is very good compare to the prize.

I will recommended this brand as a budget light.

If you can pay a little bit more, ITP or Solarforce be anonther choice.

If you have limit prize, the first choice should be Romisen.


----------



## B0wz3r (Oct 22, 2010)

Got the new Romisen today. It's a neat little light. It is definitely a budget light, but seems like a pretty good value for what it is.

I played around with the focus feature on it; I actually kind of like the pure flood beam it puts out when it's on the widest setting. The emitter is significantly off center though, but when it's on the widest setting it's really hard to see. You don't really see it until you start to narrow the beam; the narrower you make it, the more you see the off centeredness. 

I don't think it's going to be a good choice for BOB use though; I want something with multiple levels and that I know will be durable and reliable for this application. I've also decided that I have enough lights that I don't really need to stock more in a BOB so I'm going to use headlamps instead.

Thanks for all the input and helping me to get this all sorted out.


----------



## dmz (Oct 28, 2010)

Does the Romisen RC-A4 X (single mode version) have a 35 min runtime or 2 hour runtime?


----------



## rekd0514 (Oct 29, 2010)

It depends on the driver being used. The one at shiningbeam likely has a better driver for longer run times.


----------



## tvsteve (Oct 29, 2010)

I have 3 Romisen lights I purchased from ShiningBeam. The quality is excellent but the runtime is short.


----------



## kreisler (Oct 29, 2011)

Romisen is a budget brand [strike]with no homepage[/strike]. The RC-G2 might be one of their most popular models but i prefer the RC-29 because you can find 2 different builds of it on the market, the original RC-29 and the updated RC-29a (see ebay, for example)

high quality. recommended.

EDIT: Romisen does have a homepage, szromisen.com


----------



## HotWire (Dec 23, 2011)

I have several nice Rominson lights. Never had any trouble with them. I bought them at ShiningBeam.com where customer service is number !.


----------



## ragweed (Dec 23, 2011)

The Romisens that Bryan at S-B sells are good quality. I don't deal with DX for any light. The RC-G2 might fit your needs as it has 5 hours run time I believe. Also, the E01 & Gerber Infinity come to mind for emergency lights.


----------



## Mike_TX (Dec 23, 2011)

I figure Romisen is a "premium budget light", if such a creature exists. I have two of them and they simply feel more substantial and operate with more of a premium feel than the *.fire lights. My RC-K4 allows me to use 3xAAA OR an 18650, while the RC-G2 runs on a single AA, giving me battery versatility.

Everything from materials to fit and finish to thread cutting and soldering tell me Romisen is a cut above the cheapie Chinese lights (which for my purposes still do a terrific job).

.
.


----------



## JohnnyBravo (Jan 15, 2012)

I own two Romisens. I can see getting 2-3 more. I agree w/ Mike TX that it's a premium budget light. I have the RC-R5 aa/14500, and the RV107 aaa. They've never failed me thus far. And I think I spent 25 or so bones for both.


----------



## Liveitloud (Jan 15, 2012)

Just got into lights here recently and am kind of feeling bit by the bug. Have a Maratac and a no name CREE and am looking for a budget and mid priced light. Have heard several folks mention that the Romisen Cree RC-N3 was a pretty decent light. Sure is cheap enough. Funny thing is, I was over at DX looking at the light and noticed it got a review from none other than Les Stroud. Thought that was cool. Review below if anyone is interested. Just noticed that he had only owned it a day when he reviewed it.



> Posted by LesStroud on 7/20/2010
> Involvement:Expert (understands the inner workings) - Ownership:less than 1 day
> 
> Price:
> ...


----------



## 556man (Jan 15, 2012)

ragweed said:


> The Romisens that Bryan at S-B sells are good quality. I don't deal with DX for any light. The RC-G2 might fit your needs as it has 5 hours run time I believe. Also, the E01 & Gerber Infinity come to mind for emergency lights.



Bought several Romisens from Bryan at Shiningbeam. Quality is great and service is excellent. Last month I bought a RC-T601 II and was surprised how bright this budget light is. Very happy with it.

556man


----------



## a1penguin (Jan 15, 2012)

HotWire said:


> I have several nice Rominson lights. Never had any trouble with them. I bought them at ShiningBeam.com where customer service is number !.



+1. Romisen is much better than the usual cheap lights. Buying from SB is worth the $2.99 shipping. I really like the S-Mini and wouldn't hesitate to purchase any Shiningbeam branded light. The Blaze looks like a great light should my KD C8s not survive the wet winter weather about to finally arrive.


----------



## nikon (Jan 26, 2012)

The Icon Rogue 1 is very well built and reliable. When you find them on sale, such as they were this past weekend for 15.00, they're an excellent value. Single AA, two levels, good runtime.


----------



## walterr839 (Jan 30, 2012)

I just received a Rominsen RC-T601 II from Shining Beam and have to admit for the money ($31.00 shipped) it is a bargain. I've only had it a few days so I can't speak to how it will hold up
compared to the premium brands but it is bright and out throws my Klarus XT 11 which out throws the Fenix tk21U.

I'm not crazy about the reverse Klicky but for the price this is a great find.


----------



## walterr839 (Jan 30, 2012)

PS to the above Rominsen RC-601 II this model has only two outputs: high and close to high. no low beam, no SOS or Strobe.


----------



## iron potato (Jan 30, 2012)

Got a single mode output Romisen RC-K4 as well, just that last time out, I do not know which lubrication to lube the threads / O-rings, I ruined the delicate O-rings by dab it with engine oil , the swelling of the O-rings have prevented me to make a solid seal on the lens / bezel area, couldn't find the replacement O-rings, other than that, it doesn't have any weird problem.


----------



## kontonChaos (Feb 2, 2012)

The original 1 mode p4 rc n3 introduced me led flashlights, and I figure the shining beam version will be even better.


----------



## B0wz3r (Feb 2, 2012)

iron potato said:


> Got a single mode output Romisen RC-K4 as well, just that last time out, I do not know which lubrication to lube the threads / O-rings, I ruined the delicate O-rings by dab it with engine oil , the swelling of the O-rings have prevented me to make a solid seal on the lens / bezel area, couldn't find the replacement O-rings, other than that, it doesn't have any weird problem.


Get a tube of Nyo-gel; it's the best lube for flashlight threads. It won't affect the o-rings, and won't interfere with the electrical path of the light either. It's also very tenacious and will last a good amount of time if you're not in the habit of opening up your lights a lot.


----------

