# Review of JetBeam RRT-3, a powerfull light and good thrower



## HKJ (Jun 9, 2010)

[size=+3]JetBeam RRT-3[/size]














JetBeam adds more lights to the RRT series of, this is the fourth in the series, the other are (Danish reviews): RRT-0, RRT-1, RRT-2. This time it is a big and poweful light, it is in the usual good JetBeam quality with HA (Type 3) surface and has the usual problems (for HA) with keeping the color consistent between parts. The light is turned on/off with a forward switch on the tail, the brightness is adjusted with a ring (Like the other RRT lights), this time with 8 positions. In addition to 7 brightness settings it has two flashing settings.









The light arrives in a black cardboard box with magnetic lock and a nice finish.






In the box is a serial number and warranty card, 2 spare O-rings and a spare rubber boot for the switch. No manual is included, probably because this is from the first shipment.












From the front the smooth reflector can be seen with a powerfull led in the center. There are no doubt what led JetBeam is using, the SST-50. Like many other JetBeam lights the bezel is stainless steel, i.e. the front can take rough treatment.









The head has cooling fins and a warning that it can get hot (There are some limits to that, see further down). The ring is without any markings, but that is not very important, turn it one way and the brightness increase, the other way and brightness decrease. The step after full brightness is strobe and the lowest setting is either beacon or low. The ring has 8 positions, with good click stops, it is possible (easy) to turn the ring with the same hand that holds the light.












The body has a nice knurling and because the diameter on the body is a bit smaller than the ends, the light will not slide int the hand. The point on the body is used when mounting the fitting for the weapon mounting and handle.






The thread on the battery tube is coarse but feels smooth. Both the thread on the battery tube and the tail end is anodized, i.e. loosen the tail will lockout the light.






Looking into the battery tube, the spring behind the head can be seen, but opposite other RRT lights, it is not hidden under a cap. There is a reason for this.












On the tail of the light is both a on/off switch and a connector for a pressure switch. The on/off switch is a normal forward switch, but it does not directly turn on the light. Both the pressure switch and the on/off switch controls a electronic switch, i.e. no wear due to high current or power loss in the cable for the pressure switch. This is a very good design. A electronic switch needs power, I will explain how this is done in a moment. The light can tailstand, but only if the cover on the pressure switch is removed.
There is a hole for lanyard, but none is supplied with the light.






A look into the tail, shows the spring and a ring also with a spring, both has connection to the battery magazine.









Here is the battery magazine, it is designed for 3*18650 or 6xCR123 batteries, the light can use both combinations. The design feels very solid, with metal connections between front and back and metal plates on the front and back end.






Here is one end of the battery magazine, the other end looks exactly the same and the holder can be used either way in the light. The center pole is + and the metal around the + pole is the - pole, i.e. both ends has both a + and - pole. This design is also the reason that there is no cap on the springs in the light, they must center around top of the + pole. The spring in the tail has connection to the - pole and the ring has contact to the - pole, this way there are power to the electronic switch.
With this design of the battery magazine it is very important to keep spiky metal parts away from it, when changing batteries, to avoid shorting the batteries.






A look at the poles inside the battery magazine shows that they are raised a bit, i.e. the light can also use flat top batteries.






Here is the 3 main parts of the light.


I was very surprised with the good throw on this light, it might be the best throwing SST-50 light to date (But I have not yet done a direct comparison to the Catapult). The construction of the light is solid and with 3 batteries it also has a good runtime. The disadvantage is the weight (See comparison) and the diameter is a bit large.
Details like thermo sensor, electronic switch and very solid battery carrier that works both ways, shows that JetBeam has done a very good job on designing this light.



[size=+2]Technical specification and measurements[/size]






The light uses a buck converter that works from 18 volts down to 6.5 volt, where the light turns off. This makes it possible to use the light with both 3x18650 LiIon or 6xCR123 batteries.

Measured size and weight:
Length: 198 mm
Diameter: 45 til 67 mm
Weight: 669 gram with 3xAW18650-2.2 and 635 gram with 6xCR123

The light uses a Luminus SST-50 led.

Measuring on the pressure switch connections shows that only 40uA is used to turn on the electronic switch.






The above measurements are done with 3x18650 batteries. Because my runtime measurements was shorter than expected I did an analyses of the batteries and a battery was down to 1400 mAh, in the second column with measured runtime I have scaled the values to 2200mAh. The regulations is interesting and I will look more on it in the following measurements.






Here is the measured runtime for some of the levels, it has good stabilization, but the light just goes out when the batteries are empty.









The light uses PWM on 20 kHz, but due to some smoothing it also works as a bit of current regulation, all 5 traces with brightness uses the same scale and can be directly compared. The first two is with brightness #2 and #3.
Note: the PWM percent is only a rough estimate, the slow rise and fall times makes it difficult to get exact values.









Brightness #4 og #5, on #4 the brightness is nearly up to maximum and regulation is done with pwm.






Last one is #6, high is not included, it is just a line.






Here is a voltage sweep at high, it shows the current consumption and the regulation in brightness. The light has very good regulation, the output drops a bit due to heat, but I did take a lot of breaks during this measurement to avoid this. The light uses 16 watt at 6.5 volt and 18 watt at 18 volt.






At lower brightness, the regulation does suffer a bit, this curve is from #2 brightness.






There is a surprice at low brightness, there is no regulation.






Stobe is changing between different frequencies, I measured 5 Hz, 7.2 Hz and 13 Hz (But here might be other), each 1.4 second. The light is on 50% of the time. Note the increased brightness at the start of each flash, my brightness measurement is from there.






Beacon is a flash each 10 second, the flash takes 1.3 second. This setting is shared with the lowest brightness setting, a fast switch from low to #2 and back to low will change between low and beacon.






During my tests the light got hot (It was mounted in a holder without any cooling), this triggered a temperature warning, a 0.8 second flash each 2.8 second. The curve shows where it changes from normal to warning. This warning does not trigger easily, a 20 minute run lying on a table, at full brightness with 18650 batteries at 24 degrees did not trigger it. Each time I have triggerede the warning the head temperature has been above 50 degrees and using 6xCR123 is more likely to trigger the warning.
I like this protection, this means that the light will not cook itself if left on a table or in a bag at full power.



[size=+2]Comparison to other Flashlights[/size]

For comparison with other lights see here.



[size=+2]Notes[/size]

The used LiIon batteries was only 1400 mAh, not the rated 2200mAh.


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## naghotch (Jun 9, 2010)

thank you very much for the work
many like me i think were waiting for this review


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## Kato (Jun 9, 2010)

Great review! :thumbsup:


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## chef4850 (Jun 9, 2010)

Very nice review!

Chef


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## DM51 (Jun 9, 2010)

EXCELLENT review! Moving to the Reviews section...


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## THE_dAY (Jun 9, 2010)

Excellent write-up and pics!

Would using cr123s give better runtimes than the ones posted?

Thanks!


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## was.lost.but.now.found (Jun 9, 2010)

Can't wait to see outdoor beamshots.:twothumbs


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## Vernon (Jun 9, 2010)

Nice review. Looking forward to some beamshots, for sure.


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## Kid9P (Jun 9, 2010)

+1 on the beamshot. Great review by the way :twothumbs


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## ntalbot (Jun 10, 2010)

Great review! Fantastic beam shots! Thank you!


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## HKJ (Jun 10, 2010)

was.lost.but.now.found said:


> Can't wait to see outdoor beamshots.:twothumbs





Vernon said:


> Nice review. Looking forward to some beamshots, for sure.



Just click the link with comparison to other flashlight, there are lots of beamshots. I have changed the text to make it clear that there are beamshots.


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## rickypanecatyl (Jun 10, 2010)

HKJ - on your long distance beamshots do you have any idea how far it it to the trees?


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## DarkoMaledictus (Jun 11, 2010)

Great review!!! Thank you very much for taking the time to write this! We all know how time consuming this can be! 

In your opinion, do you think the rotary system can be a problem when sand and dirt come in play? Could this be considered as a survival flashlight or will sand destroy the rotary system in battlefield applications?


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## HKJ (Jun 12, 2010)

rickypanecatyl said:


> HKJ - on your long distance beamshots do you have any idea how far it it to the trees?



My guess would be between 150 and 200 meters.



DarkoMaledictus said:


> In your opinion, do you think the rotary system can be a problem when sand and dirt come in play? Could this be considered as a survival flashlight or will sand destroy the rotary system in battlefield applications?



Dirt and sand might make the ring gritty, if it gets behind the ring, but because the ring uses magnetic connection to the inside of the light, it will not disable the light. If you can turn the ring, you can change brightness.

I believe this type of switch to be one of the most reliable types, it is possible to make.


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## harro (Jun 15, 2010)

Great review HKJ. Do you know if the RRT3 has the same characteristic as the SST50 powered big brother of the M1X, ie; reverts to a lower power setting after 3 minutes? Or is the heatsinking on the RRT3 adequete to prevent this?:thinking:


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## HKJ (Jun 15, 2010)

harro said:


> Great review HKJ. Do you know if the RRT3 has the same characteristic as the SST50 powered big brother of the M1X, ie; reverts to a lower power setting after 3 minutes? Or is the heatsinking on the RRT3 adequete to prevent this?:thinking:



When it gets hot, it goes into a flashing mode. There are no specific time limit for this, only how hot the light is.
I have not done any test to get an idea about when it shuts down.


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## HKJ (Jun 15, 2010)

HKJ said:


> When it gets hot, it goes into a flashing mode. There are no specific time limit for this, only how hot the light is.
> I have not done any test to get an idea about when it shuts down.



This is embarrassing, I have tried to test when it shuts down, but have not been able to trigger the shut down again.


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## HKJ (Jun 15, 2010)

HKJ said:


> This is embarrassing, I have tried to test when it shuts down, but have not been able to trigger the shut down again.



More information about the temperature shut down:
The head temperature of the light is above 50 degree when it goes into flashing.
Running for 20 minutes with 3x18650 batteries and the light lying flat on a table, did not trigger the temperature shut down, this makes it highly unlikely that it will shut down during normal use.
Using a high supply voltage (i.e. 6xCR123) will heat the light faster and get it to shut down faster.
I have not seen the light automatic leave shut down again (This might have something to do with lack of patience), but turning it off, wait a short time and then on will bring it up to full power.


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## harro (Jun 16, 2010)

Thankyou HKJ for your extremely quick reply. If you cannot make it shutdown for 20 minutes sitting on a bench, then it's going to do all that I ask of it. More often than not it will have adequate airflow when in use. Tks again for your quality review:thumbsup:


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## Illumigirl (Jul 13, 2010)

What is a great review of the product! I can't wait till it's back in stock.  I think this may by my next big purchase!!


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## guggep (Jul 17, 2010)

Thanks for the great review - had to get one.

And it just arrived in the mail from LightJunction. The RRT seems great and I cant wait for it to get dark to try it out. One question I have is about the "Low Low". The low setting is suppose to be 1L, but seems more like the 9L i get off of my Olight M20 R2 and much more than the low of my U2. Were you able to measue the low and did you notice the same thing. Are my eyes and the white wall deceiving me?


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## was.lost.but.now.found (Jul 17, 2010)

Try a ceiling bounce comparison, that usually makes it a little easier to make comparisons.


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## njet212 (Sep 7, 2010)

HKJ,

I'm thinking to get RRT-3 soon but i'm still doubt. Is there a huge different between RRT-3 and M2S ? they both using SST-50 and RRT-3 just 200 lumens brighter than the M2S also the RRT-3 tag price is more expensive than the M2S. For the extra 200 lumens at RRT-3 does it price really worth it?


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## HKJ (Sep 7, 2010)

njet212 said:


> HKJ,
> 
> I'm thinking to get RRT-3 soon but i'm still doubt. Is there a huge different between RRT-3 and M2S ? they both using SST-50 and RRT-3 just 200 lumens brighter than the M2S also the RRT-3 tag price is more expensive than the M2S. For the extra 200 lumens at RRT-3 does it price really worth it?



That depends on what you want.

The RRT-3 is rather heavy and uses 3 batteries for better runtime.
The RRT-3 has the best user interface.
The M2S has a good shape for a holster.
The RRT-3 has better throw (It is one of the best throwers).
M2S, RRT-3:








Both pictures are from this comparison.

I would not really look at the lumen difference, but are the above points worth the extra $?


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## Toughguy (Sep 23, 2010)

Hi HKJ.
Appreciate the review, thank you.

I compare my RRT3, Catapult V2, and M1X by shining at a building with white walls about 150 yards away and find that the brightness look pretty much alike. 

I can not observe obvious brightness differences between the 1200 lumen RRT3 and 700 lumen M1X(450 OTF), that also happens between the Catapult V2 and M1X.
Are my RRT3 and Catapult V2 just too weak or the M1X is too strong? 
It has been bothering me for a while and I don't want to start a war. 

So, please just delete this if it is not appropriate to mention here.

Thanks.


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## HKJ (Sep 23, 2010)

Toughguy said:


> Hi HKJ.
> Appreciate the review, thank you.
> 
> I compare my RRT3, Cataput V2, and M1X by shining at a building with white walls about 150 yards away and find that the brightness look pretty much alike.
> ...



There are two different point to your post.

1) When comparing how bright lights are, your are not comparing lumen, but lux. The best example of this is the DEFT, it is "only" around 250 lumen, but it much brighter than any 500 lumen light:
DEFT, M1X:







The price for that brightness is no spill.
Lumen measures the total amount of light, including any spill.

2) The next problem is specifications, some manufacturers calculates a theoretical value, other measures the actual lumen output with a sphere. 

With the M1X I also believe that it is specified to low, JetBeam did no change to the output specification for generation 2 but it had higher output.


In my comparison I do "measure" both and has some charts for them. The blue bar chart is a comparison of lumen, but only done with a ceiling bounce and a lux meter. The green bar chart is a comparison of throw directly measured with a lux meter. I always scale both graphs to relative values for the actual beamshot.


Also remember that when looking at lights a 30% difference it only a minor difference in brightness.


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## Toughguy (Sep 24, 2010)

Thank you very much HKJ for your explaination.

To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed after comparing the two SST-50 equiped flashlights with the MCE M1X. They should be at different levels I suppose. I am wondering if those two SST-50 lights are driven hard enough or not.
I hold back purchasing other SST-50 lights now for worring they may have similar situations.

Thank you again.


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## soloxx (Oct 2, 2010)

Just received my RRT-3 today. Had a chance to use it tonight. My other lights include the Olight M30, Fenix TK40. Lumapower D-65V, Sunwayman's M40A and M40C.

I'm new to the collecting bug, but was drawn by the beauty and utility of these art forms. Having said that, I would just say that, although the RRT-3 has remarkable throw and a brilliant white beam (what it's designed to do,of course), I am a bit disappointed with one of it's most appealing features for me; the "rapid response control ring". The ring has a 'scratchy', rough feel to it unlike the Sunway's smooth, refined feel. I can't know, unless others chime in, whether this is a one-off anomaly but, for the price ($286), I would have expected better. Otherwise the construction is outstanding, per the original review.

I am awed by the power of these tools. The light is larger than any other light I own, but quite a bit smaller and lighter than a 3-cell MagLite. Having this much capacity in such a small package continues to amaze me.

As time passes, I hope to become a better communicator of things flashlight. For now, these are a rookie's impressions.

By the way, Light Junction was a cheek to deal with, and the $39.00 coupon and $9.00 shipping made the deal a slam dunk. Thanks!


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## richardcpf (Oct 2, 2010)

Soloxx, How would you describe the RRT3 output vs the tk40?


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## soloxx (Oct 3, 2010)

Richard,

My initial impression is that both lamps seem to have similar throws. The TX40 has a softer hot spot and more flood than the RRT-3. The RRT has a sharper, whiter beam. I used the lamps against buildings 200 yards distant and both lit them brilliantly. 

I prefer the RRT for it's throw and detail (down range target visibility would be it's forte, IMO), while the TX40 would seem be more useful as a thrower with _broader_ flood capability (as in search or rescue situations) where width of beam is as vital as reach.

I apologize in advance for my descriptive verbiage. I'll get a better handle on it along the way.


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## billcushman (Oct 4, 2010)

I compared my JetBeam RRT-3 to my Olight SR90 and found that the central spot is just a small amount less bright than the SR90 on low. I also compared the central spot of the RRT-3 to several other bright lights at a local dealer in Pearland (Houston TX area) and found that it was comparable to or brighter than the lights we compared. The other lights were the Catapult V2 on high, Howitzer D31 on high, a custom light using at SST-90 emitter, and several others.

Since I had previously measured the output of the SR90 on high at five meters using my spectroradiometer and found its output to be 5600 lux, I used this value to validate the concept I used to make some quick measurements of the RRT-3. The meter I used was a 2 degree cine spot meter to measure the luminance of the central spot of RRT-3 at 5 meters on a white surface of .7 reflectance. The luminance of the SR90 on high measured 370 foot-lamberts which is equivalent to an illuminance of 370/.7 = 529 foot-candles = 5690 lux (10.764 lux = 1 foot-candle). Because this compared closely to the spectroradiometer measured illuminance of 5600 lux, I proceeded and corrected the output so it agreed with the spectroradiometer. The SR90 on low measured 1665 lux.

The RRT-3 output at 5 meters measured as follows:
Level 7 = 1302 lux
Level 6 = 863 lux
Level 5 = 696 lux
Level 4 = 530 lux
Level 3 = 394 lux
Level 2 = 242 lux
Level 1 = 5.4 lux (Moon mode)

I hope this information is useful for anyone who is interested in the throw of the RRT-3. It is a beautiful light with lots of flexibility and a great user interface.


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## torsen (Aug 9, 2011)

Just got one of these today, a bundle deal with 18650's, charger, handle,and remote switch for the usual price of the light. 

Very pleased with it, a serious light and beautifully made. My first big light and very happy with it so far.


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## egrep (Aug 10, 2011)

where, how much?


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## The Voice of Reason (Aug 15, 2011)

egrep said:


> where, how much?


 
+1 on that!


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## AFKAN (Aug 16, 2011)

torsen said:


> Just got one of these today, a bundle deal with 18650's, charger, handle,and remote switch for the usual price of the light.
> 
> Very pleased with it, a serious light and beautifully made. My first big light and very happy with it so far.


 

Yep same kit I picked up 

I got mine from http://www.flashaholics.co.uk/ (I'm nothing to do with them by the way)


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## spackulator (Oct 18, 2011)

Almost get this version and fortunately the XML version just came in time and i think it has a darker grey


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## Moriarty (Oct 24, 2011)

An excellent review.

I have just ordered the 3XML version, although I would agree that the package bundle on the older version seems an excellent deal from Flashaholics.

The review on the 3XML version on GoingGear convinced me that the newer version was for me.


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