RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro Copper Flashlight Review
The RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro is a copper keychain flashlight and offers USB-C charging, high CRI (or higher output), and more! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro copper flashlight product page.
Versions
There are so many Aurora lights! Specifically, this RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro flashlight is copper and comes in some emitter option versions. I think there are two emitters available, but I can’t see that information on the website. Nichia 219c (probably) in 5000K with 90CRI, but also a higher-output Luminus SST-20 (seen here). This copper version doesn’t have side (or “secondary”) emitters.
Price
The RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro copper flashlight is selling for $52.95 right now at RovyVon.com. The RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro copper flashlight is also available at amazon.com (referral link).
Short Review
I liked the nice heft of stainless steel in the RovyVon Aurora A2 USB-C keychain flashlight, but I have to say the copper of this A9 Pro is great. It seems to be uncoated copper (as the website also indicates) and should age very nicely with natural patina. Output is fairly good too, but does step down quickly. I don’t love that the internal 330mAh LiPO can’t be changed.
Long Review
The Big Table
| RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Luminus SST-20 |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $52.95 |
| Cell: | Internal |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | ? |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | Lowest 2 modes only |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 650 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 381 (58.6% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 8.3 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 110 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 155lux @ 4.573m = 3241cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 113.9 (103.5% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5100-5500 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Rovyvon |
| All my RovyVon reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
What’s Included
- RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro copper flashlight
- Tailcap magnet attachment
- Pocket clip (with magnet)
- Charge port cover spare
- Split rings (two types)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro is a very solid little copper keychain flashlight. The body is copper aside from the switch, which appears to be a stainless steel cover e-switch.
This little notch in the tailcap is not a tritium slot. It’s where the tailcap magnet attaches.
Size and Comps
Size: 2.38″ (Length) x 0.61″ (Diameter)
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that (usually in the fourth photo).
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple. A very nice 18650 light.
Also above on the left is a new feature light!! Laulima Metal Craft sent this titanium Todai for some size comparison photos like the ones above. Laulima has bunch of incredible items. I’ve tested one (the Laulima Metal Craft Hoku) (the official site for Hoku is here) that was a Friend Fund Friday review. I was impressed enough by that Hoku that I bought a Laulima Metal Craft Diamond Slim (also in tumbled aluminum) (review is upcoming!) These lights by Laulima have impeccable build quality and not only that, they’re quite configurable. There are some (great, actually) default configurations, but Joshua Dawson (of Laulima Metal Craft) is open to ideas and emitter options and the like. I haven’t reviewed this Todai, but I have to say, it feels absolutely fantastic and I love it thus far. (Notably, I love how warm and eggy those emitters look through the TIR.)
Retention and Carry
As with other Auroras, the RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro copper flashlight has a pocket clip. This does not ship attached to the light, and it has a new magnetic side feature! The magnet is perfectly strong for holding the light in any orientation.
Unlike some other variations of the Aurora, there’s just one place to connect this pocket clip. There are still options, though, because the clip can go on the front or back and up or down.
Not just the pocket clip, but the tailcap also has an attachment and that attachment also has a magnet!
Also included is this little tailcap magnet I mentioned above. This connector snaps in.
The A9 Pro in copper is heavy enough that connection in the way seen below is a bit tentative. It does work, though.
RovyVon includes two split rings too.
Power and Runtime
The battery is built-in and not removable. The LiPO is a 330mAh battery. I believe this being 330mAh means it’s a bit bigger than some of the previous Aurora batteries. That’s great!
The light shuts off when the cell voltage is low, but I’m not able to test at what voltage it shuts off. RovyVon has confirmed that the shutoff voltage is 2.8V.
Charging
The RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro is charged via USB-C, which has a push-in rubber cover. This cover stays attached. The plug is a little harder to manipulate than most I’ve used, but it works just fine.
It’s nice to note that C to C charging works too.
Moodes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 650 | 1m+90m | 0s: 571 30s: 381 |
| Medium | 200 | 1m+2h | 181 |
| Low | 25 | 8h | 27 |
| Moon | 0.5 | 72h | 0.25 |
Pulse Width Modulation
The order below is the same as the mode order – lowest to highest. Every mode uses PWM, but it’s fast enough that you’re unlikely to notice it.
Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor. Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.
User Interface and Operation
There’s a single side switch for operating the RovyVon Aurora A9 Pro copper flashlight. It’s a clicky e-switch.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Hold | Momentary High |
| Off | Click | No action |
| Off | Double Click | Memorized mode (technically the manually memorized mode^) |
| On | Click | Mode Cycle (Moon > Low > Med > High) |
| On | Hold | Off |
| On >3m | Click | Off (and also sets the mode memory) |
| Any | Click 3x | Strobe |
| Off | Click 3x | Strobe |
^ It’s possible to memorize any of the 4 modes with this UI. Just leave the light on for around 3 minutes, and that mode is memorized (except for secondary emitters). Your light will likely ship with this mode set to High!
LED and Beam
The emitter used in this A9 Pro is a Luminus SST-20. This is the emitter used for higher output (more lumens!) but there’s also an option for high CRI. That light uses a Nichia 219c at 5000K and 90CRI.
This Pro version also seems to differ in that it uses a small reflector, so the beam profile might be shaped a little differently. (Not much though, but it’s a physical difference between this and the non-Pro, I think.)
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
I would have guessed being the “higher output” option of A9 Pro, that this Luminus SST-20 light would be fairly cool. It’s actually more neutral, coming in at under 5500K. CRI is low, at around 70.
Beamshots
These beamshots always have the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level, and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
I keep the test flashlight on the left and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion
What I like
- USB-C charging works well
- Nichia 219c emitter at 5000K and 90CRI is a great option
- Magnets on pocket clip and tailcap are useful
- Uncoated copper makes this an excellent solid weighty option
- Copper is uncoated, so patina will form naturally
What I don’t like
- Copper is uncoated, so might make your hands smelly
- Output falls below specification
- Battery is not user-serviceable
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
- For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks.com!
- Please use my amazon.com referral link to help support zeroair.org!
- Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!