BRS-3000T stove Spotlite Review

[James Couch]

> MSR Reactor CO emissions: about 1200 ppm – totally lethal

Oh c'mon Roger! Way the F overstated! If you cook outside of a tent like most people do, and EVERY stove manufacturer recommends this is a non-issue. It is one thing to state facts, that is fine, but I would expect a moderator to MODERATE their own editorial comments at the very least.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi James

The choices are a) outside in a storm getting cold and wet and hoping that your water might heat up, or b) inside your tent warm and dry while the storm rages outside, and the stove is nicely sheltered.

Yes, some people do go out in bad weather – or even in the snow, and in bad weather most people I know cook inside their tents. Doing so just seems … sensible?

YMMV
Cheers

[Nick Gatel]

In bad weather I use my stoves inside my shelters, and ensure there is ventilation.

In the U.S. the OSHA standard for CO in a confined space is 50 ppm for up to 8 hours. 1000-1200 ppm is totally unacceptable for periods of 30 minutes or more. In winter I am often running my stoves for quite a while if I am melting snow.

I am okay with my main winter stoves a MSR WindPro II (30-85 ppm) or a Whisperlite (20-50 ppm) from Roger's tests a while back, since I am using the stoves for solo use – theoretically 1/2 the time a couple would use the stove.

I do have two questions for Roger:

1.I assume you tested the WindPro I with the canister upright. What effect does an inverted feed have on CO?

2. Did you ever test the MSR DragonFly?

[James Couch]

I don't disagree with you Roger, and I have cooked inside my tent on many occasions. One reason I own more than one stove. My point was stating that the Reactor is "totally lethal" is gross overstatement. Inside a tightly buttoned up tent, yes it could well be lethal. In most circumstances no. One advantage of the Reactor is that it performs well even in high wind. It is not a perfect stove, but I have yet to find anything that outperforms it at melting snow in the real world.

If one anticipates cooking inside the tent there are other stove choices, but for many people the Reactor is a good, useful stove.

[Stephen Parks]

I added the wrench mod to my second BRS-3000T stove, and here is the process I used.

First, let's agree on some terms. In most of the pictures below, the pot support arm is shown in the same orientation. I'll refer to the three sides of the triangular cutout as left (short side), top, and bottom (hypotenuse).

Unscrew the burner section from the valve body and remove the jet. If you want a particular one of the supports to be modded, mark it before removing the burner. Go ahead, I won't judge you.

Getting an outline of the material that needs to be cut out was the trickiest part. Since the bottom side of the stock cutout is the thinnest, I kept it unaltered and used it as one side of the wrench. The photo below shows the location where the new cutout will be. The hex of the jet is flat against the bottom of the triangle and moved as far left as possible.

You might notice that it is difficult to hold this little jet in place. I used some aluminum foil tape to hold the jet for me so I could mark the cutout profile. Foil tape is good for this because it stays in whatever position you push it into. I put a small piece of tape on the jet as shown below, leaving about half of one hex side exposed for aligning with the bottom edge of the triangle.

Now tape the jet onto the support, making sure to keep the hex flat against the bottom edge and as far to the left as possible. Here is what it should look like from the back side.

Now, back on the front side, use three pieces of good masking tape with straight edges to very closely mark the top three edges of the jet's hex. When you think you've got it, look at the backside again to make sure the jet is still properly aligned.

Now with the jet out of the way, you can see the outline of the material that needs to be removed.

Rub the edges of the tape down well, being careful not to shift their positions. Recheck the outline again with the jet and then fill in the outline with a permanent marker.

Remove the tape and behold. If you rubbed the tape down well enough you'll get a nice sharp outline like this. If not, well, practice makes perfect (the ink will come off with rubbing alcohol).

Recheck your outline with the jet one more time.

Time to start removing material. I used a set of needle files like the ones shown below. This is a cheap set of 6" long files from Harbor Freight or somewhere.

I started with a square file, the width of which was about equal to the length of one of the hex sides. Don't use a file with a side wider than that.

Work on the longest edge of the marked area first. Keep the edge of the file parallel to that edge as you go and keep the file cut centered with the longest edge.

Just getting started:

Keep going until you have almost removed all of the ink from the long edge, but not quite all, just in case your outline is oversize.

Now work on the short side to the right. Pick a file that has a non-cutting edge like this:

Keep the smooth side of the file toward the work you have already completed and knock out the right side, always staying parallel to your outline.

Again, stop just short of your outline.

Similarly, clean up the left corner. You don't have to take all of the material out of that corner as I did, but it looks better if you do.

Now it's a matter of checking the fit with the jet and filing out small amounts at a time until you have removed just enough material. When you get to the "almost but not quite" point where it feels like there is just a bit of material preventing the jet from going in, be sure you know where the hangup is before removing any more material. It would be easy to remove too much material from one side when all you need is to take a small amount off of another side. Keep the corners sharp and the sides straight.

When you get just enough material cut out it should look something like this:

You've created a lot of debris during this process so clean out the jet before screwing it back onto the valve body.

There is an easier but less precise way of marking the outline for the cutout, and it would require removing more material but if you find the method above too fiddly, you might like this better. Simply insert the threaded part of the jet into the support window as shown, keeping the bottom edge of the hex and support parallel.

Hold the jet in place and mark around the hex as closely as possible with a fine point Sharpie.

This outline is clearly too large because the marker tip can't get close to the hex but when you take the jet out and align the hex with the bottom edge of the stock cutout, much of the outline actually lines up pretty well.

In this case you would stay inside of the inked outline when you file and you would need to check your progress often to make sure you were staying aligned and not taking out too much material, but I think this method could work satisfactorily.

Happy filing!

-Stephen

[Tom D.]

Very nice, thanks for taking the time to do the write up Stephen. Very useful.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Nick

> What effect does an inverted feed have on CO?
Essentially ZERO effect.
CO is generated when the flame is quenched by hitting the pot or the pot supports. How the fuel gets to the jet is not relevant. Running the stove flat out can increase the amount of quenching and the CO production.

> MSR DragonFly?
I don't think I ever got one to test.

The MSR Reactor and the Primus Eta Express are the stoves which really worry me. Both emit CO over 1000 ppm.

Cheers

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Stephen

A most excellent write-up. Thank you.

Cheers

[DGoggins]

I wish these two forum threads were merged…but what do you think about this? ->

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=103030&startat=60

If you look towards the bottom, they are thinking that if you have the stove sitting on the fins it increases the gap between flame/pot so that you can run it on full bore and have better efficiency since there isn't any quenching?

[Stephen Parks]

Thank you, Roger. I am glad to have had something to contribute to the community from which I've learned so much.

[Stephen Parks]

I had also noticed that the burner distance was very similar the the stock jetboil head if the BRS was on the tips of the fins instead of nestled inside them. I made this quick and dirty ring to go between the JB fins and the BRS supports. With the BRS on medium or medium-low setting (1/4 turn) I achieved the same fuel efficiency as with the Jetboil burner on max, but heating time was 5:35 instead of 1:52. I've only run those two trials so far.

The smooth aluminum flashing is a little slippery.

I have no idea about the impact on CO. The narrow flame from the BRS doesn't appear to contact the ring.

[DGoggins]

Ok…what about putting the jetboil on top of the brs? When I bent my fins I still had to slightly angle the jetboil to clear 1 fin and then level it out to get the other two on. And reverse for taking it off.

Are you able to put the jetboil on straight vertically? Trying to find a solution so its easy to take on/off.

[Ross L]

Dan
I have an unmodified BRS that I have been experimenting with as well as a modified FMS300T. I have gotten into the habit of tilting the JB pot to get the support arms inside the flux ring and it has become second nature to do so. My best performances have been with the unmodified BRS sitting on the fins. In fact, I have been able to duplicate the original JB performance only by using this method. In other (limited)testing I have found the BRS to be faster, quieter and more fuel efficient than the FMS300T and now prefer this quiet little cheapie over the FMS.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Dan

re Ruta Locura idea – could be, as bigger gap. I have not tested it.

Cheers

[Stephen Parks]

It seems that what we really need instead of trying to adapt to the Jetboil cup is a standalone 600mL heat exhanger mug/pot with a base designed to sit directly on regular stove pot supports, weighing in at about 2.75oz. The Jetboil cup, even the Sol, is bigger than needed for just rehydrating meals and the base is heavier/bulkier than it could be if it were made to sit on regular stoves.

I haven't seen anything this small (~600mL), you?

[Gary Dunckel]

I did the same thing as Stephen to raise the pot. When Josh first started this thread, I copied his idea. The bent stove support arms worked nicely, but my imitation titanium heat shield really didn't work, as I had mentioned. There was no real need for it, as the canister doesn't even get warm when employing a medium-low flame.

Then when you guys started discussing a way to raise the pot, I cut a big hole in the ti disk to allow the full flame to pass through. This is a sweet way to raise the pot. First of all, mine weighs just 2.0 grams. It is easy to place inside the fins and remove. Once the pot is placed on the stove it is easy to rotate it any way you want, unlike the fixed position of placing the fins precisely on the supports.

For early morning grins today, I did a quick test of how the disk performed at various flame settings. Same drill as usual: 2 cups of distilled water, which was warmer than my tap water (60* F vs. 50* F). This water was sitting outside and it was fairly warm last night. By the way, I've switched over to using gallon jugs of distilled water for my tests, because I was tired of having to soak the mineral deposits in my pots with vinegar (damned well water!). At $1 per gallon it's cheap enough, and I always keep a stash of 8-10 gallons on hand in the basement, to be used for car camping or in case my well goes bung.

Low flame: 4.6 grams of fuel, 5:30 minutes to boil
Medium flame: 4.6 grams, 3:00 minutes
High flame: 5.5 grams, 2:10 minutes

At a high setting, the flame lifted off the burner head as Roger noted in his review. It certainly boiled fast, but at a slightly greater (~20%) fuel consumption.

So for me, the most efficient flame settings would be medium-low when the pot is set between the pot supports, and medium when used with the pot-raising disk. 4.5 grams of fuel and boil times of 3:00 to 4:00 minutes is pretty sweet.

I also made a 5.5" x 12" 3/4 wind screen to block any wind. It is not needed in calm conditions, but a stiff breeze definitely affects the stove's performance and fuel efficiency. My complete setup, with a full 4 ounce canister, weighs 15.5 ounces. It compares very favorably with a Jetboil Sol, and it's lighter.

Stephen, I want to thank you for your solid contributions to this thread. You seem to be quite the adroit MYOG geek, and my hat's off to you for what you've shared with us.

[Frank T]

Adding a data point:

Mine came in with no discernible thread sealant and no superfluous bits of metal or o-ring floating about. It came in packaging similar to what Ken described, including a cute little nylon bag. I got it from Amazon (seller "Boundless Voyage") for $22 and it arrived 10 days after order. Of course, now they have it with free 1-day shipping if you have a "qualifying order" of at least $35.

In a fairly non-scientific test, where I was struggling to keep the flame steady as my MSR IsoPro canister exhaled its dying breath, I boiled 350 mL of room-temp water in 197 seconds using 4 grams of fuel. I tried to keep the flame from spilling over the pot bottom, but as the output from the canister dropped, I had to keep dialing up. The pot was an IMUSA 700mL aluminum mug with a foil lid. Inside, no wind and no wind screen.

[rmeurant]

I ordered 2 last night from GearBest – with tracking number and insurance total was $25.41, using the discount code they offer. (Shipping to Korea).

BRS – 3000T Ultra-light 25g Miniature Stove Burner Outdoor Camping Barbecue Supplies

Promo code: BRS3000TCM

$10.99 shipped

ends Jun 30, 2015

http://www.gearbest.com/camping/pp_116350.html

(enter promo code to get discount).

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

I have been playing with the 3000 out on trips. My overall impression is that I am not impressed. Performance in the wind seems poor though I don't use canister mounted stoves. I think he wind, it seems to take + 8 minutes to boil 2 cups. The price is low but I am much happier with the Koveas Spider and a windscreen. It may not be the fault of the 3000's fault but I am still not impressed. My 2 cents.

[Roger Caffin]

> Performance in the wind seems poor though I don't use canister mounted stoves.
> I think he wind,
Did you use a windscreen around the stove and pot?

If you did not, you will have the same problem with almost ANY stove. The BRS-3000T is no better and no worse than most of the others in this regard.

Cheers

[Barry Cuthbert]

The BRS-3000 does have its limits.

Last weekend I was with a party of 9 where someone forgot to bring the white spirits for the MSR. I had brought my BRS-3000 primarily to boil water for myself and my daughter for ramen noodles for lunch. However my cooker was "commandeered" into action for the main dinner cooking, which consisted of mainly boiling about 2 litres of water for about 1 kilo of pasta and cooking a tomato sauce.

While the BRS-3000 worked and everyone had a hot dinner, the plate that the pot arms attach to was bent out of shape by the weight of the billy (total billy weight about 3kg incl. sauce, pasta, veges etc.) so that the pot support arms were splayed and no longer sat flush against the base of the billy.

A pair of pliers managed to get the plate flat again once back home.

As an aside, I would consider a windscreen is essential for any cooker (gas, alcohol, white spirit).

[Bob Moulder]

the plate that the pot arms attach to was bent out of shape by the weight of the billy (total billy weight about 3kg incl. sauce, pasta, veges etc.) so that the pot support arms were splayed and no longer sat flush against the base of the billy.

25g stove vs 3,000g dinner :^)

[Roger Caffin]

> 25g stove vs 3,000g dinner :^)
One BRS-3000T cooking for NINE people?
That's a bit epic!

Cheers

[Barry Cuthbert]

"> 25g stove vs 3,000g dinner :^)
One BRS-3000T cooking for NINE people?
That's a bit epic!"

Yeah it wasn't the ideal situation and not one I would wish to repeat, but sometimes you have to make do…

The large billy has to be constantly held while cooking to maintain a stable connection with the rather narrow pot supports.

The guilty party who forgot the fuel was kept busy by doing the dishes, and we (the rest of the party) also greatly enjoyed eating all their chocolate… :)

[Roger Caffin]

SNICKER!

You know, under those conditions, I might have been looking for three suitable rocks for the pot. Or three large solid tent pegs.

Cheers

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