Torches - Page 3

benderz · 23 Aug 2013, 7:23 pm

Links to both torches for comparison.

Cree
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2000-Lm-Zoom ... 43ba15369a

Coles Special
http://shop.coles.com.au/online/nationa ... d-torch-2d

The cree is smaller, lighter, cheaper, rechargable and more powerful. The batteries are so light they feel like they are made of plastic but I can't comment on how long a charge lasts.

The obvious negatives of the cree is that the charge hole is covered by very flimsy piece of rubber which will rip off after more than a couple of uses.
Also there are several settings - high, medium, low, flashing. This is selected by half pressing the button but whenever you turn it on/off it cycles through these settings.
This means that when the torch is turned on and is high beam, turning it off will set it to medium. Turning it on again will set it to low, off it will be flashing etc etc.
The charger is also Chinese so you will need an adaptor but I have a few lying around so no biggie.

In short I cant find any area where the Energiser wins other than the minor annoyance listed above. If you are turning it on once and leaving it on then it shouldnt be an issue though.

theedge · 23 Aug 2013, 7:38 pm

Great test. The cheap cree is quite bright. I heard some freaky stories about overcharging the ultrafire Lion batteries though.

benderz · 23 Aug 2013, 8:01 pm

Hopefully by overcharging you dont mean overnight? Please share.

dodger · 23 Aug 2013, 11:49 pm

Yes. Leaving them overnight is probably not the best idea.

You can avoid them overcharging (and possibly exploding) by using protected Lithium-ion batteries.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/sho ... A-exploded

benderz · 24 Aug 2013, 12:07 pm

Wow the damage is pretty crazy.

So what is the difference between protected and unprotected? Are the stock ones with this torch protected?

I see other ultrafire batteries on ebay saying protected, then the same batteries in the next listing not saying they are protected so am a little unsure.

Also since they are all from China, are they really protected?

theedge · 26 Aug 2013, 6:41 pm

Yes that's the story I saw. Looks like other options are to get a charger system that cuts off when fully charged (eg: Soshine, Pila).

dodger · 27 Aug 2013, 8:59 am

I'm no torch expert, but the protected batteries are actually a bit thicker (in diameter) than their unprotected versions so you can kind of tell if they're actually protected or not.

That being said I also use a charger that cuts off when the batteries are full. There's quite a few on the market but just look up "smart charger" if you are interested!

Spoz · 27 Aug 2013, 9:49 am

theedge wrote:Yes that's the story I saw. Looks like other options are to get a charger system that cuts off when fully charged (eg: Soshine, Pila).

That's what I prefer. I've heard of protected batteries having problems because often they're longer than the specification for those batteries, and can be crushed by torches that have tight tolerances on the battery dimensions. I had this happen in a torch of mine except (luckily) it was the torch that broke before the battery shorted out.

If your charger cuts off at 4.2v and your torch has a low battery cut-off around 2.7-3.0v as mine do, then you're better off with good quality unprotected cells.

Joker · 23 Sep 2013, 2:09 pm

I recently just got a Fenix TA21 from America

I found that if you are going to buy gear, it is generally much more worth it if you put in the extra bucks to find something that lasts a lot longer. I have tested out the waterproof capabilities and the brightness is pleasing. I also think that the different brightnesses are very useful especially when you have to conserve your night vision.

zebulon · 01 Oct 2013, 2:23 am

Joker wrote:Back to the P7, the torch seems to be getting considerably dimmer over time. I didn't think that these type of leds did this, any suggestions?

Unregulated circuitry.
You're seeing your batteries life drain in front of you.

As for too many lumens...

ANVSS-3A Battlefield Illuminator

Technical Characteristics

Type of light – Visible or infrared
Type of lamp – Xenon short arc – 1 kilowatt
Output candlepower – 50 million minimum
Beam width:
Compact – 1.0 +/- 0.5 degrees
Variable – 1.0 to 7.0 degrees
Voltage – 22 to 28 VDC
Current - 58 amperes
Power – 1,600 watts
Cooling system – Air to air heat exchanger using intake/exhaust blower
Reflective system – Metal parabolic mirror
Focus-defocus method – motor driven
Searchlight control – Provide by control box and remote control
Reflector - 14"

As factory fitted to TANKS putting out 150 million candlepower

Is that too many ?

Not exactly portable though

benderz wrote:Can anyone offer some advice on either of these:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2000-Lm-Zoom ... 43ba15369a

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4000-Lumens- ... 19d9a3881b

One is 2000lm, the other is 4000 with the price difference $20 to $32. The 2000lm seems way more popular, but would the 4000lm be noticibly better?

Ask how much they're being driven by to get a realistic idea of their output.

Joker · 02 Oct 2013, 4:33 pm

zebulon wrote:Is that too many ?
Not exactly portable though

Nah bro... seems perfect.

zebulon · 02 Oct 2013, 9:47 pm

Joker wrote:
zebulon wrote:Is that too many ?
Not exactly portable though
Nah bro... seems perfect.

Indeed, if only it was packaged in at most a 3D Maglight

Joker · 04 Oct 2013, 8:47 pm

zebulon wrote:
Joker wrote:
zebulon wrote:Is that too many ?
Not exactly portable though
Nah bro... seems perfect.
Indeed, if only it was packaged in at most a 3D Maglight

Personally, i don't like maglights. They are over priced from america and unless you use a fat ass one for defence. (madmaw)

coothatower · 07 Oct 2013, 1:04 pm

Has anybody noticed that brighter is not always better? I own several 2000-8000 lumen torches including some hids but almost always use them on their low setting 100-300 lumens and only use them on high occasionally. I find that on low ofter a while your eyes adjust and you can see almost as far as when using them on high. I have even once tested my phone torch as a emergency light and found it to be adequate to find my way back a 1km or so to the outfall.

zebulon · 07 Oct 2013, 1:34 pm

I find that it depends upon the location and also the tint of the actual light being produced.
I've started to explore different tints to find what works for me.
Colour Rendering Index is the more technical name I believe.

zebulon · 16 Nov 2013, 10:33 pm

Code = bgf131

Titanium EDC goodness for $21.00

benderz · 06 Feb 2014, 10:37 am

I bought this cree a while ago and it has lost a noticeable amount of light and is now quite dim. I would say from when I bought it, it is now working at about 60%.
I have used different batteries to no avail and check connections which seem to be fine. Anyone else had this issue and a fix?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2000-Lm-Zoom ... 43ba15369a

Aydun · 06 Feb 2014, 3:20 pm

benderz wrote:I bought this cree a while ago and it has lost a noticeable amount of light and is now quite dim. I would say from when I bought it, it is now working at about 60%.
I have used different batteries to no avail and check connections which seem to be fine. Anyone else had this issue and a fix?
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2000-Lm-Zoom ... 43ba15369a

No fix unfortunately. Just degradation of the LED due to it being poor quality.

benderz · 06 Feb 2014, 6:39 pm

Crap. I will have to find something with a bit better build quality and hope for the best. Was good while it lasted though.

Dynamite · 06 Feb 2014, 6:47 pm

Even my inova is doing this gradually. Wasn't a cheap torch but its going on 5 years old now so can't really complain.

benderz · 06 Feb 2014, 7:41 pm

It was $20 and lasted for 12mnts so I cant complain all that much. It does still work, but is nowhere near as bright as it used to be.

Barnz · 06 Feb 2014, 10:43 pm

benderz wrote:Crap. I will have to find something with a bit better build quality and hope for the best. Was good while it lasted though.

I just bought 2 of them. They work well so far but I wasn't expecting much. Very bright. Great distance when focused. Def not water proof!!!

theedge · 07 Feb 2014, 9:44 pm

Bought the nitecore torch with diffuser. Annoying thing is that they tend to drain the batteries even when the light is turned off, so I need to unscrew the top if I'm not using it.

The only good thing is they can use the normal AA batteries.

benderz · 08 Feb 2014, 5:50 pm

Barnz wrote:
benderz wrote:Crap. I will have to find something with a bit better build quality and hope for the best. Was good while it lasted though.
I just bought 2 of them. They work well so far but I wasn't expecting much. Very bright. Great distance when focused. Def not water proof!!!

Yeah, when I first got it I even thought it was too bright for night pics. I have been looking around at other lights and may just go for the devil I know. I havent tested the waterproof-ness yet but it has certainly been dropped and thrown around a bit.

Light Knight · 21 Sep 2014, 2:14 pm

Review of two torches:

LED Lenser P7QC (approx. $90 online)
Good:
4 colours - red, green, blue, white (probably the best RGBW torch on the market for light painting)
White light is daylight colour temperature for decent colour rendition
200 lumens (ish) just right for URBEX photography
Soft edge/diffused beam
Easy to change colours (just turn head)
50% power and strobe mode
IPX7 waterproof
Uses 4 AAA batteries
Bad:
No zoom
If you don't need the colours, you can get a lot more for your money.
Eats batteries for breakfast on 100% power (90mins supposedly, but I think it's considerably less than that)

Xstreem HP Focus 1W ($25 from Coles)
Good:
Huge zoom/focus range
Good brightness for price (? lumen rating, can give the above mentioned torch a run for it's money)
50% power and strobe mode
Uses 3 AAA batteries (life span not tested yet)
Bad:
Hard edge beam has colour fringing at edge
Cold white light - not so good colour rendition
Waterproofing unknown