Spec me a torch :-)

Pawnless Endgame

Pawnless Endgame

Pawnless Endgame

Soldato
Joined
10 May 2004
Posts
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Location
Sunny Stafford
...following on from our frequent "spec-me-a-PC" and "spec-me-a-gadget" posts :-)

My main criteria here, is that the torch can be charged by the mains and has the ability to turn itself on when the charger detects loss of A/C power. This could be either because of our recent cold snap in UK or because the circuit breaker has tripped. I had a torch in 1998 called MML which had a car-style battery. This lasted 10 years before the battery was no longer able to hold charge any more. It was geared towards car break-down situations and had the ability to turn itself on when it sensed loss of A/C power. The main reason (please don't laugh guys) - I'm 31 years old and I'm still phobic of the dark lol! Thanks.
 
You will find a such a torch either doesn't exsist or would be very poor in terms of performance, if you want i can fire you a pm with some suggestions, led torches have come a long way, most are based off the ssc p7 emitter, you get about 1 hour at full from a rechargable lithium 18650 cell, it kicks out about 600 lumens.

Or there's the xpg r5 led, 350 lumens and about 3 hours on full again with the same cell, plus most single die led's take a drop in host so replacing it for a better one is like changing the bulb, very easy.


Or there's my bike light the lumen liberator, nudging towards 2000 lumens.

http://www.troutie.com/Product page 9.html

Why not ask on candlepower forums and see what they suggest?
 
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Justin said:
I use a 3D Maglite with LED conversion.
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I loved my 4d maglite until i got given an LED Lenser P7 for xmas... Now a complete LED convert :D Though it isnt anywhere near as manly.

@ the OP, i dont think you will find such a torch. Nothing ive ever come across before. Best bet is to establish a collection of batteries that work or are rechargeable and keep them in your man drawer with a standard torch.
 
I had a cheapo wind up 3 LED jobby for about a year. Then my tinkering instinct kicked in and i took it apart, but that's not important. It was good, bright and held its charge so a professional version would probably be more of the same.
 
Just bear in mind the led lenser p7 doesn't actually have a p7 led that one has tripped a few people up. ;)

Just google ssc p7, should throw up enough results.
 
hux said:
Just bear in mind the led lenser p7 doesn't actually have a p7 led that one has tripped a few people up. ;)

Just google ssc p7, should throw up enough results.
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even so, is the P7 still good? I'm looking for a nice torch myself to use during powercuts and to keep in the car for emergencies. The P7 looks ideal with it's adjustable focus and size?

it can be bought with the P3 in a set for £50 - would you recommend this?
 
Oxide™ said:
even so, is the P7 still good? I'm looking for a nice torch myself to use during powercuts and to keep in the car for emergencies. The P7 looks ideal with it's adjustable focus and size?

it can be bought with the P3 in a set for £50 - would you recommend this?
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Thats the set i got, the little P3 is an excellent little torch in itself, currently on sale at gooutdoors.co.uk for £32.97, thats where mine came from. Bargain! The P7 is fantastic, slightly odd to use in that you press the button once for medium mode, press it again for low and hold it in for high. Medium is all you would ever really need though. Also if you do get one, its not a twist to focus like i thought lol, its a pull in or out one. Spent ages wondering why it wouldnt focus sometimes :rolleyes:

Edit - That se also comes with 2 sets of batteries, a case and a wrist strap, well worth the money imo :)
 
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Oxide™ said:
even so, is the P7 still good? I'm looking for a nice torch myself to use during powercuts and to keep in the car for emergencies. The P7 looks ideal with it's adjustable focus and size?

it can be bought with the P3 in a set for £50 - would you recommend this?
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Hmm it's 'ok' kicks out around 170 lumens but better can be had for less, they use aa's which isn't ideal as lithium can handle a higher current draw.

If any of you want me to suggest anything then fire me a pm, they're based in china trouble is they sell computer bits so im guessing i casn't post it.

Lets say an ideal torch would be a nice xp-g r5 ultrafire about 350 lumens and over 3 hours on run time, plenty of light my bike light uses 6 of those.

£15 for the torch
£5 for a pair of 18650 cells
£10 for a decent regulated charger

For that you will have a torch that will outstrip most out there, and led's are easily replaceable as that torch takes drop in hosts.

£190 for a bike light lol yup well yours truly paid £170 as troutie did me a deal. ;)
Then there's a battery and charger a 2.6ah pack is about £45 and lasts about 2.5hrs on full and 5 on low which believe me isn't low.

For the curious in you i wrote the lighting guide on bike radar. :)

Anyway here's mine on high. ;)

p1050151q.jpg

Shot with DMC-FZ8 at 2009-10-16
 
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Thanks hux, you know your stuff. I'm having trouble logging into my trust account to get your PM details. I really like the size, price and performance of the XPG R5 Ultrafire you suggested but it appears it just has static focus. Could you please email me some similar examples that have spot and flood abilities like the P7 to oxide69 at gmail dot com ?

Bennie-Mac said:
Thats the set i got, the little P3 is an excellent little torch in itself, currently on sale at gooutdoors.co.uk for £32.97, thats where mine came from. Bargain! The P7 is fantastic, slightly odd to use in that you press the button once for medium mode, press it again for low and hold it in for high. Medium is all you would ever really need though. Also if you do get one, its not a twist to focus like i thought lol, its a pull in or out one. Spent ages wondering why it wouldnt focus sometimes :rolleyes:

Edit - That se also comes with 2 sets of batteries, a case and a wrist strap, well worth the money imo :)
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Wow that's an awesome price but nowhere has them in stock for this price anymore else I would have gone for that option for sure (2 torches at a great price)

Apologies OP if I'm derailing your thread
 
Bennie-Mac said:
£190 apparantly, not bad considering the output actually. But still :eek:
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Expensive, but pretty cheap fo a bike light as you say, especially for the output!

chaparral said:
£190 for just a bicycle front light :eek:

I would expect a free bicycle to come with it for that price :p
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Well maybe a Halfords bike,:p Having said that when you consider you could get a couple of decent wheels for around £200 a bike light at £160 is definately cheap.:p
 
Still waiting for my replacement Fenix L2D to turn up. I wanna see how good it is :(
 
I've just ordered a rechargeable front light myself, just over £100 but if you're obsessed with trying to outshine car headlights and want to dazzle the hell out of the pathway you can fork out more than £500 o.0

If you google "power cut lighting" there are a few more variants on lights, fixed and detachable which come on when the mains cuts out.

We've got three large disk shaped florescent lights fixed around our house which switch on when the power goes out. It's happened twice now and they've been very handy.
 
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