Spec me an LED Torch

Looking to spend £25-30 on a new torch. Any suggestions?

I don't have any 18560 batteries so the price would need to include them and a charger, unless the torch can take AA/AAA!

Did previously buy a ~£7 torch off the bay but my Dad wants it so I'm looking to get something more powerful :P
 
I'm still a massive fan of SolarForce, I have the L2 and have SF's own drop-in, the XP-G "run time king". I can't get over how long the run time is, 35hrs on low, 15 on med and 3.5 on high. The low is actually useful low instead of just a bit less bright like the C8 and other eBay torches I have/seen. It's low enough to light your path but not bright enough on low to grab attention, which is important in my line of business :p
 
chrisxuk said:
Looking to spend £25-30 on a new torch. Any suggestions?

I don't have any 18560 batteries so the price would need to include them and a charger, unless the torch can take AA/AAA!

Did previously buy a ~£7 torch off the bay but my Dad wants it so I'm looking to get something more powerful :P
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I got this from Hong Kong and it came in 10 days and I'm well pleased with it - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UltraFire...ing_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item35b705c4c7

ultrafire.jpg
 
I recieved a LED Lenser Hokus Focus for Christmas, and it seems pretty damn bright!! With the beam focussed right down, it can easily illuminate trees a few hundred feet away, and in flood mode you can see plenty in a dark room. It was even lighting the Christmas tree by the window with the sun shining on it!!

So i'm pretty impressed by it anyway, and it's perfect for what I wanted it for, which is to keep in the pocket of my work trousers, and light my way in dark roof voids etc. But i was intrigued to find out how bright it actually is, having noticed this thread a few times... and it is apparently 105 lumens which seems to be pretty tiny compared with some (or most) of the torches mentioned here!!!

What do you guys tend to use your torches for that requires them to be so bright?? And what is the general consensus on my torch? Good/bad/middle?
 
the focusable lights are good at lighting things up far away at maximum zoom, and reasonably good at lighting up an area at maximum flood, but most of our torches are fixed-focus meaning that in order to excel at both at the same time, they must be brighter overall.

I think 250-300 lumens is pretty optimal. :)
 
2StepSteve said:
I've just noticed that the Jetbeam BC40 is on offer at DinoDirect. Only £34 - I am very tempted. Especially as I've managed to lose my main big lumen light.
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Argh, very tempted by that, but I have just bought a new case and now need a new hdd. Cheapest I could find it before was £45 from ebay so that's a great price, assuming its not a fake.

Makes the BC25 look even more overpriced...
 
I hate when I drop one of my lights. Rage can creep in!!!

I'm not sure whether to go for a budget big lumen pusher such as the BC40, or a multiple XM-L budget light which is capable of pushing out silly a amount of lumens (while being able to be used as a personal heater :D).

Or go for the Zebralight 501w headtorch for reading purposes with my Kindle. My Zebralight H51W is great but the hotspot is a distraction while reading. An all flood head torch would be extremely useful for reading and all things working with your hands.

It's funny. After owning multiple P60 drops and a Pila charger; I have kinda fallen back in love with AA powered lights again. Right where I started off! AA powered lights I find so appealing on many levels, especially with the ever growing number of LSD AA batteries I own.

Decisions decisions...

I've been good lately limiting the amount of lights I'm buying unless they are needed. But it's hard as we all know :D.

Especially after reading at CPF :( Like this: The highest powered 4xAA powered light to date. http://www.sunwayman.com/html/products/201005/26.html A little too pricey for me though :(
 
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I have dropped my LD20 and TK12. The TK12 I dropped onto concrete and then it rolled for about a meter :eek:. Amazingly there is just a slight scuff on the top bezel and one on the bottom. I was expecting it to be far worse.
 
Actually, just looking at it closer now as I only inspected it on site last week, seems the damage isn't as bad as I imagined even though it dropped head first onto stoned concrete so there's a chip on the head and also where it bounced, one on the tail too:

bc40scuff_1.jpg


bc40scuff_2.jpg


Remarkable though, the C8 would have dented or the lens would have shattered, the L2, not so much given it's thinner so structure is more rigid.

I like tough torches :p

Still, the C8 is a super torch, the XP-G version has such a nice and clean flood but a very long range throw that I use it exclusively sometimes. You can definitely feel the difference between a high quality manufactured torch like the BC40 and a cheap one like the C8 or even the SolarForce.
 
it's the mark of better grade aluminium to be sure.

I've borrowed a RC Hobby charger (retail is around £75 :eek:) from work which i will be using to charge all my 18650's from now on :D
 
Mark A said:
Argh, very tempted by that, but I have just bought a new case and now need a new hdd. Cheapest I could find it before was £45 from ebay so that's a great price, assuming its not a fake.

Makes the BC25 look even more overpriced...
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Definitely not a fake, despite the shady name of DinoDirect they are quite reputable.

I'm still undecided. £34 is a good price for the BC40, no doubt!

But do I need another flashlight?! The H501W makes more sense for my needs right now, and is only £4 more.

I've been spending testing some rather cheapish Vapextech Instant 2500 low self discharge 2500mAh AA cells. They seem pretty decent so far! I bought 4 packs of them. The first pack after form charging seems to show they have a capacity of around 2400mAh. Pretty decent! Next, to test their self discharging performance. :) See you in around 3 months. ;)

Not so bad damage there mrk! - I'd still be raging though!

Aod said:
it's the mark of better grade aluminium to be sure.

I've borrowed a RC Hobby charger (retail is around £75 :eek:) from work which i will be using to charge all my 18650's from now on :D
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Which RC hobby charger? I do own a hobby charger for my set of RC aircraft. I haven't used it to charge my 18650's though. While the Pila does a great job and is ideal for charging and forgetting; I do miss being able to test cell capacity of my 18650's. Perhaps I should purchase some 18560 cell holders. Hmm!
 
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I'm just using magnets on the end of croc-clips. seems to work nicely.

It's a Turnigy Accucel-8150, not the most featureful of hobby chargers but it seems to work nicely.
 
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