Spec me an LED Torch
- Thread starter support_bae
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Soldato
Is it not just a heat issue, hard to overcome physics on heat dissipation. Just flick it off and on again if its capable
It's PID controlled, that's means it steps down based on ambient temperature, which if you look at the figures is not a very significant drop over time in the current climate. In contrast, the Nitecore torches drop ~50% after 3 minutes regardless, making them really only half of their advertised light output.
The heat isn't such a problem that it requires a ~50% drop in output after 3 minutes in an ambient temperature of 0 degrees. It's Nightcore's really lazy design of just putting the step down on a timer.
Not me that's for sure.
I am curious though as to why you think that customers should have to "research" that manufacturers are not misleading and defrauding them? Do you believe that customers should have to be an expert on every product that they buy and should know the intricacies of electronic circuit design when trying to just buy a torch?
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Soldato
Sounds good, I like that. Often times a warm torch could be good in the hardest conditions.
I had a 3 xml torch that could not be touched without being burnt after a while on high and that was set in a big solid chunk of metal, no auto anything but if its snowing out then its all good
Thats a tiny torch for 1100 lumens, that does seem extreme. Any shots?
Found this nifty review:http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...M-L2-1x18650)-Review-RUNTIMES-BEAMSHOTS-VIDEO
I had a 3 xml torch that could not be touched without being burnt after a while on high and that was set in a big solid chunk of metal, no auto anything but if its snowing out then its all good
Thats a tiny torch for 1100 lumens, that does seem extreme. Any shots?
Found this nifty review:http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...M-L2-1x18650)-Review-RUNTIMES-BEAMSHOTS-VIDEO
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I'll be taking some tomorrow night when I'm out at the farm again.
Since I use it as a bike headlight there will also usually be a 20mph airflow over the torch which helps, it's certainly safer than having a torch with a massive output drop when your traveling down a hill on a country road at 35mph lol.
EDIT - What's with torch reviewers using such low capacity batteries?
I use 3,400mAh Samsung cells myself.
Yeah it's not good design to make an 1,100lm torch only take a single battery, but I can just bring an extra battery, which is as good as it's going to get it seems given the miss-selling of torches that is so ubiquitous these days.
Since I use it as a bike headlight there will also usually be a 20mph airflow over the torch which helps, it's certainly safer than having a torch with a massive output drop when your traveling down a hill on a country road at 35mph lol.
EDIT - What's with torch reviewers using such low capacity batteries?
I use 3,400mAh Samsung cells myself.Yeah it's not good design to make an 1,100lm torch only take a single battery, but I can just bring an extra battery, which is as good as it's going to get it seems given the miss-selling of torches that is so ubiquitous these days.
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Soldato
I received the U3 I got instead. Posted in China xmas day, took 12 days
Its cheaply made but for 8 quid I think its about as powerful as one could hope and a quality 26650/18650 with it might really make it shine.
900 mah AAA x 3 almost do as well as an old laptop 18650, inside at least. Outside is when power differences start to matter.
Its got a cheapy sliding lens on the front. It wont stay in place firmly but its pretty effective otherwise, if you hang it from your belt it'll slide to focus (circuit outline) and sitting on its tail it'll slide to a 5m wide beam
Or held you alter it to either, I guess it could be fixed with some tape also
Reach is about the same as the U2, 120m or so but these are cheap batteries. I got a feeling it can do a lot more, set to focus straight up its got an awesome light sabre effect better then even a triple xml setup
The tail cap unwinds for the batteries, thats it. Theres a spring on the led circuit so it shouldnt self destruct on first drop
There are cig to usb convertors and then Ive also seen usb cables for charging torches. What input does it want, usb can give 5v 1.2a apparently
My computer charges 18650 with usb via a circuit board setup, I expect theres faster but its simply done
26650 batteries go over 4000mah allegedly. This gives everything together
EDIT - What's with torch reviewers using such low capacity batteries?
The 2250mAh cells used in the AW2200 18650s are capable of a very high discharge rate, often higher than that of higher capacity cells. Additionally, they are also capable of more charge-discharge cycles without the capacity dropping significantly, something even the modern high capacity cells are occasionally guilty of.
When the Panasonic 3100mAh cells came out, testing showed that their capacity dropped to sub 2900mAh (the capacity of their predecessor cells) after just 10-15 cycles.
Other than that, It's probably because that's the cell the guy started reviewing lights with and using the same one keeps the runtimes consistent and comparable.
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Associate
Some high brightness lights have pretty high current draws, and for all cells, the higher the current draw the lower the apparent "mAh" capacity is, the cells capable of higher discharge reduce the reduction in capacity at the higher current draws.
SC600 II at 1100 Lumens should be drawing over three amps out of one 18650, which is quite a hefty draw for the high-capacity cells. You are right though, in the SC600 it's probably not that important. In something like the TM26 on the other hand...
Also true, but fortunately most high quality LiIon cells have fairly low capacity sag even at 3A.
Anyone got/tried/know of reviews for the UltraFire 18650 5600mAh 3.7V Protected Rechargeable Li-ion Battery.
It just sounds fanciful, I know 3400mah was considered higjph capacity but I can now find 4000, 5000 & 5400mah versions. Any good or just a lie/knock offs.
It just sounds fanciful, I know 3400mah was considered higjph capacity but I can now find 4000, 5000 & 5400mah versions. Any good or just a lie/knock offs.
Although ive just started reading into this stuff it seems that panasonic make the highest capacity 18650's and that is 3400mah.
The panasonic cells are unprotected and then get bought by other companies, a protection circuit added, new wrapper applied and then sold to us as protected 18650s.
i *think* 3400mah is the highest capacity at the moment for 18650s
Associate
Although ive just started reading into this stuff it seems that panasonic make the highest capacity 18650's and that is 3400mah.
The panasonic cells are unprotected and then get bought by other companies, a protection circuit added, new wrapper applied and then sold to us as protected 18650s.
i *think* 3400mah is the highest capacity at the moment for 18650s
That's what I found when I was looking in depth a couple of months ago. anything rated at 4000, 5000 etc is either a typo, or just a plain lie.
EDIT: For reference, the best 18650 I found for my torch was an AmpMax 3400mAh one.
Looking good! Now you just need some really high end torches to go with your high end batteriesThis thread is very dangerous
How can you tell if these are genuine cree LED's/decent emitters?
And ive followed mrk's and ordered a solarforce l2 host with a u2 drop-in
Those look like Cree emitters to be sure. The manufacturing techniques that Cree use in their LEDs are fairly hard to replicate so the Chinese haven't managed to crank out fakes yet. There actually isn't much of a market for fake LEDs, weirdly enough.
They're probably going to be absolute crap if I'm honest. With the Ultrafire/Trustfire/Burn-your-house-down-fire batteries, the higher the "rated" capacity, the worse cells they usually use. The ones used in the "super" capacity cells are usually taken out of old clapped out laptop batteries and have a shiny label slapped on 'em, avoid them at all costs.
Now you just need some really high end torches to go with your high end batteries
I was sure to buy the most reliable batteries and charger for safety. I ended up with the AW 3400mah's and the Pila dual bay charger. Ive spent a lot more on the batteries and chargers than the torches themselves - safety first
I was sure to buy the most reliable batteries and charger for safety. I ended up with the AW 3400mah's and the Pila dual bay charger. Ive spent a lot more on the batteries and chargers than the torches themselves - safety first
Absolutely, I wish more people would go about it that way
Next you need to get some Foursevens and Fenix torches
New EDC torchy!
XP-G2 baby!
It's a Foursevens Quark Tactical QTA. Single AA battery (14500 Li-ion compatible), ~130 Lumens max on alkaline, more like 275 on a 14500!
The Quark Tactical has a lovely UI, it's a momentary/forward clickie, and has two mode settings, Head tight and head loose. Each position can be programmed/set to one of any of the eight modes that the light has (Moonlight, Low, Medium, High, Max, SOS, Strobe, Beacon), and after it's programmed it's totally faff free, I'm loving the UI.
The torch is the perfect size for an EDC light for me. It's small enough to snuggle up in my pocket unintrusively, but big enough that it fits in the hand well.
As in the photo, I've got it running on an Eneloop, but if that conks out when I'm out in the wild, it'll run happily on a normal alkaline without complaint.
XP-G2 baby!
It's a Foursevens Quark Tactical QTA. Single AA battery (14500 Li-ion compatible), ~130 Lumens max on alkaline, more like 275 on a 14500!
The Quark Tactical has a lovely UI, it's a momentary/forward clickie, and has two mode settings, Head tight and head loose. Each position can be programmed/set to one of any of the eight modes that the light has (Moonlight, Low, Medium, High, Max, SOS, Strobe, Beacon), and after it's programmed it's totally faff free, I'm loving the UI.
The torch is the perfect size for an EDC light for me. It's small enough to snuggle up in my pocket unintrusively, but big enough that it fits in the hand well.
As in the photo, I've got it running on an Eneloop, but if that conks out when I'm out in the wild, it'll run happily on a normal alkaline without complaint.