Spec me an LED Torch

Just arrived
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The EA11 is a lot brighter than my old Fenix L1T!

Don't have a light meter or anything, but figures from my Note 4 and GPS Status measured at approx. 0.5m

Tube ~ 280 LUX
L1T ~ 3700 LUX (NiMH)
EA11 ~20000 LUX (14500)
Fenix PD35 ~22000 LUX (18650)
Fenix TK22 ~ 38000 LUX (18650)
 
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Have had a Nitecore EA41 for a few months now off the back of this thread, great torch and fits in well with my stash of AA eneloops.

Was going to get a torch as a gift but I think the recipient would prefer a direct replacement for their current torch (old school energiser branded, non LED POS) which sits in a charging cradle, rather than messing with swapping out batteries to charge.

Does anyone have any recommendation for a rechargeable torch that comes with some sort of cradle? Will just be used around the house/garden/garage mainly <£50 ideally

This LED Lenser was mentioned earlier in the thread, but also various mentions of the brand being a bit overpriced so wondering if I'm missing out on something that represents better value.

Thanks!
 
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Aod said:
If they bounced back after being put in the charger then their protection circuits were definitely tripped. I suspect something in the battery cage is causing them to short. Take it out and have a good look over it.
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I dismantled the battery cage and cleaned it all up. Also cleaned the threads and contacts etc on the head and body. Put it all back together and touch wood it seems to be working again :).

Still not sure why there was a burning smell and it's certainly not a torch i would be able to rely on, but glad it isn't bricked!

Also glad i have protected cells as i assume it would have been a worse situation if they wern't :eek:.
 
Anyone ever buy one of those Boruit headlamps from eBay?

I'm still looking for a headlamp, max £40, after deciding the Zebralight was just too much dosh, and wanted a better runtime than a single 18650 would provide.

Preferably with the cree XM-L2 LEDs (those are the bestest right now, huh?)
 
Can anyone recommend a torch with a decent flood, preferably a Chinese make (as it will be cheaper out here)? Probably in the range £40 to £60.

I've been using an Ultrafire C8 for several years now. It doesn't seem as bright as it once was, and it's too beamy - I need something to look into ballast tanks of ships so reach isn't so important.
 
Im looking for a torch for my bike as i want to start riding it at night and for walking the dogs in the dark and other things.

would like one that takes 18350/500/650 batteries as i already have a charger for that. I also have a spare 18650 batteries floating about from vaping.

maximum £30 pound for the torch any suggestions?
 
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Just playing around with a 100W LED and a old Intel CPU cooler, it's ~9000 lumens :eek:

I'm going to put it in a more robust and permanent case now I've tested it :)

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Aod said:
The Convoy is better, the build quality is much higher, and because it's an "integrated" light (The LED module comes out on the 501b), the heatsinking is better which is important for long-duration use like on a bicycle.

This Convoy; https://www.fasttech.com/products/1601/10002364/1195010
Should put out about 800 lumens of actual light, while the Ultrafire will do about 500.

This Convoy; https://www.fasttech.com/products/1601/10002364/1826604
Will put out about 1000 lumens.

1000 Lumens is about equivalent to a 75 watt conventional bulb, which should do very nicely for cycling. You could also run it at medium brightness (40%, about 450 Lumens) for extended runtimes.

<edit> they all use Cree brand LEDs, but Cree don't make torches, just the LED emitters themselves.
I saw that the Ultrafire comes with a battery and charger, but I cannot in good conscience say that the UltraFire batteries or chargers are acceptable. They use "recycled" cells that come straight out of old laptops or other devices, some of them don't even make 10% of their "labelled" capacity, and fires or other catastrophic failures are not uncommon.
Click to expand...

I ordered one of these and I must say it is excellent. Build quality is rock solid and a good beam.
 
Col_M said:
Just playing around with a 100W LED and a old Intel CPU cooler, it's ~9000 lumens :eek:

I'm going to put it in a more robust and permanent case now I've tested it :)

6NACCVn.jpg
Click to expand...

That is awesome. I didn't even know 100W LEDs existed!

Damn, I want to make one now :D
 
abbotsmike said:
Lol that's ludicrous. One of those big COB LED's I guess? What are you powering it with? Making a genuine 100W into it?
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To be honest, I haven't measured the current yet, but I'm certain it isn't running at maximum brightness.

It's currently being powered by a cheap ebay voltage booster like this - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-150W-A...5V-Step-Up-Voltage-Power-Module-/391044752344 that is attached to a 3S lipo.

I'm running the LED at ~30V to keep the current down as otherwise increasing the voltage much past that will cause the current to rise massively and burn out the LED.

To remedy this and get it running at full brightness I've got an adjustable voltage and current regulator so I can run it at the full 35V and limit the current to 3A.
Like this one - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100W-DC-D...767?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4ae480697f
Notice the two trimmers to control current and voltage as opposed to the one voltage adjustment on the previous one.

Even though it's currently not running at full power it's incredibly bright, I caught a glimpse of it out the corner of my eye and I had a blob in my vision for 5 minutes.
The best thing I can equate it to is a camera flash gun but constant :D

Once I've got it into something more permanent and running at full power I'll take some photos and maybe a video.

It's stupidly cheap to make too, mostly from bits from ebay
LED - £3
Voltage booster with current limiter - £4.50
Lens - £2

I already had the Lipo, CPU cooler and silicone wire so it cost me about a tenner :)
 
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After doing a bit of Googling, it seems the XHP70 Cree LEDs can put out 4000 lumens or so on 32W, at 6 or 12V. Would love to make something like that into a headlamp. Do any of you guys have experience modding headlamps, or building your own?
 
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