Spec me an LED Torch

R5GTT said:
I'm after a little bit of advice. I've ordered myself a Sunwayman V10R and I'm a little unsure on batteries.

It uses a single CR123A but I noticed these come in various voltages 3V and 3.7V. I presume there is no problem using either in the torch as it has a working voltage of 0.9~4.2V.??

The other thing is I can get a small extension to allow me to use a single AA battery (at around half the light output) does this mean I could use a 14500 battery with the said adapter?

Finally is there any benefit in using a 14500 over a CR123A? I'm just trying to work out what batteries/charger would be best to buy.

Thanks in advance :)
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It uses a single CR123A. all CR123A's are 3v, the 3.7v ones are actually "RCR123A" or better described as 17340 Li-Ion rechargeable cells.

The AA extender would indeed allow you to use a 14500 Li-Ion, but you wouldn't see any benefit over using a 17340, their capacities are usually identical and it would also make the light a fair amount longer.

If i had a V10R (and i hope to get a V10R-Ti soon) i would just run it on CR123A primaries for the peace of mind.
It doesn't hurt that i have a whole case of them. :D

Any other questions? :)
 
Aod said:
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Fantastic, thanks for that super quick response, very helpful! :)
Yep it is actually the Ti model I've gone for. It was about £30 more than the black alu version but looks beautiful and I couldn't resist it.

I thought the extender tube may come in handy as a backup for AA if I didn't have any CR123a to hand but I might leave that for now and just get myself a little stock of CR123A's.

First thing I will do is remove the black paint from the clip and give it a polish!
There's a guy who makes a titanium button for them to replace the rubber clicker. You may have seen them but they also mod them with Tritium which looks rather lovely :eek:

aHZOa.jpg


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^ Sexy.

Had to do some mods to my C8s today.

Firstly, I wrapped two layers of insulating tape around the batteries to get them to fit better in the tube.
Secondly, I wrapped aluminium foil around the dropins, as the head was getting very hot after only 5 minutes on max (expected).
Thirdly, I had to place some more solder on the joint between then switch and the battery negative terminal, as the connection was intermittent when riding along, meaning it kept cycling modes.
Fourthly, I tightened the switch into the body using a couple of screws.

Such are the perils of buying £8 Chinese torches!
 
Robbie G said:
^ Sexy.

Had to do some mods to my C8s today.

Such are the perils of buying £8 Chinese torches!
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I think a lot of torches make the battery chamber bigger to allow for any cells that are slightly larger than normal. Even my £60 TK12 had rattling batteries. Although not quite as bad as the Solarforce host. I put some thick paper into the battery tube instead of taping the batteries and it seems to work well.
 
My C8 has no battery movement but my L2 host does. The BC40 is so smooth at virtually everything though that it feels like a well lubed Willy (from the Simpsons :p)

Grease me up woman!

In fact I'm so impressed with JetBeam's build quality that I'm tempted to just replace the C8 and L2 with JetBeam equivalents. The material just oozes quality and the switch action is so good.
 
mrk said:
My C8 has no battery movement but my L2 host does. The BC40 is so smooth at virtually everything though that it feels like a well lubed Willy (from the Simpsons :p)

Grease me up woman!

In fact I'm so impressed with JetBeam's build quality that I'm tempted to just replace the C8 and L2 with JetBeam equivalents. The material just oozes quality and the switch action is so good.
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I might lend you one of my SureFires when i send you your C8 back so you can evaluate the SureFire magic for yourself :D

Currently in the BA lounge, this place is like a hotel...
 
Aod said:
I see. In that case, it sounds like you need batteries and a charger as well as the light?

Unfortunately there aren't any UK-based retailers that carry non "brand-name" (like 4sevens or Jetbeam) lights that also don't rip you off massively.

I highly recommend the S-mini, even though it's shipped from the US.

As far as a charger and cells go, you definitely want this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XTAR-WP2-...005?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5ae21af87d

and probably some of these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-SenyBo...rElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item45fe8b7c27

If you don't fancy the S-mini, you could try something like this;
http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/ultrafire-a10b-cree-r2-5mode-250lumen-led-flashlight-p-1747

which should be reasonably durable, but as with all cheap Chinese stuff, there's no guarantee :(
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360 lumen s-mini looks nice. Price seems reasonable enough. $35.75+ $6.75 for shipping will be around £28 assuming it doesn't get hit for tax :(.

I already have some 18650 protected cells and a charger as the other light I had used them. They've just been sitting there for a while though. Anything to do with them to see if they are still good? or just give them a charge and see if they go to 4.2V (I think that's what they were meant to be at after a full charge).

Thanks.
 
I need a little torch for use at work (checking my patients on nights), doesn't need to be hugely bright, but a wide beam would be better. Something around 10cm by 2cm (up to 14cm by 3cm) with a click button, a couple of modes (low and high), preferably takes AA batteries and is of a subtle design (simple tube is best). Cheaper is better on the budget but I am one for buying quality if it will last (I am a huge Petzl headtorch fan).

I havn't been through the whole thread but this torch seems good, though it doesn't seem to take AA batteries.

http://www.shiningbeam.com/servlet/the-208/***NEW***--ShiningBeam-S-dsh-mini/Detail

Meets the size, form factor and feature list, but not sure on the batteries. Mostly it will be used in a low mode as I don't need to light up the whole world, but on occasion it would be useful. What is the voltage protection for? Orange peel reflector? Regulation is close to a perfect flat line? Explanations please.

Is there anywhere to read up on what is currently in vogue in the torch world, the various pros and cons of each type of battery/charger/torch style? A beginners guide as it were.

Clearly at this stage I know very little so would need advice on batteries (rechargable vs not, types, etc.) chargers and obviously the torch.

Many thanks
 
Given your usage and the requirement, any of the "tube" style Cree Q5 powered torches that are under a tenner on eBay will be just fine for your needs. There are absolutely loads so just have a browse and see what you like the look of and post the link(s) here so people can say yay or nay!
 
mrk said:
In fact I'm so impressed with JetBeam's build quality that I'm tempted to just replace the C8 and L2 with JetBeam equivalents. The material just oozes quality and the switch action is so good.
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Its the same with my Fenix torches. You can see where the extra money went, especially with things like the chunky square threads that are also hard anodized, so its ultra smooth with no grinding. The threads on all my cheap torches start to grind and the silicone grease turns grey due to the aluminium grinding away lol. But you do pay a fairly large premium for the extra quality.

Even though my L2P is brighter I always grab the Fenix if I need to use it around the house or for a walk at night. The L2P comes in handy for riding as it has a good flood, but I think I may well just buy a decent branded XML torch to replace it at some point though.
 
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