LED Torch (flashlights)

[Ben...]

thought i would share some research ive found. I was in the market for a new tourch, wanted a LED torch, but not one of those nasty 9 led things, i wanted a Q4/Q5 LED emitter. Some of those can churn out 250 lumens of light - thats pretty impressive. So i went to the local camping store, and a look around and almost fell over when they quoted me $180-300. FOR A TOURCH!

So i walked out of there tail between my legs came home and started looking around online, found a honk kong knockoff with CREE branded led emitters for $2.99. they sting you 9.95 for postage but hey... cheap. so at that price i got 4, and will wait and see what they are like. Gota love ebay.

Here is a picture sorry i think it may have some advertising on it...

[OffRoadDave]

Man that is cheap, keen to hear what your thoughts on them are when they turn up.

[Ben...]

ill be sure to post up some pictures when i get them. got 2 of another sort coming also, appear to be brighter, but only takes 1 aa battery. not sure what sort of battery life ill get, but thought id still give them a shot also. will do a comparison of the 2 onces i get them

[OffRoadDave]

Cool, looking forward to it.

[austastar]

Hi,
   LED torches are amazing stuff. I was in the camping shop browsing around when I saw one of the staff packing up what looked like a large mag light with an extra big reflector area.
Curious I asked what it was.
It was a $350 LED torch that was going back 'cause no one was interested at that price. He demonstrated the beam, by shining it to the other end of the store, maybe 30m away, but he forgot the wall was lined with mirrors.
Instant welding flash; that baby had some lumens.

I'm still happy with my year old Petzl LED head lamp, though I can't see the reason they bothered still incorporating the halogen main beam, the LEDs are far more useful.

I like the 3 brightness levels on the LEDs and find I seldom need more that the economy setting, even when walking at night.
cheers

[Ben...]

Picture of the other one ive got coming that only takes 1aa.


Ill post the ebay links if anyone is interested.

[nick 08]

I ordered 1 a couple of months back cost about $30 delivered
also got a bike mount and it has different settings such as high low
flash fast and slow about 250 lumens puts the kids next door p7 led lenzer
to shame pretty good quality for cheap chinese torch

[Ben...]

Nick - the first one of the second one?

[Adventure Guy]

Big fan of the led,s, so much better than the incandescent models, the ones showen here range from 1 to 3 watts power, very good on battery usage too, interesting to see how the great wall of china led's proform 

[Ben...]

yeah should be interesting. they are cree emitters so "should" mean they are ok, but who knows until you get them.

[Symon]

Hi,
   LED torches are amazing stuff. I was in the camping shop browsing around when I saw one of the staff packing up what looked like a large mag light with an extra big reflector area.
Curious I asked what it was.
It was a $350 LED torch that was going back 'cause no one was interested at that price. He demonstrated the beam, by shining it to the other end of the store, maybe 30m away, but he forgot the wall was lined with mirrors.
Instant welding flash; that baby had some lumens.

A friend of mine has one of those, except he paid $500 for it.  It is insanely bright, we were using it to light things up about 200m away!

[nick 08]

the first one ben

[Darcy7]

That's not a torch......

.....Now that's a torch...!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/T6-1600-Lumens-6x-CREE-Q5-LED-RCT6-Torch-Flashlight_W0QQitemZ260549102309QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Sport_Camping_Hiking_Lamps_Torches?hash=item3ca9efcae5

[Ben...]

1600 lumens, hahah holy burn your eyes out batman.

[OffRoadDave]

That's not a torch......

.....Now that's a torch...!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/T6-1600-Lumens-6x-CREE-Q5-LED-RCT6-Torch-Flashlight_W0QQitemZ260549102309QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Sport_Camping_Hiking_Lamps_Torches?hash=item3ca9efcae5

The funny thing is a torch with a single CREE led and a decent reflector would probably have better range than this. 

[BurnsOil]

Reflectors on a LED make very little difference to the light output as most of the light is already directionally straigh out the front of the LED.  What makes a difference is the Collimator Lens (optics) in determining the light focus or spread.  See the Australian company Cuttler Electronics (http://www.cutter.com.au/categories.php ) for interesting LED set ups.

[McGirr]

That's not a torch......

.....Now that's a torch...!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/T6-1600-Lumens-6x-CREE-Q5-LED-RCT6-Torch-Flashlight_W0QQitemZ260549102309QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Sport_Camping_Hiking_Lamps_Torches?hash=item3ca9efcae5

It would be interetsing if they did a deal for say 40 of them including postage. Then we can all buy one cheap.

[Snicko]

I too will be waiting to see what they end up being like. As you all say you gotta love LED lights.

Sean

[OffRoadDave]

Reflectors on a LED make very little difference to the light output as most of the light is already directionally straigh out the front of the LED.  What makes a difference is the Collimator Lens (optics) in determining the light focus or spread.  See the Australian company Cuttler Electronics (http://www.cutter.com.au/categories.php ) for interesting LED set ups.

There you go, learn something new everyday, bring on the multi-CREE torches then. 

[speewa158]

Swaggers
             I went to Anoconda  got on to a head light LED 3 settings 1, 3 & 7 settings /
runs on 3 AAA  supplied  , all this for $5 each
Had a rush of blood to the head bourt 5 units
1 for me
1 for SWOMBO
1 for the kitchen
1 as a spare
1 as another spare
the savings i spent on grog
                                             

[Snicko]

Spweewa158

thats a classic......know doubt you are set for a long time

Sean

[Kit_e_kat9]

I just picked up some LED torches from the 'book man' today.  $10 each - you shake them to recharge, so we'll see how long they last.  Batteries are those flat ones you can buy anywhere.  Put out a decent 'shine' as well.  Nothing like those $$$$ ones, but I'm not intending on putting a spotlight on the lead singer at a concert in the dark - just finding my way to loo and back without trodding on Joe Blake or his friends.

[Dion]

It would be interetsing if they did a deal for say 40 of them including postage. Then we can all buy one cheap.

www.dealextreme.com do bulk discounts.

[Darcy7]

Actually....just did a bit of extra looking and found this.

I think this would be a great torch...!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/CREE-Q5-LED-300-LM-7W-Headlamp-HeadLight-Head-Torch_W0QQitemZ280482926232QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Sport_Camping_Hiking_Lamps_Torches?hash=item414e15ce98

[TOY80ST]

I use the P7 LED LENSER. The model I have is 190 lumens (now 200) and it has a two stage switch on it. It uses 4AAA batteries. I have had it for 12 months now and use it for performing weld inspections as well as take it away camping and using it around the house. It is only on it's second set of batteries the first set lasted for over 40 hours on full power. It came with a nylon belt pouch. I paid just under $100 for it and I have found it to be worth every penny.

There is probably better out there but this one has me sold. I am saving for a X21 which uses 4 "D" size batteries and is 1050 lumens. It is near the $450.00 mark

Here is the info on the P7
http://www.zweibrueder.com/ENG/produkte/html_highperformance/html_Pserie/p7.php?id=p7