The ultimate torch?

[Richard Head]

fancy one of those in their Christmas stocking?

Dick

[John Rumm]

I thought that was a bit pricey, but then I noticed they include a free set of D Cells - so its not so bad after all! ;-)

[Bill]

Not to mention the free delivery of course, don't know how they manage it at the price! :-)

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Richard Head" saying something like:

See

[pete]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Not if you bought the parts from Maplin :-)

[John Whitworth]

Yeah, Maplin took up where Tandy left off! ;-)

[Bob Eager]

Any truth in the rumour that they are being taken over by that audio place, whose name I forget? .-)

[the one that charges over £1000 for a power cable...]

[george [dicegeorge]]

it's black, so it's easy to lose, maybe get two or three, stocking fillers? [g]

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Bob Eager saying something like:

Russ Andrews.

[peteshew]

Try 7dayshop Cree torches. I'm impressed by their headlight for =A35 delivered including the 3 AAAs

Pete

[Andy Dingley]

If you want a good torch these days, the trick is to buy one with a single LED, and a moulded plastic optic around it. The LED will probably be made by Cree (maybe Luxeon or Nichia). The torch might be from LED Lenser. Spending around =A325 gets you "last week's model", which is far better than last month's model for performance, but a tenth of the price of next week's model. LED Lenser's focussable model (twist head, optic moves in and out) is my favourite at the moment.

Multiple small LEDs with no optics is pound shop territory these days. OK for good illumination at close range, but there's no beam.

[Owain]

The =A320 one says "The Photon tube reflectors cause the high power diodes to shine with undreamt brightness."

It's not been the same since Doug Simmons' days.

Owani

[sm_jamieson]

Just for info:

This masterpiece is another milestone in LED Lenser company history. The LED Lenser=AE X21 will cause a sensation because it allows for a whole range of new applications in light engineering. This torch has a light output of up to 1068 lumens, thanks to the Advanced Focus System, the light cone can be adjusted dynamically.

You must have held this lamp in your hand to be able to really appreciate it. The LED Lenser=AE X21 offers a broad, circular low beam as well as a sharply focused searchlight beam. 7 ultra-bright high- performance chips and 7 terminator lenses produce a quality of light that you have never experienced before - a blazing beam that makes even car headlights look pale in comparison. This lamp=92s lighting range is already legendary. And its impressive appearance radiates power and authority.

I do not work for them ! Got some good reviews though.

Simon.

[F Murtz]

You want one of these.

[A.Lee]

Care to give a link? I'm always after a decent torch to carry in the car. Sticking with AA Maglites at the mo, but, of course, they dont light up much. Alan.

[A.Lee]

heat given off that it can cook an egg/burn paper. I got a rechargeable 12v torch form Screwfix for £20, and it lights up houses 100 metres away - it is pretty much just a car 12v halogen bulb in a reflector. Alan.

[Andy Dingley]

I'd rather not, as they tend to rot very quickly. Just search by name.

My favourite torch this week (i.e. the one I pick up and use) is the LED Lenser Police Tech Focus. 1.25W Cree LED and 105 lumens. I bought mine for =A325, for five of them in black about 6 months ago. I should have bought ten really (cheaper), as the box split around the office very easily.

LED Lenser also use good waterproof tail buttons. These are easy to handle, easy with gloves, and some of my aluminium torches have rubber grips added for winter (bike inner tube), which is easiest with a tail button.

There are a lot of 3W Crees around at the moment, and I think there's now a 3W Police Tech model too. I'm just building a few wooden ones myself (1920s Ever-Ready wooden box housings, with new optics) and as I can fit a bunch of AA in there, battery life is OK. For a compact cylindrical torch though (i.e. 3 AAAs) battery life gets shorter at

3W.

Candlepowerforums is the place for the real discussion, but those guys are pretty obsessive.

[Andy Dingley]

coffee maker. 1950s Cona vacuum balance machine, with halogen heating added, rather than the old spirit lamp.

Why would anyone make a torch with anything other than LEDs?

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember harry saying something like:

They've improved in leaps and bounds in the past couple of years. I still have an LED drop-in bulb for a torch, which is quite shit, but ok on a pitch dark night. Only reason was for battery longevity. I've just bought a couple of 5W (claimed) torch /bicycle lamps which are excellent for illumination and run off three AAAs. 6quid delivered, iirc.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember alan@darkroom.+.com (A.Lee) saying something like:

That's the kind of thing you want to stuff an HID in.