LED Flashlights.. CREE, Xenon and Luxeon, oh my!

[Brick]

Originally Posted by MagyaR

Tempted in the 4 x charger, wonder if that's the version two on that lightmalls site.

I got mine the other day, it's the version 2 and they put an Australian cable into the box (as in the box had been opened for the cable to be put in in place of what ever one is supplied normally (I assume they don't have boxes with all different countries plugs sitting about), it doesn't bother me at all though) without me saying anything to them, very convenient and delivery didn't take too long either.

[toopy28]

Originally Posted by Brick

I got mine the other day, it's the version 2 and they put an Australian cable into the box (as in the box had been opened for the cable to be put in in place of what ever one is supplied normally (I assume they don't have boxes with all different countries plugs sitting about), it doesn't bother me at all though) without me saying anything to them, very convenient and delivery didn't take too long either.

might be a stupid question, but does it charge protected cells?

[LARRY314]

i wanted to buy some 3.7V Lion batteries plus charger
(same size as normal AA batts, but higher voltage)
like these http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfi...s-2-pack-26124
but i dont want to get from DX as they are now too slow

any reliable (fast sellers ?) people here has used ?

[Brick]

Originally Posted by toopy28

might be a stupid question, but does it charge protected cells?

Charged my protected RCR123's fine

Originally Posted by LARRY314

i wanted to buy some 3.7V Lion batteries plus charger
(same size as normal AA batts, but higher voltage)
like these http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfi...s-2-pack-26124
but i dont want to get from DX as they are now too slow

any reliable (fast sellers ?) people here has used ?

I've only used them the once but I found lightmalls fine, ordered on a thursday and it the packaged arrived on a wednesday (using the free shipping the provide on orders over whatever amount)

[Andres]

Wife, our respective brothers and myself are signed up to do the Oxfam Trailwalker - 100km walk. This is going to involve walking trails throughout the night - definitely needing a decent headlamp.

I currently have a LED Lenser H7 headlamp which certainly puts out a lot of light and is focusable, however thinking that the 3xAAA batteries aren't the best source of power. From memory, it will start to dim after an hour on full power - which for 10-ish hours of walking in the dark, isn't ideal.

Needs to be bright, lightweight, floody, water proof, comfortable and with decent battery tech (i.e. Li-ions).

I'm thinking a Zebralight with 18650 li-ions may be a winner. I've got a fair few 18650s, and could get more easily enough.

Any alternative suggestions? Positive / negative experience with the Zebralights?

[dualmassager]

Originally Posted by Andres

Wife, our respective brothers and myself are signed up to do the Oxfam Trailwalker - 100km walk. This is going to involve walking trails throughout the night - definitely needing a decent headlamp.

I currently have a LED Lenser H7 headlamp which certainly puts out a lot of light and is focusable, however thinking that the 3xAAA batteries aren't the best source of power. From memory, it will start to dim after an hour on full power - which for 10-ish hours of walking in the dark, isn't ideal.

Needs to be bright, lightweight, floody, water proof, comfortable and with decent battery tech (i.e. Li-ions).

I'm thinking a Zebralight with 18650 li-ions may be a winner. I've got a fair few 18650s, and could get more easily enough.

Any alternative suggestions? Positive / negative experience with the Zebralights?

A headlamp housing a 18650 cell might be a bit too bulky.
You're probably better off with a CR123/16340 headlamp and switching out batteries as needed. Lighter weight on your head as well as smaller batteries (just chuck a few in your pocket, and you should be good to go).

Depending on how bright you need the light (if you only need comparable to the H7- ie. ~200 lm), you're probably best off with a Cree XM-L based light. Better efficiency for your normal lighting duties (200 lumens) while having the capability of very bright light (with the right driver, up to 1300 lumens).

If you don't mind 18650 though, something like this looks good for your purpose:
https://www.ledtorchshop.com.au/prod...lood-headlamp-

3.5 hours at 220 lm sounds pretty good. 3 battery changes of only single 18650 cells sounds easy enough while hiking compared to 3xAAA being changed out 8-10 times.

If you're feeling lucky, you could try one of the cheapo ones like this:
http://www.lightmalls.com/new-1400-l...harger-2x18650

I can tell you right now that this will be much brighter than most brand name headlamps that cost 5 times as much. However, it probably isn't as "bet your life reliable" as others. For your purposes, I would rather get a brand name light, but the cheapo lights are far more economical. And if one fails, you can always carry a small, reliable flashlight.

[Trevor_S]

Originally Posted by Andres

Needs to be bright, lightweight, floody, water proof, comfortable and with decent battery tech (i.e. Li-ions).

Any alternative suggestions?

http://www.ayup-lights.com/products/130/

[Brick]

Originally Posted by Andres

I currently have a LED Lenser H7 headlamp which certainly puts out a lot of light and is focusable, however thinking that the 3xAAA batteries aren't the best source of power. From memory, it will start to dim after an hour on full power - which for 10-ish hours of walking in the dark, isn't ideal.
\

Are you using alkalines or rechargables? Could be worth trying some NiMH cells (Eneloops ) as the light won't dim till almost flat, when it will drop rather suddenly (rather similar to how regulated torches operate). If it's really a matter of more run time you're after then 18650's probably would be the way to go though. I've only heard good things about Zebralight and the put out some of the most efficient lights on the market. The H502 looks like an interesting option, might not have the sheer run time but has the advantage of only using a single AA battery...

[Rod911]

Originally Posted by Andres

Any alternative suggestions? Positive / negative experience with the Zebralights?

Highly recommended. I have yet to replace my lost H501w, but definitely still looking at getting their H51c and their new H502d. I have a crap load of AA batteries (rebadged eneloops) so that's why I lean towards AA powered lights. Considering you will be using the headlamp outdoors, I do suggest looking at a neutral/warm tint or high CRI tint so you can see rocks, puddles and what not much easier. I have several lights that run the gamut of the temperature spectrum, but I always tend to go to my neutral or high CRI tinted lights for better colour reproduction.

Zebralight's H600 series of headlamps can be quite tight when using protected 18650 cells (their website quotes a 67mm maximum allowable length). A lot of the cheap 18650 protected cells can be longer than that. But if you already have 18650 cells, measure them before thinking about getting a H600[x].

[MagyaR]

Hrmm, lightmalls is slack, took nearly a week after payment to ship, been just over 2 weeks just to send out a charger.

* finally got it..

That Nitecore tm11 looks ok, little stumpy, 2000 lumens, $250+ is a bit rich though.

[dualmassager]

Originally Posted by MagyaR

Hrmm, lightmalls is slack, took nearly a week after payment to ship, been just over 2 weeks just to send out a charger.

* finally got it..

That Nitecore tm11 looks ok, little stumpy, 2000 lumens, $250+ is a bit rich though.

That's odd. When I ordered my stuff (a few months ago), it was pretty much the next day processed and shipped, then another week to arrive.

[Rod911]

With a two week turn around, found the H502c and H51c delivered once I got home today. Fit, finish and quality of the two lights were just great. Usually with a new light, I would clean the threads with alcohol and proceeded to lube them up. The main reason for this was there is usually some dirt or grime left in the threads during the manufacturing process. Didn't find any of that here, but I did feel the need to lube the o-rings a little bit more.

The H502c is a great replacement for my lost H501w, with a nothing but flood beam profile. Yes it is wider than the H501w (120^o vs 80^o) but I like that. With the H51c, its beam profile is similar to your typical LED torch, with a hot-spot and usable spill. Perfect for use when looking at things in a distance without using your hands.

As for colour reproduction (chose the "c" models which represents a high CRI of a typical 85), I honestly do not see much difference compared to my other neutral lights (ie. 4000K to 4500K range). However, I still like its tint as neutral is my preferred tint colour.

[sml_nail]

Was after a portable aa or aaa flashlight that was reasonably bright and had a decent throw for vehicle inspections at night time so I ended up buying a Trustfire R5-A3. It seems to get a few decent reviews from the short amount of research I did.

Probably wont be as good as the Fenix LD01 but hopefully at less than half the price it will still fit the bill.

[Blinky]

Originally Posted by sml_nail

I ended up buying a Trustfire R5-A3. It seems to get a few decent reviews from the short amount of research I did.

Is it really going to do 320 lumen ?
If it does, I'd get one.

[borked]

Originally Posted by Andres

Wife, our respective brothers and myself are signed up to do the Oxfam Trailwalker - 100km walk. This is going to involve walking trails throughout the night - definitely needing a decent headlamp.

I currently have a LED Lenser H7 headlamp which certainly puts out a lot of light and is focusable, however thinking that the 3xAAA batteries aren't the best source of power. From memory, it will start to dim after an hour on full power - which for 10-ish hours of walking in the dark, isn't ideal.

Needs to be bright, lightweight, floody, water proof, comfortable and with decent battery tech (i.e. Li-ions).

I'm thinking a Zebralight with 18650 li-ions may be a winner. I've got a fair few 18650s, and could get more easily enough.

Any alternative suggestions? Positive / negative experience with the Zebralights?

Please Andres, BUY ME