Good cheap front light?

alfablue

tarpaullynn wrote:

Just received 2 of these Ulltrafire lights from Deal Extreme, ordered the single mode ones and they've sent me the 5 mode ones by mistake.

I have to say that I'm well impressed with them. They'll be getting used on the bike, for camping and when out walking in the hills.

Have also bought two lockblock bike fittings and couple of headbands that allow the torches to be used as head torches from Glowgadgets.co.uk, who incidentally sell the Fenix lights as well, slightly cheaper than the other shop mentioned earlier in the thread.

Well done Tarp, I reckon the 5 mode will be more versatile for general use, especially on a headband. Shame Dealextreme are slightly hit and miss, still the prices are superb.

I like Glowgadgets very much, but on price I found Photonshop slightly cheaper as the post is included in the price.

I must check out the head bands, are they any good? Can you position the light at the best angle?

tarpaullynn

alfablue wrote:

tarpaullynn wrote:

Just received 2 of these Ulltrafire lights from Deal Extreme, ordered the single mode ones and they've sent me the 5 mode ones by mistake.

I have to say that I'm well impressed with them. They'll be getting used on the bike, for camping and when out walking in the hills.

Have also bought two lockblock bike fittings and couple of headbands that allow the torches to be used as head torches from Glowgadgets.co.uk, who incidentally sell the Fenix lights as well, slightly cheaper than the other shop mentioned earlier in the thread.

Well done Tarp, I reckon the 5 mode will be more versatile for general use, especially on a headband. Shame Dealextreme are slightly hit and miss, still the prices are superb.

cheI like Glowgadgets very much, but on price I found Photonshop slightly cheaper as the post is included in the price.

I must check out the head bands, are they any good? Can you position the light at the best angle?

Agree about Deal extreme, like to think I'm honest but the time I've waited for them I'm not contacting them about their error.

When I said Glowgadgets were cheaper I hadn't actually checked the Fenix torches :oops: but the Twofish lock blocks are cheaper..........I think, didn't take postage into consideration so that could be another :oops: for me but I can't be arsed to look.

As for headbands, I haven't actually received them yet so can't comment on how good they are, light position is fixed but I suppose you could angle band up and down slightly.

lateralus

tarpaullynn wrote:

Just received 2 of these Ulltrafire lights from Deal Extreme, ordered the single mode ones and they've sent me the 5 mode ones by mistake.
.

Snap! Inspired by this thread, I ordered one as well, but it's the 5 mode. Seems bright enough (haven't tried it on the bike yet) but the number of modes is a bit annoying as I'm only interested in the brightest one! :evil:

still, looking forward to trying it out on the bike. From a brief test in a darkened room, it looks impressive.

ademort

Hi have just bought a Fenix T1 tactical torch, supposed to be the brightest of them all. Will write a report when its been tested. regards Ademort

tarpaullynn

Well my Ultrafires are very bright, can even see my fence lying in next doors garden from our upstairs back bedroom window.....................bloody wind

alfablue

ademort wrote:

Hi have just bought a Fenix T1 tactical torch, supposed to be the brightest of them all. Will write a report when its been tested. regards Ademort

That is the dogs' Ademort, just wish I could justify one myself

ademort

Hi ALFABLUE, i JUST HOPE IT,S HALF AS GOOD AS THEY ARE SAYING. BOUGHT IT OFF EBAY CHEAP WITH THE SWIVEL BAR HOLDER AND A BATTERY CHARGER WITH 4 EXTRA RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES FOR JUST $100. ITS COMING FROM HONG KONG AND CANNOT GET HERE QUICK ENOUGH FOR ME. WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED GREETINGS ADEMORT[/quote]

alfablue

Hi Ademort, (you had an uncharacteristic caps lock moment I see ), was that a Fenix L2D CE? If so you shouldn't be disappointed. Or a T1. The swivel mount rattles, I fixed mine with ptfe tape, and its okay, though LockBlocks are better IMHO. Hope you like it!!!

ademort

Hi ALPHABLUE, i,ve ordered the T1 and hope it arrives soon. Thanks for the tip about the swivel mount, will check it out, greetings ademort

alfablue

I think the T1 is rated as the brightest light available in that size (of any brand).

I bought my Fenix swivel mount from the Photonshop, when I got it I found there was too much play between the two halves, I told the photonshop and he sent me a lockblock free of charge (great service! He said he had received other feedback to that effect so has stopped selling them), but several turns of ptfe tape between the two parts solved the problem (string would probably do also). It is more secure than the Lockblock, which can swivel when hitting bumps, especialy if the light isn't balanced well, but sticking some inner tube on the bar solved that, and the Lockblock is quicker to use. I think that given the T1 is heavier than the lights I have, the Fenix mount is probably the better bet.

ademort

Just hope it arrives soon, my commute is 16Km each way and probably 25Km is on farmers roads with no street lighting. Irecently purchased a set of Electron 5+10 watt lights and they were not bad at first, when you consider the price, but after about 20 charges the battery died on me and the replacement went the same way. If the Fenix T1 is half as good as they say i will be delighted. greetings Ademort

alfablue

ademort wrote:

Just hope it arrives soon, my commute is 16Km each way and probably 25Km is on farmers roads with no street lighting. Irecently purchased a set of Electron 5+10 watt lights and they were not bad at first, when you consider the price, but after about 20 charges the battery died on me and the replacement went the same way. If the Fenix T1 is half as good as they say i will be delighted. greetings Ademort

Not wishing to spoil things, but have you checked out the run times? I may be wrong but I believe the run time (1.5 hours on highest mode) are based on non-rechargable CR123A cells, whilst rechargeable ones offer less mah, and shorter run times. Coneversely, with AA's, alkalines offer less run time than NiMH in these applications so I can get 2+hours on turbo with my L2D CE, and 4.5 hours on high.

I hope I am wrong on this, hope so....

ademort

Yes have checked the run times, when i bought the light i also purchased a battery charger with 4×1000mAh rechargeable batteries, the whole thing light ,swivel holder and charger and batteries for $100 cannot beat that price?For my commute i need only ¾hour light at most, so run times are no problem. Charging is complete in 3to4 hours, the more bling the better,can,t wait

alfablue

ademort wrote:

Yes have checked the run times, when i bought the light i also purchased a battery charger with 4×1000mAh rechargeable batteries, the whole thing light ,swivel holder and charger and batteries for $100 cannot beat that price?For my commute i need only ¾hour light at most, so run times are no problem. Charging is complete in 3to4 hours, the more bling the better,can,t wait

That's good news Ademort - let there be light!

ademort

My new Fenix T1 arrived yesterday and this morning i had the chance to see just what it can do. In short AMAZING, this light is so good i would recommend it to any cyclist. An incredible experience cycling on pitch black roads and seeing this incredible super-white beam in front of you, Yes it is the dogs bo##ocks and yes it,s worth every penny. Greetings Ademort

alfablue

Hey! Pleased you are impresses Ademort! I thought my L2D CE was amazing, but this is probably in another league.

I really really want one now, but I don't need one....I'll have to think hard and find some reason why I must have one!

Does if fit okay in the bike mount? (Its fatter than my L2D CE), and did you find the mount rattly like I did?

lateralus

Alfablue, just wanted to say thanks for making me aware of the Ultrafire C3. It was a long time coming (unknowingly ordered it just before the Chinese New Year holiday so DealExtreme took a while to get it to me), but it's now mounted on my bars with a Lockblock. The Smart lights are in the shed. The Ultrafire is shockingly bright for something that takes 2xAA and weighs 128g including the mount! Runtime is better than the Smarts as well. Pretty good beam pattern for commuter riding. The only thing I'm missing is a little bit of the throw the 10w Smart spot gives, but at that price I might just get another Ultrafire. Wonder if they do one with a smooth reflector?

geocycle

lateralus wrote:

Pretty good beam pattern for commuter riding. The only thing I'm missing is a little bit of the throw the 10w Smart spot gives, but at that price I might just get another Ultrafire. Wonder if they do one with a smooth reflector?

The Fenix I have is fantastic for seeing with and the reports you give of these ultrafires sound similar. My only concern for commuting is the almost total lack of side vision from my Fenix. Am I worrying unecessarily or is there any way around this problem -other than using another lamp?

alfablue

Hey you're welcome Lateralus! You have saved probably a kilo in weight too! (much easier than diet and exercise).

Thing is with Ultrafire / Dealextreme, I gather there is a fair amount of variation in the products supplied as they use a variety of manufacturers, so it is quite possible you would get a smooth reflector just by luck. However, I reckon the reflector probably needs to be orange peeled because it is a very narrow reflector and a smooth reflector may give just too little spread and probably it would be likely to have noticeable rings in the beam.

I reckon you would be happy with two C3's though, maybe with one pointed slightly further along the path, and what incredible performance for under £30 for the two!!!

If you want to spend more money (about £37) then a Fenix L2D CE Q5 would give a worthwhile performance boost over a second C3 (almost double the run time, noticeably brighter, more throw, very similar design though the reflector is a couple of mm wider, better modes and interface, better build quality), and these are available with the option of smooth or orange peel. Of course this is starting to get expensive, but the combo of a C3 and a Fenix for about £55 with the two mounts would outperform anything up to maybe £130+. This is the combo I have. My Dinotte is now unused.

Of course, you could go the whole 9 yards and get the ultimate, the Fenix T1 Ademort has (but getting pricey as you need a new charger and batteries). I believe the T1 would only be outperformed by an expensive HID light.

alfablue

geocycle wrote:

lateralus wrote:

Pretty good beam pattern for commuter riding. The only thing I'm missing is a little bit of the throw the 10w Smart spot gives, but at that price I might just get another Ultrafire. Wonder if they do one with a smooth reflector?

The Fenix I have is fantastic for seeing with and the reports you give of these ultrafires sound similar. My only concern for commuting is the almost total lack of side vision from my Fenix. Am I worrying unecessarily or is there any way around this problem -other than using another lamp?

I think this is a valid point, could perhaps be solved with a very cheap additional light, maybe one that also has BS approval (if you're lucky), and / or good hi-viz/reflective jacket. Alternatively, tyres with reflective sidewalls (like my Schwalbe Marathons) are I believe far more noticeable than any light would be from the side - obviously you would be extremely limited with tyre choice, and I only use my Marathons for touring, usually I run narrow slicks for commuting.

Maybe one of these lights (£2.99 delivered from CRC)

lateralus

alfablue wrote:

If you want to spend more money (about £37) then a Fenix L2D CE Q5 would give a worthwhile performance boost over a second C3 (almost double the run time, noticeably brighter, more throw, very similar design though the reflector is a couple of mm wider, better modes and interface, better build quality), and these are available with the option of smooth or orange peel.

that sounds like a good option. To put it in context, it's about the same cost as the Electron 10 +5 watt halogen setup which I looked at as a smart replacement, but was put off by the numerous reviews saying it's flimsy and unreliable. The thing I like about the torch solution (other than the weight!) is that even the cheapie Ultrafire is far better built than any specialist bike light I've ever owned.

Interested to hear that the Fenix is a noticeable step up, and I'll probably get one of those, unless ambition gets the better of me - I'm now sorely tempted, having seen a single Cree light in action, to try to build a 2x Cree light with a boost driver running off 4 AA. With a spot optic and an elliptical, it should give both throw and flood, and next to the Ultrafire, would be awesome on the road and the towpath! However, given my mechanicial ineptitude, the Fenix might be a safer bet....

alfablue

Watch out Lateralus, once you see the perfornance of these lights, they start to become addictive!

alfablue

Re: Fenix L2D CE Q5 being a step up from the C3, here is the beamshot I put earlier in this thread:



You can see the Fenix is brighter, but it also has an even brighter mode than shown here (turbo), so it is capable of being significantly brighter. Run times are about 4.5 hours on High, about 2 to 2.5 hours on Turbo. It also has both a brighter hotspot and slightly wider spill (my Fenix has a smooth reflector, orange peel should give wider spill, smoother transition between hotspot and spill, but slighlty less bright hot spot and less throw).

lateralus

Hotspot. That's the word I was looking for. I need a brighter hotspot.

From your photo, it looks like the Fenix would be ideal (doubly impressed that that isn't even on turbo). Given the same emitter and batteries as the Ultrafire, the Fenix driver must be considerably more efficient.

You're right about the addiction. I was all set just to buy another torch, though, but I'd asked my neighbour, who is a professional model maker, a while ago if he had a soldering iron I could borrow. Having decided buying torches was just easier, he is now egging me on to go ahead and build a light. Fine as long as a soldering tutorial is involved!

If I go with the Fenix, will post some beamshots. If I build the light, will post about that too.

I'll try to dig out my old light meter over the weekend and do a more scientific comparison of the output of Ultrafire v 10 watt halogen.

Might need to buy an anorak soon

alfablue

Hi Lateralus

Just to note, my Ultrafire C3 is the 5 mode version, which does not have the Q5 emitter (I chose it for versatility and run time over sheer output). If you have the single mode version, that should be the Q5, and should therefore be closer to the Fenix in output (though I have no idea how close, and no idea about beam quality), but even if the same on output, the Fenix should outperform the run time by quite a margin.

Good luck with the build if you go ahead - if you search this forum, and more importantly, candlepowerforums you should be able to find numerous builds that might give you useful hints on materials, components, design and build methods (candlepowerforums has a specific bike subforum).

In respect of comparing outputs with Halogens, I think the colour temperature of LED's may give a perceived better output and illumination than Halogens, even though the output differences may be less significant. Some prefer the more yellow light from halogens as it is supposed to offer more contrast and detail, rather than the rather flat effect of LED's. Of course LED's always win hands down in terms of battery weight for a given output, or runtime for gven output/battery weight.

lateralus

Well, I ordered the single mode, but they sent me the 5 mode. I guess that's a P4 then.

I've discovered candlepower forums - great resource, but am now suffering from information overload :?

I agree about the colour - one of the things I like about LEDs is the high colour temperature. I've always noticed how those Xenon (i think) headlamps on Mercedes and BMWs with the bluish colour cast really stand out from "normal" headlights, and I reckon that a very white or bluish white light has more impact than a more yellowish tint and helps to stand out from the clutter of lights when commuting in traffic. Not as aesthetically pleasing, but my primary aim is to have headlights that even the blindest and most stupid driver is going to have difficulty missing :twisted:

ademort

alfablue wrote:

Hey! Pleased you are impresses Ademort! I thought my L2D CE was amazing, but this is probably in another league.

I really really want one now, but I don't need one....I'll have to think hard and find some reason why I must have one!

Does if fit okay in the bike mount? (Its fatter than my L2D CE), and did you find the mount rattly like I did?[/quote
Hi alphablue, the swivel lock does fit the fenixT1, and it did rattle, however i fixed it by putting a cable tie round the light and the stem and just pulling it tight. On my commute i have to travel through a small village which has a road surface like the Paris-Roubaix course and the light made such a bloody noise i felt that i had to do something about it very quickly. Back to the light it really is staggering and lights up my pitchblack roads like nothing i,ve ever seen before.Somebody mentioned the Electron 5+10 watt, well i had a set , had to send them back because the battery would not hold a charge. They do not compare to the Fenix for performance.To keep my lights legal i have a normal basta comet on the front aswell, so should i have an accident there can be no moaning about my lights being illegal. Greetings Ademort