Tesco 3w cree
Comments
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I've two of the Tesco AA torches mounted using jubilee clips, but it's ugly!
http://picasaweb.google.com/girv73/Tesco3WCreeLEDTorch
I could also get a couple of these from Wiggle and (probably) mod them to mount the torches with cable ties:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Cycle/7/Electron_EHP_216~217~218_Front_Light_Bracket/5360027994/
...but I'd like to take my lights with me when I leave the bike so the velcro Twofish mounts look like a good plan.
My question is: how securely do they hold the torch? My night riding will most likely just be on the roads (commuting by MTB), but I wouldn't be bothered with slippy or shaky mounts.Today is a good day to ride0 -
Twofish is very secure - absolutely no problem on the roads. Or use it on your helmet - you take that with you ?0
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Almost 20 pages on a torch!!!0
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Ooh now imagine someone had seen Lance Armstrong using this torch, going thru a red light, not wearing a helmet, and on a half Campag/half Shimano bike.
That would tick all the boxes !0 -
Surf-Matt wrote:Almost 20 pages on a torch!!!
Almost a million threads on Singletrackworld about it, much to the chagrin of the forum police
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A cut price product on SINGLETRACK?!! :shock: :shock: 0
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I found out about these torches through this forum, so thanks!
I really can't believe how good these torches are.
A few things...
Ordinary alkaline batteries have a metal jacket, which is painted to provide insulation. However, rechargeables have plastic jackets, so it's fairly random if your batteries will fit inside the torch.
I cut the plastic jacket off a set of Energizer NiMh batteries and found that the torch stays on, even without the end cap. The only insulation on the battery is at the top (positive) side: the end of the battery and the metal battery case are joined, so the battery case is also negative. As the inner part of the torch is not insulated, the exposed battery jacket completes the circuit.
To fix this, I spray painted the batteries, and this worked fine. You may not want to go to this extreme, but it will save you wasting the batteries if you've already cut off the jacket .
To mount the torches, I use a piece of old inner tube.
For each torch...
1 Cut a length of inner tube, about 3 or 4 inches long.
2. Cut a hole towards each end of the section of tube. The hole diameter should be a bit less than the diameter of the torch.
3. Slide the rear of the torch through one of the holes in the tube. Slide it up towards the front of the torch.
4. Place the torch under the handlebar
5. Pull the free end of the inner tube section over the bar, and slide it on to the rear end of the torch.
If you've done it right, you'll have a secure mount.
For added insulation against vibration, you can cut a bit more tube and make a rubber sleeve for the torch to stop it rubbing against the handlebar.
I tested it with two torches on a really rattly canal towpath and it works really well.
Here's a piccy of them on my commuting bike. I've used another bit of tubing for a sleeve. Even though I cut the holes quite small, you can see how much it's stretched. But it's all good - I'm happy and best of all the mount was free.
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Sounds a genius solution to the holder !
Er I think I have got olive oil in one of my NiMhs. Doesnt want to charge any more - I was trying to free a battery from the tesco torch. So go easy with the dressings !0 -
Just bought one of these lights from Tesco today, its bright!!! and looking around for a holder ive just found these.....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/360-Flashlight-To ... .m63.l1177 - 68p + p+p
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/360-Bike-Bicycle- ... .m63.l1177 - 48p + p+p
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bike-Light-Flashl ... .m63.l1177 - £3.10 + p+p
Not sure if the 68p one clamps down tights enough, anyone got one of these?Cycling never gets any easier, you just go faster - Greg LeMond0 -
moggy82 wrote:Went out last night with my mate using a AA on his head and im not that impressed, i thought it would be much better, i was using a hope vision 1 and a MC-E on my head. First itme i used the light on my head and as a combo its brilliant, just on its own it would be brilliant. So rather than buying 3 tesco lights put the extra £10-15 and get one of these off DX.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16501
Works out about £40-45 with batteries and charger.
A p7 combined with the mc-e would be a great combo, cree's tend to be a spot and seoul more a flood lamp though i get along great with my q5 for a helmet light.
Also never ever cut off the jacket on a battery, it's there to stop it shorting out on the casing, how to you think they keep potitive and negative seperate.
You may end up with your batteries blowing up, you have been warned.
Also the first and second clamp are poor quality and fall apart and the third clamp has a tendency to be the wrong size or it doesn't hold the lamp securely, and fenix clamps just plain rattle.
Best method is two jubilee clips and a bit of inner tube.The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.
Giant Anthem X0 -
Innes posted this link earlier:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=29580
Listen to him, these are perfect. Obviously they don't secure the torch, I used the trusty jubilee clip for a 100% solid mount but cable ties, velcro, tape, etc would all work. I'll try and post some pics of the final results, but I'm really pleased with it. I'd used 2 jubilee clips, which is probably stronger (and fairly thiefproof) but obviously harder to remove- and every time I looked at the torches sat on the bars I think "It would hurt to groin myself on those" and so it's nice to be able to take them off
The mounting's more solid than my cateyes- which is good, since these do need to be aimed rightUncompromising extremist0 -
Have just spent a frustrating evening trying to locate a rattle in my modded cree and after much head scratching have found it is the Ni-Mhs being slightly too small
I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.0 -
One of my torches has gone faulty, it is a good job I didn't alter the inside both of them. Off to Tesco to get a replacement with that one I think.
Innes0 -
Innes wrote:One of my torches has gone faulty, it is a good job I didn't alter the inside both of them. Off to Tesco to get a replacement with that one I think.
Innes
I've kept the bits I've removed from my 2nd cree just in case. TBH the CS staff at Tesco wouldn't know any difference between modded and unmodded if you put the removed parts back in.I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.0 -
Innes posted this link earlier:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=29580
Listen to him, these are perfect.
As long as you aren't running oversize bars :oops: .It's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission.
I've bought a new bike....ouch - result
Can I buy a new bike?...No - no result0 -
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first night out on 3 of these tonight, 1 on helmet 2 on bars 1 with the lens removed for better spread.
light is very good but was easily outperformed in spread and power by the proper bar mounted light sets the other guys had just found the beams didn't carry as far with the bar mounted tesco's. the one on the helmet seemed really good until i was in the mist and drizzle and the amount of glare? was unbelievable it was better to turn it off a lot of the time. not the torches fault more position and conditions i think i'll need to try the setup on better known trails in better conditions.
you get just under 2 hours out of a set of bat's didn't notice any difference between duracells and tesco supplied brands.
lights good enough for more open trails but struggled in fast/techy sections. all in all deffo worth 30bucks some jubilee clips, some inner tube, some velcro ties and some fettling but i'll say if you plan to go out at night regular or use more techy + faster trails a proper system seems the way to go.0 -
Has anyone tried turning the collimator over on therir c cell torch yet? It makes the beam much broader but has a little bright centre0
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moggy82 wrote:Has anyone tried turning the collimator over on therir c cell torch yet? It makes the beam much broader but has a little bright centre
how do you do this?
(what is a collimator :? )0 -
a couple of hours later and two of my AA's have been modded for sticking on my helmet.
took them to pieces, took the clicky switch out to give the cable somewhere to go, takes 2mins with a couple of small drill bits to remove the locking ring.
epoxied the switch end straight into the head bit, they fit together shockingly well.
removed spring from led units, soldered on a length of 2mm speaker cable(neater cos the two strands are already connected along the length)
ran cable through outer case, tied a knot to make a stop. epoxied the bottom where the cable comes out and reassembled.
very happy with the outcome just deciding what kind of switches to put on, how to attach the two units together and then to my helmet and what to do with the battery holders. prob mod a small tuperwear thingy for the bats at least not too sure about anything else.
tried adding pics but not working. Ar$e
found that the led units in some of the torches can move about a little bit. the O ring around the outside of the head bit fits really well around the bottom of the led unit and stops the shoogle.0 -
I've just got one of these too, talk about jumping on the bandwagon.
I must say it's far brighter than I thought it was going to be and the beam goes a fair way even with the standard Tesco batteries.
However, I think the beam is far too narrow to use on it's own. Luckily I've used my camera mount to attach it to my helmet and will use the torch in unisonwith my bar mounted Lumicycle lights. Should make a cracking combo!0 -
To flip the collimator remove the very front section of the torch and look inside at the reflector, you see a white screwed retainer remove this using a tiny allen key or a T7 screwdriver etc flip the collimator and refit.
Old beam spread
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this may seem a silly question. I have 2 of the AA versions and cant find an on/off switch so how do you switch on and offWhy use brakes? Falling off is a much quicker way to stop0
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At the end where it says Tesco by where the wriststrap attaches. There is a plastic tab between the batteries and the switch, just unscrew the switch end and pull the tab out.
HTH.I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.0 -
They're at the bottom of the torch. But the torch should have a plastic disc inside which stops it from working, you need to remove it (it's in the battery compartment). Stops people from turning them on in the shop and killing the batteries.Uncompromising extremist0
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anyone come up with a clever way to attach one of these to a helmet with a velcro strap or similar ?
I use a cycling helmet with lots of vents, so I was hoping to just loop some velcro round to attach, but not sure how secure that would be.0 -
boondog wrote:anyone come up with a clever way to attach one of these to a helmet with a velcro strap or similar ?
I use a cycling helmet with lots of vents, so I was hoping to just loop some velcro round to attach, but not sure how secure that would be.
I think it would work and if you added some old inner tube a round it before the velcro, that should stop it from moving.
well thats my thinking and hope it helps
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I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.0
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Yeah, I bought a couple last week, but I just ordered another and they were out. Back to the jubilee clips for YOU!Uncompromising extremist0
