Tesco 3w cree

redvee

Come early next week I'll have two lockblocks for sale. Going over to lamp brackets and zipties when CRC send them to me. If you want them PM me, looking for £8 all in.

redvee

redvee wrote:

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

It isn't the batteries, it is in the switch housing. Put some silicon sealant and hoping that cures the rattle but don't think it will.

RSV_Ecosse

In answer to someone earlier a few pages back asking about the "68p" 360 degree bike torch mounts, the ones from China if I recall correctly - No they don't close far enough down to securely hold the AA.

Well, thats a bit of a white lie, they do - but only if you wrap the torch body with a thickish bit of inner tube.

They are actually quite nifty little torch holders, although quite wide and bulky at the base ( suppose that has to come with the 360 ability though ) so if you have other things on your bars, they might not be the best option for a dual ( one on each bar - doh!! ) set up if you like plenty of space to stretch the palms of yer hands on a run when you change position from the hoods.

I've got a nice little setup on my bike just now, I forgot to get pics of it this afternoon though and I'm not going back out to the shed tonight....lol.

I got a BLT Space Shuttle mounted on the left bar :-



On the bottom of the BLT mount, I've got an Edinburgh Bike Co-op Revolution front LED 1W light :-



On the top of the BLT, I've got the Tesco AA Cree. The Cree is fixed to the top of the BLT with a Twofish Lockblock. I found that to get a really good hold on it and stop it dropping downwards a lot, I had to wrap a piece of inner tube around the inside of the Lockblock mount where it attaches to the BLT bar mount.

The Revolution light is angled so its pointing slightly further downwards so it can light up the immediate area in front of me on the tarmac. The Cree is pointing slightly above the Revo's beam ( although not high enough that it dazzles oncoming drivers ) so it lights up the road further ahead.

The Revo light from the bike Co-op is a great little light on its own, although I have noticed that it does have an appetite for batteries - but with the cree sat above it, I can honestly say I'm seriously impressed with the light spread I've got with the two units.

So much so that I got another Cree AA today and I've ordered another BLT mount, another Twofish Lockblock and I'll be nipping through to the Edin Bike Coop this weekend for another Revo 1W LED. So I can have exactly the same setup on the right hand bar, should be LOADS of light output!!!.

Sounds overkill, but I'm actually surprised how little space the BLT's and lights take on the bars. Still got plenty of room to move hands about and get comfy and thats even with a set of clip on Tri-bars and a trip computer on the stem!!.

I'll get pics up soon, should 'ave taken some this afternoon......bugger. :roll:

dsmiff

Just "borrowed" a Fenix P2D (£40 from dealexteme) from a friend in work, on turbo it is unsurprisingly brighter than the tesco, about the same on high, but was starting to get warm after only a few mins.

Fenix (on turbo)


Tesco cree


I still can't justify the extra cost (espicially as I have to buy sets for 2 bikes) and the tesco lights performed perfectly well around Llandegla 2 on the bars and 1 helmet.

Belphegor

I've gone for the cheap light bracket drilled with cable ties holding the torch on method. Reckon I might keep an eye out for a better QR clamp, this one you have to bend the clamp to get it on and off the bars and I reckon too much of that will snap it, so need to find a half decent hinged one.

redvee

redvee wrote:

Come early next week I'll have two lockblocks for sale. Going over to lamp brackets and zipties when CRC send them to me. If you want them PM me, looking for £8 all in.

In the classifieds and on Ebay too.

dav1

Belphegor wrote:

I've gone for the cheap light bracket drilled with cable ties holding the torch on method. Reckon I might keep an eye out for a better QR clamp, this one you have to bend the clamp to get it on and off the bars and I reckon too much of that will snap it, so need to find a half decent hinged one.

I have done something similar, bought a replacement clamp for my basta comet IV light which i use for city and modded the old one by putting a velcro strap from a pump hoder under the top plate which interacts with the light itself.

I also used a file to put 45 degree cuts into the internal part to make it rest a tad better,

Seems quite secure, hopefully going to give it a proper test offroad at the weekend.

BoardinBob

Battery packs mounted in a saddle bag below the stem

littleandy0410

Tesco has the torches reduced instore now. AA ones are £8 and C cell ones are £9. Damn them! I ended up buying another AA one!

JK in the UK

First post! Bit late on the uptake here I know but....

Well I totally succumbed to all the hype here and frankly everywhere else on the net, not being able / wanting to spend a lotta dolla on night lights.

Tesco's have indeed reduced the prices of these further to £8 for 2*AA, £9 for 2*C BUT I'm sure the 2*D torch was £20 - not that I think anyone has any interest in that one.

Anyway these prices are ridiculously good, only annoying thing is that I've tried all the Tescos round where I live (Reading) and they've only got the C cell torches. Does anyone know where to get the AA size?

So I've bought 2 of the C cell torches but I noticed there are two different types of LED in these so I bought 1 of each. Previous posters have noted that one produces a white light whereas the other type is a warmer yellow light. Which LED is which and which is best for use as a bar light?

Seeing as I'm trying to do this on the cheap I don't wanna get both out the packaging only to take 1 of them back (unless Tesco let you do that?!). I know the C cell has more of a spot rather than flood but I'm planning on chopping them down, making an external battery pack of rechargeable AAs or something and adapting them to produce more of a flood. With a nice big lense on the front of these I think they should be capable of good things!

Cheers

Northwind

I got one of the yellower ones and 2 of the whiter ones, to me the white ones are simply brighter, and not any more directional as someone said earlier, basically just better. Yellow light is supposed to be better for depth perception but I can't say as I can tell any difference with that, perhaps it'd be noticable if the brightness matched. I'll be taking back the third, it's not as bright as the other 2 so as far as I'm concerned it's defective.

majormantra

The whiter one is indeed better and also nicer looking. My yellower one actually looks slightly green which isn't a nice colour for a torch to produce.

Because of the way the torches are packaged it may be possible to tell the two types apart before you buy. If you unscrew the end of the torch that sticks out of the blister pack you can remove the plastic disc to complete the circuit and turn the torch on.

I have one AA on my helmet (inner tube and cable ties) and one on the bars attached to a bodged light mount I got from the local bike recycling charity.

By the way, I'm new here - hi.

Matthew

RSV_Ecosse

As far as the blister pack type packaging goes, Tesco's have no problem with torches being removed from the packaging and returned at a later date ( within reason of course ) as long as you have the receipt.

One of my AA's packed in a week after I bought it. Of course, I had chucked the plastic packaging by then but still had the receipt.

Went back with it and they said "No problem". They had sold out of AA's so I was just given a refund.

snotty badger

I bought one of the double C torches the other night (that branch didn't have any AA ones in) and I've just popped out and got a couple of AA torches.

The plan is to mount two on my bars and one on me noggin'.

I borrowed a mates old Cateye Daylights but had to get a new battery. The battery is 6v 4.5ah.

Now I know 6 volts would kill one of these lights but what if I powered two from it?

Would this work-



I'm planning on running the head torch on 3x rechargeable AAs depending on run time.

forgotrafe

snotty badger - would work fine. And 4.5Ah will give you a very long run time.

Johnny Napalm

What are the best batteries to use in these torches?

I have one, which I use for a helmet light, and up to yesterday the 'Tesco' alkaline batteries had been fine. I've used the torch for a few rides, with the batteries originally supplied with the torch, but noticed yesterday night that they were fading.

I'd got some new 'Energizer' batteries, which I figured I'd use. In 2.5 hours I had gone through three sets of 'Energizer' batteries...the torch absolutely ate them. I'll get some more 'Tesco' alkaline batteries to see if they perform like the originals did.

-liam-

I used some duracel ultra alkaline batteries first time and they lasted around 4 hours in total. I've now put the originals back in but will be getting some lithium disposable AA's as they should easily outlast the duracels.

stubs

Johnny Napalm wrote:

What are the best batteries to use in these torches?

I have one, which I use for a helmet light, and up to yesterday the 'Tesco' alkaline batteries had been fine. I've used the torch for a few rides, with the batteries originally supplied with the torch, but noticed yesterday night that they were fading.

I'd got some new 'Energizer' batteries, which I figured I'd use. In 2.5 hours I had gone through three sets of 'Energizer' batteries...the torch absolutely ate them. I'll get some more 'Tesco' alkaline batteries to see if they perform like the originals did.

There are I think 3 different types of Energiser and the cheapest version is a pretty poor job I bought some for my digi camera to take pics at a wedding and I reckon I got about 50 shots out of a pack of 6 batteries

snotty badger

forgotrafe wrote:

snotty badger - would work fine. And 4.5Ah will give you a very long run time.

8)

Thanks for confirming tha mate.

Makes use of the battery that way, was only £7 too from pentup energy. Hopefully I'll end up with a half decent set of lights for not a lot of money!

snotty badger

Just thought thought I'd post up my effort so far.

Not started on the AA torches yet but shortened the "C" torch down.

It measues approx 100mm in length now and has an external power supply of 3 X 1.2V 2700mAh batteries. It actually made me laugh how bright it is for how little money it cost!

This torch will be mounted on my helmet, not sure if I should mount the battery pack on their too or keep it in my Camelbak.

Weight is just under 240g. Not sure on the run time yet though..

BlackSpur

I'd keep them in the Camelback mate.

Northwind

Not a good idea that, batteries don't like water.

What?

Bossangel

i put Duracell rechargeables in mine which i bought off ebay and they work great. Also mounted a box on my helmet with a piece of inner tube round it to keep the rain out

fury21

snotty badger wrote:

Not started on the AA torches yet but shortened the "C" torch down.

It measues approx 100mm in length now and has an external power supply of 3 X 1.2V 2700mAh batteries. It actually made me laugh how bright it is for how little money it cost!

Looks like you might have kept the button functional. If so, where did you put the wires through?
I've been looking at mine and there isn't an awful lot of room once the tail is fixed into the head (maybe the C torch is different from the AA one though).

snotty badger

Northwind wrote:

Not a good idea that, batteries don't like water.

What?

lol- should of mentioned I'd be waterproofing the batteries. :oops:

fury21 wrote:

snotty badger wrote:

Not started on the AA torches yet but shortened the "C" torch down.

It measues approx 100mm in length now and has an external power supply of 3 X 1.2V 2700mAh batteries. It actually made me laugh how bright it is for how little money it cost!

Looks like you might have kept the button functional. If so, where did you put the wires through?
I've been looking at mine and there isn't an awful lot of room once the tail is fixed into the head (maybe the C torch is different from the AA one though).

I shortened the body down, drilled a small hole for the cable. And yes the buttons still functional.

I'll be shortening the AA torches too, basically removing the knurled part and turning a thread to hold the cap/button again.


What kind of runtime can I expect from 3 x AA 1.2V 2800mAh?
Is the runtime the same for the "C" and "AA" torches using the 2800mAh batteries?

moggy82

Runtime should be getting on for 3 hours with that setup. I really havent got the time to do my one, but looks good, the new AA one i got last week is brighter and a slightly more floody beam than my first one, is mounted on a helmet using some sticky pads to make a grove and just 1 strap, seems well secure. Gonna run it on disposible as the brightness is about 1/3 more than with my 2400 mah 1.2v rechargeables (only over 2000 that fit)

lesz42

-Liam- wrote:

I used some duracel ultra alkaline batteries first time and they lasted around 4 hours in total. I've now put the originals back in but will be getting some lithium disposable AA's as they should easily outlast the duracels.

i used lithium disposable AA's , lasted 3 weeks, at 15 min a night, 5 nites a week


good bad? i dont know


bright tho!

Johnny Napalm

I put some Duracells in there and got approx. 2 hours before the light started to dim. Nothing appears to be lasting as long as the original Tesco batteries.

That said, I have ordered a 230 lumens Ultrafire torch, from Dealextreme, for my helmet so I'm not too concerned about the Tesco's sudden increase in appetite for batteries.

forgotrafe

3W 2xAA CREE was £7.82 in Tesco today

Northwind

I have to admit, my admiration for the Tescos has gone down sharply since my P7 turned up from Hong Kong, good god, it's like a little portable sun The first thing I did with the Tescos was to shine them in my eyes to see what it was like, I've not dared with the new one.

Still, they have their place- I think I'll mod them for head use and stick the 3rd one on my commuter permanently.