Tesco CREE 3w led torch now £7.84

karlmoreton
karlmoreton Posts: 98
edited March 2009 in Road beginners
Tesco CREE 3w led torch now £7.84:D , have now improved the body so now accept high capacity rechargeable batteries, massive improvement and an absolute bargain. :D
Focus Cayo
Planet x stealth
Ritchey Breakaway Steel Cross
Specialized Singlecross Fixed 46:16
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Comments

  • RC21
    RC21 Posts: 166
    Have you got any pics of them - thinking of buying one for the house but don't know what to look out for.

    Thanks
    RC
  • fast as fupp
    fast as fupp Posts: 2,277
    they are black, cylindrical and measure approx 18cm x 2cm- they have a lighty bit at one end

    hope this helps :D
    'dont forget lads, one evertonian is worth twenty kopites'
  • STEFANOS4784
    STEFANOS4784 Posts: 4,109
    Where abots in Teso are they located? I couldn't find any in my local and i thought the chap i asked was guna punch me in the face :shock: :?
    winter beast: http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff016.jpg
    Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg
  • fast as fupp
    fast as fupp Posts: 2,277
    you need to go to a big tesco they were next to the lightbulbs etc in the bromborough one
    'dont forget lads, one evertonian is worth twenty kopites'
  • Steve928
    Steve928 Posts: 314
    karlmoreton wrote:
    Tesco CREE 3w led torch now £7.84:

    The ones in my Tesco are just '3W led torches' i.e. no mention of 'CREE' any more since they became cheaper..
  • STEFANOS4784
    STEFANOS4784 Posts: 4,109
    fast as fupp wrote:
    you need to go to a big tesco they were next to the lightbulbs etc in the bromborough one

    Ah, many thanks :D
    winter beast: http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff016.jpg
    Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    Steve928 wrote:
    karlmoreton wrote:
    Tesco CREE 3w led torch now £7.84:

    The ones in my Tesco are just '3W led torches' i.e. no mention of 'CREE' any more since they became cheaper..

    I think they may just have changed the packaging. The one I got most recently was at the lower price and appears to be identical to the one labelled Cree, and just as bright.

    Matthew
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Perhaps a silly question but, how do you attach torches to bikes? Is there some kind of velcro strap thing available or something? Also, what do you do about rear lights?
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  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    the Twofish Lockblock mount - the simplest and the best!
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Thanks. Do these torches take AA or AAA batteries? Do they work well with standard rechargeables?
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  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Don't know which this model takes, but for any high powered LED light you should use NiMH not NiCad or Alkaline, which will give much poorer performance. If AA, go for some 2900mah batteries from www.vapextech.co.uk - cheap and very good (approaching 2 years of use with these now) and a Smart charger (like the Vapextech LCD World Charger) otherwise your batteries will die young.

    Lithium batteries also work well, but are expensive.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Thanks. I've got some 2700mah batts in my Cat Eye light but the 2500mah ones don't seem to last very long as you say. What's the advantage of this "smart charger" over a standard charger?
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  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    By the way, what's the highest mah power batts anyone is aware of? Is it 2900mah?
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  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Cheap or "ordinary" chargers work on a timer, so the battery gets the charge regardless of its charged state, overcharging or overheating can occur and your battery life quickly diminishes. I reduced 16 new 2500 NiMH batteries to less than half their capacity after 3 months use this way.

    A smart charger can charge each cell individually, detects charge state, charges till cut off voltage is reached and has temperature and other sensing circuits to terminate the charge safely before damage is done.

    The Vapextech LCD world charger is a good cheap smart charger (£14), next step up is the very sophisticated BL-700 which has many configurable options and will show actual battery capacity. Probably the ultimate is the Maha Wizard One charger (£50, mine came with 4 NiMH batteries included). This does all the BL does but has a wider range of options and charge / discharge rates.

    These smart chargers pay for themselves in time as you have much longer lasting batteries because they give the "kid glove" treatment that they need.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Headhuunter wrote:
    By the way, what's the highest mah power batts anyone is aware of? Is it 2900mah?
    There are some far eastern sellers that claim more, but 2900 is probably about the technical limit at the moment. Even then, a good quality battery labelled as 2900 will be unlikely to deliver more than 2550. Don't buy ones with silly numbers on them, they are a con, probably worse than less boastful cells.

    I have Vapextech 2900's, they deliver in the 2500's, and I have Powerex 2700's (Powerex are amongst the best performing/highest quality available) , which also deliver 2500ish, however the latter are more than twice the price. Both brands seem to be very durable, so I am happy with the Vapextech for future purchases.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    God. Who'd've thought there was so much to the world of rechargeable batteries. I think I'll have to re-assess my equipment! Although as we come to summer I suppose I won't be needing my lights so much....
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  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Headhuunter wrote:
    God. Who'd've thought there was so much to the world of rechargeable batteries. I think I'll have to re-assess my equipment! Although as we come to summer I suppose I won't be needing my lights so much....
    I know, fun isn't it? :lol:
  • Bodhbh
    Bodhbh Posts: 117
    Headhuunter wrote:
    Perhaps a silly question but, how do you attach torches to bikes? Is there some kind of velcro strap thing available or something? Also, what do you do about rear lights?
    I've yet to try myself, but for a knockabout bike at least there's always a couple hoseclipped interlocked (which I suppose aids the knockabout look). Will probably try some thought they were discontinoued.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Needs to be something that allows me to attach and detach the light(s) quickly though so that I can take them off when locking the bike up in town somewhere. Don't know if hoseclip type affairs would be very easy to use.
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  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Headhuunter wrote:
    Needs to be something that allows me to attach and detach the light(s) quickly though so that I can take them off when locking the bike up in town somewhere. Don't know if hoseclip type affairs would be very easy to use.

    Twofish Lockblock (as per link above). Takes 2 seconds to remove torch, 5 seconds to attach. They haven't been discontinued, plenty around, try Glowgadgets (£6.95 each or 2 for £11.95), or eBay.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    alfablue wrote:
    Headhuunter wrote:
    Needs to be something that allows me to attach and detach the light(s) quickly though so that I can take them off when locking the bike up in town somewhere. Don't know if hoseclip type affairs would be very easy to use.

    Twofish Lockblock (as per link above). Takes 2 seconds to remove torch, 5 seconds to attach. They haven't been discontinued, plenty around, try Glowgadgets (£6.95 each or 2 for £11.95), or eBay.

    Yeah that looks good....
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  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    One minor point, on my narrow mtb alu bar the Lockblock could slip when jolted so I glued a sliver of inner tube on the relevant part of the bar to go underneath. On my oversized road bike bar there is no problem, or you can fasten it over the end of the bar tape.
  • fast as fupp
    fast as fupp Posts: 2,277
    alfablue wrote:
    the Twofish Lockblock mount - the simplest and the best!

    just ordered one of these- ta for the link dude :D
    'dont forget lads, one evertonian is worth twenty kopites'
  • Mike_Anderson
    Mike_Anderson Posts: 1
    Headhuunter wrote:
    Perhaps a silly question but, how do you attach torches to bikes? Is there some kind of velcro strap thing available or something? Also, what do you do about rear lights?
    I've used 'rubber' plant stake ties to fix a pair to my lid. Grips the torch body quite well and would probably work on your bars. Been accused of looking like a juggernaut at night tho :D
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    I went ahead and bought a couple of those Tesco lights - they're bloody bright! Have ordered a couple of Lockblock thingies too. One question though, perhaps a bit of a stupid one but how on earth do you actually switch off the lights?! I only looked at them for a short time yesterday evening but all I can work out is that you unscrew the barrel slightly so that the contacts don't connect properly with the batts, but surely, somewhere there's a proper on/off switch?!
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    Headhuunter wrote:
    I went ahead and bought a couple of those Tesco lights - they're bloody bright! Have ordered a couple of Lockblock thingies too. One question though, perhaps a bit of a stupid one but how on earth do you actually switch off the lights?! I only looked at them for a short time yesterday evening but all I can work out is that you unscrew the barrel slightly so that the contacts don't connect properly with the batts, but surely, somewhere there's a proper on/off switch?!

    There's a large button at the end of the torch. :)

    Matthew
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    MajorMantra wrote:
    Headhuunter wrote:
    I went ahead and bought a couple of those Tesco lights - they're bloody bright! Have ordered a couple of Lockblock thingies too. One question though, perhaps a bit of a stupid one but how on earth do you actually switch off the lights?! I only looked at them for a short time yesterday evening but all I can work out is that you unscrew the barrel slightly so that the contacts don't connect properly with the batts, but surely, somewhere there's a proper on/off switch?!

    There's a large button at the end of the torch. :)

    Matthew

    Is there? I need to have a better look! Thanks...
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  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    You were right. Pretty well disguised though! :oops:
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    Headhuunter wrote:
    You were right. Pretty well disguised though! :oops:

    We can pretend you never asked. :)

    Matthew
  • CTML
    CTML Posts: 53
    Hey guys, i just want to know if the torch is suitable/recommended for commuting. What is the light spread like? because i only need to be seen and i don't want to blind anyone. Also what is the run time and how hot does it get? My commute is a good 30-40 minutes and mag lites tend to get pretty hot after around 10 minutes of use. Thanks

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