Tesco cree lights - which rechargeables????

davidmiller
davidmiller Posts: 320
edited November 2009 in Road beginners
Sorry, this has no doubt been covered but a search brought up so many hits it could take me all night to wade through them, literally.

So, got me some of the quite good (but excellent for the price) Tesco Cree 3w aa lights but now want some rechargeables and a charger to fuel them. I have the trouble others report that some combinations of Duracells don't work. I've always assumed it was because they were a fraction too big and did not fit down the tube quite far enough to touch the contact.

I was thinking about buying some of these....

http://www.vapextech.co.uk/acatalog/Hig ... eries.html

and possibly one of these....

http://www.batterylogic.co.uk/technolin ... -bl700.asp

Does anybody know if the batteries fit??? Or would it be that it depends on the batch and some of them will and some won't???

What about alternatives???

Cheers,

David

Comments

  • pbamf
    pbamf Posts: 69
    I've got two Tesco cree torches and I dont know if the rechargeable batteries are slightly larger than normal ones but they are a tight fit in both torches. I ended up drilling out the body of the torch to 14.5mm (it only takes out about 0.05mm) now the batteries fit great.
  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    I went to Sainsbury's and got the Sony hybrid batteries - they use the Sanyo tech.

    They have been great. They hold their charge as promised and last well - they also fit easily.

    I think they were £8.99 for 4. I had a charger already that was suitable for them - but you can get them pretty easily for not too much.
    I'm left handed, if that matters.
  • Scrumple
    Scrumple Posts: 2,665
    VAPEX all the way.

    Hybrid batteries are only good for low demand, long term use.
    e.g. remote control, or flashing back light.
    They hold charge for a long time, at the expense of performance.

    The normal vapex ones will be great for high demand front lights that burn hard and need recharging often. Think short bursts, and constant recharging.

    I have just ordered 8 vapex 2900 AA for the front lights, and 4 AAA hybrid for the rear flashers. The hybrids will need recharging once in a while and I am confident they will work after a week or so on the shelf.
  • Scrumple
    Scrumple Posts: 2,665
    Oh, and I have ordered the same charger you link to. I sought advice from others here, and am pretty confident that the set up offers the best value/performance balance by far. And, as your front light batteried begin to fade a bit, they will still work superbly in the household remotes!
  • japsy
    japsy Posts: 78
    ...

    I was thinking about buying some of these....

    http://www.vapextech.co.uk/acatalog/Hig ... eries.html

    and possibly one of these....

    http://www.batterylogic.co.uk/technolin ... -bl700.asp

    Does anybody know if the batteries fit??? Or would it be that it depends on the batch and some of them will and some won't???

    ...
    I have this exact combination and don't have a problem with fitting. The only problem I have is that the torch they are powering doesn't last as long as I expect. That could be the torch, batteries or the charger.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    With this charger you can use Test Mode so you can tell the actual capacity of the batteries on discharge (the amount of charge put in is not the capacity). When new the Vapextech 2900mah batteries are good for 2500-2600mah, when they get to 2000mah I retire them to remote control duties.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    edited March 2010
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    the rechargeables will output 1.2v for 95% of their runtime, alkalines drop in output considerably right from the start so NiMH actually deliver better output and are best for LED lights.
  • Steve_b77
    Steve_b77 Posts: 1,680
    Even better bet is to shorten the torch to a mini sized, then run a seperate battery pack on your stem.

    Then you have no worries about fitting batteries in
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    I recently bought one of those chargers and they are fantastic. I used a Fenix L2D on the front and it really needs strong batteries. I used my usual Ross 2700 mAh batts in it charged by the cheapo quick charger and they were dead 20 mins into my commute. After buying that charger and putting them all on "refresh" mode (discharges and charges continuously to rescue the batts until it detects no increase in mAh capacity).

    Following refresh, the charger gives you a mAh reading (batts which say they are 2700 are usually actually something like 2500 and after a few uses and fast charges, this will drop further through overuse and over charging). If you make sure you use 2 batts of more or less the same mAh capacity (as per the charger) you will get excellent performance.

    I used 2xbrand new Duracells in my Fenix. They lasted approximately 200 mins I guess and noticeably lose power slowly as they get further into their usage, the refreshed rechargeables are much, much better and last for more like 400 mins or so and only dim at the very end of that period.

    As for use of AA rechargeables in the Tesco CREE torch, they do fit, however I bought a pair of Tesco CREE torches last year however and found they were absolute cr@p. After only a short period, both of them developed bad contacts and continuously flickered or switched themselves off during rides so I gave up with them. Must be very cheaply made.
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    My rechargeables deliver more like 1.4v not 1.2 according to the recharger.
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Flasheart
    Flasheart Posts: 1,278
    Headhunter
    Are you referring to the http://www.batterylogic.co.uk/technoline/technoline-bl700.asp charger?

    I have a Fenix L2D and I really want to go over to "really good" rechargables and charger.
    Where I live in the New Forest most of the routes I ride are pitch black at night.
    Twice now I've had my L2D "dim" on me and leave me in the dark. 20mph on a country lane, I do NOT want to be "blind" as it were. I'm using Energiser Ultimate AA's atm, they're great at first but they don't seem to last that long.. I'm using my Polaris Smart as a flasher for the cars to notice me as it were but I'm thinking of getting another L2D to do that as it's a hellova lot brighter and may light up the road for me too.
    I went out last night with my cycling buddy and I've got to say, riding at night with limited vision is really worrying me. I'm fortunate enough to have a cycling buddy that knows the roads like the backof his hands as he lived in the area we ride since he was a kid.
    If we're doing a descent I back waaaay off and follow until we reach an ascent or a flat area and then catch up.
    I am wondering if my night vision isn't that great :?
    The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle. ...Stapp’s Ironical Paradox Law
    FCN3
    http://img87.yfrog.com/img87/336/mycubeb.jpg
    http://lonelymiddlesomethingguy.blogspot.com/
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Flasheart wrote:
    Headhunter
    Are you referring to the http://www.batterylogic.co.uk/technoline/technoline-bl700.asp charger?

    I have a Fenix L2D and I really want to go over to "really good" rechargables and charger.
    Where I live in the New Forest most of the routes I ride are pitch black at night.
    Twice now I've had my L2D "dim" on me and leave me in the dark. 20mph on a country lane, I do NOT want to be "blind" as it were. I'm using Energiser Ultimate AA's atm, they're great at first but they don't seem to last that long.. I'm using my Polaris Smart as a flasher for the cars to notice me as it were but I'm thinking of getting another L2D to do that as it's a hellova lot brighter and may light up the road for me too.
    I went out last night with my cycling buddy and I've got to say, riding at night with limited vision is really worrying me. I'm fortunate enough to have a cycling buddy that knows the roads like the backof his hands as he lived in the area we ride since he was a kid.
    If we're doing a descent I back waaaay off and follow until we reach an ascent or a flat area and then catch up.
    I am wondering if my night vision isn't that great :?

    Yep, that's the charger. It has been a revelation and the L2D has never worked better with the fully refreshed batts. When they run out though, they run out very quickly rather than non rechargeables which dim slowly and steadily so I guess that could be a hazard but I prefer it that way. i just carry another pair of spare batts to stick in it if the 1st set goes dead. I ride in London though so the L2D is more to be seen rather than to see, however even with the enormously bright, flashy L2D I still get peds walking out in front of me and cars pulling out of side roads without looking... :roll:
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.