Best/Brightest rechargeable handhelf floodlight / torch

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Boo2

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Hi,

Q.a.t. : What's the best/brightest rechargeable handheld floodlight/torch for attracting the attention of passing ships/shining up into the sails etc etc ? I'd like one that can be recharged by connecting it directly to a 12V battery if possible ?

Thanks,

Boo2
 
It's not rechargable but does just take 4 x AA.
But the best torch I've ever owned is a LED Lenser Dive Torch. Cost around £40. It's not unusual for dive torches to go up in the hundreds and even thousands and for a small hand held torch it holds it's own under and above the water hands down. I have two and use them soley for my UK diving. They're very robust and (obviously) completely waterproof.
 
don't go for best, unless you really really need it. Just get a very bright one when lidl or aldi have one. They will usually charge/run directly from 12v as that is what the mains transformer supplies, and they are good enough to last for years if kept dry most of the time, and are cheap enough to not worry about if you drop one overboard etc. My first cheap one lasted me several years, and was kept onboard nearly all year in a locker outside the cabin.
 
Boo2 said:
Hi,

Q.a.t. : What's the best/brightest rechargeable handheld floodlight/torch for attracting the attention of passing ships/shining up into the sails etc etc ? I'd like one that can be recharged by connecting it directly to a 12V battery if possible ?

Thanks,

Boo2
Click to expand...

I got a Nightsearcher from the place behind Emsworth station a couple of years back 1m candlepower about £30 as I recall, charges from mains or 12v ciggie lighter, still going fine, recommended.
 
Homebase always had a fair selection of such items at decent prices, they all include a 12v charger. I also have one that works directly from a cig lighter type socket.
 
Boo2 said:
Q.a.t. : What's the best/brightest rechargeable handheld floodlight/torch for attracting the attention of passing ships/shining up into the sails etc etc ? I'd like one that can be recharged by connecting it directly to a 12V battery if possible ?
Click to expand...

I got a fairly effective one for thirty quid last year. No battery, just a rubber case, a lens, a reflector, a 55W halogen bulb, a switch and a couple of metres of wire which now has a Dri-plug on the end.

Oh yes, and a couple of white handheld flares within easy reach.
 
Led lenser p7

There are numerous torches available from LED Lenser.

I have used the P7 which casts an impressive beam for seeing where you are going (200 Lumens). I'd say it's good for 100m, but to just be seen by other craft, something less powerful would probably suffice. It's on my Christmas present list!

Here's a link to a review: http://www.torchesandbatteries.co.uk/news/12/LED-LENSER-P7-REVIEW.html

And a link to buy: http://www.torchesandbatteries.co.uk/products/LED-Lenser-P7-Torch-8407-200-lumens.html

The P7 does have a half power mode and you can rotate the bezel between "spot" and a large evenly lit "flood" modes. I found lense will unscrew and this turns the torch into a lantern (not sure of this was an intended function, but it works).

There is a rechargeable version which I believe is called the M7R, but I probably wouldn't spend the extra as the four AAA batteries in a P7 will last quite a while and of course, you can always substiute these for rechargeables.

I have the tiny LED Lenser "Automotive Rechargeable" torch in my car and would recommend having one aboard.

http://www.torchesandbatteries.co.uk/products/LED-Lenser-Automotive-Rechargeable.html

It's recharges via and fits snuggly in a standard cigarette lighter socket. The LED light glows blue while it recharges it's tiny battery and this doesn't take very long. The blue light then extinguishes when charged. The manufacturer claims it will run for 3 hours on a single charge, but i've never managed to run it flat so far. It's also brighter than I expected for a little torch.

These LED Lenser torches aren't cheap, but you do get an impressive bit of well made kit.
 
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BrendanS said:
don't go for best, unless you really really need it. Just get a very bright one when lidl or aldi have one. They will usually charge/run directly from 12v as that is what the mains transformer supplies, and they are good enough to last for years if kept dry most of the time, and are cheap enough to not worry about if you drop one overboard etc. My first cheap one lasted me several years, and was kept onboard nearly all year in a locker outside the cabin.
Click to expand...

I bought a cheapo from maplin and curse the day..

When it is charged it is great, can't fault it, but the battery just wont hold power so we have to remember to charge during the day if we plan to go out at night. So far this has not been successful and most often when I need it the battery is flat or we get about a minute before the beam turns yellow.

We used to have a home built lamp comprising a wooden handle and a car spot that could be plugged into 12v sockets, we have one on the helm as well as one I fitted in the anchor locker (very handy that one!). It was nicked when the boat was laid up.. *******s.

The trouble with the rechargeable type, I have yet to find one that allows you to use it while plugged into a power supply.
 
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DogWatch said:
When it is charged it is great, can't fault it, but the battery just wont hold power so we have to remember to charge during the day if we plan to go out at night. So far this has not been successful and most often when I need it the battery is flat or we get about a minute before the beam turns yellow.
Click to expand...

That's exactly why I decided to get one with a 170Ah battery!
 
Another vote for nightsearcher.

I got one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003E1EL2U/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_title - mainly because it has an internal battery so can be used remotely, charges off 12 volt, and can be used direct off 12 volt (so I can plug it in by the helm)

Just don't but spare bulbs from them - you can get them on ebay for a fraction of the price
 
The downside of these lights is they are big, have very short battery life between charges and the lamps can fail.

See if you can try out a 200 lumen LED torch. They emit the equivalent of around a 10-15w halogen lamp, but don't eat batteries and are much much smaller.

LED light output remains constant until the battery is almost completely depleted too.

I lit up a 150ft high cliff when I borrowed the P7. I was completely surprized at how bright this little thing was.

You can buy one on Amazon for £34 including delivery.

I'm in no doubt LED is the future for lighting.
 
I found the huge array of P7's on DealExtreme to be great, the reviews are not edited (which seems rare these days)
I did buy the torch for cycling through the forest (I knock about 10miles off as a shortcut) and whilst not immersed to prove the 'waterproof' claim have been through some heavy downpours. Model I bought was a five mode (low-med-high-flashing(insane) SOS).
The 18650 rechargeable cells seem good and hold their charge (unused) for a curiously long time.
Only downside was the charger- but the reviews said it was rubbish and so I went to maplin and bought a 12v adapter to plug into the side - worked fine.

I am sure that someone will point out that they won't have CE marks, aren't even close to 900lumens or are not suitable for a marine environment however I made the best choice with what I had and I am very pleased with the results(probably saved my life a couple of times since cars now slow from a fair distance rather than 15microns from the handlebars!)

Delivery is around 8-9days and just in case, this is not promoting the website or me on commission, just someone who found a fantastically bright torch and wanted to share the info!
 
I use a 60-LED work light, about £12 from Clas Ohlson shops (http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?id=146091496). It is very bright, recharges from 12v or 240v, is lightweight and (seemingly) tough. I use it as a torch, an inspection lamp, an occasional cockpit light and for lighting up the sail when I want to be noticed. I do not use it as a long range spotlight. One of the best-value bits of kit I've ever bought.
 
I have a Nightsearcher Ranger which is 1500 lumens - I could see the spot from it halfway down the road in bright daylight. It also has a second smaller bulb if you don't need to see someone's bones through their skin right now. I did extend the cable and put a DIN plug on the end of it rather than the supplied lighter plug.

I don't see the benefit of a battery light on a boat with hundreds of Ahrs of battery on board, but they do sell a battery pack version of the same light if you want it.

Pete
 
QUOTE
[I bought a cheapo from maplin and curse the day..

When it is charged it is great, can't fault it, but the battery just wont hold power so we have to remember to charge during the day if we plan to go out at night. So far this has not been successful and most often when I need it the battery is flat or we get about a minute before the beam turns yellow.]

I have tried three of the rechargable torches from B&Q - get about 2 mins from fully charged-rubbish for about £20!
 
Try CPC for the cheapest if you are buying enough to get free P&P, not usually that muich of a problem, or try Homebase.

The basic is to buy from somewhere that has decent turnover or the battery may have been self discharging for a long time and effectively be knackered. They are just cheap, very cheap sealed lead acids.
 
Yeah, I bought one from CPC. £8, if I recall - bought it to make up an order value so it was carriage-free - so, in effect only cost about £3!

Seems to do what it is supposed to.

They have got lots of other torches, including a wide range of LED types - worth a look anyway.
 
Cheap cheap

I have got a 2 million candle power unit from Homebase 4 years ago, about £20. Charges from 12v Cigar lighter socker and has a mains charger. It works brilliantly. Picks out unlit poles and withies at about 200 yards on a dark night. Never needed it to alert ships (yet)

Interestingly I dropped it last year and it dismantled itself spectacularly at a difficult moment in my dark creek. Nothing was broken, so put it back together the next day and it worked fine. Used duct tape to stop that happening again. Used it up my creek last week and still does the job. Not sure how long the charge will last but I use it often for about 30 minutes in the creek. Torch is on for perhaps 3 - 5 minutes of that time and is undimmed but clearly use must be rationed.

Go cheap is my conclusion.
 
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When it is charged it is great, can't fault it, but the battery just wont hold power so we have to remember to charge during the day if we plan to go out at night.ly.
Click to expand...

Am very pleased with a Nightsearcher from Farlington, Portsmouth, BUT the ratio of use to charging is endemic in this sort of product because of battery size - 30 mins use after 4 hours charging is normal!
 
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