GrahamM376
Well-Known Member
Playimg with torches is almost as good as playing with a fire
As a kid, I found weed killer and a few other ingredients was even more fun than fire!
My best torch
- Thread starter dylanwinter
- Start date
As a kid, I found weed killer and a few other ingredients was even more fun than fire!
Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
Rigger Mortice
N/A
I wonder if that is a case of legislation not having caught up with technology? A 24 watt LED would be very bright.
Sailingsaves
Well-Known Member
That is worrying _ again down to my lack of sense to have someone build me a site and DIY it.
My website should have led you to HOMEPAGE, then click on PRODUCTS, then click on Torches.
direct link would be: www.allproductdesign.co.uk/Torches.html
Any more feedback on the errors of my website much appreciated.
I just wish there was an agent for inventors as there is for actors. (I'm only tinkering with the products on website to give me something to do and maybe keep things ticking over until I can get an invention to market and then try to keep the ball rolling).
"Hey, Mr agent, I have this great invention....turns water into gold etc...."
"Leave it with me Gus, you'll get 50% we'll take 50%"
But no, 51 inventions on the drawing board, 15 years of blood sweat and tears and my biggest break is the upcoming NEC stand.
Inventor of the Year and inventor in Residence at the British Library loved my inventions, agreed I was a social twit / hermit and said just get a business partner and investor and you will make millions....
Sailingsaves
Well-Known Member
View attachment 40219View attachment 40221
Here is a photo of the battery required for the Chinese torch. (The bigger top battery)
And this is the charger I then purchased (Chinese - I don't leave it on when I am not nearby and it sits on a bed of sand)
I have since made my own special charger because as mentioned in a thread on one of these forums, Lithium ion batteries need careful charging to stop them exploding.
Here is a photo of the battery required for the Chinese torch. (The bigger top battery)
And this is the charger I then purchased (Chinese - I don't leave it on when I am not nearby and it sits on a bed of sand)
I have since made my own special charger because as mentioned in a thread on one of these forums, Lithium ion batteries need careful charging to stop them exploding.
Rigger Mortice
N/A
Most of us would need a sand pit in our homes if we were to put every electronic gadget we have on a bed of sand simply because it was made in China. I have two of those chargers for batteries for my bike. They've not caused an explosion yet.
Sailingsaves
Well-Known Member
Yes, I am a cautious type.
Belt and braces.
But then I have seen / examined some of the cheap Chinese electronic goods.
You get what you pay for.
Some Chinese stuff is great, some not so great.
I don't worry about my charger because I made it. I also leave my washing machine and dishwasher on when I leave the house.
I never leave the TV on standby at night since a fireman once told me most household fires were caused by TVs being on standby (I only repeat what a fireman told me, I have not examined the facts - but it is no hassle to turn the TV off at the switch at night)
Sailfree
Well-Known Member
I have bought a few cree LED torches.
From Poundshop there are neat small torches that take AAA batteries. Good for chartwork and around the boat is Ok but two I have lent others and used for a prolonged continuous time some of the LED elements have gone - I think there are 8 or so one has 2 left and another has 3! but at £1 a time and infrequent night use I consider them disposable!
I have bought some expensive Cree LEDs but the problem for boat use is the spotlight ability.
Interested if anyone has found/invented a good CREE LED spotlight that takes ordinary batteries.
Yes I am a torch anarak as well!!
From Poundshop there are neat small torches that take AAA batteries. Good for chartwork and around the boat is Ok but two I have lent others and used for a prolonged continuous time some of the LED elements have gone - I think there are 8 or so one has 2 left and another has 3! but at £1 a time and infrequent night use I consider them disposable!
I have bought some expensive Cree LEDs but the problem for boat use is the spotlight ability.
Interested if anyone has found/invented a good CREE LED spotlight that takes ordinary batteries.
Yes I am a torch anarak as well!!
dylanwinter
Well-Known Member
we need a name and an association for torch fetishists
30boat
N/A
I've just ordered one.Love torches!
Sailingsaves
Well-Known Member
The amazon link is for a torch with no battery isn't it?
Have you sourced a battery or batteries and a charger for the torch?
If so, where from and how much.
Sailingsaves
Well-Known Member
What is your definition of spotlight? Do you want a really long throw? (a very long narrow beam)
Or do you want a torch that does a bit of flood lighting (wide beam) AND spotlight?
Does the one in Dylan's video meet your needs?
Have you looked at some of my (very amateur) videos comparing LED maglite vs my torches? Maglite does spot and flood but not as powerful as mine.
http://www.youtube.com/user/emergencyvhf
I have collimating lenses and diverging lenses and all sorts.
Rigger Mortice
N/A
Just scroll down on that link and it lists the batteries as an option. They, and the chargers are readily available.
In answer to the earlier comment about batteries, when one starts looking at the more powerful cree leds the power consumption starts to increase and rechargeables really do come into their own. Either that or big disposable batteries or plug into the boat's battery.
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Sailingsaves
Well-Known Member
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ULTRAFIRE-W...im_diy_13?ie=UTF8&refRID=1T11DVYWCRCVDH0W5K23
£6.36
http://www.amazon.co.uk/UltraFire-4..._sim_ph_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=15AG0Z90AN9B1XQ3AX5E
£10.50
Total £16.86 From two different suppliers. Chinese make. I have that torch, battery and single charger.
The Chinese one I bought (identical to Amazon one) flickers if I shakes it (loose connection somewhere? I find the 5 mode most annoying.
Torch is not as powerful as mine.
Mine uses 4 AA cells or 4 C size cells. Alkaline as well as Nicad, NiMh etc. Lifetime guarantee. Light lasts longer than the poor quality Li ion chinese batteries (you may believe the 4000mAh rating _ I don't).
British.
Higher quality Cree LED.
You pays your money and takes your choice. As it takes me nearly 2 hours to convert it is not exactly a viable business. As I said _ hobby.
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Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
Flashlight Analist (but don't search for it on Google!)
Rigger Mortice
N/A
I'm sorry but if you are going to use the forum to promote things then it's probably best if you don't knock things simply for being Chinese. The torch you are using is quite likely made in the Far East and is readily available on E bay. The Cree leds are certainly not British. In any event is the torch waterproof?
FWIW I've had excellent results with Li on batteries from china. I've had one failure too. It would cost me a fortune if I were to power my bike lights with dry cells
30boat
N/A
Don't know.I'll see when it arrives.
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Good grief! Might that have been quite a few decades ago, before the electronics used for stand-by functions were commonplace? I doubt it's possible to buy a television set today which isn't all remotely operated...so is it likely that every TV sold represents a greater fire risk than anything else in the home? I suspect this cautiousness is generational...
...my dad unplugs his TV/Sky system before going out for a walk. The result is, when he switches back on, he has to go skipping through the Sky start-up instructions. Barmy.
Sailingsaves
Well-Known Member
The advert and others in this thread have pointed out that the amazon link was just for a torch.
You will be happy with it once you get a battery (or two would be better) and charger. Hope yours doesn't flicker when you shake it as mine does.
Watch out for aluminium corrosion if using on boat.
Most people in the electronics industry know that Li ion batteries are a compromise _ light battery, no memory effect, no loss of charge whilst stored, but limited life (take your laptop battery for example). Most mobile 'phone manufacturers expected people to change their 'phones before they realised the battery was failing.
I never use dry cells. Always NiMHydrides and charge them via solar panels, so cost me not a lot. I do use old NiCads for heavy duty work (older Nicads are better than newer ones) and I follow a strict regime to stop them building internal crystals and memory effect.
I only Li ions for very small light projects, as they were designed for.
I think I have said on this thread that there are good Chinese products and poor Chinese products and I also think that is was on one of these forums where others discussed it at length and very sensibly how the Chinese do what the designer wants. If good spec is in the brief, the Chinese will and can produce excellent quality stuff. Poundland or poundworld ? have a good link with China. They ask for toys at a certain spec and sell for £1 once they are here.
If I wanted a product manufactured that needed a lot of man hours, I would use China, but have a person on site to check the specs have been followed and the Chinese do a quality assurance test at the end of manufacture.
A really good film is http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0991174/ the inventor made millions from a novelty. First shipment was bad, he flew over and sorted it with the excellent Chinese manager and the rest is history _ second highest grossing novelty product after the frizzbie.
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Sailingsaves
Well-Known Member
About 5 years ago.
It was not to do with the remote control.
As we all know that whilst on Stanby, the TV is still using a lot of electricity (hence the chaps on Dragons Den that created the Standby Saver that was then taken over by British Gas I think)
I just flick the off switch on side of TV so red light goes out before I go to bed and have no worries (be it fire or wasting electricity - the figure 80% sticks in my head for some reason, but I could be wrong)
It was not to do with the remote control.
As we all know that whilst on Stanby, the TV is still using a lot of electricity (hence the chaps on Dragons Den that created the Standby Saver that was then taken over by British Gas I think)
I just flick the off switch on side of TV so red light goes out before I go to bed and have no worries (be it fire or wasting electricity - the figure 80% sticks in my head for some reason, but I could be wrong)
Good grief! Might that have been quite a few decades ago, before the electronics used for stand-by functions were commonplace? I doubt it's possible to buy a television set today which isn't all remotely operated...so is it likely that every TV sold represents a greater fire risk than anything else in the home? I suspect this cautiousness is generational...
...my dad unplugs his TV/Sky system before going out for a walk. The result is, when he switches back on, he has to go skipping through the Sky start-up instructions. Barmy.