Searchlight

[Miker]

Any recommendations for a searchlight. I was thinking of a light which plugs in to a boat battery rather than a rechargable one. I bought a cheapo rechargable one from Compass and it only lasted a couple of seasons. Is that par for the course?
I need the light, not for signalling, but to locate the unlit entrance buoys to my marina which are not very easy to spot in the dark.

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[sailorman]

Lucas used to make the one i have , its really a "sealed car beam" in a white enclosure.
no idea if they are still available

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[Robin]

We have a 1 million candlepower rechargeable which will recharge from and run direct from on board 12v. Bought it from West Marine USA and it is excellent after 4 years still holds the charge well and I've never yet had to use it plugged in. The AC charger supplied with it is not much use as it is 110v.

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[sailorman]

See 7dayshop.com
Rechargeable wet cell @ £12.99


Extra Special Price on this Brand New and Super Powerful (Rechargeable) Handheld Spotlight ~ Super bright lighting for those on the move, with this ultra powerful halogen torch unit. Superb features and fantastic 7dayshop.com value as per usual !
The Ring RIL961 model features...
Ultra bright 6V 15W H3 Halogen bulb
Tough weatherproof and impact resistant ABS Body with comfortable trigger grip
Shatterproof Polycarbonate lens
LED Battery Charging Indicator
Charge time of approx. 15 Hours
Operating time of up to 90 minutes on a full charge
Batteries included (built in) and saves you money !
Trigger "clicker" on/off switch ~ may be left on for hands free use
Dimensions approx. 20cm in length, diameter of lens 8cm
Unit weighs in at a sturdy 1185 grams
Supplied with Mains and Car (Cigarette Plug) Charging Leads and a Wrist Strap Too !!
i have one & so far its very good

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[doug748]

I got one from Index (I think) cost about six quid. Its very bright and at that price you can afford to throw it away after a couple of seasons.

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[alahol2]

Try this one from allgadgets.co.uk
http://www.allgadgets.co.uk/ag/product.asp?dept_id=4&pf_id=AG1200
A bit expensive but works well.

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[cliff]

Tried the rechargable type and didn't rate them - eventually found one in my local gun shop - used for fox hunting etc. 100w focusable for spot through to flood, water tight, 4m coiled cable, always ready to use, pistol grip with click on / click off switch, mounting socket in grip to mount as fixed searchlight, - range ~½nm, filters available etc. I can't for the life of me remember the manufacturer (austrailian) but check out you local gun shop for hunting lights 12v.

I do keep a rechargable 50/55w for use in the tender but it really needs to be on charge most of the time (16hr recharge / 30min burn time)

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[dickh]

I had one of the 1,000,000 candle power rechargeables about a year ago and have religiuosly recharged it regularly and now it's gone belly up - the battery won't hold a charge - so I'm not impressed. I've also got an old car hand held type that plugs into the cigarette holder socket and I'm going to put this on board this year.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[Robin]

Like most rechargeable batteries you need to run them flat before recharging or they develop a 'memory' and the capacity then mimics the top-up charge you keep giving it, the same applies to most handheld VHFs. Our 4 year old Nitetracker 1 million CP was still fully charged this April from last October, but I then ran it flat (easy, just lock it on with the trigger switch for 45 minutes) then recharged it to 100%. We can use it plugged in anyway but it is useful to be free to roam anywhere.

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[chas]

I bought a 3,500,000 cp from Homebase for £19.99. It seems very effective and the battery seems to last for about an hour if used intermittently. It was supplied with a 12v charging cord.

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[StephenW]

Robert Dyas had one this week at £4.99 1/2 million candle power rechargeable - good value. Also have the same but Draper branded for £9.99.

I have plug-in and rechargeable but use rechargeable far more due to ease of use and battery independence

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[tripleace]

Draper rechargable one everytime.

plus 1 spare battery.

can be charged from 240 and 12 v

excllent product


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