NormanD
Lunatic Asylum Escapee
- Location
- Heworth the other side of life!
Aldi Sunday 20th
- Thread starter NormanD
- Start date
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amaferanga
Veteran
- Location
- Bolton
If it takes 3xAA it must be LARGE.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
I think their leaflet says 3 x AAA!
RecordAceFromNew
Swinging Member
- Location
- West London
amaferanga
Veteran
- Location
- Bolton
What's battery life like with these? For ~£30 you can get a proper bike light with separate battery pack that has a (claimed) output of 1200 lumens on full and a run time of >3 hours. On mid/low modes the runtime is obviously much longer.
E.g. This from dealextreme
E.g. This from dealextreme
For me the advantage of these torch type lights is firstly they don't have a battery pack (I don't have room for one on the road bike), they take ordinary batteries you can get from the shop, and the mount they sometimes come with allows them to be mounted above the bar and forward of my Garmin so I can access all the buttons. My hope 1 has to be underslung.
I got one of these recently, and gave it a go the other night. I chose it as it has an illuminated ring giving good visibility from the side, although I've masked it on the top so as not to affect my night vision. It is very bright, not the same quality optics as the Hope, but a good compliment. The disadvantage was that with 3xAAA it quickly dimmed on full beam (after about 1hour) to be the same a low beam. I've ordered and extension section and some 18650 batteries (I know, not available in shops!) to get more use out of it.
I may have had a duff cell or they weren't as charged as I thought they were, but I suspect these torches are getting to the limits of the practical power available from 3xAAAs.
I got one of these recently, and gave it a go the other night. I chose it as it has an illuminated ring giving good visibility from the side, although I've masked it on the top so as not to affect my night vision. It is very bright, not the same quality optics as the Hope, but a good compliment. The disadvantage was that with 3xAAA it quickly dimmed on full beam (after about 1hour) to be the same a low beam. I've ordered and extension section and some 18650 batteries (I know, not available in shops!) to get more use out of it.
I may have had a duff cell or they weren't as charged as I thought they were, but I suspect these torches are getting to the limits of the practical power available from 3xAAAs.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
Run something similar as a see me light on flash , on full beam you would struggle to ride at a decent pace even with 2 , i have tried ....
Battery life , when i used to use these as main lights you would be looking at 3 hours on full beam with rechargeables.For my 10 mile each way commute i was recharging twice a week using 1100mah batteries.
Battery life , when i used to use these as main lights you would be looking at 3 hours on full beam with rechargeables.For my 10 mile each way commute i was recharging twice a week using 1100mah batteries.
My favourite cheapo bike light: My link
It's bright enough to get you seen (For sure), and just about suffices to light up the road on unlit roads, although it is more suited to being a bright light on lit roads. (Much better than the standard Halfords or Cateye flashers.)
The front bracket seems fairly sturdy, and the front light is great with a set of rechargables - Has a high/low and "Give the drivers a seizure" mode.
The rear light is ok, but the rear light bracket is pretty bad. It broke whilst trying to fit the light - But for £5 I'm not complaining.
It's bright enough to get you seen (For sure), and just about suffices to light up the road on unlit roads, although it is more suited to being a bright light on lit roads. (Much better than the standard Halfords or Cateye flashers.)
The front bracket seems fairly sturdy, and the front light is great with a set of rechargables - Has a high/low and "Give the drivers a seizure" mode.
The rear light is ok, but the rear light bracket is pretty bad. It broke whilst trying to fit the light - But for £5 I'm not complaining.
Hacienda71
Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
- Location
- Wilmslow, Cheshire
I find with a 5w torch it is fine if you are on your own on a country lane but as soon as a car comes in the opposite direction it washes out your vision and when it has past your pupils are too dilated to see anything. The only way to get past this is to have a proper mother of a light pumping out at least 800 to 1000 lumens (almost as bright as a car headlight).
In a town or on an unlit cycle lane a 5 watt torch is bright and not bad value compared to a lot of branded bike lights. They are convenient with everyday batteries and most importantly are a damn fine torch.
In a town or on an unlit cycle lane a 5 watt torch is bright and not bad value compared to a lot of branded bike lights. They are convenient with everyday batteries and most importantly are a damn fine torch.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I'll be getting a few, for the kids. Son is a Scout. One for me as a helmet light for MTB.
If it's duff the Aldi g-tee is usually good.
If it's duff the Aldi g-tee is usually good.
Yeah, I agree with you there, just didn't explain very well. As long as no one drives around the corner and chucks 1200 lumen of car lights on high beams in your eyes, then this light suffices - Although having an equivalent light to shine back is always nice.
Again, I agree. The 5W torch/light I linked to is Far better than my Cateye LD130 (~£10 to £15 for the Cateye).
I guess what I was trying to say is: The light I linked is really great, but won't compare to a Magicshine or Hope Vision 4.
guitarpete247
Just about surviving
- Location
- Leicestershire
Same light but a little cheaper from Hong Kong. I got one of these last year. The price is still the same, as is P&P. Took only a week to come. Rear light is a slightly different design and I've not had a problem with the fitting. I don't do much night riding but good for murky Sunday runs.