Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by [XAP]Bob »

wakou222 wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:
gentlegreen wrote:If only they made them to take four cells ...

The forward voltage of a high power white LED is about 3.3 volts - which doesn't leave much headroom - unless you use a fancy boost regulator ..


I think they're actually designed to take a lithium battery - but 3*AAA batteries fit and have similar enough properties...
Of course you could shorten the whole assembly and use an external power pack....


Could I just use a 18650 in the case?

Looks like about the right number. Assuming the lights have a little battery holder with positive terminal at end, and negative at the other then yes
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Phil_Lee
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by Phil_Lee »

wakou222 wrote:
Could I just use a 18650 in the case?


18500 would fit in place of one of those triple AAA holders - 18650 will almost certainly be too long.
If there is any such thing as a 22500 it would be even better.

LANDSURFER74 wrote:The discharge curve and the capicity of the batteries is not the issue .. the speed of the electrons either through the wire or along the outside of it (skin effect) is what makes the light bright...VOLTAGE RULES.... higher voltage, more light, less life ... it does not matter how much capacity your battery has ...1700, 2400 ,if it does not deliver voltage .... your lithium or gel cell can be the size of a house but if it is only 1.2v as opposed to a tiny aaa dry cell of 1.5 volts the aaa will always give the brightest light !! albeit for not long :)


You are missing the little matter of internal resistance, which limits the current that a cell can deliver. You can have all the volts you like, but if it doesn't cause current to flow it won't light anything up at all.
You mostly see that on car batteries, where they almost all deliver (nominal) 12v, but if you put a battery from an Austin mini into a Rover 3500, it can barely move the starter motor, much less spin it - it just can't deliver enough current.
As far as voltage in concerned, the problem with alkaline cells is that although they start out at a higher voltage than NiMH rechargeable cells, the voltage falls fairly quickly as the capacity is used. By the time an alkaline cell is half discharged, the voltage is LOWER than in the equivalent NiMH.
Battery manufacturers are like mustard makers - they make their fortunes on what people throw away, and that yellow glow from an alkaline powered halogen is what you get when you've used just over half of it!

So unless you replace your batteries when they are only half discharged, the average voltage over the life of the cell will be lower on an alkaline than a NiMH, which maintains it's voltage until it is almost completely discharged.

If you design the light to be most effective at a voltage that would be be typical of a semi-discharged alkaline, you'll need to put a limiter in there to avoid blowing the circuit when fresh batteries are installed.
thirdcrank
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by thirdcrank »

I think it's also important to consider what type of use is involved. Anything involving rechargeables requires following a recharging régime and that needs to fit in with the use. For example, I found my best commuting light (when I was within a year of retiring) to be a Cateye Daylight, with gell cell (lead/acid) battery. The lamp was in use on my ride in at least one direction for most of the year (only for a few weeks in midsummer can you commute on nights without lights) so I had chargers at home and at work and immediately put the battery on charge when I arrived after a ride in the dark. That system would be a PITA for occasional night rides. Other systems have their optimum use and there have been big advances in the 15 years since I retired. For an occasional user, dry cell batteries may be the optimum, especially as the popular sizes can be readily bought in supermarkets (with long opening times) and at many petrol stations. I don't suppose they are environmentally friendly, but that applies equally to rechargeables prematurely ruined by neglect.
Barrenfluffit
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by Barrenfluffit »

Bodging a mount seems a bit thorny on a drop bar bike with a bar bag. The bag shields anything mounted on the flats and other mounting points don't point the torch down at the right angle. Axle level is a bit low but using jubilee clips and a innertube to hold the torch doesn't give much adjustability. And having fixed it you want to be able to take it off when you get there...

Adapting the carry case might work but need a mount strong enough to keep the torch pointing in the right direction despite vibration and shocks.
SleepyJoe
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by SleepyJoe »

Mounting torches to handlebars will always require a bit of imagination. Throw in a handlebar bag on drop bars & mounting positions become more of a problem. I have just bought a cheap LED torch as a back up light and I wanted to mount it away from my centrally mounted main light. The theory being that two lights spatially seperated will be more visible to other road users. Therefore I bent up two metal strips into 'p-clips' and mounted the torch on the end of the drops. The P clips gives me vertical adjustment of the light and with the light hanging down, it is still visible from the front even with my hands on the drops. Only problem is that it tends to get knocked when I lean my bike against the wall and visibility from the other side of the road is obscured by the handlebars. Perhaps 2 torches, one on each drop would work better.
You can never have too many lights!
The only other option is to mount the light onto the front forks using the front rack mounting points (if fitted). These make a secure mounting point and don't allow the light to rotate around and tangle in the front wheel. Getting anything caught in the front wheel is never a good plan!
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Woodbridge Pete
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by Woodbridge Pete »

If you have a low-rider pannier mount on the forks, then use that to put a lamp mount on.
A long bolt through a 2" piece of 1" dia dowel would do.
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alanesq
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by alanesq »

I have a similar light to this (ebay) and I found there is enough space around the battery to allow me to drill a hole in the torch case and fit a countersunk bolt - this makes mounting the torch easier as it can then be solidly bolted directly onto something (in my case a handlebar mount from another light fitting.

btw - my light is from here - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270842268984? ... 1439.l2649

you can fit a 18650 rechargeable battery in these lights - they can be bought for around £2 and a decent charger for £6
Last edited by alanesq on 18 Dec 2011, 10:40am, edited 1 time in total.
Edwards
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by Edwards »

SleepyJoe wrote: Therefore I bent up two metal strips into 'p-clips' and mounted the torch on the end of the drops. The P clips gives me vertical adjustment of the light and with the light hanging down,


You have given me an idea. Use a P clip under the bar tape not at the end of the bars but further forward so that when the clip is rotated it also turns to give a horizontal adjustment.
Then with the light mounted on the inside of the bars it is not going to get knocked and move so easily. Height adjustment would be there in the angle that the 2 clips (or mounting brackets) are positioned.
Thank you sir.
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Tonyf33
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by Tonyf33 »

alanesq wrote:I have a similar light to this (ebay) and I found there is enough space around the battery to allow me to drill a hole in the torch case and fit a countersunk bolt - this makes mounting the torch easier as it can then be solidly bolted directly onto something (in my case a handlebar mount from another light fitting.

btw - my light is from here - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270842268984? ... 1439.l2649

That's interesting, can you show us the amount of light it throws and how long 3AAAs last on high beam?
alanesq
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Re: Aldi CREE torches (5W - £11)

Post by alanesq »

Tonyf33 wrote:That's interesting, can you show us the amount of light it throws and how long 3AAAs last on high beam?


Not sure how best to do that - I just tried it on my back garden where my camera just shows a completely black image with no light, with my usual light (which I consider a pretty good standard LED front light) it makes no difference. With the light above it shows the image below

When I received the camera I tested what current it was drawing with my multi meter and estimated a set of batteries should last an hour, but I have not had the light long enough to know yet (I tend to just use it for short periods when required)
BTW - The camera comes with an extension to the body for using a rechargeable battery which can be purchased separately - a friend has just ordered one of these

Image

BTW - I have discovered that it is best to but a bit of tape round the batteries when you install them, otherwise vibration tends to make the light switch modes
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