A friend ask me if i want to join hid team for a non-stop 24h bike race. Obviously the first thing that came up in my mind is "I need a flashlight that can run for at least 3 hour, with "standard" batteries (no li-ion), without having a battery pack and with a great output because the race is in a wood and i need to light-up a huge area to avoid obstacle in time.
So here's the problem:
- A lot of light
- "Standard" batteries (AA or AAA) - if it possible but this is not mandatory
- At least 3h on high mode
- Without battery pack
- Cheap because i need one flashlight for each bike
The request on battery is because AA and AAA battery are cheaper (i can buy a lot of them and change battery every three hour) and more easy to carry.
Any suggestion is really welcome...
"There are always new jobs, women, and apartments......there is only ONE BLF." - Chicago X (27/03/2012)
Fenix TK-40 , its not small .... and its not CHEAP !
What you ask for on the cheap ? I dont think it exists ...
A XM-L on a 18650 might give you what you ask for on medium setting ...
And cheaping out , could be a huge mistake .. Your talking a lot of abuse for the light - being a bike race an all .. Rough ground ? [ off road ? ] = abuse .
You might want a dedicated bike light + battery pack , or you might be racing in the dark .
Why dont you let us know what your looking at .
Always remember , the easiest thing in the world to do , is to expel hot air from your lungs and through some vocal chords ..
The resulting sound may , or may not be worth listening too ….
The problem is if you're going with AA's then getting it to last 3hours either means not much light or many batteries.
There are a few 3xAA lights, but I suspect they are made for output rather than run time.
If you invest in a reliable solution, there is a big chance you can resell the light to one of the competitors right after the race. I'm sure you could sell it at least for the same price, even it's used.
"like everyone else - I’m looking for my next “last” flashlight" - ohnonothimagain
No referral links and nothing embedded . . . ever.
 
Let us know how you do.
I wounder if Fenix would like to sponser a team? Might be worth a try.
Thanks for the advice.
I suppose would be difficult (impossible) to find a flashlight with the features i need.
Fenix would be a good choice but we are a small team and we have not many money to spend.
At this point i can consider also 18650 battery but not battery pack.
This morning i was thinking about a multiple flashlight solution. For example 2 flashlight with an R5 emitter and 18650 battery can give me twice the runtime and, in case i need it, i can turn on both light to have maximum output.
1 fenix tk45 = 152$ Vs 2 skyray S-R5 = 40$
What do you think?
"There are always new jobs, women, and apartments......there is only ONE BLF." - Chicago X (27/03/2012)
Yep . That's the Budget Way .
What I do
What's wrong with a batterypack? If you need a lot of light for a long time it is the only solution. A set with 4 18650 cells is not that heavy.
This will be brighter than two R5 flashlights: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/mj-808e-ha-iii-cree-xm-lt60-3-mode-1000-lumen-led-bike-light-set-4x18650-57100 . The only problem is the stupid "SOS" mode, you will never need it on the bike (or maybe you do need it if you end up in the woods after you have hit something because the light was too weak...)
www.barthuysmans.smugmug.com
I never try a battery pack but i think it's another device that i have to keep in place for 24 h of bumping. If i lost it during the race or if i break it, would be a big trouble. Consider also that on a race like this the chance to fall are pretty high so it's not so difficult to damage something. In other condition the battery back would be the best solution.
"There are always new jobs, women, and apartments......there is only ONE BLF." - Chicago X (27/03/2012)
On medium it has a good output? Did you ever measure the runtime on High and on Medium?
"There are always new jobs, women, and apartments......there is only ONE BLF." - Chicago X (27/03/2012)
I havent done much in the way of bike riding , so Im not sure how much spill you need .
The ultrafire RL-198 offers good throw , regulation and low current draw [ 1A ] on high , 3 modes with no blinky stuff . and XP-G R5
How long are the nights ?
Anyhow , after chosing a light .. You need to find enough batteries to get you through the night ..
+ Carry a spare battery on you [ Battery case needs to be sturdy and safe ]
PS/ I really like that helmet mount ,
Once you chose a light , test current draw , output etc , heck take it for a test run .
You want to know before hand when and how many battery changes need to be made ..
Skyray - Output , depends on the drop in .... I would suggest XM-L T6 drop in , run in medium setting . Would be around 200 to 300 lumen depending on the individual drop in and current draw would be around the 1A mark
Always remember , the easiest thing in the world to do , is to expel hot air from your lungs and through some vocal chords ..
The resulting sound may , or may not be worth listening too ….
I just had a thought, whic might be a little out of the box....
How about instead of one light that takes multiple cells and costs a fortune - multiple cheaper lights. I assume you have straight(ish) handle bars for this kind of riding?
You could probably go with anything up to 6 single AA lights, in suitbable holders. I'm certain someone would be able to point you at a reliable light with a mode that will last 3hrs.
The other option I was thinking was a couple (or more) of L2R's >here< these take 2xAA and a p60 drop in, which means you can choose a drop in with a suitable output/duration. This looks to be a sensible drop in - http://www.solarforce-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=RB&s=10&id=37 although I have no experiance of it...so perhapse someone could chime in if they do.
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eep...my spell checker is not working for some reason...just pretend things are spelt right
Thanks Be Seen Triker! Your tips are always useful! I'll talk with the other and then we'll decide.
"There are always new jobs, women, and apartments......there is only ONE BLF." - Chicago X (27/03/2012)
Remeber that cnqualitygoods dosen't do free shipping - Probably another $15 ontop of that price.