Help me pick a torch for $15! :)

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

Hey all,

I'm new to this forums and currently looking at buying an LED torch for cheap. Got a budget of $15, but $20 is the absolute maximum I can go if it's worth it. Note that $15/$20 includes shipping costs as well. I live in Perth, Australia :)

At the moment, got my eyes on these:

Ultrafire C3 with Holster - What do you guys think?

Might also change the rubber cap to a glow in the dark one, like this:

Glow in the Dark Tail caps 14mm Green 10 Pack - Will they fit on the Ultrafire C3?

The Ultrafire C3 seems to get a lot of good reviews on DealExtreme, and they're only $10 or so, including free shipping, so I'm pretty set on them.

Also, I learnt they use a brand of LEDs called Cree, which apparently are quite popular among high quality flash lights, if I'm not mistaken :)

Some questions I hope you'll answer as well:

  • What is the 1*14500 thing?
  • There seems to be different variants of the Ultrafire C3 and not all of them use the Cree P4. Can someone please shed some light on this?
  • Can someone also please link to me somewhere that has a nice diagram of the inside of a torch? I'm new to electronics and already thinking of modding my new torch that I haven't even bought yet!

Cheers! :)

Really appreciate your time in reading this,

Kelvin

2

PS, the glow in the dark tailcaps isn't a MUST, but WOULD be a great plus, since the main purpose of it is being able to locate it in the dark. For emergency purposes :)

Thanks!

3

Just one tip, most cheap GID tailcaps do not shine that much, the ones I have tested are hardly visible after some 10-20min having excited them previously.

4

And what do you think about those? Similar sizes, same price range, other functions and power...

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/uniquefire-aa-s1-3w-osram-160-lumen-led-flashlight-1-aa-1-14500-24220?r=43033281

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/skyray-s-a1-cree-xpe-q3-5-mode-160-lumen-memory-led-flashlight-1-aa-1-14500-33544?r=43033281

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire-r5-a3-cree-xp-e-r5-3-mode-230-lumen-memory-led-flashlight-1-aa-1-14500-39062?r=43033281

All of them work with AA or 14500 with no issue, and they have GITD tailcap

5

[quote=yavi]

Just one tip, most cheap GID tailcaps do not shine that much, the ones I have tested are hardly visible after some 10-20min having excited them previously.

[/quote]


Darn, always a catch :(

Thanks for the heads up :)

6

Welcome to BLF.

Here's a review on the Ultrafire C3 http://light-reviews.com/uf_c3/

For general information on Lights, LED's, Drivers etc the Flashlight Wiki is great starting point http://flashlight-wiki.com/

I don't own a C3 so I can't help you with the GITD tailcap question.

A '14500' is a rechargable lithium (4.2V) AA sized battery..not all AA sized lights can use them.

I'm sure that someone else will be along to help you with more info.

(Edit: they were......and can type faster than I can)

7

Thanks for the quick replies, guys. Really appreciate it :)

Now I know what the 14500 are haha :D

Also, I only want a Single Mode kind of click. What I mean is On/Off and NOT On/Blink/Off/SOS kind of thing, if you get what I mean :)

8

This is single mode, tailstands, has clip, GITD tailcap... AA/14500 support

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/uniquefire-aa-s1-3w-osram-160-lumen-led-flashlight-1-aa-1-14500-24220?r=43033281

9

There's always the 'good ol' Sipik SK68 http://www.dealextreme.com/p/sipik-sk68-cree-q3-wc-120-lumen-convex-lens-led-flashlight-black-1-aa-1-14500-39585

AA or 14500, single mode, flood to throw and cheap as chips........it's also built like a brick and one of the most popular 'starter' lights around here.

10

[quote=fran82]

This is single mode, tailstands, has clip, GITD tailcap... AA/14500 support

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/uniquefire-aa-s1-3w-osram-160-lumen-led-flashlight-1-aa-1-14500-24220?r=43033281

[/quote]

Cheers man, that looks perfect and quite cheap too! Might even be able to get 2 :D

One question: Does it come with a rechargeable battery or do I have to supply that myself?

You guys are great, I really appreciate the help :)

11

This is my current favorite in that category/price:

http://www.tmart.com/UltraFire-BJ08A-3W-180-Lumens-Q5-Aluminum-LED-Flashlight_p100886.html

12

No, the batteries must be got by you

These are the 14500 http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire-protected-14500-3-7v-900mah-rechargeable-lithium-batteries-2-pack-26124?r=43033281

And these are different NiMh batts:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/rechargeable-1-2v-2000mah-ni-mh-aa-batteries-pair-91267?r=43033281 AA BTone 2000mAh PACK of 2

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/btone-rechargeable-1-2v-2100mah-aa-batteries-4-piece-pack-91886?r=43033281 AA BTone 2100mAh PACK of 4

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/rechargeable-1-2v-2500mah-aa-batteries-4-piece-pack-91363?r=43033281 AA BTone 2500mAh PACK of 4

Yes, I forgot to mention these

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/sipik-sk68-cree-q3-wc-120-lumen-convex-lens-led-flashlight-grey-1-aa-1-14500-39584?r=43033281 Sipik Sk68 gray

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/sipik-sk68-cree-q3-wc-120-lumen-convex-lens-led-flashlight-black-1-aa-1-14500-39585?r=43033281 Sipik Sk68 black

But they have not GITD tailcap

13

Very few of these lights come with batteries, and those that do usually come with..er..rubbish cells.

14

We really need to know what you will be using the light for. And if you want modes. 14500's are lithium ion batteries that will only work in certain lights. They provide higher output and longer runtime for most. I would recommend a light with at least a q5 or r2 led like this one.

15

[quote=Tas62]

There's always the 'good ol' Sipik SK68 http://www.dealextreme.com/p/sipik-sk68-cree-q3-wc-120-lumen-convex-lens-led-flashlight-black-1-aa-1-14500-39585

AA or 14500, single mode, flood to throw and cheap as chips........it's also built like a brick and one of the most popular 'starter' lights around here.

[/quote]

That looks great as well!
Which would you pick? This one has more reviews than the one previously linked (UniqueFire AA-S1).

I've got Duracell charger at home that charges both AA and AAA batteries. Is it OK to use these batteries?:

Specs: 2650mAh, 1.2V, AA


16

BAH! So many options, can't choose LOL

What do you guys think?


I'm sure this battery will work fine:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire-protected-14500-3-7v-900mah-rechargeable-lithium-batteries-2-pack-26124

Will I be able to charge this with my Duracell charger? :)

17

The usual advice around here is 'Get 'em both'..but seriously it's just a matter of which one you like the look of, they're both quite good value.

Those batteries sound OK for your current needs, but you'll probably end up with heaps more.

(Edit The 14500 need a dedicated 4.2V charger..Trustfire TR-001 is a popular choice )

http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/trustfire-multifuctional-charger-fir-10430-10440-16340-17670-18650-cr123a-us-plug-p-1205

18

UPDATE!

OK, so I checked my Duracell battery charger and it says to only charge NiMH batteries. Other batteries may explode or leak.

Guess that leaves me with NiMH batteries only :( Shame, as the Li-Ion ones looked like they'll do the job good. I don't have the cash to fork out for a Li-Ion battery charger as well :(


So far, I think this looks good:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/uniquefire-s10-cree-r2-wc-220-lumen-led-flashlight-black-1-aa-1-14500-30987

19

No, you need this http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire-tr-001-multi-purpose-lithium-battery-charger-12594?r=43033281

20

I really can't afford to fork out more for a charger and all that guys. I'll see maybe when I get some money, I can talk to my dad about this. We require some torches around the house just in case for emergencies as well.

So right now, I think we should ignore the batteries/charger first and decide which 1*14500 flashlight to get.


Got my eyes on:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/uniquefire-s10-cree-r2-wc-220-lumen-led-flashlight-black-1-aa-1-14500-30987