Gav888

Hi,

I am looking for a torch that has a 3hr runtime on high setting that I can use to mount on my helmet, I will be using it for forest rides.

I'm was thinking of a lamp with a seperate battery back, like a MJ808e, but I am not too keen on the lead going down my back to my backpack so if there is a torch alternative I would prefer that....

Is there anything out there?

Cheers

Papa Wheelie

I just picked up one of these no-name LED lights straight outta China. 1200 lumens of LED light, 3 hr run time (longer on low setting), and it was $50 USD shipped. Kind of "disposable" at that price.

It does have a battery pack, but I run my light on my bar, and mount the battery to the frame.


(Having trouble linking picture, so do this
www.ebay.com and put in the item# 110806861188

ed 

Gav888...just to keep the confusion to a minimum...a "torch" is a handheld flashlight. A bike light is a bike light. You can get a bar mount, helmet mount, etc...

kenhill3

If I were a Brit, I would certainly be calling a bike light a torch, albeit a vernacular term.

Gav888

Thanks mate, I was actually going to get one of those for the bar, but didnt want to use another one of these on the helmet. Out of interest how is it, I was thinking of putting a wide angle lens on it so I have a good flood light on the bar, then a couple of the other torchs on the helmet for throw.

Helmet wise, I was thinking of this type of light - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UltraFire-...item3a6f0a8a19 as it's all self contained and I already have a couple of mounts that I can use, problem is I haven't seen this type of light that lasts longer than 2 hrs on high?

Ps, its called a torch

globecanvas

https://www.exposurelights.com/produc...joystick-mk.6/

I do a lot of night MTB and the group I ride with has tried just about every possible light configuration. We like these for helmet lights. I get 3+ hours out of it at the brighest setting. Also it is super lightweight. However it is very pricey.

jimc101

If you are in the UK, Hope or Exposure are the best bets which can be purchased from most good LBS's, Trout lights and others are good as well, but can be harder to get hold of.

The 3 hr run time is doable with a lot of lights with larger battery packs, currently I run a Hope Vision 2 with standard battery, on handlbars, which gets 2.5-3 hrs a charge, and a Dinottie 200L with factory LED upgrade as a headlight, which will do 2.5 hrs max on full beam.

With the DX lights, they look to be good value, but would not want to run them off road, as have tried them on road, and they don't put out a good enough beam spread, or nearly enough light, the more expensive ones also have a nasty habbit of failing at the worst moment. What ever you get, if you want a good light(s) you need to budget £150 minium probably more like £300 for a basic pair or handle and head.

Any good Exposure stockest will have a demo set where you can try out their range which will give you an idea of what fits your needs

For them being called a light or torch, as soon as it's left you hand, and is installed on the bike, it's no-longer a torch, it's a bike light / lights

cbchess

I got something very close to this from deal extreme
https://www.dealextreme.com/p/ultrafi...-x-18650-57007

The light I got used the 18650 battery - a super rechageable battery that lasts long and is very strong. My light has 5 modes - low, med and high and two flashing modes. I had to put a small strip of athletic tape on the battery to make it be nice and sug inside the light. I got mine 3 + years ago and it is still going stong. I've dropped it many times in the road. I use it for dog walks and its brighter than most car headlights.

I did take the swtich apart once and cleaned it up to stop a bit of flickering.
read the reviews on the site they will steer you in the right direction.

I got and extra battery and a cheap little charger and I rotate batteries.

mine was called the MTE SSC -7
they don't sell it any more but this is close
https://www.dealextreme.com/p/ssc-p7-...ht-18650-12271

I got this charger
https://www.dealextreme.com/p/digital...y-charger-6105

for like 6 bucks
and two batteries.
I just check I got it in 2009 so its lasted a good bit.
900 lumens
2 to 5+ hour run time depending on setting.
super bright
rechargeable.

A note on Deal extreme. They have free shipping and super cheap, but it took 2 weeks plus to get my goods. no big deal. I ordered something from them a year later that was on back order and I cancelled it and they refunded my promptly. good communication.

Papa Wheelie

My light/torch/whatever works pretty damn good. The reflector around the light creates mostly a beam, with enough flood, that it works perfectly on the mtn bike. The ONLY THING I don't care for is that an LED does not dim. As it looses power, it does not flicker, it simply goes out. I was on the trail when that happened, and it was scary until I got stopped. I was not going all that fast, but it was still very uncomfortable.

For the price, it was exactly what I was hoping for.

kenhill3

I'm definitely not a Brit.

Are the Exposure and Hope lights made in China like the rest?

jimc101

Hope make everything in Barnsoldwick Lancashire, UK , https://www.hopetech.com/page.aspx?itemID=SPG3, USE Exposure also in the UK https://www.exposurelights.com/company/

lubes17319

Amoeba: 3+hr run time (6/9/12-hr batteries also available), made in CO by a cyclist & shipped world-wide.

ed 

It isn't as pretty...but this is the best bang for your buck. Best performance for your coin. I've done my research.

gbg

I thought the advantage of a "torch" is you can carry a couple of extra batteries in your pocket and switch them if you need to.
Basically 2x 3x your run time with 2 to 4 little batteries.

Jeepnut22 

I run two Dinotte 400Ls on my handle bars off of one Dinotte larger battery. I have gotten over 3 hours of total burn time on high on that 2 light setup. My Jet Lite HID 1000 Blast gets just under 3 hours regularly off of their NiCad battery.

ed 

FYI...you're getting approx 650-700 actual lumens outta that one. You can't squeeze 1200lm out of an SSC P7 emitter. It's not possible. Anybody can label a light 1200lm, but to actually achieve that...you're going to have to move into something else like an SST90 or a dual XM-l setup. Unfortunately...the SST's are probably even less efficient than the SSC P7, so the battery to be able to push 1200 true lumens would be probably a 6-8cell 18650 pack. (double the magic shine)

OP: If you google "troutie" or "trout light", you will find a man who can build you what you want, but be prepared to pay for it. If I were set up, I'd build you one. Since the move...I'm without a lathe...and I don't have a rotary table for my home made mill.

ed 

This is one of many. An advantage of a seperate lamp head / battery pack though...smaller physical size. The lamp head can be the size of your thumb and mounted at the front of the helmet, while the battery pack smaller than a pack of cigarettes and mounted at the back of the helmet. Keeps everything off the top where limbs can reach out and grab...keeps the weight moderately centered.

samburger

I was actually going to ask you about that a few weeks ago, but then I remembered you had to return the lathe to whomever loaned it to you. Speak up if you ever get back to it, I'd definitely throw some business your way for one of those quarter-sized lights.

Papa Wheelie

Thank you! I have had a couple of buddies ask about it, and I don't want to be feeding them some mis-information. I will now be MUCH CLOSER to a true respresentation as to what it is.

Again, thank you.

ed 

MFGR's are allowed to do this to people in the light world for some reason. I was going to buy some raw cells to build a battery pack. I was going to order 3000mAh cells. They were labeled as such. Come to find out, they were only 1000mAh cells. The "name" of the cell was (company name) + 3000mAh. Freakin' shady IMO. Daggum Chinese companies trying to take advantage of ignorance in a sneaky way.


It'd be like calling a car the 2011 Dodge Challanger Hemi RT 650hp. It would just be the name...and the Challanger would still be 475hp.

JB01245

Hey, I am Scar from MTBR, the Amoeba bike light guy. Been seeing a bunch of hits on my blog from this thread.

Thanks for the shout out lubes17319 and the good words ed!



These are some of the reasons some people purchase my lights -

1. - Size
2. - Weight
3. - Non proprietary batteries
4. - Customer service
5. - Made by someone who uses his lights on an almost daily basis and knows the importance of reliability and has the same passion for biking.
6. - Built will lots of "personal pride"

Been building lights for over 4 years now. Got lights all around the world. Let me know if you have any questions.


***

ed 

Scar is a good guy. He's building great quality stuff that lasts a long time and out performs the mass produced crap out there.




(ed=chelboed)

MadMechanic

I know there are brighter lights out there ,but I have one of these that I built a handlebar mount for. It takes 3 AAA batteries and is pretty much waterproof and lasts a long time.

https://www.ledlenser.com/product/v2_dual_color

I just use the energizer rechargeable AAA batteries to save money. It depends on what you want but this light works well for me and has other uses. I also made a mount for my gun for it. its a great little led light.

sknhgy 

I have a Shiningbeam MC-E that I nearly always run on medium mode. On high I get an hour. Pretty sure I get a solid three hours out of medium. I would think medium would work fine for a helmet mounted light used on trails.

Burton

I'm thinking even a 3hr runtime is short. Rechargable batteries gradually lose capacity over their lifetime and a 60% capacity will only give 2hrs runtime. Personally I started with a 6.5Ahr Lipo battery at 450g and an 8hr runtime powering a 10W LED lamp that puts out an effective 700+ lumens.