The voltage of the three aaa batteries is 4.5V but I can't find a rechargable cell any bigger than 3.7
Under a high current load, the voltage of non-rechargable AAAs will drop significantly below the nominal 1.5V.
This looks like a good deal: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130804284439
Same torch £4.98 off eBay.
Usually 7-10 days from HK
Old tech (Q5), but fine for the roads / paths I suppose
DoctorRad - MemberThe voltage of the three aaa batteries is 4.5V but I can't find a rechargable cell any bigger than 3.7
Under a high current load, the voltage of non-rechargable AAAs will drop significantly below the nominal 1.5V.
This looks like a good deal: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130804284439
That is a good deal and as someone said you don't need to go in to Aldi.
The seler has some other items including the same package with 18650 extension tubes so you can upgrade at a later date
This looks like a good deal: [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Cree-Q5-Torch-Bike-Light-Set-and-9-LED-rear-bike-light-18650-extensions-/130804559855?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Camping_LightsLanternsTorches&hash=item1e748f2fef ]Light Set[/url]
Rechargable NiMh batteries will be 1.2v and give poor light output.
Alkaline will give 1.5v but this will be reduced with a high current load and low temperature.
Lithium will give 1.5v and maintain this at high current and low temps, but are very pricey.
I use AAA alkalines from Poundland (6 for £1) and they are fine; just keep the torch in your pocket before use to keep the batteries warm.
PaulD
Just bought Cree light same as aldi version for 5.99 with free postage from eBay.
Did anyone find a suitable helmet bracket?
So are all 18650 batteries Lithium and the same power?
This could be useful?
Velcro Helmet Flashlight Light Mount Torch Mount Bike Light Holder Clamp
what about this Lezyne mount? Reckon it would work?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=86322
So are all 18650 batteries Lithium and the same power?
Yes - all Li-Ion but not all same mAh.
But honestly, more importantly than what someone claims and prints on the side: you want "protected" cells. Unltrafire or Trustfire do a good range (via DX and possibly ebay).
I'd pick from this review tbh (but being really honest I didnt and had one sparky smoker in the last few years).
http://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common18650Summary%20UK.html
Lastly, someone needs to have a word with the Chinese about marketing. Including the word FIRE in your brand for something with some negative incenderary connotations is, well....
#Edit - I forgot to say: I didnt buy the Aldi one. 3xAAAs either wont be as bright or last as long as an 18650. I've got a few over the years: this is the most recent incl 2 batts and charger and adapter (that runs cool) all for £11-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290778308356?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
"chorlton - Member
Looked in Aldi in Bury on Sunday but couldn't find any. They're like a jumble sale in those places."
loads in ramsbottom aldi on sunday.
couldashouldawoulda thanks for the great information. How long could I expect from the torch in your link and how long do the batteries take to charge as I think Ill be putting my order in, thanks
sp- Realistically it runs on "full" for about 70 mins after a few charge / discharge cycles (ie it decreases noticable after the first charges but then levels out). I qualify the "full" bit as it does dim slightly as the battery is depleted. Also it gets a little warm if no airflow when on high - bike use negates this.
On Med / Low I've never managed to run one out. During a power cut on holiday recently we eeked (?) 3 nights of cooking and socialising out on one battery on med. On a bike helmet I'd suggest a typlical climb on low, a cross country bit on med and fast downhill would easily get over 2 hours, nearly 3 hours from being careful. Double that if you bring the second battery.
Delivery took 2 weeks from China. Warranty would be a pita. But to me - after a few iterations of these cheap Chinese lights - this one in particular runs cool in the charger, comes with branded batteries and build quality is pretty ok-even good. It's also slightly spotty (not as bad as some), non-zoomable, and well for £11 I'd happily give / receive one as gift / recommmendation.
Couldashouldwoulda. If you get 1000 lumens outta that flashlight ill eat my hat.
So that led would need to be about a 10w cree to put out 1000 lumens after light loss.
I wouldn't really expect anything coming out of Hong Kong to be reall.
How easy is it to slap some ultra fire stickers round the batteries.
chief - good point - I've some hat eating to do.
It's bright, but that on ebay claim is bobbins.
To me it's a lot brighter than an SSC P7. Not as bright as a recent 2x2 18650 bike light. But for a single cell torch it's BRIGHT imho.
I've no idea if it's the brightest ever. But for me - just to reiterate the important bit- it's well enough built, it works, the charger doesnt smell like its about to implode and everything runs cool. And it's probably better than the Aldi one.
Erm, has anybody noticed how the original eBay link (from toptechmart) has now doubled in price today, just an observation as I booked marked it at work to order when I got home....
STW power anyone?
Ok guys I've just read the description and be careful if you get one of these.
The seller states that you should not overcharge or under discharge the batteries in usage but a true protected 18650 cannot be under discharged as the protection circuit will cut the power till its charged again.
Like is always said if it comes from Hong Kong direct without going thru a distributor in the uk and being very cheap it probably won't pass uk regulations.
Go one you tube and see what happens when you charge a cheap Hong Kong cell.
FIRE. FLAMES. BANG.
Has anyone tried the AAA torches with 1.2v std rechargeable batteries? Do they work?
But chief - you're getting ahead of yourself a bit. The actual batteries I got from that link are regulated.
I bought one from Aldi and really want to run it with 2 18650 rechargables but seems I need an extension bit or maybe I could bodge it with aluminium foil and insulation tape.
Yeah but what I'm saying is how good are they?
A regulated battery can't be over charged or over discharged.
Same circuits as laptop batteries due to the fact that li-ion batteries are one of the most volatile
Batteries around.
All I'm saying is guys please be careful. A li-ion battery shouldn't get warm at any stage so just keep an eye on it.
We don't want any posts regarding fires or missing body parts.
I'm a super skinflint so all in for getting things cheap but if its too cheap it can't be safe.
Picked 2 up from Aldi yesterday ( one for my mate ) and have mounted it on my helmet using the Inner Tube method previously posted ( sorry if ive nicked the patent 😉 )
Just been over the fields with my Vision One on the bars, and the Cree light makes a big difference.
Ive never used a Helmet Light before, but for the price is really good. Not as good of a Beam as the Hope but for £12 you cant argue 🙂
I am running some 1000 mAh AAA's in mine. Have no idea what the run time will be but the light is good.
I think cheif31 and I should maybe take this off line!
Just to be clear: I've had a "fire" with cheap chinese stuff before, so I'd agree with his sceptisism, but not for the link that I've linked to above. Just to be clear: these linked batteries are stamped as "protected" and despite that - being a dubious kinda chap I've tried over charging and over-discharing with this setup.
[img] 
[/img]
The cells I got have all shut down on under and overcharge and not got anywhere even near warm etc. So I'd stand by my recomendation. Basically, its £11, I wouldnt leave it (or anything) unattended the first few times you charge the batteries, but I'd still say its a safe-ish good vfm buy.
#Edit - Oh - the top doofer is a CPU that discharges and charges Lions etc and checks their health. You can set the charge / discharge rate and volts and it does all the rest. Used for work stuff mainly, but we kinda rely on it now for all sorts.
#Edit2 - The bottom doofer controls current: If anything goes over the set volts / amp- it trips out. Belt and braces etc.
1.21 gigawatts? 1.21 gigawatts? Great Scott! 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to power the flux capacitor
My head hurts time for bed 😯
Yeah I see your point but I was referring to the guys statement.
He say don't over charge or over discharge. Now when someone says that it means they either don't have a clue about protected batteries or they have inferior circuits.
Please tell me I'm wrong anyone.
Basically, you're wrong in this case.
Im no expert but Im sure the general rule of thumb with 18650 batteries is to steer clear of anything with "fire" in its name eg Ultrafire. Also avoid 4sevens. Ultrafire mah ratings are utter bollocks and with a bit of googling you'll find plenty of bad experiences with them.
If any of you are going down the 18650 route I suggest you buy only quality cells like AW,Redilast, EagleTac, Enerpower.
For the average Joe who doesn't want the hassle of a hobby charger for the above batteries look towards a Pila charger or at the very least an Intellicore i4 or Xtar
Avoid the 2 pin generic chargers like the plague.
Each to their own like but I feel more confident using a cell which I know is a genuine Panasonic cell with a Protected PCB that has a quality control system in place.
I have just tested the Aldi tourch with a new set of 1000mAh batteries from Asada and got 2 1/2 hours flat out before the light started to dim. I took the batteries out after 3 hours but there was still a little usable light coming from the touch, not enough to see with but enough to be seen.
that's standard rechargeable 1.2 volt rechargeables right?
thanks very much - be interesting to see if there is any difference in brightness (at least initially) between 1.2v rechargeable and 1.5v not rechargeable...
So I went with one of the Cree lights from ebay, 2 for a tenner. It arrived today and impressed with the quality etcetcetc blah blah
Now I want to run it with the 18650, rather than just aaa's, but it doesnt fit....should I bodge it to work?? or will it then explode and cause death?
[url] http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert-a-3xAAA-flashlight-to-a-Lithium-18650-cell/#intro [/url]
Bit of an odd question, but why bother?
Max mAh for 3 x AAA is 3 x 1100 mAh = 3300 mAh. For an 18650 battery it's between 2400 - 3000 mAh, usually. AAA rechargeable are nominally 1.2v and an 18650 is nominally 3.7v.
So it seems like energy stored and voltage would be about the same?
I may be missing something, but would you see any real benefit? Perhaps someone may be able to explain this to me!
you can't add up batteries mAh when in series can you?, surely, 3no 1.2V 1100mAh batteries in series will give 3.6v 1100mAh total?
Bit of an odd question, but why bother?
I have 18650 battery and charger and dont have any rechargeable AAAs so just a matter of pennies really.
Just received my torches from ebay. My batteries are stuck at the sorting office til tomorrow.
The torch has a AAA battery carrier inside it which is about 10mm longer than the AAA batteries, so hopefully it is acting as a reducer so an 18650 battery will replace the carrier.
I just tried it out with three fully charged but old Nihm batteries...best torch I've ever had. Shone it 12 metres down the garden and on the spot setting the lens is so clear it projects an enlarged image of the LED diode about a foot square on the fence. Shone it into the trees 25 metres away and its clear as day. Slide the bezel in and it opens into a nice wide even beam that will be great for general mooching about in the dark or searching for stuff in the loft.
And people are suggesting it could be even brighter with the 18650 battery compared to the rechargeable AAA's?!
Just noticed this. might be of use for anyone else looking to purchase these lights..
Energy storage is measured in Watt-hours. Watts are volt x amps.
3x AAA Ni-MH would typically be 3 x 1.2v x 1Ah = 3.6Wh
A single 18650 might be 3Ah x 3.7v = 11.1Wh
So, the 18650 typically has around three times the energy storage of 3x AAA Ni-MH.
Ahah. Clever. Good luck then mechmonkey. Perhaps one of these?
Although TBH if you've spent £10 on a torch it seems daft to spend another £5 just to use another battery...
For a cheap light this torch has got an awesome beam.
The back of my garden is approx 80 feet from my front door and it lights up my
Permanent gazebo superbly.
stonser - I'd have a stab at the sciency bit - but given that noone on here is selling you X or Y then maybe listen to a summary. I only ride a bike here and there really, but enough to have a discussion with others. So:
3xAAA rechargable are good.
3xAAA disposable are really good.
1x18650 is really really good.
2x 18650 or 2x2x1850 is insanely good.
And my definition of good is simply bright x duratoin.
Going back to my original point - an Aldi torch is probably a good bit of kit. For £12 you have other choices.
#Edit - that's open to anyone else to discuss / disagree. There are undoubtably better deals out there.
