opposite of MTQG - lights on a budget...

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opposite of MTQG - lights on a budget...

17 posts & 8 voices | Started 10 months ago by hungry monkey | Latest reply from chriswilk

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magicshine

hungry monkey - Member

sure its been done a million and one times, and i'm sure the dx extreme (or whatever they are) ones will be the winner, but... lights on a budget?

budget of around £100, and i want them to run on AAs (i won't be buying anything which uses a recharger - they're impractical for 24hr solos). need to include a helmet mount too.

there's the hope vision 1, 240 lumens - not that bright, but i reckon its enough.

dx something or other - can someone provide me with an appropriate, non-ebay link?

someone suggested diving torches - they use the same tech/LEDs etc, but they've been doing so for years, and so are cheaper?

any other ideas?

thanks!

Posted 10 months ago #
5thElefant - Member

budget of around £100, and i want them to run on AAs (i won't be buying anything which uses a recharger - they're impractical for 24hr solos). need to include a helmet mount too.

If you have 8 hours battery life you don't need a recharger. Or two 4 hour batteries.

Posted 10 months ago #
edd - Member

I'm selling my Hope Vision 2 lights, £45 posted. They are the enduro version so have two batteries (ie a spare battery). Unfortunately the batteries are definitely well past their best but for £45 it's a good deal.

EDIT:
I’ve still got the box and instructions, can take a photo on Saturday. My e-mail is:

Posted 10 months ago #
z1ppy - Member

Dealextreme's P7 or XM-L torches tend to run on rechargable 18650 batteries (cheap as chips though, and mine have lasted 3/4 years now), rather than AA's. Though no doubt it possible to locate one on there site that runs on AA's.... but you can search it out!

Posted 10 months ago #
hungry monkey - Member

5thElefant - more than 8 hours darkenss at relentless, unfortunately! am also hoping to avoid having to buy multiple batteries for it too.

edd - sounds good, but prefer new, tbh

Posted 10 months ago #
z1ppy - Member

A Magicshine XML unit with a couple of batteries maybe three would see you through the night (lots of power options on the lights) & would be significantly more light than most units available for £300...
Smudge was flogging some, and could probably easily supply a couple of spare batteries.

Posted 10 months ago #
5thElefant - Member

5thElefant - more than 8 hours darkenss at relentless, unfortunately! am also hoping to avoid having to buy multiple batteries for it too.

edd - sounds good, but prefer new, tbh

Don't dismiss 'normal' bike lights. Stick them on dip and they'll last a very long time. Not sure what's on the market at the moment but my £100 home-build setup will do 400 lumens for 25 hours on one battery.

EDIT: This one (mentioned above): here...

6 hours on medium (500 lumens).
30 hours on low (100 lumens).

Use it on medium and swap to low for slow climbs - job done for £67.

Posted 10 months ago #
Stu - Member

Tom - Do you really need more than 8 hours burn time for doing three laps and chatting to the marshals?

Posted 10 months ago #
hungry monkey - Member

i like to think i do Stu

i'll look into these XMLs - sound interesting, and i'll try and find smudge's contact details too.

wish i had the know-how for a home-build!

Posted 10 months ago #
rondo101 - Member

http://www.torchythebatteryboy.com/p/professional-range.html

Posted 10 months ago #
z1ppy - Member

Smudge

Posted 10 months ago #
steviegil - Member

I have a couple of p7 torches from deal extreme, how does smudge's set up above compare to them?

Posted 10 months ago #
z1ppy - Member

Back garden test only, compared to a P7 torch & a P7 Magicshine, it's significantly brighter & bigger spot - yet to take it out for obvious reasons. Brighter than my Trout Mini too but not by much (last years mini, it might have been upgraded since). I think Trout might have posted a thread about it on here somewhere

Posted 10 months ago #
steviegil - Member

Cheers buddy, seems like a good buy so I may as well get one:-)

Posted 10 months ago #
z1ppy - Member

Better info here posted by Trout.

Posted 10 months ago #
hungry monkey - Member

i knew this would get confusing! smudge's and the torchy ones look good - although i can't find prices or contact details for torchy yet...

reckon's there's plenty to be looking at there!!

Posted 10 months ago #
chriswilk - Member

I've just got a Smudge one for a mate.
First impressions are that it looks similar to the DX ones, but general build quality is better.
Light output is good but I've not ridden with it yet.

Posted 9 months ago #

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