Go Back   Bream Master Forums > General Bream Forums > Bream Anglers Tavern

Bream Anglers Tavern Drop in here if you're just surfing with a beer in your hand. Good place to just hang out...



Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 15-05-2019, 01:02 PM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
$200 Head torch versus $20 unit (brief test)

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 15-05-2019, 09:16 PM
Piscateur's Avatar
Piscateur Piscateur is offline
Blue Lip
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 3,207
That $20 torch is pretty impressive
__________________
May all your evenings rise
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 15-05-2019, 09:36 PM
Mark M's Avatar
Mark M Mark M is offline
Dead Set Legend
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: WA Chapter of the Coffin Dodgers
Posts: 2,764
"...shed too much light..." (pun itended?)

not bad for twenny buks.
__________________
Hey Bear,
let me out...
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 16-05-2019, 12:57 AM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
Quote:
Originally Posted by Piscateur View Post
That $20 torch is pretty impressive
Yeah durability and battery life were 2 things i didnt test but well see how it pans out.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 16-05-2019, 12:58 AM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark M View Post
"...shed too much light..." (pun itended?)

not bad for twenny buks.
Only the sharpest tools would pick up on that reference
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 16-05-2019, 06:57 AM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
Just got some feed back from a bloke whose been using a similar unit for 5 years without problem

I must have been too rough with mine and dislodged the wiring by pulling to hard on the light to get it out of a bag - (the soldering job on the wiring was dodgy though) so If you look after these lights - they could be a real option.

not saying there arent better lights out there - just saying these might be a legitimate option based on intended use
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 920.jpg (35.9 KB, 2 views)
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 16-05-2019, 06:58 PM
purple5ive purple5ive is offline
Big Bream
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 851
thats a good little unit mate, might come in handy on the boat for sure..
how long does the charge last?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 16-05-2019, 08:52 PM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
Quote:
Originally Posted by purple5ive View Post
thats a good little unit mate, might come in handy on the boat for sure..
how long does the charge last?
Thats were these package deals with unbranded 18650 batteries usually run into trouble

They quite often overstate the battery power on these units.

I'll charge mine up and let it run tonight to see how long it lasts.

Also the case that holds the battery in has a flimsy flexible rectangular rubber seal - and the plugs that cover the charging port are pretty flimsy aswell - So it isnt the most water resistant torch. But as long as you know this and be mindful of it - it should be a massive issue - but if I was going out in heavy rain or spray Imight not use this torch - and if I did I'd wrap the seals in duct tape

Last edited by yellow door 1; 16-05-2019 at 09:09 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 17-05-2019, 12:46 AM
BloodWorm's Avatar
BloodWorm BloodWorm is offline
Blue Lip
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,366
Got a couple of these.

https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/ill...ead-torch.html

They are super handy in the boat and only take a AA battery
__________________
Supporting The Jig Man
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 17-05-2019, 02:18 AM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
Quote:
Originally Posted by BloodWorm View Post
Got a couple of these.

https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/ill...ead-torch.html

They are super handy in the boat and only take a AA battery
Yeah I'd only ever recommend these really bright torches to someone who really needed a really bright torch

18650 batteries cant be bought at the local servo and the market is rife with knock offs and lies - the reputable brands are very expensive - so you have to take that into consideration when purchasing.

If you just want a head torch to tie knots with and look around the boat - you dont need these super powerful units.

But if you use them to spot fish and bait schools off bridges at night - you are going to need at least 1000 lumens and a focus-able beam. (theres times when many more lumens would be handy but you start need huge battery packs to sustain them for more than a couple of hours)

So the head torches I choose are a compromise between weight and the amount of life I can get from the battery pack. But I've never found myself saying "geez I wish this torch wasnt so bright" when spotting fish.

I would much prefer to run all my torches off AA rechargeable in ideal world due to ease of purchase and I know what I'm getting with Energizer and Duracell.

My charger handles all types of batteries but alot dont, so you have to take that into consideration aswell.

The Head torch game is all about compromises - all my head torches have energy efficient modes I use for tying knots but I wouldnt buy one that couldnt be used for spotting fish

Last edited by yellow door 1; 17-05-2019 at 04:43 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 17-05-2019, 04:41 AM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
I'm reluctant to share this Vid, as my camera sucks in low light - but there might be something in it.

White light tends to illuminate the hell out of an area - but yellow light gives a truer representation of the colours you would see in day light - and for what its worth - I find when I'm spot lighting fish - they are much more likely to spook on a white light than a yellow light


Last edited by yellow door 1; 17-05-2019 at 04:48 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 17-05-2019, 06:21 AM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
After a 90 min constant battery test on full power - it seriously weakened the beam to the point where it sucks

after 3 hours you could still tie knots with it but not much else.

after 4 hours you'd have to squint to tie knots��

Last edited by yellow door 1; 17-05-2019 at 07:20 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 17-05-2019, 07:55 AM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
Quote:
Originally Posted by purple5ive View Post
thats a good little unit mate, might come in handy on the boat for sure..
how long does the charge last?
Ok so the results are in - as suspected the battery's are junk - they actually performed worse than I expected.

I tested them after 80 mins on full power and there was already a noticeable loss in brightness.

They deteriorated quickly after that.

But a bloke who ran genuine panasonic batteries was a big wrap for the torches - so theres a good chance its just the fake mislabeled batteries that suck.

The torch seems to be capable of putting out the brightness required - as long is there is enough power to maintain it - the fake batteries that come standard cant do this for long
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 17-05-2019, 08:41 AM
yellow door 1's Avatar
yellow door 1 yellow door 1 is offline
LEGEND Unicorn
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: melbourne
Posts: 14,598
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:33 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Google