Currently AU$61.03, use code dbdb2b to bring it down to AU$40.69 which is pretty good price for this excellent build quality flash light. Very bright and clear focused beam.
Referee gets $2 in coupons. Referrer gets 10% off (if referee spends over US$10)
Agreed. It's called standby current drain, if you leave 2 fully charged 18650 3400mAh batteries in it they will be completely depleted after half a year.
Yeah, standby drain is 350uA, it is bad compared to some other torches that can do <100uA, but doesn't really bother me.
Apparently this torch has a battery drain issue even when turned off, to fix you need to unscrew the cap from th……
The torch doesn't have a battery drain issue but it does have an electronic switch with LEDs.
To FIX this you don't have to unscrew the cap but all you do is press a button to put the torch into a sleep mode. All this is in the manual.
By the way, the nitecore D4 charger on zapals is currently AU$29.54 shipped just in case anyone is looking for a good quality 18650 charger.
link https://www.zapals.com/nitecore-d4-smart-battery-charger-w-lcd-for-li-ion-ni-mh-nicd-lifepo4.html
thanks, been looking for a good charger…ordered one
just wondering did it comes with the battery? thanks
edit: from the listing, it said not included :(
Plus one from me, I will hold off myself as I need some self control (wife already thinks I'm nuts from the number of torches I have). But This deal is a good brand name torch that I'm sure truly lives up to it's specs and by using 2 batteries it will have pretty good run time vs most others torches.
Although I am still after a good headlamp deal, the Fenix HP12 looks like a good balanced one. I would imagine that the others with led and battery on the front would be a bit front heavy.
I don't own any headlamps myself at the moment, but this one I was reading about over a r/flashlight seems like a good deal; especially once you factor in the discount code.
https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/comments/4yj180/zero_rev…
I have a few torches but I don't know which 18650 batteries and charger to use. You hear all these things about lithium batteries catching fire. Can anyone recommend a safe well made hopefully not breaking the bank battery, and charger? Can be a bundle or separate. Is the D4 stated above good?
Panasonic 18650B button top batteries are very good.
Buy button top batteries, NOT FLAT top.
Also buy protected batteries.
You can get 4 x 18650B 3400mah button top batteries on EBAY for about $50 from an Australian seller.
You can get them for a fair bit less on Banggood, Gearbest etc BUT many of those sites no longer can post the batteries to Australia.
See for example:
http://www.gearbest.com/batteries/pp_189833.html
The D4 is good but get a genuine one - there are many fakes.
I'm not a battery expert, but from the bits I've read any of the well known brands (LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony) are OK. Make sure you get it from a reputable shop, and stay away from any of the too-cheap-too-be-true deals. Around $9-$15 per battery seems to be going rate. The charger mentioned is good. Also look at XTAR chargers.
Also buy protected batteries.
Just be careful, some protected batteries have slightly different dimensions and might not fit.
Most torches are designed to use protected button top batteries.
You are more likely to have trouble with flat top unprotected batteries than you are with button top protected ones.
Flat top batteries aren't supposed to be used in flashlights at all - they are designed for use in powerbanks and similar.
Actually plenty have trouble with some protected batteries. Its a fair point to make sure it will fit. Being Nitecore, Im pretty sure it will fit though. A good thing with Nitecore, they usually have the same sort of circuitry built in so protected isnt strictly necessary. Except from a battery handling perspective outside the torch.
Tuba sounds like he knows a fair bit about lights, more than me perhaps, but there is no way for everyday mum/dad use I'd be recommending anything other than protected 18650 cells - particularly if your light requires 2 or more batteries.
Tuba is the only person who seems to have reasonable knowledge I've ever seen recommend unprotected cells to relative newcomers to flashlights…
There are some lights that need unprotected cells to work in turbo mode for more than a few seconds. But these are generally for enthusiasts and modders, not for everyday use by mum/dad users.
A lot of Chinese made fake crap doesn't work with protected batteries because of size constraints - but that is just poor design. You get what you pay for.
Quality brand name flashlights generally do just fine with protected cells - and are actually more likely in my experience to not work with unprotected flat top cells as these cells were never designed to be used in a flashlight in the first place - properly designed flashlights are built to use button top cells.
Take the Nitecore HC30 headlamp for example. Works fine with button top protected batteries, not so good with flat tops.
Same applies to the Nitecore TM16GT, TM26GT and TM16….
The protection circuit stops you damaging the battery by overcharging and/or over discharging. It also protects against shorting and overheating.
18650 cells can be dangerous if not looked after. Yes protected cells cost more, but an injury to you or your house burning down, or even just damage to your flashlight will probably cost more than the extra money you paid for protected cells.
@GreatWhiteHunter: I dont recommend 18650 for non flashies fullstop. Below I mention a much more user friendly option. People tend to glaze over when battery safety is mentioned, and without a proper understanding of the risks, all of them, its bound to end in poor management and battery care. Two cells ripped from a drawer in the moment the torch is needed because thats how things have always been done with torches. Batteries are flat, damn it, hunt around for two to suit. Find one in the messed up everything goes in kitchen drawer, one in the office desk or kids toybox etc. Fit to torch, she works.
Care of li ion means that too flat, and kept fully charged, both are bad for liion. Leaving it at 2.7v while not over discharged for too long, is also very bad. The normal practice of light users is not suited to the care needed when using li ion IMO. Internal crystals can form, theres no warning (resistance values can change, but you need to know what they were to start with and keep testing to notice the changes and decipher them from the expected change as it ages anyway, it means testing and recording each battery, and marking it so you know which is which, who apart from a flashy will do that), and a shunt is created piercing a membrane, 1300 C fire and HF gas buildup in a watertight pipe bomb with glass and other shrapnel, and youre off to hospital for lung care for years to come, the burns and shrapnel are the least of your problems. You never recover, its like emphysema.
We havent even gotten to why the charger they prefer is not good. The torch, plus about $30 to power it and keep it charged puts most people off so they risk garbage batteries and chargers. People are used to buying 20 batteries from a $2 shop and they keep those from torches for say remotes etc eeking every last drop of power from the $2 battery. Theres some need to despite the nonesense saving of nadda in reality. They just dont understand the risks as in the past, it just leaks… maybe. If youve been around enough modders, you will be aware that modders often find out the hard way too. CR123 is the most dangerous battery on the planet and is a prime example of what Im saying because they are commercially available, and at $10 a battery in Aus, bound to be mix and matched. BAD JuJu. Very bad JuJu. This light can run on 4 of them.
But Im not here to talk people out of their choices, they dont listen anyway.
With a good charger, and a light that manages voltage levels and wont operate below say 2.5v, protected isnt strictly needed but is a wiser purchase especially since its got parasitic drain due to e switching, albeit minuscule. Tail cap lock out will solve the drain though and if I read right, its capable of being fully switched off in the circuitry if you choose to do so.
My Sunwayman V25C wont take a protected cell and attempting to put one in will crush one end if you just tighten and the ally threads will allow you to impart some force. Again, not a good thing with li ion which is one reason its a fair question. And Sunwayman are far from Chinese crap.
I wouldnt be using flattops, you need to sol… actually forget that. Just dont buy flattops.
For Mum and Dad, stick to Eneloops. You wont be disappointed with their performance. Well, you will be with the Chinese Eneloops so stick to Jap loops, or buy Fujitsu.
@GreatWhiteHunter: Just FYI, I'm not sure ANY Nitecore lights work with flat top cells. They have a little plastic toggle thing in the head that stops contact unless there is a button top.
As for protected vs unprotected, for high quality single-cell lights (ZL, Armytek etc) you actually need to use unprotected cells due to the high drain (Armytek Wizard Pro XHP50) or lack of space in the light (ZebraLight SC63), but lights off that quality have low voltage protection anyway.
But like @Tuba said, for non flashy's you're better sticking to AA/non LiIon lights. Hell, a ZebraLight SC5 can do 500 lumens with one Eneloop Pro
I have found banggood and gearbest both good to deal with and have got protected Panasonics from them both which tested at their rated capacity. Postage is a bit slow but for the price I don't mind.
I personally would never buy from dx again after receiving a fake tablet and I don't trust eBay for electronics enough it is a local seller with good feedback.
Does anyone know if banggood has a local distribution centre?
Two of my recent orders were sent with Australia Post tracking numbers.
Any torch junkies on here care to comment on how this compares to the BLF A6 that was posted a few days ago? I had already bought the BLF, and I'm just wandering if this is significantly better and so should buy this with the BLF relegated to the car/spare.
I know the rated lumens are a lot higher on the BLF, but not sure how accurate BLF actually are with their lumens ratings
Im a part (not active of late) of BLF. Most times BLF lights are a variant of a std light, that has been spec'ed to light junkie preferences and require minimum order numbers. I stopped posting part way though the development of the A6. In general the same maker always cashed in on the logo (and others fake the logo too), but leaves out all the good bits that made it a BLF special. In general, we buy stock lights like the A6 and mod them. Sometimes very hard. Sometimes a factory collaborates with members to make a factory hot rod, but generally lets us down and never delivers exactly what was asked of them. We ask for dangerous things at times. Not that they are terrible, just not the full on crazy light that demented twisted light junkies come up with. I cant say if the A6 you have a is proper BLF, or a copy. But aside from that.
This Nitecore will be much nicer. Might not be as bright (you wont tell the difference by eye), wont be as "hot rod", but Nitecore make very nice lights, well presented, nicely finished with lovely user interfaces etc. They are a premium product, not a cheap Chinese reinterpretation that we mod the crap out of.
I would leave none of them in the car, li ion and constant exposure to the kind of heat in a car do not go well. Youre not guaranteed a fire, but its a genuine possibility. Maybe in your hand, your kids hand, the glovebox parked in the street, or just in the garage while you sleep. Id get one of the EA45S also on sale at another ozbargain deal for much the same money ($49), it takes 4AA. With lithium primaries, and never mix old and new, it will be good to go in years living in the glovebox. Otherwise some Eneloops will be good, not as long lasting in the car but will last OK for a couple of years.
You know how batteries say do not mix old and new? With li ion, its real. Not always, but when it does, youll know. The fire is 1300 degrees C. But the gas, is the worst part. Burns the lungs, permanently. Theres a reason these things arent sold in retail outlets everywhere.
Awesome cheers for the detailed response. I guess I'll leave the old AAA LED lenser in the car for now.
I had a feeling the BLF was probably not the really good quality torch I was after, so will go and get the Nitecore.
Thanks for enabling me!
LED Lensers are a nice light. As is a Ferrari a nice car but to a Porsche owner its a bucket of crap. I generally shy away from LED Lenser because they are underdriven. But LED Lenser put a lot of effort into getting good output from normal batteries with good runtimes, and have a superb focus system with quality connectors etc in a nicely presented and finished product. In fact the lens and reflector combo they use is much better suited to LED than a reflector.
I wasnt bagging the A6. BLF is Budget Light Forum. They take a budget light and six million dollar man it. Its the premise of the forum.
The A6 is a nice quality budget light stock. They just had it made with their driver in place pushing at last I saw 5amps (well over stock, stock are lucky to drive to 2 amps, most are around 1) and choice of LED BIN and tint etc. Whether its genuine BLF or not I cant say.
The guys at BLF are insane. Some make light spheres to test output. They have light meters to test bounce. Accurate, scientifically accurate they are not, but they are anal enough they wont be that far off. But to the human eye the difference between 100 lumens and 1000 is double, not 10 times so that level of accuracy is not overly important.
I was just trying some old OB discount codes for bangood and found one for 35% of all Nitecore torches which was marked as expired, but still appears to be working - it is 86782b - from this post - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/253369. Brings the MH20 down to $70.48 which is not too bad
Is this torch good for looking under couches?
Its overkill.
Exactly what I needed - a cast alloy block with a built in light.
doesnt work
Coupon is invalid for product with "PROMO or VIP" tag
Great price, got me one. That is one nifty coupon, I wonder if there are other deals to be had.
Edit: Apparently this torch has a battery drain issue even when turned off, to fix you need to unscrew the cap from the end which connects the batteries. Pretty annoying.