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Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches

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cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #90 on: June 28, 2014, 01:59:23 PM
I think Gareth saw this post so I do not expect any more readers.   :D
« Last Edit: June 28, 2014, 02:09:18 PM by dks »
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #91 on: June 28, 2014, 03:54:47 PM
Very cool.  8)

I actually really like the look of the BLF light, but I'm totally struggling to come up with any justification for it. :think:
Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #92 on: June 28, 2014, 04:33:35 PM
Very cool.  8)

I actually really like the look of the BLF light, but I'm totally struggling to come up with any justification for it. :think:

Because you work hard and YOU are worth a treat. 

+ The sa-22 runs on AA batteries, has very good quality, is bright with a uniform beam and is a lot cheaper than similar offerings from other makers. Looks unusual and is good in the hand with decent modes. 18650 power with AAs.
I do remember you complaining about lights using only 3 batteries... well this uses 4.

- The price seems to have gone up now, a bit, and the web site is a bit unstable lately, and there seems to be no NW ones left... 
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #93 on: July 02, 2014, 11:49:44 AM
Another XML-U2 torch, $9.99.

Ultrafire F13



I got it because of the emitter and the fact that it looks good.
Big cooling fins, which is nice.

Specifications:
Emitter Type: XM-L U2
Battery Type: 26650, 18650
Battery Quantity: 1 x 18650 / 26650 Battery (not included)
Mode: 5 (High > Mid > Low > Strobe > SOS)
Mode Memory: No
This feels really good in the hand, because it is designed to take the 26650 batteries, so it has a thicker body.



The finish is good and the internal components look well made. It feels very solid, definitely a lot better made than the cheap XML lights we were getting 2 years ago.
I was surprised by the fact that this was the 1st cheap torch I got that had a plastic protective film on the lens that had to be removed. It shows that they care.
It says XML-T6 on the body, which is a bit worrying, though I think that they have used the newer U2 emitter in an older tube.



It came with three 18650 sleeves, for some weird reason. It has some glow in the dark rubber sealing rings, inside and around the lens. The modes look workable and moving through them is done by pushing gently on the robust feeling rear button.
Compared to the SA-22 it has a slightly more intense hot spot and a cooler light. Nice beam.



The Sa-22 is more than double the price, but feels nicer.

 A good buy. A cheap, nicely made, torch that is bright with a nice beam and sexy looks.
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #94 on: July 16, 2014, 04:17:48 PM
Fun, Fun, Fun.

$1.50.
Comes with 3 LR44 batteries.





Aluminium body with plastic head and tail cap.

The construction is fine but the buttons are a bit flimsy.

The LASER is bright (5mW supposedly) and can be seen on buildings a few hundred metres away. Impressive. There are some artefacts in the beam.



The LED is very bright, for its type.



The UV light is not very bright but works OK, showing the watermarks of money.



It has two buttons. One switches the LASER on, for as long as it is being pressed.

The other one controls the LED and the UV light in sequence.


Apart from the low quality switches there is nothing to complain about.

An extremely fun torch; possibly the most fun torch I have.

There are some other similar models, for more money, but I don not think the quality will be any different, unless you pay 10 or more times more. The batteries may cost more than $1.50..

Buy, buy, buy!!
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #95 on: September 24, 2014, 06:23:14 PM
Another Laser, green and more powerful but also bigger.

YL-Laser 303

When I bought it it claimed to be 100 to 200mW (Chinese Watts  ;)  ) .

I got it for about $8 from SPAMCORP
http://www.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP.com/G303-Adjustable-Focus-532nm-5mw-Green-Laser-PointerLight-Star-Cap-p-942235.html[/url]



Most lasers of this style and power are around $10.
Green is considered to be more visible than red. Runs on 18650 batteries.

NOTE:  As I discovered after getting frustrated for 20 minutes, the battery goes in the wrong way round. The -ve goes in the body, rather than the +ve ....

Specifications from the sellers site:
Product name:   G303 532nm 5mw Green Light Laser Pointer
Body material:   Aerometal
Power supply :Power supply :   1 x 18650/1 x 16340 battery(not included)
Wave length:   532nm
Laser range:   200~5000m
Working voltage:   DC=3.0-3.7V
Charging time:   3~5 hours
Spot size:   6M place <φ10mm.
Power:   1-200mw
Dimensions:   126x22x22mm(without the extended tube)
/158x22x22mm(with the extended tube)

sticker:



It has a key to allow its operation and switches on with a press button, only for as long as you keep it pressed.

Compared to a keychain model:







10 times heavier...

It has a zoom function, for a thicker or narrower spot.
It also comes with a diffraction attachment for pretty effects. At night you can turn the whole neighborhood into a magic place.



in pieces:





The switch was not working OK so I just soldered the whole system, so now it operates with just the push button.





Comparison beams with the keychain red laser.

Fat spot on the 303:



Small spot setting:



Difference in brightness at 30m, in DAYLIGHT.



The 303 is clearly visible in daylight on buildings a few hundred meters away, a significant increase in power compared to the red, keychain model.

At night it will put a bright spot on objects, as far away as I could see.



Definitely worth it for the fun factor, though the beam is visible by all at night so not very stealthy.

For safety I live the diffraction optics on, so that the beam is divided into many small spots, when I am not using it.

Not a toy  for children :D
« Last Edit: September 24, 2014, 06:39:20 PM by dks »
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #96 on: September 24, 2014, 06:30:08 PM
Why is it that I really like the fact it has keys?  :D
Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #97 on: September 24, 2014, 06:46:02 PM
I think it is a US legal requirement.

You have the keys (which are small and easy to lose) and the reverse battery insertion, so it is pretty safe. Unfortunately, by the time I realised how the battery goes in the switch (though it worked, according to my multimeter tests) was not operating the laser properly.  I may have moved the connectors or maybe they were bad to begin with....  :whistle:

So I just overrode the switch..

Now, where is the other reader of this thread?  :D
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #98 on: September 24, 2014, 07:58:29 PM
...

Now, where is the other reader of this thread?  :D


I was having dinner.

Sorry for being late. :whistle:

:D

« Last Edit: September 24, 2014, 08:00:09 PM by enki_ck »


cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #99 on: September 24, 2014, 09:28:34 PM
I was worried....

OK, see you two next time  :salute:
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #100 on: September 24, 2014, 09:37:04 PM
I was worried....

OK, see you two next time  :salute:

What will you review for us next? :pok:

I see you're waiting for something from that bang bang shop. :whistle:


cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #101 on: September 24, 2014, 09:40:19 PM
just more cheap rubbish   :D
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #102 on: September 24, 2014, 09:42:20 PM
just more cheap rubbish   :D

well you got me to buy at least two (scared to dig deeper :P ) of the products listed in this thread and I wouldn't call either of them rubbish. ;)


cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #103 on: October 20, 2014, 06:08:58 PM
This will be a bit different as it will be a review(ish)/comparison between two torches.

I got this Cofly KX-D010 from SPAMCORP http://www.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP.com/led-flashlights/pp_20495.html[/url]



There is also the KX-D011 http://www.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP.com/led-flashlights/pp_6188.html[/url]  which seems identical, apart from the D010 having a green rubber ring between the lens and the head.



I got it for less than $5, when it was on offer.

The reason was that I have the Jetbeam BA20 and like the general look of it.
The Cofly clearly imitates the Jetbeam  (and its sister products, e.g. Klarus).

The BA20 now costs around $30 but I have seen it cheaper. The Cofly costs around $8 to $10, so it is about 3 to 4 times cheaper,

Here is a shot with both torches.



Lets have a look at the Cofly

The bad...
It arrived with the rubber ring ring on the cap squeezed out.



This was because the ring is too big for the groove diameter... I just use it without it now.




The overall quality is OK, especially for a $5 torch. The anodising is similar to what we used to get from cheap Chinese torches 3 years (think 501B) ago and not up to the current standards of the cheap Chinese no brand torches.
It feels like a thin layer of paint. There was a small piece of the anodising missing (less than 1/2 a mm squared), which can be seen in some pictures.

The Jetbeam is much older, not used a lot, but its anodising is as new and feels like a good quality finish.

The threads are not as smooth as the Jetbeam

The clip seems solid and can be rotated around or removed.

It has 3 modes - High, Low and Disco, selected by the rear push button.
The low has good PWM and is usable.

By comparison the BA20 has two modes, selected by rotating the head, and instantaneous on, using the rear push button. It has current regulation for low. The low is very good for looking in cupboards or walking around the house in the dark, discreetly.

The Cofly uses an XP-E and the BA20 an XP-G (larger die, less throw)

The Cofly claims 220Lm and the BA20 270. They both seem to have similar brightness in the day, but the BA20 is noticeably brighter at night, so the Cofly does produce around 220Lm.

They both use 2AA batteries and can not be used with two LiIons, which is a shame

The Cofly weighs 61.7g and the BA20 76.5, without batteries. This is noticeable.

The BA20 feels heftier, and has a larger body.
The Cofly seems a bit too short for the 2AA batteries and you feel like you are damaging them when you close the cap, as you have to screw in with some force. The metal conduct on the cap will probably need to be shortened (filed down) by 1mm.



Cofly in pieces.


The reflector is a very mild OP. The BA20 has a standard OP reflecto and has a nice floody beam (also due to the larger die)



Some comparison shots:

Cofly on the right



High beam, Cofly beam on the right



Low









Overall, for the price, I am still not convinced.
For $5 or for even $10 it is not a bad light, though the rubber band shows little QC. However the BA20, especially if found around $25 (e.g. with coupons), is/feels like a much better torch. And, the Jetbeam has been around for some years now and has a solid reputation.

If you want to buy a few, then go with the Cofly. If you will only buy one, to actually use regularly then it may be worth saving for the Jetbeam (which is really not that expensive). I use the BA20 as my bedside-intruder alert- check things at night- first option torch.

Now lets wait for the two readers's comments..
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #104 on: October 20, 2014, 06:21:31 PM
First reader, checking in. ;)  Good review mate.  I think I'll save my pennies for something else.
Be excellent to each other and always know where your towel is.


cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #105 on: October 20, 2014, 07:09:50 PM
Thank you Gareth. It is not a bad light, but the BA20 is not that much either.

Enki? 
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #106 on: October 20, 2014, 10:55:38 PM
Yes, I'm here. ;)


cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #107 on: October 21, 2014, 11:36:53 AM
Good. We have 100%.
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #108 on: October 25, 2014, 09:06:07 PM
Classic Zoomies (apart from Maglite:)     ) 

I got a new version of my UltraOK SK-68 type/style torch, by Ultrafire so I decided to do a comparison between the classic LED, Chinese cheap zoomies. (for more on the others see previous posts) There are really 3 main ones, the SK-68, the SA-22 and a newer no model one. Apart from the Sa-22 (see the beginning of this thread) they use AA or 14500 batteries. The SA-22 uses 18650 or 3AAAs. There are variations of the SK68 using 18650 too,

The UltraOK had the reputation of being the best quality SK68 at the time (2011ish) and the MXDL was THE Sa-22 to get.

So, the UltraOK still looks/feels like a better quality product.. there I said it.
Smoother, less sharp edges, better finish, less rattling, no squeezed rubber rings, smoother threads. (also no holes in the back of the body, at the ring)
(the Ultrafire cost less than $4.... in total)

OK, picture time.
The Ultrafire is red, the UltraOK silver, the no-name black and the MXDL black and big.



The older ones use older emitters. The No-Name one is slimmer.




Apart from the MXDL they have the pill screwed into the body- good heat removal and they zoom by pulling the head in and out. The pill of the MXDL "floats" up and down and it zooms by rotating a ring on the head. No contact with the body, very little heat removal, but it has been used a lot more than the others with no problems. So the heat removal has not been an issue. In seconds the others get hot, the MXDL stays cool.









No anodising inside the UltraOK


and also tighter/better fit for the batteries (Sanyos)








Beams
On high, using good Li-Ions




Spot

The SK-68 were single mode (multimode ones available too)

The other two had low and disco modes.

Here you can see them in low mode.


Overall the no-name one was the least bright, on High.
http://www.[url=http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,55947.0.html]SPAMCORP.com/CREE-XPE-Q5-600-Lumen-7W-Zoomable-LED-Flashlight-1x14500-p-907006.html[/url]

The others were similar in brightness.
The ultrafire had a squeezed O-ring (story of the week,,) and the anodiisng was not as good as the UltraOK. It also had thinner metal and a weird outer beam...


less robust spring..


I assume the Ultrafire will have a longer running time, with its newer emitter.

In summation, they are all good. for under $4 you get proven designs, bright and with a zoom.
...especially the SK-68 has been around for donkeys, and seems to be really tough, Buy one, if you can spare $4.
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #109 on: October 25, 2014, 11:39:59 PM
Sipik Clone Wars. :ahhh

:P

I keep looking at those but can't bring myself to buy one. I don't think they'd get any use. Pure power but no run times is all I see in them. And a REALLY bulky body.  :shrug:  I might be wrong though as they seem rather popular. ;)


cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #110 on: October 26, 2014, 06:07:55 AM
The multi mode ones will have longer runtimes. And they run on aa batteries, are tough and can be had for 3 dollars with discounts. The no name one is only slightly bigger than an aa battery. Again $3. And pretty colours.
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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scotland Offline Gareth

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #111 on: October 26, 2014, 05:25:03 PM
Given that I already have the 1xAA/14500 zoomie covered with my Rominsen I can't quite ever see myself getting one, but there is no denying that they are great bang for the buck.



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cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #112 on: October 26, 2014, 05:53:18 PM
The Romisen is 4 times more expensive   :ahhh 
I nearly got the Romisen a few years back when I was going through a Romisen phase, but did not for some reason.

Romisen are not talked about much lately and they do not seem to have made any new/different products in 3-4 years....In the day they were very popular. I still use most of the ones I got a few years ago.

Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #113 on: December 05, 2014, 05:32:08 PM
3 cheap, fun, lasers

They all cost around $2-$3 and have about the same power, RED,  laser. They all use button batteries and aluminium bodies.

The top one has a laser, UV light and LED light. They all work well but the UV light is not very powerful.
The middle one has a laser and a decent LED light.
The lower one has laser and alight that can either blink or cycle through various  light colours.



The two lower ones also turn into pens. The silver one is also a tablet stylus!!  :ahhh
(see the black rubber end) The blue pen one does not have very good threads, so if you keep going from pen to Laser mode it may not last long. This will also be an issue with the other one as you are screwing an aluminium body onto plastic, weaker threads, which will at some point get damaged.



The Stylus one, when in "pen mode" can produce a beautiful cycling spectrum of light, through the crystals it has on one end.



With cost not really being an issue here which one should you get?

The stylus one offers lots of function but no proper light (just flashing and changing. It is trendy and fun and feels solid.

The blue pen has a good light and is small. It also looks the most "normal". The quality of the threads is a worry.

The fat blue one offers a good light and a UV (money checking) light. If you do not need a pen it is a good tool to have on your keychain

They all DRIVE CATS crazy!!!

Seriously buy all 3 - they are worth it.


Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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us Offline English333

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #114 on: March 08, 2015, 09:53:03 PM
This is a great thread, dks! You are completely set for an apocalyptic version of flashlight tag!


cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #115 on: March 09, 2015, 07:16:35 AM
...and at very low cost...  :D
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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hr Offline enki_ck

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cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #117 on: March 10, 2015, 11:18:18 AM
These are chargers/batteries/lights so I am putting this in two places.

Seeing that the sun always shines here and that I use a lot of USB chargers I thought it would be a good idea to buy a solar PowerBank, charge it in the sun and then use it to charge various devices for free. I also thought that these could be connected directly to a device and charge it like solar charger, without even the need to store the charge.
I decided to get these two 30000mAh panels, as the price to capacity ratio seemed good. They are available in many places and I got mine from SPAMCORP, but SPAMCORP is actually 30% cheaper (I saw it later).

I did not expect them to have 30000mAh but hoped for a decent capacity.

These have 3 issues:

The capacity is not bad and seems to be around 10000mAh on one and maybe 8000mah on the other, but it is not 30000mAh. It takes about 8-12 hours at about 1A to charge them fully and they can charge a 2000mAh phone battery a few times, verifying my estimates.

One of the indicator lights stopped working in one, but he rest still work.

The MAIN issue, however is that they are really useless as solar chargers, for themselves or for other devices. The solar panel is very small/weak (claimed 0.5W)and though it charges the battery it will take a few weeks to charge it fully (in bright sun). So, my idea of charging them during the day and using them at night was not practicable.
The device is capable of charging some devices with solar power, provided that they do not require a high current (less than 0.5 A).
I wrote a bad review about them but SPAMCORP does not publish bad reviews.

Good points:

Used as just a powerbank they perform well. Once you charge them they will provide 1A or 2A and can charge two devices at the same time.
They feel solid (the screws on them are ornamental)
They both have a two brightness levels LED, which is bright and should last for months when they are fully charged.
I got a refund for the one and used it to get a proper,5W 1A solar panel that can charge them and other devices directly.

Summarising, buy them as 10000mAh powerbanks that can charge at 1A and/or 2A and which in an emergency will be able to operate/charge some devices by using the sun and provide you with a long lasting light at night, from the charge they get from the sun
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Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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cy Offline dks

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #118 on: April 04, 2015, 04:48:19 PM
I wanted a half decent lantern with a Cree LEDas the ones I have with 12 LEDs are really weak.

This model is available in many shops and eBay. It seems to be the same so I got this one of eBay for about $2.5 as it was cheaper (search for Cree lantern).

It is a very simple design - when the lens is screwed in (short/torch mode) you have a light with a floody beam.

When you extend the hood, you get a nice lantern with smooth uniform light that you can carry easily and hang from a hook.

The overall construction is basic and foolproof but feels solid and the plastic used has a quality feel.



It works with 3 AAA batteries and appears to use an older Cree ?  emitter. From the light and the look of the LED it is definitely better than the usual LEDs you get on cheap no name torches. A power of 1W is claimed on the box, but some sellers claim 3W. I can not claim to know how many variants of this product are around, using different emitters. None seem to show the actual emitter....



Some beam comparisonsin torch mode (basic LED light in the middle, decent zooming torch on the right





Not as bright as a well driven, good zooming light, but brighter than the usual low cost 1W LEDs.

I believe that the runtime should be decent too, as the LED is not driven hard.

Only one mode (no low/high/disco)

As a lantern it works well, lighting up a small room and enabling you to move about, read etc. A lot better than the more expensive multi LED lanterns you can buy. And, you can also use it as a floody torch.



It is too short for 18650 batteries, but should be able to use shorter LiIons, with a tubular adapter. (the voltage and the current path allow that)



(I used an 18650 adapter for that picture, as it does not come with one)

When used as a lantern, very little light escapes from the top lens (theres is good reflection/diffraction)



A picture of the LED (it is not possible to take the hood off easily)



Overall, I am happy  :D  as it does what it says and feels quite solid and definitely worth the money. You will need to spend a lot more in a regular shop to get something that performs this well.   :tu:
Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

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hr Offline enki_ck

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Re: Livarno, Romisen, C8, Small Sun cheap HID torches
Reply #119 on: April 04, 2015, 07:28:01 PM
I was hoping it would be something for me but alas, the 3AAA are a turn off for me, don't know why the makers insist on making those. I'd prefer something in the 2AA format. Nice lantern thought.


 

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