What? 8000 lumen torch for $20.00?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › What? 8000 lumen torch for $20.00?

technico

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#293671 6-Feb-2022 18:48

Greets,

I notice someone is selling LED Head Torches claiming 8000 lumens rating -
for about NZ$20.00+courier.

Considering the Magicshine Monteer 8000 lumen model sells for $799.00,
could the rating for the unit above be even remotely believable?

Even Ledlenser units are over $200 locally for a 600-1000 lumen model.

TIA

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#2862791 6-Feb-2022 19:37

Must be one of those AliExpress ones. Quite tempted to buy one just to see how it turns out.

pih

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#2862798 6-Feb-2022 20:19

Not a chance. I think I found the site you're talking about and it refers to the lamps as Cree T6 (x3). A quick search indicates that optimal output for this chip is well below 1000 lumens each, probably closer to 600-800, especially without active thermal cooling.

So - even if they are indeed using genuine Cree lamps with excellent thermal design - you're not likely to get more than about 2000-2500 lumens. But for $20 (down from $29) including 2x18650 cells, a car charger and a USB charger, I expect you'll get what you pay for, which is not a lot.

I'd expect well under 1000 lumens total, poor cooling (ie. short lamp life) and poor quality 18650 cells that don't last long. But at that price I'm also tempted to find out myself! 😁

Gordy7

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#2862799 6-Feb-2022 20:26

technico:

Greets,

I notice someone is selling LED Head Torches claiming 8000 lumens rating -
for about NZ$20.00+courier.

TIA

A link to where you saw the torches would be useful.

Gordy

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pih

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#2862800 6-Feb-2022 20:31

Here's a technical summary why that particular lamp will be nowhere near (8000/3) lumens:

http://www.light-test.info/en/faq-en/171-cree-xm-l-1000-chinese-lumens

Not at all unexpected, but a quick search reveals (almost?) identical cheap head lamps advertised with 5000, 8000 and even 9000 lumens(!)

coffeebaron

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#2862864 6-Feb-2022 22:41

Maybe that's the amount of lumens it gives off as it fails then explodes.

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#2863005 7-Feb-2022 12:56

For no-name items not from a reputable seller, expect any measurements that are non-trivial to replicate to be fraudulent. And sometimes the ones that can be easily measured...

Light output for torches. Capacity and discharge current for batteries. Current/power output for cheap power supplies. Storage capacity for flash drives / SD cards. MTBF/lifespan for moving parts. Power output for motors.

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technico

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#2863076 7-Feb-2022 16:36

Tnx all - some very useful intel there.

Already have some high quality 18650 cells - so as per suggestion,
might be worth the small gamble.

Listing was on a well known local online auction site. . . .

Cheers

pih

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#2863132 7-Feb-2022 19:44

Damn, I want to buy this one now. It'll make me look like a space Samurai with fricken lasers on my Kabuto!

https://www.trademe.co.nz/3454397472

neb

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#2863196 7-Feb-2022 21:35

technico:
I notice someone is selling LED Head Torches claiming 8000 lumens rating -
for about NZ$20.00+courier.

They'll be ones off Aliexpress, complete with 25,000mAh 18650 batteries and made of genuine aircraft-grade titanium.

SomeoneSomewhere

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#2863204 7-Feb-2022 21:51

Yup.

As a general sanity check, 100lm/W is good and 150lm/W is pretty great for end-to-end efficiency on LED lights. Input power is pretty much equal to thermal power. And LEDs don't really like being any hotter than any other semiconductor.

So an 8000lm light should draw about 50-80W, and therefore have a similar cooling system to your average desktop CPU.

neb

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#2863208 7-Feb-2022 22:01

SomeoneSomewhere:
So an 8000lm light should draw about 50-80W, and therefore have a similar cooling system to your average desktop CPU.

The Imalent MS18 in other words.

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#2863314 8-Feb-2022 08:15

Nitecore is reasonably credible - they do a 5600 Lumen (1500 m) torch that is quite a lot smaller than my PC...

https://flashlight.nitecore.com/product/tm39

Seems to carry 98 WH and sell for about 865 $A.

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#2863340 8-Feb-2022 09:24

I'm thinking these high-power torches, with the heat they generate and the light they emit, probably last around 5 min on their standard battery pack?

I know LED's are efficient but these are some serious high-power LED's

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#2864301 9-Feb-2022 19:03

5200 lumens at 'turbo' brightness is ~30-50W - think higher-end laptop CPU. That weighs 1.4kg and is 90mm in diameter. It's also got a note that performance at turbo & high power levels is limited thermally, and it will reduce output above 60C.

The medium output is listed as 800 lumens, or about 6-8W. it's possible to dissipate that passively in that size. The ~15-20W 2000lm 'high' mode is clearly borderline.

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#2864317 9-Feb-2022 19:37

re OP. basically they are lying. buy it i guarantee it's not what it says it does. personally fallen into such traps time and time again. i think i have learnt my lesson. not worth the 10 seconds of my life wondering whether it's true.

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