merlin32

So, I went out tonight, set my camera to Manual exposure - 2 sec f/8 and took pics of the torches beams... Because I used manual exposure, the difference in brightness in the image means difference in light output of the torches. Here goes. The distance is about 100 metres LED lensor P7 (set on narrowest beam) Solarforce L2T with the XR-E insert Ultrafire WF-008 And just for the heck of it, a Romisen 900 lumen torch (has 6 x CREE elements, not sure of the spec though). Overall, the pics confirm my thoughts about the ultrafire WF-008, I am beginning to think however that a bit of spill mightn't be a bad thing in terms of target acquisition. Starting to wonder if I should look for something a bit bigger, with a bit more output, the romisen torch I posted is massive so probably not practical for a gun-mount, but I'm sure there is something in the middle, just need to work out what it is...

too right! great way to spotlight bunnies on foot, I actually don't own a 4wd so on foot with one of these is the only way to do it

After searching and reading through the threads on these forums regarding CREE torches, I've bought a couple to try out, mostly following fenring's advice as he seems to be the resident torch guru around here. I was a bit confused at first over what I needed to buy, there are lots of torches and accessories available it can be confusing. I settled on 2 models -Ultrafire WF-008 -Solarforce L2T with XR-E Q4 insert I also have a Led Lensor P7 for comparison but currently it's on loan to the missus who is a school teacher and using it on school camp so I couldn't get photos of it (they are going to play spotlight games and she wanted a good torch, lol). I also wanted to try a couple of different mounting systems, so I have the el-cheapo nylon mounts and also the LED Lensor rifle mount. Here are some photos... Using the nylon mount: And the LED Lensor mount: I was only really interested in throw because the sole purpose of these torches is spotlighting rabbits, so I'm not concerned about distance beyond 100m - I was using fully charged 18650 batteries (3.7v 2400mAh) - The Ultrafire WF-008 was the best torch out of the 3 for distance, with the narrowest beam and least amount of light spill - The Solarforce was still good but didn't have the same throw as the Ultrafire - The Solarforce can take interchangeable lamp modules for more / less throw and more / less power which is a bonus - The Led Lensor was the dimmest by far, it also has a big problem and that is it uses AAA batteries - I haven't really experimented with lenses or different inserts, also both the ultrafire and solarforce you can extend the body and use 2 batteries for more power, haven't tried this either - My overall impression was that the cheapo nylon mount was better than the LED lensor mount and also much more versatile. So, in conclusion, I'm going to be using the Ultrafire WF-008 with the nylon mount this weekend on the bunnies, wish me luck! I wouldn't write off the Solarforce however for a torch out of the box as a thrower I think the WF-008 would be hard to beat for the price. Links... Mounts: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/universal-nylon-mount-for-flashlights-and-lasers-12000 Ultrafire WF-008 http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ultrafire-wf-008-recoil-thrower-cree-q5-wc-230-lumen-led-flashlight-1-18650-2-cr123a-22934 Solarforce L2T Torch body - http://www.solarforce-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=FB&s=42&id=216 Insert - http://www.solarforce-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=RB&s=29&id=295

you can actually go on the website that you register the EPIRB on and log your itinerary. I'm sure few bother to do this for bush walking but makes a lot of sense.

Check out: http://www.equipped.com/faq_plb/default.asp

Bogong in Melbourne will hire them: http://www.bogong.com.au/html/hire.html Maybe give them a call and ask, I have a friend with one and I don't think he needed to have it registered or anything, just works out of the box.

They work quite well but the issue for me is the battery life. Don't expect it to replace a dedicated GPS if you're going off track. Bottom line is rely on it with discretion -- ie. Day trip, not too far off track it's probably fine. If you're going out off track and at night, over night, bad weather, on your own you need something you can rely on -- Map, compass, dedicated GPS, EPIRB As for letting the missus know where you are, I think there is also a service you can subscribe to for doing this which uses satellites, It costs a monthly subscription fee for the service, not sure what it's called try googling it. Anyway, it works anywhere and doesn't rely on mobile reception.

hm, yeah that might be true, we'll see how it goes. I did get 4 x 18650's plus the charger so that I have a pair of batteries I can use in the torch while the other pair is charging.

I ordered this one recently: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260549102309 Looks pretty sweet, will post up a review when I get it. I might even have a go at trying to mount it on the rifle (a scope ring to connect it to the existing scope might be the ticket).

Hi Tim here, from Kyneton, new to shooting just got my license and a 22, interested in learning about rabbit shooting