Aldi torch again

[snoopebj]

As is my loyal duty appointed to me by admiral Ozzie.
Ahoy it’s here again
Great torch and defensive weapon.
https://www.stockcheck.aldi.com.au/prod ... NSW%202519

[Ozzie]

https://www.dolphintorches.com/about/

I am embarrassed to say I have ceased buying os made torches. I’ll leave the description as generic as possible. The Aldi Police style d cells are on again and while they give great beam I’ve had to reengineer the switch as it perished. I don’t use this thing at all really. It’s in the little motoring home in a Plastic C clamp on the bulkhead behind the drivers seat for emergencies/breakdown only , which is why the failure of the switch was annoying. I have advancing cataract blindness, not bad enough yet to need surgery according to my optometrist, but my night vision is poor so torches are important to me. I have them everywhere, all cars, boats and keys. I have found though most of them have had switch failures even my D Cell jobbie which can be more than just inconvenient. My multiple led light I mentioned getting for Xmas a few xmas posts ago is still going ok and lives in my sailing bad but I have backup as I don’t fully trust it.

I’ve discovered my other boating friends have had similar experiences and we are mainly going back to the good old Dolphins. I’ve had the standard large Dolphin in both my mooring boats now forever. Upgraded occasionally particularly to the LED versions but they have always been reliable. I inherited a scarred and battered mark 1, 1967 vintage off the old man which after I cleaned off the rancid halibut giblets, I donated to the Salvos still in working order. The two I have now never miss a beat. I’m progressively replacing the unreliable os made small torches with the smaller dolphin LEDs at varying decreasing sizes. Even have a very small version my wife has in her handbag. Best of all they are reasonably priced and available at colesworths as well as the various adventure supermarkets that sell the other stuff. AND still very reasonable prices.

Now, before I get taken to task, I’m sure Dolphin is made os as well, but so is my iPad. There is of course quality controlled stuff coming into Oz AND… other stuff. Taken me a while to appreciate that.

Anyway if you check the Dolphin link above there’s a bit about the Australian input to its design I didn't know.


What have others experiences been and what do you use?

[Andrew]

My medium-powered Energizer head-torch is very useful. It has 2 white leds and one red. Battery power lasts for a long time too. It's good for hands free close range tasks anywhere.

Teria carries the Dolphin LED lantern torch (spot light), recently added the "Mini torch" and "Pico" (Big W). Waterproof, high-viz and float. These would have to be among the best quality and well-priced marine torches out there.

[Ozzie]

Hi Andrew, yes just looked . The Mrs has the Pico in her bag. I have the big LED lantern on Spritzig II and the smaller Dolphin Mini in the little orange cat. All still working well after a year or so. I note an Eveready rechargeable metal torch is now also available at colesworths, but I carry spare batteries for everything in their own plastic cases.

Also becoming more suspicious of rechargeable anything these days, particularly anything rechargeable stuffed in a sailing bag. It wasn’t long ago certain brands of mobile phones were banned from planes. My good mate has been left severely disabled by a stroke. Getting his rechargeable wheelchair on a plane almost requires an act of Parliament.

All the Vikings had was a stick with the end on fire