# Monteer 8000 - in the wild



## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

Just added the Monteer to my bar and moved my Titan to my helmet.

That combo puts out a ridiculous amount of light.

The photo is only the Monteer, on high.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

render ranger said:


> Just added the Monteer to my bar and moved my Titan to my helmet.
> 
> That combo puts out a ridiculous amount of light.
> 
> The photo is only the Monteer, on high.


Curious about your light setup. Did you choose to mount the Titan on your helmet because it had more throw or was lighter or easier to helmet mount? I noticed Magicshine has a 3500 lumen version of the Monteer that they claim has more throw and is lighter than the 8000 and am trying to figure out if it might be a better combo light than the Gemini. Is the Titan sensitive to heat? I live in a hot climate and in the past have had some issues with frequent thermal protection activation on some of my Gemini lights. Beam shots of the Monteer look awesome. Probably more light than I would need but beam pattern/spread looks sweet.
Mole


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

MRMOLE said:


> Curious about your light setup. Did you choose to mount the Titan on your helmet because it had more throw or was lighter or easier to helmet mount? I noticed Magicshine has a 3500 lumen version of the Monteer that they claim has more throw and is lighter than the 8000 and am trying to figure out if it might be a better combo light than the Gemini. Is the Titan sensitive to heat? I live in a hot climate and in the past have had some issues with frequent thermal protection activation on some of my Gemini lights. Beam shots of the Monteer look awesome. Probably more light than I would need but beam pattern/spread looks sweet.
> Mole


I moved the Titan to my helmet because I sent my Olympia off with my kid. And because it makes no sense to have more lumens on the helmet than on the bar.

In three years of riding, I haven't had heat issues with the Titan. I only run full power on descents though.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

render ranger said:


> I moved the Titan to my helmet because I sent my Olympia off with my kid. And because it makes no sense to have more lumens on the helmet than on the bar.


Interesting since my preferred setup is just the opposite but the open/flowy/relative flat desert trails I normally ride are considerably different than what was in your video and my glare sensitivity also limits the amount of foreground light I can handle before it starts to degrade my distance vision. I have found that as beam patterns have become more sophisticated and with the use of warmer tints I can handle a lot more bar lumens (the direction Magicshine went with the Monteer). My specific setup question is does your Titan have more throw than the Monteer 8000 and what optics are you using in it? thanks in advance for your input on this.
Mole


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

MRMOLE said:


> My specific setup question is does your Titan have more throw than the Monteer 8000 and what optics are you using in it?


Stock optics and the throw of the Monteer seems to be a little better.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

render ranger said:


> Stock optics and the throw of the Monteer seems to be a little better.


Thanks for all the very useful information! Not many first hand impressions of setups @ this lumen level so your comments are extra valuable!
Mole


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## McGuillicuddy (Jul 14, 2007)

USD$400/CAD$550+. Wow. That is absolutely bananas for a single bike light.


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## homeslice (Jun 3, 2008)

When you're riding blue-black trails 4 days a week for 2-3 hours for six months in the pitch black would you really expect generics to work for years at that rate? (waiting for the three Joeys to chime in about there miracle lasting daily ebay mtb light stories)


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

McGuillicuddy said:


> USD$400/CAD$550+. Wow. That is absolutely bananas for a single bike light.


$1,000/$2,000/$5,000/$6,000+ Wow. That is absolutely bananas for a single bike.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

McGuillicuddy said:


> USD$400/CAD$550+. Wow. That is absolutely bananas for a single bike light.





> Lupine Tesla 4
> Francois July 07, 2009
> 
> Mtbr Lights Shootout Main Page | Mtbr Lights Reviews | Mtbr Lights Forum Lupine Tesla 4 Light Price Claimed Lumens Runtime Battery Type Light head weight Battery Weight Installed Weight Lumens per gram Lumens per dollar Lupine Tesla 4 $488.00 700 3 hrs Lithium Ion 98g 220g 320g 2.19 1.43 Description: The Lupine Tesla is [&#8230;] Read More »


I researched back through the MTBR Light Shootout files and did a copy and paste for the above text from 2009. Notice the $488.00 retail price for a 700 lumen light that Magicshine copied (for $85) to make their original P7 808. There were lots of regular lights back then that had retail prices far higher than $400 with the performance that can be had for less than a quarter of that cost today. Makes $400 for a 8000 lumen light seem like a bargain and I'll always be grateful to the MS brand for changing the bike lighting industry and making night riding affordable (IMO).
Mole


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

Speaking of, my Lupine Tesla from that time STILL works today with almost the same battery life! I used it today.


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## McGuillicuddy (Jul 14, 2007)

render ranger said:


> $1,000/$2,000/$5,000/$6,000+ Wow. That is absolutely bananas for a single bike.


Right okay. So following your example nobody is allowed to have an opinion that something is too expensive for what it is?


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I agree. I have other lights and have used many but am now riding with only Lupines, which are arguably among the most expensive. However, I have an older Betty, Tesla, and Wilma (my friend uses the Wilma now) from ten years ago that works just like new and even the batteries (I'm not sure who made those cells back then) hold almost-full charge as original. So when it came time to buy new ones, I stuck with what works and works well for a long time. Complaining about things being expensive dos not make them cheaper. There are so many cheaper options like Magicshine, Ravemen, and several others. Some are quite decent. People are free to buy them.



MRMOLE said:


> I researched back through the MTBR Light Shootout files and did a copy and paste for the above text from 2009. Notice the $488.00 retail price for a 700 lumen light that Magicshine copied (for $85) to make their original P7 808. There were lots of regular lights back then that had retail prices far higher than $400 with the performance that can be had for less than a quarter of that cost today. Makes $400 for a 8000 lumen light seem like a bargain and I'll always be grateful to the MS brand for changing the bike lighting industry and making night riding affordable (IMO).
> Mole


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

If anything, high quality, even if most expensive, would be my choice if I used commercial light systems. Why anyone wants to cheap out on something as important as a light for night trail riding escapes me.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

McGuillicuddy said:


> Right okay. So following your example nobody is allowed to have an opinion that something is too expensive for what it is?


_Why even ask this?_ It could also be said ( in your fashion ), "So, is nobody allowed to have a counter opinion"? Dudes..._Everyone has an opinion._ That is what chattering on an online forum is all about. Different bike lights sell at different prices. What is affordable for one person might not be affordable for someone else. Usually when you spend for lamps that cost more you usually get a decent product as well as dependable customer service. That is where we get the old tag line, _"You get what you pay for". _

The type of light(s) you will need will depend on the types of trails you either ride or plan to ride. If you're riding trails that descend down a mountain and are riding at break neck speed for over 20 minutes then you are in need of a light ( or lights ) that can provide some reliable output. The more powerful lights tend to cost more money. Yes, it can be argued that some are over-priced but with that said nobody is forcing anyone to buy what they can't afford or think is too expensive. Thankfully there are options that most people can afford. Now if someone can afford to buy the more expensive lights, Hey...More power to them. Right now there is a $5000 bike I would love to own but I can't afford it. I may think it's over-priced but it is what it is. In the mean time I'll not put others down because they can afford something that I can't.


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## McGuillicuddy (Jul 14, 2007)

Cat-man-do said:


> _Why even ask this?_ It could also be said ( in your fashion ), "So, is nobody allowed to have a counter opinion"? Dudes..._Everyone has an opinion._ That is what chattering on an online forum is all about. Different bike lights sell at different prices. What is affordable for one person might not be affordable for someone else. Usually when you spend for lamps that cost more you usually get a decent product as well as dependable customer service. That is where we get the old tag line, _"You get what you pay for". _
> 
> The type of light(s) you will need will depend on the types of trails you either ride or plan to ride. If you're riding trails that descend down a mountain and are riding at break neck speed for over 20 minutes then you are in need of a light ( or lights ) that can provide some reliable output. The more powerful lights tend to cost more money. Yes, it can be argued that some are over-priced but with that said nobody is forcing anyone to buy what they can't afford or think is too expensive. Thankfully there are options that most people can afford. Now if someone can afford to buy the more expensive lights, Hey...More power to them. Right now there is a $5000 bike I would love to own but I can't afford it. I may think it's over-priced but it is what it is. In the mean time I'll not put others down because they can afford something that I can't.


Take-home message: non-complimentary remarks on the cost of lights are off-limits in the Lights and Night Riding Forum. Noted :thumbsup:.

I genuinely had never seen a light at that price point before. I apologize for articulating my disbelief on the matter.

And I certainly never put down anybody. In fact the only thing that has been treated dismissively here is my opinion on the cost of the light .


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

This looks like fun! According to Magicshine's specs. this has the most trow of any of the Monteer lights (highest cd value).
Mole


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

McGuillicuddy said:


> Take-home message: non-complimentary remarks on the cost of lights are off-limits in the Lights and Night Riding Forum. Noted :thumbsup:.
> 
> I genuinely had never seen a light at that price point before. I apologize for articulating my disbelief on the matter.
> 
> And I certainly never put down anybody. In fact the only thing that has been treated dismissively here is my opinion on the cost of the light .


Oh I think you misunderstood the point I was making. It's okay to talk about the price of lights whether it be a yea or a nay. You just need to understand that there are always going to be people who disagree on what is too expensive ( or what is a piece of s*** for that matter ) Now on the issue of being dismissive; Just because someone voices an opinion or makes a rhetorical remark that appears to disagree with your own opinion doesn't mean the person making the remark was intending to be perceived as being dismissive ( argumentative perhaps but only on rare occasions does one have to dismiss ) . Speaking for myself if someone disagrees with one of my opinions I may argue my point if I feel strongly that I was correct about something or if not just concede that perhaps I was wrong and maybe there is something else that I didn't know. If I argue my point I may go back and forth a bit if I think I'm right but at some point if the conversation starts to get ugly and I feel it's a lost cause I'll just tell the other person ( as politely as possible ) that it's best we stop arguing. If that doesn't work then once again as politely as possible I'll just tell them I'm not going to respond to their posts anymore.

Funny, but as I'm writing this I suddenly remembered some people on "Bike Forums" some years ago that really used to get into some pissing contests. It would get so bad at times that there would be name calling and all kinds of S*** being thrown back and forth. Eventually the moderators would step in and put a stop to it but wow, You wouldn't believe how nasty some of those threads would get. Anyway, I'd hate to see that kind of stuff happen here on MTBR, that is why I posted. Not trying to pick on anyone, just trying to keep things civil...And speaking of civil; In the political climate we currently live in we could really use more people who know how to be "Civil". ( or maybe it's just another one of those things they no longer teach in school anymore  )


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

McGuillicuddy said:


> Right okay. So following your example nobody is allowed to have an opinion that something is too expensive for what it is?


Please pay attention. I never stated that you weren't allowed to have an opinion, princess.

I used your example to point out how ridiculous your post is.

Since you can't seem to understand, I'll dumb it down for you:

"too expensive" for you is not "too expensive" for other people and what is "too expensive" for me isn't "too expensive" for a whole different set of folks.

Good luck figuring out this basic fact of life.


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## stu06 (Dec 8, 2012)

render ranger said:


> Please pay attention. I never stated that you weren't allowed to have an opinion, princess.
> 
> I used your example to point out how ridiculous your post is.
> 
> ...


OK everyone, calm down. There really are more important things going on in this world than differing opinions about bike light prices!


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

stu06 said:


> OK everyone, calm down. There really are more important things going on in this world than differing opinions about bike light prices!


You're confused. I, for one, am plenty calm.

It's hard to not be calm when you're laughing so hard.


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## todd_fuller (Feb 5, 2019)

I got my Monteer 8000S today. For my riding, med-low is enough light. Med-high for fast riding and high.... for heating your hands on a cold night?!? High is pretty unreal.

Really smooth light, I'd actually say it's similar to how Outbound's light looks but WAY brighter. 

The real drawback is the stupid flash you have to cycle through. Why oh why is this a standard feature of Chinese lights?


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## The Grinder (Jan 20, 2004)

Had a ride out with my new to me, Magicshine Monteer 6500s, bar mounted alongside my helmet mounted "old" Lupine Wilma from a good few years ago (with the external remote!!).
Then tried Monteer helmet mounted - worked well. Not too heavy at all, mounted to a Bell helmet via GoPro Garmin mount combo (Magicshine adapter).

What surprised me the most was that i was not blown away by the performance of the very modern Monteer 6500S (6500 lumen claimed), just revised and out now.
Yes it was very bright and illuminating BUT it did not appear to project the light much further than my old Wilma (< 2000 lumen). 
In fact I've come to realise that the many beam shots we see on various "tests" do not seem to reflect what i see myself with my own eyes when out biking at night, nowhere near what i actually see.
Monteer is good, Lupine is still good - in fact both excellent - no complaints - plenty of light.
I was expecting a significant improvement from the Monteer over the Lupine given the improvements with LEDs and optics over the years but it just was not the case. Always used the Lupine helmet mounted but tried the Monteer both helmet and bar mounted. The claims of projected light from Monteer (which is what i wanted) just didn't wow me like i expected it to.
There was no thermal throttling since it's cold enough here (approx 2C here in Scotland at night), and both lights were "cold to touch"- not even warm.
Plenty of light - Lupine is more of a "cone", Monteer outputs a wall of light near and far but the projected light didn't appear to reach much further than my old trusty Lupine.

Both are quality lights, well made and get me out and about.

Could just be my eyes - but lumen and beam shots don't tell the whole story accurately.

cheers Grinder


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

Also, the higher you get in total outputs, the greater the difference needs to be before you eyes will be able to discern a change.


*****


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

scar said:


> Also, the higher you get in total outputs, the greater the difference needs to be before you eyes will be able to discern a change.


Absolutely true.



The Grinder said:


> ....Could just be my eyes - but lumen and beam shots don't tell the whole story accurately.
> 
> cheers Grinder


Yes this is often the case. Both video and static beam shots don't always tell the whole story unfortunately. That's because most cameras just can't accurately depict what the human eye actually sees. Night vision is a funny thing and no two people's eyes see things in exactly the same way.

LED technology has come a long way over the years but sadly it takes a while for the optic or reflector technology to catch up to the newer emitter configurations. It's one thing to have 4000 lumen from one lamp but it's another to have the optical beam pattern designed to be able to use that output in a way that truly serves the users purpose.

I find it best if I only use enough light off the bars to see what is just in front of me ( 75-100 ft. ) That light I also prefer to be a warmer NW tint and have a moderately wide beam pattern. ( the warmer tint helps cut down on close-in reflective feedback glare and improves distance vision ) The helmet lamp on the other hand I want to be able to project up to 200 ft. and with a _moderately wide beam pattern_ ( so there is less tunnel / bouncing ball effect ) . I find a good three emitter lamp on the helmet ( setup with XM-L2 or XP-L HI in the 4500K range ) with separate spot optics for all three emitters generally will get the job done.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

The Grinder said:


> Had a ride out with my new to me, Magicshine Monteer 6500s, bar mounted alongside my helmet mounted "old" Lupine Wilma from a good few years ago (with the external remote!!).
> Then tried Monteer helmet mounted - worked well. Not too heavy at all, mounted to a Bell helmet via GoPro Garmin mount combo (Magicshine adapter).
> 
> What surprised me the most was that i was not blown away by the performance of the very modern Monteer 6500S (6500 lumen claimed), just revised and out now.
> ...


Try shutting the light off (when safe to do so) and turning it on again. I haven't had the opportunity to do any testing on a 6500/8000 Monteer but with my 3500 Monteer have found a quick on/off will give me an additional 1000-1500 lumens after the light had settled into a stable output level (light meter readings while doing fan cooled indoor testing). I initially though my Monteer was thermally regulated because I could get gains of a couple of hundred lumens by further cooling the light (Vancbiker finned mount/holding an ice pack on the light for a couple of minutes) but after discovering the on/off trick think the output is just regulated to to operate this way and guessing the Monteer 5000/6500/8000 operate similarly. Throw distances are also affected by emitters used as the newest 6500/8000 Monteers use 5 XHP50.2's but have a lower cd value/throw distance than the original 6500 that used a mix of XHP50.2's and XM-L2's and the best thrower of the Monteer's is the 3500 (5 SST20's) according to Magicshine's claims. Anyway just some observations I've made that you might find useful. If you try the on/off trick I'm interested in hearing if you see much of a difference. Stable output on my 3500 is about 60% of Magicshine's claimed max and the on/off trick returns my light to almost turn on levels (which exceeds claims) so if the larger Monteers operate similarly you should notice some difference.



> Both are quality lights, well made and get me out and about.


I think it's been hard for Magicshine to shed their past poor quality reputation. I see comments like this all the time in user reviews of the newer lights. This is the first time I've seen one of their lights described as "quality/well made" in the company of Lupine though. :thumbsup:
Mole


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## klaudiop (Nov 25, 2020)

**post delayed because of admin approval


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## Picard (Apr 5, 2005)

How reliable is battery pack and connectors? 

Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk


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## klaudiop (Nov 25, 2020)

Picard said:


> How reliable is battery pack and connectors?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk


connectors look good. Seem well build.

About the battery pack I am not so sure tho. Mine never charges completely, nor lasts for 4 hours in 3600lumen MID setting (monteer6500s, lasted around 2:30h). This is a concern in my case, and the main reason why choosing this light was the runtime in the first place....
The last led keeps blinking after 10 hours charge. It never stays fixed. This has been reported already by another user in BLF on review of a moh55 which shares the same battery pack. Already contacted magicshine us and magicshine.de where I bought the light without success.....

cheers
klaudiop


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## MrGT (Aug 19, 2005)

klaudiop said:


> connectors look good. Seem well build.
> 
> About the battery pack I am not so sure tho. Mine never charges completely, nor lasts for 4 hours in 3600lumen MID setting (monteer6500s, lasted around 2:30h). This is a concern in my case, and the main reason why choosing this light was the runtime in the first place....
> The last led keeps blinking after 10 hours charge. It never stays fixed. This has been reported already by another user in BLF on review of a moh55 which shares the same battery pack. Already contacted magicshine us and magicshine.de where I bought the light without success.....
> ...


Maybe Mr. Mole can get in touch with MagicShine for you? He has what seems like a great relationship with them.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

klaudiop said:


> connectors look good. Seem well build.
> 
> About the battery pack I am not so sure tho. Mine never charges completely, nor lasts for 4 hours in 3600lumen MID setting (monteer6500s, lasted around 2:30h). This is a concern in my case, and the main reason why choosing this light was the runtime in the first place....
> The last led keeps blinking after 10 hours charge. It never stays fixed. This has been reported already by another user in BLF on review of a moh55 which shares the same battery pack. Already contacted magicshine us and magicshine.de where I bought the light without success.....
> ...


Did you get any response from Magicshine, curious what they said if you did? Also curious what the temperatures you were operating the light in were? I looked at the claimed mid mode runtimes for your light and it said 2.8 - 4 hrs and if the ambient temperature was below Magicshines listed operation range it might explain why your estimated runtime of 2:30 was below their lower claimed range. The flashing level indicator light on the battery doesn't sound right though. The smaller battery that came with my 3500 shows all level indicator lights solid at a full charge. I just do some reviews for them and doubtful the marketing people I deal with are going to tell me anything other than to have you deal with customer service (which you have). Let us know how this ends up as customer service performance is an important part of light ownership if you run into a situation where you need it. If I hear bad customer service complaints at least I can report that to marketing and I'm sure they'll pay attention to that if they want to improve their reputation.
Mole


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

MRMOLE said:


> I just do some reviews for them and doubtful the marketing people I deal with are going to tell me anything other than to have you deal with customer service (which you have).


Hopefully the customer service folks are better than the marketing dbags that manage their social media accounts.

Their behavior definitely doesn't help the unfortunate stereotype of Chinese folks stealing IP without a qualm.


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## klaudiop (Nov 25, 2020)

MRMOLE said:


> Did you get any response from Magicshine, curious what they said if you did?


Thanks MRMOLE.

I got a response from magicshine head office in China. They asked where I bought the light, and that I should contact them first and try to solve the issue. Also, they said the battery works better with PD protocol... I will buy a Charger but I don't think this will solve the issue.

I've bought the light from magicshine.de and already contacted them twice. Still no answer...



MRMOLE said:


> Also curious what the temperatures you were operating the light in were? I looked at the claimed mid mode runtimes for your light and it said 2.8 - 4 hrs and if the ambient temperature was below Magicshines listed operation range it might explain why your estimated runtime of 2:30 was below their lower claimed range.


Operating conditions, you asked. Well, it was like 8ºC, raining slightly (I live in north of Portugal). The light did not got warm to touch, so I understand it was consuming its maximum current at the MID level. However, this should be taken into consideration when marketing those things, as it is not rated as a static light, but opposite.

Where did you check the runtimes? I've looked again into the manual and this is what I found:
RUNTIMES FOR MAGICSHINE 6500S (MJ-6118 battery pack)








So at MID setting, all leds turned on it says 4h. There is no mention on less than that. I was expecting like 3.5h, to be honest, but 2.5h is just too low to me. Runtimes and light amount were my reasons on choosing this light, and the first just seems to be too short, unfortunatelly.



MRMOLE said:


> The flashing level indicator light on the battery doesn't sound right though. The smaller battery that came with my 3500 shows all level indicator lights solid at a full charge. I just do some reviews for them and doubtful the marketing people I deal with are going to tell me anything other than to have you deal with customer service (which you have). Let us know how this ends up as customer service performance is an important part of light ownership if you run into a situation where you need it. If I hear bad customer service complaints at least I can report that to marketing and I'm sure they'll pay attention to that if they want to improve their reputation.
> Mole


I will buy a new charger. I was using a Samsung fast charger 15W, but will buy a PD charger with at least 30W and see if that makes a difference. I will let you guys know. But anyway, the advertised charging time with 5V 2A is 9.5h, so It doesn't say it must be charged with a PD charger.
Well, I am gonna give it a couple more runs, and see what happens. Usually new batteries doesn't hold their maximum capacity on first cycles, but it won't last more 30% for sure.

I must say that I am quite disappointed at the moment. If the runtimes don't get me at least 3h at the MID setting, I might sell the battery pack and make one by myself with 6 cells (heavy as hell, I know...), since I do not have more 300€ to spend on another light right now.

Cheers
klaudiop

EDIT: check upcoming posts, especially post #40


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

klaudiop said:


> Thanks MRMOLE.
> 
> I got a response from magicshine head office in China. They asked where I bought the light, and that I should contact them first and try to solve the issue. Also, they said the battery works better with PD protocol... I will buy a Charger but I don't think this will solve the issue.


I've never had any issues charging my battery via USB-C.

Have you tried that?


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## klaudiop (Nov 25, 2020)

render ranger said:


> I've never had any issues charging my battery via USB-C.
> 
> Have you tried that?


I have the blinking led situation that I described previously. I use my smartphone charger to charge the battery by USB C. Bought a PD charger with more than 30W to see if this solves the issue, hope it arrives soon.

Do you charge yours connected to the computer?

cheers
klaudiop


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

klaudiop said:


> Do you charge yours connected to the computer?


I use a basic multiport charger:

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Fami...=usb+charger+multi+port&qid=1606508763&sr=8-9


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

klaudiop said:


> Operating conditions, you asked. Well, it was like 8ºC, raining slightly (I live in north of Portugal). The light did not got warm to touch, so I understand it was consuming its maximum current at the MID level. However, this should be taken into consideration when marketing those things, as it is not rated as a static light, but opposite.
> 
> Where did you check the runtimes? I've looked again into the manual and this is what I found:
> RUNTIMES FOR MAGICSHINE 6500S (MJ-6118 battery pack)
> ...


I saw the runtime range on the US site under additional information. A bit confusing that they post a chart like your example and have more detailed information listed in other places. Still these runtime claims are measured under ideal conditions or sometimes just calculated and it surprised me to see the runtime range provided since I've not seen this provided before from anyone. FYI through testing on my 3500 and assuming the more powerful Monteer's are similar (no guarantees on this without actual testing) how often the light is turned off/on during a battery cycle can greatly effect the overall runtime. My 3500's output/current draw drop considerably in the first 5 min. of operation but still maintain higher levels till the output/current draw stabilize around the 30 min. point but turn the light off at any point and it will return to near startup levels when turned back on (even if it is immediately after turning off) and start the 30 min. cycle again. Good for a boost in output but uses up batter capacity a lot quicker.
Mole


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## klaudiop (Nov 25, 2020)

MRMOLE said:


> I saw the runtime range on the US site under additional information. A bit confusing that they post a chart like your example and have more detailed information listed in other places. Still these runtime claims are measured under ideal conditions or sometimes just calculated and it surprised me to see the runtime range provided since I've not seen this provided before from anyone. FYI through testing on my 3500 and assuming the more powerful Monteer's are similar (no guarantees on this without actual testing) how often the light is turned off/on during a battery cycle can greatly effect the overall runtime. My 3500's output/current draw drop considerably in the first 5 min. of operation but still maintain higher levels till the output/current draw stabilize around the 30 min. point but turn the light off at any point and it will return to near startup levels when turned back on (even if it is immediately after turning off) and start the 30 min. cycle again. Good for a boost in output but uses up batter capacity a lot quicker.
> Mole


Yes, I agree that those runtimes are achieved under perfect conditions. That's why I was expecting around 3.5h or so. Also, I've turned the light on and off a couple of times, so I could check if the output would increase, and this behavior leads to a higher battery consumption as you explained.
Also, I've been searching the US website and they are more conservative regarding the runtimes... But I was expecting that the german one would be accurate too :-D

However, got some news regarding the issue with the battery. I ordered a PD charger on Friday but It will take a while to arrive, so I charged the battery with my Samsung 15W charger again, but let it overnight (don't like to do this since lithium batteries are kind of crazy but...). What matters is that around 10 am it was fully charged! The 3 LEDs were fixed. I don't know how many hours it took, but I let it charge for 14h.

So, now I will test the runtime (maybe on Monday) and see the difference. Possibly the battery wasn't full when I used it and therefore runtimes were lower than expected. Let's see what's going to happen!




render ranger said:


> I use a basic multiport charger





render ranger said:


> https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Fami...=usb+charger+multi+port&qid=1606508763&sr=8-9


How long does it take to fully charge the pack?

EDIT: how can I delete the attachement on a post? my previous post has 2 but I don't see where I can delete that -.-'

cheers
klaudiop


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

klaudiop said:


> How long does it take to fully charge the pack?


I don't know. I plug it in and it's fully charged the next day.


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## klaudiop (Nov 25, 2020)

Well well well... This is kind of awkward!
I believe that the poor runtimes experienced on my Monteer 6500s as reported previously were because of a not fully charged battery pack.:madman: 
My phone charger takes ages to fully charge it!
Tried a different charger and now it charges up much faster, around 5h.

Last night went for a spin and got 2.5h running, in MID setting, ending with 2 of the 3 LEDs on (so somewhere between 30-70% left). I am guessing it should last at least 3.5h, I'm just not having enough time to test that on the upcoming days, but will report on this later.

Here is a shot from yesterday with my phone on MID setting (monteer 6500s)









cheers 
klaudiop


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## DrPete (Jul 20, 2004)

So I've got a 8000S on the way, hopefully arriving by Friday. Just curious if this beast truly does eliminate the need for a helmet light, and if not, what others are running with it. Just curious.


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## klaudiop (Nov 25, 2020)

DrPete said:


> So I've got a 8000S on the way, hopefully arriving by Friday. Just curious if this beast truly does eliminate the need for a helmet light, and if not, what others are running with it. Just curious.


Personally, I think a helmet light is always a good option. Despite the fact that this light has a lot of power, and it spreads quite well, sometimes on tight corners it comes in handy (since the direction where you look and where you point your bike at are not always the same at the same moment). Or if you just need to take a look to the transmission (when a piece of wood just gets stuck there) or maybe just to keep an eye on the dog chasing you...
Also, if one light fails or runs out of power you still have the other to save the day.

I will give a try on rn1500 since it doesn't have the hassle of cables around my helmet and just got a very good deal (around 40€). Hangover also seems to be a very good choice, but a bit more expensive of course.

Cheers
Klaudiop

Enviado do meu SM-G930F através do Tapatalk


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## klaudiop (Nov 25, 2020)

*MJ 6118 water issues*

Well, I've been using my monteer 6500s twice a week, and yesterday got a huge amount of rain (was an awesome winter night ride ).

I've been using the battery connector pointing downwards on the frame, so water doesn't get inside the battery pack. However, yesterday just put it in the opposite direction, pointing slightly upwards, like this:
























After 3 hours, there was water on the connector (and a bluish strange color).








I am now wondering how good is the IP rating on this since it is advertised differently all over the internet. Also, the light head has a higher IP rating, so let's hope it will keep up through the winter...
About the battery pack, I am not so sure though. Does anyone has opened one of these? To see how sealed are the two halves of the casing...

cheers
klaudiop


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

DrPete said:


> So I've got a 8000S on the way, hopefully arriving by Friday. Just curious if this beast truly does eliminate the need for a helmet light, and if not, what others are running with it. Just curious.


I know this will make me sound like a Killjoy but with current LED bike light technology I don't think any single bike light capable of producing over 3K lumen will eliminate the need for a helmet light ( assuming you want to see as well as you can ). That's because at some point the lamp that can provide those monster like lumen are going to overheat and then have the output throttled back by the thermal control circuits. The higher the output the more heat produced the faster the maximum output will fade. How fast this will happen and how it is done ( sudden step down or slow fade ) will depend on the thermal control circuit setup used by the manufacturer.

Now if you live/ride in a cold climate and are speeding downhill maybe it will last a little longer but probably not by much. If you have a mode that can maintain say 1800-2000 lumen without too much fade and provide a beam pattern with a good mix of throw and spread than that's not doing too bad. Even so if I had a steady 2000 lm on the bars I would still want something for the helmet once I start to do the tight turns. The old saying, "Two heads are better than one", that concept applies to bike lights as well.


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## render ranger (Aug 22, 2019)

DrPete said:


> So I've got a 8000S on the way, hopefully arriving by Friday. Just curious if this beast truly does eliminate the need for a helmet light, and if not, what others are running with it. Just curious.


Yes, it's a bright light.

No, it doesn't eliminate the need for a helmet light. Not because it's going to be throttled, but because it's helpful to see around corners.


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## Cat-man-do (May 16, 2004)

render ranger said:


> Yes, it's a bright light.
> 
> No, it doesn't eliminate the need for a helmet light. Not because it's going to be throttled, but because *it's helpful to see around corners.*


Not just to see around corners but since a helmet lamp sits higher it also helps see over top of objects and/or tall brush/foliage that can line many a trail.


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## DrPete (Jul 20, 2004)

Well, you folks were right. The Monteer is amazing, but the beam still doesn't reach around corners or fill in the shadows on jumps. In fact, the brighter the setting, the darker the shadows. Makes bigger jumps look like you're just launching yourself into the void. Got a Gloworm X2 Adventure for the Helmet and that's a great pairing. My only minor gripe with the Monteer is that I'd love for flash mode to be a separate setting that's harder to get to. Cycling through Flash to get from high to eco is a bit of a pain. All in all, though, it's an incredible light.


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## DrPete (Jul 20, 2004)

Has anyone experienced this one with the battery pack?

brought my bike in after a ride in slightly damp conditions and saw some condensation on the light head, so I turned it on full blast to cook it off. With 2 of 3 LEDs green on the battery, the light LED flashes red and it goes into limp mode. I turn it off and back on again and can get full power again, but the LED on the light head is still solid red.

I’m recharging using USB-C PD, but I’m curious if anyone has seen the light head reporting much lower battery levels than the battery pack.


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## biking_tg (Dec 27, 2018)

DrPete said:


> brought my bike in after a ride in slightly damp conditions and saw some condensation on the light head, so I turned it on full blast to cook it off. With 2 of 3 LEDs green on the battery, the light LED flashes red and it goes into limp mode. I turn it off and back on again and can get full power again, but the LED on the light head is still solid red.


Sounds like the battery was still pretty cold from your ride? Drawing high power will result always in a voltage drop under load, and the cold makes that drop worse. How much drop depends also on the quality of cells used in the pack.
Lamp head probably measures the voltage arriving at it's circuit board, and i guess the indicator on the battery measures more off a cell voltage without load.

FYI: I had a Blika from lupine, where you could read the voltage at the lamp head with an app. At full throttle (21 W) and battery levels around 50-60% i observed a voltage drop of 0.5-0.6V, using a 7.2V 3.5A two cell battery. And this was at room temp! Consider that the Monteer 8000 is drawing beyond 75 W (Monteer 6500 draws 75W at max power).


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## DrPete (Jul 20, 2004)

Ah, that makes sense. And yes, it had been sitting out in the cold turned off for a couple hours before I did this.


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## biking_tg (Dec 27, 2018)

DrPete said:


> Ah, that makes sense. And yes, it had been sitting out in the cold turned off for a couple hours before I did this.


Note: do not charge a battery until the cells have reached at least 10°C. Li-Ion cells and charging at cell temperatures below room temp level is not good for battery longevity. The higher the charging current, the worse it gets.


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## mtrain (May 28, 2008)

DrPete said:


> So I've got a 8000S on the way, hopefully arriving by Friday. Just curious if this beast truly does eliminate the need for a helmet light, and if not, what others are running with it. Just curious.


I recently got a 6500 and have that mounted on the bars paired with my old XT40 on my helmet. The other day I got the parking at the trailhead and realized I forgot my helmet. luckily my buddy had a spare but this meant no helmet light. I figured I would go experiment and test your question above. My unscientific conclusion is that you will want a helmet light no matter what the output from the bars just since the helmet light is so much higher up and follows you eyes/head as you look around the corners. If I followed my buddy and piggybacked off his lights though if worked great


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## mtrain (May 28, 2008)

I have been using a 6500S for about the last 5 rides and I think it makes a great bar light. I currently have it paired with an older XT40 on my helmet which makes for a nice combo. The Monteer has a very even and wide beam pattern with no real hotspots and nice fall off on the edges. So it pairs nicely with the XT40 which has great throw but a fairly narrow beam pattern. My rides so far have consisted of about 2-3 hours with about 10-15 minute pedals up and 2-5 minute high speed downs. I typically have been running the light in the lowest of the low settings on the pedal up (its a logging road so no tech involved just grinding) and then running it max on the way down. So far my battery has not even dropped from the 3 light battery level. I'm hoping to get out and test it on some longer rides shortly. It is a massive improvement from my nightrider BT40.


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## klaudiop (Nov 25, 2020)

Well... regarding the low temperatures, I've been using my 6500S for 3 months now, many times with temperatures around and slightly below 0ºC. Never had a complaint about runtime, always more than 3:30h and some rides even a bit more than 4h, on High, without changing mode during the ride. But in order to charge it properly, I have to use a PD charger.

The only issue was with water ingress in the battery pack. The seals don't do a nice job maintaining the water out, but if you carefully position it on the frame with the connectors pointing downwards the issue is solved. Never had moisture inside the optics themselves though.

I consider that for slow riding, the monteer is enough. But when it comes to local enduro trails, with sharp bends, a helmet light is a must. I've been using the Magicshine RN1500 and I am super happy with both, runtimes (around 4h) and light output, in medium mode. Also, as others stated, the higher position of the helmet light helps to eliminate some shadows on the drops.

cheers


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## orbea_rise (Jun 8, 2021)

McGuillicuddy said:


> Right okay. So following your example nobody is allowed to have an opinion that something is too expensive for what it is?


expensive compared to what ? the equivalent Lupine, the Alpha, at 7200 lumens, similar battery, costs 1300 dollars


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## orbea_rise (Jun 8, 2021)

good news for anyone reading this, MagicShine offers a wireless remote for the most recent versions of it's Monteer lights, that is a dealmaker for me. it's just not pratical, and even dangerous to have to move an arm to switch light intensities, very annoying especially in traffic, when you want to use maximum brightness when there is no car on the other side of the road.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Equally important IMO is how the two button remote improves the V2 Monteer 8000's UI program usefulness. With the old 8000 you got high/med./low/flash where as with the V2 one button gives you high/med./low and requires a double click for flash + the other button toggles you to high and then back to whatever mode your started in allowing a high/low two setting setup and double clicking will change the emitter selection options.
Mole


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## bergsnj (Oct 2, 2018)

I just picked up a Monteer 8000(non remote) and it is amazing. So much light, it makes riding at night a lot of fun. These pics are on high. Battery life is great too
























Combined with an MJ906 on the helmet is an amazing combo


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