# Anyone used a NiteRider Pro 600 or 1200 yet?



## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

I know they're out there in the wild already. Would love to see beamshots and a review.


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

I should have a 600 in my hot little hand in the next 10 days or so. I'll post shots and a review....


Mikey


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

Here are a few videos of the new Niterider Pro 600 versus the Trinewt. 

http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=7d3c81cc324604a10c814df2efeadc50e04e75f6e8ebb871

Mikey


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

Great job on the videos - thank you!

Your comment on the Trinewt beam pattern is interesting. Do you think the Trinewt has a better beam for mountain biking and the 600 a better beam for road riding?


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

KingOfTheHill said:


> Great job on the videos - thank you!
> 
> Your comment on the Trinewt beam pattern is interesting. Do you think the Trinewt has a better beam for mountain biking and the 600 a better beam for road riding?


I guess it depends on how much of your peripheral vision you want illuminated. I am using the 600 on a road ride tonight and mountain biking this weekend, so I should have a better idea of the differences between the two lights.

Mike


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## sdnative (Aug 10, 2008)

Man, I kinda feel sorry for NR. They are just now selling these as their new flagship, and as far as light power goes, they are going to become obsolete very shortly. LED lights just have such a short product life cycle!

(no offense intended here, as still for sure bright)

Rumor is they have Cree MCE's in them, and run a little bit on the warm side.... which depending on how hot could be a very bad thing for performance.

Interested in those beam shots however, and knowing HOW hot they really run ... FYI, learn how to do night shots with the correct MTBR setting here >>


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

I'll be the first to admit that I love lumens, but...I went on a night ride a couple of days ago and only used a MityCross 350 on the bar on medium most of the time and a Dinotte 400L on the helmet on medium the entire ride and...enjoyed it more than when I run 1200-2000 lumens.

Not saying having the high power isn't nice on fast DH, which I didn't do, but maybe we've become too obsessed with riding at night like its daytime.


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## sdnative (Aug 10, 2008)

KingOfTheHill said:


> Not saying having the high power isn't nice on fast DH, which I didn't do, but maybe we've become too obsessed with riding at night like its daytime.


lol, yes we 100% have, as I can admit I used to use 2-10Watt halogens long ago and was perfectly happy untill I saw my first HID.

But people buy the bigger number instead, so ...

I ride with ~2500 lumens normally, Luminous DIY EVA Twin + X5 on the helmet (low when climbing, med on the opens, and max on the downhill). I was dirtbiking in the desert last weekend with the same rig. If that doesn't illustrate the point, I don't know what does.

In any case ...here I come 5000 lumens


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

sdnative said:


> FYI, learn how to do night shots with the correct MTBR setting here >>


FYI, try MTBR's "correct" settings with six different cameras and see if you get six identical-looking pictures or not. I tried their settings with my Canon A-series and the pictures were waaaaaayyy brighter than reality, or else I have amazingly bad night vision compared to most people.


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## sdnative (Aug 10, 2008)

mechBgon said:


> FYI, try MTBR's "correct" settings with six different cameras and see if you get six identical-looking pictures or not. I tried their settings with my Canon A-series and the pictures were waaaaaayyy brighter than reality, or else I have amazingly bad night vision compared to most people.


As all camera manufacturers work under the same standards, I would expect each to be relatively close. Most likely not 100% exact same, but probably too close to notice w/o measurement tools.

Remember though that ISO is also very import. You have to go 100% manual and set all the parameters including ISO; otherwise if auto ISO, it will go to a high setting and make the shoot waaaaay brighter 

Also, try turning the lights off to allow for your eyes to adjust to the dark first. Agree with the above, but also know that with the big bright lights your eyes tend to adjust.


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

sdnative said:


> As all camera manufacturers work under the same standards, I would expect each to be relatively close. Most likely not 100% exact same, but probably too close to notice w/o measurement tools.
> 
> Remember though that ISO is also very import. You have to go 100% manual and set all the parameters including ISO; otherwise if auto ISO, it will go to a high setting and make the shoot waaaaay brighter
> 
> Also, try turning the lights off to allow for your eyes to adjust to the dark first. Agree with the above, but also know that with the big bright lights your eyes tend to adjust.


Yeah, I'm well-versed in using the manual options on my cameras, including setting ISO. I was shooting photos for my Seca 700 review and had to abandon MTBR's preferred settings. Have a look at this:










That's F/4, 2.5 seconds, ISO100. Since I was posting a review here at MTBR, I tried the "official" settings first, but felt that the result from a 6-second exposure was absurdly bright compared to reality. Gotta call it like I see it (haha  ).


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## jbsteven (Aug 12, 2009)

I have a Niterider 1200 on order from a employee purchase at Interbike. Can't wait to see how much light it puts out. Hopefully will be here in the next 2-3 weeks.


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

jbsteven said:


> I have a Niterider 1200 on order from a employee purchase at Interbike. Can't wait to see how much light it puts out. Hopefully will be here in the next 2-3 weeks.


If you can, post some shots of the two beam patterns. I am wishing I had ordered the 1200....

Mikey


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## OLAK (Jan 30, 2004)

first ride with the 1200 last night. it is pretty bright. had been riding with a trinewt previously. Funny thing when I was driving away in my car after the ride, I thought my headlights were not on, but they were on high-beam


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## sdnative (Aug 10, 2008)

mechBgon said:


> Yeah, I'm well-versed in using the manual options on my cameras, including setting ISO. ...That's F/4, 2.5 seconds, ISO100. Since I was posting a review here at MTBR, I tried the "official" settings first, but felt that the result from a 6-second exposure was absurdly bright compared to reality. Gotta call it like I see it (haha  ).


Understand I had to ask still, because most people have absolutely no clue .......about generally anything actually, pretty sad. Anyway, is good to find an exception!

I agree that MTBR is too bright, problem is, now you look too dark in comparison to everyone else. Enter objective vs. subjective reality, and truth vs Marketing ...easily a thread in it's own right.

Love how the SECA cuts off the top light; so many other lights would be lighting the tree uppers even with the beam pointed downwards at the trail. Trying myself to incorporate a similar feature into the next generation of Luminous DIY lights. Prototypes rolling along :thumbsup:


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

That Seca looks real nice. I like the beam tint which looks very neutral white. I agree with the above opinions on the camera settings. I also agree that the photographer has a responsibility to post photos that "He" believes are the most representative. To keep things honest whenever someone post beam pics of a DIY or new light, there should be an effort made to post the pics with other ( common/popular ) lights so viewers can judge by comparison. Having a common point of reference is always a big help.


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## mcoplea (Nov 11, 2004)

I just got two Pro 600's! Charged, programed and my son and I rode with them last night. Awesome lights!!! I have used many different lights over the years and these are my favorites so far.

However, both our charging stations craped out on us. The first one went bad and I thought no big deal, I have 2. But then the second failed in the same manner. UGH! Calling NR in the AM to see if there is a problem with them.


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## mcoplea (Nov 11, 2004)

mcoplea said:


> I just got two Pro 600's! Charged, programed and my son and I rode with them last night. Awesome lights!!! I have used many different lights over the years and these are my favorites so far.
> 
> However, both our charging stations craped out on us. The first one went bad and I thought no big deal, I have 2. But then the second failed in the same manner. UGH! Calling NR in the AM to see if there is a problem with them.


Niterider is stepping up and taking care of my broken carging stations and they are even going to overnight the replacements. I have been using their lights for about 10 years now. I have not had many problems with them but when I did, NR has taken care of it. :thumbsup:


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

mcoplea said:


> I just got two Pro 600's! Charged, programed and my son and I rode with them last night. Awesome lights!!! I have used many different lights over the years and these are my favorites so far.
> 
> However, both our charging stations craped out on us. The first one went bad and I thought no big deal, I have 2. But then the second failed in the same manner. UGH! Calling NR in the AM to see if there is a problem with them.


What did you notice about the chargers that told they were done for? Were they non functional or did they look right but not do anything?

Mikey


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## mcoplea (Nov 11, 2004)

mikeyonthemadone said:


> What did you notice about the chargers that told they were done for? Were they non functional or did they look right but not do anything?
> 
> Mikey


They both worked great on the 1st charge. Then when I went to rechage the batteries, all the lights on the charging station started blinking and the station went dead with no lights. The green light on the power cord would light up, but when I plugged it into the charging station, it would also go out. Strange.

It seems that the PCB is bad and NR is replacing/fixing them for me pronto. :thumbsup:


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

Thanks for the response. I am using mine right now and it seemed to charge very quickly. I am on my sixth Niterider product and have had some issues, but they have always been resolved quickly and at no cost to me. 


Mikey


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

mcoplea said:


> They both worked great on the 1st charge. Then when I went to rechage the batteries, all the lights on the charging station started blinking and the station went dead with no lights. The green light on the power cord would light up, but when I plugged it into the charging station, it would also go out. Strange.
> 
> It seems that the PCB is bad and NR is replacing/fixing them for me pronto. :thumbsup:


Interesting. Overall, I like a lot of the design aspects of the Pro 1200, and would buy one if I could afford anything right now:


Glass lenses over the reflectors (won't scratch like plastic)
Flood and spot beams with ability to set up any output "split" I want
A proven mount that won't slip, unlike my Seca's stock mount
"Fuel gauge"
Battery does not strap onto frame or stem

One slight downside is that you give up a bottle mount to the battery rack. It occurred to me that King Cage makes a headset cap that incorporates a bottle mount, so for those of you who'd be hassled by losing a bottle mount, this is something to consider:










Hey, tell us about the mode button. Is it mushy, clicky, or what? Is it easy to get just one click? With my Seca, in "race mode," it's sometimes tricky to get just a single click out of it, and I end up right back in the mode I started in.


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## mcoplea (Nov 11, 2004)

mechBgon said:


> Interesting. Overall, I like a lot of the design aspects of the Pro 1200, and would buy one if I could afford anything right now:
> 
> 
> Glass lenses over the reflectors (won't scratch like plastic)
> ...


The Pro 600 & 1200 have a frame mounted battery. You do not need to give up a water bottle cage to mount the battery.

Cool water bottle mount option from King Cage though.


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

mcoplea said:


> The Pro 600 & 1200 have a frame mounted battery. You do not need to give up a water bottle cage to mount the battery.
> 
> Cool water bottle mount option from King Cage though.


Ohhhh, ok. That's good news then


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## ab138501 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Niterider Pro Beamshots*

There are beamshots of the Niterider Pro 600 and Niterider Pro 1200 at:

http://acidinmylegs.blogspot.com/2009/11/few-beam-shots.html


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

ab138501 said:


> There are beamshots of the Niterider Pro 600 and Niterider Pro 1200 at:
> 
> http://acidinmylegs.blogspot.com/2009/11/few-beam-shots.html


I opened up the beamshots in different browser tabs and started toggling back and forth. The 1200 is VERY impressive!


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

I agree, the beam looks awesome. <drool>


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

I have the 600 and the 1200 and I've been riding them for the mtbr lights test. I'll release all my photos and videos this Friday. I have about a dozen new lights right now.

The 1200 beam pattern is so bright, wide and even. It's the best beam pattern I've ever seen and I don't use a helmet light with it since it is just distracting and just interferes with the consistency of the light pattern.

The downside is the weight. It is big compared to most of the lights today. At 800 grams, it's about 150 grams heavier than the Trinewt. But like I said, no helmet light needed. Just because you used a helmet light before, doesn't mean you need one with this light. All the old adages of needing a helmet light to see through corners and stuff don't necessarily apply. In fact, helmet lights are really darn distracting 100% of the time while climbing.

fc

p.s.
About the photo settings, yes 6 seconds is long and it only works for my Canon G9 camera it seems. Other cameras I've seen need a faster speed to be realistic. But I have to be consistent now with my old photos. But this new crop of lights are so bright that I need other, longer outdoor photo spots to capture the beam pattern.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

Here is the Trinewt and here is the Niterider Pro 1200. The camera settings are identical on these photos.


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

I word: WOW

Thanks fc. I'm looking forward to Friday.


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## bentboy242 (Nov 7, 2009)

*1200L shootout Dinotte vs Niterider*

has anyone compared these lights?
the Dinotte 1200L vs the Niterider Pro 1200?

thanks


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## mcoplea (Nov 11, 2004)

My son and I used the Pro 600's last weekend at the 12/23 Hr of Fury out here in AZ. I must say that these lights rocked!! I have been night riding for about 10 years now and these are the best I have ever used. Plus, the support from NR is 2nd to none.


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## Merost (Feb 23, 2006)

mcoplea said:


> I just got two Pro 600's! Charged, programed and my son and I rode with them last night. Awesome lights!!! I have used many different lights over the years and these are my favorites so far.
> 
> However, both our charging stations craped out on us. The first one went bad and I thought no big deal, I have 2. But then the second failed in the same manner. UGH! Calling NR in the AM to see if there is a problem with them.


I just had a similar problem. My 600 arrived about 2.5 hours ago. I unpacked it and plugged it in to start charging the battery. About an hour into it all the lights on the docking station were blinking!?! The green light on the AC plug was also blinking?!?!

I'm pissed!!


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## ab138501 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Ordered a NR Pro 600*

I ordered a Niterider Pro 600. It's supposed to arrive on Wednesday 11/18/09. I will post again after it arrives to let everyone know how things go with the charging station and the battery.

I'm planning to use it on the handlebars with a Light & Motion Stella 200L mounted on the helmet. This will be for commuting and road riding on unlit country roads.

I like the beamshot of the Pro 600 at http://acidinmylegs.blogspot.com/2009/11/few-beam-shots.html and I found a great deal on it. I couldn't pass it up.

I will let everyone know how it goes after it arrives next week.


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

ab138501 said:


> There are beamshots of the Niterider Pro 600 and Niterider Pro 1200 at:
> 
> http://acidinmylegs.blogspot.com/2009/11/few-beam-shots.html


Nice link to compare some beams.

I went to the NiteRider site to read about the D.I.Y. software. Does anybody know what platforms this software will run? It says Windows 2000, but I was wondering if Mac users are out of luck.....(outside of using the standard settings the light comes with out of the box)?

BB


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## BruceBrown (Jan 16, 2004)

francois said:


> Here is the Trinewt and here is the Niterider Pro 1200. The camera settings are identical on these photos.


Wow, the 1200 is so bright I don't even see the kiddie slides in the picture. Wait, I see it. The yellow slide is tucked back in there by the fence.

Nice work, Francois. Impressive light beam for sure from the 1200.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Pretty soon you are going to need a larger test range for these lights. That 1200 pretty much lights up your backyard from wall to wall.

J.


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## Merost (Feb 23, 2006)

mcoplea said:


> My son and I used the Pro 600's last weekend at the 12/23 Hr of Fury out here in AZ. I must say that these lights rocked!! I have been night riding for about 10 years now and these are the best I have ever used. Plus, the support from NR is 2nd to none.


I hope so because I'm real sad right now as I gaze over to the nonfunctioning Pro600 that I have never got to use and just don't work. I will have to wait until Monday to call.


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## RobbieG (Nov 13, 2009)

I'm really trying to like the Niterider Pro... however, I think they are still missing the mark with the boat anchor battery and the antiquated helmet mounts... the beam shots look very good, but come on, why can't they devise a more compact/lighter battery option?


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

RobbieG said:


> I'm really trying to like the Niterider Pro... however, I think they are still missing the mark with the boat anchor battery and the antiquated helmet mounts... the beam shots look very good, but come on, why can't they devise a more compact/lighter battery option?


You do realize the Pro 1200 uses an 8 cell battery, right? No real way of making those small. Maybe NR makes them a bit bigger than could be done if you did a double Magicshine type battery, but the build quality then wouldn't be there.

Maybe a double 4 cell Dinotte type battery would be good. :thumbsup:


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

How does the NR1200 battery mount on the frame?

J


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## RobbieG (Nov 13, 2009)

RobbieG said:


> I'm really trying to like the Niterider Pro... however, I think they are still missing the mark with the boat anchor battery and the antiquated helmet mounts... the beam shots look very good, but come on, why can't they devise a more compact/lighter battery option?


I was actually referring to the 600... the total system weight is 600g of which 500g is battery... Lupine Tesla total system weight = 320g (220g battery), Cygolite TridenX = 290g (175g battery), L&M Seca Race = 500 g (320g battery), etc....

All the burn times of these other systems are comparable to the Niterider 600 but without the extra pork... I'm just saying...


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

The Nite Rider 1200 has an excellent beam pattern....really impressive. Of course, IF it is a heavy light it would have to be a bar light but if a 100-125 gram light could produce that beam, I'd use it on the helmet in a heartbeat.


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## ab138501 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Battery Mount for the NR Pro Series Lights*



JohnJ80 said:


> How does the NR1200 battery mount on the frame?
> 
> J


I have attached a picture that shows how I mounted the NR Pro 600 battery on my Soma Smoothie ES frame.

I just got it tonight so I haven't gotten out on the road with it yet.

I have not had any problems with the battery charging station yet.


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## Merost (Feb 23, 2006)

I spoke to a rep from Niterider on the phone. Apparently the problem I had with my Pro 600 is a problem they have experienced before. They are going to send me a whole new unit to replace the one I have that is not functioning. Based on what he was saying about the problem, which wasn't a lot, it is most likley an issue related to the charging cradle.


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

ab138501 - thanks for the picture, helps a lot.

I'm pretty interested in these lights. Looks like a nice system. The beam on the 1200 looks fantastic.

J.


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## lalittle (Sep 3, 2005)

Thanks for all the info here.

Now that people have been using the 1200 for a few weeks, I'm curious if there are any updated opinions. For example, given the battery mount paradigm (the battery plugging into the frame mount), one concern I have is if heavy bumps could potentially cause the battery to momentarily break connection. Have there been any issues with this?

Also, given the heavier weight of the battery and light, do either have any tendency to move or shift on bumpy terrain? I have a Seca 700, and the light definitely tilts down a bit when I hit big enough bumps (and I can't make it ANY tighter than I have it already.)

On this note, has anyone used both a Seca 700 (or 900) and the Niterider Pro 1200? I'm curious to hear comparison opinions with these particular lights.

I'd also be interested in seeing any more beam photos. I looked at the ones posted/linked here, but it's always helpful to see more photos taken in different situations or by different people.

Thanks,

Larry


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

I have been bouncing my 600 around on some really crappy snow and ice covered roads and have had NO problems with the mount for the head or the battery moving. Temps below 10 degrees and still gives good run times (3-4 days of 1 hour commutes.)


Mikey


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

lalittle said:


> I have a Seca 700, and the light definitely tilts down a bit when I hit big enough bumps (and I can't make it ANY tighter than I have it already.)


I suggest transplanting your Seca head onto a DiNotte/Marwi mount:


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## lalittle (Sep 3, 2005)

mechBgon said:


> I suggest transplanting your Seca head onto a DiNotte/Marwi mount:


Do you have more details on the specific model number of that mount, as well as what modifications are needed to mount the Seca onto it?

Also, where did you get it? I couldn't find anything like that on the DiNotte site, and I wasn't entirely clear if the one on the Marwi site was the correct model -- it looks like it has some sort of "sliding" part.

Is this the one you are talking about:

http://www.marwiusa.com/default.aspx?taxid=24&cid=productview&bbid=3&pid=57#46

Thanks,

Larry


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## KaKah! (Oct 11, 2005)

I have about a month of use with my 1200 now, pretty stoked with it. I have it strictly as a helmet light so I can't really comment on the funky battery mount that it uses. The head is pretty heavy and it is quite noticeable when its on your lid, but the helmet mount is very secure and it doesn't move or loosen at all. Obviously the amount of light it puts out is very good and I much prefer the LED light hue over my old Storm's HID bulb, it seems very natural. Comparing the beam to my buddies lights (both HID and LED from various companies) shows the it is by far the best quality. 

Run time? Can't say as the longest I've been out on the hill so far has been about 2.5 hours. From what I've heard/rear the run time is as claimed. I have not played around with the custom settings. I've had no issues w/ the charger. I know there has been some scoffs at the price of the 600/1200 lights, but now having used one I am very happy to have paid the extra. Nothing against Moonshine's light as it has a place, but having compared the two lights it is quite obvious that the NR's quality is over the top. Props to NR for sticking to their guns and making a premium light. 

One thing to keep in mind: I found the "spot" beam to be just that, a very intense spot. Even when the flood is combined with it, the spot is still a glowing orb of light in the middle. I guess thats why it's called the "spot" but I'd like to see it widened out just a bit more.


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## lalittle (Sep 3, 2005)

KaKah,

So was the 2.5 hour run-time on full power (i.e. spot 100% and flood 100%)? I read another post somewhere that complained about the light not lasting as long as it was supposed to. I can't remember the specifics, but I seem to remember it saying that they only got an hour on full, which seemed WAY too short to me.

Thanks,

Larry


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## KaKah! (Oct 11, 2005)

lalittle said:


> KaKah,
> 
> So was the 2.5 hour run-time on full power (i.e. spot 100% and flood 100%)? I read another post somewhere that complained about the light not lasting as long as it was supposed to. I can't remember the specifics, but I seem to remember it saying that they only got an hour on full, which seemed WAY too short to me.
> 
> ...


 Sorry, forgot to specify that. I'd say it was an hour and a half on flood followed by an hour with the light at full power. I actually completely forgot that the first time I ran the system I did drain the battery (as per the instructions) and it was well over 4 hours... I guess I forgot because I wasn't riding with it!

I know the cold is hard on battery charges, but does it affect the Li-ion batts as much? It was a few degrees above freezing here but maybe if it was well under the run time is shortened?


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## mechBgon (Jan 28, 2007)

lalittle said:


> Do you have more details on the specific model number of that mount, as well as what modifications are needed to mount the Seca onto it?
> 
> Also, where did you get it? I couldn't find anything like that on the DiNotte site, and I wasn't entirely clear if the one on the Marwi site was the correct model -- it looks like it has some sort of "sliding" part.
> 
> ...


That one will work. On the new mount, you'll slide the quick-release "shoe" off the top (it's the part with the "ears" for the light head) and then unbolt the part that the shoe slides onto, using a 4mm hex key:



















Now you can bolt your Seca head onto this mount like it was bolted to its stock mount, by putting the screw through the mount from the underside. Alternately, you could modify the "shoe" by shaving off the "ears" and drilling a hole through it, mounting the head on the quick-release shoe, and then you'd have a quick-release Seca. If you had to leave the bike parked in public, I could see that being useful.


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

*Mount Wroclai*



lalittle said:


> Also, where did you get it? I couldn't find anything like that on the DiNotte site, and I wasn't entirely clear if the one on the Marwi site was the correct model -- it looks like it has some sort of "sliding" part.


EL34 from the DIY forum sells these.

He's got an ad on MTBR and through his website.


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## Merost (Feb 23, 2006)

I have a very good results since getting my replacement 600 from Niteride. Charger works fine now so far. Performance is good. Run it normally with a MiNewt helmet mount, but wanna try the 600 out as a helmet light using my Blowtorch HID as bar light. That should be really bright, albeit a bit heavy.


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

Bad news for the Niterider Pro 600. After commuting home this evening through a rain and sleet storm I have a buildup of moisture inside the lens. I noticed the light was looking sort of strange as far as the beam pattern was concerned.I have full fenders on my bike so the only water that hit the light was what fell from the sky. The light is in a warm place to dry out a bit, but beware of this if you ride in the wet! Anyone else have this problem?

EDIT: Removed the cover and used warm dry air to remove moisture from the lens. Problem resolved, but Niterider will be hearing from me.


Mikey


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## lalittle (Sep 3, 2005)

KaKah! said:


> I actually completely forgot that the first time I ran the system I did drain the battery (as per the instructions) and it was well over 4 hours... I guess I forgot because I wasn't riding with it!


Sorry to ask for yet another clarification here, but was that 4 hours on full power? That sounds too long.

Regarding the 2.5 hours you mentioned in the previous thread, do I understand correctly that this didn't actually fully drain the battery?

Here's the real question: Does anybody here have any experience with how long the 1200 lasts on FULL power -- i.e. spot 100% and flood 100%? Does it last the full 2.5 hours like Niterider says, or is it less (or more) than this? Again, this is on FULL power the whole time.

On a related note, what happens when the battery starts to fully drain? Does the light go into a "low power" mode, or does it just suddenly go out?

Thanks again,

Larry


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## radirpok (Feb 1, 2006)

mikeyonthemadone said:


> Bad news for the Niterider Pro 600. After commuting home this evening through a rain and sleet storm I have a buildup of moisture inside the lens. I noticed the light was looking sort of strange as far as the beam pattern was concerned.I have full fenders on my bike so the only water that hit the light was what fell from the sky. The light is in a warm place to dry out a bit, but beware of this if you ride in the wet! Anyone else have this problem?
> 
> EDIT: Removed the cover and used warm dry air to remove moisture from the lens. Problem resolved, but Niterider will be hearing from me.
> 
> Mikey


Don't be too hard on them since even Lupines fog up, it has nothing to do with the rain getting in, rather the moisture in the air when assembling the lighthead... they recommend running the light on full power for a few minutes with the glass off, and then putting it back together.
However I don't see that little fogging affecting the light output so I couldn't be bothered less... just enjoy the light and ride


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

This is my 5th Niterider since I got my my first halogen system in 1996. I have run all of them in similar situations or worse, and never had fogging issues. I am not going to be an ass, but I am expecting a decent explanation.


Mikey


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## ab138501 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Niterider Pro 600 Modifications*



mikeyonthemadone said:


> This is my 5th Niterider since I got my my first halogen system in 1996. I have run all of them in similar situations or worse, and never had fogging issues. I am not going to be an ass, but I am expecting a decent explanation.
> 
> Mikey


After reading Mikey's posts about fogging issues with the Niterider Pro 600, I did some tests on my Pro 600 and decided that I didn't like the results.

I decided to do some modifications to improve the weatherproofness of my Niterider Pro 600. I just finished the modifications this afternoon and so far I'm very happy with the results.

I'm planning to write the details of what I did sometime in the next week and then post them here on this thread.

I will probably also send an email to Niterider to give them a heads up and some suggestions on how to improve the quality of the Niterider Pro 600.


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

ab138501 said:


> After reading Mikey's posts about fogging issues with the Niterider Pro 600, I did some tests on my Pro 600 and decided that I didn't like the results.
> 
> I decided to do some modifications to improve the weatherproofness of my Niterider Pro 600. I just finished the modifications this afternoon and so far I'm very happy with the results.
> 
> ...


I would really like to know your mods. I have an idea of my own based on where I saw moisture entering the unit......

Mikey


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## ab138501 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Batteries for the Niterider Pro Lights*



RobbieG said:


> I'm really trying to like the Niterider Pro... however, I think they are still missing the mark with the boat anchor battery and the antiquated helmet mounts... the beam shots look very good, but come on, why can't they devise a more compact/lighter battery option?


The stock battery that comes with the Niterider Pro 1200 is an 8-cell battery.

The stock battery that comes with the Niterider Pro 600 is a 6-cell battery.

My understanding is that Niterider is going to bring out an after-market 4-cell battery for the Niterider Pro lights sometime in 2010.


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## ab138501 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Niterider Pro 600 Modifications*



mikeyonthemadone said:


> I would really like to know your mods. I have an idea of my own based on where I saw moisture entering the unit......
> 
> Mikey


I modified my Niterider Pro 600 in each of the three areas where moisture can get in:
•	Around the edges of the lens
•	Around the edges of the rubber on/off button pad
•	Where the power cable enters the housing in the back

In my opinion the key modification is to replace the existing lens and the existing o-ring. The stock lens and stock o-ring do not seal out air and moisture.

There are several issues with the stock lens and o-ring:
•	The o-ring is located on the outside of the lens rather than on the inside of the lens where it would be able to effectively stop air and moisture from entering the light.
•	There is a crescent shaped hole in the bottom edge of the front piece of the plastic housing next to the bottom set of fins. When moisture and air come in through that hole, the only thing stopping the moisture and air from getting into the inside of the light housing is the lens and the lens fits very loosely.

In order to fix these issues, it is necessary to replace the stock lens and o-ring so that the o-ring is on the inside of the lens rather than on the outside of the lens. The o-ring needs to have a smaller diameter so that it can sit on the top rim of the reflector. The lens needs to have a larger diameter so that it fits more snugly in the aluminum housing and completely covers the o-ring.

I removed the four 2.5mm allen head screws that hold the plastic case together and removed the front piece of the plastic case.

I placed the parts in several ziploc bags so that sensitive parts like the reflector would not come in contact with other parts that could scratch them.

I purchased two 30mm outside diameter o-rings from my local Ace Hardware store for $0.97 including tax.

I purchased ten 33mm glass lenses from Doug Hoffman at http://www.hoffmanamps.com . Click on the "Click Here to Enter" button. Click on "SSC P7 LED - Bike Lighting Parts" and search on that page for "Glass 33mm diameter". Doug Hoffman posts to the mtbr forums using the username of "El34". The total cost for ten lenses with shipping was $14.45. Doug charges $0.75 per lens. I wasn't sure how many I would need to get the job done right so I ordered ten of them. That was probably overkill since I got it right on my second attempt.

I used #60 sandpaper to sand the edges of the 33mm glass lens down so that it would fit inside the front of the aluminum housing of my Pro 600 light. I kept the Niterider Pro 600 light inside a ziploc bag while I was testing the fit of the lens so that I would not get glass dust inside the light.

When I was finished sanding the lens, I cleaned it with "Formula MC" multi-coated filter and lens cleaner and a "Promaster" camera lens cleaning cloth. "Formula MC" is the only lens cleaner fluid that I use on my camera lenses and filters. It works great. The manufacturer webpage for "Formula MC" lens cleaner can be found at http://www.pecaproducts.com/fluids.htm .

The first time I put the light back together I tried to install the 30mm o-ring on the inside of the lens and the stock o-ring on the outside of the lens. The results were not good. The lens cracked because of excessive pressure.

I sanded down a second lens and tried again with only the 30mm o-ring from Ace Hardware on the inside of the lens. It worked perfectly. The plastic housing pieces fit back together better. When I finished everything fit together snugly.

While I had things apart I also did some modifications to prevent water from coming in around the edges of the rubber on/off button or at the opening for the power cable at the back of the unit. I used a small tube of GE Silicone II 100% Silicone Sealant (a.k.a. Kitchen & Bath Caulk) to seal up those two areas. I used a toothpick to apply the caulk in the small groove around the edge of the rubber on/off button. After the caulk dried, I used the pointy end of a compass to carefully remove any excess caulk that I wanted to clean up. The fine print on the back of the GE Silicone II tube says, "Not for surfaces that will exceed 400 degrees F." I don't think my light will get that hot, so it should be ok.

In order to get to the area where the power cable enters the back of the housing, I had to pull the back part of the plastic housing back. After I removed the clip on the back of the light with a Philips screwdriver, it was easy to pull the back half of the plastic housing back and to get the power cable entry area.

The trickiest part in the "putting it back together" process is figuring out how to reinstall the rubber on/off button correctly. I found that the best way to do it is to install the rubber button on the light and then install the front cover later. I used a dull table knife to push the button through until it popped out through the hole in the housing. The button itself is made out of rather solid rubber so there does not seem to be much risk of puncturing it with the dull table knife. It was a lot easier and more effective to do it this way rather than placing the rubber button in the front piece of the plastic outer housing and trying to slip the whole thing onto the light.

I did a little bit of testing and it seems that my modified Niterider Pro 600 is more weatherproof now.

Reply to this post or send me an email if you have any questions.


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## mikeyonthemadone (Jul 4, 2009)

I am impressed. I was only going to go as far as sealing the power button and perhaps add a bit of sealant to the lens edge. I found the water that got through on mine came mostly through the power button area, ( I was drenched from head to toe by a passing truck in 2-3 inches of standing water on the road, this would not normally happen.) Thank you for your ideas!


Mikey


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## mtb_robs-x (Dec 13, 2009)

almost considered it,....
if they had it 1/2 year ago,...
if they would sell the light head alone
if they would sell the connectors,....
if the lighthead (1200) was under $250 
if it can use my car battery, ( just kidding,..., but ~12V be cool)

still consider it,.... for basic benchmarking,...
with all the non compatible, non reuseable, can't buy, but the whole system,,,
I'am on a vendetta to come up with a new standard,... there is no standard,... 
oops,...there is kinda,... Lupine
- strong, usable light
- good quality
- upgradable
- can buy lighthead only
- compatible, with there old line,...

almost there,..... oops ranting, still working on it,.... there is no holy grail,...
think the pro 1200 is going to be a good staple, once they work out the kinks.
but once baya gets there stuff together, in a year or too, they could as well set a new standard. who knows, maybe I could comeup with one, might take more than that time to propagate.


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## jbsteven (Aug 12, 2009)

niterider finnaally charged my card for the interbike employee purchase of the 1200. hopefully it will finally ship this coming week.


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## CactusJackSlade (Apr 11, 2006)

How many people have their 1200's? We also ordered a few at Interbike in Sept. and still do not have them... are they readily available yet? Half the night season is over already... and I've been riding half blind!


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## CactusJackSlade (Apr 11, 2006)

Geez, they must have read my post... was on my doorstep today!

I don't mind it being late, I just was a little irritated they did not bother to respond to my first email about 3 weeks ago.

Charged up the 1200 and let it rip in my back yard... NICE, can't wait to ride!


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## jbsteven (Aug 12, 2009)

got my 1200 Interbike employee purchase yesterday. charged it up and been running it on full blast. 5:45 hours and counting. Has not even got down to the last green indicator light.

oh, and it's BRIGHT


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## lalittle (Sep 3, 2005)

jbsteven said:


> got my 1200 Interbike employee purchase yesterday. charged it up and been running it on full blast. 5:45 hours and counting. Has not even got down to the last green indicator light.
> 
> oh, and it's BRIGHT


Could you check to see if it's actually at "full power." If memory serves, it's only rated for 2.5 hours at full power (100% for both spot and flood.) 5:45 is over twice that long, which simply doesn't seem possible. My guess is that it's actually running at reduced power, but that it's still very bright.

You may have to use the companion software to see what the actual power settings are.

On this note, does anyone know if this light will automatically reduce power at some point in order to keep running?

Thanks for any update on this,

Larry


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## jbsteven (Aug 12, 2009)

I triple checked and it was on full 1200 (600 each bulb). It ran for over 7 hours.

Yes, I'm scratching my head too. I'm going to run it again today.


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## radirpok (Feb 1, 2006)

jbsteven said:


> I triple checked and it was on full 1200 (600 each bulb). It ran for over 7 hours.
> 
> Yes, I'm scratching my head too. I'm going to run it again today.


How do you know it was on full, did you check it with a lux-meter or a power meter? ;-)
According to the NR specification the 1200 has a (7.2V?) 9.6Ah battery, which is about 70Wh. Assuming the power consumption is ~24W on full you get 2.5-3.0hrs runtime.
So, unless you have a UFO power source or were able to break the laws of physics there must be an other reason.
My guess: because you were running the light in-house, without proper cooling I guess, the unit pulled the throttle down automatically to prevent overheating (which is what a properly designed light should do!). The check to see if this was the case is pretty simple: go ride your bike for at least 3hrs (or until you deplete the battery) with the 1200 on full power and then report back your experience. It helps that it's wintertime, so it is quite possible that the light unit will run near its maximum power.


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## MaximusHQ (Aug 6, 2007)

When checking run-time of a light while in the house you need to point a fan at the light or otherwise it gets too hot and if it was designed properly it will throttle back to prevent damage like radirpok pointed out. The beam pattern on those lights looks pretty good though.


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## floxy (May 17, 2008)

I'm looking to get a light soon and this has been a very helpful thread. Do most of the 1200 owners agree that its bright enough to mount on a handlebar and not have issues with corners while riding fast. I was leaning towards thr 600 because of weight but might step up to the 1200 if it could be used on a bar.


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## Flyer (Jan 25, 2004)

I would only be practical on the bar- too heavy and bulky for the helmet. The beam pattern is very good too.


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

The 1200 is great on the bars. As for riding with only the 1200 on the bars, I'd be fine with it but would still rather ride with a helmet light too if riding very twisty stuff. If doing flowy single track or average twisty stuff it's fine by itself on the bars (IMO).

I tried the 1200 on the helmet and while the weight didn't bother me, the light is way too bright up there on max. You can run it on medium or just spot and be happy, but I think a 600 would be better on the lid.


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## floxy (May 17, 2008)

I'm thinking a Pro 600 (handlebar) and a MiNewt Mini-USB Plus (Helmet) would be a good combo. Overall weight is still less than a 1200 and you have a helmet/bar combo.


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

Don't even bother with the minewt mini usb - you won't be able to see the light it puts out if you pair it with a 600. Start at a minewt 200 for the helmet if you want to stick with NiteRider.

There are many better options out there than the mini-usb. Dinotte 200L...


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## KaKah! (Oct 11, 2005)

floxy said:


> I'm thinking a Pro 600 (handlebar) and a MiNewt Mini-USB Plus (Helmet) would be a good combo. Overall weight is still less than a 1200 and you have a helmet/bar combo.


 I've used the MiNewt. It's a great light but don't bother with it if you're going to use it with the Pro 600, unless of course you'll be using the MiNewt strictly for climbing while the 600 is off. Otherwise the MiNewt will just disappear in the 600's beam.

As for the 1200 on your lid, it's great up there. I use a 1200 strictly on my helmet and while it will be more noticeable than a smaller/lighter light up there it was not a hinderance whatsoever. I run it on the stock single flood while climbing and run both at full while descending. Our trails can be quite technical, I'm sure a bar light would be ok (especially a 1200!) but for my trails a powerful helmet light is where it's at.


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## floxy (May 17, 2008)

Thanks for the info. I ordered a Pro 600 today. If its not enough light I may add a Minewt 200 to the mix.


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## PZengel (Jan 31, 2010)

Great info everyone. I'm trying to decide between a 600 or a 1200


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## PZengel (Jan 31, 2010)

Great info everyone. I'm trying to decide between a 600 or a 120


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## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

being a lumen junkie, and having upgraded my lights (not niterider) from 600 to 1200, I'd say go for the bigger one. It's almost impossible to have too much light.

J.


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## lalittle (Sep 3, 2005)

Just to add to this, I did a direct comparison between an L&M Seca 700, a Seca 900, and an NR Pro 1200. All were set to their max brightness. I fully expected to like the Pro 1200 the best, but to my surprise the Seca 900 provided the best "usable" light. This opinion was shared by both myself and the other two people present -- everyone agreed that the Seca 900 was the best light overall. The NR 1200 provided a bit more light a few feet out from the bike, but as you moved further out, the Seca 900 provided more light on the actual ground, while the NR 1200's light seemed to fall off more quickly.

The NR also had a very hard "edge" to the pattern where the light completely stopped a few feet in front of the bike, whereas the Seca patterns continued to provide a some light right up to, under, and even behind the plane of the light head. The hard edge of the NR 1200's pattern was also a bit distracting in my opinion, as were the geometrical patterns at the edges of the pattern caused by the flat surfaces of the NR's reflector. At night, this type of "reflector pattern" on the ground can play tricks with your eyes when there is less actual surface definition. The patterns from the Secas, by comparison, were completely "fuzzy," with no distracting "patterns" projected on the ground -- this is definitely an advantage in my experience.

The result was that the NR 1200 put a bit more light on the ground between about 4 or 5 feet out to about 10 feet out (which is one advantage of the NR 1200), but at the same time the Secas put some light closer in, directly under/around the front of the bike where the NR put essentially nothing. Starting at about 10 or so feet out, the Seca 900's pattern was brighter over a wider area due to the larger hot area of its beam pattern. The NR 1200 had a smallish, bright hot spot from its "spot" light, but the Secas had a larger "hot area" that I would have to describe as more "usable" (sort of a "V" shape moving away from the light.) On a slightly less important note, I preferred the color of the Secas light -- a bit warmer and less blue.

I should note that it's somewhat difficult to make direct comparisons due to the different shapes and traits of the patterns, but the net result was that overall, the Seca 900 seemed to put a bit more light were I "wanted" it than the NR 1200. My guess is that even though the NR puts out 300 more lumens than the Seca 900 overall, a good deal of the NR 1200's lumens are being directed "upward" due to its completely circular reflector design, while the Secas reflectors specifically direct more light "downward" toward the trail.

The Seca 700 and 900 both provided the exact same pattern of light, but the 900 was noticeably brighter than the 700 -- more than I expected. The 700 seemed to be a bit dimmer than the 1200 in the prime areas, but the 900 made up the difference and seemed a bit brighter than the NR 1200 where it counted.

Note that this is a pretty subjective subject -- not everybody will agree on which traits are most important -- so it's always best to actually see the beam patterns for yourself if at all possible and choose the one that suits your needs the best.

I'd also point out that photo of the Seca 700's beam on the mtbr "backyard beam pattern" rollover comparison page does not appear to be the correct photo -- it's definitley different than the backyard photo used in mtbr's actual review for the Seca 700 (compare them for yourself -- the review photo is here: http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/light-and-motion-seca-race-review/backyard_seca/. If you look at some of the details, like the angle of the shadow behind the closest cone, it's clear that these are different pictures. As far as I can tell, the photo in the review is the correct one -- it looks more like the shape of the Seca pattern in my experience, and the brightness makes more sense compared to the other lights.)

Larry


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## hernluis (Nov 16, 2008)

does any one know the voltage/capacity for nr 6 and 8 cell li-ion batteries?


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

Do you really need to bring back a 10 month old thread to ask the same question you already asked in a new one you started?


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## hernluis (Nov 16, 2008)

yes


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## norcalchico (Dec 25, 2006)

KingOfTheHill said:


> Do you really need to bring back a 10 month old thread to ask the same question you already asked in a new one you started?


Yes Sir


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