# Review: Xeccon Mars 30 USB rechargable rear light



## ledoman (Apr 17, 2012)

Review in progress.....

Lately I've got interesting rear light from Xeccon for review. Normaly for MTB usage we don't like bright rear light but commuters do. This one might be of some use for night MTB too. The light has some sort of accelerator sensor and it lights on or brihter when you push the breake. It somehow mimics the car rear light. More about it in a modes part.

Description from Xeccon web page:

● LED: High Intensity Red LED
● Max Output: 30 Lumens
● Run Time: 3-13 hours
● Mode: Steady-Flash-Day Riding Mode
● OFF Mode (Hold 2 seconds)
● Patented Magnetic USB Rechargeable
● Material: ABS+Plastic
● Battery: 300mAh Internal Rechargeable Battery
● Charging Time: 3.5 hours
● Waterproof Level: IP5
● Weight (w/ Battery): 32g
● Dimensions: 57(L) x 28(W) x 24(H)mm

The light is good looking and quite light

*Pictures*

Ful package:














Instructions:














Side look:














Leds closeup:














Rubber band:














USB port:














Charging current was 0.04A and red button is on when charging:














*Modes*

Light has 3 modes: Steady, Flash and Day Riding Mode. While the first two are pretty common for a night riding the last one is intended for days use (as name says) and can be interesting for MTB too. The light is off most of the time unless you push the break. Then it lits on for few seconds just like the car rear lights.

More to come....


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

A rear light that can detect when you actually hit the brakes is pretty slick.

Not so sure how it would like right trails though, probably throw the sensor off so rough sections it would light up as if your hitting the brakes.

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

I just saw the ad for these just the other day. Interesting that the Mars 30 is made by Xeccon. When I saw the ad I was thinking it was made by another manufacturer. Xeccon seems to like doing things different when it comes to bike lights. I'm sure the sensor that detects deceleration will appeal to some but the tread in rear lights in the USA is more geared toward "higher outputs". While 30 lumens is enough to get seen at night I would consider it passe. Still I doubt whether a motorist would react to such a light ( when braking ) since most bikes don't have rear brake lights. I think when it comes to road cycling the primary focus of the cyclist should be to make sure he/she gets seen. I'm of the opinion that in order to get seen from the rear that you need bright cycling clothing coupled with some good, very bright, steady on or blinking rear lights when riding at dusk, night or inclement weather. Better to have a light that gets you seen on approach than to have a light that activates only when you are slowing down. Personally, I want lights that look different than that of motorized vehicles. When someone sees all my flashing rear lights from a distance I want them to know I'm not a car or motorcycle. The stuff I use does that.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

Honestly lots of lumens isn't needed to be seen. You'd be surprised how far away you can be seen with those lumens being used correctly. The trend of high powered rear lights is going to end up causing more problems than it fixes as you run the exact same risk as high powered front lights. Blinding drivers. 

Good for during the day in flash mode, but at night is a whole different story. Car tail lights aren't very powerful but look at how far they can be seen at night.

Now I completely agree that a tail light that only functions when braking instead of being on then brighter when braking is not good for after dark use. And during the day a good flash mode is where it's at. Night time having a solid (mid level output) that flashes brighter at slow rate is a mode I really like. Seeing it with Ituo wiz20.

Now my views are based on more rural type use. Im not near high density urban area that doesn't have extra shoulders and paths for bikes to get around safely. Half of my paved riding is small town, other half is a small city(about 10-12000 population surrounded by corn fields and manufacturing plants) that has taken the increase in bicycle use seriously.

On rural stuff, high powered flash is a TOTAL NIGHTMARE for anyone behind it. I have a hotshot I keep turned way down cause it literally hurts my eyes to look towards closer than about 75ft.

And that's the trick. Trying to make a single light that fits both urban need for bright and powerful while being able to be used in rural areas where that power causes more problems than it fixes.

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

tigris99 said:


> Honestly lots of lumens isn't needed to be seen. You'd be surprised how far away you can be seen with those lumens being used correctly. The trend of high powered rear lights is going to end up causing more problems than it fixes as you run the exact same risk as high powered front lights. Blinding drivers.
> 
> Good for during the day in flash mode, but at night is a whole different story. Car tail lights aren't very powerful but look at how far they can be seen at night.
> 
> ...


I agree that 30 lumens is enough to get you seen ( from the rear at night ) but when it comes to motorized vehicles you can't compare the two because motorized vehicles are traveling at the posted speed limits so closing traffic has way more time to see their lights ( which are quite big and have a wider footprint with at least two lamps being used ). Cyclist riding the roads at night are going to be closed on fairly quickly by the motorized traffic, depending on the posted speed limit. This makes them less likely to be seen depending on terrain and how much traffic is present ( which would/could obscure their presence to other drivers ). To compensate for this lack of safety margin ( not to mention they aren't surrounded by a metal cage ) a brighter light with a dedicated flash mode can help alert the approaching motorist that a "night cyclist" is indeed just ahead of them. The sooner this happens the safer the cyclist is going to be.

A couple years ago I was given Xeccon's brightest rear light to review. I believe it was called the Geinea 1 rear. Very small light it was but it was intensely bright, output maybe in the 150 to 200 lumen range while running a red XP-G which was likely over-driven. I ran it off a two cell 18650 battery. To date it still my brightest rear light. Regardless, I rarely use it now. My opinion is that the standard rear self-contained LED lights in the 60 to 80 lumen range are more than enough for my usual rides. Besides I like the small self contained set-ups as they are very easy to recharge and use. BTW, the Geinea 1 had a wired remote so I could easily turn it on/off if I wanted. It ate battery power so I only used it on roads with fast traffic. With all the rear lamps I use now I don't feel the need for a lamp with more than 100 lumen.

Personally though I don't see a problem with someone using a very bright rear LED lamp regardless if it's rural or urban. The only place I see it might be a problem would be at red traffic lights where the traffic is stopped. This is why I have been waiting for someone to offer a super bright rear light with a wireless remote ( allowing the user to toggle between high and low output modes without changing mode setting ). To date I don't think I've encountered one of the really bright rear lights ( > 300 lumen ) that are regularly talked about but if I did I don't think it would bother me. I deal with Police, Fire , EMR and super bright LED tow vehicles all the time so a bike with a bright rear light on the side of the road isn't really going to bother me

Personally on my road set-up I use a Performance Axiom Pulse 60 on the seatpost. Listed as 60 lumen but I swear this is the brightest self-contained rear light I own. I generally run it on the flash setting which I think is it's brightest setting although the steady high is super bright as well. ( these are clones of the Serfas rear lights that were real popular years ago). Gemini gave me one of their IRIS rear lights which I am using on back of the helmet. High setting on the IRIS is listed as 160 lumen but because it has a wide dispersion beam pattern it doesn't seem as bright as listed but it is still damn bright. I use the IRIS on the 50% output setting in the flash/pulse mode. If I'm on a dangerous section of road I will occasionally reach behind my head and switch it over to the brightest setting.

I'm a believer in more is better when using lamps at lower outputs. I just purchased a set of nice lights for the seatstays. These help create a "triangle pattern" of red light. I'll talk more about those when I do a "quicky review" on them.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

That's what I think would be great, a 3 light system. Something more than just a center seatpost light. Just for the same reason you do, appear bigger and draw more attention.

I'll be expiramenting more once I pay my road bike off (just put a down payment on one last week, 2016 trek 1.2 black with orange  ). With the increased dangers of now Pokemon and driving (makes texting and driving look like an exceptionally rare problem) I'm going to want to be well noticed. This is a point I may design my own set up using the " triangle" as you mentioned. Was thinking just one on each stay but I like your triple idea far better.

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## ledoman (Apr 17, 2012)

Just want to come back to the modes and usage when riding in a groups. Probably I was not very precise - accelerator sensor works in all modes.

Do you think Day Ridding mode can be usable? I'm shure for the road usage you would need to be seen even if you ride in middle of the group so you may use Stady mode and the last one Flash mode. But for the group MTB usage in the wild bright steady light might be anoying. I can see it usable only on the ascending or flat road/path. 

I agree on descends hitting roots, jumps, etc may cause the light to come on and off all the time. Depends on the trail this might be good (telling you to watch out) but on the other hand it can be anoying as it would take your attention while you should take care of the path.


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## tigris99 (Aug 26, 2012)

To me a tail light doesn't really matter on the trail. Sometimes I have one, other times not. I see it being helpful as you said but anything bright on the trail is very bad if your in a group

Most of my use is pavement. And yes day time flash mode is helpful for visibility. Need all the help you can on the road with all these stupid teenagers plastered to their phones.

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