# best wireless helmet mount light ~ $130



## BigBo (Oct 4, 2010)

I want a helmet mount light that doesn't have any wires hanging off of it. Basically the lightest, brightest, cheapest helmet light that doesn't require me to have wires running down my back. I kind of hate wearing a battery in my jersey pocket or pack. 

I was thinking about a light and motion 1200 taz but that seems geared toward bar mount. 

I always ride with a bar mount with a 6 cell as a back up.

Any suggestions? I was using $130 as a ballpark but I have some flexibility on price.


----------



## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

CatEye Volt. And you'll spend less than $130

https://www.amazon.com/CatEye-Recha...teye+volt+300&qid=1554208509&s=gateway&sr=8-3


----------



## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

Don't by the Chinese units. They aren't the BEST.

I doubt mine is the best either, but I ride with the NiteRider Lumina light series.
A lot of people say how crappy they are but mine works when I turn it on and it lights up the trail.

The 1200 lumen lights are sort of heavy for a helmet mount too.
If by best you mean heavy, you're on the right track then.


----------



## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Bontrager ION Pro RT works well for me. Yeah, any light like this is a bit heavy on the helmet.


----------



## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

Cateye Volt 400. 120 grams. Don't even notice it on my helmet.


----------



## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

^^^nice. You'd need three to equal the light output of Taz or Ion Pro RT.


----------



## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Lone Rager said:


> ^^^nice. You'd need three to equal the light output of Taz or Ion Pro RT.


No kidding. That Bontrager Ion Pro RT looks awesome at 1300 lumens. Good looking (simple) bar mount too, although I prefer my light on my helmet. Anyway, sure looks like a winner.

As for the Cateye Volt, it's also available in 700 or 800 lumen models tho the 800 lumen Volt costs $30 more than Bontrager's 1300 lumen Ion Pro RT.
=sParty


----------



## HerrKaLeu (Aug 18, 2017)

I use one of these Nitecore headlights attached with Velcro to my helmet.

Mine is 2 years old and discontinued, but assume the newer models will be even better. Works great and has a replaceable 18650 battery. Really bright and good 100° light distribution.

I have it in combination with a $30 flashlight I attached to my handlebar.


----------



## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

BigBo said:


> I want a helmet mount light that doesn't have any wires hanging off of it. Basically the lightest, brightest, cheapest helmet light that doesn't require me to have wires running down my back. I kind of hate wearing a battery in my jersey pocket or pack.
> 
> I was thinking about a light and motion 1200 taz but that seems geared toward bar mount.
> 
> ...


If best output is what your looking for the Ion Pro RT may be your best option (Exposure lights best performers for self-contained but far more expensive) around the proice limit you mentioned. It's a little heavy for my taste but doable though I prefer my Sigma Buster 700 (actually measures more like 900) because of its lighter weight (and it's half the price of the Ion). Cateye Volt 800 also looks like a winner but not the best "bang for the buck" (I don't own one of these but reviews are very positive). Another option would be the Blackburn Dayblazer 1100 which I should receive tomorrow so would be able to give you a direct comparison with the Ion Pro and Sigma lights in a few days. It has more punch than the lower output 700/800 lights but not the weight penalty of the 1200/1300 lights so may be best compromise (well see). Here's a couple of links with test information you may find useful.

https://lights.road.cc/index-wide.php

We Test Lights | Bike Tests and Teviews

Another option you may consider that would give you better performance/weight/comfort is a 2 cell battery and individual lighthead like pictured below.









Here's a couple of links to these type of lights in your price range.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CBRX7RW?m=A3E3L5CME1SV95&ref=mpc_asin_title
This light comes spec'd with a excellent 4 cell Panasonic battery pack but these are closeout lights and some have experienced old stock battery problems. Would require separate 2 cell battery purchase but would still fall in your price range.

https://www.action-led-lights.com/collections/gloworm-lights/products/2018-gloworm-alpha-1200-lumen-bike-light

Your best option most certainly will be affected by your usage (mountain/road, ride duration, terrain, bar light this would be paired with). I own all the lights I mentioned with the exception of the Cateye Volt 800 so if you have any specific questions fire away!
Mole


----------



## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

Lone Rager said:


> ^^^nice. You'd need three to equal the light output of Taz or Ion Pro RT.


Don't need that kind of output on the helmet light. 300-400 lumens is plenty when your bar light is putting out 1200-1500 lumens. Speaking from my experience trail riding at night.


----------



## amish_matt (Aug 18, 2006)

I prefer more lumens on my helmet than on my bars. My helmet light is what throws light way down the trail and lets me ride fast.

I have a Gloworm X2 with 2 cell pack on my helmet like MRMOLE suggested. It's nice and low profile and puts out a lot of light. I wouldn't trade it for a self contained unit that sits up higher even for the same output.


----------



## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

amish_matt said:


> .....I have a Gloworm X2 with 2 cell pack on my helmet like MRMOLE suggested. It's nice and low profile and puts out a lot of light. I wouldn't trade it for a self contained unit that sits up higher even for the same output.
> 
> View attachment 1245174


IMO, a much better setup than any self-contained light currently available.


----------



## RiltonHuggles (Feb 21, 2019)

Vancbiker said:


> IMO, a much better setup than any self-contained light currently available.


Agreed. And what a clean install and set up. Wow. Better than anything that I have seen...


----------



## RiltonHuggles (Feb 21, 2019)

Another vote for Nite Rider Lumina 1200. I got mine for less than $100 (Canadian) and I love it. I used the cheaper overseas lights for years. Always worked for me, but I have since shifted to the cordless mounts as well. Happy with my Lumina 1200 as it throws a nice bean and lights up my trail.


----------



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

My lightest self-contained lamp that I currently use on my helmet when I'm not using my brighter wired set is likely the custom Convoy M1 torch I own. The M1 is a standard single 18650 type torch with reflector. The reason I like it is because while it is quite the thrower it also has a nice periphery spill. The weight I barely notice. I have lighter torches that are smaller and still pretty bright but no other single emitter torch I have has as usable a beam pattern ( for MTB-iking ) as the M1. I liked it so much I bought two, one with NW XPL-HI for MTB'n and the other the brightest cool white XPL HI for road use ( or for spotting purposes while at work ).

Unfortunately not every one has a helmet that will work well with mounting a torch. Another plus side of using a torch is that you can switch out batteries during a ride if need be. I'm lucky enough to own a helmet that will work with almost any single 18650 type torch. A single piece of Velco holds it in place and I didn't even have to do anything special to aim it. Ah, if they only made that type of Bell helmet again. ( Sorry I have no idea what model it was. Even when I contacted Bell even they couldn't tell me )

Hard to get used to using a single emitter lamp on the helmet once you get used to a dual or tri-emitter set up. That's because it's nice to have throw and a nice wide beam pattern as well.


----------



## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Here's a runtime vs. output chart I put together using data measured on the wetestlights site for the Bontrager Ion 1300 and Lumina 1200 + my measurements on the Sigma Buster 700 (my results usually match this site very closely). As you can see the Bontrager and Lumina start out at about the same levels but the Bontrager's output remains much more stable + has a longer runtime mostly because of its much larger battery capacity. With a similar battery capacity to the Lumina the lower rated Sigma light starts out a bit below the other two lights (but far better than claimed) but actually out performs the Lumina in the last part of the runtime range for each light in its highest setting (run in its 1000 lumen highest non-boost setting the Lumina and Sigma have almost identical results). So IMO with the most output and longest runtimes the Bontrager does the best job of producing light. Not much difference between the Lumina and Sigma if output and output consistency are considered (remember similar results of Sigma high and Lumina highest non-boost setting). In the end I still like the Sigma the best for helmet use because of its lighter weight.

Green line = Sigma Buster 700 (click image to expand)








I had high hopes that the Blackburn Dayblazer 1100 I got a couple of days ago would end up being the best compromise for a self-contained helmet light but far poorer performance than other sites recorded has me thinking something is wrong with the unit I got.








Mole


----------



## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

If the runtimes are OK grab a Zebralight. Light and bright.

H600w Mk IV 18650 XHP35 Neutral White Headlamp


----------



## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

MRMOLE said:


> I had high hopes that the Blackburn Dayblazer 1100 I got a couple of days ago would end up being the best compromise for a self-contained helmet light but far poorer performance than other sites recorded has me thinking something is wrong with the unit I got.
> 
> View attachment 1245573
> 
> Mole


New light is on its way to me from Blackburn. I know I could have gone thru Amazon but had contacted Blackburn to ask questions about the lights behavior and they said they would send me a new one and thought I'd post the positive customer service experience since little info about Blackburn on this forum. Hopefully the new light will solve the issues I had with the first one.
Mole


----------



## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

*Blackburn Dayblazer 1100 update*


Have continued testing with the replacement unit Blackburn sent me. Unfortunately the new unit performs exactly as the first and my hopes of far better (than typical) efficiency that the use of 2 emitters over the typical 1 emitter setup usually found on these type of lights just didn't happen. Usually I don't take these test lights apart but since it's claimed to have a replaceable battery I was curious what was required to get at it. This revealed the battery is not field replaceable but also a poor thermal design. The whole back section of the light (approx. 80% of the exposed surface area) is just a sleeve that slides over the battery carrier and usb charging area with minimal thermal path contact resulting in a light that would only run about 3 minutes (78 degree ambient temp. with a 12" fan blowing directly on the light)in the highest setting before stepping down to low. So while high is pretty much useless the med. mode is OK. Starts out over 1000 lumens but degrades pretty quickly to around 100 lumens by 90 min. and continues at that level past 2 hrs. For me low is not any more useful runtime wise except as a be seen light since by the time the two modes runtime curves intersect output is below my comfort range. I still am medically unable to safely ride so these are just results from indoor testing but thing don't look very positive. Still puzzles me how other reviews on this light have been so different but since my 2 examples came from different sources I can only assume they are typical of what anyone would currently get when buying this light. Will give these lights another look see when I can ride again.
Mole


----------



## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Sad that so many manufacturers produce lights that will not run at or near their advertised output for the bulk of the advertised runtime. Compound that by a poor thermal design too and it really makes one wonder what the heck Blackburn were thinking when they came out with this light.


----------



## prj71 (Dec 29, 2014)

I'm telling you guys...CatEye volt best bang for the buck for a wireless helmet light. It's bright enough, it's light weight and it works.


----------



## epicxt (Dec 24, 2007)

Another happy Bontrager Ion pro 1300 user for about a year now. I’ve got three of the units (I sometimes do ridiculously long randonneur rides) and love the mounting options when used with the Bontrager helmet and stem. Super clean, light, bright, and tucked out of the way under my garmin or mounted magnetically on my helmet. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## BigBo (Oct 4, 2010)

I still haven't bought one. Any new updates since April?

I guess I'll get a sigma buster 700 or a light and motion trail 1000 fc.


----------



## MaximusHQ (Aug 6, 2007)

Another vote for the Gloworm lights. I've been running them for years since they first came out and they are still going strong. I have been night riding since the early 90's with halogen light sets, then moved on to HIDs, then finally LEDs. I'd get the Gloworm in the neutral white option and you won't be sorry.


----------



## lostplaces (Aug 21, 2019)

Check out Professional light companys if you have the money to spend 100$.
Zebralight.
Olight
Armytek
thrunite
.......

I use now over 7 Years Zebralight Series H600.

*for example, the zebra ist ultra light weight ~90 gramms with a 3000mah 18650 battery.
*and delivers easy ~800 Lumens for 2 Hours."XM-L2 based light only able to run ~1 Hour at 800 lumens with a 18650 battery"

empty to full battery change needs ~5 seconds in professional lights.:thumbsup:

all of this light from top companys:
offers great light amount, light quality and runtimes with always updating there lights with the newest LED tech.

the actual XHP LEDs from professional helmet lights deliver 50-100% more of runtime then a XM-L2 LED based light at same brightness level.


----------



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

*About using a Zebralight*

I too have used a Zebralight "P" style torch on my helmet. For years I heard so much about them that I decided to buy one a year or so ago. I forget the model of mine but it is using a NW XHP emitter. Once again there are always going to be "mounting issues" if used on a bike helmet. I bought an extra rubber mount and used Velcro to mount it to the front of my helmet. I found that in order to keep the mount stable I had to use the Velcro in an up/down fashion. Threading it through the sides did not work for me as the lamp would tend to jiggle around. That said once again while this worked on my helmet others might have problems if their helmet doesn't have the right slot arrangement.

I tried the Zebralight out on a couple moderate MTB rides. The Zebralight P-style offers perhaps the lightest weight of any 18650 torch I've ever used and offers the smallest/tightest/lowest profile as lamps go. However the beam pattern and UI were not to my liking. ( and I bought the narrowest beam version sold at the time ) The XHP Cree emitters by design just create a very wide beam pattern. While this serves a very good purpose for people who are hikers/backpackers, this is not the best beam pattern conducive for MTB helmet use ( IMO ). I like wide but not too wide. IMO the beam pattern needed to be a bit more tighter so it could offer better distance throw when on it's medium output levels. With the Convoy M1 ( I mention in post #15 ) I got exactly what I wanted.

Just a couple weeks ago I purchased from Amazon a very inexpensive self-contained lamp that appeared to be a Cygolite clone. Just under $40 USD I decided to buy one just to see what it could do. It is called the Ceco 1000. I am very impressed with this light considering how much it cost. Beam pattern is what I would call, " a medium spot beam", not real spotty and not super wide. I bought the light to be used on the bars ( which works well as a commuter type light ) but in keeping with the subject of this thread I began to wonder if this lamp might work well as a helmet light.

Long story short; I dug out an old Magicshine helmet mount and found that the Ceco mount worked very well with it. Once again my helmet seems to work with many kinds of helmet mounts which is why after 20 years of use I still continue to use it. ( I talk about this lamp more in the A-to-Z Self-contained thread ) Anyway, I got it to work and though it sits a bit high it is very light-weight. ( See photo below ) ( sorry, I don't have a scale )

Tonight when it gets dark I'll take it out and see how it works as a helmet light and report back. I'll try to take some photos as well. ( *Please note that the light in front of the lamp in the photo is not from the Ceco, it is from a house lamp. )

( edit: Sorry spelled Cecco wrong, it is spelled, "Ceco" )


----------



## lostplaces (Aug 21, 2019)

Cat-man-do said:


> I tried the Zebralight out on a couple moderate MTB rides. The Zebralight P-style offers perhaps the lightest weight of any 18650 torch......( and I bought the narrowest beam version sold at the time ) The XHP Cree emitters by design just create a very wide beam pattern.


P-Style ist?
Flashlight or the Head/helmet light?

for helmet lights Zerba only offers silicone holders.
the light put in and out is a little bit tricky with them so i change the holder to better one.

i prefer the fast clicks from Armytek.

And XHP emitters not design to do anythink spezial, what you write.
There are  different types for different beam styles.

Zerba offers in there Helmet lights with XHP50 LEDs" a little bit bigger the XM-L2" .
and the other series with XHP35 HD" a little bit smaller then XM-L2 LEDs"+
different optics to, so if you not know what you want it can be hard.

If you are looking for a very far throwing light then XHP35 HI"domeless LED" is the way to go.
ist a heavy focus LED type.

with XHP35 HI you get* 3 times more throw* then with an basic XM-L2 with the same optic used .

for example, the TH10 use an XHP35 HI and is a *far throwing *helmet light.

i like more a wide and not to spotty beam on helmet coz i hate jumping spots from a light, so i change from the XHP35 HD to XHP50.2 Zebra.

If you not know what beam Style you like is the best think to try a basic H600 with XHP35 HD .


----------



## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

BigBo said:


> I still haven't bought one. Any new updates since April?
> 
> I guess I'll get a sigma buster 700 or a light and motion trail 1000 fc.


There's a couple of interesting (new since April) lights in the "Self-contained A to Z" thread worth looking at IMO. I've been testing the Cygolite Metro 800 & 950 that are similar in performance and weight to the Sigma Buster 700 and that Ceco 1000 from Amazon that CMD has is definitely worth a look. Only other thing I can think of is the soon to be released Outbound Hangover due out in about a month.

*CMD:* Nice post!! Thanks for sharing your Zebralight experiences since that seems like a love it or hate it light. Looking forward to your helmet mounted Ceco 1000 ride report. Did you ever get any runtimes on that light? Have fun on your ride tonight.
Mole


----------



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

lostplaces said:


> P-Style ist?
> Flashlight or the Head/helmet light? .


I called it "P" style because the reflector is at a right angle to the main body....otherwise I call it a "Periscope" type torch



lostplaces said:


> ...If you are looking for a very far throwing light then XHP35 HI"domeless LED" is the way to go.
> ist a heavy focus LED type.
> 
> with XHP35 HI you get* 3 times more throw* then with an basic XM-L2 with the same optic used .
> ...


Thank you for your information. When it comes to information on torches Budget Forum is definitely the place to go. I should peruse that site more often. That ThurNite TH10 looks awesome if you can trust the reviewer photos. When I bought my Zebralight I don't think they offered a "de-domed" version at that time or I might have bought one. Mine is domed. Nice review of the TH10 on BForums. Like most torches the output drops due to thermal regulation but even so anything in the 600 or greater lumen range can be quite useful on the helmet if it has enough throw. When I use my customized Convoy M1 I basically rarely use the boost mode ( ~ 1200 lumen ) since it automatically powers down after a couple minutes anyway. The M1 I have has a nice mode that is about 600 lumen ( uses an over-driven XPL-Hi de-domed ). Gives me about 75 minutes on that setting with the best Panasonic or LG 18650 cells. On the short fast downhills I can hit the boost and see real good till thermal reg. kicks in and usually that's good enough for me.

If I do photos tonight I might include one of my M1


----------



## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> Thank you for your information. When it comes to information on torches Budget Forum is definitely the place to go. I should peruse that site more often. That ThurNite TH10 looks awesome if you can trust the reviewer photos.


Photos definitely aren't what you'd get "real world" even if they are an accurate representation of what the shooter would see. At least not unless they had warmed up the light to its thermally stable point which was listed @ about 600 lumens. Not enough information about the test conditions to say for sure but my guess is what you should expect to see is somewhere between the med. and Hi mode photos shown. The light does look interesting though and the $60 Amazon price is not too bad + NW option. I may have to pick one of these up since I actually don't own any real torches.
Mole


----------



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

*Ceco 1000 photos and more*

Okay....man am I utterly surprised. I can't believe how well the Ceco works as a helmet lamp. On an MUP I could ride by this light alone even on the lowest steady mode and that is something I might consider since if I see anyone I can easily point the light away to keep from blinding them.

The photos turned out real nice. Too nice actually. My Samsung S9 must have a really sensitive light sensor so in all fairness I have to tell you the photos look brighter than they actually are. I could of altered the brightness afterward with my photo software but that would be too hard to do and get all to turn out equally so I just decided to post them and then just describe what I was seeing.

Conditions were relatively cool tonight, same as last night. When I got home it was 58°F outside. This meant there was some ground fog in the area although the spot where I took photos was mostly clear. Would of been better though if temps were more in the low 70's.

*First picture up is of my Raveman CR900 ( bar mounted ) in it's 450 lumen mode. * In the distance about 125 ft. away is a small wooden bridge. Raveman was able to reach about 60-70 ft in these conditions ( although I've gotten better on warmer nights ). * The next photos are with the Raveman off.* _The Ceco is being aimed at the wooden bridge which has a little piece of white reflective material on it's right side._ You'll notice that when looking at the Ceco photos that's it hard to tell too much difference. To see the difference you have to look mostly at the area just before and at the bridge. Notice how well the Ceco lights up near the bike even though I'm aiming it at the bridge....super useful light.

*The next photo is of the Ceco on it's lowest steady mode*. Then I skipped a mode and went to the *next to the highest mode*. After that the highest mode.* In the last photo is my custom Convoy M1*....absolutely awesome throw and pretty good side spill to boot. This was in boost mode. Forgot to take one of the next lower mode ( dang it.  ).


----------



## lostplaces (Aug 21, 2019)

Cat-man-do said:


> That ThurNite TH10 looks awesome if you can trust the reviewer photos. When I bought my Zebralight I don't think they offered a "de-domed" version at that time or I might have bought one. Mine is domed. Nice review of the TH10 on BForums. Like most torches the output drops due to thermal regulation but even so anything in the 600 or greater lumen range can be quite useful on the helmet if it has enough throw.


The TH10 have i think a temperatur regulations, that means, airflow on your bike cools it more an higher outputs possible.

and the TH10 is a thrower, 25K lux @ 1meter says that clearly.

Basic cycling lights like Yingding,Gloworm and others with XM-L LED + ~20mm optics have ~ 7k lux @ 1 meter throw.

Zebralight helmet lights with XHP50 and XHP35 HD LEDs have [email protected] meter.

The only throwy lights in compact size from zebra are the SC64w HI with ~16k lux @ 1 meter or the SC600w Mk IV HI with ~ 25k lux @ 1meter, but this are flashlight what are complicated to mount on helmet.

I dont know how much lux your M1 have, but if you like heavy throw on your bike, check out the emisar D1.

much smaller then your M1 and it have a 46k [email protected] meter throw with a very wide and great spill to.
This nice little ~30€ light comes with a stepless, ramping UI and great build quality.

i own 2 of them but for me they are to throwy for cycling .
but its one of the best EDC Pocket thrower lights i own.

I dont like throwers and the jumping spots from them on the bike.


----------



## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

.


----------



## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Dennis1987 said:


> I like the Bontrager ion 800 & ion pro on my helmet.
> 
> *But , and i think this is the case with all self contained lights. They do dim in brightness after 20-30 minuts runtime.* As seen in the picture above.


Applies to most but there are a few exceptions like L&M's Taz series and the amazing single cell Cygolite Metro Plus 800 (amazing because other output levels of this style of Cygolite still exibit degrading output in the last third of their runtimes). In general it seems like Manufacturers are getting better at providing more stable output even with the higher powered single cell lights.
Mole


----------



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

lostplaces said:


> The TH10 have i think a temperatur regulations, that means, airflow on your bike cools it more an higher outputs possible.
> 
> and* the TH10 is a thrower, 25K lux @ 1meter says that clearly*.
> 
> ...


*The ThurNite TH10* is definitely now on my watch list. However I would rather that it would have used an OP reflector ( for a little more wider side spill ). In it's current state it might be too spotty even for me. I watched a Youtube video and it definitely throws far. Videos though can't always demonstrate beam patterns accurately ( as seen by the eye ) as the light sensor on the cameras are reacting more to the brightest part of the beam pattern. Of course like all high output torches you can only use the boost modes for maybe a minute before it gets too hot. If I could get one with an OP reflector I'd be tempted to buy one and then just use it on the basic high mode or lower. The basic high mode ( not the boost ) is likely a bit brighter than my M1 but by how much ....is anyone's guess.

*The Emisar D1* is interesting but is very much like my M1 ( same emitter and same listed output ). While it may be a bit shorter the head is the same size as the M1 and is using the XP-L Hi like the M1. It comes with a smooth reflector which of course makes it more spotty. I don't own a torch with the newer ramping UI. I'd like to have one of those just to see how I would like it.

Actually I'm more interested in the *Emisar D4V2*. This torch uses the ramping UI too...However....I'm very skeptical as to "what kind of a beam pattern" the multi-optic ( for 4 x XP-L HI ) is going to work out. In my experience I've found those types of optics to be overly floody. I don't want something that is lighting up the tops of trees or spreading out the light so much that it kills the throw. However...If I were to go with four XP-L HI's the combined output ( using at half power ) _might_ provide a nice medium flood with decent throw....hard to say without seeing one in person. Still, I'm very tempted to roll the dice on one of these. If I do I'd likely order it with NW XP-L Hi's in the 4000K range and choose the tighter optic. Is there a review for the Emisar D4V2 on Budget Forum?


----------



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

Dennis1987 said:


> I like the Bontrager ion 800 & ion pro on my helmet.
> 
> Its clean and with the transmitr remote i can switch them on/off and cycle trough the modes.
> 
> ...


Nice looking helmet and lamp interface set-up. Since this thread is about helmet mounted lights it would of been nice if you had included a photo of the beam pattern while on the helmet and showing how far it can throw. Can't tell anything from the photo of the lamp on the bars you provided.


----------



## Dennis1987 (Jul 16, 2017)

.


----------



## lostplaces (Aug 21, 2019)

Cat-man-do said:


> Actually I'm more interested in the *Emisar D4V2*. This torch uses the ramping UI too...However....I'm very skeptical as to "what kind of a beam pattern" the multi-optic ( for 4 x XP-L HI ) is going to work out. In my experience I've found those types of optics to be overly floody.


Its more on the floody side.
it have 4x 6 mm Lenses.

depending on The LED you get the result.
XP-L HI = bigger LEDs= more floody and a little bit more output.

SST-20 = schmaller LEDs = more throw but lower max output.

The Emisar D4S uses 4x 12 mm lenses and with the SST-20 LEDs it is a throwy allround light.

For me the D4s is to throwy so i replace the lens to M Type, for bike use.



Cat-man-do said:


> . Is there a review for the Emisar D4V2 on Budget Forum?


there a Hundrets of sides to this light, and all hank wang lights you get reviews, measurements, and full tech talk.
The software Anduril is made from the budget light forum Community.

There are to alot of informative Video reviews.
for fast infos i like Videos more.

The first D4 ist still a Legend on the market.
or here you see how easy you can change optics on this lights to others.

The D4v2 ist only a D4 with full anduril software and AUX LEDs, the basic light is still the same.

I have pre-orderd an Astrolux mf01 mini"for ~40$ in promo" to replace my D4s for Trails this year.
The mf01 mini will be a fireflies E07 but with more throwy optics and the option to use 21700/26650/18650.

About high Quality lights you get nice Youtube videos to on his channel.

fireflies E07
Emisar D4s
Emisar D4 v2

The Emisar D4 ist one of the smallest 1x18650 lights on the market but about the very small size and only 1x18650 battery it only delivers ~1000 lumen for 1 hour.

1x21700 or 1x 26650 lights have more battery capacity and about the bigger size they have more area on the Aluminium body for heat dissipation.

If you like very Throwy lights.

the new Astrolux EC01 for 25€ can be somethink for you.

or more throw then the fireflies E01......

All this lights have Anduril software.


----------



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

lostplaces said:


> ....If you like very Throwy lights.
> 
> the new Astrolux EC01 for 25€ can be somethink for you.
> 
> ...


I changed my mind. The D4V2 looks too floody even though it has great throw on the higher output, doesn't matter, heats up fast and has to be powered down which of course means less throw. I don't need all that side light for MTB.

Got lucky and saw a review of the Fireflies E01 ( 2300 lumen ) on Youtube. Looks like the perfect beam pattern for a helmet light. It has a wider beam pattern than the Convoy M1 but not too wide. The real question with using something like this is how well it can maintain a consistent output without thermal power down. If it can run @ 1500 lumen and hold that for 45 minutes and only drop down to say 1100 lumen that would be fantastic. Also can run on a 21700 cell.

I don't know too much about the Anduril UI firmware. I also need to research more about the size / weight before pulling the trigger but on the video I saw I really liked what I saw as far as beam pattern. _ The E01 has a much more confined beam pattern than the Zebralight I have_. Looks like I'll get my first taste of what the SST40W N5 ( 5700K ) looks like. ( Paused to research )

I just now ordered it on Banggood. Got lucky and found a coupon code giving me $11 off. Should take a couple weeks to get to me ( USA east coast )


----------



## lostplaces (Aug 21, 2019)

Cat-man-do said:


> Got lucky and saw a review of the Fireflies E01 ( 2300 lumen ) on Youtube. Looks like the perfect beam pattern for a helmet light........ The real question with using something like this is how well it can maintain a consistent output without thermal power down. If it can run @ 1500 lumen and hold that for 45 minutes and only drop down to say 1100 lumen that would be fantastic. Also can run on a 21700 cell.


The E01 have a reduced Anduril, so alot of options to customize are not build in.

but it will deliver easy ~1400-1500 Lumen with a 21700 for over 1 Hour.

set the temp regulation from the basic setting 50°C"hold in hands" to ~65-70°C"mounted on the bike"

The Body from the E01 can handle easy ~15 Watt Heat from an LED, with a little bit airflow on the helmet, and Anduril is a Temp Regulation software.:thumbsup:

with a full anduril you can set much other things to like exactly brightness settings what you like .......


----------



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

lostplaces said:


> The E01 have a reduced Anduril, so alot of options to customize are not build in.
> 
> but it will deliver easy ~1400-1500 Lumen with a 21700 for over 1 Hour.
> 
> ...


Thanks again for the information on the Anduril options. I did read something saying something about the ability to reset the thermal regulation and like you suggested it would be better if set a bit higher. Of course that would depend on how well the lamp body itself is able to dissipate the heat. The only thing I don't like about the design of the lamp is that the control button is on top of the torch head. This might be hard to interact with when used on top of a helmet held only in place by a strap of Velcro. Not to mention that if the lamp head gets REAL HOT it could burn my fingers when trying to adjust the output. Since I already knew this when I ordered I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I can make this work. I'm also hoping that the weight of the E01 on the helmet ( with 21700 cell ) is not too much more noticeable than the Convoy M1 I use now on occasion. If the E01 can maintain 1500 lumen and last near an hour on one 5000mAh 21700 cell, that would be absolutely sweet. Looking forward to seeing how all this is going to work once I get it. When I do I'll likely start a thread on it if I like what I see.


----------

