# New NiteRider offerings, 3,000 lumens



## Black Bart (Apr 19, 2004)

From press release:



> ...NiteRider's top of the line, race-ready light line is the Pro Series. In 2011, the flagship light for hardcore riders and racers was the Pro 1400 LED. This year, the light will now pump out 3000 lumens. The Pro 700 LED is replaced by the Pro 1500 LED. Standard units still incorporate NiteRider's D.I.Y. software allowing the rider maximum programmability...
> 
> ...the MiNewt Mini.150 now becomes the MiNewt Mini.300, doubling the output and remaining the bargain price of $99.99. The top end of the MiNewt Series is the MiNewt Pro 750 with a $249.99 MSRP. The all-in-one modular MiNewt Cordless are now available in 350 and 600 lumen models...
> 
> ...NiteRider's entry-level lights start with the fun Lightning Bug and Stinger Series. New this year is the impressive Mako Series (pictured), replacing the UltraFazers. These battery operated, easily mounted units offer up to 130 lumens and range from an affordable $24.99 to $49.99.


600 lumens from a MiNewt cordless!


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## Jim311 (Feb 7, 2006)

Bout times these big box manufacturers stepped it up, they were getting stomped by low price options because they really had nothing to fall back on other than perceived quality and service.


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## JKA (Jul 26, 2006)

Dang. With those lumens, I'll have to start wearing my sunglasses at night! 

“It's 106 miles to Chicago. We got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses!....................HIT IT!!!”
The Blues Brothers


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

Black Bart said:


> From press release:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Okay, I was going to say this is totally bogus because I see nothing about this on the Niterider site. There are however several articles on the web confirming this. If true why nothing on the Niterider site? I find it hard to believe NR can double the output of their lights without major re-vamping . I'll believe this when I see it. If all this is true it will surely set some new standards. ( article on DIRTRAG )


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

Cat-man-do said:


> I find it hard to believe NR can double the output of their lights without major re-vamping . I'll believe this when I see it.


I don't. Just swap out the old P4 LEDs for XM-Ls and you get a better beam pattern plus ~2x the light just for a MiNewt. Did one the other day for a friend and it was brighter than his brand new Stella 300. I now have a long queue of friends that would like the same done to theirs..

The 600lms for the cordless might be a bit of a stretch as an XM-L would have to be run at ~2A, which would be pushing it for such a small housing, but the 300-350lm claims are easily believable.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

NR would need a completley new housing for their 1500/3000 claims, using more leds than their exsisting Pro line has,unless they were putting in SST-50's.I don't think that would even justify the lumen claims. The XM-Lamp leds of coarse will put aprox 800OTF lumens driven close to their 3A max,still now where near their claims.

Based on the years of NR's history of failing battery's/chargers,and some design flaws on their Pro series,i would hope they would finally address those first.Theire flagship (Pro Series) though having some nice programing features does need some changes in my opinion.First simple change would be to make the connectors between the 600/700,1200/1400 the same,and everything in their new line interchangable.Their not!! And a big second,and hopefull changed on their new products,PLEASE incorporate the protection reset switch on the battery itself so the people who have dished out a premium $$$ don't have to ride home in the dark to place their battery on NR's dock to reset.


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## Black Bart (Apr 19, 2004)

Cat-man-do said:


> Okay, I was going to say this is totally bogus because I see nothing about this on the Niterider site. There are however several articles on the web confirming this. If true why nothing on the Niterider site? I find it hard to believe NR can double the output of their lights without major re-vamping . I'll believe this when I see it. If all this is true it will surely set some new standards. ( article on DIRTRAG )


They will update their site in July when the new products are available. The more customers know that a much better product is right around the corner the more their dealers would have to slash the prices on lights they already have in stock.

Also coming, a 1 Watt Cherry Bomb to compete with the PDW Radbot 1000. (although I prefer the more robust housing on the PDW)


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

I'm also struggling to see how they can get 3000lms out of a 2 LED set up as well, even 2x XM-L U2 is only going to be 1800-2000lms OTF. Still, overstating light output is hardly a new thing.

Don't know about the other issues (other than fragile cables, already fixed one of those) as my LBS stopped stocking them after they had a really high return rate with the fragile connectors. I still think the Minewts are kind of cool though.


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## khskenny (Sep 29, 2009)

SST-90 LED could do 1500+ per emitter. They suck a ton of power and puke out a bunch of heat though 

http://www.luminus.com/products/white.html


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

They sure do drain the battery.SST-90 is no longer been produced.I wonder what will be replacing it, as it was capable of 2000 lumens.


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

If you read the article posted by_ Dirtrag,_ they are saying that the new Pro 3000 will be using 6 leds. Although no mention is made on what led's are being used my take on this is likely duel triples using either XML's or SST-50's. Six XM-L's @ 500 lumen each can get you 3000 lumen. This would require major heat sinking and advanced reflector or optics. ( run time on high only 90 min. ) The new Pro 1500 is likely a triple XM-L and will make a most interesting offering.

If all this is true, it will surely be said that Niterider has unexpectedly laid down the gauntlet. That being the case I duly tip my hat to them. Really not a whole lot more to be said at this point until the actual products are released. No doubt NR will still offer only proprietary batteries encased with the drivers. Personally I hate drivers in the battery housing but if they incorporate a handlebar remote ( :ihih: ) I could over look that issue.

I have a feeling this is going to be an interesting season for the bike light industry.


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## rschultz101 (Oct 5, 2009)

one of the best lights, still no good to me !
the top reason, that , if the light head gets disconnected from the battery,
or the cable has an intermittent connection, the light stops working !
That is unacceptable to me ! 
back to the pro 1400, one of the best designed lights, even with a full blown processor on board,
but , that turned out to be a problem.
there are other little things, like, custom battery only, and no inter-changable optics.
if it was not for the major flaw, I would not have continued my quest for a better light !
Still cudos for niterider, to push the envelop! just hope, they manage this processor power hickup,
and this lumen horse might find a spot in my stable,....
cheers, Rob


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## BBW (Feb 25, 2004)

90 min on high, almost 2 pounds (almost like carrying a baby!) plus known issues with cables, chargers, etc. meh I still wonder how are they going to manage that heat with those plastic housings?
Also those plastic mounts can't take a crash....
still a very interesting year in the light industry... but do we really need more lumens? I really don't think so IMHO, I alway dim the lights because too much is not needed and counterproductive sometimes.. longer burn times on the other hand are very welcome for endurance racers which gets me to 3000 lumens for 90 minutes; 1500 lumens to get almost 3 hours? we already have that and guess what for 700$ I prefer other options that will actually take abuse
that's my opinion after a few Blue Moons ;-)
cheers


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## Azra (May 20, 2011)

rschultz101 said:


> even with a full blown processor on board


I'm yet to understand why exactly I would need or want a processor in a bike light? And why would I want to waste my life programming the darn thing? Download and install software to run a bike light? Some people have lost their minds!

Of all the lights that have passed through my hands over the years, I have found the BikeRay IV to be the best precisely because it's the simplest. One button and it goes like this:


High
Low
Flash
Off

That's all I want, that's all I ever need. It's just *perfect*. Even my DiNotte 400R which I absolutely adore is waaaay too complicated and a pain in the neck to switch modes. If NiteRider folks think I will buy one of their mega expensive lights because it has a programmable microprocessor, they are severely mistaken.


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

Azra said:


> I'm yet to understand why exactly I would need or want a processor in a bike light? .... One button and it goes like this:
> 
> 
> High
> ...


that there is a great example why a programmable light is pretty useful - a Flash mode would bug me like no-ones business, especially if you had to cycle through it to get back to High from Low. In addition, you might want a full power High for your local trails as burn times aren't an issue, but something a bit less (but not Low) for 24h races where burn time is more important. You might also want temperature monitoring so you don't fry your expensive light and low battery warnings (and different ways of warning you, either STAT LED or main LED) that you can decide, rather than the manufacturer. You might also want a way to go from High>Med>High without going through Low, but still keep Low for trailside repairs etc (eg. the Taskled line of drivers).

There are lots of reasons why you might want a better programmed light than whatever you can buy for cheap from China. Just because you don't (and there's nothing wrong with that either) doesn't mean others don't.


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## MaximusHQ (Aug 6, 2007)

I prefer a programmable bike like too. I set up my Lupines power levels to just the way I want them and I would be disappointed if there was no options to change them. I would hate to have to cycle through a flashing mode to change levels so I think the being able to program is a huge plus. As far as Niterider coming out with a 3,000 lumen bike light, I think it is ok, but I would rather have two lights that add up to 3,000 lumens together than one light alone that puts that out. If it's a dual head light then I would think they use one for wide and one for reach and it should turn out to have a pretty decent beam and useable as any single light can be. I had a decent experience with Niterider, I owned a Niterider HID light and it was pretty decent for the time. The only issue was with a broken bulb which was going to be too expensive to replace so I opted to move on to LED lights. I haven't used or owned any of the Niterider lights since then so I can't say much, but a lot of people say that the connections between the different lights are not compatible which I wouldn't like.


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

I like the idea of programmable menus as well. Couple that with a remote bar switch and you could have a sure winner. That's why I never argue with the fact that Lupine is one of the best brands in the business. I have no direct experience with the NR programmable lights but I've never heard anyone complain about that particular feature not working as it should.

Now as to how well the Pro 3000 will be received is anyone's guess. It is quite heavy at 1.8 lbs. Three thousand lumen is quite a lot of light! Still, this level of illumination is really only practical for momentary use due to the massive power consumption. Not a big deal since the light is fully programmable. You can choose an output level for high that suits your all-around needs and keep the max level for special situations. Last but not least the beam pattern is going to have to be a nice mix of flood and throw. If the beam pattern fails to clearly illuminate beyond 150 ft. at the 1500 lumen level I would be highly disappointed.

I think the big seller will likely be the Pro 1500. Half the weight of the Pro 3000 and with a choice of race vs. standard programmable version. Need I say, 1500 lumen is nothing to sneeze at. Once again ( as with the 3000 ) a usable beam pattern throughout the entire output range ( High to low ) will be a big deciding factor. Can't wait to see the first beam shots. :thumbsup: ( ** would be real cool if they offered a helmet version with super tight throw..:thumbsup: )

What I am pleasantly surprised to see is that NR is also upgrading their MiNewt series. These will likely be popular as well. I also like that this will include their self-contained lights. These are going to give people who like torches and other self-contained light systems something else to consider.


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## gilavar (Jan 8, 2010)

rschultz101 said:


> one of the best lights, still no good to me !
> the top reason, that , if the light head gets disconnected from the battery,
> or the cable has an intermittent connection, the light stops working !
> That is unacceptable to me !
> ...


I think they revised these connectors last year. Did you checked with NR tech. support?


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## gilavar (Jan 8, 2010)

indebt said:


> NR would need a completley new housing for their 1500/3000 claims, using more leds than their exsisting Pro line has,unless they were putting in SST-50's.I don't think that would even justify the lumen claims. The XM-Lamp leds of coarse will put aprox 800OTF lumens driven close to their 3A max,still now where near their claims.
> 
> Based on the years of NR's history of failing battery's/chargers,and some design flaws on their Pro series,i would hope they would finally address those first.Theire flagship (Pro Series) though having some nice programing features does need some changes in my opinion.First simple change would be to make the connectors between the 600/700,1200/1400 the same,and everything in their new line interchangable.Their not!! And a big second,and hopefull changed on their new products,PLEASE incorporate the protection reset switch on the battery itself so the people who have dished out a premium $$$ don't have to ride home in the dark to place their battery on NR's dock to reset.


As far as I know all the connectors are interchangeable within the PRO series. And by the way, call NR service for new connector, this will solve your battery lock-down problem.


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## gilavar (Jan 8, 2010)

mattthemuppet said:


> I don't. Just swap out the old P4 LEDs for XM-Ls and you get a better beam pattern plus ~2x the light just for a MiNewt. Did one the other day for a friend and it was brighter than his brand new Stella 300. I now have a long queue of friends that would like the same done to theirs..
> 
> The 600lms for the cordless might be a bit of a stretch as an XM-L would have to be run at ~2A, which would be pushing it for such a small housing, but the 300-350lm claims are easily believable.


Here you go! To get to 600 Lm they are probably using XML- T5 or T6 BINs (>1000lm @ 3A), but for basic rework at home, this can be quite expensive upgrade.


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## mgv101 (Sep 6, 2010)

Planned to order the Diablo MKII from Exposure but it was out of stock everywhere. Finally it's back now in stock but the Pro 1500 race was also released at the same time.

After taking into account that I will need to order a piggy back battery to extend the burn time and also wanted to get a handle bar mount so I could mount it on my handlebars if I wanted to, the Diablo MKII will cost me much as the 1500 race which already included both helmet and handlebar mounts and longer burn time.

Although the Diablo is MUCH more portable and easy to use than the 1500 race, I couldn't stand the temptation of the extra 600 lumens and placed an order on the 1500 race instead.

Lets hope I made the right choice.


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## calcobra98 (Jul 20, 2011)

Bump....


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

calcobra98 said:


> Bump....


Hi newbie! Hey, I'm not busting your chops but I see you're new to the forums and thought I'd let you know that it is against forum rules to "bump up" a thread. Just an FYI.


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## calcobra98 (Jul 20, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> Hi newbie! Hey, I'm not busting your chops but I see you're new to the forums and thought I'd let you know that it is against forum rules to "bump up" a thread. Just an FYI.


Thanks.... I was simply getting the 5 post requirement....


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## Ottoreni (Jan 27, 2004)

*From a Light user only POV*

Okay, the 600 MiNewt self contained has caught my attention. Great to have without any concern for cables.

As simply a light user, if I get this I want it to last 3 plus years. Now, since the battery is in the unit, what happens when it begins going bad? Do I have to ditch the entire unit? Or is there a simple way of replacing it?


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

Ottoreni said:


> Okay, the 600 MiNewt self contained has caught my attention. Great to have without any concern for cables.
> 
> As simply a light user, if I get this I want it to last 3 plus years. Now, since the battery is in the unit, what happens when it begins going bad? Do I have to ditch the entire unit? Or is there a simple way of replacing it?


if you can use a soldering iron it's not all that hard or expensive to replace the battery - just undo a few screws, unsolder the old one, solder the new one in and do up the screws. NR do use good quality Panasonic cells though, so it should last a while


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## mobaar (May 3, 2009)

Ottoreni said:


> Okay, the 600 MiNewt self contained has caught my attention. Great to have without any concern for cables.
> 
> As simply a light user, if I get this I want it to last 3 plus years. Now, since the battery is in the unit, what happens when it begins going bad? Do I have to ditch the entire unit? Or is there a simple way of replacing it?


If a user replaceable battery is important to you, the Cygolite Expilions are user replaceable. Their top model is only 400 lumens though (but twice the run time of NR's 600).


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

Deleted since I apparently haven't kept up with Cygolite...


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## mgv101 (Sep 6, 2010)

Had these lights actually been released yet?

I have made the mistake of ordering these lights from bikebling.com which apparently, according to the reviews on MTBR here, does not even have a proper inventory system for their web store. I have placed my order last week but have never heard from since and all my emails had been ignored.

I have searched around on the net on availability at other shops and seems like most are either still selling the 2011 models or have the lights listed but stating that they are out of stock.

I am guessing bikebling is trying to ignore my email as they are out of stock too. I would consider calling them but I don't live in the states and do not want to make long distance calls.


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## mobaar (May 3, 2009)

The NiteRider MiNewts are out (except the MiNewt Pro). Hawley has them (your LBS should be able to order them)


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## KingOfTheHill (Sep 19, 2007)

mgv101 said:


> I am guessing bikebling is trying to ignore my email as they are out of stock too. I would consider calling them but I don't live in the states and do not want to make long distance calls.


Bite the bullet and call them. Many have had bad experiences with Bike Bling (myself included). Tell them you want to cancel the order and if they already charged your credit card to issue a credit right away. If they don't, you can always dispute the charge with your credit card company.

Sign up for google voice if you can or some VOIP service. Makes the call really inexpensive.


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## mlx john (Mar 22, 2010)

Hey mgv101, 

Hope you get your light. Went on the first ride last night w/ the 1500 race pro....outstanding light. 
I have a handlebar mounted H.I.D. niterider light, and this blows it out of the water. I mounted it (1500) on my helmet and it has a great beam pattern. The battery is relatively small, fits in my camelback, and I really like not carrying my old, heavy, NMH battery on my bike. 

The run times claimed by NR seem legit, time will tell.

1.5 hrs 1500 LM
3 hrs 900 LM
6 hrs 450 LM

I used the low setting on all of the climbs, the medium was really bright, and only found the need for the high setting on the tech, fast descents. The medium was plenty bright for everything, but the high setting was pretty sick.

Anyone want to buy a NR Blowtorch w/an extra bulb included?


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## dacaboose (Mar 28, 2011)

Has anyone had any experience with the 1500 Race vs. the DIY model? Wondering if the programmable hardware plus the extra 2 cells is worth the $200 bump...


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## mgv101 (Sep 6, 2010)

mlx john said:


> Hey mgv101,
> 
> Hope you get your light. Went on the first ride last night w/ the 1500 race pro....outstanding light.
> I have a handlebar mounted H.I.D. niterider light, and this blows it out of the water. I mounted it (1500) on my helmet and it has a great beam pattern. The battery is relatively small, fits in my camelback, and I really like not carrying my old, heavy, NMH battery on my bike.
> ...


The package should have arrived already. But I am currently out of town so I don't have a chance to have a look at it yet.

I also have an old magicshine MJ-808 and an exposure diablo. I am going to do a comparison as soon as I get back.

I am going to use the 1500 as a handlebar light and the diablo as my helmet light. Lets hope the beam pattern is wide enough on the bars. The XMLs should be providing a wider beam pattern than the 2011 pro series right?


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## mgv101 (Sep 6, 2010)

Got back and opened the package today. Was amazed at how small the light head is although the battery pack is a little large even when this is only a 4 cell battery. The light output is awesome!!


However, there is one huge problem with the light and I think my unit is actually defective. After fully charging the battery and switching on the light, the fuel gauge would indicate a full charge but will immediately start to fall and drop to the lowest level. The light still continued to work and the charge indicator will fluctuate a little and somehow, it got back to normal after messing around with the cabling and switching the light on and off and between modes.

I gave the battery a full discharge letting the light run at max power. I fell asleep at the 1.5 hour mark and when I got up at the 2 hour mark, the lights had already powered itself off. Reasonable given the advertised run time.

Gave the battery a charge overnight and the indicator is showing only a 5/8 charge when connected to the light this morning. At least it is better then flashing red from the first try. I am going to give it a few more charge and discharge cycle to see whether the charge indicator will recalibrate itself.

However, there is one problem that makes me think the unit is defective rather than just a calibration problem. As soon as the battery is connected to the light unit, you can hear a light buzz from the battery and the pitch would change between modes. Is this normal for niterider battery? Or is there something seriously wrong?


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## mgv101 (Sep 6, 2010)

Cool, I think I have answered my own question here from the niterider FAQ:



> Do I need to completely drain my lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery and recharge it prior to its first use?
> Li-Ion batteries do not need to be drained down completely prior to their first use. However, it is highly recommended to apply a full charge to a battery prior to its first use. Note the Pro Series batteries need to be drained down and recharged prior to their first use in order to calibrate the system's fuel gauge.


But I still don't know whether the light buzz coming from the battery is normal.


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## radirpok (Feb 1, 2006)

mgv101 said:


> But I still don't know whether the light buzz coming from the battery is normal.


It could be.
Years ago I asked the same question about my Lupine Wilma. It turned out that it is quite normal that some units do this. The way light output is controlled is not what you'd expect - lower voltage or amps -, but they switch on and off the LEDs at a high rate, eg. many thousand times a second. The more the light is switched off the lower the light output. Some of the units that do this produce an audible sound, which correlates to the frequency of the switches. For Niterider, I think all the light's electronics are in the battery (which is poor design IMHO, and makes buying a new battery pretty expensive).

Bottom line is: it is normal and you shouldn't worry about it. You won't hear it on the bike anyway.


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## gilavar (Jan 8, 2010)

mgv101 said:


> But I still don't know whether the light buzz coming from the battery is normal.


No, the buzz from 1500 battery is not normal. You should contact tech support.


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## mgv101 (Sep 6, 2010)

Just contacted Niterider.

They said it is normal......


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## rschultz101 (Oct 5, 2009)

hardcore test !? unplug ...

can somebody unplug the light, while it's LED is on ?
and then plug it back in ? to see if it works , again ?

previous ones, would lockup, and would not work,
you had to get it back to the charger, to get it back alife.

just wondering, if they fixed this little thing.
since if you are on the trail, and the connector gets an inter-mitten connection on the power,
you'd be without light. what is not particular nice, being in the dark .
for what I guess, is , it has a micro-processor, and loosing main power, with out proper shutdown, by the switch, can get some memory bits scrambled, and would not start up again,
till it gets, reset , by the charger circuit.
until they fix this little behavior , I would not like to test the cable, .... 
I like my light to work, when it has juice, no matter, how it gets unplugged,....

let me know
cheers, Rob


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## mgv101 (Sep 6, 2010)

rschultz101 said:


> hardcore test !? unplug ...
> 
> can somebody unplug the light, while it's LED is on ?
> and then plug it back in ? to see if it works , again ?
> ...


Tested on my Pro 1500 Race:

Plugged in cable.
Pressed power switch.
Light came on.
Unplugged cable.
Lights went off.
Plugged in cable
Pressed power switch.
Light came on.
Powered off light
Unplugged cable.
End of test.

Now someone need to try that on the programmable version.


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## rschultz101 (Oct 5, 2009)

thanks for the test !

still have a old programmable 1200 pro, that I use as a paper-weight,
since I bricked it. since I have already plenty of batteries, there was no point,
to get the charger and battery, to wake the 1200 pro from the dead.
a while ago considered to do some lenses,
but it curbed my enthusiasm , and there was not much interest, ....catch22

glad to hear your 1500 does not turn into a zombie, when things get tuff.

with this info, it looks like, the Niterider new pro series,
be added, to my top 10 list.

cheers, Rob



mgv101 said:


> Tested on my Pro 1500 Race:
> 
> Plugged in cable.
> Pressed power switch.
> ...


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## anekin007 (May 23, 2011)

how is the lights going mgv101? Im running 2 niterider minewt 600 but plan on just using one handle bar light. I been looking at the new magicshine mj 872 and the niterider 1500 race. how does the niterider 1500 race compared to the magicshine?


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## gessner17 (Jun 15, 2004)

I have a pro3000 and it puts my 1200 to shame, it completely drowns the beam, i believe their 3000 lumen is legit. It has 6 XM-L LEDs under the hood.


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

The 600 minewt looks great for the price I've found it for £120. But it's not in stock yet. Has any body got sone decent photos of it other than the stock marketing pictures?


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## erol/frost (Jan 3, 2004)

Azra said:


> I'm yet to understand why exactly I would need or want a processor in a bike light? And why would I want to waste my life programming the darn thing? Download and install software to run a bike light? Some people have lost their minds!


Amen brother. I`m no luddite but why would I want to micromanage and program a friggin` bikelight? Yes, I totally understands that a few people (no more than two in the entire known universe) needs/gets off on this type of stuff


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

erol/frost said:


> Amen brother. I`m no luddite but why would I want to micromanage and program a friggin` bikelight? Yes, I totally understands that a few people (no more than two in the entire known universe) needs/gets off on this type of stuff


I'm sure the light comes pre-programmed with a default setting. With high output light systems having the option to choose and dial in the setting for each mode ( and the number of modes ) would be a dream come true. If you're happy with someone else choosing the number of modes and how bright each mode is than more power to ya.
Personally, give me three modes and let me dial each in the way I want it. Then, if I feel the need to change it for whatever reason I CAN!...I've said this before and I'll say it again. When it comes to options: It is better to have options and not need them than it is to want options and not have them.


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

User programming is awesome, provided its easy to do. As Cat-man-do said, with very high output lights, it makes a sense to be able to take control of the all the power. It may be that preset modes manufacturers provide have too large of a gap, or the mode sequence is not quite as you like. Different riders will have different uses and to be able to have a light that suits everyone, programming is a very nice thing. If you can set it and forget it in 2 mins, then its a winner.

The new Gemini XERA LED Light System will have user programming enabled and default modes provided. It's going to be a single CREE XM-L helmet light, weighing in at 52g. Stay tuned..


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## randyharris (Jul 1, 2009)

Gemini Lights said:


> User programming is awesome, provided its easy to do. As Cat-man-do said, with very high output lights, it makes a sense to be able to take control of the all the power. It may be that preset modes manufacturers provide have too large of a gap, or the mode sequence is not quite as you like. Different riders will have different uses and to be able to have a light that suits everyone, programming is a very nice thing. If you can set it and forget it in 2 mins, then its a winner.
> 
> The new Gemini XERA LED Light System will have user programming enabled and default modes provided. It's going to be a single CREE XM-L helmet light, weighing in at 52g. Stay tuned..


I thought it was going to be called the EOS?


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## Gemini Lights (Sep 20, 2010)

Hi Randy. We had a change of heart, XERA pronounced "zeh-rah" sounded better to us.


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

Gemini Lights said:


> Hi Randy. We had a change of heart, XERA pronounced "zeh-rah" sounded better to us.


*SNEAK PEEK.!!!..SNEAK PEEK.!!! *  ....then...*Beam shots!...beam shots!* :thumbsup:


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## grldm3 (Mar 8, 2011)

Alright guys, I sprung for the pro 3000 today. Got it from bikebling for $630 (plus they ship to fpo for free). It takes about a week for it to get out to me (afghan), but it's nice and dark out here so I'll really get to have fun with it . I'll let you all know how it is and will post beam shots as soon as it gets here.


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## trufflepig (Jul 28, 2011)

I've decided to give up on Night Rider. I haven't done much riding at night in the past, only twice a year for the 24 hour races and then on Tues.evening I grabbed them to use and they're dead. perhaps I was expecting too much for my money ,assuming I might get 10 uses out of them


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## spankone (Aug 31, 2011)

trufflepig said:


> I've decided to give up on Night Rider. I haven't done much riding at night in the past, only twice a year for the 24 hour races and then on Tues.evening I grabbed them to use and they're dead. perhaps I was expecting too much for my money ,assuming I might get 10 uses out of them


?

Have you been charging them correctly? Most Li-on powered lights recommend a regular top up whilst being stored to keep the batteries in good condition

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## trufflepig (Jul 28, 2011)

I was using them in June and August and would check the charge in December.
I last used them this past June for the Summer Solstice 24hr.
I don't know if that is not considered enough maintenance,but I don't want something
that needs to be babysat.


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

I have all these 4 lights and have been using them. They are very, very good.

I rode out of a dark trail with 8 riders following me with the 3000 light. And I was the only one in the group with a light.

The Minewt 600 is the crowd favorite because it is bright, functional and folks say... "hey, i can afford that".

A friend commented that the runtimes have dropped. I said:"Run it at half power for impressive run times and more light than full power last year."

Photos to follow soon on the light shootout.

fc


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Sorry guys, don't mean to hijack this thread. Just a quick question for Francois, have you had a chance to try the 2600lumen/26degree Betty and if so how would you compare to the NR 3000? Cheers!!!


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## Vienna1 (Nov 5, 2008)

I cannot understand why so much difference are there by beam angle.
I know there is optical loss by lense.
Then does Lupine use different transparency lense?
Can anyone explain?

>16° version with 2050 measured lumens
>22° version with 2300 measured lumens
>26° version with 2600 measured lumens


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## radirpok (Feb 1, 2006)

Easy:

>16° version with 2050 measured lumens

using 7xXP-G

>22° version with 2300 measured lumens

using 4xXP-G and 3xXM-L

>26° version with 2600 measured lumens

using 7xXM-L LEDs.

The real difference is not the brightness but the beam shape.


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## langen (May 21, 2005)

francois said:


> Photos to follow soon on the light shootout.
> 
> fc


How soon is "soon"? 

And what LEDs do they use btw?


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## RBrady (Jan 20, 2009)

Let's see the beam shots of the niterider 3000. Anybody riding w one yet??


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## grldm3 (Mar 8, 2011)

RBrady said:


> Let's see the beam shots of the niterider 3000. Anybody riding w one yet??


Yeah I've been riding with one for about a week now. It's freaking bright!! I'll take beam shots tonight and post them up sometime tomorow.


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## phidailo (Oct 29, 2008)

grldm3 said:


> Yeah I've been riding with one for about a week now. It's freaking bright!! I'll take beam shots tonight and post them up sometime tomorow.


Beam shots?


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## randyharris (Jul 1, 2009)

some guy has the NiteRider Pro 3000 for $399 buy it now on eBay. Could that really be for the full kit with battery and charger? 23 people have bought them from him already.


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## phidailo (Oct 29, 2008)

randyharris said:


> some guy has the NiteRider Pro 3000 for $399 buy it now on eBay. Could that really be for the full kit with battery and charger? 23 people have bought them from him already.


I've been looking at the same item. My only turnoff is that it's almost 2lbs for the setup and 1.5hr runtime. BUT it is half the price of the Betty.


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## Kring (Aug 29, 2011)

I rolled the dice and ordered. It does say it comes with everything and the seller has 32K+ Positive reviews for 99.9%.. one of the highest rated sellers so seemed legit.

It will be here Wed so after I get a change to charge and test it out I'll let you know.. I'm also going to validate through Niterider that it's genuine and see if I can register it.

I had really only wanted the Pro1500, but hey - at $399 shipped it was cheaper to get the 3000!



randyharris said:


> some guy has the NiteRider Pro 3000 for $399 buy it now on eBay. Could that really be for the full kit with battery and charger? 23 people have bought them from him already.


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## dobovedo (Feb 13, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> When it comes to options: It is better to have options and not need them than it is to want options and not have them.


I think it's better to have light and not need it that to want light and not have it.

Yes, it's great to have options, but I'd choose a solid basic light that I could trust to turn on every time, over some fancy-schmancy model with all kinds of bells and whistles that fails on me. Introducing more features introduces more complexity which introduces more potential points of failure.

It ain't worth it. Just my opinion, although I must admit I've never owned one of these high end lights. I've had too many less expensive ones ($150-$300 range, not the low end) fail on me.


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## grldm3 (Mar 8, 2011)

*Beam shot*

Sorry it took so long to get a pic up. Crazy few days. Here she is.


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## grldm3 (Mar 8, 2011)

Well just a general update. Today I went to charge my battery. I got a blinking red error light. Tonight I called up niterider support and they explained that the blinking red error light means a bad docking station which is possible with a new model. They said they would ship out a new one, but it's going to take 3-5 days for it to even ship (plus another week plus to get here). In the long run it will be almost two weeks without a light, which after paying over $600 has me kind of frustrated.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

*Bummer*

I really feel for you man! I hate all that proprietary stuff they build in so you are forced to buy their replacement parts (and wait).

****


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## grldm3 (Mar 8, 2011)

scar said:


> I really feel for you man! I hate all that proprietary stuff they build in so you are forced to buy their replacement parts (and wait).
> 
> ****


Thanks. Luckily they are going to cover the cost since it is a new design they said it is possible there was a flaw. I've still got about half charge in my battery right now so what I'm going to do is run that at low as long as I can then switch to NVG's. I just received an email from them saying they are going to expedite it and ship it today. That is how it is done niterider. Great customer service won my trust back!


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## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

I took my Cygolite Expilion 250 out on the road and compared it to the MiNewt 600 cordless. The 600 does seem to be more than double the power to me. I'm not the kind of guy that can look at a beam of light at night and say, "oh that's definitely running at 210 Lumens right now," but I can see a difference in this. 
Fortunately, the only rides I'll do the MiNewt on full will be rides only about an hour long. Other then that, I'll just keep both on half power.


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

ehigh said:


> I took my Cygolite Expilion 250 out on the road and compared it to the MiNewt 600 cordless. The 600 does seem to be more than double the power to me. I'm not the kind of guy that can look at a beam of light at night and say, "oh that's definitely running at 210 Lumens right now," but I can see a difference in this.
> Fortunately, the only rides I'll do the MiNewt on full will be rides only about an hour long. Other then that, I'll just keep both on half power.


Whoops!....Looks like you slipped up and posted on the wrong thread. You need to delete your post and resubmit your post on this thread. That's okay, it happens.


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## jbsteven (Aug 12, 2009)

Interbike employee purchases of the 3000's should arrive in the next few days.


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## harry2110 (Oct 18, 2008)

Kring said:


> I rolled the dice and ordered. It does say it comes with everything and the seller has 32K+ Positive reviews for 99.9%.. one of the highest rated sellers so seemed legit.
> 
> It will be here Wed so after I get a change to charge and test it out I'll let you know.. I'm also going to validate through Niterider that it's genuine and see if I can register it.
> 
> I had really only wanted the Pro1500, but hey - at $399 shipped it was cheaper to get the 3000!


NVM deals up to 630 ill just go thru the shop


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## Kring (Aug 29, 2011)

Oh Man.. bummer, yeah it arrived, it's legit, factory sealed and included everything.. I charged last night, took 5 hours. I was playing with it for a bit in the house to make sure it works and it's great. If it wasn't raining so hard last night I would have taken it outside and grabbed some shots... it's definitely bright!

That was a fantastic deal at $399 shipped... hopefully it comes back at some point.


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## harry2110 (Oct 18, 2008)

Kring said:


> Oh Man.. bummer, yeah it arrived, it's legit, factory sealed and included everything.. I charged last night, took 5 hours. I was playing with it for a bit in the house to make sure it works and it's great. If it wasn't raining so hard last night I would have taken it outside and grabbed some shots... it's definitely bright!
> 
> That was a fantastic deal at $399 shipped... hopefully it comes back at some point.


I was just going to order from the shop as in fact it cheaper still but is a bit more of a hassle.


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## IDdirtgirl (Mar 19, 2006)

I'm having the same battery issue. I picked up the 1500 today from my LBS, charged it fully, plugged it in and immediately the power indicator drops from green to red and shuts the light off. Went back to m LBS to swap it and had to drive to their other location to get one. Came home, charged it, and am getting the same error. NiteRider tech support said it's a bad battery, but now that I'm 2 units in (of the 3 my LBS has in local shops), I think I'll return it tomorrow and give something else a try.


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

IDdirtgirl said:


> I'm having the same battery issue. I picked up the 1500 today from my LBS, charged it fully, plugged it in and immediately the power indicator drops from green to red and shuts the light off. Went back to m LBS to swap it and had to drive to their other location to get one. Came home, charged it, and am getting the same error. NiteRider tech support said it's a bad battery, but now that I'm 2 units in (of the 3 my LBS has in local shops), I think I'll return it tomorrow and give something else a try.


*BAD BATTERY? !! BAD BATTERY MY EYE!*....:cryin: What a crock!...:nono:...like they don't test these things before they go out? Not for the kind of money these things cost.  ....( and people talk about the Chinese stuff, :bluefrown: ) *IDdirtgirl,* You did the right thing. If it was just the one I might be forgiving but *TWO IN A ROW!*... Now if I was the LBS owner I would be REALLY Mad!! If I start reading of other incidents like this I might suggest that "Niterider" change the first four letters of their name to one starting with the letter "S" and ending in the letter "T".


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

I couldn't agree more Cat-man-do, the one thing NR has been consistent of over the years, is over priced unreliable crap.I mean come on,, last years top dogs, the 600/700,1200/1400 Pro series poor design and battery/charger problems, and now again this years problems already been reported by many who have spent their hard earned cash.

It boggles my mind that NR still continues produce this stuff and more so that their are enough customers to keep them in buisness.

Come on NR,, you do produce very high quality beam patterns, and now the brightest light so far for 2012. re-invest some of your profits and re design your whole battery and charger system!!!


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## IDdirtgirl (Mar 19, 2006)

Such an epic fail! And waste of my time - that's what really ticks me off. 

I tried to call their tech line today (during their posted business hours) and the tech support extension is no longer valid. Odd, it was valid yesterday...hmmm, methinks I'm not the only disheartened customer. I left a message in their "general mailbox" stating they really ought to consider recalling this thing. 

For the 25 seconds it worked, the light IS wicked bright with a seemingly good beam pattern, and would have probably been awesome on the on night ride I missed last night...


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

Sorry you have to deal with this garbage IDdirtgirl, hopefully you can get a refund and don't let them talk you out of it. Not worth the aggrivation!!! Not sure what you paid for your light but probably close to what you could get a Double Stryker from Bajadesigns. 1800 lumens and unlike the NR stuff, this will work and is bullit proof!! Or save some $$$ as there are many other options out there for you that will work very well. Good luck!!


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## dobovedo (Feb 13, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> *BAD BATTERY? !! BAD BATTERY MY EYE!*....:cryin: What a crock!...:nono:...like they don't test these things before they go out? Not for the kind of money these things cost.  ....( and people talk about the Chinese stuff, :bluefrown: ) *IDdirtgirl,* You did the right thing. If it was just the one I might be forgiving but *TWO IN A ROW!*... Now if I was the LBS owner I would be REALLY Mad!! If I start reading of other incidents like this I might suggest that "Niterider" change the first four letters of their name to one starting with the letter "S" and ending in the letter "T".


Nice rant! Feel better? :thumbsup:

I've had two battery problems with my MiNewt 700 Dual. The second battery is still working, barely, but is shorting out at the connector. The third one is on it's way here, somewhere on a truck I hope. Both were replaced under warranty, but that means little to me. 1 failure is a fluke, 2 failures indicates a design or manufacturing defect, and means I can fully expect the 3rd will fail just as quickly.

I've got two older NiteRider lights that have worked for years, and I thought I could trust them. Now that trust is fading as quickly as the light. And I also don't trust ANY of the larger manufacturers. For every one person saying how great one brand or another is, there's somebody else having huge problems with that same brand.

China, USA, doesn't matter. These damned things simply aren't reliable and I don't trust the reviews of any of them.

Stop competing over lumens that nobody needs. Start competing over quality!!!!

(there, I'm done with my rant. But I don't feel much better)


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## rschultz101 (Oct 5, 2009)

that's a good one ,...
quote" Stop competing over lumens that nobody needs. Start competing over quality!!!!

don't think, it's feasible, with all the penny pinchers and first timers,...
on top of it, all the weight weenies,... got to be so light, ... that it overheats instantly,...
oh, what power, it gets so hot,.... 
the lights got to be HID blue,... so everything looks like Zombie stuff,...
the batterie, got to be super cheap, and include a charger,.....
on top of it, every device, phone, etc , got to have their own charger, and own connectors,
own cables,... thought at least on the phones in europe, they got to the point, where they understood, the craziness, with the cost, and landfill,..... 
it will take a long , long time, .... 
for reliable,... people have to take some responsibility and knowledge ,...
I mean, expecting a gun to be reliable, sure need to know how to clean it, take it apart, and have a backup ,....
so , the long term reliable situation , for what I see, is old, still stands,...
I want to use my own high quality universal charger !!...
and any of my choice of batteries , as I need or want to.
And I don't like to be dependent on one proprietary single choice, single model only.
Back to square one,.... Back to number One,.... Lupine,...
not only do they have quality chargers, thought most opt for the cheaper model,
but , there is an alternative choice for batteries, openlight .
Still the connectors are not available from manufacturer,... but it's half way there.
Oh, Geoman, went through the pain,... and now able to offer decent batteries.
So multiple choices in my book, always more reliable then just one ,...
and if you get your own, universal , processor controlled , programmable charger , a step further,...
and if you use your own charger, and actually take full responsibility , that be something .
if you buy, good, and reliable, you'd still buy two,...
if you buy cheap, or not known, you buy, one, two, three, four, how many it takes to learn,....
oops, rambling again.
cheers, Rob


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## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

My first ride and impression with my MiNewt 600 was fantastic, but now I'm experiencing some goofiness. The light will only stay on one mode as the battery seems to die on the higher intensity modes. It died unexpectedly even on the lowest mode on a ride tonight. Now it has been sitting on the lowest mode for some time now putting out light just fine. I've only had it for a few days now so I think I might try to return it. I mean, second ride and it goes out on me as I'm coming down the trail? What is that about? I'll give it one more chance but after that I'm just going to return it.. Is this specific problem a common NR problem, or is it just an array of problems altogether? 

I'm considering Baja Designs Double Stryk-a light that seems to be once and done. My Cygolite Expilion 250 Lumen light is at least reliable, so that I feel that I can continue to use for road cycling. I thought that I could get away with a cheap light, but I guess that isn't quite the case. I suppose I may as well dish out the money and get what I pay for.


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## trufflepig (Jul 28, 2011)

I had pretty much decided to walk away from NR when my flight died after 8 or 9 uses but my friends at the bike shop convinced me into sending it in and see what happens. The Canadian distributor for NR said that not only was the battery shot but so was the ballast and they could not be repaired. The unit is out of warranty but they said that since I had purchased a NR, they were willing to support me in the purchase of a new unit. Their idea of support is that I can get one at the store's cost. So the y are willing to let the store make no profit to support me. How truly kind of them. I will make a purchase of a light at the store but I doubt it will be a NR


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## betweenrides (Oct 19, 2010)

ehigh said:


> ...I'm considering Baja Designs Double Stryk-a light that seems to be once and done. My Cygolite Expilion 250 Lumen light is at least reliable, so that I feel that I can continue to use for road cycling. I thought that I could get away with a cheap light, but I guess that isn't quite the case. I suppose I may as well dish out the money and get what I pay for.


Testify on the Baja Designs quality. These things are about as bomb proof as they come and customer service/warranty is great. Just wish they could fix their web site though, it's easier to just call in an order than trying to find bike stuff on the site.


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## indebt (Nov 8, 2009)

There is nothing more frustrating than having fussy unreliable products we use for saftey and fun. I had the same problem with the NightFlux products i purchased several years ago. They were my first bike light purchases and what a mistake. In two months i had two vision stick battery's completly fail and a lamp head. My point been, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

I would find your self another light company to purchase from and there are many of us here that would be happy to point you in the right direction.Cheers!!!


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## ehigh (Apr 19, 2011)

trufflepig said:


> I had pretty much decided to walk away from NR when my flight died after 8 or 9 uses but my friends at the bike shop convinced me into sending it in and see what happens. The Canadian distributor for NR said that not only was the battery shot but so was the ballast and they could not be repaired. The unit is out of warranty but they said that since I had purchased a NR, they were willing to support me in the purchase of a new unit. Their idea of support is that I can get one at the store's cost. So the y are willing to let the store make no profit to support me. How truly kind of them. I will make a purchase of a light at the store but I doubt it will be a NR


I got mine only a a couple of days ago from the LBS, so I hope to be able to return it. I really wouldn't like them to be stingy about it- that would be annoying. I would like to give it another shot, but I'm not even sure about that. Maybe it will work, but then what about the next ride with it? I have to wonder how many chances I give it before I end up not being able to return it altogether and then one day I end up with an unreliable product. 


betweenrides said:


> Testify on the Baja Designs quality. These things are about as bomb proof as they come and customer service/warranty is great. Just wish they could fix their web site though, it's easier to just call in an order than trying to find bike stuff on the site.


After a little reading, Baja Designs is certainly looking like a good buy. I managed to get my NR MiNewt at a price very close to cost, something I won't be able to do with Baja Designs, but so be it. I am kind of feeling like splurging and just dishing out the money for a Double Strykr.


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## SoCalNomadRider (Jan 15, 2011)

betweenrides said:


> Testify on the Baja Designs quality. These things are about as bomb proof as they come and customer service/warranty is great. Just wish they could fix their web site though, it's easier to just call in an order than trying to find bike stuff on the site.


+1 On that, I picked up a dual strykr last week and this thing is defiantly bomb proof and honestly feel if i drove my f250 over it it would be fine and the c.s. is awesome as well.

Btw went for another ride last night and i never had to put it higher than medium and the mount is very solid and centers it perfectly.


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## lou2uanme (Oct 11, 2009)

Hi folks! I've never posted before, I just like reading the forums. But I feel like I need to say something. Since I'm jumping right in to the middle of the Niterider bashing, its probably not the best place to start. But here are my 2 cents.

I bought the Pro Race 1500 and my wife got a Minewt Cordless 600 about a 6 weeks ago. I love these lights. The mounts, cables, connectors, battery case and headlamp are all very well made. I've never seen better quality construction by any other company (yes, I've checked the other lights). 

The light output is incredible. This is my 2nd set of lights I bought from Niterider. Many years ago I bought a set. I wanted to get the latest and I am blown away by the improvements in light output and battery weight. I have been a happy customer of NR. 

I think you should contact their customer service and give them a chance to replace your light. My lights are working flawlessly and I don't think you will regret it. I have some friends that are also riding with the same lights so I think the problem you are having may be a rare problem. I work in the electronics industry and I know that sometimes if just one small electronic component like a diode goes bad in the PCB then it can make the whole system not function properly. Since my lights are working very well, I don't think your problem is a design issue.


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## trufflepig (Jul 28, 2011)

lou2uanme said:


> Hi folks! I've never posted before, I just like reading the forums. But I feel like I need to say something. Since I'm jumping right in to the middle of the Niterider bashing, its probably not the best place to start. But here are my 2 cents.
> 
> I bought the Pro Race 1500 and my wife got a Minewt Cordless 600 about a 6 weeks ago. I love these lights. The mounts, cables, connectors, battery case and headlamp are all very well made. I've never seen better quality construction by any other company (yes, I've checked the other lights).
> 
> ...


I fully understand that anything can and will sometimes fail. My issue is that after dealing with NR who told me to deal with Orange ( the Canadian distributor), who then told me I can't deal with them directly,I need to deal with a vendor who will in turn deal with them.
I did all this only to have the store folks say that they talked it over and came up with the store giving me a new light at the stores cost. WHY should the store do it at their cost. It wasn't their issue but are willing to do me a good turn. I don't see any good deed coming from NR or their Can. rep. 
You say yours are working great, that's good to hear. I hope you don't find yourself here.


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

I think enough people have been burnt by NR not to want to go back. My LBS even dropped them after returns went over 20% and I've fixed several NR lights for friends.

There are enough other light makers around not to have to stick with one that seems to have a problem with reliability.


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## Chromagftw (Feb 12, 2009)

After market sales support is crucial for repeat business and the good reputation that gets earned generates new business. The lighting system doesn't even have to be ultra high end for this to happen. Geoman (as a distributor), Baja Designs, Dinotte and of course Lupine are exemplary of this. All I can say is getting to the know the product is only part of the equation. Its equally important to know the people/company who stand behind what they represent.


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## TCW (Mar 13, 2006)

Just picked up a couple MiNewt.600 cordless lights while waiting on the Geoman battery replacements. Hopefully they'll last. I'll be here immediately if we have any issues. Using them for the first time this evening.


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## kpumaorn (Nov 11, 2010)

randyharris said:


> some guy has the NiteRider Pro 3000 for $399 buy it now on eBay. Could that really be for the full kit with battery and charger? 23 people have bought them from him already.


do you have the sellers name by chance?


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## severum_69 (Mar 18, 2011)

The member Ebay id is livestrongbike


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## kpumaorn (Nov 11, 2010)

cool, thank you. if you guys were to run option A or B which would you run, and why? i can get both options very close to the same price 

A - NR 1500 on helment and NR MiNewt 600 on handlebar - 2100 lumens
B - NR 3000 on handlebar - 3000 lumens

thanks! and im really not looking for 'NR sucks...' or any of that...i have read all the hate and raves about them. i think im going to take my chances! thanks again


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## Kring (Aug 29, 2011)

I would do the opposite of A. 600 on the helmet, 1500/3000 on the bars. That's the way I'm setup now. it's nice to be wireless on the helmet and even on low it's plenty of light and lasts hours. while the larger handlebar mounted setup lets you strap the battery to the frame and cover in front of you with a nice light pattern. Works great for me.


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## kpumaorn (Nov 11, 2010)

thanks for your input! anyone else?


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## RBrady (Jan 20, 2009)

Or....buy Lupine and be done! I've used many diff lights over the years. Lupine blows them all away. My 2 Bettys rock. Sorry w your misfortune w Niterider. I've gone thru it w them before as well


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## nrg2go (Sep 4, 2008)

Best use of 3000 lumens is for racing. Attach the light to the back of your bike and blind your opponents!


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## PaulRivers (Jan 2, 2009)

nrg2go said:


> Best use of 3000 lumens is for racing. Attach the light to the back of your bike and blind your opponents!


LOL! :eekster: :eekster: :eekster:


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## TCW (Mar 13, 2006)

I'm here to report that one of my MiNewt 600 cordless lights is already having battery problems. The battery capacity is greatly diminished. The other one is still working well, holds a full charge. Hopefully the bike shop will let me trade the bad one in. It's only got about 6 or 7 rides on it.


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## roman (May 25, 2005)

I have been using Niterider MiNewt Pro 750 for a month now. Every single day. Early morning commute to work, running it full power for 45 minutes. And 45 minutes back in flash mode. Flash mode during dark rainy overcast days really makes you visible to traffic. 

I have been running it in very heavy rain on several occasions, and in light rain constantly. It keeps on working. Great seals around battery contacts. 

It does great on the trails after work and on the weekends too.


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## dang (Jan 20, 2004)

*oh no*

I got a NR pro1500 race 3 weeks ago and it didn't work properly out of the box. and now after reading about the company I hope they fix it. they said they were going to send me another one asap and now it's been two weeks.

I discovered the problem when demonstrating the flash mode. If the flash mode is used the battery thinks it's dead and will shut down and then will still think it's dead when trying other modes. the battery has to be put back on the charger to get the system to work properly. The light works fine so long as the flash mode itsn't used, which I have no use for.

I had a light and motion arc li-on for 4 years and only had to replace a lamp but now I think the ballast is gone.and the battery is on the way out too. 4 yrs of heavy use. probably. 6+ hrs/wk x 6mo/yr


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

dang said:


> I got a NR pro1500 race 3 weeks ago and it didn't work properly out of the box. and now after reading about the company I hope they fix it. they said they were going to send me another one asap and now it's been two weeks.
> 
> *I discovered the problem when demonstrating the flash mode. If the flash mode is used the battery thinks it's dead and will shut down and then will still think it's dead when trying other modes. the battery has to be put back on the charger to get the system to work properly. The light works fine so long as the flash mode itsn't used, which I have no use for.*
> 
> I had a light and motion arc li-on for 4 years and only had to replace a lamp but now I think the ballast is gone.and the battery is on the way out too. 4 yrs of heavy use. probably. 6+ hrs/wk x 6mo/yr


Makes you wonder if they all have the same problem.. At least the most important stuff works. They really do need some kind of re-set button for the battery. What a pain it would be to be back in the woods and have the battery turn off ( without any way to re-set it )

I suppose you could make an emergency voltage re-set jumper using a series of small coin size battery cells. You just need to know the voltage of the main battery and connect enough button cells in series to match the voltage ( or a little above ). You would need some small wires and a way to hold the mess together but I bet you it would work as long as you know the polarity of the plug contacts and are careful not to short the leads....Of course all this precludes the fact that you shouldn't be dealing with this in the first place.


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## arashi (Jan 15, 2009)

I'd like to add my name to the list of NR Pro 3000 owners having issues. I just purchased this lightset from REI with their 20% off coupon which was a pretty good price. I've attached pics to show that the docking station does not sense the battery until I tilt it back.

1. My battery will not dock with the docking station properly. I have to tilt the docking station backwards so the weight of the battery pushes down on the connector. I contacted NR and they said I could send the battery to them and they will replace it but they recommend going through REI first to have them warranty it.

2. My light turns off on its own while riding. First ride with the new light last night and it turned off on me while going through a rough section with baby heads. Luckily the section of trail was strait and I was able to slow down safely. I decided to end the ride early and head back. The light turned off on me one more time on the way back. I checked the connector and it was on tight as well as the battery on the tray. It's heart stopping to go from having a lot of light to having ZERO light. It's like shutting your eyes while riding.

I know most of you ride with a bar light and helmet light but the NR Pro 3000 has so much light and with such a huge spread there is no dark areas. After this eye opening experience I will be getting a helmet light so that this doesn't happen again. I thought buying a high priced light meant reliability but apparently that's not always the case. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened to me if the light had failed going through a fast technical section.


Funny thing is my first light was the Geoman Magicshine and that thing never failed on me. I returned it to Geoman when the whole battery recall went down and I didn't want to wait for the new batteries. I still have a credit from that return so I'll be picking up a Lupine Piko 3 for sure. I don't know if I'm just going to return the NR Pro 3000 or exchange it for another unit and give it another go. I'm glad I bought it from REI!


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## grldm3 (Mar 8, 2011)

I love my NR 3000, I had a docking station issue myself and NR customer service is among the best I have ever dealt with. They sent me a new one that day along with a prepaid shipping label in the box. The new one works great, and I am happy again riding at night. With any of these lights you can't go wrong. I would recommend the Pro 3000 for anybody looking for a bright freaking light.


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## GTR2ebike (May 3, 2010)

I went ahead and bought a niterider 3000 because the lupine 26* doesn't have a wide enough spread. Don't get me wrong it's a ton of light but I ride with only a bar light and I can't stand the extra weight of a light and/or battery on my helmet. Maybe i'll try a piko soon. Mounted on the bar the betty didn't cover the ground directly in front of me, which was a problem for technical climbs. All the magicshines(808,816 and 872) i've owned are better than the betty in terms of light on the ground in front of your front wheel.

The niterider absolutely blows the Betty away in terms of overall light. The betty 26* beam is more focused, it probably has a bit more throw but not by much. 

Has anyone else noticed the the right side of the 3000 is more of a flood and the left is more focused. I thought this was the case when out on the trail and confirmed it by holding it 10 feet from a wall. It's not a huge difference but does leave a small gap in light on the left side, in comparison to the right.

Has anyone else used the DIY software yet?
I tried the diy, plugged both the light head and battery in. Adjusted the first setting to max light, 1500 left and 1500 right. The diy software gives a predicted runtime and iirc it was 36 mins wtf? I put the next setting down to 1300/1300 estimate runtime of 40 mins. I finished the programing and mounted the light on a bar, put a fan on it and turned it to the 1300/1300 setting. Turned a vid camera on and left the room. I came back 40 mins later to the light blinking which means the battery is low shut it off. The light head was cool to the touch. I checked the video and the light started blinking after 38 minutes, a noticeable drop off in light occurs around minute 25. The light is charging now and i'm either going to run it the same way again or on the stock high mode.


Weight
Betty Light head, battery 5.6ah and rubber band - 376 grams
Niterider light head, battery 11.2 ah and bar mount - 842 grams


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## grldm3 (Mar 8, 2011)

I noticed the same thing using the DIY on the 3000. I usually run mine off the factory setting due to that reason.

Good observation on the noticing the different beams on the left/right side. I hadn't even noticed due to the light being so friggin bright, but when I read your post I went and confirmed on mine.

As for the 25 minute drop off. I was reading about it in the owners manual and NR said something about the light might step down after a while during bench testing due to heat from lack of airflow throught the heatsinks (riding provides enough airflow). I'll try the same test you did with a fan on it.


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## GTR2ebike (May 3, 2010)

I had a fan on it and it was cool to the touch.
Yours had very low estimates on the diy runtime too...I have to call niterider tomorrow about this battery anyway so i'll ask someone about that as well.
I let the battery charge and it said fully charged after only an hour? checked the voltage and it is 6.9 one way and 6.4 another.
Ran the test on factory high and the battery only last 20 minutes!!! Voltage after the test was 5.0 or 4.6
Can someone else check the voltage on their battery


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## mtbbiker (Apr 8, 2004)

The DIY software for Niterider is the same used for both the 1500 & 3000, so when in the software program you need to select the battery for the 3000. Default setting is the battery for the 1500. 

I have 3 separate DIY programs in my light. I like only 2 positions for my lights high/low, so I've named my 3 positions as follows: performance 3000/1000, endurance 2000/600 & super endurance 1500/400. All the low settings are bright enough to comfortable go fast on the down hills! If I do a long climb I'll put my lights in the super endurance mode and then switch it to performance mode for the down hill. These lights are awesome, I don't need a helmet light as this light has incredibly wide and long throw.


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## GTR2ebike (May 3, 2010)

mtbbiker said:


> The DIY software for Niterider is the same used for both the 1500 & 3000, so when in the software program you need to select the battery for the 3000. Default setting is the battery for the 1500.
> 
> I have 3 separate DIY programs in my light. I like only 2 positions for my lights high/low, so I've named my 3 positions as follows: performance 3000/1000, endurance 2000/600 & super endurance 1500/400. All the low settings are bright enough to comfortable go fast on the down hills! If I do a long climb I'll put my lights in the super endurance mode and then switch it to performance mode for the down hill. These lights are awesome, I don't need a helmet light as this light has incredibly wide and long throw.


When you plug the light head and battery into the dock it detects which ones your using. It selected the correct 3000 light head and 8x2900 battery.


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## GTR2ebike (May 3, 2010)

Niterider customer service is top notch!
Called this morning and they are sending a new 3000 system (complete) today 2 day air. I send the old system back when I get the new one, I love companies that deal with warranty issues this way.


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## grldm3 (Mar 8, 2011)

My experience with Niterider customer service was also excellent. I dealt with Richie and he was just outstanding on getting me a replacement docking station for my 3000, complete with return shipping label.


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## GTR2ebike (May 3, 2010)

GTR2ebike said:


> I let the battery charge and it said fully charged after only an hour? checked the voltage and it is 6.9


Got my warranty replacement yesterday. Voltage is 8.3V right where it should be. I'm not sure what was wrong with the last pack that it had 6.9V. One downside to the warranty replacement is niterider uses replacement parts from their "spare parts bin". My guess is these parts are rejects that are mechanical perfect parts, they just have visual flaws. The battery casing, light head and dock all have a few marks in the plastic.


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## Turveyd (Sep 30, 2007)

n the light switch ages back, on the first push of the button, unless the light is already on high ofcourse I'd like it to go to HIGH, then cycle down afterwards immediately ofcourse, ohhh fast bit need more power, click got it rather than fight with it at speed cycling through low, flashing and off.

And Off should be from a press and hold not on the cycle list.

That light I saw with a knob and you dial in how much power you want precisely also looks perfect to me, instant, high or low or anywhere in between.


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## bikerider2 (Nov 9, 2011)

I gave up on NR years ago. I've had 3 NR's over the years, one of the first or second generation dual headlights that were halogen. The battery and charger were awful. I sent it in for service, paid money and it worked one ride. Then had a digital head trip the battery eventually died, sent it in, they "fixed it" never worked for me. I replaced that with a blow torch, which i still have and still works, but have since upgraded to LED's from Dinotte. I'm from San Diego and could drop my stuff off at their offices and still had mediocre service and poorer results so I switched. 

I'm doing a night ride tonight with the local bike shop and Nite rider will be there giving out test lights. I'll be interested in comparing my XML-3 to their offerings.


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## dobovedo (Feb 13, 2011)

GTR2ebike said:


> Niterider customer service is top notch!
> Called this morning and they are sending a new 3000 system (complete) today 2 day air. I send the old system back when I get the new one, I love companies that deal with warranty issues this way.


I have had good experience with NiteRider customer service too, but what does that really mean? Why should I have to deal with customer service multiple times for a product that should require ZERO customer service? I am already starting to see signs of failure of my THIRD battery for my 700 dual and it has been less than a month.

At this point I think I have to give up. I'd ask for a replacement product or a discounted upgrade to a different product, but after everything I've read here, I'm just about done with NR.

I think I'm going to go with MagicShine as a short term, cheaper solution to get me through this winter. If they hold up... great. But if not, I'll think about another route next year.


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## GTR2ebike (May 3, 2010)

-1 for the mount. I looked under by bar (31.8) today and it is scratched through the finish from the threads rubbing. With a 31.8 bar you've got to nearly loosen the mount all the way, then tighten once it's on. When you tighten it rubs away the finish or even some material. 

Taking the rubber out could fix this but there is no mention of that on the mount directions.


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## arashi (Jan 15, 2009)

GTR2ebike said:


> -1 for the mount. I looked under by bar (31.8) today and it is scratched through the finish from the threads rubbing. With a 31.8 bar you've got to nearly loosen the mount all the way, then tighten once it's on. When you tighten it rubs away the finish or even some material.
> 
> Taking the rubber out could fix this but there is no mention of that on the mount directions.


I've never had any issues with the mount and I have a carbon bar. Did you use the thin strip of rubber that prevents direct contact of the mount and the handlebar?


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## GTR2ebike (May 3, 2010)

arashi said:


> I've never had any issues with the mount and I have a carbon bar. Did you use the thin strip of rubber that prevents direct contact of the mount and the handlebar?


Yes, it's not from the plastic it's from the threads on the bolt. Check under your bar for scratches. I wouldn't have noticed either had I not heard it first.


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## Shakenbake (Apr 24, 2006)

Sorry but WTF? What are they thinking?

$700, only runs for 1.5 hours and weighs 1.8 lbs Get a clue, it's not just about the lumens.


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## woody.1 (Jun 10, 2008)

kpumaorn said:


> cool, thank you. if you guys were to run option A or B which would you run, and why? i can get both options very close to the same price
> 
> A - NR 1500 on helment and NR MiNewt 600 on handlebar - 2100 lumens
> B - NR 3000 on handlebar - 3000 lumens
> ...


I would do option A. Two lights are better than one, but with that said if you are just riding paved bike trails option B is fine. If you do any singletrack two lights are the way to go.
My 2 cents.

Enjoy the night,
Woody


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## Roadking1962 (Jun 22, 2009)

I have been shopping for a new light and considered the Niteriders but bought the Dinotte XML-3. I have owned both a Niterider and Light and Motion HID in the past.

For me, the price on the Niteriders, their weight and run times were just not enough to justify their price tag.

There are some decent lights out there, but for the dollar, the USA designed and built lights like the Dinotte and/or Designshines seem like a decent way to go.

It's great to have all the choices in LED lights and to have these forums to go to for information.


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

Shakenbake said:


> Sorry but WTF? What are they thinking?
> 
> $700, only runs for 1.5 hours and weighs 1.8 lbs Get a clue, it's not just about the lumens.


Actual depends more on your intended use and point of view however for most people who ride at night and want something for general all around cross country type of riding yes, you are correct. Still the 3000 seems geared more to the down-hill crowd who, for the most part, aren't too concerned about weight as long as they have a light that can blast out a swath of trail on their high-speed downhill run. Need I say, from the beam shot photos it certainly looks like it will do just that.

With all things put in perspective, most people will be very happy with just running ~1000 lumen on the bars as long as the beam pattern is a nice mix of flood and throw. Along with that a smaller, lighter-weight set up is more desirable coupled with at least 2.5 to 3hr run time on high.

Now if I suddenly decide to take up high speed down-hilling I might have to change my tune on what I just said.


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## B1KER (Jul 19, 2006)

arashi said:


> I I'm glad I bought it from REI!


+1 I was thinking the same thing as a few guys were talking about returning things to the manufacturer or hoping the LBS would allow the return. That's why I always buy stuff like this at REI. The forever return policy is worth the extra cost.


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