# Magic Shine vs. Others Lights?



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

I have a NightRider Firestorm (2006 model) mounted and was looking for a helmet mount (or to use on a second bike or possibly to mount on the handlebar and use the NR on the helmet). I was very surprised to see this MagicShine and the price--last I looked, good lights were in the $300 to $400 range. What has happened? Its seems everyone is happy with these lights and buying them up. Are they really that good? Why would you buy a Triden X for example thats a few hundred bucks? 

Also--where is the best place to buy the Magic Shines (with helmet mount and extension cable)?


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*I'm optimistic...*



AceMulder said:


> I have a NightRider Firestorm (2006 model) mounted and was looking for a helmet mount (or to use on a second bike or possibly to mount on the handlebar and use the NR on the helmet). I was very surprised to see this MagicShine and the price--last I looked, good lights were in the $300 to $400 range. What has happened? Its seems everyone is happy with these lights and buying them up. Are they really that good? Why would you buy a Triden X for example thats a few hundred bucks?
> 
> Also--where is the best place to buy the Magic Shines (with helmet mount and extension cable)?


I'm waiting for mine to show up.... hopefully by the time we are gonna do a night ride next week, then a couple of weeks of traveling and heavy work schedule so no riding.

I've been running Halogen lights forever. I have been eyeing HIDs, but thought they were always too expensive, too delicate, and too expensive to repair. Halogens were always cheap and bright as heck, but takes a big battery to run for more than a couple of hours.

I mean, I'm going to withhold final verdict, but if it is as good as everybody says, and as in the neighborhood of what the manufacturer claims, I would say that NiteRider and the other high zoot manufacturers are going to have to do some crazy innovation and price cutting to stay in business.

I know they are competing with China here. I'm a supporter of US based businesses, and US manufacturing.... all else being in the ballkpark of equal. We aren't talking rocket science here. LED in a reflector case with a controller board and a battery. NR does have some really sweet stuff going on with the new user programmable stuff, but is that a $400 feature?

The bottom is seriously falling out of the market here. The way I see it, it's going to be really hard for mfgs to ask $500 and up for a light.


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

pimpbot said:


> The bottom is seriously falling out of the market here. The way I see it, it's going to be really hard for mfgs to ask $500 and up for a light.


That's my point--it seems to good to be true--even if the quality isn't as good you can by 4 of these for the price of a NightRider 600--so if one fails, you buy another one--and as someone else pointed out the way the lights are improving you can buy another one a year from now and it will probably be brighter with a better pattern and the same price. I'd like to how in the world one justifies paying $400 for a similar light--even if the quality is better? :???:


----------



## K2K (Sep 21, 2005)

*Ansty...Yes Antsy*

Antsy is the word. I ordered mine 10/9...WANT IT NOW...lol... Can't wait but the beam shots and user reviews are really positive. It sure chaps the L&M, Lupine and NR fanboys though... There are a couple threads where 1 ride bought the MS and then 15 of his buds ordered them en mass... That says a lot. The beamshot threads pretty much say it all...


----------



## antonio (Jan 18, 2005)

I don't own an MS but, based in the feedback here, I suggested one to a buddy a couple of months ago who was trying to get into night-riding on a budget. He has since bought a second, and I know of three other riders who have bought Magicshines after seeing my buddy's.

It's viral.

I am very happy with my Dinotte and Cygolite, but if I were in the market now, I'd pick up an MS.


----------



## Maximus_XXIV (Jun 7, 2009)

At the price, the purchase is easy and a no brainer. I bought one and will pick up another if it goes as well as I have seen.


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

Maximus_XXIV said:


> At the price, the purchase is easy and a no brainer. I bought one and will pick up another if it goes as well as I have seen.


Well I also bought an expensive "qaulity" light used but still paid more than the Magic Shine. I think some people are simply reluctant to admit that they paid too much so they rationalize it on quality. The bottom line is tha at $85 compared to $400 there is absolutely no way you can justify the $400 purchase based on the light patterns and brightness I've seen in the test comparisons (I ordered the MS but haven't received it yet). Like I said--if the thing lasts a year and you have to buy a new one once a year, its till better than buying a "quality" light for $400.


----------



## neverwalk (May 14, 2005)

best source (here in US,) is geomangear.com

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php...ducts_id=138&zenid=1hb0ng1f4eod7d5jh38en2g4u5


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

neverwalk said:


> best source (here in US,) is geomangear.com
> 
> http://www.geomangear.com/index.php...ducts_id=138&zenid=1hb0ng1f4eod7d5jh38en2g4u5


Thanks--that's where I ordered it from based on the folks here talking about how Geoman has worked with the manufacturer to make improvements.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Thanks everybody. We are working very hard to make this light successful in North America! So far, so good!

Geo


----------



## Maximus_XXIV (Jun 7, 2009)

I got my MS shipping notice today.


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

GEOMAN said:


> Thanks everybody. We are working very hard to make this light successful in North America! So far, so good!
> 
> Geo


What's the order backlog look like G-man?


----------



## GEARHEAD_ENG (Jul 22, 2009)

Have you guys seen this site yet? http://fonarevka.lux-rc.com/

Has good beamshot comparisons in different conditions and light settings. Magicshine is in the Road2, Wall, and Body category. Gives you a good idea of the brightness compared to other lights. I need to order one of these.


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*dang...*



GEARHEAD_ENG said:


> Have you guys seen this site yet? http://fonarevka.lux-rc.com/
> 
> Has good beamshot comparisons in different conditions and light settings. Magicshine is in the Road2, Wall, and Body category. Gives you a good idea of the brightness compared to other lights. I need to order one of these.


thing looked like it was gonna fry the CCD of the camera. Good comparison shots.


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

GEARHEAD_ENG said:


> Have you guys seen this site yet? http://fonarevka.lux-rc.com/
> 
> Has good beamshot comparisons in different conditions and light settings. Magicshine is in the Road2, Wall, and Body category. Gives you a good idea of the brightness compared to other lights. I need to order one of these.


That's the shot that sold me--you can't get much better than that.


----------



## ggnarl (Mar 13, 2008)

That shot is a stop or two over exposed. That is what the beam looks like but it isnt quite that brite in real life. It is a good comparison to other lights in that test however.


----------



## GEARHEAD_ENG (Jul 22, 2009)

I was wondering about that. So you think the the Road2 test in the low setting is more true to real life? 

Too bad they don't have a beamshot of the magicshine in that creepy sewer shot (Neglinka)


----------



## znomit (Dec 27, 2007)

GEARHEAD_ENG said:


> I was wondering about that. So you think the the Road2 test in the low setting is more true to real life?
> 
> Too bad they don't have a beamshot of the magicshine in that creepy sewer shot (Neglinka)


Theres a huge range of lights tested there so the bright ones have to be overexposed to show up the blinkies.

Heres a nice comparison with a couple of ~1200 - 1500 lm lights.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=6241444#post6241444


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

AceMulder said:


> What's the order backlog look like G-man?


Great news!

We received two large shipments in the last two days and have plenty of inventory on-hand now. If you order today, you should expect normal delivery times of one week to 10 days, worst case. We ship oldest orders first.

Thanks!

Geo


----------



## SCUBAPRO (Jun 29, 2004)

znomit said:


> Heres a nice comparison with a couple of ~1200 - 1500 lm lights.
> http://forums.mtbr.com/showpost.php?p=6241444&postcount=4


That DX beam shot in post #4 looks pretty close to what it looks like in person.


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

GEOMAN said:


> Great news!
> 
> We received two large shipments in the last two days and have plenty of inventory on-hand now. If you order today, you should expect normal delivery times of one week to 10 days, worst case. We ship oldest orders first.
> 
> ...


Great--ordered mine yesterday--so maybe I will have it by next weekend!!!


----------



## palmermtb (Jan 2, 2004)

It is too good but it's completely true. These lights are awesome!. I bought 4 of them one for me and one for each of my sons. I used to own a Trinewt and three L&M Stellas for my kids. I sold all of them and had money left over after buying four Magicshines.

I bought three from a guy on Ebay. Sorry Geoman. This guy had them in stock and I got them in less than three days after ordering. He's also offering a 6 month warranty. We'll see. 
I did order one from Geoman and I'm waiting for delivery anytime now.

These lights are going to change the landscape of LED lights. There's no going back after this. This type of deal is going to make the "high end "Light manufacturers rethink their pricing and strategies.

You can't imagine how good they are until you own one. My Trinewt was heavier and had less lumens and I paid $350. I sold it for $250 after two years. I bought four Magicshines for $360 with shipping included and I couldn't be happier.

I'm actually pretty satisfied with the light pattern. However, I love tinkering with stuff so my next step is to order some lenses from that optics company Germany to see how if the light pattern can be improved. Even with ordering lenses for each light I'll still be under $450 bucks for FOUR 600+ lumen lights!

Funny story, I went for a night ride Friday with my 10 year old son and he had more light output than all the folks we ran into on the trail. Hahaha. He use to be a little timid with his 120 lumen Stella but not anymore.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

palmermtb said:


> It is too good but it's completely true. These lights are awesome!. I bought 4 of them one for me and one for each of my sons. I used to own a Trinewt and three L&M Stellas for my kids. I sold all of them and had money left over after buying four Magicshines.
> 
> I bought three from a guy on Ebay. Sorry Geoman. This guy had them in stock and I got them in less than three days after ordering. He's also offering a 6 month warranty. We'll see.
> I did order one from Geoman and I'm waiting for delivery anytime now.
> ...


Hey, just glad you're out riding! We don't care much where you got yours. We're quite busy with our own customers, trust me. Hehe.

For the record, the Magicshine manufacturer warranty is 90 days, no longer.

Ride on!

Geo


----------



## SinglePivot (Dec 30, 2003)

It will force them to go with overseas mfg if they are not already there. Obviously, price restructuring will need to happen also.



pimpbot said:


> I know they are competing with China here. I'm a supporter of US based businesses, and US manufacturing.... all else being in the ballkpark of equal. We aren't talking rocket science here. LED in a reflector case with a controller board and a battery. NR does have some really sweet stuff going on with the new user programmable stuff, but is that a $400 feature?
> 
> The bottom is seriously falling out of the market here. The way I see it, it's going to be really hard for mfgs to ask $500 and up for a light.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Look at your shoes, your other clothes, the other electronic goods you use... Where are they made? It's virtually impossible to source everything/much in the US - trust me, that would be our preference too.

The US is now a "broker" of goods and services. We don't build that much anymore. That might change.

Geo


----------



## bigtymerider (Oct 4, 2008)

*Bought one today*

I just could not resist. At under a $100 I had to give it a shot. Also I am running a little shy on funds for a bike light since the lamp on my DLP TV went out and is eating into the money I set aside for some lights. Now if I could only get my 2400 lumen TV lamp to work on my bike I would have something going. I went with Geoman since he is active on the forum and gets good feed back. I will shoot another blip when I get the light.


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

Received mine and will try it this week--my only concern is it seems the O-rings used to attach the light to the handle bar or to the helmet mount will stretch out (lose elasticity) and thus no longer function.

Geoman--are these cheap replacements? Or do we have to pay $20 for an O-ring replacement? 

Also, I would like to see a more permanent option for mounting the light to the bike--it could be an add-on to keep the cost down on the base unit (i.e., use the O-Ring system to attach or purchase an easier slide on/off mounting kit. I myself would like to see somore sort of attachment for the bike and the helmet that allows you to slide the light on and off rather than fuss with the O-Ring attachment--I had to use a pencil to get it to pass through the opening for the helmet attachment (i.e, to grab on to the O-ring and pull it through). I would pay extra to have such an option.


This is not a big deal, but would offer more convenient use.


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

Also--the instructions state that the light should be given a 40% charge--a little confused at that because that means if the light has a 3 hour run time, you only get 40% of that. Further, how would we possibly know when it is 40% charged?

Any insight on that?


----------



## rippling over canyons (Jun 11, 2004)

Replacement o-rings are $4.


----------



## Turd Fergusen (Jul 23, 2005)

If I remember correctly, the 40% charge was the optimal amount for storing the battery. In other words, Don't charge the battery up after your ride and then let it sit for a couple of weeks at full charge. Or empty charge...whatever. I doubt that it's all that important really.


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*I was going to experiment...*



AceMulder said:


> Received mine and will try it this week--my only concern is it seems the O-rings used to attach the light to the handle bar or to the helmet mount will stretch out (lose elasticity) and thus no longer function.
> 
> Geoman--are these cheap replacements? Or do we have to pay $20 for an O-ring replacement?
> 
> ...


... with a spare NR shoe. I bought a spare NiteRider mount to build my helmet light so I could use my NR head trip mount or my NR bar clamp mount. It seems to me that it could easily be screwed to the bottom of the MS light.

I'll post my results this weekend.


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*That is...*



AceMulder said:


> Also--the instructions state that the light should be given a 40% charge--a little confused at that because that means if the light has a 3 hour run time, you only get 40% of that. Further, how would we possibly know when it is 40% charged?
> 
> Any insight on that?


... a 40% charge for long term storage, as opposed to leaving it baking on the charger until the end of time. Obviously, you want to charge it up all the way before you actually go out for a ride.

Not sure how you would maintain that. It would be great if somebody came up with an automatic charger that could maintain a 40% charge automatically, so you could just set and forget it. Like, a switch for 'storage mode' or something.

Does anybody know the self discharge rate of these batteries? If I pack it up and stick it in a closet for months on end, it would be nice to know I'm not going to trash the battery by letting it self discharge itself to zero.

Interesting read here for battery geeks:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery

*edit*

dang, that is low...

>>
_They also have a low self-discharge rate of approximately 0.1% per month
_
<<


----------



## skeered1 (Jul 30, 2007)

GEOMAN said:


> Look at your shoes, your other clothes, the other electronic goods you use... Where are they made? It's virtually impossible to source everything/much in the US - trust me, that would be our preference too.
> 
> The US is now a "broker" of goods and services. We don't build that much anymore. That might change.
> 
> Geo


.....just a thought: the MS indirectly stimulates US health and economy. It makes riders happy. More rides = better health = more smiles = happy people = productive people...


----------



## Woozle (Jun 13, 2008)

Just got a chance to try out the Magic Shine for the first time Monday night. Better than expected, even after all the positive feedback!


----------



## BlownCivic (Sep 12, 2006)

AceMulder,

I happen to have the exact same NR Firestorm as you. It's also about the same vintage (bought in October 2006). I replaced the bulb in 2008, and I've been using a LiPo battery since late 2007.

I bought a MagicShine because I thought the NR was not as bright as it used to be (maybe I just got used to it). I briefly considered blowing my wad on the new NR Pro 1200, or maybe just a new light head from the SlickRock, but decided to be mature and spend a s-h-i-t can less money on a MagicShine. 

I just got mine tonight, and decided to set things up for a couple beam shots. I tried to use the "MTBR Standard" settings, but couldn't figure out how to change the F-stop on my camera. I go the 6 sec. exposure, the daylight White Balance setting and the ISO100. F-stop was 5.6.

Trees and fence are about 60' from the camera.

Firestorm on the top, MagicShine on the bottom. You be the judge!


----------



## sdcadbiker (Jun 20, 2008)

*Wow!*

That's outrageous. A picture paints a thousand words...How can something so relatively inexpensive be that good? Remind me again how much NR charges for a Firestorm?Hopefully the Geoman delivery fairy will stop by my house sometime real soon! I'm looking forward to replacing the Minewt on my helmet with a MS replacement.


----------



## WeakMite (May 11, 2004)

One thing I thought I'd add for anyone with a concern...

If you buy 2 Magicshines, the beam is perfect for helmet mount position... but a little sharp for many when you mount it on the bars.

All you need to do is add a diffuser.... in the form of a layer or 2 of Scotch tape over the lens. It knocks the spot out really well, nice broad flood.


----------



## MaximusHQ (Aug 6, 2007)

sdcadbiker said:


> That's outrageous. A picture paints a thousand words...How can something so relatively inexpensive be that good? Remind me again how much NR charges for a Firestorm?Hopefully the Geoman delivery fairy will stop by my house sometime real soon! I'm looking forward to replacing the Minewt on my helmet with a MS replacement.


I don't know how much the firestorm is, but I had a Niterider Cyclone HID that cost be about $350 on sale many years ago. The Magicshine seems to just keep getting more and more popular and it seems like it is always one of the suggested lights for people looking especially for those new to night riding. It really is hard to beat this light right now. Great idea Weakmite using scotch tape as a diffuser.


----------



## palmermtb (Jan 2, 2004)

I've been telling all my bike riding friends to check out the Magicshine. Most of my firends run Dinotte's, NRs and L&Ms. I'm also telling them that if they're interested in getting a Magicshine they should sell their lights on Ebay or Craigslist right away as the value of their lights is going to depreciate fast.

I feel the Magicshines are going to have that type of affect on the light market. I feel like people will no be willing to pay $400 for a 700 Lumen Dinotte anymore or Nite Rider. Don't get me wrong, I think Dinottes and NRs are killer lights but their higher price tag will be a big factor. 

I've got four Magicshines. One for each of my sons and myself. The other day just for fun I put the four lights on my bar and went for a trail ride. Holy smokes! I had $360 worth of lights and over 2000 lumens. I aimed them at radial intervals so I had more than 180 degress of light all around me. It must've looked like a spaceship was cruising the trail. I did it as a joke and I wish I had taken pictures. Can you imagine showing up to a 24 hour course and riding your night laps with that much light?

Sell your old lights now and get a Magicshine ASAP!


----------



## Trigger (Mar 14, 2005)

Bought MS and Airbike lights from Geoman about a month ago. MS on the bar, P7 on the helmet. I've got about 20 hrs of trail riding on both of them now, and have no real complaints. Rode Tuesday night on wet trails, cold drizzle the first 30min, wet trails for the whole 2 hrs. No problems experienced with either light so far. I can set them on half-strength an do most trail riding no problem, high beams for the downhills. I can pretty much cruise the trails at full speed with these lights. Great buy.


----------



## Mud (Jan 13, 2004)

Received my Magicshine today from Geoman - holy sh!!! When I attached the battery, the light momentarily lit up, and a hour later I'm still seeing "sun spots"! I can't wait to get out and ride with this light. I went out for my "final" ride last night with my old 15W NR halogens (bar and helmet mounts) - I can tell that night riding will never be the same for me with this MS.

Geoman - thanks for the super-fast shipping.


----------



## roadiegonebad (Jan 31, 2004)

WeakMite said:


> One thing I thought I'd add for anyone with a concern...
> 
> If you buy 2 Magicshines, the beam is perfect for helmet mount position... but a little sharp for many when you mount it on the bars.
> 
> All you need to do is add a diffuser.... in the form of a layer or 2 of Scotch tape over the lens. It knocks the spot out really well, nice broad flood.


won't that turn into a sticky mess?


----------



## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

I have a couple magic shines and have been messing with them a while and riding all week with one.

The positives:

--low price
--very bright and nice color temperature
--simple and small
--low power mode. It said 50% but I put it on a scope. The PWM is actually 33% which I like even better. I haven't checked another to see if this is consistent.

The negatives (or possible improvements):

-- Weird velcro mounting for the battery. Not sure what they were thinking here (some odd Hong Kong bike mounting?) It has two loops so one might have to mess with some external straps to mount it in different configurations.
--No helmet mount with kit. You have to improvise this one. (UPDATE: I see geoman has one)
--Auto on when plugged in. I wish it was defaulted at off. 
--Button LED always on. I don't know how long it takes to drain the battery if you leave it plugged in. The only way to turn it off is to unplug it.
--Amount of charge left indicator is non existent. Just like most Li-Ion batteries, when the voltage reaches a low point, the circuit will shut off. The only way you know you might run out is by keeping a mental track of how much time you have on the battery.
--Questionable charger. One of mine gets into weird modes like it never charges the battery. I have read others posts on problems with charger. This could be a show killer for many looking at only getting one light, knowing they risk having a bad charger.
--PWM on low power setting could be a little higher frequency. It does strobe off the tire or other repetitive objects.

I don't have enough hours on it to form an opinion on the long term battery life but initially it met spec. The other big question I want to answer is exactly how many lumens it's putting out. I read it's much less than spec'd but that is hard to measure without good scientific equipment. Right now the easiest thing to do is compare to other lights like MTBR.com shoot out does and others.

So far this is an excellent light.



Here is a rough (the spot on the HID is clipping) spot comparison of a magic shine and a Nite Rider HID. Contrary to what I learned in Ghost Busters, I crossed the beams.


----------



## skeered1 (Jul 30, 2007)

..Lidarman, just to shed some light on the "negatives or possible improvements" :

The longer velcro strap goes over the stem/toptube to wrap the battery under. Lit LED button, IMHO, is a plus especially if MS is mounted on the handlebar and current consumption is prolly minimal. As for the rest.....well, for $85 and chinese-made?


GhEY - I heard it takes one to know one.......just my 3c


----------



## skeered1 (Jul 30, 2007)

WeakMite said:


> One thing I thought I'd add for anyone with a concern...
> 
> If you buy 2 Magicshines, the beam is perfect for helmet mount position... but a little sharp for many when you mount it on the bars.
> 
> All you need to do is add a diffuser.... in the form of a layer or 2 of Scotch tape over the lens. It knocks the spot out really well, nice broad flood.


 just to 2nd the "sticky mess" post. 'wouldn't the tape melt w/ all the heat? Let us know. I can use a diffuser...


----------



## siwilliams (Jul 23, 2009)

skeered1 said:


> just to 2nd the "sticky mess" post. 'wouldn't the tape melt w/ all the heat? Let us know. I can use a diffuser...


Na, the glass does get hot. I made a diffuser from some thin frosted plastic and tried it the other night, no heat noticible (it was a 25 deg C evening).

I'll be trying the scotch tape next as my plastic diffuser was too good, just short of 180 deg spread.


----------



## siwilliams (Jul 23, 2009)

lidarman said:


> I have a couple magic shines and have been messing with them a while and riding all week with one.
> 
> The positives:
> 
> ...


Am I right in understanding that your switch didn't turn red at the end on the battery life? I've never managed to run to the end so don't know if mine will change.


----------



## RiderDean (Jul 21, 2009)

Can someone please provide some pics of a MS and its battery mounted? I wanted to stay away from a battery pack light but you guys are selling me and now i trying to decide were I would mount the pack.


----------



## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

siwilliams said:


> Am I right in understanding that your switch didn't turn red at the end on the battery life? I've never managed to run to the end so don't know if mine will change.


Hmmm,

I didn't even think to look at that. I was looking at the output of the light itself in a room when I drove it to zero. I will look for that now that you mentioned it. I presume others have stated that it goes into a red state for some period of time as the charge nears the end?


----------



## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

skeered1 said:


> ..Lidarman, just to shed some light on the "negatives or possible improvements" :
> 
> The longer velcro strap goes over the stem/toptube to wrap the battery under. Lit LED button, IMHO, is a plus especially if MS is mounted on the handlebar and current consumption is prolly minimal. As for the rest.....well, for $85 and chinese-made?


What velcro straps? I have two lights and neither came with straps. The only "strap" is the fabric battery case itself. It doesn't explain the two plastic loops where additional straps might be used. Are other people getting additional straps with theirs?

BTW, my negative comments are based on my use and riding styles. Yours may vary. I use my for commuting a lot and don't want to burn power while I'm at my desk at work and I really don't want to fuss with taking it off my bike or forgetting to unplug it.

As far as my opinion of an $80 chinese made light. Seems like this defines the new era of bike lighting--high performance and inexpensive.


----------



## skeered1 (Jul 30, 2007)

lidarman said:


> What velcro straps? I have two lights and neither came with straps. The only "strap" is the fabric battery case itself. It doesn't explain the two plastic loops where additional straps might be used. Are other people getting additional straps with theirs?
> 
> BTW, my negative comments are based on my use and riding styles. Yours may vary. I use my for commuting a lot and don't want to burn power while I'm at my desk at work and I really don't want to fuss with taking it off my bike or forgetting to unplug it.


....The battery case has a longer cover (strap) w/ the "hook" part of the velcro. Wrap that on your stem/toptube and secure it to the "loop" part of the velcro that encases the batt cover - like putting a watch around your wrist...


----------



## johnnyspoke (Sep 15, 2005)

lidarman said:


> ... It doesn't explain the two plastic loops where additional straps might be used. .


I've found that you after wrapping the battery bag around the stem, you can turn one plastic loop sideways and feed it through the other for *some* increased security against the velcro bag coming loose and falling off the stem.

don't know if that's why they are there, and it seems odd with all the other improvements these lights have seen that they haven't either removed the plastic loops or supplied an additional velcro strap to thread through them.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

johnnyspoke said:


> I've found that you after wrapping the battery bag around the stem, you can turn one plastic loop sideways and feed it through the other for *some* increased security against the velcro bag coming loose and falling off the stem.
> 
> don't know if that's why they are there, and it seems odd with all the other improvements these lights have seen that they haven't either removed the plastic loops or supplied an additional velcro strap to thread through them.


Some things are easy to get done, others harder. We're working on this...

This is a good solution, BTW.

Geo


----------



## CdaleTony (Jun 21, 2005)

I like mine, still need a ride though!
Thanks Geoman!
CDT
(Btw the 2nd light is enroute)


----------



## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

GEOMAN said:


> Some things are easy to get done, others harder. We're working on this...


If you are working on including a cinch strap, great.

If you are trying to get rid of the plastic loops...I wouldn't. As has been stated, they can be used to "lock" the case or with a user supplied strap. They are easy to cut off if someone doesn't like them.


----------



## pmpski_1 (Mar 15, 2009)

I just got mine today. Primary use will be commuting. I ride the bus to work in the morning and then ride home, so my bike will be on a bus rack. Any doubts about whether the O-ring mounting will be ok for the MS while it's on the bus rack?


----------



## LCW (May 5, 2008)

I just rode with mine tonight for the first time - received it earlier today. All I can say is WOW!!!! Unbelievable light ouput!!!! It's like one of those searchlights you have to plug into your lighter socket... Brighter than my car's headlights for god sakes!!!! 

Small issue with my charger which Geoman has already addressed and sending a replacement - the *same* day!!! Great customer service!!! Props to Geoman!!! :thumbsup:

Very happy with this light so far. BANG for the BUCK no question!!!


----------



## siwilliams (Jul 23, 2009)

pmpski_1 said:


> I just got mine today. Primary use will be commuting. I ride the bus to work in the morning and then ride home, so my bike will be on a bus rack. Any doubts about whether the O-ring mounting will be ok for the MS while it's on the bus rack?


Should be just fine on a bus rack. I leave mine on when using my tow bar rack and I like to fang it down corrugated dirt/gravel roads. The mount works well for off road riding so the bus rack will be a cinch. Make sure you use a strap on the battery though.


----------



## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

skeered1 said:


> ....The battery case has a longer cover (strap) w/ the "hook" part of the velcro. Wrap that on your stem/toptube and secure it to the "loop" part of the velcro that encases the batt cover - like putting a watch around your wrist...


Wow, thanks for the obvious. How did you think I was securing it without your profound insight anyway?

BTW, we had a terrific ride tonight with 4 others. We rode 20 miles. I sported two of these suckers. They worked well but another b!tch is that they cannot be rotated horizontally on the bar without some trickery.

However, they were a big topic on the ride. Seems people want these.

PS: I did a run-down test too. Indeed, the last 10 minutes of charge or so on full setting shows a "red" LED indicator before the sucker goes completely blank. That is awesome since if that happens, you throw it on low and get about 20 minutes to get your butt back.


----------



## WeakMite (May 11, 2004)

roadiegonebad said:


> won't that turn into a sticky mess?


Sticky side down.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

MI_canuck said:


> I just rode with mine tonight for the first time - received it earlier today. All I can say is WOW!!!! Unbelievable light ouput!!!! It's like one of those searchlights you have to plug into your lighter socket... Brighter than my car's headlights for god sakes!!!!
> 
> Small issue with my charger which Geoman has already addressed and sending a replacement - the *same* day!!! Great customer service!!! Props to Geoman!!! :thumbsup:
> 
> Very happy with this light so far. BANG for the BUCK no question!!!


Nice! Thank you!

Geo


----------



## Saddlebags (Sep 6, 2005)

bigtymerider said:


> I just could not resist. At under a $100 I had to give it a shot. Also I am running a little shy on funds for a bike light since the lamp on my DLP TV went out and is eating into the money I set aside for some lights. Now if I could only get my 2400 lumen TV lamp to work on my bike I would have something going. I went with Geoman since he is active on the forum and gets good feed back. I will shoot another blip when I get the light.


Same here - 5 years on a OEM Samsung lamp on my DLP finally blew. Went out and bought a new LCD and about to buy a new lamp for about $100 to resell my old TV so I can buy more bike goodies like more lights.


----------



## skeered1 (Jul 30, 2007)

lidarman said:


> Wow, thanks for the obvious. How did you think I was securing it without your profound insight anyway?


 Oh, your welcome for the obvious! Always happy to help the needy w/ my profound insight. Happy commuting, Richhead!


----------



## bloodyknee (Jul 29, 2008)

Convinced me. I just pulled the trigger on two lights, one for me and one for my son. Looks like we just fgured out how to ride this winter a few extra times a week.


----------



## roadiegonebad (Jan 31, 2004)

WeakMite said:


> Sticky side down.


no kidding??? genius! 
what about when you try to remove it?


----------



## Schultz29 (Oct 12, 2005)

palmermtb said:


> I love tinkering with stuff so my next step is to order some lenses from that optics company Germany to see how if the light pattern can be improved. Even with ordering lenses for each light I'll still be under $450 bucks for FOUR 600+ lumen lights!


Can you provide a link as to where you picked up these optics?


----------



## TCW (Mar 13, 2006)

Hello smart friends. I just got two of these from Geoman, unboxed, and plugged up the chargers. One battery charger goes to red when I hook up a battery pack. The other stays on green with the other battery. I swapped battery packs and the green one that went red did just that with the other battery pack (stayed green on the other charger). The other charger stayed green with the first pack. I fiugured the first pack was just needing some charger whereas the other one was charged up. However, with the chargers, one implies both need some charging whereas the other one implies they're both charged. Get my drift? What do you think?


----------



## LCW (May 5, 2008)

I think you're overthinking it. Just use them and run them down a bit.


----------



## bigtymerider (Oct 4, 2008)

*Impressed*

Just received mine today from Geoman, ordered it Tuesday night and at my door today when I came home from work. So I plugged it in crossed my fingers and WOW! For less then $100 shipped I could not be happier. Trail time will tell the rest. But the bottom line is this light looks better then any other light for a realistic price. I will probably order a second when I get some more funding.:thumbsup:


----------



## sdcadbiker (Jun 20, 2008)

*I'm blind! Blind!*

Got mine today and I'm very satified so far. Got it mounted "ghetto" (just an O-ring) on my helmet with the battery strapped on the back; the battery is kinda heavy but should be just fine for a 2 hour night ride. The light output is very impressive, brighter than my Trinewt although that might just be my perception due to the "whiter" light, but it completely blows away my old Minewt which has now taken up residence on my son's school commuter.

Build quality is good, although it remains to be seen how well the wires hold up to a couple seasons worth of bending and twisting.

Downers have already been mentioned: having the damn thing come on when you plug the battery in is just dumb; also it would be nice if you could cycle through the power modes without passing through "strobe" or "off" (Niterider has a neat system for that). The battery pack is a little cheap looking and I'm not sure how well it would hold up in pouring rain, although I'm in SoCal so it's not really an issue... 

Did I mention how bright it is? :thumbsup: If I'm still happy a month from now I think my Trinewt with it's big ass battery will be replaced and relegated to my son's bike too...

Speaking of which, could one of the brainiacs out there explain how the hell they can get 3+ hours runtime at 700 lumens from such a piddly little battery pack? Geoman, you should tell the MS guys to make an accessory battery that has three times as many cells; it would be no bigger than a Trinewt battery and should last nine hours!


----------



## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

RiderDean said:


> Can someone please provide some pics of a MS and its battery mounted? I wanted to stay away from a battery pack light but you guys are selling me and now i trying to decide were I would mount the pack.


I take it you're mounting it on your bars? You can mount the battery under the stem if your stem is long enough. Otherwise, you can it on your frame. Pretty much anywhere you want as long as the cord reaches.


----------



## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

One light: mount under stem, if it's a long stem. Second light: mount under top tube. Actually second light goes on Helmet. Third light uses top tube.


----------



## digibud (Sep 21, 2009)

I'll second the call for a larger battery. I returned two sets of NiteRider minewt 400's because the cost of additional batteries was exorbitant and I found the magicshine is just as powerful as the minewt400. I bought three MS for the cost of single NR and I am getting better battery life. One MS on the handlebars and one on the helmet set to low power allows me to see where I look and see the road ahead. The pics above don't do the MS light justice - at least my light does not look like that beam spread. Mine is much, much wider. The cutoff at the edges is abrupt and there is a bit of a hot spot but I get wide coverage and plenty of throw for Winter riding. A racer going downhill might need a more powerful light, but everyone else would be fine with MS lights.


----------



## bentboy242 (Nov 7, 2009)

*battery for helmet*

I would actually like a smaller, lighter battery for helmet use.
we seem to be a fickle bunch.


----------



## BlownCivic (Sep 12, 2006)

bentboy242 said:


> I would actually like a smaller, lighter battery for helmet use.
> we seem to be a fickle bunch.


That's dead simple. Take a 2nd MS battery and cut it in 1/2 (OK, seperate the cells). The pack is made up with 4 - 2,200 mah 18650 cells. It's a 7.4v pack, so there are 2 packs of 2 cells in series, wired up in parallel (making 7.4v, 4,400 mah). If you seperate the parallel packs, you have 2 - 2,200 mah, 7.4v packs. All you need to do it buy an extension from Geoman, and cut the male plug off one end, wire up the female to your 2nd pack, and voila! you have 2 small packs for mounting on your helmet. You don't have to worry about charging, as the charger will cope just fine with the reduced capacity.

2nd option is to buy some 18650 cells from Tenergy. They have some 2,600 mah cells, and you could wire up your own pack with a plug from the extension from Geoman:

http://www.all-battery.com/li-ion1865037v2600mahrechargeablebatterieswithpcb.aspx


----------



## WeakMite (May 11, 2004)

bentboy242 said:


> I would actually like a smaller, lighter battery for helmet use.
> we seem to be a fickle bunch.




$39 water proof one, 3.5 oz (100 g) - https://www.batteryspace.com/li-ion18650battery74v2400mah177whwith6prewireandwaterproofcoating.aspx










$15 one you can wrap yourself, 2.5 oz (70.8 grams) - https://www.batteryspace.com/li-ion...tterymodulewithprotectioniclc18500s2r1wr.aspx


----------



## WeakMite (May 11, 2004)

roadiegonebad said:


> no kidding??? genius!
> what about when you try to remove it?


Of my 2 Magicshines the one I use for the bars has a scotch tape diffuser on the lens. After 2 months of 4 to 5 day per week use - I replaced the tape. When I removed it... no, it didn't "_turn into a sticky mess_". I needed 2 layers of tape to get the diffusion I wanted, so when I pulled the tape off, it came off in one piece. The Magicshine lens didn't retain any of the tape's adhesive, so I didn't need to clean it. I just put new tape on.

You results, of course, may vary. LOL


;-)


----------



## bentboy242 (Nov 7, 2009)

*will this work for Dinotte lights?*

Can the ideas in the above posts work for Dinotte lights, too?
thanks


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

lidarman said:


> One light: mount under stem, if it's a long stem. Second light: mount under top tube. Actually second light goes on Helmet. Third light uses top tube.


I always say, the more the merrier!



Great setup!

Geo


----------



## skeered1 (Jul 30, 2007)

WeakMite said:


> Of my 2 Magicshines the one I use for the bars has a scotch tape diffuser on the lens. After 2 months of 4 to 5 day per week use - I replaced the tape. When I removed it... no, it didn't "_turn into a sticky mess_". I needed 2 layers of tape to get the diffusion I wanted, so when I pulled the tape off, it came off in one piece. The Magicshine lens didn't retain any of the tape's adhesive, so I didn't need to clean it. I just put new tape on.
> 
> You results, of course, may vary. LOL
> 
> ...


..If you can: Did you use clear or frosty tape? How many layers? Thanks


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

BlownCivic said:


> That's dead simple. Take a 2nd MS battery and cut it in 1/2 (OK, seperate the cells). The pack is made up with 4 - 2,200 mah 18650 cells. It's a 7.4v pack, so there are 2 packs of 2 cells in series, wired up in parallel (making 7.4v, 4,400 mah). If you seperate the parallel packs, you have 2 - 2,200 mah, 7.4v packs. All you need to do it buy an extension from Geoman, and cut the male plug off one end, wire up the female to your 2nd pack, and voila! you have 2 small packs for mounting on your helmet. You don't have to worry about charging, as the charger will cope just fine with the reduced capacity.
> 
> 2nd option is to buy some 18650 cells from Tenergy. They have some 2,600 mah cells, and you could wire up your own pack with a plug from the extension from Geoman:
> 
> http://www.all-battery.com/li-ion1865037v2600mahrechargeablebatterieswithpcb.aspx


Geoman---there is another product for you to have the manufacture make--a lighter battery--should be pretty easy for them to do!!! :thumbsup:


----------



## AceMulder (Sep 28, 2006)

WeakMite said:


> $39 water proof one, 3.5 oz (100 g) - https://www.batteryspace.com/li-ion18650battery74v2400mah177whwith6prewireandwaterproofcoating.aspx
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Will the Magic Shine charger charge these?


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*Yeah, that would be a good solution...*



AceMulder said:


> Will the Magic Shine charger charge these?


Cause really, we (or at least I) don't need 3+ hours on full blast on the lid most of the time... maybe fore 24 hour races. If we could cut the battery capacity and weight in half, then it would be more comfy to strap directly to a helmet.

Most of my night rides are 2 hours and under, and I typically did this with a Night Rider Digital Pro 12e on the bars (about 1:30 on high, 3+ hours on a mix of medium and low) and a Trail Rat helmet light which was good for about an hour and fifteen minutes. I would switch off the Trail Rat when climbing and switch the bar light to low.


----------



## TCW (Mar 13, 2006)

Back to the OP question. I have only one other LED light, a Niteflux Photon Max (made in China) that the wife got me last X-Mas, bough from Geoman for just under $300 shipped. At the time it was probably the best bang for buck light on the market. I got two MSs a few days ago and did some testing. The 800 lumen Photon Max is quite superior in terms of light output compared to one MS. The really large hotspot on the Niteflux is amazing with a good halo to boot. Interstingly, the MS has a superior halo but not nearly as good hotspot, it's really small. It would be nice if MS eventually tweaks the lense for better performance offering either spot or flood options. 

Anyway, the Niteflux has other irritations that the MS does not, big battery, < 3 hr run time on high, larger light head, etc. That said I prefer one Niteflux on the helmet versus a MS on the bars plus one on the head. However, I eventually plan to augment my single Niteflux (wife is using the dual MS set up currently) with a MS on the bars. Another little bit of info, the Niteflux has a slightly higher color temp. By comparison, the MSs look a touch yellow. That said they look absolutely white compared to any of my old halgen set ups.

If the MS were available last year, I would've probably chosen three MSs versus the single Niteflux Photon Max for the same price. Hope this info helps (and really hope to see the more options and radically reduced prices from other manufacturers).


----------



## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

AceMulder said:


> Will the Magic Shine charger charge these?


Yes, Both are 7.4 lithium batteries with protection circuitry.

Also, so you won't have to mess with cutting off your other battery connector, get one of these when buying the smaller pack.










https://www.batteryspace.com/connectoradaptortrail-techcoaxislockablefemaleplugwith6prewire.aspx


----------



## CdaleTony (Jun 21, 2005)

With all this battery talk and chargers, I wonder if I would see any benefit to using a Hyperion RC charger on these MS batteries? It does way more than the usual wall charger does....
CDT

(And I wonder if I can rig up a LiPo pack of the same mah and voltage that should weigh less)


----------



## wheeler26 (Apr 18, 2009)

WeakMite said:


> One thing I thought I'd add for anyone with a concern...
> 
> If you buy 2 Magicshines, the beam is perfect for helmet mount position... but a little sharp for many when you mount it on the bars.
> 
> All you need to do is add a diffuser.... in the form of a layer or 2 of Scotch tape over the lens. It knocks the spot out really well, nice broad flood.


i'm gunna try this thanks for the tip


----------



## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

lidarman said:


> Yes, Both are 7.4 lithium batteries with protection circuitry.
> 
> Also, so you won't have to mess with cutting off your other battery connector, get one of these when buying the smaller pack.
> 
> ...


Although it has been suggested several times, I thought someone had posted that the trail tech connector did not match the MS connector.


----------



## jsigone (Aug 25, 2004)

the MC uses the P7 LED which runs flood mode because of the design of the LED cluster, curving the lens would just hinder the output, makes rings or rather large head. This is why they designed the MCE which is still the cluster of 4 LEDS but positioned to give more throw then flood. I'm eager to try the MC myself, I've been using the DX P7 flashlight since last summer and its awesome. But needs a helmet light for the twisties. Would be interesting if someone changed out the P7 cluster for somthing else, considering the battery runtime is rather long I don't think there is much to loss there.


----------



## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

gmcttr said:


> Although it has been suggested several times, I thought someone had posted that the trail tech connector did not match the MS connector.


Do you have the link to the post?

I have this connector and it snaps together fine with the M.S.

http://www.batteryspace.com/compone...hledindicatorandtrailtechmaleandopenwire.aspx

But I have a new connector and batter pack on order so I will know soon enough.


----------



## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

lidarman said:


> Do you have the link to the post?
> 
> I have this connector and it snaps together fine with the M.S.
> 
> ...


I did a quick search and found this thread. I'm guessing post # 272 is what I was thinking of.

*Just* from looking at Trail Tech pictures, it appeared to me that the snap ring part of the male connector is a smaller diameter than the MS connector and might not "snap" securely together. I have not had a trail tech connector too check for myself.

Please let us know how it works when you get yours. Thanks.


----------



## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

Interesting comparison:

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

Looks to me like this maybe weights in at 400 lumens or so. Comparison to the Tesla is misplaced.

Check out that niterider 1200 though! Wow, I may have to do one of those.

J.


----------



## ab138501 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Bad luck with Magicshine*

I tried the Magicshine and did not have very good luck with it. The battery is supposed to last for three hours on high. Mine lasted for only about 45 minutes on high while I was commuting to work on 10/26/09. Granted, it was very cold out that morning.

Check out the beam shots of the Magicshine, Lupine, and Niterider lights at http://acidinmylegs.blogspot.com/2009/11/few-beam-shots.html

The Magicshine is clearly not up to the level of Lupine or Niterider.

I ordered a Niterider Pro 600. It's supposed to arrive on 11/18/09.


----------



## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*wow...*



ab138501 said:


> I tried the Magicshine and did not have very good luck with it. The battery is supposed to last for three hours on high. Mine lasted for only about 45 minutes on high while I was commuting to work on 10/26/09. Granted, it was very cold out that morning.
> 
> Check out the beam shots of the Magicshine, Lupine, and Niterider lights at http://acidinmylegs.blogspot.com/2009/11/few-beam-shots.html
> 
> ...


you've copied and pasted this response into 5 threads so far, and you just signed up.

Well, you'll have to let us know if the NRPro600 is worth 6 times the price.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

ab138501 said:


> I tried the Magicshine and did not have very good luck with it. The battery is supposed to last for three hours on high. Mine lasted for only about 45 minutes on high while I was commuting to work on 10/26/09. Granted, it was very cold out that morning.


Your battery needs to be "conditioned" and will fix the short run-time in almost all cases. We're all getting 3 - 4 hours on ours.

Run the battery down to low (i.e. red on the lighthead) and recharge for 4 - 6 hours. Retry.

Thanks!!!

Geo


----------



## bradjackson (Jul 9, 2009)

RiderDean said:


> Can someone please provide some pics of a MS and its battery mounted? I wanted to stay away from a battery pack light but you guys are selling me and now i trying to decide were I would mount the pack.


Here's 2 pics for you.

Wrapped around the stem









Mounted to a Camelbak shoulder strap for a helmet-mounted Magicshine









Alright, in the second pic its kinda hard to see, but the battery is wrapped around the shoulder strap.


----------



## BOAB (Sep 11, 2008)

HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL this thing is bright !!! I just got the MS in and turned out the lights in our warehouse and fired it up. For the price it is especially great for just getting into night riding.


----------



## bentboy242 (Nov 7, 2009)

*prices for lights*

It will be interesting to see if other light manufacturers, especially the ones that advertise on this very page, lower their prices in response to the low price of this light you are all raving about.


----------



## [email protected] (Oct 17, 2009)

pimpbot said:


> you've copied and pasted this response into 5 threads so far, and you just signed up.
> 
> Well, you'll have to let us know if the NRPro600 is worth 6 times the price.


Yeah, its nice to see at least some conflicting stories, but some (like this one) look a little suspicious.

Anyone reading these threads will notice that if someone tells a horror story publically, either GEOMAN or SingleTrackStore will usually jump on it and get it corrected. If this guy is honest, then he can easily get his problem sorted out by them.


----------



## Corey52 (Jul 23, 2009)

Probably a troll, and his IP can be ran to see if he already has an account here.


----------



## RiderDean (Jul 21, 2009)

I was going to order from Deal Extreme and noticed that they had 3 mode MS's with Helmet mount for only $78 and free shipping. If I don't care about 5 modes am I missing out on something by getting an older 3 mode?


----------



## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

RiderDean said:


> I was going to order from Deal Extreme and noticed that they had 3 mode MS's with Helmet mount for only $78 and free shipping. If I don't care about 5 modes am I missing out on something by getting an older 3 mode?


The main problem is that with DX, shipping will take a while, plus if you were to have any problems, do you really want to go through the headache of dealing with DX to get the problem resolved?

It's worth the extra money to get it from someone that is going to be there for you if you have a problem.

Also, what size cord comes with that DX version? The new ones from Geo come with a short cord on the battery and on the light, and then you get an extension that goes between them for mounting it on your helmet. This is nice because if someone is just mounting it on their bars, they don't have to have a bunch of extra cord to deal with.

As far as the modes. Mine has 5, I use mostly high, sometimes med, and I pretty much don't use any of the others, just skip them.

As far as the helmet mount. Make sure you even need it. A lot of helmets don't need an extra mount.


----------



## RiderDean (Jul 21, 2009)

thanks!


----------



## RiderDean (Jul 21, 2009)

fightnut said:


> The main problem is that with DX, shipping will take a while, plus if you were to have any problems, do you really want to go through the headache of dealing with DX to get the problem resolved?
> 
> It's worth the extra money to get it from someone that is going to be there for you if you have a problem.
> 
> ...


great info ...thanks


----------



## RiderDean (Jul 21, 2009)

Well Geoman I was placing my order with you and my wife came in and stopped me! It seems she order one for me from you for Christmas on the 12th.


----------



## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

RiderDean said:


> Well Geoman I was placing my order with you and my wife came in and stopped me! It seems she order one for me from you for Christmas on the 12th.


Oh great....Now you spoiled the surprise! :madman:


----------



## Corey52 (Jul 23, 2009)

RiderDean said:


> Well Geoman I was placing my order with you and my wife came in and stopped me! It seems she order one for me from you for Christmas on the 12th.


She should not have said anything, then you would have two lights 
One for the helmet, one for the bars.

Very cool she had already ordered one for you though.


----------



## MaximusHQ (Aug 6, 2007)

I just tested out my MS with one layer of scotch tape (the frosted looking type) and I really like it better this way. It really knocked the spot down and made the beam more even overall. No sticky mess either.


----------



## Boyonabyke (Sep 5, 2007)

RiderDean said:


> I was going to order from Deal Extreme and noticed that they had 3 mode MS's with Helmet mount for only $78 and free shipping. If I don't care about 5 modes am I missing out on something by getting an older 3 mode?


I prefer the 3 mode myself from Deal Extreme. Less cycling of the switch on the rear. The 2nd mode works great for climbing fireroads. Then there was the price, $79.81. I ordered mine in early October, received it in 3 weeks. YMMV. I also ran a 12060 flashlight, and if you go on shorter rides, and run it off a single cell, it's one of the very best values going. That or a pair of 5 mode TR-801 mounted parallel on the helmet for about 450 lumes with Q-5 emitters.


----------



## Wimpy65 (Dec 15, 2009)

*Magic Shine light*

I just got my light Wednesday. Went for a 2 hour ride Thursday night and the battery was still going strong. I suspect the 3 hour runtime will be pretty accurate. It probably is not 900 lumens, however it is very bright. It was at least equal to Nite Rider's Tri-Newt(500 lumens). The Tri-newt casts a broader beam. I had the Magic Shine mounted on my helmet, plenty of light for night time trail riding.

I am very happy with the light and will be buying more for my boys.

p.s. I purchased mine through dealextreme.com for $78 and free shipping. For those of you who never bought through dealextreme.com, plan on 2 weeks for delivery after they ship the order. For me, it took a total of 4 weeks to get my light.


----------



## sdcadbiker (Jun 20, 2008)

I think I'd rather throw a few extra $ Geo's way and get the light in 4 days... :thumbsup:


----------



## Mike2009 (Jul 17, 2009)

Well, I drank the Kool aid and just ordered 2 MS from Geoman. I also ordered the helmet mount. Do I need to order an extension cord for the helmet mount too? I saw the extension cord listed but it did not seem like it was necessary for the helmet mount....but after reading a post above maybe it is? I'll go back to the site and check further...anybody know for sure? Thanks! Mike


----------



## Wimpy65 (Dec 15, 2009)

*Magic Shine*

I agree! The month wait was very annoying! Just wanted to let everybody know the light is worth the money.


----------



## CdaleTony (Jun 21, 2005)

Mike2009 said:


> Well, I drank the Kool aid and just ordered 2 MS from Geoman. I also ordered the helmet mount. Do I need to order an extension cord for the helmet mount too? I saw the extension cord listed but it did not seem like it was necessary for the helmet mount....but after reading a post above maybe it is? I'll go back to the site and check further...anybody know for sure? Thanks! Mike


I ordered a kit + helmet mount. In our live chat, I was told the cord came with the kit. I needed nothing else.
Total was like $103 delivered.
CDT


----------



## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

The MS from Geoman comes with the extension cable as stated in the product description.


----------



## Mike2009 (Jul 17, 2009)

Thanks Guys...yes the extension cord does come with the kit, I mis-read a post at the top of the page...thanks for the quick replies! 

I ordered 2 MS last night right after posting here (around 10pm?) Geoman had my shipping notice in my e-mail box by noon today!! (Sunday) THAT is some great service! Can't wait to get'em and ride!


----------



## sierrabob (Dec 6, 2009)

*Triple Magicshine Road Test Videos and Data*

Just in case you were trying to decide between one, two, or three MS lights, here are some short video links for a 3 light setup that includes the new MJ-812 flashlight:

Intro:
From mj-812
Bridge Crossing w/ 3 lights:
From mj-812
Bridge crossing w/ 2 lights: 
From mj-812
Onroad/offroad "set it and forget it" arrangement: 
From mj-812
Riding w/ 2099 lumens: 
From mj-812

With 2 five mode and 1 three mode light, I have 144 combinations to work with. The set and forget combo with strobe is best for all around riding off and on road.

The following P7 C-bin (MJ-808) and D-bin (MJ-812) test data (courtesy of JTR1962, CandlePowerForums) substantiates the lumens output made in the above videos:










Check out this efficacy chart for the two P7 bins. Note that the highest output occurs near the low (200 lumen) setting of both Magicshine lamps. This accounts for the long run times and cool emitter temperatures in low mode.










Sierrabob


----------



## Camshaft213 (Feb 16, 2008)

SO what is the general consensus on running a helmet mount only?


----------



## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

Camshaft213 said:


> SO what is the general consensus on running a helmet mount only?


If you're only going to run one light, I think it should be a helmet mount. This way you always have light where you're looking.
But, with all the options out there, why not just run something on the bars too? It doesn't have to be much.
I currently use a magicshine on my helmet and one of these on my bars in full flood mode.
Like I said, it doesn't have be to a killer light for the bars, just something to "fill in" in front of you when your head is moving around.


----------



## jaewannabe (Jun 4, 2009)

I run one on the handle bars and the helmet. like having as much light as possible. You don't have to cycle through all the settings on the new lights, just push and hold down the button and they will shut off.


----------



## DiepBlueC (Jan 16, 2009)

I have been a L&M guy for a while and was offered a killer deal on the SECA900 (the most powerful light) so I bit. Having used it quite a bit, I will try to give a few objective thoughts.

#1. The SECA900 is brighter than any of these photos/combos/anything. Even the "2000 lumen combos". It is rediculous. Honestly there is no need for this much light at night unless you are in a police helicopter. Three people can ride using my light alone. It is like using one of those 1M candlepower floodlights on your head.
#2. It also costs almost $700 retail. That is rediculous. No LED combo should cost so much.
#3. For ~$100, and the pictures I have seen of these MS lights, you are much better off buying 2 of them and if needed, just getting two more next year. LED tech is only getting better.
#4. The L&M helmet mount is kind of hoakey. It looks like I have a periscope on my helmet and it wobbles a bit.
#5. The big battery pack on the SECA lasts "5 hours" on HIGH power. That is awesome. IF you are a 24hr race nut, it would be a good option. That being said, I have yet to go on a 5 hour night ride. So I cannot vouch for this longevity. All I know is it sucks being 3hrs in and having your light poop out. But that is poor planning on my part, not the light!

So I guess in summary, if you want a TON of light, which to be honest, is really handy if slaying DH in the dark, the L&M is cool, but likely still not worth that pricetag. My next light will be one of the cheaper LED deals, and this MS looks like a great option!
I have no pictures of the SECA doing its thing, but if I can remember I will take one on the ride tonight. 

Good on G-man and MS for getting good value to the working man!


----------



## CdaleTony (Jun 21, 2005)

DiepBlueC............................ said:


> #1. The SECA900 is brighter than any of these photos/combos/anything. Even the "2000 lumen combos". It is rediculous. _*Honestly there is no need for this much light at night unless you are in a police helicopter*._ Three people can ride using my light alone. It is like using one of those 1M candlepower floodlights on your head.
> ....................................................


Ok, that right there is my favorite over the top description of a light....!


----------



## J_Hopper (Mar 5, 2005)

I'm not sure why I didn't find this until now, but I found a post at bikeforums.net where a skilled technician actually measured the MS output. You can find it here. The short of it: 764 lumens on high, 267 lumens on low. You can read the details at the posted link.


----------



## siwilliams (Jul 23, 2009)

Camshaft213 said:


> SO what is the general consensus on running a helmet mount only?


Normally I run a MS on the bars and one on my helmet, works great plenty of light. When I ride with the Missus and we're out a little later than planned (she phaffs around a lot) I'll give her my bar light.

Using just the helmet is a lot harder, although there is plenty of light, the helmet light doesn't cast much shadow (the viewing angle is very close to the lighting angle). this makes it harder to judge the size of obstacles etc.

Having said that, bar lights don't let so see round corners and can swing a bit when climbing.

In short, use one of each. Plus, it might save your arse should one light fail at 30 km/h!


----------



## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

J_Hopper said:


> I'm not sure why I didn't find this until now, but I found a post at bikeforums.net where a skilled technician actually measured the MS output. You can find it here. The short of it: 764 lumens on high, 267 lumens on low. You can read the details at the posted link.


Months ago, it was posted that someone in Germany measured the MS putting out 550 lumens on high. He used an integrating sphere in a laboratory.

So we still have some issues with consistency.

However. This is a difficult measurement. I think the integrating sphere is the most accurate due to factors that are very hard to control otherwise (spot shape and profile for example.)


----------



## pe6u (Oct 6, 2009)

I have a question about different magicshines sold in dealextreme.com, but I don't want to open another MS tread. I bought the headlamp version (sku.29489), I’m thinking of getting another for the handlebars, but I want it to be less focused. In the site, the handlebar version (sku.25149) is stated to have different reflector - Aluminum Smooth/SMO Reflector, while the headlamp is Aluminum Textured/OP Reflector. The pictures show that the handlebar version has more spread light. To make it more difficult, the 5 mode version is stated to have same reflector as the headlamp option, but the picture show even more spread lightspot, and everything else is same as the handlebar one. I know I can’t trust the descriptions and pictures, so can anyone confirm if there are different reflectors and difference in spotlight or they are identical. Thanks.


----------



## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

I think you will find that DX descriptions are riddled with errors and that the MS's all have the same reflector.


----------



## Infinity123 (Dec 11, 2009)

pe6u said:


> I bought the headlamp version (sku.29489), I'm thinking of getting another for the handlebars, but I want it to be less focused.


You could put in another optic to achive that goal. In one of the other Magicshine threads (post #53) there are some beamshots of the Ledil 25 and 15 degree optics. It will eat about 10% of the light, but that will happen with most optics.

https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=554139&highlight=Magicshine+beamshot

https://www.led-tech.de/de/High-Power-Zubehoer/LEDIL-Optiken/SEOUL-Power-Optik-25%C2%B0-LT-1473_106_146.html
https://www.led-tech.de/de/High-Power-Zubehoer/LEDIL-Optiken/SEOUL-Power-Optik-15%C2%B0-LT-1472_106_146.html


----------



## SVG 99 (Jul 14, 2009)

skeered1 said:


> .....just a thought: the MS indirectly stimulates US health and economy. It makes riders happy. More rides = better health = more smiles = happy people = productive people...


And what is it exactly that they are producing ?


----------



## danfuto (Apr 7, 2010)

*Magic Shine ROCKS!*

Just got back from my first night ride with my Magic Shine lights. It was AWESOME! I went with 2 of the $85 ones. I put one on my handle bar and one on my helmet. My buddy did the same. We both tried riding with just one light. It worked very well. I tried riding with just the helmet mounted one and then just the bar mounted one. Going with either one was fine; the light worked very well. If you have the cash, go with 2, it is perfect! The bar mount lights up everything in front of you and the helmet one allows you to gaze around. Again, let me stress, running just one, works very well. So if you are tight on cash, just go with one, you will not be disappointed. The batteries and the lights are very light weight. The beam is unbelievably bright. They seem like they are very high quality lights. Our trail here in Jax is very rooty, so there are some very rough sections. The lights never flickered even over the roughest sections. The mounts also held amazingly well.

One slight suggestion for the next generation lights is to run the cord out the back of the light instead of the front. Perhaps there is a reason the cord comes out the front, but neither me or my buddy could figure out why. This is a very minor critique.

I also highly recommend ordering from Geoman. He ships immediately. Each light set is personally inspected by him and sealed with a qualtiy control sticker. He has fantastic customer service and keeps you posted on your order status throughout the entire process.

The price is unbelieveable and so is the quality. For the life of me I cannot figure out why anyone would spend $500-$800 on the "traditional" sets.


----------



## CdaleTony (Jun 21, 2005)

danfuto said:


> Just got back from my first night ride with my Magic Shine lights. It was AWESOME! I went with 2 of the $85 ones. I put one on my handle bar and one on my helmet. My buddy did the same. We both tried riding with just one light. It worked very well. I tried riding with just the helmet mounted one and then just the bar mounted one. Going with either one was fine; the light worked very well. If you have the cash, go with 2, it is perfect! The bar mount lights up everything in front of you and the helmet one allows you to gaze around. Again, let me stress, running just one, works very well. So if you are tight on cash, just go with one, you will not be disappointed. The batteries and the lights are very light weight. The beam is unbelievably bright. They seem like they are very high quality lights. Our trail here in Jax is very rooty, so there are some very rough sections. The lights never flickered even over the roughest sections. The mounts also held amazingly well.
> 
> *One slight suggestion for the next generation lights is to run the cord out the back of the light instead of the front.* Perhaps there is a reason the cord comes out the front, but neither me or my buddy could figure out why. This is a very minor critique.
> 
> ...


Im too lazy to find it, but somewhere I posted on how I modded mine to do just that, exit the back of the mount.
CDT


----------



## JohnJ80 (Oct 10, 2008)

danfuto said:


> The price is unbelieveable and so is the quality. For the life of me I cannot figure out why anyone would spend $500-$800 on the "traditional" sets.


Because it doesn't compare to lights at that price. It compares to other 35 lux lights at about $200-250 or so.

http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/lights-shootout-light-meter-measurements/

(note: prices have greatly declined even since this chart was published esp for 2008 tested lights).

J.


----------



## Schultz29 (Oct 12, 2005)

I've had my Magic Shine since around late October of 09. I used it a lot this winter with not the slightest hiccup. The battery never went dead and has burned as long as 4 hours. My only complaint is cycling through all the light modes to turn it off. Other than that it's a great light and an outstanding bargain.


----------



## johnnyspoke (Sep 15, 2005)

Schultz29 said:


> I've had my Magic Shine since around late October of 09. I used it a lot this winter with not the slightest hiccup. The battery never went dead and has burned as long as 4 hours. My only complaint is cycling through all the light modes to turn it off. Other than that it's a great light and an outstanding bargain.


Try holding the the switch for ~3 seconds, it should then shutoff from whatever mode you are in. Unfortunately, on power-up, it goes straight to high.


----------



## Schultz29 (Oct 12, 2005)

johnnyspoke said:


> Try holding the the switch for ~3 seconds, it should then shutoff from whatever mode you are in. Unfortunately, on power-up, it goes straight to high.


That's some goo info, I'll try that. Don't mind that it goes straight to high, cause I rarely use the dimmer feature.


----------



## ggnarl (Mar 13, 2008)

What some people don't realize is lumens is a measure of brightness and width of a beam combined. I have a 240 lumen flashlight that is brighter in the spot than the magicshine, but the total flood width is narrower and the rest of the flood is much dimmer. More lumens will either be brighter in the beam or a wider beam. If you run a dual system lumens become less important because you can turn your head to follow the trail.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Thanks for the mention Dan, we appreciate the business. The new Magicshine 1400 features the wire exiting from the rear of the lighthead, we continue to pass forward all suggested improvements for future models to the Manufacturer.



danfuto said:


> One slight suggestion for the next generation lights is to run the cord out the back of the light instead of the front. Perhaps there is a reason the cord comes out the front, but neither me or my buddy could figure out why. This is a very minor critique.
> 
> I also highly recommend ordering from Geoman. He ships immediately. Each light set is personally inspected by him and sealed with a qualtiy control sticker. He has fantastic customer service and keeps you posted on your order status throughout the entire process.
> 
> The price is unbelieveable and so is the quality. For the life of me I cannot figure out why anyone would spend $500-$800 on the "traditional" sets.


----------



## chelboed (Jul 29, 2005)

sierrabob said:


> ]
> 
> Sierrabob


I absolutely LOVE this chart. (assuming it's accurate)

I built a bar-mount p7 light using an MTE flashlight, P7-C, and 2x 1.4amp drivers from Hoffmanamps.com. Now I know that running my MagicShine [helmet] on Hi (667lm) and my MTE [bars] at 2.8amps (742lm)...I'm getting 1409lm.

I think I'm gonna build one more MTE and piggyback it to my current one (742lm) as well as my quazzle triple (1100lm) for a grand total of...

O-N-E____M-I-L-L-I-O-N____L-U-M-E-N-S!!! (give or take)









FYI...I do however think the chart is a bit over the top. If you try to push the P7 to 7000ma at 4.2Vf...you'll see all kinds of interesting stuff...for a very short time.


----------



## hows it goin (Apr 22, 2008)

What is the difference between the racers special and the normal lightset?
85 vs 125?
thanks


----------



## chelboed (Jul 29, 2005)

Extra Magicshine battery
Helmet mount


----------



## lticew (Mar 23, 2009)

*Magicshine Lights Review (MJ-808 and MJ-816)*

I just got my Magicshine 2300 combo from GeoManGear and have posted a fairly lengthy review here:

http://www.pedal-for-charity.com/reviews/magicshine.html

Hope you guys find it helpful! ~L


----------



## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

lticew, good review, but just so you know, you don't have to cycle through all the modes to turn it off, just hold the button in for about 2 seconds.

Also, I saw your helmet, and you don't need the mount, you can mount it right to the helmet directly on that style helmet. The benefit is that the light sits lower and is less likely to hit a branch.


----------



## lticew (Mar 23, 2009)

*Magicshine Lights Review (MJ-808 and MJ-816)*

Thanks for taking a look, and great idea with the mounting! I'll edit the review next week with ideas from you and others.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Nice work, enjoy the lights, the 2300 combo package has been very popular :thumbsup:



lticew said:


> I just got my Magicshine 2300 combo from GeoManGear and have posted a fairly lengthy review here:
> 
> http://www.pedal-for-charity.com/reviews/magicshine.html
> 
> Hope you guys find it helpful! ~L


----------



## ep-gnar (May 16, 2009)

Infinity123 said:


> You could put in another optic to achive that goal. In one of the other Magicshine threads (post #53) there are some beamshots of the Ledil 25 and 15 degree optics. It will eat about 10% of the light, but that will happen with most optics.
> 
> https://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=554139&highlight=Magicshine+beamshot
> 
> ...


Who made that hood in the pic and what material is that? I rode with mine last night and got a blinded when i was really far forward in some rollies.

Also, anybody ride with one of the dx flashlights helmet mount? I just ordered this one and I'm pretty stoked about it. Same emitter as the MS but takes a single cell and no wires. They claim a 45min runtime which is fine because I'm only gonna use it on the dh, plus its pretty easy to carry an extra cell.


----------



## ggnarl (Mar 13, 2008)

The flashlights work fine,I have this exact same setup. Unfortunately some of the emiters beam color is bluer than the ms emiter, causing a distracting effect. The p7 is fine but I sometimes wish the beam was tighter for helmet use.

The nice thing about deal extreme purchases is you can usually sell your light to a bro for what you paid for it and buy something else!


----------



## hows it goin (Apr 22, 2008)

Just got my 2 magicshine 900's. The helmet mount and mounting in general is a bit more tedious then my ay ups but they should put out a lot more light. Going to try them on the road tonight and trail wedesday so will post thoughts then.


----------



## ep-gnar (May 16, 2009)

Just got a dx flashlight in the mail - only took 7 days from when I ordered it! This is the "SpiderFire SSC P7 SSC P7-C 2-Mode 900-Lumen LED Flashlight" link and I'm using a rubber ski strap to attach it. I have a magic shine for the bars. I'm going to try it out as soon as it gets dark here and report.


----------



## 99 svt bolt (Sep 27, 2007)

Last week, I ordered the MS from Geoman. Got them today! That was fast!!!!

Took it for a test ride and I give it the 2 thumbs up!!!!

If you're looking lights, you won't find a better deal.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Thanks SVT, glad you like the light, we appreciate the support :thumbsup:



99 svt bolt said:


> Last week, I ordered the MS from Geoman. Got them today! That was fast!!!!
> 
> Took it for a test ride and I give it the 2 thumbs up!!!!
> 
> If you're looking lights, you won't find a better deal.


----------



## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

took the plunge. hopefully trails dry by arrival date. im hopin thursday.


----------



## Locoman (Jan 12, 2004)

BOAB said:


> HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL this thing is bright !!! I just got the MS in and turned out the lights in our warehouse and fired it up. For the price it is especially great for just getting into night riding.


I don't understand the phrase "great for just getting into night riding" in regard to MS lights. I've been night riding for almost a decade so I'm past 'just getting into it".

Started with a 20w halogen and it was great. Then I moved to a HID and that was brighter than the halogen. Now I'm using a set of MS lights and they're brighter than the previous lights.

I'd say these lights are great for anyone.

Just my 2 cents.


----------



## crewcabrob (Nov 5, 2007)

*Run time on low?*

Hi all,

Anyone have any idea how long the light will run on low? The box says 4.5 hours which I think is really conservatice. The light output is only somewhere around 200-250 lm compared to high at 900lm. On high, I have gotten run times longer than 3 hours with my two magic shine lights.

I'm doing a 12 hour over-night race this weekend, 6pm-6am. I'm planning on running my two magic shines on the bars and one of Quazzles L30 lamps on my helmet. I have plenty of batteries for the L30 but only the two batteries that cam with the magic shines to work with. I hope to get 7 hours out of the lights.

Rob


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Hey Crewcab
That 4.5 hours relates to the old low mode on the 3 mode lights, they had 900, 450 and flash mode. So the low on the 5 mode lighthead is approx 200 lumens, truthfully we've never tried running on low until the battery is depleted, running on high is so addictive you just tend to carry another battery and run them high all the time.  We'd have to guess runtime on a 5 mode lighthead on low in normal operating conditions would be 6-9 hours. Sorry we can't be more specific, maybe one of the commuters who runs on low might be able to give us a ballpark figure here.



crewcabrob said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Anyone have any idea how long the light will run on low? The box says 4.5 hours which I think is really conservatice. The light output is only somewhere around 200-250 lm compared to high at 900lm. On high, I have gotten run times longer than 3 hours with my two magic shine lights.
> 
> ...


----------



## crewcabrob (Nov 5, 2007)

Thanks Geoman!

I have one of each; 5 mode and 3 mode. I got the 3 mode light before you started selling them or before I knew you were selling them.  I did purchase the 5 mode from you.

So, if the 3 mode light has about 450lm for 4.5 hours on low, is the 5 mode light about the same on medium?

I know my limitations and I will not be able to ride from 6pm to 6am. I figure that I can ride until about 8:30pm without lights and then take a break and put the lights on my bike and helmet. Ride for another couple of hours and break. I hope to repeat it all night like that with about 30-60 minute breaks between 2.5 hours of riding.

Batteries are a huge concern for me and that is why I am not running on "High" all night. I'm trying to find the happy medium

Even with both magic shines running on lower levels and another light on my helmet, I think I will have more than enough light for my ride. 

Thanks,

Rob


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Hi Rob, yes 5 mode on medium should give you approx 4.5 hours. Having done some 12hr and 24hr solos and team events myself I can relate, lights and battery life is always a concern. I don't know what your other light is but if it is bar mountable consider this strategy. Personally I'd put 1 MS 900 on your helmet and run it on high, leave your 2nd battery on the charger at the charging station and use your helmet light on the bars. When you come in after 2.5 hrs put your mostly depleted battery on the charger, take your 30 min break and ride again for 2.5 hrs, when you come back in your battery will have been recharging for 3 hrs and should be ready to go. I also find that the charging stations that are generator driven can sometimes be a little slower recharging so factor that in if it looks like the case at your race. With this strategy you just reduced your light setup weight by 325grams. Hopefully this helps, enjoy the race :thumbsup:



crewcabrob said:


> Thanks Geoman!
> 
> I have one of each; 5 mode and 3 mode. I got the 3 mode light before you started selling them or before I knew you were selling them.  I did purchase the 5 mode from you.
> 
> ...


----------



## lexvil (Mar 28, 2009)

I bought 2 of these from geoman gear and had it shipped here to the Philippines Now they won't charge! Arrrrggghhh!!!:rant:

Edit: Now I see this.:madman:

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_41&zenid=1hb0ng1f4eod7d5jh38en2g4u5

Looks like there will be no trail riding at night in the meantime.:cryin:
Hope it will be resolved soon. Good that geoman is stepping up though.:thumbsup:


----------



## ridebikeme (Nov 26, 2010)

*Magic shine vs other lights?*

Not sure which battery pack those of you that own the MagicShine lights have, but there is a recall on the MJ808 and MJ816 batteries. It seems that they are not adequately wrapped and can either overheat or start fires.

I'm interested in these lights myself, so would appreciate any feedback...


----------



## lexvil (Mar 28, 2009)

ridebikeme said:


> Not sure which battery pack those of you that own the MagicShine lights have, but there is a recall on the MJ808 and MJ816 batteries. It seems that they are not adequately wrapped and can either overheat or start fires.
> 
> I'm interested in these lights myself, so would appreciate any feedback...


Yep I saw that recall. posted a link on my previous post.:thumbsup:


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Hi lex, sorry about that, we are pushing the process along as quiclkly as possible. The design and manufacturing of replacement packs has taken longer than anticipated but we are underway. There are also many different steps in the recall process itself that require so much time. We haven't forgotten about all of our fellow cyclists and will release a quality solution to the Magicshine battery issue very soon.



lexvil said:


> I bought 2 of these from geoman gear and had it shipped here to the Philippines Now they won't charge! Arrrrggghhh!!!:rant:
> 
> Edit: Now I see this.:madman:
> 
> ...


----------



## 9speed (Aug 12, 2009)

crewcabrob said:


> Thanks Geoman!
> 
> I have one of each; 5 mode and 3 mode. I got the 3 mode light before you started selling them or before I knew you were selling them.  I did purchase the 5 mode from you.
> 
> ...


I have the old 3 mode (high low strobe) MS. I have been running mine on low (mid?) for more than seven hours now in front of a fan and the back light is still green and the light is still super bright. The only fault I have with my MS is that the charger no longer indicates full charge.


----------



## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

do you have a rough estimate for turn around on the recall replacements, geoman? love the lights. and the old batteries too, but i guess they could explode. got my notice today. ill get the paperwork shipped out manana. will i get my lights in a week? a month? 6 months? i understand its hard to give a reliable estimate. not lookin for reliable, just an idea of the time frame.


----------



## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

im prolly just gonna order a couple new ones and have the recall replacements too.

got a couple ?'s. im too lazy to go find the info.

which battery would you recommend, the german or panasonic?

can i run 2 heads off of one battery? how long would the charge last, you think?

thanks geo.


----------



## GEOMAN (May 30, 2006)

Both the the new GeoManGear battery pack and the Open-Light Battery pack feature the same Panasonic cells. The new GeoManGear battery pack has some new safety features that we incorporated into our design. Full charge termination after 5 hours on the charger and temp sensor so it won't allow itself to be charged in extreme temps which preserves the safety of the battery pack. It's a new level of intelligence for battery packs that you would normally find in smart chargers but we added it to the battery pack to make it safer.

You can use multiple lightheads from a single battery pack via y-cable, you get basically half the runtime as you would with a single lighthead.



ilmfat said:


> im prolly just gonna order a couple new ones and have the recall replacements too.
> 
> got a couple ?'s. im too lazy to go find the info.
> 
> ...


----------



## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

sweet. thanks geoman. sounds like the house brand is the way to go (as per usual).


----------



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

9speed said:


> I have the old 3 mode (high low strobe) MS. I have been running mine on low (mid?) for more than seven hours now in front of a fan and the back light is still green and the light is still super bright. *The only fault I have with my MS is that the charger no longer indicates full charge.*


9Speed, a word of warning.....The fact that your charger doesn't seem to charge the battery all the way is a good indication that your battery is either unbalanced or has simply lost a lot of capacity. Either way, likely nothing is wrong with the charger. At this point I think you should be very careful about how and where you charge that battery. If it were me I would put the charger on a timer and set it for maybe 6-8hrs ( depending on how depleted you think the charge is ). I'd also make sure to put the charger ( and battery ) in some kind of fire proof container when charging just to be on the safe side. Also, I'd be careful how and where the store the battery "after it is freshly charged" since the battery is likely not to be trusted at this point even though it still works.

My bet is when you get a new battery the charger will function as it used to.


----------



## pethelman (Feb 26, 2011)

*MagicShine vs DesignShine*

Since the title of the thread was "MagicShine vs Other lights..." I figured I could add just a bit.

The DesignShine is a 1300 lumen light with a 2-piece quick release design. Runs on 11.1V li-ion packs. Configurable as a pure spot, pure flood, or combo. Also has a removable yellow filter lens for daytime strobe use. Although the DS headlight was never really the original intention, it just kind of dovetailed naturally off of the DS taillight development.

You can see a night road ride comparison with the Magic Shine at:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-f4jYhpknY

or just Google "MagicShine vs DesignShine"

Or beam shot comparisons at:

https://sites.google.com/site/designshinelighting/beamshot-comparisons

Like many have said previously, the Magic Shine is a fine light. Very capable in most situations. It's a little fiddly in some areas, constantly lit power switch, poor flash modes, etc. The charger that came with mine (from GeoMan) for some reason didn't connect to the battery very securely. Kudos on the battery though! (Had to play around with the connection to get the red charger light to come on and stay on.)

Obviously the price of the MS is very attractive. You can buy 2.5 MS for the price of 1 DS. And even more for some of the big boys lights... (Dinotte, exposure, etc.) In this case, however, it's hard to say if 2 MS would equal the DS, but for those that are looking for something unique, in a small package (similar to Darkstar), something like the DS may be attractive, even at the higher cost. The DS was designed with road riding in mind (unique side light capability), but the amount of light off road at full power is pure luxury.

Pure biased opinions on my part


----------



## PhxChem (Aug 4, 2010)

pethelman said:


> Since the title of the thread was "MagicShine vs Other lights..." I figured I could add just a bit.
> 
> The DesignShine is a 1300 lumen light with a 2-piece quick release design. Runs on 11.1V li-ion packs. Configurable as a pure spot, pure flood, or combo. Also has a removable yellow filter lens for daytime strobe use. Although the DS headlight was never really the original intention, it just kind of dovetailed naturally off of the DS taillight development.
> 
> ...


Couldn't you at least mention you're selling these?  I mean, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. But why not mention it?

Although I do like your tag line...."It's not magic...just good design!" =0}


----------



## pethelman (Feb 26, 2011)

*DesignShine clarification*

You are totally correct on the "selling" part, and it would have better for me to mention that upfront. However, I'm only doing a limited run at this point (30 taillights and 20 headlights) and I've already pre-sold half of them, so "selling" may be a bit of an overstatement. "Doing a market test" is more like it. The "rest" of the story/history behind the light is that I originally set out to build the combination of the smallest and most powerful light possible for my own use in an attempt to beat the performance/price ratio of the Dinotte product. I also wanted to build something that was very high quality, really engineered to work well in every aspect.

Performance wise, the taillight is ridiculously bright (twice the lumens of the Dinotte 400R), and the headlight is comparable to the Dinotte 1200. Price-wise, unless you already have a machine shop in your basement, there's just no way to build these lights at this level of fit and finish for less than buying the Dinotte. However, they work so well, that some friends encouraged me to try and produce a few.

That being said, it's this experience building these lights and comparing to the Magicshine that leaves me concluding that the Magicshine headlight is just CRAZY cheap for the amount of light that you get out of it. I can't even buy the raw materials to build one of my lights for the price of a complete Magicshine set. I am finding, though, that there still is a contingent of riders out there who don't mind spending more for a quality light system that addresses most, if not all of the Magicshine quirks/shortcomings.

Safe Riding!


----------



## pethelman (Feb 26, 2011)

My sincere appologies to the forum for the rules violation! I should have reviewed any and all guidelines first!

Full disclosure:
I'm not affiliated with any manufacturer or business, but have gotten very involved in the DIY lightening arena and have made some detailed comparisons between the MagicShine and other LED technology that I use in my own lights and that is readily available and adapted to other DIY lights... a topic more appropriate for a different forum.

I own and have used the Magicshine MJ808 from GeoMan and can only echo what others have said here in that it is a very capable light for the price.


----------



## ilmfat (Mar 10, 2007)

have you paid your 2 dollars yet?


----------



## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

Better yet why don't you buy a real ad and support this site instead of trying to get something for free 
:nono:
copied and pasted from the forum rules
***Mtbr.com is an online resource for mountain bikers. We have a responsibility to the mountain biking community, to manufacturers, and to retailers. In the sharing of ideas, opinions, and experiences we hope to provide an open atmosphere where all parties can feel free to share their stories. While debates and differing opinions are all part of interfacing with many others, constant and continuous badgering and flaming of others will not be tolerated, and will be dealt with at the management's discretion. Users are free to share experiences, whether good or bad, positive or negative. You have your chance to speak your peace. However, do not attempt to abuse our site by making this a place for your own personal campaign against other forum members, manufacturers, or retailers nor as your own personal soapbox.***

In addition to #3 above, please do not post Classified Ads/Want Ads/Trade Ads in the message board forum. Please post these in our Classifieds Section.

Threads that keep getting "bumped" back to the top with "hey, bumping this post back up" type posts will be locked. If you do not have anything new/informative to add to the post, please do not attempt to "bump" a thread just to keep it at the top.

A note about avatars and signature files: Inappropriate/obscene or distasteful avatars may be removed by us at any time. You may also be asked to change your avatar, should we deem the avatar to be inappropriate. Please do not post ads for bikes or parts in your forum signature, they are NOT allowed.

Also, users registering multiple accounts and posing as different people is NOT allowed and one or all of your accounts may be banned without warning.
*
Our classifieds section is primarily intended for individuals and not business entities. However, bike shops or other dealers may use the classifieds but they are not allowed to post in the forums (regardless of whether they link to an Mtbr classified ad or not).*

Unfortunately we must reserve the right to remove messages. However, we truly love this community, so we will only remove any given message if we judge that it's in the best interest of the community. Please feel free to ask questions or direct comments to us.

*Manufacturer/Retailer Posting Guidelines:

All Manufacturers / Vendors / Shop Owners / Sponsored Riders should declare their status as a Retailer / Manufacturer in their signature
Online selling of parts, components or bikes is not allowed.
Any one reviewing or testing products and / or components online must state whether they have a vested interest in the product up front. They should state whether they bought the product or they got the product free or with an industry deal or are prohibited from saying negative things about a product.
All links in a signature for articles for sale should be removed before posting. No "under the signature" shilling or free advertising allowed.
However, if you own or work for a bike shop, you MAY put a link to your shops website main page to show your affiliation.
Manufacturers and Industry folks are encouraged to respond to any questions directed about their product. This is the perfect opportunity to inform and 'set the record straight.'
Bottom line: Participate and post content in mtbr. Don't use mtbr to get free money for your business. Sponsoring mtbr assures our survival and is very affordable. *Contact [email protected] and [email protected] for more info.

Sincerely,

Francis Cebedo, Founder


----------

