# Mini CREE LED XML XM-L T6 LED 1600Lm - $38 Shipped



## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

Hello.

I posted some of this information in another thread (http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-riding/new-clone-3-x-xml-t-6-49-88-shipped-814616-7.html) but it was suggested I start a new one. So here it is!

I purchased the following Mini Cree XML light from ebay.

Mini CREE LED XML XM-L T6 LED 1600Lm Bicycle Light Bike Lamp HeadLight headLamp | eBay

When the light arrived the first thing I did was run a charge and discharge cycle on the battery with my hobby charger. I was able to pull almost 3700 milliamps from the battery. So, the battery appears to be a 4400 milliamps pack, not a 6400 milliamp pack that the seller claims. This was expect and isn't the end of the world as you will soon see!

Run times

Low
Amp Draw - 0.32
10 Hours 17 Minutes, the light stays on, but the button changes to RED
10 Hours 24 Minutes, OFF

High
Amp Draw - 0.64
5 Hours 19 Minutes, the light stays on, but the button changes to RED
5 Hours 25 Minutes, OFF

Tests were run in my garage with a laptop and a fan. Approximate temperature was 12 C /54 F in the garage.

I'm more than happy with these numbers!

Now for some pictures!

Canon SX10IS
ISO 100
4 Second Shutter
F4.0 Aperture
WB Daylight

The bike is about 55 feet away.

Reference








Low - Mini CREE LED XML XM-L T6 LED 1600Lm








High - Mini CREE LED XML XM-L T6 LED 1600Lm








Sizing
















This are some comparison beam shots to another ebay light here (3x Tri-Clone).

http://forums.mtbr.com/9881218-post152.html

If the light/battery lasts, I'll be happy.

Enjoy!


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

Grumps....Glad you decided to start a new thread. :thumbsup:

I'm surprised this lamp draws so little current ( amps ). Anyway, still looks pretty bright on high and you can't argue with the run times. Also glad to see that it has at least some LED warning before shut down.

Question: Did you think to try the battery that came with the Mini on the 3 x XML Tri-clone to see if there is any difference in run time compared to the TRI-clone battery? As a side thought if you do just make sure both batteries are the same voltage before hooking it up. I'd hate to have someone ruin one of their lamps based on one of my suggestions.


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

Cat-man-do said:


> Grumps....Glad you decided to start a new thread. :thumbsup:
> 
> I'm surprised this lamp draws so little current ( amps ). Anyway, still looks pretty bright on high and you can't argue with the run times. Also glad to see that it has at least some LED warning before shut down.
> 
> Question: Did you think to try the battery that came with the Mini on the 3 x XML Tri-clone to see if there is any difference in run time compared to the TRI-clone battery? As a side thought if you do just make sure both batteries are the same voltage before hooking it up. I'd hate to have someone ruin one of their lamps based on one of my suggestions.


I did run this battery this morning with the Tri-clone on medium. To my surprise, it was still going at the 2.5 hour mark when I left for my ride. So that's good news. The bad news, when I returned from my 3 hour ride the light was still on but very dim. Doh! So is the protection on this mini light in the head or the battery? I have no idea. Seems odd, but it's possible I guess. I'm charging the battery back up with my rc charger. Hopefully I didn't kill it!


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

Mr.Grumpy said:


> So is the protection on this mini light in the head or the battery? I have no idea.


Wasn't thinking when I posted this. I turned the Tri-clone off right away then turned it on again. It immediately turned off. I tested the battery with a volt meter and couldn't get anything. I then put it on my rc charger on a discharged and it failed with voltage to low. I then set the charger to charge and turned it on and let it run for a few seconds. Stopped and tested the battery again for voltage. Nothing! I put it back on the charger and that's where it remains. It's been charging for an hour, has put 1000 milliamperes in and the voltage is at 7.52 and slowly climbing. I'll let it run and see what happens.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

I'm also gald you started a thread on this light :thumbsup:
It's a cool light, and warrents it's own discussion. Great photos showing the size and using batteries for comparison. I really like the small size.

I'm most likely going to get one of these sooner or later. It'll be a great helmet light, and inexpensive enough to loan out to friends.


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

Mr.Grumpy said:


> Wasn't thinking when I posted this. I turned the Tri-clone off right away then turned it on again. It immediately turned off. I tested the battery with a volt meter and couldn't get anything. I then put it on my rc charger on a discharged and it failed with voltage to low. I then set the charger to charge and turned it on and let it run for a few seconds. Stopped and tested the battery again for voltage. Nothing! I put it back on the charger and that's where it remains. It's been charging for an hour, has put 1000 milliamperes in and the voltage is at 7.52 and slowly climbing. I'll let it run and see what happens.


Wow-weeee! Good that it sounds like the battery is much better but definitely sounds like the protection ( if it has any ) didn't kick in. Next time you might want to be watching when it gets around the 1hr 45 min mark. If you notice the lamp is significantly dimming, that is a good time to stop the test.


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

Ya I didn't think anything of it since every other test run with these lights/batteries its always cut out. Ah well, hopefully the battery is okay. Pretty sure I'm done testing anyways. I have a pretty good idea on runtime. I do have two more batteries coming. I contacted both sellers, Mini and Tri-clone and told them their must be something wrong with the ones i got since they are nowhere near the claimed 6400 mah batteries. I'll just test those on a discharge cycle with the rc charger. Way easier and once I get the output, I'll have a good idea on run time from my other tests.


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

Mr.Grumpy said:


> .... I do have two more batteries coming.


Just curious, what batteries did you order??


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

Cat-man-do said:


> Just curious, what batteries did you order??


They are the same batteries that came with each light. Both lights are advertised to come with a 6400 mah battery. The Tri-Clone I could only pull 2300 millamps and the Mini Cree I could pull 3700 milliamps. So both, aren't what was advertised. I contacted both sellers (they are different) and told them I must have gotten defective/the wrong batteries. So both sellers are sending me replacements at no charge.


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

Battery charged up. Took 4013 milliamperes. That's 300 more than I've put in before so the battery was very empty. It didn't explode or catch fire so that's good! Hopefully it's still good.


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

Mr.Grumpy said:


> Battery charged up. Took 4013 milliamperes. That's 300 more than I've put in before so the battery was very empty. It didn't explode or catch fire so that's good! Hopefully it's still good.


You said it. It definitely was drained. Sometimes when they get that low they can reach the point of no return. Glad to see that didn't happen.

Dang, I was hoping that you were ordering new batteries from someplace else. I just hope the e-smay vendor doesn't send the SOS. Let us know how it works out.


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

I really am looking forwards to a 'real' lumen test (whatever that is!)


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## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

Mr. Grumpy, how big is the battery is and do you know how much it weighs? I'm thinking about picking up one of these over a trust fire tr-801.


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

bank5 said:


> Mr. Grumpy, how big is the battery is and do you know how much it weighs? I'm thinking about picking up one of these over a trust fire tr-801.


The battery is the same size as all the other 4 cell 18650 battery packs. Weight, I'm not sure, but I'd say they are similar in size to a D cell battery, perhaps a touch bigger.


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## mb323323 (Aug 1, 2006)

Thx Grump for posting size picts. Looks to be 1/2 to 2/3 the size of a XML T6 clone. Actually looks like a nice package especially for 38 bucks delivered. I'm thinking it's a few less lumens than the regular size clone due to the longer run time. Would be nice to know tho.

Maybe Coleen would be willing to test one.

MB


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## bobale (Sep 23, 2012)

Accoriding to Mr.Grumpys' measured amp draw it must be less bright because mine regular sized XM-L clone draws 1A on Hi.


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## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

My mini cree just arrived. It seems brighter and has better throw compared to my magic shine 900. The form factor and weight is better too. The tail light is super bright which is a nice plus. I'm definitely impressed as long as it lasts at least a season.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Mr.Grumpy, I just got my 1200lm bought from tomtop eBay seller, but i think there is something wrong with the battery as the light seams weak. Can you tell me how can i measure my battery? I do have a multimeter somewhere... I really want to measure it.

I'm charging it again for the 2nd time and will then let it run for a couple hours in high outside as it is now 5ºC.


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## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

I just took my light out for the first time. One think that I don't like about it is that there's a bright ring of light around the outer edge of my vision. I find it distracting because it makes things bright in my peripheral vision. Has anyone else noticed this? I wonder if it's the same with all of them or if mine's a defect. I'm not sure if there's a way to fix it.


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## tr6fan (Jan 29, 2009)

*Mini Cree LED XMLT6*

Hey Mr. Grumpy 
Love the review, you are such a stud!
Bought one based on your review alone.
Pictures, current draw, and run time information are great!:thumbsup:


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## FreeCoffee (Jan 13, 2012)

I have 3 of these, the mounts suck but nothing a few zip-ties can't fix. About 10 night rides or so on one of them without any issues.


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

PedroDank said:


> Mr.Grumpy, I just got my 1200lm bought from tomtop eBay seller, but i think there is something wrong with the battery as the light seams weak. Can you tell me how can i measure my battery? I do have a multimeter somewhere... I really want to measure it.
> 
> I'm charging it again for the 2nd time and will then let it run for a couple hours in high outside as it is now 5ºC.


For runtime tests I used a MacBook with a webcam and a fan to keep the light cool. I used photo booth in video mode to record the video. Reviewed the video and noted the run time.


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

bank5 said:


> I just took my light out for the first time. One think that I don't like about it is that there's a bright ring of light around the outer edge of my vision. I find it distracting because it makes things bright in my peripheral vision. Has anyone else noticed this? I wonder if it's the same with all of them or if mine's a defect. I'm not sure if there's a way to fix it.


Can you post a photo or highlight mine above to give us a better idea. I don't recall this being an issue for me.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Thank you Mr.Grumpy! Going to do almost exactly the same thing (with a macbook too) eheh in about 2 or 3 days.

A friend of mine liked my "1200" lumen clone i got from eBay, but from the photos, it seems your is more powerful than mine, so i might tell him to get yours. Mine is a magic shine clone, so the wide angle from Action Led worked ok, but i'm not sure it will with this one. Will try to measure the lens...
EDIT: It may not work as the wide angle lens is 39mm and eBay tells me yours is 35mm, although im not sure that is really the lens measurement; either way, it is smaller, so it probably wont work.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Well if we measure the current draw each of us uses different multimeters and power source. So there is a bit of uncertainity in all those measures. When I measure I write the voltage/amps/time to give more accurate report which can be further compared.



bobale said:


> Accoriding to Mr.Grumpys' measured amp draw it must be less bright because mine regular sized XM-L clone draws 1A on Hi.


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## bobale (Sep 23, 2012)

Totally valid point. It shoud be done that way.


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## tr6fan (Jan 29, 2009)

Hey Grumps!

Still say great job on the evaluation. You have milliamp battery capacity (twice), as well as initial current draw, voltage, charge times, and run times. Personally I don't need any more information than this. As my night rides are generally 2-3 hours the light will always be in the green zone for charging when I return from my ride. Although this light would probably do 2 rides, I recharge after every ride. One poster appeared to want time vs current vs voltage which doesn't matter much to me...... what does matter is how long I can see what crap is coming at me. If it is pitch black I am not turning off the light to save a battery pack if running one light. (I run 2 lights) This is a budget light with a big punch and if I have to replace a battery pack for $20 or less I am still way ahead of the game.

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> I was able to pull almost 3700 milliamps from the battery.





> Battery charged up. Took 4013 milliamperes.





> Run times
> 
> Low
> Amp Draw - 0.32
> ...





> It's been charging for an hour, has put 1000 milliamperes in and the voltage is at 7.52 and slowly climbing.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Only if you see the combination of voltage/amps/time you get a specification of the light and after that you know, what type of battery you should buy and how long will it last. In case you want to be correct, if not it is always an estimated specification 



tr6fan said:


> Hey Grumps!
> 
> Still say great job on the evaluation. You have milliamp battery capacity (twice), as well as initial current draw, voltage, charge times, and run times. Personally I don't need any more information than this. As my night rides are generally 2-3 hours the light will always be in the green zone for charging when I return from my ride. Although this light would probably do 2 rides, I recharge after every ride. One poster appeared to want time vs current vs voltage which doesn't matter much to me...... what does matter is how long I can see what crap is coming at me. If it is pitch black I am not turning off the light to save a battery pack if running one light. (I run 2 lights) This is a budget light with a big punch and if I have to replace a battery pack for $20 or less I am still way ahead of the game.
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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## red5jedi (Feb 22, 2006)

I would like to know how long the battery would last when ran on high till the switch turns red, then switch to low – how long would the battery last after that?


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## Tincup69 (Sep 5, 2012)

I just picked one of these up, I will post my findings in a few weeks when it arrives.


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## fast_monte` (Jul 6, 2009)

Mine arrived yesterday in the mail. The light is bright in the center with very little fill. On the trail it would make a great helmet spot light with a fill light on the bars.

At rest the light uses 0.03 amps, on high it uses 0.67 amps, on low it uses 0.36 amps.

The battery that came with it has a capacity of 4.0 Ah when tested at 2.0 amps, that is on par with the Geomangear replacement batteries.

Here is the battery chart.

bike light batteries by fbodyhappe, on Flickr


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Thanks, fast_monte`. You say it is bright in the center...like MJ's 808, or is the 808 beam even narrower?


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## fast_monte` (Jul 6, 2009)

I have the Magicshine 808 with the dimpled reflector, just the way it came from GeomanGear, and it has a better mix of fill and spot with a gentle gradient between the two. The mini CREE has a very sharp spot with less fill. 

I used the mini CREE on a road ride last night and I could not see as much off to the sides like with the 808. It is still a nice little light for cheap.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Ok, thank you for that! 
Will probably get another clone but this time a U2 one. Will use a wide angle lens (already have one on a 808 clone) or even two of those to tet that 30x30 beam another user has been talking about... 

One wide angle lens pointed closer to the bike and the other U2 with two wide angle lens pointed a bit further to the ground should be all i need for road biking.


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## dmcpeake (Dec 3, 2012)

I appreciate all the information here regarding this light and just received mine yesterday. Quite impressed with the results to $ ratio... I'm not that familiar with battery technology and what the proper procedures are to ensure long life. Is there a link to information on how to properly care for this battery that someone could point me to? Thanks in advance for any advice.


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## roadrider1 (Mar 20, 2012)

Ordered one and got it seven days later shipped to L.A. Going to machine up a custom bracket for mounting on my helmet and the battery fits into the shoulder strap pocket on my Osprey pack


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## Tillers_Rule (Sep 11, 2004)

Bought one, super bright in my living room on a test. The battery would die within 30 seconds every time, completely. So I returned it.

It was probably just a bad battery, but I was hesitant to order in the first place so this sealed the deal for me. Not the kit for me, unfortunately.


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

Tillers_Rule said:


> Bought one, super bright in my living room on a test. The battery would die within 30 seconds every time, completely. So I returned it.
> 
> It was probably just a bad battery, but I was hesitant to order in the first place so this sealed the deal for me. Not the kit for me, unfortunately.


Which seller did you get your light from?


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

Mr.Grumpy said:


> Which seller did you get your light from?


Yes, please share!


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## NitroRC Ed (Feb 27, 2010)

I've been looking around but not had any luck yet. Does anyone know of a replacement optic that'll give this a little more flood?

Honest - i did try and search 

And since i was in the office all day i decided to give it a test. Got batter fully charged and then fired it up with a fan and noted the time. Well after 4 hours I powered off the light...... Still seemed to be running great but was worried about killing the batteries. The indicator showed Green on the back still also..... No multi meter to test here though.

Ed


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## red5jedi (Feb 22, 2006)

So I got my light last week and topped off the charge. Yesterday I tested how long the light would last. On hi 5hr 50min then the button light turned from green to red - switched it to low and the light on the button turned green again. 10min later the button light turned red and 10min later it shut off.


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## SoCalAl (Aug 29, 2004)

It sounds like this light would work well with a smaller 2 cell battery considering it's run time and the likeliness it would be helmet mounted. Would the batteries sold for Magicshines work with this light?


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## fast_monte` (Jul 6, 2009)

The Magicshine batteries will work with this light. With two cells you could only expect the light to run for an hour and a half on high.


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

Another update.

I finally received the no charge replacement battery from my vendor, CyberPort888.

I was able to pull 3424 mah out of this battery.

I have also received two additional Mini Cree lights for a friend that I ordered. I was able to pull the following out of each battery using my RC hobby charger.

Battery 1 - 3920 mah
Battery 2 - 3156 mah

The kicker with these, the connectors are different than mine. The pin in the middle of the connector on the battery end is thick, just like my 3x XML and I believe MagicShines. Mine, is thin. See the comparison shot I took early of the Mini 1x XML plug beside the 3x XML.

http://forums.mtbr.com/9881893-post153.html

So far my original mini cree light and battery are going strong, it's been about two months since I got it and I've used it about once a week. Let's hope it keeps going!


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## G_Mozz (Sep 4, 2008)

Received my one of these from the ebay seller.

Current draw was measured as:
High - 0.71amps (8.1v) ~5.75W
Low - 0.38amps (8.15v) ~3.1W

Battery capacity was measured at approx 4000mAh (5w load), so well short of the 6400mAh advertised.

Connectors were 5.5x2.5mm plugs, not the 5.5x2.1mm ones it seems are used on most lights. 

Great light, just the helmet mount leaves alot to be desired so I'm looking for an alternate system of fixing it to the melon protector!


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## PsyCro (Jun 8, 2007)

This little light has REALLY peaked my interest! I've been looking at 3x clones the last while, pretty much sold myself on one, and now this. It seems that for a little more money i can grab 2 of these, always have a backup, 2 chargers, and backup mounting equipment. And next to that, 2 of these seems to put out as much light as one of the 3x clones.. the big difference being that with one on the bars and one on the helmet, effectively i would have more use of it. Not to mention very nice run times :thumbsup:

Now i just gotta figure out which wide angle lens to get for the bar lamp, and that should be that!! 

.. or is it ? :madman:


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Great review. Thanks for taking the time to post. 
I love the long burn times. Must more efficient emitter/driver combination.


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## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

Because of the price...I ordered one of these a few weeks ago.
So I now have a 3X Xml ( great light! ) and a Hi-Max XML U2 ( Another great light).
Waiting for the mini to get here....


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Hey Mayor, 
It'd be great if you have some time to send us some side-by-side beam comparisons between the 3xXML and the Mini.


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## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

spartacus001 said:


> Hey Mayor,
> It'd be great if you have some time to send us some side-by-side beam comparisons between the 3xXML and the Mini.


It may be a while....
I ordered the thing almost 4 weeks ago,,,same time I ordered the 3X ( which came in a week) and the U2 Hi Max ( which took 4 weeks). I emailed the vendor and got the " out of office for the Holiday" message. We'll see. I might put in a issue with Ebay/Paypal just to cover my butt on the 45 day deal.

Edit: Mr Gumpy already posted pics....there's a link in the 1st post on this thread


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## rideczech (Feb 16, 2011)

Great little lights for the money....can't go wrong really....


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## PsyCro (Jun 8, 2007)

Pro Mini CREE XM L T6 LED Bike Bicycle Head Light Headlamp Battery Charger D0081 | eBay

hmmm, much cooler looking housing, aaand low-mid-high mode setup ...


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## Mr.Grumpy (Oct 26, 2012)

PsyCro said:


> Pro Mini CREE XM L T6 LED Bike Bicycle Head Light Headlamp Battery Charger D0081 | eBay
> 
> hmmm, much cooler looking housing, aaand low-mid-high mode setup ...


Yup, doesn't look bad. But, you don't know the quality of the battery, though we never do! This battery (Pro model) looks to be only a 2 cell, not a 4 cell. So if you go this route, know that your run time will be estimated at half.


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## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

Be aware that anything coming from China will be delayed because they are on holiday for a few weeks.
Also...I bought this light which is much brighter....cost me around $44 on a non "buy it now" sale...
Hi Max 1300LM CREE XML T6 U2 LED Headlamp Rechargeable Headlight Set | eBay


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## PsyCro (Jun 8, 2007)

Good point Grumpy.. also, not many sold by that seller so no feedback. I'll probably stick with one of the other sellers who have sold maaaany mini's like the one you posted originally.. didn't see any poor feedback for them so should be good.

edit.. @Mayor .. beam shots over in the XML U2 thread please !!


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## PsyCro (Jun 8, 2007)

Just used mine yesterday on a big mountain ride right at sunset, and tomorrow a real night ride is up next.

So far i'd say BRIGHT is the word as it reeeally has quite a bit of throw.. although i, am using mine with an Action LED wide angle lense which i grinded down a bit using a dremel tool. With the lense i'd say you get much more useable light. After tomorrow i'm probably ordering one more to use as a spot on my helmet for the big mountain rides while the modded light stays on the bars.
That should be a great combo for some real downhilling.

I'll have beam comparisom photos up in a day or two using and not using the wide angle lense for those who are interested..


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## PsyCro (Jun 8, 2007)

Panasonic Lumix ZS3
Semi-automatic
F3.3
1s
ISO 400

reference









spot on helmet









wide angle lense on bars









both









I guesstimate that the car in front of the volvo is max 30m away. Other than that, i'm thinking a do-over might be in order using less ISO. Now that the pics are on the comp i think i may have 'over done' them...


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