# Review of Ebay: 1800 Lumen CREE XML T6 LED Bicycle HeadLight Lamp



## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

My first light review:

*Advertised Specs:*
*Emitter Type:* XML T6 LED Output 1800 lumens
*Modes:* High / Low / Strobe (high) with no memory
*Run Time:* 180 minutes on High 
*Battery pack:* 1 x 8.4v Li-Ion 6400mAh Battery Pack
*Battery Charger:* 115v with LED indication for Charging (Red) / Full charge (Green)
*Power Warning:* Red Low Power behind tail click 
*Helmet Strap:* O-ring mount
*Head dimension:* Light 43mm DIA
*Weight:* 118g (lamp head) 200gm battery pack : Total 318gm

My lighting needs for city commuting at night has always been adequate using a cheap handlebar mounted light. However due to a change in my route I now ride about 10km on paved trials where there is no lighting whatsoever. Ebay offered many of options ranging from cheap flashers to a high end NiteRider Pro kit. I needed robust and bright enough for commuting that wasn't going to cost me a arm and a leg. So I decided to try out one of the Chinese vendors who offered a hard-to-believe 1800 Lumen kit for under $60. I believe this light is a version of the popular Magic Shine lighting system.

I knew that an output of 1800 Lumen was impossible with the XML T6 with the advertised setup. Still, I figured if the output was half it was still worth $60. After I ordering the light I was expecting it to take at least 4 weeks to arrive from China but I was pleasantly surprised to find it in my mailbox after 7 working days. Apparently the particular vendor operated out of Hong Kong so the shipping time was cut by 1/3rd.

*Kit Contents*









The kit came in a small box which contained the lamp, battery/charge, 2-Orings, Helmet strap/adapter, battery holder. At first sight the body was machined well with matt black anodizing. I was actually surprised with the quality of the workmanship. No burs, machine marks nor blotchy finishing. The threads were smooth and fitting was tight. The Aluminium reflector had a smooth finish instead of the Orange peel texture that was pictured in the ad. The LED was mounted on the board with a large heat-sink which threaded into the body. There was plenty of room in the housing for heat dissipation. The crowned Bezel has 6-points with a nice satin brushed finish. Under the glass lens there is a GITD (Glow in the Dark) silicon O-ring and silicon rubber tail cap. The tailcap switch is a reverse clicky with a LED battery indicator behind it.


















There were no markings on the board that indicated that the emmitter was actually the newest T6 but based on the pattern of the emitter (7-bar grid pattern) and the production date of 20110901 I'm pretty certain it's a XML. I was happy to see a nice blob of thermal paste for heat transfer. On the board all the the solder joints were clean.









The battery pack appears to be 4 x18650 linked in series and bundled in heat shrink. It's hard to tell if these are protected cells and I didn't want to take off the heat shrink. The cable and connectors pushed together snugly but they lack weather sealed caps which would have been nice. When I plugged in the light I was surprised to find the the batteries already charged. I put it on a volt meter and it measured 7.9V on the 3rd charge. Not the advertised 8.4V. Maybe it needs a break in time <?>

*** Update ***
*Burn Time* 
On the 4th full charge the battery reached 8.27V in just over 6hrs. The charger was warm but the battery remained cool the entire time.

High: 185 mins.
A full 3+ hours exceeded my expectations. But the lamp got hot after running for 10mins. It was hot enough that I couldn't hold on to it for more then 30seconds. The battery was at normal indoor temperature (22 degrees). I ended up placing the lamp head in between an aluminium sliding door frame to help dissipate the heat. 
The backlit switch remained green the entire time with no low battery warning light. 
** There definitely is a Red Led but I must have missed it in the final 5 mins juice.

Low: testing in progress
Strobe: in progress

*Beam Shots*
The beam was very bright but I don't have a light meter to measure it. The beam is very bright with a hot center with wide spillage. There are some small artifacts in the spot but not very noticable. It has excellent throw qualities but this is not ideal for a bike light. Comparing the beam side-by-side with my EagleTac P20A2 (which pumps out about 220Lm) this light seemed at least twice as bright. 








*LEFT: Comparion to an EagleTac P20A2 with Sanyo Eneloops AAs. Spot lens on High.*

*Wide Angle Lens*
Definitely a wider flood pattern is need for commuting. I decided to replace the stock lens with an aftermarket wide angle lens from Ebay. The Action Light lens was shipped out very quickly. Thanks Jim. It converted the 10 degree spot beam to a 10 degree high by 30 degree wide flood light. The beam pattern is rectangular in shape.

















*Light comparions: Wall light is a CFL 40W Equivalent. The Garage light is a CFL 100 W Equivalent * Compared to car headlights it is easily on par with BMW or Lexus HIDs 
I like the volume of light but would have much prefered a warmer light. I find the warmer temperatures giving an more accurate depth perception i.e. better CRI (Color rendering index)

This might be a DIY project for later (if I find the time to learn how to replace it with a Warmer T5 Emitter).









You can see the difference between the standard and wide angle pattern. 
*Road beam Pattern on High: Spot vs Wide angle *









*Trail beam Pattern on High: Spot vs Wide angle *

*Mount *
I didn't even bother with the standard mount. A single O-ring didn't seem like very secure system and it doesn't lend itself for quick mounting and removal. So I discarded the mount and replaced it with one from my old Cateye H-24. An spacer plate was needed so I fabricated one from a piece of plexiglass. I drilled two holes for screws and made a channel for the wire. Then I modified the body by drilling/tapping 2 holes 8-32 to which the spacer is bolted on to. I add clear silicone to all holes and gaps to ensure good water resistance.










*Conclusion*

Good: Overall I'm happy with the light. The construction is solid with more then enough output for city communting needs. It reached a full burn time of 3hrs on High. The design and construction is simple which is attractive to tinkerers who plan to modify the light. An excellent value light.

Bad: The spot light isn't ideal for a bike light so I'd recommend a wide angle lens especially for off trail. It is falsely advertised as 1800 Lm. At best it's probably in the range of 450-550 Lm. The low battery warning is hardly a warning. The red warning goes on for maybe 5 mins and then the light dies. The O-ring friction mount seemed like an after thought. It definitely needs a better mounting system. There was no low battery warning indicator. The battery pouch is adequate but the strap is too long. It could use a second strap so to give a little more support. The option of a warmer T5 would make it almost perfect.

Time will tell how many cycles the batter pack will last. When it dies I plan to build my own pack.

At the time of this review the Ebay seller had 12614 feedback and 99.6% +ve 
I'll update this thread with the Low burn time after I log more hours.
Enjoy


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## juergenor (Mar 30, 2004)

Thanks - great review!

I am also using the wide angle lens and like the pattern that it creates. I am using a combination of two lights on my handlebar, one with the stock lens and one with the wide angle lens - a lot of light with a great pattern.


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## odtexas (Oct 2, 2008)

Nice write up. thanks for sharing.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

2 lights for redundancy and ideal for the trails.



juergenor said:


> Thanks - great review!
> I am also using the wide angle lens and like the pattern that it creates. I am using a combination of two lights on my handlebar, one with the stock lens and one with the wide angle lens - a lot of light with a great pattern.


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

Very Good Review...:thumbsup::thumbsup:

The only thing that bothered me was the 1800 lumen claim by the vendor. Sorry but you won't get even half that. Maybe 700 to 800 if you're lucky. I'm glad to see the Action wide lens working so well. One light with wide lens on the bars, one spot on the helmet and you're ready for action.

Ever once in while I still remember the days riding with my 12 watt Marwi halogen on the bars and my Niterider 10watt spot on the helmet. Back then I thought I owned the night even though the total output from both was maybe 400 lumen tops. ...Ahh, those were the days.
Now just one cheap cloned XM-L lamp beats what I had back then...and for a lot less money! Say what you will about the Chinese cloned lamps. They still have the best bang for the buck factor and give the novice bike rider the ability to safely see at night without breaking the bank.


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## PinkFloyd (Nov 24, 2011)

Excellent write-up.

I picked up the same T6 XML light sytem off of eBay ($45 shipped), although that vendor (dxgame-outlet) makes a somewhat more realistic claim of 900 lumens. Actually, these are probably in the 550-600 lumen range, but they are quite impressive for the price. I run my MJ-836 on the bar of my roadie and get comments from other riders I've approached from behind that they at first thought it was a car.

I went ahead and ordered an Action wide lens for my MJ-836 on the bars and also a Titan Replacement Reflector (orange peel- also from Action) to smooth out and widen the hot spot of the new T6 XML on the helmet. It would be sweet if they arrived in tomorrow's mail in time for the Thursday night ride here (on a tight, twisty singletrack).

The nice thing about these and similarly-priced high-output LED light systems is that, for not much more than $100, you can get completely set up with nicely bright bar + helmet lights, wide angle lenses, better reflectors. Life is good.


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## deleteyourselph (Aug 25, 2011)

I just bought the exact same light and lens. Loving the power of the light for what it cost, but what did you guys do to keep the lens secure? On mine when I tighten the bezel down all the way the lens is able to move around. Did you use another o-ring or what? Any help would be great. Thanks!


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## PinkFloyd (Nov 24, 2011)

If the replacement lense isn't the same thickness as the original, you can either go the o-ring route and put a layer of electrical tape just around the edge.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Mine fits pretty snug.

Did the original lens also fit loosely?

Behind the reflector there should be a white plastic spacer with the lip side facing the emitter board. If this piece is missing or if it is orientated upside down then your lens' will fit loosely.










Check this and let us know.



deleteyourselph said:


> I just bought the exact same light and lens. Loving the power of the light for what it cost, but what did you guys do to keep the lens secure? On mine when I tighten the bezel down all the way the lens is able to move around. Did you use another o-ring or what? Any help would be great. Thanks!


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## ProjectBomber (Jun 9, 2008)

So I've found a vendor for lights that look exactly like these, but claim only 1600lm, that ships from SF which is nice seeing as I'm in San Jose. My only question is do I find an OP reflector somewhere (not sure where to start really) for the one I'm going to mount on my head? I really like the width of the beam from that Action LED lens you added so I'll definitely be ordering one of those as well.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Talk to Jim.
It looks too shallow but there's a long shot that *Action Lights MS 808 OP Reflector* may be modified to fit.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

** Edit ** I Added some burn time numbers


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

I'll add a couple of comments.

Most of these MS knock-offs use a plain glass lens that is thicker than the tempered glass lens used by MS. The Wide angle lens is made to replace the tempered glass lens so you need to take up the extra space. Wrapping the edge of the lens with electrical tape is a good solution or you can use a thicker O-ring from the hardware store or cut a gasket from a milk jug or some other waterproof material.

Claiming 1600 or 1800 Lumens says something about the integrity of the vendors selling these. (putting it nicely)

For just a few dollars more you can get a quality Gemini P7 Titan with a Samsung 5200mAh battery pack.

Jim Harger


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## XecconLight (Dec 16, 2011)

*what brand*

what brand the torch is? The appearance is like XECCON S11. But the reviewed bike light is fiitted with T6, While XECCON S11 is fitted with ssc-p7.


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## FueledByPBR (Feb 17, 2009)

Can any of you guys post links of the exact light you bought off Fleabay please?


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## PinkFloyd (Nov 24, 2011)

LED Bike Light T6 Water Resistant XML-T6 3-Mode 900-Lumen with Battery Pack NEW | eBay

I got a couple of these for $45 each shipped.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

I used *rabbitword88*
*1800 Lumen CREE XML T6 LED Bicycle bike HeadLight Lamp Flashlight Light Headlamp*


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## PinkFloyd (Nov 24, 2011)

As Jim at Action noted earlier, claiming 1800 lumens from a single T6 XM-L is more than marketing hype. It's deceptive advertising. It's the same MJ look-a-like light system the U.S. seller lists at 900 lumens (which I think is still stretching it a tad).

Also, why order the same light from Hong Kong for $54 when you can get it at $45 shipped from California and at your door in just a few days and much less hassle returning it if you get one that's DOA?

I ended up spending a few bucks more for the wide angle lens and orange peel reflector (both from Action LED). Both really help the illumination pattern for this light.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Before purchasing this light I had not been active on these forums and reading up on the latest lighting trends so this is my first 'serious' lighting system.

I was curious about this light because no one had written a comprehensive review with actual comparisons- which I think we need to see more of here so that we have informed choices. I love the comprehensive way that this guy (selfbuilt) does his review of tactical lights over on candlepowerforums.com 
Check it out. Selfbuilt's Flashlight Review Site

Claimed Lumens really don't mean much to me until I see comparisons or numbers. Hence this was the inpetus for preparing this light review.

Plus the cost of US Magic shine would have been on par with offshore if you add the shipping costs to Canada.

I will make updates about this light as I ride through the winter. 
Whoo Hoo ! 5 degrees C in Toronto Today!!


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## PinkFloyd (Nov 24, 2011)

spartacus001 said:


> Before purchasing this light I had not been active on these forums and reading up on the latest lighting trends so this is my first 'serious' lighting system.


I really didn't mean to criticize your selection of that seller for this light. Sorry if it came across that way. The review you took the time to do was outstanding and appreciated.:thumbsup:

What I said was more to steer FueledByPBR towards a deal on this particular light from a U.S.-based seller (vs. Hong Kong) that was more realistic in their lumen claims.

One and only time I bought anything from a Hong Kong eBay seller was a 59cm steel roadie frame. When it arrived, it was obvious they had stored it w/o treatment in a humid environment. There was significant surface rust and even a small bit of pitting on the inside of the seat tube and BB. No way I was going to build that one up. I eventually got my money back, but it was not as simple and straightforward as it should have been.


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## Der Juicen (Oct 7, 2010)

PinkFloyd said:


> As Jim at Action noted earlier, claiming 1800 lumens from a single T6 XM-L is more than marketing hype. It's deceptive advertising. It's the same MJ look-a-like light system the U.S. seller lists at 900 lumens (which I think is still stretching it a tad).
> 
> Also, why order the same light from Hong Kong for $54 when you can get it at $45 shipped from California and at your door in just a few days and much less hassle returning it if you get one that's DOA?
> 
> I ended up spending a few bucks more for the wide angle lens and orange peel reflector (both from Action LED). Both really help the illumination pattern for this light.


i am looking at going the shipped from us ebay route for a few of these lights, probably 2 on the bars, 1 on my helmet. 
my question is are you using the orange peel reflector AND the wide angle lens in the same light? i am thinking i would leave the helmet light alone, and go with either the lens, OR the reflector for the 2 bar lights, but both? is that necessary?


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## PinkFloyd (Nov 24, 2011)

Der Juicen said:


> i am looking at going the shipped from us ebay route for a few of these lights, probably 2 on the bars, 1 on my helmet.
> my question is are you using the orange peel reflector AND the wide angle lens in the same light? i am thinking i would leave the helmet light alone, and go with either the lens, OR the reflector for the 2 bar lights, but both? is that necessary?


My bar light (MJ-836) already had the orange peel reflector, so I just added the Action wide-angle lens. My helmet light is the eBay T-6 XML to which I only added the MJ-808 replacement reflector to soften the spot and make it a little larger. I'm quite happy with the wide/spot combo.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

No offense taken PinkFloyd. The Cree XML has really allowed for affordable high output lights. I can't wait to see this technology develop in the next couple of years. 

Having 3 lights will give you around 1500 Lm -plently of light on the trail.
This is what I'd do:

Helmet: Throw light softened with an OP reflector
Bar1: Flood light with Wide angle lens 
Bar2: Stock Throw light


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## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

Is the T6 really better than P7?
Dxgames has both for the same price....


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

....well it depends what you mean by better.
The light beam and output will be affected by parameters such as battery type, the logic board, lens and reflector. Given all things equal the T6 is the newest emmiter and is more efficient LED with better output.

From what I read, the P7 gives you typically 700 lm at 10W, while the XM-L is typically over 910 lm at 10W 
This difference will be noticable if you put them side by side, but not if you look at one, then an hour later look at the other.

The LED technology is advancing very quickly so I'm sure the T series will probably be obsolete in a couple of years.


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## RJay (Jan 26, 2011)

I ordered the same light from a different Ebay seller, it took about a week to arrive from Hong Kong. The box it arrived in had no padding and the light set was crammed in there tight. Mine arrived with the bezel a little beat up, it looks to be damage from before the item was shipped. Also when I opened up the light casing there was a small shard of metal from the machining process. Other than those items the light and components looked good, neither of the defects really affect the performance so I probably won't send it back or complain. I might see if I can get a replacement bezel but I'm not to worried about it.

I haven't taken it on a ride yet, but just flashing it around the yard it works great. I can't really compare it to anything meaningful but it is leaps and bounds brighter than what I was using (a Blackburn Mars light and Prince Tec Headlamp) and for the price I paid I am satisfied.

I added the wide angle lens also, which I am glad I did. The spot was pretty intense and a little discouraging.


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

Very good review, thanks.

I'm thinking of 2 of these, one with a wide angle lens on the bar and normal on the helmet. Does anyone have a trail beam shot of this combination as looking at the posters trail beam shots the wide lens seems to have 2 brighter spots either side of the centre of the trail but the standard light has good throw down the middle of the trail. 

I think 2 would give a good overall beam output.....


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Yeah. I does look that way but the two humps or bright spots on the trial is an illusion. 
It only appears brighter because the light is reflecting off the pile of leaves and absorbed by middle ground. The wide lens throws a relatively even beam in the shape of an hotdog with wide spillage.

Yes. For trail riding, like you, I'd add pure throwere on my lid.



Gav888 said:


> Very good review, thanks.
> ...trail beam shots the wide lens seems to have 2 brighter spots either side of the centre of the trail but the standard light has good throw down the middle of the trail.
> 
> I think 2 would give a good overall beam output.....


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

spartacus001 said:


> Yeah. I does look that way but the two humps or bright spots on the trial is an illusion.
> It only appears brighter because the light is reflecting off the pile of leaves and absorbed by middle ground. The wide lens throws a relatively even beam in the shape of an hotdog with wide spillage.
> 
> Yes. For trail riding, like you, I'd add pure throwere on my lid.


Cheers for clarifying, about to order them now so perfect timing :thumbsup:

How is the light a few weeks in, still happy with it?


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

So far, so good. 
The subzero temperatures has kept the light running very cool on the high setting.
But there's 4" of snow on the ground today so this might be it for me until the spring thaw.

I know I'm just being paranoid but I just started to worry clicky switch. 
The tail clicky on my cheap DX flashlight is starting to fail me after less then 200 cycles.
Yes. I'm paranoid :skep:

Let us know your experience.



Gav888 said:


> Cheers for clarifying, about to order them now so perfect timing :thumbsup:
> 
> How is the light a few weeks in, still happy with it?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Seeing as there is so much talk about our lens I thought I'd add another use for it that one customer found. If you want to change your beam into more of a traditional flood that is both wide and tall, take 2 of the lenses and put them back to back at 90˚ to each other. (smooth sides together) It will change a 10˚ spot into a 30˚x 30˚ square. They found it was a great pattern for running or XC skiing, etc. but it may suit some riders also.

Jim Harger
Action LED Lights


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

I have this link for the lens Wide Angle Lens for Magicshine, Lupine and Gemini Bike Lights | eBay but its a 39mm lens, I have had a nose around action led lights site:

Reflector - Action-LED-Lights - MJ-808/808E/Titan Replacement Reflector

Lens - Action-LED-Lights - Wide Angle Lens

Will these fit these lights, there is no sizes for these and the info is sketchy for the adverts for the lights themselves, also is there any preference to go with Orange Peel or a Wide Angle len for a flood light?


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## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

Gav888 said:


> Will these fit these lights, there is no sizes for these and the info is sketchy for the adverts for the lights themselves, also is there any preference to go with Orange Peel or a Wide Angle len for a flood light?


I think you're over thinking it.
You can get both of these for less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks...


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

spartacus001 said:


> So far, so good.
> The subzero temperatures has kept the light running very cool on the high setting.
> But there's 4" of snow on the ground today so this might be it for me until the spring thaw.
> 
> ...


Well the lights arrived at last, opened the box being all excited like a kid at xmas, first impression I was surprised how small they where, then turned the light round and there was an orange peel reflector, hang on I though, looked closer and there is a P7 LED installed........ The guy sent me 2 P7's and not 2 XML's :madmax:

Now waiting for the replacement lights!


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

That sucks man.
Sorry to hear about your experience. 
Maybe you can negotiate keeping the OP reflector as concilation 

Which vendor did you use?


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

spartacus001 said:


> That sucks man.
> Sorry to hear about your experience.
> Maybe you can negotiate keeping the OP reflector as concilation
> 
> Which vendor did you use?


Tempting to keep the OP reflector lol, it was a guy off eBay (no really! )


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

Action LED Lights said:


> Seeing as there is so much talk about our lens I thought I'd add another use for it that one customer found. If you want to change your beam into more of a traditional flood that is both wide and tall, take 2 of the lenses and put them back to back at 90˚ to each other. (smooth sides together) It will change a 10˚ spot into a 30˚x 30˚ square. They found it was a great pattern for running or XC skiing, etc. but it may suit some riders also.
> 
> Jim Harger
> Action LED Lights


Jim, thanks for the tip. I just wanted to let you know that the post got noticed. Not that I need something for more flood but for curiosity's sake I almost feel like buying a couple of these lenses just to see what this would look like.

In keeping with this line of thought I wish someone would make lenses for torches that could provide the same kind of beam pattern as the Action lenses. As it stands, the only thing available for torches that I'm aware of is_ frosted lenses_ which tend to waste a lot of light so really not the same thing.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> Jim, thanks for the tip. I just wanted to let you know that the post got noticed. Not that I need something for more flood but for curiosity's sake I almost feel like buying a couple of these lenses just to see what this would look like.
> 
> In keeping with this line of thought I wish someone would make lenses for torches that could provide the same kind of beam pattern as the Action lenses. As it stands, the only thing available for torches that I'm aware of is_ frosted lenses_ which tend to waste a lot of light so really not the same thing.


If your torch happened to have a 39mm lens it would certainly work. If it's smaller and your willing to do a little work, (as I suspect most readers of this thread are willing to do) you could grind it down to the proper size.


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## matchpoint (Oct 28, 2011)

Woops....wrong thread....


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## Der Juicen (Oct 7, 2010)

Last night i finally ordered one of the ebay lights, one with a red bezel shipped from brooklyn. Should be here in time for next wed night ride. I also ordered the OP reflector and wide angle lens from action to see the real life differences. This will be a temporary light until i build my own!


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

Finally got the XML T6 lights, OMG these are good lights, so bright!! :thumbsup:


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Glad they resolved the lights for you
How would you say they compared to the P7?


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## Jerry T. (Dec 13, 2009)

Great Light but had trouble finding a place to put the Battery Pack when I had the light mounted on mjy helmet. I found a great compact mini backpack listed on ebay. It is perfect for carrying the battery pack as well as a few esential items such as cell phone, wallet or credit card, or spare tube and tools, etc. Search on ebay for Bicycling compact Backpack or Cycling Mini Backpack. Very reasonable price and free shiping.


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## PinkFloyd (Nov 24, 2011)

Jerry T. said:


> Great Light but had trouble finding a place to put the Battery Pack when I had the light mounted on mjy helmet.


Get a Camelbak Rogue. Camelbak Rogue 70 oz. Hydration Pack - 2011 Model

Top zipper pocket is perfect for holding the battery pack for your helmet light.:thumbsup:


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## PinkFloyd (Nov 24, 2011)

Jerry T. said:


> Yeah a camelback or other hydration unit usually works but when I ride in the fall and winter I don't use one. The mini compact backpack available on ebay costs less and also has room for items like a cell phone, a lightweioght jacket, or a spare tube and tools.


Here in Texas, you need a camelback even in the fall/winter. It hit 72 today.


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## Jerry T. (Dec 13, 2009)

*This is a better deal*

Yeah a camelback or other hydration unit usually works but when I ride in the fall and winter I don't use one. The mini compact backpack available on ebay costs less and also has room for items like a cell phone, a lightweioght jacket, or a spare tube and tools.


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

I usually drop the battery into a jersey pocket or jacket pocket. For me it's easier that way when I take off the pack for a rest stop or any other reason.


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

Jerry T. said:


> Yeah a camelback or other hydration unit usually works but when I ride in the fall and winter I don't use one. The mini compact backpack available on ebay costs less and also has room for items like a cell phone, a lightweioght jacket, or a spare tube and tools.


Another thing that works quite well ( as long as you don't have too big of a gut ) is the fanny pack. That is as long as you don't mind the cord going down your back. Not too many people use fanny-packs anymore since the Camelback / backpack style hydration packs came along but before then everyone used them.

Not sure I would go with the ebay thing. Some items you just have to see, inspect and try on before buying and a backpack would be one of them.


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

spartacus001 said:


> How would you say they compared to the P7?


Funny you mention that - http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-riding/ebay-xml-t6-vs-p7-beam-review-763980.html


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Something else anyone buying one of these cheap imitation MJ808s needs to consider, there are dozens if not more small companies that have jumped on the LED bike light band wagon. If you have been to the Shenzhen industrial district ,or really any town in China, the streets are lined with little 20 ft wide shops, many with a couple of CNC lathes in them. Every body and their brother hears that there's good money in making bike lights so they give it a go. The components are easy to pick up at the Electronics Mart (heaven for any DIY guy). When you see all these listings on E-Bay that all look like the same light they may of may not be the same. If their making up a number for the output (1800 lumens - oh come on now) then if they claim a bin for the LED it may or may not be true. They may or may not even know what a bin is. If one XM-L is way brighter than a given P7, the XM-L may be a T6 bin and the P7 may be a K bin. The batteries are probably the cheapest available, the wire may be finely stranded for repeated bending or it may be like the early MS lights that broke at the bend points after a few months. The connectors may or may not be rated for the current involved. (MS went though that problem early on too) As you have found some come with a OP reflector and some with a smooth. When I was last at the Electronics Mart there were half a dozen vendors there selling completed lights.
In short, when you talk about "THE" E-Bay 1800 lumen light you are really talking about "A" E-Bay light. 
I won't say Magicshine is the greatest company. Anybody who has dealt with them will tell you it's a pain in the behind. But they are trying to build a good light with consistent quality. They have brought a lot of production in house (like the charger) because they couldn't get consistent performance from purchased ones. Add to that the 100% testing that any good light vendor does and in house warranty, and you can be fairly certain of what your getting and you know your money won't be wasted.

Jim Harger
Action LED Lights


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

Just to add to the review. 

I have just done a battery test on high from fully charged (8.34v) to the light turning off and the battery at 0v it lasted 4hrs 22min!! I didn't change the settings or anything I just turned it on high and left it running next to an open window to keep it cool. 

Temp wise, it didn't get too warm that I couldn't hold it and the battery stayed cold the whole time.


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## GraXXoR (Sep 29, 2011)

Gav888 said:


> Just to add to the review.
> 
> I have just done a battery test on high from fully charged (8.34v) to the light turning off and the battery at 0v it lasted 4hrs 22min!! I didn't change the settings or anything I just turned it on high and left it running next to an open window to keep it cool.
> 
> Temp wise, it didn't get too warm that I couldn't hold it and the battery stayed cold the whole time.


When you say 0v, I hope you meant "until cut off" because I'm sure you are aware that running a Lithium based battery down to 0v would be catastrophic.


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

Sorry, until the light went off that should have been, rather than 0v. Just curious but what would happen if it went to 0v, say I dont use the lights for months over summer, will the batterys be knackered?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Gav888 said:


> Sorry, until the light went off that should have been, rather than 0v. Just curious but what would happen if it went to 0v, say I dont use the lights for months over summer, will the batterys be knackered?


If the battery is like most protected packs, it would disable itself. If a Li-ion battery is to go to 0 volts there is a high probability that it will form internal shorts that could lead to a runaway reaction when it's charged. (read that as fire) The best condition to store a battery in is with a 60-70% charge and in a cool, dry place. You can even keep it in your refrigerator if you won't catch to much hell from your spouse. Then check it every few months to be sure it still has a reasonable amount of charge in it. If the light you have has a fuel gauge in like the MJ-808, then it should light up blue or yellow. If it's red give it a 1 hour charge.
For a more complete explanation see Battery Care

Jim Harger
Action LED Lights


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## OpenLight (Oct 17, 2011)

A good quality Li-ion battery also has a self discharge rate of less than 10% per year so unless you store it with a short in the system you should be ok (but it is a good idea to check it periodically).  Heat causes the battery to oxidize reducing its capacity, that is why it is recommended that you store it in a cool place when it is going to be a while between uses.

Josh 
Open Light Systems


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## Der Juicen (Oct 7, 2010)

i just received this light in the mail today.

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

great fit and finish, the charcoal/grey color of the body and the anno red match perfect with colors on my bike, the smooth reflector is quite a tight spot so i started playing with the OP reflector and wide angle lens that i got from Action as well.

well the OP reflector has a lif on it keeping it from sitting inside the housing far enough and it created a wider significantly wider hot spot, but it had way too many artifacts to leave it alone. so... i took the OP reflector to the belt sander and sanded off the lip to get it farther into the housing and now there are no artifacts. in all the excitement i forgot to take before pictures of the reflector.

anyways, the smooth reflector with wide angle lens just widens the spot, dont think it would be good at night, but with the OP and the wide angle i can see it being pretty awesome for my bar light. first night ride with my own light will be wed.

when it gets dark and i have a chance i will take pics of beam shots with all the different lens/reflector combos.


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

Wide angle lens arrived today, will try and get out soon to test it 

Also does anyone have a guide or any tips on making these waterproof? 

Ive already wrapped electric tape round the exposed ends of the battery pack as it was cardboard by the looks of it so they are now sorted, but need to do the rest....


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

Gav888 said:


> Wide angle lens arrived today, will try and get out soon to test it
> 
> *Also does anyone have a guide or any tips on making these waterproof?*
> 
> Ive already wrapped electric tape round the exposed ends of the battery pack as it was cardboard by the looks of it so they are now sorted, but need to do the rest....


Don't know if you can make these waterproof but you can sure help it out some by using some good bike grease on the threads where the front screws on. Maybe a dab too on the screw that holds the mount ( bottom ). I would also cover the button switch 3/4 of the way with electrical tape. Just enough to repel water yet allow a little of the indicator light to be seen.


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## Der Juicen (Oct 7, 2010)

I Would actually use a bit os clear silicone around the edge of the with, electrical tape wouldnt do much in that location. Also sme silicone around where the wire goes into the housing then grease on the mount screw threads and bezel threads might help along with the orings that are already there. If you want to grease the orings use a silicone based grease not petroleum so they dont swell.


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## Der Juicen (Oct 7, 2010)

so i went for my first ride with my light tonight and... WOW!!! this thing kicks ass!
the first couple night rides a friend let me use one of his magic shine lights, i believe it has the P7. 
i had it mounted on the bars and it got me through the ride. 
with this new XML light w/ OP reflector and the Action wide angle lens it blew that light out of the water! when shining the light at a wall you see some artifacts from the ridges in the lens but you dont even notice them when riding. lights up the trail plenty for this regular wed night ride.

the only time i felt like i would have LIKED more throw was on a long steep descent, otherwise even some of the faster flowy stuff the throw was fine. also once we got into some tight twisty stuff i would have liked a light on my helmet for looking around.

I will definitely be adding more to my setup, one on my helmet with just the OP reflector, and then maybe the same thing added to the bars for the throw.

as for battery... it was a 2 hour ride and at the "check points" for other riders to catch up (average ride group of 15) i would turn the light off, and when we were climbing the low setting was plenty.
maybe when i add another light i will do a full ride with it on high and see how it does.

I am super stoked on this light!

no time for beam shots tonight, but soon...


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

Finally got myself out in the forest for a ride (having only done road rides recently) and with the wide angle lens on the bars and a spot on the helmet its plenty of light for my rides, this includes technical and fast sections 

A word of causion though, the standard o ring bracket attached to the light isn't very strong, I broke mine in 2 last night over some rough terrain on the bar mounted light! I had the small o ring on a std size bar, so fitted ok and seemed tight enough....


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

Gav888 said:


> Finally got myself out in the forest for a ride (having only done road rides recently) and with the wide angle lens on the bars and a spot on the helmet its plenty of light for my rides, this includes technical and fast sections
> 
> *A word of causion though, the standard o ring bracket attached to the light isn't very strong, I broke mine in 2 last night over some rough terrain on the bar mounted light! I had the small o ring on a std size bar, so fitted ok and seemed tight enough...*.


:eekster:....I'm very sorry to hear about your misfortune but admittedly, your story did make me laugh.
Please forgive me. It's just that no one has ever complained about the mount itself breaking. That is a first. Hopefully you still have the pieces and perhaps some good glue might fix the problem....

Anyway, I believe some of the vendors here sell those plastic O-ring brackets. I know that BikerayUSA does, maybe Action LED Lights as well. Should just be a couple bucks.


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> :eekster:....I'm very sorry to hear about your misfortune but admittedly, your story did make me laugh.
> Please forgive me. It's just that no one has ever complained about the mount itself breaking. That is a first. Hopefully you still have the pieces and perhaps some good glue might fix the problem....
> 
> Anyway, I believe some of the vendors here sell those plastic O-ring brackets. I know that BikerayUSA does, maybe Action LED Lights as well. Should just be a couple bucks.


LOL thats ok, made me laugh as well. I'm not having much luck with these lights, not able to glue it as the other half is in the mud somewhere...

Still, it's only a £30 light so things like this I can live with, if it was a £200 light it would be a different matter!

I was showing off the beam to some of the regular night riders I was out with, they have lights like MJ7872, Hope Vision 4 etc etc, they were all impressed with the beam combination I use, and only £60!!

For the money you could get 4 and still be quids in!

Tempted to get this mount - Action-LED-Lights - Bar Mount, Clamp-on instead but I will see what is in the garage first, might be able to make something up that is stronger...

Also found this - Lupine Lamp Unit Handlebar Mount - From £11.99 - Rutland Cycling but at £12 I would rather by another light!

And this post looks interesting - BikeRadar.com • View topic - Modifed Magicshine P7


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Gav888 said:


> Tempted to get this mount - Action-LED-Lights - Bar Mount, Clamp-on instead but I will see what is in the garage first, might be able to make something up that is stronger...


Not that I wouldn't mind selling it to you but for you EU readers the clamp-on quick release mount is also available from Magiclight-UK as is our wide angle lens


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## Gav888 (Oct 19, 2011)

Cheers Jim, already got your wide angle lens, but forgot the website to get the bracket


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Hey Gav,

Glad to see your lights working out for you
Any chance for some beam shots of your set-up?


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## Enduramil (Mar 1, 2007)

Same light and died about a week and half ago. Though ggrainy you can see the melting of the connectors.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

Pretty tough to see what is going on in that picture. Can't pick out the melting or the connectors. Can you try another picture? 


***


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## Enduramil (Mar 1, 2007)

scar said:


> Pretty tough to see what is going on in that picture. Can't pick out the melting or the connectors. Can you try another picture?
> 
> ***


 Noticed this when I pulled it apart. Looks like to connectors melted. But without another unit hard to confirm,









Other side of the area in question.


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## BertoManfred (Jul 5, 2011)

how long is the battery cable and light cable combined?


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## climberevan (Mar 26, 2006)

I also bought this light from one of the more-or-less random/equivalent ebay sellers.

Initially I was blown away by the brightness & apparent build quality, as well as value. $50 seems cheap for such a torch.

It lasted about 10 minutes into a night ride & died. The battery had full voltage, and the indicator led was still lit green. I contacted the seller, who offered to refund my money after I returned the light to China. At $15 shipping, minimum, I opted to just keep the thing and mod it instead. Lesson learned.

Anyway, I tore it apart completely, replaced the driver board with a $6 ~1000mA 3.7V one from KD, and it works again. Some modding of the heatsink was required, since my new board is smaller diameter than the original one. I also tore open the battery pack & re-wired it to be parallel to produce the required output. It was my first mod attempt, and I'm now motivated to do more. I can confirm that the battery pack has some sort of circuitry between the end of the wire & the batteries, but I'm not enough of an engineer to know what it is.

The wire on my unit was cheap--very easy to break the insulation on the inner wires after stripping the outer sheath. Overall I now see why these lights cost only $50. If it were not fun to mod them, or if I just wanted a working light, I'd be bummed about the experience.


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

Yep, undoubtedly the cheap generic Chinese stuff has poor quality control. Only goes to show that you get what you pay for. Still, for the price sometimes it's worth taking the chance.

Last night I was doing some major web surfing and ended up looking at a couple items on ebay. For the most part I don't do the ebay thing. I have to admit though, there is so much stuff at rock-bottom pricing it is tempting. A while back I said I wouldn't buy on ebay. Now I might have to eat those words. Last night I saw a cheap XM-L bike light with 2-cell battery for about $24. No, I'm not going to buy it but is an example of the kind of deals that you see. At that price you can buy two. If one goes up you send it back but you still have one. This is the same strategy I use when I buy cheap torches. If it turns out both work fine you can almost always sell one to a friend. If it lasts a year you got your money's worth.


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## TiGeo (Jul 31, 2008)

I would be interested to see what someone would say if their cheap-o light died in the middle of a ride. Seriously, spend a whopping ~$30 more and get a Magicshine that has a good track record. I am not saying that MSs are as nice as say a Baja, but come on, why even mess with this eBay crap?


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## MTBeing (Jan 11, 2012)

PinkFloyd said:


> Get a Camelbak Rogue. Camelbak Rogue 70 oz. Hydration Pack - 2011 Model
> 
> Top zipper pocket is perfect for holding the battery pack for your helmet light.:thumbsup:


Second that! It's exactly where I keep mine. Love this light!


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

TiGeo said:


> I would be interested to see what someone would say if their cheap-o light died in the middle of a ride. Seriously, spend a whopping ~$30 more and get a Magicshine that has a good track record. I am not saying that MSs are as nice as say a Baja, but common, why even mess with this eBay crap?


Well, yeah...I have to agree for the most part. Buying from a reliable vendor is "So" much smarter. But like I said before, If you have more than one and one fails you still come out on top. Personally I always ride with at least two lights. Basically it's the smart thing to do. Add to that I always carry an emergency torch which could also function as a bike light if somehow both bike lights malfunctioned on the same ride ( although not likely to happen ). If you ride night on a regular basis you learn to be prepared.


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

Cat-man-do said:


> Personally I always ride with at least two lights. Basically it's the smart thing to do. Add to that I always carry an emergency torch which could also function as a bike light if somehow both bike lights malfunctioned on the same ride ( although not likely to happen ). If you ride night on a regular basis you learn to be prepared.


I've had three lights "not work" for me on a commute home (on fire trails through pitch black bush). The first was my Dinotte that ran on AAs. I dropped the battery holder while getting it ready for the ride and it would no longer hold the batteries. So I then wrapped my P7 torch around the handlebars and started riding only for its battery to run flat about 1/2 way through the ride in the darkest section. I then wrapped my Princeton Tec Apex headlamp around my helment and set off.

This was the first time I used the Apex on the bike and I thought I I'd badly overestimated how bright it was as it was very difficult to see much beyond the front wheel. It was only when I got home that I realised I was running it on it's lowest setting.

All of these were of course my fault, and I guess it shows I really need at least 4 lights for a night ride.

Tim


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## Der Juicen (Oct 7, 2010)

Wombat said:


> All of these were of course my fault, and I guess it shows I really need at least 4 lights for a night ride.
> 
> Tim


i think you just need to learn your equipment, and be better prepared with charged batteries, and or spares if running AA's. you really dont NEED 4 lights with you.


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

Wombat said:


> I've had three lights "not work" for me on a commute home (on fire trails through pitch black bush). The first was my Dinotte that ran on AAs. I dropped the battery holder while getting it ready for the ride and it would no longer hold the batteries. So I then wrapped my P7 torch around the handlebars and started riding only for its battery to run flat about 1/2 way through the ride in the darkest section. I then wrapped my Princeton Tec Apex headlamp around my helment and set off.
> 
> This was the first time I used the Apex on the bike and I thought I I'd badly overestimated how bright it was as it was very difficult to see much beyond the front wheel. It was only when I got home that I realised I was running it on it's lowest setting.
> 
> ...


Besides what Mr. Juice said ( and I agree with him ) none of what you said had to do with the lights themselves malfunctioning which was the subject at hand. ( Also, two of your lights were not bike lights ) You also mentioned that you had a P-7 torch that only got you half way home. My P-7's will go 3 hrs on mid-mode so either yours had a half dead battery when you left or you have a single mode ( high ) P-7 torch. You didn't mention a spare battery which if you're using torches is a very big "must have". At least the Apex got you home. Some light is better than no light at all. I have a 30 lumen single mode AA torch sitting around gathering dust. It's not real bright but I could get out of the woods with it if I had to.

Luckily for me I have much better stuff now. My current back-up emergency torch is a 3 mode AA XP-E torch that is also my daily EDC pocket torch. On high about 150-175 lumen and useable throw to 75ft. Cost me maybe $24 I think. Regardless, I always ride with an XM-L 3-mode torch on the bars to back-up my bar lamp and yes I always carry spare torch batteries if I'm on a ride lasting more than 2 hours. You NEVER EVER want to be back in woods and suddenly find out you have no lights with the sun going down. Been there, done that. Once was all I needed to teach me that lesson. :thumbsup:


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

I did point out that all of these were my fault, and spare AAs would not have helped when the battery carrier was broken. That's probably the only poor quality thing about AA Dinotte lights.

Tim


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

Wombat said:


> I did point out that all of these were my fault, and spare AAs would not have helped when the battery carrier was broken. That's probably the only poor quality thing about AA Dinotte lights.
> 
> Tim


I understand. I have a couple Dinotte 200L AA lamps. Not sure how you broke the carrier as the plastic is pretty tough. I don't use mine anymore but if I did I would have to get rid of the stupid nine volt type battery connectors. Those used to give me fits. An easy fix actually. Just solder some better connectors to the carrier terminals and to the lamp.

The spare batteries I was referring to was for the P-7 torch. For that a back-up 18650 cell is a must.


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## Der Juicen (Oct 7, 2010)

Wombat said:


> I did point out that all of these were my fault, and spare AAs would not have helped when the battery carrier was broken. That's probably the only poor quality thing about AA Dinotte lights.
> 
> Tim


oh, i understand the carrier was broken, i was talking about in general carrying spare batteries for a light that uses them is a good idea. dont break the battery holder, and spares can come in handy.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

I was hoping this lamp would problem free a little longer but since my original review I've run into some issues.

I switched on the light during a night ride and it ran for about a minute then it shut off. It seems like the battery just ran out of juice. 
I plugged it into the charger and the LED indicator light was out. So I left it over night but it didn't charge the battery. I put a meter on it and the charger has died.

I've order a replacement charger. 
This time I'm trying out a 8.4v 1.5A AC/DC charger for a Sony Camera.
I'll update this thread as soon as I get recieve the charger and test the battery.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

I recieved a Sony laptop charger @ 8.4V 1.5A. Pretty close to the specs. of the original charger. I spliced the jack from the broken adapter, soldered and heat shrunk the splice.
Put the battery in a metal tray and plugged in the charger. I monitored the temperature the entire time. The adapter was slightly warm and the batteries showed no signs of heat. After 5hrs it was done. The adapter was cold. 
Plugged in the light. Bingo! Back to night riding.










The old adapter just died. Other then no LED there was no other warning. No burning smell, no excessive heat. Probably a bad transformer or capacitor.


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## Alwin.Wu (Jun 12, 2012)

Cree XML T6 is 1000 lumens , can you let us know you make the T6 to be bicyle light, it iwll be 1800 lumens?? you are gold so you can add the 800 lumens more for it ??


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## Alwin.Wu (Jun 12, 2012)

Wombat said:


> I've had three lights "not work" for me on a commute home (on fire trails through pitch black bush). The first was my Dinotte that ran on AAs. I dropped the battery holder while getting it ready for the ride and it would no longer hold the batteries. So I then wrapped my P7 torch around the handlebars and started riding only for its battery to run flat about 1/2 way through the ride in the darkest section. I then wrapped my Princeton Tec Apex headlamp around my helment and set off.
> 
> This was the first time I used the Apex on the bike and I thought I I'd badly overestimated how bright it was as it was very difficult to see much beyond the front wheel. It was only when I got home that I realised I was running it on it's lowest setting.
> 
> ...


I think you can chocie a goog qualtity light will be ok


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## littlebadboy (Mar 27, 2012)

I almost considered this light... but I didn't like the idea of having too much wires going around the bike.


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## Alwin.Wu (Jun 12, 2012)

I think you can choice some bicycle light have the Velcro on the wire, it will tie the wires on the bicycle


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## littlebadboy (Mar 27, 2012)

Alwin.Wu said:


> I think you can choice some bicycle light have the Velcro on the wire, it will tie the wires on the bicycle


Yeah... but the wires are still there.


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## Alwin.Wu (Jun 12, 2012)

littlebadboy said:


> Yeah... but the wires are still there.


 I see what you are need now , a bicycle light more like flashlight, battery is in the body of light, this type bicycle light have no wires, Fluxient T6 mini is suit for you, I think ebuy have it.


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## Alwin.Wu (Jun 12, 2012)

littlebadboy said:


> Yeah... but the wires are still there.


but always the flashlight sytle bicycle light bright is not very good, it only have one battery in it , so will lower the output to save power.


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## tallsmurf (Jul 16, 2012)

*Wide angle lens Cree XML T6*

Hi I bought one of these CREE XML T6 LED 1800LM a month ago and absolutely love. I use it for both bike and running and have nothing but good to say about it.

However i keep reading that you can get a wide angle lens for them and i am obviously missing something as i cannot find them on ebay. can someone please point me in the right direction?

I am not in the USA

Thnx


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## starthere (Nov 7, 2011)

That also bothered me....



Cat-man-do said:


> The only thing that bothered me was the 1800 lumen claim by the vendor. Sorry but you won't get even half that. Maybe 700 to 800 if you're lucky. I'm glad to see the Action wide lens working so well. One light with wide lens on the bars, one spot on the helmet and you're ready for action.
> ..........


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

tallsmurf said:


> Hi I bought one of these CREE XML T6 LED 1800LM a month ago and absolutely love. I use it for both bike and running and have nothing but good to say about it.
> 
> However i keep reading that you can get a wide angle lens for them and i am obviously missing something as i cannot find them on ebay. can someone please point me in the right direction?
> 
> ...


They are available here. WIDE ANGLE LENS


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## tallsmurf (Jul 16, 2012)

*Thanks Jim*

Many Thanks Jim


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## wannabeRacer (Feb 9, 2004)

It was either a Magicshine or Gloworm but I went with this cheaper option. It cost me at an auction of $34 it was soo cheap then its a matter of waiting from Asia shipping which took about 2.5 weeks. Before this I had those HID & ay-up LED which cost me about $300-400 and this copied magicshine light is bright enough and value for money. I just ordered another light for the helmet too. I took that risk and so far soo good for 2 x 1800 cree LED at $70.....bargain!


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## wannabeRacer (Feb 9, 2004)

I run the light static on the tile floor and was on for 3.5hrs but I had to turn it off as I had to go to bed, next time will do an all out test. The battery took 4hrs to charge from 3.5hrs of use. This light went well and better than I expected, really surprised, wow.

anyway I'm that excited I'm buying 2 more for my commute bike (front & rear) and use y cable with single battery and use the other battery as spare  For the rear light I will have to find a red lense


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## pucked up (Mar 22, 2006)

Hey guys here something that is very similar with a lower price $43.30 and free shipping.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

pucked up said:


> Hey guys here something that is very similar with a lower price $43.30 and free shipping.


I like the beam pattern shot with the big dark artifact in it.
If you want to try and fix that you might try a Magicshine orange peel reflector available here and/or a wide angle lens
Also be aware that the power connector on most of these is not the same as a MS.

Be for-warned, I have a wholesale customer who uses lights for an off the bike purpose and thought he would save some money and bought 100 of these. Within 6 months over half of his batteries had died and he was SOL. 
What's the longest anyone has had one of these in use and how are they doing?


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## mb323323 (Aug 1, 2006)

I bought a $43 close last September and it's still going good. Almost full run time, etc but I'm sure when it gets cold the battery will run far less.

However, I say this knowing my group has 6 MS's and a couple of clones. Most have either had bad batteries after 6-12 months or defective heads, several and splitting cables at the connectors.

We all have at least 1 good light set of a quality brand. Mine are Dinotte. 

They are cheap and if you figure a year and are happy w/ that, then go for it but never ride w/ just one of those lights by yourself.

By the way, my Dinotte XML-3 dual kicks butt. Use these on the bars as the beam is wide. Use the clone on the helmet as the beam is very narrow but that's ok w/ me on the helmet.

I'd buy another for sure b/c they are so affordable but would never go out w/o the Dinotte's.


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## l_eon (Aug 10, 2012)

*spartacus001,*
Hi.
I would like to buy the same flashlight, but capacity of battery is not so high for me.
In my country that batteries are expensive and hard to purchase.
How do you think, is this available to change the original power source?
I can not find the same voltage batteries.


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## scale (Jul 14, 2005)

just ordered one. I hope it isnt junk. I cant wait to try it out and compare it to what i have been using.


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## leesrt (Jul 16, 2012)

I have the Spokegrenade 1000 light and it seems well made and backed with a warranty. Has anyone tried Spokegrenade lights. 

Sent via mental telepathy.


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## wannabeRacer (Feb 9, 2004)

Action LED Lights said:


> I like the beam pattern shot with the big dark artifact in it.
> If you want to try and fix that you might try a Magicshine orange peel reflector available here and/or a wide angle lens
> Also be aware that the power connector on most of these is not the same as a MS.
> 
> ...


I tried swapping the reflector from MS to ebay light and it doesn't fit properly, its less than 1mm height into the LED and you need to cut the outside cup by about a 1mm. The wide angle lens however does fit.

Some ebay sellers do sell with the orange peel reflector on it, just take a closer look of the reflector before you buy.

On other note: 
I was on my commute bike the other day and the battery strap snap, next thing I know the battery was dragging behind with the wire holding on..... then snap.... from the connector. I stop, connected back on an off I went, the battery was fine for 3 more hours of tests.


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## triglyceride (Jul 26, 2012)

i got mine for $40 with a free rear LED light. and it looks a light brighter than the OP.


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## wannabeRacer (Feb 9, 2004)

I bought 3 sets at deferent sellers in HK and CHI and 2 lights were the same size and other is not the same size reflector.


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## scale (Jul 14, 2005)

just got mine. Took it out on my road bike the first night. TOO bright for the road for sure. The lowest setting is fine but the highest is WAY too much for any roads with traffic. You will blind drivers. I had 2 cars pull over completely


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

Action LED Lights said:


> For just a few dollars more you can get a quality Gemini P7 Titan with a Samsung 5200mAh battery pack.
> 
> Jim Harger


I went this route instead. I figure the potential headaches with the cheap lights aren't worth $30-40. I placed the order about 90 minutes ago, and just got a shipping confirmation email. :thumbsup:


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## emirwati (Jun 21, 2009)

Hi there

Anyone knows where to find spare battery packs for the light reviewed? Are the connectors the same as for the MagicShine? Or if the T6 Water Resistant XML-T6 3-Mode 930-Lumen White LED Bike Light, from DX - Hong Kong, has the same connectors as the light reviewed?

Thanks


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

II ordered 2 battery packs @$18.99/ea on fleabay from .cn, they're in SF customs now, will report...

I cant' post links yet but if you search for "Battery Pack for CREE XM-L" you will find it.

My MS and my 3 knockoffs all have the same connector.



emirwati said:


> Anyone knows where to find spare battery packs for the light reviewed? Are the connectors the same as for the MagicShine? Or if the T6 Water Resistant XML-T6 3-Mode 930-Lumen White LED Bike Light, from DX - Hong Kong, has the same connectors as the light reviewed?
> 
> Thanks


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## emirwati (Jun 21, 2009)

*spare battery pack*

Thank you



patski said:


> II ordered 2 battery packs @$18.99/ea on fleabay from .cn, they're in SF customs now, will report...
> 
> I cant' post links yet but if you search for "Battery Pack for CREE XM-L" you will find it.
> 
> My MS and my 3 knockoffs all have the same connector.


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

patski said:


> My MS and my 3 knockoffs all have the same connector.


Mine aren't the same. I have 2 DX copies and a few genuine Magicshines and the copies won't work with the MS lights.

Tim


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

My batteries are already in West Sac, will know today or tomorrow if they fit/work...


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## Torchy (Feb 7, 2011)

Cat-man-do said:


> Very Good Review...:thumbsup::thumbsup:
> 
> The only thing that bothered me was the 1800 lumen claim by the vendor. Sorry but you won't get even half that. Maybe 700 to 800 if you're lucky. I'm glad to see the Action wide lens working so well. One light with wide lens on the bars, one spot on the helmet and you're ready for action.
> 
> ...


The lumen claims are getting ridiculous, at least when the SSC-P7 was in vogue, 900 lumens was the maximum claim.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Yep, they're using the lab numbers of the LED dies, with an air fan blowing cooling air over them (the lumens being better when the die is running at 25C than at 85C)... not real world enclosed in a aluminium housing and ridden on a hot summer night when the lowest temperature of the die might be 30-35C.


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## Tim-H (Mar 20, 2010)

Torchy said:


> The lumen claims are getting ridiculous, at least when the SSC-P7 was in vogue, 900 lumens was the maximum claim.


its probably the same "exaggeration" amount in terms of % though.


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

OK, batteries are here, I plugged one into my MS808E charger and one into a knockoff charger, so far so good....



Wombat said:


> Mine aren't the same. I have 2 DX copies and a few genuine Magicshines and the copies won't work with the MS lights.
> 
> Tim


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

Oh, one more thing, the batteries came with this nice double velcro strap bag.
Battery Black Bag for CREE XM-L T6 LED Headlamp Rechargeable Headlight | eBay



patski said:


> OK, batteries are here, I plugged one into my MS808E charger and one into a knockoff charger, so far so good....


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## Enduramil (Mar 1, 2007)

Fixed the original issue of the light head being N/S. It was a wire that worked it's way loose. But the Led bulb has died. Have the exact same unit as the OP. What specific LED bulb can I use as a replacement? And where is the best source?


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

My lighthead died the FIRST time I used it, I got it from lifebike2011 

The button on the back still glows but nothing... tried several batteries...

It's been more than 14days, "top rated seller," we'll see if they will help...

CREE XML XM-L T6 1800LM LED Bicycle bike Head Light Lamp/Bicycle Light SET | eBay


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## phoenixnr (Jul 26, 2009)

patski said:


> My lighthead died the FIRST time I used it, I got it from lifebike2011
> 
> The button on the back still glows but nothing... tried several batteries...
> 
> ...


I just bought from the same seller. How long did yours take to arrive? Any customs charges? Please report back if they exchanged the product for you.


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## Antikid (May 6, 2009)

bought mine from the same seller (lifebike2011) on 9/26 and received on 10/5. worked great during
garage testing. 
i wish it had the o-ring mount since my bars are too fat. going to actually field test it tonight.


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

They said they will exchange it, I just have to mail the defective one to Beijing....



phoenixnr said:


> Please report back if they exchanged the product for you.


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## Antikid (May 6, 2009)

light worked great last night!! wow.


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

almost $9 to mail it back....



patski said:


> They said they will exchange it, I just have to mail the defective one to Beijing....


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## damnnearfastest (Jul 5, 2008)

I purchased a similar light to the OP's off an Amazon Marketplace seller recently, advertised as an XML T6. Thanks to this thread and the seller switch-a-roo described by others, I knew enough (unfortunately not right away) to check the emitter and they had sent me a SSC P7. Contacted the seller, they said it was a warehouse error, ship it back, and they would refund me. However they wanted me to pay the return shipping because I had already cut up the headband to make a helmet mount and it was no longer a re-sellable item. I contacted Amazon's main CS to ask if this was proper, they said to ship it back out of pocket, and Amazon would give me a credit towards future orders on the cost of the shipping, very cool on their part. So I shipped it back, got my refund from the seller in about 2 weeks, and the Amazon credit for the shipping.

So, after this is all wrapped up, I get a reminder email from Amazon to rate the seller. I do the review, describe my experience, and rate it 3 stars out of 5 (neutral on the scale). If I had lost money on the deal, the stars would have been less, if they had sent a proper replacement, probably 4-stars would have been in order. Then I start to get badgering emails and phone calls from the seller asking me to rescind the feedback because Amazon views 3 stars as negative when they evaluate Marketplace sellers. In the latest email from the seller's representative, she says she will lose her job by the end of the month if I do not rescind the 3-star rating. 

My gut says they have been lying all along... if it was a warehouse error why not resend the proper item as a replacement? Lose your job over a worthless internet opinion/rating, really? But I really want this all to be done and do not want anyone to lose their job (foreign or domestic) even if the reality of it is very small, so will probably just take down the rating a be done with it. What say you?


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

damnnearfastest said:


> Then I start to get badgering emails and phone calls from the seller asking me to rescind the feedback because Amazon views 3 stars as negative when they evaluate Marketplace sellers. In the latest email from the seller's representative, she says she will lose her job by the end of the month if I do not rescind the 3-star rating. What say you?


I'd say keep your honest rating. As you point out you looked for others' experience in deciding to buy. Perhaps complain to Amazon about the seller's response to you.

Tim


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

damnnearfastest said:


> I purchased a similar light to the OP's off an Amazon Marketplace seller recently, advertised as an XML T6. Thanks to this thread and the seller switch-a-roo described by others, I knew enough (unfortunately not right away) to check the emitter and they had sent me a SSC P7. Contacted the seller, they said it was a warehouse error, ship it back, and they would refund me. However they wanted me to pay the return shipping because I had already cut up the headband to make a helmet mount and it was no longer a re-sellable item. I contacted Amazon's main CS to ask if this was proper, they said to ship it back out of pocket, and Amazon would give me a credit towards future orders on the cost of the shipping, very cool on their part. So I shipped it back, got my refund from the seller in about 2 weeks, and the Amazon credit for the shipping.
> 
> So, after this is all wrapped up, I get a reminder email from Amazon to rate the seller. I do the review, describe my experience, and rate it 3 stars out of 5 (neutral on the scale). If I had lost money on the deal, the stars would have been less, if they had sent a proper replacement, probably 4-stars would have been in order. Then I start to get badgering emails and phone calls from the seller asking me to rescind the feedback because Amazon views 3 stars as negative when they evaluate Marketplace sellers. In the latest email from the seller's representative, she says she will lose her job by the end of the month if I do not rescind the 3-star rating.
> 
> My gut says they have been lying all along... if it was a warehouse error why not resend the proper item as a replacement? Lose your job over a worthless internet opinion/rating, really? But I really want this all to be done and do not want anyone to lose their job (foreign or domestic) even if the reality of it is very small, so will probably just take down the rating a be done with it. * What say you?*


I say contact Amazon and tell them about the e-mails and what the seller is doing. Option II: Respond to the sellers e-mail and ask for another lamp at their cost explaining that you got the run-around and that you lost money in the previous deal. If you get a free light you give them a better rating. If it really means that much to them ( which I don't think it will cause I think they're just blowing smoke ) they will send you something for free. Call their bluff. Your call.


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## mazspeed (Oct 17, 2004)

damnnearfastest said:


> I purchased a similar light to the OP's off an Amazon Marketplace seller recently, advertised as an XML T6. Thanks to this thread and the seller switch-a-roo described by others, I knew enough (unfortunately not right away) to check the emitter and they had sent me a SSC P7. Contacted the seller, they said it was a warehouse error, ship it back, and they would refund me. However they wanted me to pay the return shipping because I had already cut up the headband to make a helmet mount and it was no longer a re-sellable item. I contacted Amazon's main CS to ask if this was proper, they said to ship it back out of pocket, and Amazon would give me a credit towards future orders on the cost of the shipping, very cool on their part. So I shipped it back, got my refund from the seller in about 2 weeks, and the Amazon credit for the shipping.
> 
> So, after this is all wrapped up, I get a reminder email from Amazon to rate the seller. I do the review, describe my experience, and rate it 3 stars out of 5 (neutral on the scale). If I had lost money on the deal, the stars would have been less, if they had sent a proper replacement, probably 4-stars would have been in order. Then I start to get badgering emails and phone calls from the seller asking me to rescind the feedback because Amazon views 3 stars as negative when they evaluate Marketplace sellers. In the latest email from the seller's representative, she says she will lose her job by the end of the month if I do not rescind the 3-star rating.
> 
> My gut says they have been lying all along... if it was a warehouse error why not resend the proper item as a replacement? Lose your job over a worthless internet opinion/rating, really? But I really want this all to be done and do not want anyone to lose their job (foreign or domestic) even if the reality of it is very small, so will probably just take down the rating a be done with it. What say you?


Put in one star. Sounds like a bunch of lies. You should not be so nice when they are being so dishonest with you. You give them a good rating for lying to you, they will keep doing it with everyone else. You just happen to catch them. As a service to the next buyer, you MUST rate accordingly, and to me, this is one star service.


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

mazspeed said:


> Put in one star. Sounds like a bunch of lies. You should not be so nice when they are being so dishonest with you. You give them a good rating for lying to you, they will keep doing it with everyone else. You just happen to catch them. As a service to the next buyer, you MUST rate accordingly, and to me, this is one star service.


Well said... It is one star service... You got the wrong part, they wouldn't fix the problem, ship it back out of pocket, and they lose their job over your review... i'm callin b/s and it's deep... really deep


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## kaktoos (Oct 19, 2012)

*Can I just leave the battery pack connected to the charger 24/7 or will it burn it?
If I can just leave it, I can put it in the garage with the bikes and automatically have it ready every time without worrying about it.

Thanks
*


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

As a general rule, it's not a good idea to leave a battery on the charger unattended. If the worst happens, you want to be there to put the fire out. It'll probably be fine, but unplugging it when you leave the house is better than coming back to a smoldering pile of rubble.


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## bobale (Sep 23, 2012)

kaktoos said:


> ...and automatically have it ready every time without worrying about it.


Li-Ion batteries have very low self-discharge rate, so if you fully charge your battery pack it will stay there for months, ready whenever you need it. That's why you don't need to leave it 24/7 on charger. And since we're talking about cheap Chinese batteries, chargers and battery protection circuits, it's a big no-no to leave it 24/7 plugged in.


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

just got myslf some of the eBay lights. got them for $32 each plus a few bucks for shipping... they claim to be 1800 lumen... yeah right... lol a guy i met riding said he'd been using his for months and it worked fine. i got 2. i also went to Action LED and got the wide angle lense and 2 OP reflectors. plan on using a reflector and the lens on the bars and just the reflector on my helmet. i got the entire setup for under $100 so its worth a shot. havent done any night riding so if these work long enough for me to get more serious about it, its a worthy investment.... :thumbsup:


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## phoenixnr (Jul 26, 2009)

Mine came in this week. Outstanding value. Very bright great battery life. Can't believe they can do this for 30$ delivered to my door.

Sent from my SGH-i917R using Board Express


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

I found this one on eBay costing only 28usd when shipped to Portugal. It features an OP reflector, 1200lm XML T6 and...8800mA! Is it possible? 
Here it is: 1200 Lumen CREE XML T6 LED Bike Bicycle Outdoor Sports Light Headlight Headlamp | eBay
What do you think?
I've finally decided to give this cheap light a try as mi first bike light and i'll use it with a wide lens, because i bike in the road a lot.


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

theres only one way to know for sure... try it out. its nice that it comes with the OP reflector... the higher milliamp battery means it will dicharge at a higher rate (i think)... it may allow the light to run longer... as far as output, ive heard the t6 will only put out about 900-1000 lumen in real world applications. thats still plenty bright. especially if you get one for the bars and one for the helmet. i dunno how they test them to claim such a high lumen rating but everything you will read says that its false advertising... i dont think anyone that has bought any of these "bargain" lights has the resources to actually measure the light output.... theres a million of these lights on ebay and theyre all pretty much the same thing... i dont think anyone can really say there is a better one than the other. its a chance you take by buying knock-off stuff. you can always spend the $79 and buy the magic shine light that has been tested and has a company that backs it.... or you can take the chance with these and get 2 for the price of one.... its all a matter of opinion....


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

PedroDank said:


> I found this one on eBay costing only 28usd when shipped to Portugal. It features an OP reflector, 1200lm XML T6 and...8800mA! Is it possible?
> Here it is: 1200 Lumen CREE XML T6 LED Bike Bicycle Outdoor Sports Light Headlight Headlamp | eBay
> What do you think?
> I've finally decided to give this cheap light a try as mi first bike light and i'll use it with a wide lens, because i bike in the road a lot.


Just a few facts to let you know the quality of the seller you are dealing with.
The XML-T6 is only capable of 1000 lumens with the best of the batch driven at the maximum safe current level. Any more than that and it's life goes down drastically.

They state the the light is 9 watts. The Magicshine MJ-808E is 11 watts so if the light is really 9 watts they are driving it lighter than the 808E there for it would have less light. We know the 808E is really about 750 lumens. That would put this light at about 600 actual lumens.

The battery pack is built of 4 - 2200mAh 3.7v cells. You add 4 together you get 8800mAh right.
The only problem is the pack is the pack is 7.4v. To get that you put 2 in series and 2 pair in parallel. 2 in series doubles the voltage but not the capacity. So there really selling the same cheap 4400mAh pack as every other clone maker out there. But they show they don't even know basic electricity.


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## Lupob6 (Apr 21, 2012)

Hey just picked up one of these lights but it only works when plugged in, does it need a full charge to work while not plugged in?

Thanks for the help


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

Lupob6 said:


> Hey just picked up one of these lights but it only works when plugged in, does it need a full charge to work while not plugged in? Thanks for the help


Plugged into what? If you mean plugged into the battery, then yes, the light has to be connected to the battery to work.

Tim


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## Lupob6 (Apr 21, 2012)

The battery is connected, when I said plugged in I meant the charger to the wall.

Sorry for the confusion


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## derekbob (May 4, 2005)

Lupob6 said:


> The battery is connected, when I said plugged in I meant the charger to the wall.
> 
> Sorry for the confusion


You can't have the battery connected to the lighthead and the charger at the same time. I'm probably not helping here, but I think you think the lighthead is a self contained light.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

Lupob6 said:


> The battery is connected, when I said plugged in I meant the charger to the wall.
> 
> Sorry for the confusion


Huh?


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## willhub (Nov 4, 2012)

How long does this light usually last on full beam?

I would like a different lense as it is a bit too focused.

Does this brightness on full look about right for this light?:


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Action LED Lights said:


> Just a few facts to let you know the quality of the seller you are dealing with.
> The XML-T6 is only capable of 1000 lumens with the best of the batch driven at the maximum safe current level. Any more than that and it's life goes down drastically.
> 
> They state the the light is 9 watts. The Magicshine MJ-808E is 11 watts so if the light is really 9 watts they are driving it lighter than the 808E there for it would have less light. We know the 808E is really about 750 lumens. That would put this light at about 600 actual lumens.
> ...


That makes sense. Thanks a lot. 
I'm still going to buy this clone as it will be my first bike light; BUT i will also buy the wide lens directly from your site eheh.

@willhub, can you tell me what light is that? Also, did you took that shot in complete darkness? 
You can take a look at this lens and see if it works out for your light: Action-LED-Lights - Wide Angle Lens


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## qdave (Jun 5, 2007)

I've recently bought two Ebay XM-L lights that I am very happy with. While waiting for the first light to arrive, I ordered the wide angle lens insert, but the beam is quite floody, so I'm not using the wide angle lens. Very bright (no way to measure though) and so happy, I bought a second one for more light and just in case I have a light or battery failure (since it/they are cheap Chinese lights and batteries). I have a couple of the original P7 Magicshine lights, and these lights have more light and a better beam pattern (to me, anyway). Just a heads up to anyone still looking into this type of light. Link shown below. I originally bought the first light because I saw it had the OP reflector and hoped that would help make the beam floodier. BTW, I do use both lights as bar lights, so I do prefer a floodier light.

1800 Lumen CREE XML XM L T6 LED Bicycle Light Bike Cycle Lamp Headlight Headlamp | eBay


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## willhub (Nov 4, 2012)

PedroDank said:


> That makes sense. Thanks a lot.
> I'm still going to buy this clone as it will be my first bike light; BUT i will also buy the wide lens directly from your site eheh.
> 
> @willhub, can you tell me what light is that? Also, did you took that shot in complete darkness?
> You can take a look at this lens and see if it works out for your light:


This light: CREE-XML-XM-L-T6-1800-LM-LED-Cycling-Bike-Bicycle-Head-Light-HeadLamp-HeadLight CREE XML XM-L T6 1800 LM LED Cycling Bike Bicycle Head Light HeadLamp HeadLight | eBay

Yes it was pitch black, without a light I would not be able to see anything where I was standing and up to the shed.

Does anyone know of a UK seller that sells a better lense that would fit this? I'd like it to be a bit wider, as turning corners in the pitch black can be a bit scary if I'm going anything over 18mph really, so I have to slow down and don't want to.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

willhub said:


> Does anyone know of a UK seller that sells a better lense that would fit this? I'd like it to be a bit wider, as turning corners in the pitch black can be a bit scary if I'm going anything over 18mph really, so I have to slow down and don't want to.


Our lens is available in the UK here


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## willhub (Nov 4, 2012)

Will I need to do a botch job to get it to fit the light I bought?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

willhub said:


> Will I need to do a botch job to get it to fit the light I bought?


The only thing you may need to do is make up some extra thickness if your original lens is thicker than the wide angle lens.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Action LED Lights said:


> The only thing you may need to do is make up some extra thickness if your original lens is thicker than the wide angle lens.


Is it easy to take off the original lens? What do you recommend to make up for the extra thickness?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Just unscrew the silver ring at the front. 
You can cut a gasket from a plastic jug or something of that sort.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

PedroDank said:


> What do you recommend to make up for the extra thickness?


There's a skinny rubber o-ring already behind the lens, so you can either add a second one of the same thickness, or pick up one that's a little thicker and just use one. You can get them in all thicknesses at hardware stores.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Thank you both!


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I have the bigger brother of this light - maybe gemini olympia clone, who knows. The cause of this was in my case a difference between the 2 cell packs. One measured 3,7V and second 2,7V - unbalanced state. There is a protection PCB in battery pack that cuts off output if some of the cells drops to 2,7V - the normal discharged state. when I charged it for the 1st time with supplied made in PRC charger I measured 8,04V. But now I am using RC model hobby charger and I charge the cells with balancing adapter, so it is OK. The cellpack is 4 x 18650 about 2200mAh/cell. But you can easily build 8 or 12 x 18650/26650 with 4600-6000mAh/cell using holders and some heatshrink wrap and have very long runtime :thumbsup:



spartacus001 said:


> My first light review:
> The battery pack appears to be 4 x18650 linked in series and bundled in heat shrink. It's hard to tell if these are protected cells and I didn't want to take off the heat shrink. The cable and connectors pushed together snugly but they lack weather sealed caps which would have been nice. When I plugged in the light I was surprised to find the the batteries already charged. I put it on a volt meter and it measured 7.9V on the 3rd charge. Not the advertised 8.4V. Maybe it needs a break in time <?>


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## willhub (Nov 4, 2012)

I took off mine to have a look in, it's got a thin lense and the reflector is smooth, would it be good to get one of the rough textured looking reflectors? "orange peel" they call it I think?


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

willhub said:


> I took off mine to have a look in, it's got a thin lense and the reflector is smooth, would it be good to get one of the rough textured looking reflectors? "orange peel" they call it I think?


Although I'm sure there are people who prefer the throw and tighter spot light of a smooth reflector, I think many agree that the Orange Peel (OP) makes for a better beam pattern. It sort of blends the edge of the hot spot into the flood better.
You can get OP reflectors at Action LED's site.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

There are a lot of XML T6 bike lights on ebay, but I thought I'd share a link to what I think is one of the better deals going at the moment.

There are several things about this particular light that make it better as far as I'm concerned.
LED Bicycle Bike Headlight Lamp Flashlight Light Headlamp 1000 Lumen CREE XML T6 | eBay

1. US shipper, fast shipping.

2. Rubber encased battery (as opposed to the plastic shrink wrapped ones on most of these Chinese bike lights).

3. Two strap battery bag. The straps are also longer then the single strap bags, so they actually fit around modern, fatter frames.

4. Orange Peel reflector.

5. Cable connectors are threaded and have a little o-ring in them making them more waterproof.

Now I can't confirm my #6, but I believe the lighthead will be lighter then some others on the market. I have another XML T6 light that has what appears to be the same lighthead, and it weighs less then my Magicshine 808 (P7). By about 15 grams if I remember correctly.

So there you have it, at least 5 (and maybe 6) things that are better then many similar XML T6 lights on ebay.
Even though I don't need another light, I may just have to get one of these.


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

Thank you fightnut. Interesting observations, I ordered one of those earlier today from the same seller in IL. The whole listing looked more convincing to me than some of the 1800 lumen versions - I fall for good marketing easily.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

StiHacka said:


> Thank you fightnut. Interesting observations, I ordered one of those earlier today from the same seller in IL.


Oh! I forgot one of the bigger selling points, US seller and fast shipping! I've updated my post, thanks for reminding me. Keeop us posted when you get it, let us know what you think of it.


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## willhub (Nov 4, 2012)

Looks good, shame they don't ship to the UK I'd have got one of those


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

I bought mine: 1200 Lumen CREE XML T6 LED Bike Bicycle Outdoor Sports Light Headlight Headlamp | eBay just a few hours ago. 
It prefer the 3 seconds trigger feature to get into strobe mode and i also think it already has an OP reflector - could you please confirm me this? Also, i'm not from USA, so i couldn't order that one... I wonder if i can get a better battery bag for the rain though...


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Seems to be a great price for such light ;-)



PedroDank said:


> I bought mine: 1200 Lumen CREE XML T6 LED Bike Bicycle Outdoor Sports Light Headlight Headlamp | eBay just a few hours ago.
> It prefer the 3 seconds trigger feature to get into strobe mode and i also think it already has an OP reflector - could you please confirm me this? Also, i'm not from USA, so i couldn't order that one... I wonder if i can get a better battery bag for the rain though...


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

I think so too. Hope it really turns out to be a pretty good deal... I bought the wide lens from ActionLed too.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I bought the bigger brother Skyray S6 and its glass lens is about 55-59 mm, so I cannot use the 39mm lens for Magicshine :bluefrown: but on the other hand I have got more light 



PedroDank said:


> I think so too. Hope it really turns out to be a pretty good deal... I bought the wide lens from ActionLed too.


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## okthought (Nov 7, 2012)

*Noob requests*

I have just purchased a similar item, incorrectly assuming that 4 x 18650 was an 8.4V battery like MS ones.

I now have two problems:


Can someone suggest a technique for removing the reflector from the housing, so that I can change the cable? Spartacus' photo suggests his reflector is a sliding fit, but mine is a _very_ tight fit, but presumably an interference fit, not threaded. I don't want to start prising around the LED, so all I can think of doing is inserting a Stanley knife (box cutter) blade between the reflector's sub-millimetre thick rim and the housing.
In view of the relatively complex (3-mode) electronics, can I easily drop 8.4V from a MS battery to the required 4.2V with a resistor? I supect that I will need a 5V regulator and lose another 1.2V with diodes to derive 3.8V.

Any ideas?


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

If you light is similiar, then it should have come with 8.4V/4400mAh battery pack. It is a 4x 18650 ordered 2S2P giving you 8.4V and 2x2200mAh of capacity  Driver takes care of the output voltage/current fed to the xml led.


well, it might be glued to the alloy base, so the heatgun would help.
I don't see the point. Perhaps you should post the light specs./foto here.



okthought said:


> I have just purchased a similar item, incorrectly assuming that 4 x 18650 was an 8.4V battery like MS ones.
> 
> I now have two problems:
> 
> ...


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I think you can search ebay and you find someone who ships to UK too :thumbsup:



willhub said:


> Looks good, shame they don't ship to the UK I'd have got one of those


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

So I got my 2 from eBay the other day. Packaging was not that great. 2 kits were shoved into a little box with no padding or anything to protect them. I ordered some lenses from action led... I ran the lights for a little bit, then gave em a full charge. They only lasted about 1hr 15min on high. I thought maybe the batteries had to break in so I ran the lights til they turned off. Now they're charging again and I'm gonna see how long they run on low. Other than battery life, the lights seem nice.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

digglesworth said:


> So I got my 2 from eBay the other day. I ran the lights for a little bit, then gave em a full charge. They only lasted about 1hr 15min on high. I thought maybe the batteries had to break in so I ran the lights til they turned off. Now they're charging again and I'm gonna see how long they run on low. Other than battery life, the lights seem nice.


They don't need to be "broken in", and it's not good to fully discharge a li-ion battery. Also, when you ran them until they turned off, did you do it during a ride, or at least in front of a fan so air was moving over the light? You don't want to just turn these lights on HIGH and let them sit until the battery dies, you'll burn up the LED.

They should last 2.5 to 3 hrs on high no problem. The manufacturers REALLY should include a care sheet with each bike light. Too many people mistreat their li-ion batteries, or burn up their LED's (because they don't know any better), then they complain when something stops working correctly.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I think you should read my post no. 154. But you have to take the batt cover off to check the voltage. They dont need to break in since they are li-ions, you cannot run them empty with protection and they dont mean partial recharge.



digglesworth said:


> So I got my 2 from eBay the other day. Packaging was not that great. 2 kits were shoved into a little box with no padding or anything to protect them. I ordered some lenses from action led... I ran the lights for a little bit, then gave em a full charge. They only lasted about 1hr 15min on high. I thought maybe the batteries had to break in so I ran the lights til they turned off. Now they're charging again and I'm gonna see how long they run on low. Other than battery life, the lights seem nice.


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## okthought (Nov 7, 2012)

MK96 said:


> If your light is similiar, then it should have come with 8.4V/4400mAh battery pack. It is a 4 x 18650 ordered 2S2P giving you 8.4V and 2x2200mAh of capacity  Driver takes care of the output voltage/current fed to the xml led.
> 
> 
> well, it might be glued to the alloy base, so the heatgun would help.
> I don't see the point. Perhaps you should post the light specs./foto here.


Thanks for your response, MK. Although my light (ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L-XML-T6-LED-1800Lm-Headlamp-Rechargeable-Headlight-/180959002920) looks _very_ similar, its 4 x 18650 battery must be all 4 in parallel, because the charged terminal voltage is only 3.9V and it is supplied with a 4.2V charger.

This makes some engineering sense because these lights only have single LEDs with forward voltage of around 2.9V, so running them off 8.4V involves dropping a lot of volts, with corresponding waste of energy.

That's a good suggestion to use some heat to loosen any glue holding the reflector. My second query arose from wanting to run this 4.2V light from another light's 8.4V battery, but I think I may have to return this one and buy another light explicitly advertised as 8.4V.


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## phoenixnr (Jul 26, 2009)

digglesworth said:


> So I got my 2 from eBay the other day. Packaging was not that great. 2 kits were shoved into a little box with no padding or anything to protect them. I ordered some lenses from action led... I ran the lights for a little bit, then gave em a full charge. They only lasted about 1hr 15min on high. I thought maybe the batteries had to break in so I ran the lights til they turned off. Now they're charging again and I'm gonna see how long they run on low. Other than battery life, the lights seem nice.


I get more than two hours out of mine with the light on high and out side temperatures below freezing.

"So I'm packing my bag for the misty mountain.."


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

I used a fan when I did the test. I put both lights on the bars and pointed a fan directly at them... I read somewhere that charge time was around 4 hrs. I tried to check the site where I got them but it said nothing about charging time. These chargers have an led that goes from red to green when it's charged. One turns green in about 2 hrs. The other takes just a little longer. I'm gonna do a test on low today. I'm supposed to go ride tonight but I need more than an hour of run time.


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## .Cheetah. (Nov 8, 2012)

Great reviews guys. This really helps because its now getting dark at 6:00 and going after work is done without one.


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

Well after a good charge last night, I ran one on high and one on low. The one on high cut off at 1.5hrs. I let the one on low burn til 2 hrs. I'm gonna have to break down and buy the genuine magic shine 808Es from action led. I'll tear into the batteries of these cheap-o knock offs sometime to see how they are connected. I have a good RC smart balance charger I may try too.


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

digglesworth said:


> Well after a good charge last night, I ran one on high and one on low. The one on high cut off at 1.5hrs. I let the one on low burn til 2 hrs. I'm gonna have to break down and buy the genuine magic shine 808Es from action led. I'll tear into the batteries of these cheap-o knock offs sometime to see how they are connected. I have a good RC smart balance charger I may try too.


You won't be disappointed. Nice bright spot and throws FAR!


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Ah, OK, now I see the point. Maybe you can drive this light with both 4,2 and 8,4V. If you can disassemble it and find out the driver type - maybe on CPF(candlepower) or BLF(budgetlights) forum.



okthought said:


> Thanks for your response, MK. Although my light (ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L-XML-T6-LED-1800Lm-Headlamp-Rechargeable-Headlight-/180959002920) looks _very_ similar, its 4 x 18650 battery must be all 4 in parallel, because the charged terminal voltage is only 3.9V and it is supplied with a 4.2V charger.
> 
> This makes some engineering sense because these lights only have single LEDs with forward voltage of around 2.9V, so running them off 8.4V involves dropping a lot of volts, with corresponding waste of energy.
> 
> That's a good suggestion to use some heat to loosen any glue holding the reflector. My second query arose from wanting to run this 4.2V light from another light's 8.4V battery, but I think I may have to return this one and buy another light explicitly advertised as 8.4V.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

If one pack is "charged" earlier, than you can have unbalanced batteries inside the pack. If I assume the batteries are quite new and not damaged. You can take the cover off the pack and measure the voltage ;-)



digglesworth said:


> I used a fan when I did the test. I put both lights on the bars and pointed a fan directly at them... I read somewhere that charge time was around 4 hrs. I tried to check the site where I got them but it said nothing about charging time. These chargers have an led that goes from red to green when it's charged. One turns green in about 2 hrs. The other takes just a little longer. I'm gonna do a test on low today. I'm supposed to go ride tonight but I need more than an hour of run time.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Does someone have a comparison of both of these lights? I think they will be almost the same.


TwoHeadsBrewing said:


> You won't be disappointed. Nice bright spot and throws FAR!


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

The difference is quality.... The eBay lights are mass produced on street corners all over Asia. Manic shine actually does testing im sure... They're consistent and everything works how it should and as advertised.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

digglesworth said:


> The difference is quality.... The eBay lights are mass produced on street corners all over Asia. Manic shine actually does testing im sure... They're consistent and everything works how it should and as advertised.


Kind of a funny statement when one considers the conversations that were taking place here 3 years or so ago when the MS's first came on the scene.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

okthought said:


> Thanks for your response, MK. Although my light (ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L-XML-T6-LED-1800Lm-Headlamp-Rechargeable-Headlight-/180959002920) looks _very_ similar, its 4 x 18650 battery must be all 4 in parallel, because the charged terminal voltage is only 3.9V and it is supplied with a 4.2V charger.
> 
> This makes some engineering sense because these lights only have single LEDs with forward voltage of around 2.9V, so running them off 8.4V involves dropping a lot of volts, with corresponding waste of energy.
> :


Just to keep the facts straight, the driver circuit reduces the voltage by switching the power on and off about 10,000 times a second. The power is feed into a capacitor to smooth it out. The amount of time on vs off is adjusted as the input voltage changes or to change the brightness. 
Efficiency varies from about 85% to 98% depending on the quality of the driver. 
This rapid on/off creates a weak radio (RF) signal that can interfere with some wireless bike computers.


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## comphynum (Aug 14, 2012)

fightnut said:


> They don't need to be "broken in", and it's not good to fully discharge a li-ion battery. Also, when you ran them until they turned off, did you do it during a ride, or at least in front of a fan so air was moving over the light? You don't want to just turn these lights on HIGH and let them sit until the battery dies, you'll burn up the LED.
> 
> They should last 2.5 to 3 hrs on high no problem. The manufacturers REALLY should include a care sheet with each bike light. Too many people mistreat their li-ion batteries, or burn up their LED's (because they don't know any better), then they complain when something stops working correctly.


I'm a noob. What constitutes proper care? What should I and should I not be doing with these?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

comphynum said:


> I'm a noob. What constitutes proper care? What should I and should I not be doing with these?


You can look here for some tips. BATTERY CARE
Also check batteryuniversity.com for tons of information.


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

That's a good article. Thanks for posting jim....


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## SV11 (Jan 2, 2011)

The issue with cheap ebay lights is that they quote LED lumens and not OTF lumens. Actually the same can be said about a lot of lights. How hard the LED is driven also is a huge factor.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Perhaps, who knows. But a little electrical engineering would cost nothing and may be helpful :thumbsup:



digglesworth said:


> The difference is quality.... The eBay lights are mass produced on street corners all over Asia. Manic shine actually does testing im sure... They're consistent and everything works how it should and as advertised.


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## logbiter (Dec 30, 2003)

TwoHeadsBrewing said:


> You won't be disappointed. Nice bright spot and throws FAR!


ActionLED has the Gemini Titan p7's back for $75 with that nice battery pack. I ordered another 1 yesterday when I noticed they were back in stock. I'd bet they won't last long.

The one I've had for ~6 wks has awesome run time in low & med, ~7-8 hrs in my mixed commute use. I use low in the morn, just for driver visibility (~40min to daycare, then work pulling my son on his trail-a-bike) and ~15min home on brighter setting.

Now I need to figure out how to mount one as rear light with the red lens.

I've been following this thread a while and decided that the potential issues with the clones over using someone like Action-LED that ships from the US & has good customer service was worth the extra cost, especially since I'm pulling my 4 yr old half the time, I needed the reliability. I ordered yesterday after lunch & they had it in the mail same day!


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

@logbiter: that's a great deal on the Titan. I have a riding buddy that uses one of those and it's a very nice light, definitely a step up from the P7 MJ808's. And that 5200mah is a great upgrade as well. 

And I wholeheartedly agree with getting a light from a quality vendor like Action-led-lights. ANY product can and will have issues, so paying a little extra for customer support and warranty service is a good investment. Plus, you're giving some business to people working in the US, which is always a good thing.


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## evasive (Feb 18, 2005)

Ditto. I did the same and don't regret it.


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

I received my lights today (LED Bicycle Bike Headlight Lamp Flashlight Light Headlamp 1000 Lumen CREE XML T6 | eBay) and the first impression is very good. I am really inexperienced in these matters but the lights look well made, the o-rings in connectors indeed offer better weather sealing, the battery pack in a nice Velcro case with two straps is in a quality-looking sealed soft rubber enclosure. Time to charge now and test tonight!


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

Is it normal to sell 8V DC adapters as battery chargers? :skep:


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

logbiter said:


> Now I need to figure out how to mount one as rear light with the red lens.
> 
> I've been running one mounted to the seat rails with a helmet mount like Jim suggests on his website. It's very stable and mounting the Titan under the seat keeps the power button far enough away from the seat post to easily adjust the power level while riding (although low is very bright) and also illuminates the rear tire which is good since there is no side visibility with this light (I'm working on a solution to this). I get lots of positive feedback from other riders and people in cars too.
> Mole


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

StiHacka said:


> Is it normal to sell 8V DC adapters as battery chargers? :skep:


I would check it with a volt meter. It should be 8.4v. If it's less you won't get a full charge. If it's more it could over charge the battery (dangerous)
.6A will be a very slow charge.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

StiHacka said:


> Is it normal to sell 8V DC adapters as battery chargers? :skep:


Hmm, my other xml clone chargers say 8.4v at 1A and usually fully charge in 4 hrs or less.

In my case, I would just use one of my other chargers, but that would be a bummer if this is your only light.

Keep up posted on whether it's fully charging the battery, and if so, how long it's taking.


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

fightnut said:


> Hmm, my other xml clone chargers say 8.4v at 1A and usually fully charge in 4 hrs or less.
> 
> In my case, I would just use one of my other chargers, but that would be a bummer if this is your only light.
> 
> Keep up posted on whether it's fully charging the battery, and if so, how long it's taking.


That will need some instrumentation since the adapter has no charging indicator. I can see where they cut corners in this set. Yes, I have a pair of these, no other lights, both came with the same AC adapter.


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

I'm thinking about piecing 2 kits together from Action LED. Gonna use 2 of the MS 808e heads and 2 of the 5600mah battery packs... It's only a few extra $$$ vs the complete kits w/ 4400mah packs. Anyone see anything wrong with that setup?


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## TwoHeadsBrewing (Aug 28, 2009)

digglesworth said:


> I'm thinking about piecing 2 kits together from Action LED. Gonna use 2 of the MS 808e heads and 2 of the 5600mah battery packs... It's only a few extra $$$ vs the complete kits w/ 4400mah packs. Anyone see anything wrong with that setup?


No problem with that setup, and I ran that for 1.5 years. However, after trying the MJ-872 on the bars I like it a lot better. The MJ-808's are great throwers with a tight spot, but not much spill. That's great for the helmet for directing 40+ feet out there, but up close I like a flood as opposed to a spot.


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

I have one of the wide angle lenses from action led in my eBay light on my bars and was pretty happy with the 10x30 degree beam. I left the helmet one alone as a spot. It has a smooth reflector so the spot is real tight on that one.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

digglesworth said:


> I'm thinking about piecing 2 kits together from Action LED. Gonna use 2 of the MS 808e heads and 2 of the 5600mah battery packs... It's only a few extra $$$ vs the complete kits w/ 4400mah packs. Anyone see anything wrong with that setup?


There has been enough request for that upgrade so there is now a link in the MJ-808E listing to upgrade to the MJ-6030 battery for an additional $17. That way you get the chargers too.


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

Awesome!!!


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## digglesworth (Jan 31, 2011)

So the kit comes with the lighthead, battery w/ case and charger... Does the upgraded battery with the kit still come with the neoprene case?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Yes, neoprene case included.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

It should have come with 8.4V 2A with green/red light indication. Well before I buy from someone I try to read some references (e.g. on ebay aboiut the item I am going to buy) and I prefer "top seller" with good references when buying cheap stuff. But your seller is already top seller - maybe you should contact him to get replacement for the mistake :thumbsup:



StiHacka said:


> That will need some instrumentation since the adapter has no charging indicator. I can see where they cut corners in this set. Yes, I have a pair of these, no other lights, both came with the same AC adapter.


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

MK96 said:


> It should have come with 8.4V 2A with green/red light indication. Well before I buy from someone I try to read some references (e.g. on ebay aboiut the item I am going to buy) and I prefer "top seller" with good references when buying cheap stuff. But your seller is already top seller - maybe you should contact him to get replacement for the mistake :thumbsup:


That is what I did, I got it from a US top seller with a zillion of positive references. I am on the fence about what to do next - I am going to contact him about the chargers and I am considering sending the lights back.


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## ironbrewer (Oct 17, 2012)

StiHacka said:


> That is what I did, I got it from a US top seller with a zillion of positive references. I am on the fence about what to do next - I am going to contact him about the chargers and I am considering sending the lights back.


Have you contacted the seller yet to see what they want to do??


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

ironbrewer said:


> Have you contacted the seller yet to see what they want to do??


Not yet but that is step one. Returning goods == the last resort. I am hoping they will be cooperative.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Well at least you can expect it. Question is if he is a true US seller or chinese US seller. However I have got positive experience with chinese sellers refunding/returnig the item. Good luck!



StiHacka said:


> Not yet but that is step one. Returning goods == the last resort. I am hoping they will be cooperative.


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## comphynum (Aug 14, 2012)

StiHacka said:


> Not yet but that is step one. Returning goods == the last resort. I am hoping they will be cooperative.


Just got the same lights from the same seller. Please report back.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

StiHacka said:


> Is it normal to sell 8V DC adapters as battery chargers? :skep:


That's not what is shown in the photos in their auction. Was this the only thing incorrect? In other words, was everything else you received the same as what's in their photos?


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

fightnut said:


> That's not what is shown in the photos in their auction. Was this the only thing incorrect? In other words, was everything else you received the same as what's in their photos?


Yes, everything else matched the description except for the chargers.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

StiHacka said:


> Yes, everything else matched the description except for the chargers.


Be sure to let us know how this ends.

I'd like to hear from anyone else that has bought this light, did you get a proper charger? Was this a fluke, or is this what is being sent out with all of these lights from this seller?


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## pecsokak (Sep 23, 2010)

Amazon.com: 4 Mode 1200 Lumen CREE XML T6 Bulb LED Bicycle bike HeadLight Lamp Flashlight Light Headlamp: Sports & Outdoors

i think this is the same light right?

i'm pretty much sold on it, but just a couple questions.

does it come with a helmet mount?

and how is the mounting on the bars? that little rubber band thing doesn't look super secure if you are going through rocks. does it bounce around making it so you have to readjust the angle?


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## comphynum (Aug 14, 2012)

fightnut said:


> Be sure to let us know how this ends.
> 
> I'd like to hear from anyone else that has bought this light, did you get a proper charger? Was this a fluke, or is this what is being sent out with all of these lights from this seller?


I received the same charger. I am a lights noob. Should I not use this charger at all?


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## comphynum (Aug 14, 2012)

comphynum said:


> I received the same charger. I am a lights noob. Should I not use this charger at all?


Could I use a 9v, 1A charger instead?


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

comphynum said:


> Could I use a 9v, 1A charger instead?


AC adapters are not meant for charging batteries. They have no logic that starts/stops the charging based i.e. on the voltage. It might significantly degrade the capacity and life span of batteries. It may overheat them and become a fire hazard etc.


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## comphynum (Aug 14, 2012)

StiHacka said:


> AC adapters are not meant for charging batteries. They have no logic that starts/stops the charging based i.e. on the voltage. It might significantly degrade the capacity and life span of batteries. It may overheat them and become a fire hazard etc.


So DC instead of AC? And what about a 9v, 1A DC?


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

Got an asnwer from the seller @ 1:30AM EST (he is in IL for sure, yeah....) and I am not happy with his answer:

_Thanks for your message, it's right charger as the picture shown.

It's ok to charge the light, if you're not satisfied with it, kindly suggest you to buy another charger at other store, because we don't have other charger.

Need any further help, pls contact us. _

So he is asking me to buy a real charger elsewhere and denying that the item is not as described (the charger in his pictures is different). The lights are otherwise quite nice, any suggestions where I could get a competent charger as an alternative to returning the item?


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

No you cant, 9V is too much for 7.4V pack, the max. is 8.4V



comphynum said:


> So DC instead of AC? And what about a 9v, 1A DC?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

In the interest of you not burning your house down, you need a 8.4vDC constant voltage charger. Your normal 9v power adapter would produce 9v at the rated current of 1A and high voltage at lower amperage. You MUST have a constant voltage charger. There only $7.95 at our site.


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

Action LED Lights said:


> In the interest of you not burning your house down, you need a 8.4vDC constant voltage charger. Your normal 9v power adapter would produce 9v at the rated current of 1A and high voltage at lower amperage. You MUST have a constant voltage charger. There only $7.95 at our site.


I am about to order one together with the wide angle lens. Thank you!


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## polar8 (Oct 24, 2012)

I just got my light in the mail today. The cable coming from the headlight has a bad connection near the plug. When I wiggle the cable the light turns off. Anyone have a similar problem?


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## comphynum (Aug 14, 2012)

Action LED Lights said:


> In the interest of you not burning your house down, you need a 8.4vDC constant voltage charger. Your normal 9v power adapter would produce 9v at the rated current of 1A and high voltage at lower amperage. You MUST have a constant voltage charger. There only $7.95 at our site.


done! My helmet and wide angle lens should be here today.


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## bobale (Sep 23, 2012)

Guys, my MS clone lamp arrived, and all is well except low battery warning (red led). It turns out voltage sensing resistor R10 has bin ripped out in assembly process, and I can't read what value should I put there. Can any kind soul here disassemble their light and read R10 value?

s10.postimage.org/ijxrrjdzt/Image733.jpg

This is my driver in picture, and as you can see R10 is ripped, and only first number is visible. As an experiment I've put 10K resistor there, and red LED lit up, so low battery warning is functional, only voltage sensing resistor is missing.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Can anyone provide any feedback on this ? 
Thank you.


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

PedroDank said:


> Can anyone provide any feedback on this ?
> Thank you.


That looks exactly like the battery pack shipped with my lights.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Great. 
So how is the battery? Is it reliable? Protected cells and whatnot?


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

I got mine a only few days ago and I have not really had a chance to use them yet, sorry. Mine should be only 4400mAh though but the casing and the battery bag look exactly the same.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Hm, ok, thanks! 
Just wondering about the quality as i will also have to seal my battery case to waterproof it and i would probably benefit from the extra pack to give me longer runtime...


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

StiHacka said:


> Is it normal to sell 8V DC adapters as battery chargers? :skep:


According to my Klein MM200 multimeter, the adapters produce 8.27V and 8.31V DC. One more interesting thing, the heads have five modes - high, med, low, rapid flashes, Morse S.O.S. flashes.


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## Ian_C (Sep 27, 2012)

PedroDank said:


> Can anyone provide any feedback on this





StiHacka said:


> That looks exactly like the battery pack shipped with my lights.


I'm sure the rubberized water resistant case is a fairly generic item, and not made by the company assembling the battery packs.

With that in mind, I'm sure many rubberized 4 cell packs look the same. It's what's inside that counts. It could be anything from recycled laptop batteries, to bottom end cells of unknown lineage, to the good stuff. Given the price of $19 "the good stuff" seems unlikely.

The advertised 5200 mah implies 4 x 2600 mah batteries (2S2P). We see most 4400 packs (4 x 2200) retailing for $35.

At the $19 price I'm tempted, but I think the specs are the battery equivalent of Chinese Lumens.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

That was exactly why i asked for feedback for that particular item. 
It may be worth 19$ to work as a backup battery...


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## Infinity123 (Dec 11, 2009)

Ian_C said:


> The advertised 5200 mah implies 4 x 2600 mah batteries (2S2P). We see most 4400 packs (4 x 2200) retailing for $35.
> 
> At the $19 price I'm tempted, but I think the specs are the battery equivalent of Chinese Lumens.


I bought one of the cheap battery packs on Ebay. It turns out it only has half the battery capacity of my old Magicshine P7 battery. It´s also fully charged in half the time (3.5 hours versus 7 hours for the MS battery).
Cheep/low price = cheep/low quality...well, who would have guessed that?.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I think it is better to DIY a battery pack from 3.4Ah 18650 Panasonics to get an acceptable adjustable runtime (2S1P, 2P, .... 8P) I am going to do this with my light and I am going to add a led indication also, since my light does not have it.



Infinity123 said:


> I bought one of the cheap battery packs on Ebay. It turns out it only has half the battery capacity of my old Magicshine P7 battery. It´s also fully charged in half the time (3.5 hours versus 7 hours for the MS battery).
> Cheep/low price = cheep/low quality...well, who would have guessed that?.


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## Infinity123 (Dec 11, 2009)

MK96 said:


> I think it is better to DIY a battery pack from 3.4Ah 18650 Panasonics to get an acceptable adjustable runtime (2S1P, 2P, .... 8P)


I wonder if the Panasonic 18650 cells sold from China/hongkong are copies..?
panasonic 18650 battery | eBay


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Who knows, but there are some tests published, so you can compare them. But probably I would not trust ebay sellers selling 18650 panasonic 



Infinity123 said:


> I wonder if the Panasonic 18650 cells sold from China/hongkong are copies..?
> panasonic 18650 battery | eBay


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## comphynum (Aug 14, 2012)

StiHacka said:


> According to my Klein MM200 multimeter, the adapters produce 8.27V and 8.31V DC. One more interesting thing, the heads have five modes - high, med, low, rapid flashes, Morse S.O.S. flashes.


Have you tried charging with the included 8V AC adapters? Did the batteries get warm?


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## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

I picked up one of these from the tomtop EBay seller and so far it's great. I stuck a piece of Glad Press 'n' Seal on the lens to diffuse the beam and it's just about perfect. I'll probably pick up the real wide angle lens at some point just so I don't have to worry about it falling off, but now I'm planning to get a nicer light to pair with it so I don't have to carry a little AA flashlight as my backup light any more, so I'll probably wait until I do that.

On my first night ride with the light I passed a couple of guys stopped on the trail and overheard one of them saying "That's a really good light" as I went past.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Glad to know it works ok as i've bought one from the same seller eheh  
Does the led lights up when charging? Is there a led in the light's on/off button indicating the status of the battery? 
I already have my wide angle lens, so i will take some shots with and without it.

I hope it arrives soon! May i know when was yours shipped? 
Also, i'm looking for another light for the helmet. If you see something interesting, please let me know. Right now, I'm thinking of something like the 501b, but i think that that torch is pretty old and i think there might be better ones around. For example, the strobe mode should be like the one you have: pressing 3 seconds to turn on, so we can avoid it when swtiching from high to low setting. None of the 501b i saw had that, except the one-mode only.


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## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

PedroDank said:


> Glad to know it works ok as i've bought one from the same seller eheh
> Does the led lights up when charging? Is there a led in the light's on/off button indicating the status of the battery?
> I already have my wide angle lens, so i will take some shots with and without it.
> 
> ...


Assuming this is directed at me - there's a light on the charger that changes color when it's charging. The light does have an LED under the button to display battery status, but from what I've heard it isn't terribly useful because it goes red minutes before it goes out. I haven't run it down that far yet so I can't say. Looking through my e-mail history it appears mine was shipped Oct. 18 and I believe it got here about Oct. 30.

Can't comment on helmet lights - this is currently mounted on my bars and I don't have a helmet light yet.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

nemebean said:


> Assuming this is directed at me - there's a light on the charger that changes color when it's charging. The light does have an LED under the button to display battery status, but from what I've heard it isn't terribly useful because it goes red minutes before it goes out. I haven't run it down that far yet so I can't say. Looking through my e-mail history it appears mine was shipped Oct. 18 and I believe it got here about Oct. 30.
> 
> Can't comment on helmet lights - this is currently mounted on my bars and I don't have a helmet light yet.


Yeah it was for me, i don't usually quote if i want to reply to the latest post. 
It is a good thing the charger has a led, but that led on the light...that is a shame. Anyway, it is a 28$ light (shipping included), so... 
12 days, hm, that is good news. I hope mine doesn't take +30 days like last DX's items... I'm from Portugal.

Thank you.


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## ToastR (Sep 21, 2005)

*good to know...*



Action LED Lights said:


> Just to keep the facts straight, the driver circuit reduces the voltage by switching the power on and off about 10,000 times a second. The power is feed into a capacitor to smooth it out. The amount of time on vs off is adjusted as the input voltage changes or to change the brightness.
> Efficiency varies from about 85% to 98% depending on the quality of the driver.
> This rapid on/off creates a weak radio (RF) signal that can interfere with some wireless bike computers.


That is good to know - I was wondering why my wireless comp wasn't working...


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

Update on my charger case - the seller cooperates, he apologized and offered me a full refund if I send the lights back or $5 refund as a compensation for the inconvenience of getting a proper charger elsewhere. I accepted the latter and took the lights our for the first ride tonight. I am very happy with their performance so far, the beam is quite diffused and a wide angle lens is more a luxury than a necessity IMHO.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

That is great. Can you please confirm yours came with the OP reflector?


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

PedroDank said:


> That is great. Can you please confirm yours came with the OP reflector?


Yes they did. I will take and post a few pictures here in the evening.


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## Playa (Aug 17, 2004)

Bought one of these off ebay a few months ago. I used it on a handful of late road rides and for $30 it worked great. Very happy with the amount of light it produced. Took it off-road yesterday and it turned off midway through the ride. Good thing I knew the trail well. Riding it in the dark was a whole new experience! 

I thought maybe the battery was dead but after a full charge - no love. The power button glows green but the light will not turn on. At $30 I guess they are pretty much disposable. Anyone have any tips on how to get it working again? I'll probably just buy another one and hope for the best.

Thanks.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

Playa said:


> Bought one of these off ebay a few months ago. I used it on a handful of late road rides and for $30 it worked great. Very happy with the amount of light it produced. Took it off-road yesterday and it turned off midway through the ride. Good thing I knew the trail well. Riding it in the dark was a whole new experience!
> 
> I thought maybe the battery was dead but after a full charge - no love. The power button glows green but the light will not turn on. At $30 I guess they are pretty much disposable. Anyone have any tips on how to get it working again? I'll probably just buy another one and hope for the best.


Thee's been a couple different lights discussed in this thread, can you link to the specific one you bought?

Next, incase you're not already beating yourself up about it, NEVER night ride with one light. Not even a $500 light. Always have a second light. Ideally, you would ride with two ights on, but at the very least, have a small flashlight or something in your backpack or pocket.

As far as your light goes, you need to determine if it's the light/led or the battery that's causing the problem.


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## Playa (Aug 17, 2004)

here is the one I purchased:
New CREE XML XM L T6 1800Lm LED Bicycle Bike Head Light Lamp | eBay

Great advice about night riding - I actually knew better but was in a rush etc. which is when this kinda stuff always happens. I didn't mention that about 2 minutes after my light went dark - 2 other riders who were riding the loop in reverse happened by. One of them gave me a fully charged spare battery from what I think he said was a magicshine unit. He trusted me to leave the battery pack under a picnic shelter when I got done which of course I did. The light came on for about 30 seconds with that battery - enough time for both of them to be long gone - then it went out again and wouldn't work with either battery. I thought the magicshine was similar enough to mine that it would work OK. Anyway I don't know if that rules out the battery 100% but I'm leaning towards the light being the cause.

thanks for the reply fightnut!


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## comphynum (Aug 14, 2012)

StiHacka said:


> Yes they did. I will take and post a few pictures here in the evening.


Rode 7.5 miles last night with 2 of these lights (one helmet, one handlebar with wide angle lens). More than enough light. Only used Medium setting. No need for high. Everything stayed mounted going over rocky technical stuff. Very impressed. Once I get the legit charger from Action Led I will be all set.

Good to know the seller cooperated some. I may give it a try. $5 will help offset some of the cost of the Action Led charger I purchased.


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

comphynum said:


> Rode 7.5 miles last night with 2 of these lights (one helmet, one handlebar with wide angle lens). More than enough light. Only used Medium setting. No need for high. Everything stayed mounted going over rocky technical stuff. Very impressed. Once I get the legit charger from Action Led I will be all set.


I have exactly the same experience from the last night with the exception that I did only about 5 miles, some of them in more techy terrain though.  One thing that aggravates me a little is that you cannot switch them off with a long press of the button, you have to cycle through the annoying flashing. I do not have the wide angle lens yet but I was not really missing it. I may even use the lens for getting the beam taller rather than wider when it arrives.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

Playa said:


> here is the one I purchased:
> New CREE XML XM L T6 1800Lm LED Bicycle Bike Head Light Lamp | eBay
> 
> Great advice about night riding - I actually knew better but was in a rush etc. which is when this kinda stuff always happens. I didn't mention that about 2 minutes after my light went dark - 2 other riders who were riding the loop in reverse happened by. One of them gave me a fully charged spare battery from what I think he said was a magicshine unit. He trusted me to leave the battery pack under a picnic shelter when I got done which of course I did. The light came on for about 30 seconds with that battery - enough time for both of them to be long gone - then it went out again and wouldn't work with either battery. I thought the magicshine was similar enough to mine that it would work OK. Anyway I don't know if that rules out the battery 100% but I'm leaning towards the light being the cause.
> ...


I'd start with checking the simple things, maybe there is just something loose. Make sure the bezel (front of the light) is screwed down tight. I've had new flashlights flicker, and just by tightening the bezel a 1/4 turn solved the issue.
If need be, take the bezel off, remove the reflector and make sure the pill (the base that the led is attached to) is screwed down tight. You can see pics in that auction of the light head partially disassembled. You'll see 2 little holes on either side of the LED, put something into those holes to turn and tighten down the pill.
Check your cables, remove the mount under the light to see that the cable is secure.
Just basic stuff, look everything over closely to see if anything looks out of wack.


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## Playa (Aug 17, 2004)

followed your suggestions but so far it still won't turn on. I'm gonna try to see if the vendor will send me a new one. I know its a long shot but if you don't ask... I'll let you know if they make it good. 
Thanks.


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## Playa (Aug 17, 2004)

No reply from China yet but I further disassembled the light and a small chip fell out of the housing. I have no idea where it was soldiered on. Here's the pic for your viewing pleasure...


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

Here is the promised picture.


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## Der Juicen (Oct 7, 2010)

does anybody have a link to new drivers and cree xml u2 parts that would fit right into these housings?


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Thanks, StiHacka. I hope mine comes with that OP reflector as well.


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## comphynum (Aug 14, 2012)

Action LED Lights said:


> In the interest of you not burning your house down, you need a 8.4vDC constant voltage charger. Your normal 9v power adapter would produce 9v at the rated current of 1A and high voltage at lower amperage. You MUST have a constant voltage charger. There only $7.95 at our site.


How do I know when the battery is charged? Does the charger light turn green or do I just time it?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

comphynum said:


> How do I know when the battery is charged? Does the charger light turn green or do I just time it?


The charger puts out 8.4v. 
A fully charged pack puts out 8.4v.
When ever there is current flowing to the battery the charger light is red. When the 2 voltages are equal current flow stops and the charger light turns green.


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## berry barry (Nov 20, 2012)

HELP!!! I am new to lights and took a shot on some of the Cree XML T6 1800 Lumen lights as shown at the beginning of this thread. The lights are really bright - agreed. But unfortunately, one of the battery packs drains after less than 2 minutes on high and the other only lasts abut 40 mins. So obviously, I cannot use them. 

I feel like a fool now for ordering from china bc I am getting the runaround that I will have to pay for shipping back to asia (the site says return shipping is paid on defective merchandise). SO now I am left with two lights and two paperweights. 

Is there a way I can rig up some similar batteries myself or use a different pack that will work with these lights? I don't want to oreder the replacement packs i have found online because they are all from China and "fool me once, shame on you......". Is there a comaprable pack from another North American company that I can just plug right into these? Is there an EASY way to do this myself? 

Sorry....I am a newb to this. Thanks for any advice you can give.


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## Infinity123 (Dec 11, 2009)

berry barry said:


> ... or use a different pack that will work with these lights?


Here are some suggestions: http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-riding/new-clone-3-x-xml-t-6-49-88-shipped-814616-5.html#post9854394


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## Playa (Aug 17, 2004)

Yep, these lights are just like the other cheapo Chinese crap you get on eBay. As I stated before, mine lasted about 4 rides. I paid about $30 for it so that's $7.50 per ride. Think I'm gonna go with a Cygolite Expilion 700 as a replacement. Looks like they can be had for $115 online. After 15 rides I'm dollars ahead. And it has a better feature set in IMO. But don't mind me, I'm kinda an old curmudgeon


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## mtbRevolution (Aug 10, 2012)

berry barry said:


> HELP!!! I am new to lights and took a shot on some of the Cree XML T6 1800 Lumen lights as shown at the beginning of this thread. The lights are really bright - agreed. But unfortunately, one of the battery packs drains after less than 2 minutes on high and the other only lasts abut 40 mins. So obviously, I cannot use them.
> 
> I feel like a fool now for ordering from china bc I am getting the runaround that I will have to pay for shipping back to asia (the site says return shipping is paid on defective merchandise). SO now I am left with two lights and two paperweights.
> 
> ...


Hi Barry, sorry to hear about your troubles. We can supply you Xeccon 6600 mAh batteries from Xeccon USA service center in Bloomington IN. The batteries comes with 6 months warranties with no buck passing. If there's a problem within the 6 months let us know and we'll send you a new one. BAK cells may just be mid-standard but they are reliable. Special listing for mtbr members is here. We need to be sure the connectors you have are standard connectors. Real cheapo lights tend to have a smaller pin which may result in no or dodgy connection.

While we are on this subject. Cost of Li-ion packs amount to almost half the cost of the light sets we buy. If it's cheap, it's because of cheap batteries rather than cheap light head componentry. The cost of 4 x real McCoy Panasonic cells are around $7.50 each from a budget site. That's equal to $30 light sets a few pay for. Even if we halve that cost for good mid-range quality cells, you will be paying say USD 3.00 a cell. That's $12 which leaves $18 for a light head including charger, o-rings, extension cables and free delivery from China. So the gist of it is, cheap and reliable in the same sentence is always suspicious. Sets which were reliable are most probably due to blind luck - you just got recycled cells from a good laptop which died of something else.

It's still anecdotal but there's always a suspicion of recycled, fake, used cells re-wrapped to look like new. The only way to find out is to slit open the wrappers of your dead battery and post the pics if you can. Anyone else who have this problem should do the same probably in a new post. This better informs others of what they can expect, inside. The cells may come from 4 different sources but chances are none of them will be new.

The moral of the story is still,.... if it's too good to be true, it normally is.

Leonard


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## jeffw-13 (Apr 30, 2008)

I ordered a pair of these a couple weeks ago and used them a couple nights ago. So far I'm very pleased.

They're very bright and the batteries were still going strong after 2 hrs on medium setting. 

I mounted them to the fat part of my handlebar next to the stem and they stayed put through rough terrain and even a couple small jumps without any fiddling.

So far so good. Ill be interested to see how long they last


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## StiHacka (Feb 2, 2012)

berry barry said:


> Sorry....I am a newb to this. Thanks for any advice you can give.


When the original el-cheapo stuff from Chinese sellers breaks, get replacements from Action LED Lights. Got my charger and lens from them a couple days ago, both work great and AL will stand behind their stuff.


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## berry barry (Nov 20, 2012)

A big thanks to those who responded about the alternatives availabel as replaceents to the defective Cree XML T6 batteries. I now have a list of viable solutions to my problem. Once I find out definitively that I am not going to get a refund. I will tear the battert apart and see if I can figure out why they don't work. 

Thanks again to all.


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## eugovector (Nov 21, 2012)

I purchased a tri-clone on OCt 12, 2012 from securityingstore via ebay for $52 shipped. Can't post links yet, so pm for link if it would be helpful.

After 4 full charge to shutdown cycles, I'm at 1:36:12 on Low. Supposed 4400mAh 4 cell battery pack. Haven't tried "Hi" yet. Button is green plastic colored; no change to red before dying.

Questions: 
1) Is this in the ballpark of what other people are getting or am I running short?

2) After the light shut itself off, I plugged it into the charger for about 5 seconds, and then took it off. Connected it back up in the light ran fine for about 30 seconds. I pulled it off after that, because I didn't want to damage the battery pack by draining it to far. At the same time, I've read about "resetting" the battery pack by plugging it in briefly. 

Could someone better describe this process if it will give me extra battery life without damaging the batteries?

3) Is there an aftermarket pack that is recommended at this point? The other option is just for me to buy a 2nd light, leave it strapped to my road bike, and then use the 2 packs together when I go out for longer rides.

Thanks for your collective knowledge. -Marshall


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## edcal (Nov 11, 2012)

just got my Cheapo Chinese lights. Came with a "caution note" stating: beware of overheating when set on high for more then 10 minutes. Im not worried, even at its lowest setting its still hella bright.

Used it last night to check out the Black Friday line at Best Buy at 10pm. Everyone covered their eyes as I rode up hahaha. About an hour ride with lights on low, battery light still green. I like my new chinese light so far


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## phoenixnr (Jul 26, 2009)

phoenixnr said:


> Mine came in this week. Outstanding value. Very bright great battery life. Can't believe they can do this for 30$ delivered to my door.
> 
> Sent from my SGH-i917R using Board Express


Update on my single light from lifebike2011 (ebay) 
Have been using the light for about a month now. In terms of quality the light itself is out standing. The bike mount feels a little cheap. I used the head strap to mount it to my helmet and have only one issue where the ratcheting mechanism for height does not have enough clicks to set it exactly where I want it. Problem solved by slightly over tightening the mounting screw. 
Battery life is outstanding! I have yet to run out of battery so 2+ hours on high. I did have to open the battery pack after my third ride to resolder a connection. Outperforms my triple cree serfas light. (300$)
Light is very bright and more than meets my needs for a secondary helmet mounted light. It is very much a spot with decent cast around the spot. I am contemplating a flood lens.

Would highly recommend this light for its outstanding value.

"So I'm packing my bag for the misty mountain.."


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## ironbrewer (Oct 17, 2012)

I just ordered a super cheap 1 XML clone light.

9W 1200 Lumen XML XM-L T6 LED 2 in 1 Bike Bicycle Light HeadLight HeadLamp New | eBay

I figured for less than $24 bones I might as well. I'm figuring that maybe they are new and trying to get more feedback. If they screw me I'll just deal with paypal.


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## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

Had my first failure with my cheapo light - went for a night ride Thanksgiving Eve and got about 3 miles in when my light shut off. I hit the button but there was nothing. I tried to check the battery connection to make sure it hadn't come loose only to discover that the battery was nowhere to be found. The strap that holds the battery pouch on had completely torn off and dropped the battery off my bike. And of course at this point I discover that I left my little backup light sitting in the back seat of my vehicle so a few tense moments were spent feeling around for the dropped battery and hoping it still worked. Fortunately it did and I was able to rig it up to finish my ride. Guess it's time for a new battery bag.


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## bobale (Sep 23, 2012)

nemebean said:


> I tried to check the battery connection to make sure it hadn't come loose only to discover that *the battery was nowhere to be found*.


Sorry, but this is the most hilarious post on this thread


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## bobale (Sep 23, 2012)

As most of you, I hated stupid Hi -> Lo-> Strobe -> Off modes on my XM-L clone. So, using some spare time, TI LaunchPad and free samples from TI, I've made my own driver using MSP430G2230 µC. I've used the original driver board, but I've removed original MCU and replaced it with MSP430. I've programmed it using Energia (modified version of Arduino IDE for TI µCs). For someone with no µC programming experience it was dead easy. It was definitely worth a try because now I've got my modes exactly as I've wanted.

Now it works like this:
-Single click: alternates between High and Low (30%)
-Double click: stobe mode, single click and you're back to whichever mode you were in
-Hold: switch off the light.

To do:
-Remote switch
-Connect green LED to indicate battery is connected
-Implement low battery warning.


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

That is great *bobale*! Much better UI.

My 1200 lumen came today (wondering if there is any difference between the so claimed 1800, 1600 and 1200 as the LED is always the same...) and so far everything looks seems be working. I did buy it from TOMTOP and they did send me the EU plug i asked in the PayPal's note (they ask us to do that in their eBay's item page). One thing i don't like that much is the battery bag - it doesn't seem to hold the battery that right and it certainly isn't waterproof; also, it doesn't have a hole to pass the electrical cord, so it just comes out of it in a very "loose" way... (sorry for my bad english, i will post pictures soon). 
Anyway, I'm charging the batteries right now... I will only be able to do a test field in two weeks, though.

About Action LED's wide angle lens: am i suppose to force the "head" of the lamp to unscrew it? Can i really do it manually? I haven't tried that hard, because this is my first lamp and although it is a cheap one, i don't want to break it just yet  So, should i use my muscles and unscrew that sucker to then replace it with the new lens?

Also, could you guys tell me how can i measure my batteries' quality? I do have an old multimeter around the house...

Cheers!


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## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

bobale said:


> Sorry, but this is the most hilarious post on this thread


I have to admit that my first thought when I figured out what had happened was "Oh, MTBR is going to _love_ this."


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I just wonder if this can be done to the Skyray S6 or the other 3 XML clone. Perfect work and much better UI :thumbsup:


bobale said:


> As most of you, I hated stupid Hi -> Lo-> Strobe -> Off modes
> on my XM-L clone. So, using some spare time, TI LaunchPad and free samples from TI, I've made my own driver using MSP430G2230 µC. I've used the original driver board, but I've removed original MCU and replaced it with MSP430. I've programmed it using Energia (modified version of Arduino IDE for TI µCs). For someone with no µC programming experience it was dead easy. It was definitely worth a try because now I've got my modes exactly as I've wanted.
> 
> Now it works like this:
> ...


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## bobale (Sep 23, 2012)

Thanks. I've made UI to my liking, but it can be made to suit anyones liking. About 3XML: hopefully, it can. But, as I'm not planning on buying triple any time soon, someone else will have to check that.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Wow. 
80K+ views and counting. I'm flattered with the ongoing discussion since my original post a year ago.

*Time for an update:*

After a year of moderate use the battery capacity is only functioning at 20%. 
I always carry 3 light sources but 2 of them failed because of battery issues. 
On my commute home last night the Ebay light cut out at around 35mins (high) after an overnight charge. I had to finish the ride with only a small blinker and 10km was in pitch dark.

The original charger died after 6 months and had to be replaced. 
So now I plan on building a custom 2S2P battery pack with a set of high quality 3100mAH 18650s

In the end it costed me $60+ for a year of lighting. *meh*
Nothing lasts forever but I was expecting a little more longevity then a year.

In hind sight, if I had to do it all over again I would spend a little more money for a quality light. So if you have this light or you're considering it, don't set your expectations too high. You get what you pay for.

I'll keep you guys posted on my build.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I think you should get a LiPo battery from hobbyking, as bobale suggested. You loose headache, and you can get a 2S1P 8000mAh for a price of 2 18650 panasonics. You just need a hobby charger(perhaps also from hbkg) to charge it properly.



spartacus001 said:


> Wow.
> 80K+ views and counting. I'm flattered with the ongoing discussion since my original post a year ago.
> 
> *Time for an update:*
> ...


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

*LiPo battery*

My 14yo son has a lot of RC planes/cars they use LiPo so he has several including the chargers.

What size do I need? I guess I'd have to bribe him to solder on different connectors, etc... 



MK96 said:


> I think you should get a LiPo battery from hobbyking, as bobale suggested. You loose headache, and you can get a 2S1P 8000mAh for a price of 2 18650 panasonics. You just need a hobby charger(perhaps also from hbkg) to charge it properly.


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## bobale (Sep 23, 2012)

You'll need 2S battery, whichever capacity will get you job done.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Hey Patski,

Thank you for the generous offer. 
I've already order parts so I can use after market 18650 batteries with an external charger. 
. 
My build thread is on the way at:
http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-diy-do-yourself/needing-expert-advice-4-cell-2p2s-build-829284.html



patski said:


> My 14yo son has a lot of RC planes/cars they use LiPo so he has several including the chargers.
> 
> What size do I need? I guess I'd have to bribe him to solder on different connectors, etc...


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

OK, lifebike2011 finally "found" my returned light, a new one is on it's way...

Only took 2 months, now let's see how long it takes to get here....

patski



patski said:


> My lighthead died the FIRST time I used it, I got it from lifebike2011
> 
> The button on the back still glows but nothing... tried several batteries...
> 
> ...


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

MK96 said:


> I think you should get a LiPo battery from hobbyking, as bobale suggested. You loose headache, and you can get a 2S1P 8000mAh for a price of 2 18650 panasonics. You just need a hobby charger(perhaps also from hbkg) to charge it properly.


Since the RC hobby type LiPo battery does not have a protection circuit, it will be possible to overdischarge and cause damage to the battery. As long as you are careful to not drain below 6V for this type of light you will be OK.

It would also be a good idea to install a fuse or PTC fuse in the circuit at the battery to prevent burning up the wiring in the event of a short circuit.


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## Reelchef67 (Aug 21, 2011)

You'll need one of these
Tenergy 32005 PCB for 7.2V / 7.4V Li-PO and Li-ion 18650 / 18500 7.2V Battery Packs
this will protect your battery


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Thanks for that link.
If I wire in a PCB can I still use protected cells in the holder without any ill-effects?

Here is my make-shift replacement pack for now:
My project link is here: 
https://forums.mtbr.com/lights-diy-do-yourself/needing-expert-advice-4-cell-2p2s-build-829284.html


----------



## Silverlink (Sep 7, 2010)

Thanks for the review, think i'll get one


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## Cucucachu (Aug 19, 2003)

I've read a lot about battery pack issues. 
- Does anyone know if a good replacement battery from Magicshine is compatible?
- Has anyone had a Battery+ store replace the cells in the battery pack?


----------



## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I think most of us done the replacement on our own. The compatibility depends on the connector you have as the lights come with different connectors :skep:



Cucucachu said:


> I've read a lot about battery pack issues.
> - Does anyone know if a good replacement battery from Magicshine is compatible?
> - Has anyone had a Battery+ store replace the cells in the battery pack?


----------



## Cucucachu (Aug 19, 2003)

MK96 said:


> I think most of us done the replacement on our own. The compatibility depends on the connector you have as the lights come with different connectors :skep:


Cool thanks. I just ordered a China Cheapo (Magicshine knock-off) through Amazon. I have a Light & Motion Arc (HID) and the battery for that is now down to 30 mins. run time. The HID is freakin' amazing, but I can buy 5 magic shine knock-offs for price of a replacement L&M L/ion Battery.

I may still splurge for the L&M Battery to use the ARC another few years, but find it hard to buy another proprietary battery.


----------



## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

Cucucachu said:


> Cool thanks. I just ordered a China Cheapo (Magicshine knock-off) through Amazon. I have a Light & Motion Arc (HID) and the battery for that is now down to 30 mins. run time. The HID is freakin' amazing, but I can buy 5 magic shine knock-offs for price of a replacement L&M L/ion Battery.
> 
> I may still splurge for the L&M Battery to use the ARC another few years, but find it hard to buy another proprietary battery.


I'm right there with you. 
My Niterider Moab battery is down to about 1.5 hours....and now the switch ( or maybe the board inside) is funked up ( it toggles between the HID and leds....no brightness levels or off)....but it still works
The price of these clones , I can get a couple of lights cheaper than a battery or switch repair.


----------



## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

Yay, my replacement light from lifebike2011 arrived yesterday, exactly *3mos* from the date I mailed it to them....



patski said:


> OK, lifebike2011 finally "found" my returned light, a new one is on it's way...
> 
> Only took 2 months, now let's see how long it takes to get here....
> 
> patski


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

i've just purchased this system from amazon for $20! 

can anybody tell me how well the helmet strap works?


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## bobale (Sep 23, 2012)

$20? Damn, that's cheap! Please, share link here.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

Amazon.com: Buying Choices: CREE XML T6 Bicycle Headlight LED 3 Files 1200 Lumens


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## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

Fulfilled by Amazon: 27.40 with free shipping
From the cheapest seller: 20.91 + 6.48 shipping, which by my math is 27.39

Whoever set the price was no dummy.


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

I cut straps off, trimmed the plastic down to a minimum for weight savings and used a ziptie.









shekky said:


> i've just purchased this system from amazon for $20! can anybody tell me how well the helmet strap works?


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

patski said:


> I cut straps off, trimmed the plastic down to a minimum for weight savings and used a ziptie.
> 
> View attachment 769953


i think that's the route i'm going to take.

it's what i was thinking of.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

so my package arrived in the mail today from this shipper, who is located in chino hills, ca. it took the weekend for the item to process and ship to san francisco.

there's no instruction manual with this thing to speak of. does anybody have an idea of the charge time from a near-complete discharge?

i've also found a way to rig the lamp assembly to my old niterider helmet mount. note that i have a small piece of velcro attached to the helmet and the mount. i've yet to field test this set up though but i will post a report ASAP.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Nice adapting with the Velcro patch. 
I think a full charge took me ~10 hrs. 
Make sure you never leave the charging unattended.

http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-riding/exploding-battery-pack-cree-xm-lt6-led-bicycle-light-837382.html


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

spartacus001 said:


> Nice adapting with the Velcro patch.
> I think a full charge took me ~10 hrs.
> Make sure you never leave the charging unattended.
> 
> http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-night-riding/exploding-battery-pack-cree-xm-lt6-led-bicycle-light-837382.html


mother of dog...

explosions! really?

looks like i'll be charging this thing in an old metal cake pan, then...


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## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

Hah! I knew all of those collectible popcorn tins would come in handy some day.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

first trail ride using the light and motion stella 300 on the bar and the xml t6 on my head. great day in the sun-stained morning, that thing is BRIGHT. the high beam of the cree dwarfs that of the L&M, although i feel that the L&M's beam is obviously of higher quality. however, riding with that much light on my head will take some getting used to. here's some shots of the beam in san francisco's golden gate park.

now hopefully my battery pack won't explode. i'm charging it in a cake pan as i type...


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## ProjectBomber (Jun 9, 2008)

anyone having battery issues with this light? It seems like no matter what setting i use it never lasts more than an hour. when the light has shut off the battery volts are still above 7 vdc. also if the battery pack is plugged in for even a second it will work again with the light. any thoughts


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

read the thread above about exploding battery packs. it seems as if the quality of the batteries varies somewhat, since they're factory seconds. 

i've used mine twice with no issues. crossing my fingers, but we get what we pay for...


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## ProjectBomber (Jun 9, 2008)

Yikes so I guess I got off easy with one that just doesn't work well. Looks like I'll have to find a new one or dust off the old R/C days skills of soldering packs.


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

The "quality" of the lighthead/LED must vary as well, my replacement lighthead only lasts 30-40 minutes with the same battery, the lighthead that died lasted an hour(at least) on the one ride I completed before it croaked....



patski said:


> Yay, my replacement light from lifebike2011 arrived yesterday, exactly *3mos* from the date I mailed it to them....


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## DimGR (Feb 16, 2013)

i think 1800lumens is a bit too much


----------



## batvette (Dec 10, 2006)

God I love these threads. 

Forget THIS light, it's last week's news, now ebay has 2000 lumen XM-L ButtShine StuporFire Bike Light for just $22 shipped! Buy 2 or 3, you will surely need them because all the parts from the first one will be so lonely sitting in that drawer when it breaks in six weeks. 
Meanwhile remember you started commuting to work to make a difference to the planet and save money on gas. You reduced YOUR carbon footprint but some China factories making everything from solar panels to lights like these spews a GG that's 17,000x more damaging than carbon dioxide and lasts 800 years. 
Okay we've got gee whiz hi tech lighting and 1.3 billion people do have to eat too... but gimme 1970's Schwinn Lemon Peeler with a 2D cell headlight with acid that leaked out of its Ray-O-Vacs because that's all we had, didn't know any better so who needed more? 
Why are people lining up to pay $50 knowing these are virtually throwaways? 

I dunno, I'm no better, that parts drawer in MY toolbox contains two of Elektrolumens Wayne's "little friends", a 320l and a 550l version, each lasting a year of constant fiddling before being beyond saving. $140 each. Several DX multi-cree abominations in the boneyard. 

2 circa 2006 Dinotte 140l? Permanently clamped on my Klein Quantum Race Roadie with new aluminum front bezels to replace the broken plastic ones, probably still going in year 2030. If I could just figure a way to DD a P7 or XML in each.....


----------



## zarr (Feb 14, 2008)

tagged for future ref


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## Desertride (Nov 1, 2012)

patski said:


> Yay, my replacement light from lifebike2011 arrived yesterday, exactly *3mos* from the date I mailed it to them....


I ordered a slightly different one (red bezel) from the same seller. It took quite a while for it to arrive, but the quality is outstanding for the price. It has a half orange-peel reflector giving it a nice mix of spot and flood.

Hopefully it won't explode the next time I charge it ;}


----------



## Pro4tundra (Mar 21, 2009)

I'm looking at making a replacement mount for this style light body. If i get enough intrest, i can make a few and sell them here cheap. Let me know if you guys are interested.


----------



## boogman (May 21, 2012)

So are there no good battery options for these lights? The light is bright as hell.. I'm concerned about the battery pack like everyone else here...


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Yes there are some Xeccon and Magicshine packs,if you do not want to make your own 18650 cells or Lipo RC batteries


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## PedroDank (Oct 27, 2012)

Desertride said:


> I ordered a slightly different one (red bezel) from the same seller. It took quite a while for it to arrive, but the quality is outstanding for the price. It has a half orange-peel reflector giving it a nice mix of spot and flood.
> 
> Hopefully it won't explode the next time I charge it ;}


I'm curious to know how's that half OP reflector. Could you please take a picture of it? I don't remind ever seeing a reflector like that...

Cheers and hope you enjoy your new light!


----------



## Bailey44 (Dec 30, 2010)

I ordered the one from Amazon and received it in 3 days. First ride last night after a 2 hour charge(didn't have time for more of a charge).

The thing is bright and worked fine. I would probably like a more narrow throw but for the price, it seems difficult to beat.

The battery issues I have read about makes me nervous. I will likely change over to an AT once this thing dies for peace of mind.


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## the mayor (Nov 18, 2004)

Bailey44 said:


> I ordered the one from Amazon and received it in 3 days. First ride last night after a 2 hour charge(didn't have time for more of a charge).
> 
> The thing is bright and worked fine. I would probably like a more narrow throw but for the price, it seems difficult to beat.
> 
> The battery issues I have read about makes me nervous. I will likely change over to an AT once this thing dies for peace of mind.


I wouldn't get to scared about them.
There's thousands of them out there.....
You have a Li ion battery in your phone, electric toothbrush,razor....the list goes on.


----------



## boogman (May 21, 2012)

What is the connector type for this light and battery? Is there a standard ? How do I know the battery made for another manufactuer's light like MagicShine or Gemini will work with this Ebay nameless light? 

Same question goes for dynamo hubs.. what are the attributes used to determine whether these cheap ebay lights can work with a certain dynamo?

My charger makes an audible buzz when plugged into the wall outlet.. that doesn't bode well for me...


----------



## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

boogman said:


> What is the connector type for this light and battery? Is there a standard ? How do I know the battery made for another manufactuer's light like MagicShine or Gemini will work with this Ebay nameless light?


You don't. That's part of the cheap Chinese light experience. 

If you're handy with a soldering iron you can put a new connector on if the current one doesn't work, but that's about it. _Most_ of them do work fine from what I hear, but there are no guarantees.


----------



## Bailey44 (Dec 30, 2010)

the mayor said:


> I wouldn't get to scared about them.
> There's thousands of them out there.....
> You have a Li ion battery in your phone, electric toothbrush,razor....the list goes on.


You are right...I was over thinking it. I now charge it in my neighbor's kitchen each time.


----------



## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

i've been using mine for 1-1/2 to two hour rides once or twice a week now since i received it. 

so far so good.


----------



## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

boogman said:


> What is the connector type for this light and battery? Is there a standard ?


There is no jack standards with these lights. Some are larger and some are smaller.

My connector is 2.5mm (inline power jack). 
If you are looking for your size then bring your light into your local electronics hobby store and try them out.

As a precaution I always charge my 18650 in a LiPo bag.


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## scroll24_7 (Jan 21, 2013)

I think I might have gotten a good batch. Just turned red after 3:45 hours in full blast. It came with what I assume is a full charge from the seller, gonna give it my first charge now.

Here is the link: Amazon.com: CREE XML XM-L T6 LED Bike Bicycle Light HeadLight HeadLamp 1200LM Gold: Sports & Outdoors


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## varider (Nov 29, 2012)

scroll24_7 said:


> I think I might have gotten a good batch. Just turned red after 3:45 hours in full blast. It came with what I assume is a full charge from the seller, gonna give it my first charge now.
> 
> Here is the link: Amazon.com: CREE XML XM-L T6 LED Bike Bicycle Light HeadLight HeadLamp 1200LM Gold: Sports & Outdoors


Which seller did you buy from? I see four listed. At $26 it might be worth the investment just for a spare lighthead.

How is the strobe mode activated. Do you have to press the button for a few seconds (so it's hidden), or is it part of the regular mode rotation.


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## scroll24_7 (Jan 21, 2013)

varider said:


> Which seller did you buy from? I see four listed. At $26 it might be worth the investment just for a spare lighthead.
> 
> How is the strobe mode activated. Do you have to press the button for a few seconds (so it's hidden), or is it part of the regular mode rotation.


Got that same gold one from TOMTOP. Yes, the flashing mode is "hidden". Gotta press it for a couple of second. Used the light for a short ride tonight and the flashing mode is BRIGHT. Was lighting up all the street and the reflective signs where going crazy. People were definitively aware that I was around.

Lets see how it holds up.


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## varider (Nov 29, 2012)

Thanks. That's great news about the flash mode being hidden.

The first thing to go might the battery. If it fails in a few months, just get one from action led. They come with a 6 month warranty.


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## Lupob6 (Apr 21, 2012)

Just got my second light, and I believe it might be defective. As soon as I put batteries in the light turned on, and won't turn off. I've tried to hold the button with no success.

I'm currently trying to drain the batteries and recharge, any other ideas


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Junk driver circuit board. Return it if possible. If not, the driver can be repaired or replaced if you have some electronic knowledge.


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## Lupob6 (Apr 21, 2012)

I took an electronics class back in high school but doubt that will cut it, eBay seller is going to send another light

Thanks for the help


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## axl886 (Oct 15, 2012)

Hey... so I have an 808 ebay clone with a smooth reflector, and wants to alter the throw to be wider. May I know exactly what is the output difference between the 2:

Action-LED-Lights ? Wide Angle Lens

Action-LED-Lights ? MJ-808/808E/808U/Titan Replacement Reflector

And for which ever product, just to confirm - it's a direct swap right? Thanks.


----------



## Der Juicen (Oct 7, 2010)

axl886 said:


> Hey... so I have an 808 ebay clone with a smooth reflector, and wants to alter the throw to be wider. May I know exactly what is the output difference between the 2:
> 
> Action-LED-Lights ? Wide Angle Lens
> 
> ...


i have 2 808 ebay clones. the first one i bought i also ordered the orange peel reflector, and the wide angle lens. when i got the light it was a pretty tight spot that wasnt really all that useable. with just the wide angle lens it created a beam that looked like a hot dog across the trail. 
i installed the orange peel reflector and it was a world of difference in useable light. although it did take a bit of modification to fit properly. for the first light i had to grind off the lip with a pedestal belt sander so that it sit far enough in the housing to not create any dead spots. not a big deal, took me about 10 minutes.
on this same light i also used the wide angle lens. which is awesome as a bar light.
the wide angle lens is a little bit thinner than the stock glass so you may need an o-ring to keep things tight and in position. for my helmet light i have the orange peel reflector with the clear lens that works for throw down the trail.

the reflector and lens are cheap enough, order both and see what you like, just pay attention to the light pattern when fitting the reflector.


----------



## axl886 (Oct 15, 2012)

Der Juicen: thanks a lot for your reply. Guess I'll just get both parts anyways! Since shipping costs is already incurred.


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## icequbed (Jun 30, 2013)

Does anybody know if this light or this light are legit? Seems too good to be true but comes with everything. A bit worried about the battery pack safety and handlebar mount though.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

icequbed said:


> Does anybody know if this light or this light are legit? Seems too good to be true but comes with everything. A bit worried about the battery pack safety and handlebar mount though.


those lights are what this entire thread is about.


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## icequbed (Jun 30, 2013)

Yeah, I'm just a bit worried as the OP mentioned that he bought his for ~£40 - the one I linked is less than half the price!


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

DX site seems to have more trust than ebay sellers.



icequbed said:


> Yeah, I'm just a bit worried as the OP mentioned that he bought his for ~£40 - the one I linked is less than half the price!


----------



## axl886 (Oct 15, 2012)

Ok so I got the following 2 parts...


axl886 said:


> Action-LED-Lights ? Wide Angle Lens
> 
> Action-LED-Lights ? MJ-808/808E/808U/Titan Replacement Reflector


My normal 1 LED light fits them just fine but the bezel of my 3 LED seems to be affixed solidly to the body?


----------



## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

icequbed said:


> Yeah, I'm just a bit worried as the OP mentioned that he bought his for ~£40 - the one I linked is less than half the price!


The OP also bought one a year and a half ago. They've come down in price a lot since then.


----------



## SnowBound (Apr 1, 2007)

Does anyone know if the magicshine batteries or the ones from action led will work on the generic cree lights. They look exactly alike but has anyone tried it? Has anyone tried using plastidip on the generic batteries to help weatherproof it?


----------



## axl886 (Oct 15, 2012)

axl886 said:


> My normal 1 LED light fits them just fine but the bezel of my 3 LED seems to be affixed solidly to the body?


HELP HELP...

Ok, try as I might to rotate with a piece of rough cloth, I just can't unscrew the 3LED bezel to affix the new lenses. 

To clarify, is the interface at the silver bezel itself (1)... or is it lower, on the plastic body (2)? Has anyone succeeded before... any tips please? TIA.


----------



## axl886 (Oct 15, 2012)

I managed to do it! Interface is at (1). Switched it on facing down for 10 min, then tried many times to forcefully unscrew the bezel, using what available little traction there is on the thin bezel.










Do note that the Action wide angle lenses is a tad bigger than the 3 LED stock lenses' size, so I had to file it down 2mm in diameter all-round to fit.


----------



## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

axl886 said:


> Do note that the Action wide angle lenses is a tad bigger than the 3 LED stock lenses' size, so I had to file it down 2mm in diameter all-round to fit.


How did the beam pattern turn out for you. I don't know of anyone using this lens on a 3 beam light.


----------



## axl886 (Oct 15, 2012)

Action LED Lights said:


> How did the beam pattern turn out for you. I don't know of anyone using this lens on a 3 beam light.


Hey Jim! It works beautifully, very similar to the beam pattern pic on your website.


----------



## SA Freak (Sep 20, 2013)

Hi All,

I have looked through this thread with interest as I am putting together a light set for night trail riding.
The information about OP reflectors and wide angle lenses has been extremely helpful, thanks.

I was wondering if anyone has used these lights

Cree XM L XML T6 LED 1800 LM Bicycle Bike Head Light Headlamp Rechargeable Head | eBay

These only run on 3.7V not the 8.4V most of you have been working with. So the batteries in this pack are wired in parallel not series, I would have thought this is a good thing to run the batteries in this way?
Could I get longer run times out of this system over an 8.4V system?

Sorry if they are silly questions


----------



## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

SA Freak said:


> These only run on 3.7V not the 8.4V most of you have been working with. So the batteries in this pack are wired in parallel not series, I would have thought this is a good thing to run the batteries in this way?
> Could I get longer run times out of this system over an 8.4V system?
> 
> Sorry if they are silly questions


If this light is using 3.7V battery setup then there is something screwy in the description. They state the driver is a boost circuit. That doesn't work with a single XML and 3.7V. The Vf of the XML is ~3.2V. Since that is less than the battery voltage you need to drop voltage not boost it. My bet is that the driver is actually a simple linear regulator that uses PWM for the low ouput mode and strobe. You might actually get less runtime with this light because linear regulators burn the excess voltage as heat. Additionally, low voltage means higher current through the cable and connectors. You lose a bit of energy there (though a very small amount at these power levels). I did not see a drive current in the spec so there is no way to estimate about what real light output may be. It will not be even half of the 1800 in the ad.


----------



## SA Freak (Sep 20, 2013)

So my very simple logic of adding additional batteries in series increases the voltage but adding batteries in parallel leaves the voltage the same but increases the mAh available may not be so good.

I was hoping that by making my own battery pack consisting of 4 X 3.7v 5300mAh batteries I could get insanely long run times. Would that work of have I got it all wrong???


----------



## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

Where are you seeing that it runs on 3.7 volts? It appears to be using the same battery as every other one of these. Also, I don't see any way that you would wire up a 4x18650 pack to get 3.7 volts out of it - 8.4 / 4 is 2.1, which doesn't add up to 3.7 no matter how you arrange the individual cells.

Adding batteries in parallel _is_ a way to extend your runtime (I did it with deep cycle batteries on my camper), but I don't think what you're planning will work.


----------



## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

> So my very simple logic of adding additional batteries in series increases the voltage but adding batteries in parallel leaves the voltage the same but increases the mAh available may not be so good.
> 
> I was hoping that by making my own battery pack consisting of 4 X 3.7v 5300mAh batteries I could get insanely long run times. Would that work of have I got it all wrong???


Your understanding of battery configurations is correct. Series adds voltage, parallel adds current. The watt hour capacity stays the same with either configuration.

Larger battery capacity will always give longer runtime on the light. The electronics inside the light that regulates the current flow to the LED can be of many different designs, each with their own characteristics. Efficiency is one of those. A switching style regulator can be more efficient than a linear style in battery powered bike light applications.


----------



## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

nemebean said:


> Also, I don't see any way that you would wire up a 4x18650 pack to get 3.7 volts out of it - 8.4 / 4 is 2.1, which doesn't add up to 3.7 no matter how you arrange the individual cells.
> 
> Adding batteries in parallel _is_ a way to extend your runtime (I did it with deep cycle batteries on my camper), but I don't think what you're planning will work.


Li-Ion batteries are nominal 3.7V. Fresh off the charger they will be 4.2 but drop pretty quickly to the 3.7 range and then drop slowly to the 3.2 range then decline quickly after that. The light builders know that buyers look for bigger is better so they state maximum (or beyond) values in all their specs to lure in unknowing buyers. So it gets printed that the battery is 8.4V.

Four cells in 2S2P configuration is nominal 7.4V and a max of 8.4V.


----------



## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

Ah, should have known that the voltage numbers would be inflated. Every other spec on these lights is.


----------



## SA Freak (Sep 20, 2013)

All I really know about electricity is that it bites but I suffer from a lifelong affliction of tinkering and a level of curiosity that does me more harm than good.

I bought one of these as an impulse buy a while ago so Ihave one to play with. I bought it based on the mounting system alone, I havetried the rubber band thingies and always end up with the light doing a 180 onthe bars and shining straight into my face after a rocky section or drop off.

My understanding of the circuitry in the light is zero, but I do know that it is a 3.7V system and it is wired in Parallel.

I hope the following information is useful to those in the know
I have stripped down the battery hoping to get more information on the actual cells and to my surprise it is only a 3 cell pack! (false advertising much?) No matter to me as I was always going to try to builda bigger pack anyway, but still not nice.



After charging the pack, it came up to 4.27V

And remeasuring the pack after running the light till the safety cut out kicked in I got 2.72V

Run times are:
1 hour 36 minutes on the high setting
5 hours, 37 minutes on the low setting.
(this data may help someone smarter than me figure outwhat's actually on the circuit board)


I was hoping that if I built a 4 cell battery pack using something like these

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/350855679747?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

I would have a 3.7V pack with 21,200 mAh????? (if you can believe the batters clamed output)
Would this give me crazy long run times running one light or just really good run times using 2 lights? Would that work?


----------



## Kir (May 30, 2013)

Welcome to the wonderful world of chinese batteries 

If I was you I would make a paypal dispute about that battery and force seller to make a partial refund.
You battery is made from 1000-1500mAh cells. These ebay cells are not better, expect the same horrible capacity. If you want real high-capacity 18650 cells - buy brand-name ones (Samsung, LG, Sanyo, Panasonic). 2600mAh cells will give you 10400mAh battery and about 4-5 hours runtime on high mode.
Also think about how you'll build battery pack from them. Soldering li-ion batteries is not recommended so you should buy batteries with attached tabs for soldering or use holders.

And you should really replace that charger, 4.27v is way too high. Recommended cutoff voltage for most 18650 cells is 4.20v.


----------



## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

New type of chinese battery - guess how much capacity seller claims for that "dummy" cell/tube ?  :thumbsup:



SA Freak said:


>


----------



## varider (Nov 29, 2012)

lol. That looks like a 6600 mah battery to me! Which light did that come with, I want to make sure never to order from him?


----------



## BobaX (Sep 2, 2013)

Hi guys,

I'm thinking about ordering the same light as the Op, and adding a wider lens from Action Lights. This is the eBay seller I'm planning to buy it from, what do you guys think?

Does anyone have pics of this light mounted on a MTB? My frame has no H20 Bosses.

Thanks guys!


----------



## axl886 (Oct 15, 2012)

BobaX: Shouldn't be a problem at all, fixing the wider lenses.


----------



## BobaX (Sep 2, 2013)

axl886 said:


> BobaX: Shouldn't be a problem at all, fixing the wider lenses.


My only gripe is the quality of the battery and especially the "dummy" battery from the previous page (false advertisement)?!

From what I recall in this thread, the cheapo battery that comes with the light lasted for a year for the op, correct? For $20 for a year's use, I think it's worth it.


----------



## rfoster (Oct 9, 2013)

*Hello, new member has light that does not work after 2 rides. Need help .r*

I am a new member that has a
light that does not work after 2 rides. Need help .r



spartacus001 said:


> My first light review:
> 
> *Advertised Specs:*
> *Emitter Type:* XML T6 LED Output 1800 lumens
> ...


----------



## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

rfoster said:


> I am a new member that has a
> light that does not work after 2 rides. Need help .r


The cheapo lights are typically assembled very poorly. Assuming your battery is charged, plugged correctly. etc. and the light does not work, you might be able to repair it. Do you have any electronic/electrical knowledge, a voltmeter, and a soldering iron?


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Electrical knowledge is indeed required to play with these lights. Perhaps battery, cold soldered join, whatever fried inside the light. There are lot of things that can go wrong there.


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## rumblytumbly (Jun 5, 2013)

Just got one of these yesterday: Amazon.com: 4 Mode 1200 Lumen CREE XML T6 Bulb LED Bicycle bike HeadLight Lamp Flashlight Light Headlamp: Sports & Outdoors with amazon prime so I can get a quick refund and return label.
Read this whole thread and didn't find anyone with exactly my issue.
-out of the box, worked beautifully for a half hour or so as I played around with it
-put it on charger (didn't run it all the way down), red light for ~1.5hrs then green light on charger appeared so I took it off
-now when I plug the batt into the light unit the LED is just barely lit and on the on/off button it kind of looks like both a green and red light are lit (probably red, just in the green rubber button)
-try charging again and the charger shows red for only a minute or two before turning green and, presumably, no longer charging.
The light unit itself is very impressive, so if these symptoms aren't pointing towards a burnt out LED or something I may just order a proper charger from Action LED. Any ideas on a quick fix or what to test for before I do that? Thanks.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I think the charger is not the problem - it is cheap, but rarely dies. I would check the battery or the unit. Or if you don't like to do that return it back.


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## plugp7 (Oct 8, 2011)

Der Juicen said:


> does anybody have a link to new drivers and cree xml u2 parts that would fit right into these housings?


Did anyone come back with answer to this?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

plugp7 said:


> Did anyone come back with answer to this?


There's one easy solution. 
Right HERE
You get everything you need including a good driver, a good BAK battery, a good charger, good wires/plugs, an orange peal reflector with tempered glass lens, and a 1 year guaranty on all of it.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

As the OP I can't believe this thread is going so strong after 2 years.

It can be a number of things causing your problem. 
i.e. substandard Batteries, Charger, Protection Circuit Board, Wiring, driver etc.

Check the charger first, it could have gone bad. Mine failed for no apparent reason after about a dozen uses. Put a volt meter on the jack and measure the output Voltage and Current. Output should be 8.4V at 1.5A

I also and serviced a friend's light charger that failed too. The Green LED was still on but the charger no longer putting out enough voltage.

I carefully took the shrink wrap off I noticed that the +ve and -ve
terminals had too much bare wire exposed. Over time, the bare wires had twist over each causing a short--which presumably shorted out the charger when it was plugged in.

I trimmed down the wires and re-soldered the leads to the PCB Ensuring that no copper was exposed so that even if it twist again there would not be bare wires contacting each other.
I also wrapped the black wire around to the OTHER side of the battery and heat shrunk it in place to prevent twisting.

Fixed Battery 
















Cable Wrapped around to the other side









plugp7 said:


> Did anyone come back with answer to this?


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## plugp7 (Oct 8, 2011)

Action LED Lights said:


> There's one easy solution.
> Right HERE
> You get everything you need including a good driver, a good BAK battery, a good charger, good wires/plugs, an orange peal reflector with tempered glass lens, and a 1 year guaranty on all of it.


Thanks for that but I understood this was "Lights DIY Forums"?
I'm more than happy with my cheap Chinese knock offs after 2 winters (with Majicshine wide angle lens cover). Would like to bin the stupid strobe though. Anyone got a fix?


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

plugp7 said:


> Thanks for that but I understood this was "Lights DIY Forums"?


Yea sorry, just could resist. I built my first couple of LED bike lights and love the challenge of such. But at some point I decided it just wasn't worth the hours to save $30-$40. --- And look were it led.


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

plugp7 said:


> Thanks for that but I understood this was "Lights DIY Forums"?
> I'm more than happy with my cheap Chinese knock offs after 2 winters (with Majicshine wide angle lens cover). Would like to bin the stupid strobe though. Anyone got a fix?


Actually this is the "Lights and Night Riding" forum. The DIY forum is the next one down.


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## plugp7 (Oct 8, 2011)

fightnut said:


> Actually this is the "Lights and Night Riding" forum. The DIY forum is the next one down.


Really! Doesn't look like it but I take your point. Either way, my query still stands.


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## nemebean (Feb 20, 2012)

The problem is the links at the top of the page look like breadcrumbs, but aren't. They're just links to related pages.


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## plugp7 (Oct 8, 2011)

*oooops*

and.... does anyone know if this extension cable has the same fittings.

Action-LED-Lights ? 1m Extension Cable


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

I can tell you that the cable has 5.5mm x 2.1mm connectors.


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## Khrystyan27 (Jul 3, 2011)

Can this light be powered just by a dynamo hub? (no battery, etc...)


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## BobaX (Sep 2, 2013)

Does anyone else other than the op use another mount for this light? The original O ring really are subpar and I'm looking at another mount. Not really a DIYer in terms of mount-building goes though..

Also, another issue with my light is that I've switched out the original lens for the wide angle lens. My lens was really easy to remove. All i had to do was untighten that silver metal housing or whatever. Once it's loose, I take it off and I remove the lens. I didn't have to go thru all the steps that you guys had to do thru in the first page or two of this thread.

Maybe it's a newer version?

Also, my light is not as clean as in the pic below. It's sort of scattered all over the place... I'll take a pic when i get home.


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Spartacus, I found this PCB is quite dangerous to li-ion/pol chemistry - discharges the cells to about 2.3V (measured using hobby charger and Skyray S6).

Bobax, I have mine (and other chinese clones) on a Cateye H24 mount - perfectly strong ;-)


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## Khrystyan27 (Jul 3, 2011)

Khrystyan27 said:


> Can this light be powered just by a dynamo hub? (no battery, etc...)


Answer for this question?


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

i think i posted images of mine rigged with my old niterider trail rat mount. i've had no problems using it with the larger of the two original o-rings. scroll back a few pages and you'll find it.

as for getting another lens, can the person who replaced theirs re post the link to the vendor who is selling them?

thanks!


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

Khrystyan27 said:


> Can this light be powered just by a dynamo hub? (no battery, etc...)


Not without some modifications. Dyno hubs output 6V AC. This light uses 7.4V DC


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

But chinese PCB cuts off at 2.3V/cell so I think it may work (this light and also other 2S2P should be able from 5 to 8/9V). I bought a 3V/cell cutoff PCB since I use li-pos ...
Just add a simple AC/DC convertor, perhaps a nimh cell / capacitor ...


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## Kir (May 30, 2013)

No, at least not for full power. Dynamo just doesn't provide enough current for XML led.


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## Khrystyan27 (Jul 3, 2011)

Yeah, I know hub dynamo's output AC curent.

I was thinking about adding a full-bridge rectifier and a 3.500uF capacitor, but somebody told me that it wouldn't work, because the light consumes far more than the dyno can output.


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## BobaX (Sep 2, 2013)

MK96 said:


> Bobax, I have mine (and other chinese clones) on a Cateye H24 mount - perfectly strong ;-)


Is this the Cateye H24 mount?

If it is, i can't justify the mount being more expensive than the light itself :/


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## fightnut (Jul 5, 2007)

I think it's this one, New Cat Eye H 24 Bracket Set for HL NC300 HL 1500 HL 500 Cycling Computer | eBay


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Yes,the second one,paid about 4 euros for it on bike24 web.


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## Khrystyan27 (Jul 3, 2011)

Kir said:


> No, at least not for full power. Dynamo just doesn't provide enough current for XML led.


About what percent will the light run on a dynamo?

What if I add 5x1.2V Ni-Mh accu's?


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## BobaX (Sep 2, 2013)

How do i go about mounting the light onto the Cateye H24 Mount? Do I remove the stock O ring mount from the light? If so, how do I remove it?

This is the stock O ring mount on the light.








This is the Cateye H[24 Mount


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

Hi BobaX, this is not the H24 mount. The right one posted here fightnut. To unscrew the chinese plastic mount you need to take off that black soft sticker sitting in the mount arc/or under the arc, it will reveal the screw - the one and only.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

IF u are in the USA then Buy the H-24 Bracket and spacer directly from Cateye

https://www.shopcateye.com/product/hl-500-black

BUT this is NOT a simple bolt on modification.

The H-24 bracket will NOT center properly with the existing hole. 
In addition, I didn't feel that there was enough metal on the body for a single screw.

This is the reason why I fabricated a Custom Plastic Spacer that lies between the light and the H-24 bracket. If you look closely you can see the black 'fat' piece. 
I drilled/tapped 2 new holes in the light and secured the spacer with 2 countersunk screws. Then I screwed the H24 mount to the spacer.


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## BobaX (Sep 2, 2013)

spartacus001 said:


> IF u are in the USA then Buy the H-24 Bracket and spacer directly from Cateye





spartacus001 said:


> https://www.shopcateye.com/product/hl-500-black
> 
> BUT this is NOT a simple bolt on modification.
> 
> ...




Would buying the H24 bracket and its spacer solve the problem of the light not being center or do I have to custom fabricate another spacer?


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

In my case it was a new hole in the light head and some cut out rubber spacer between H 24 and the head. This way even the 3 XML Skyray holds fine and has ability to bounce very slightly when riding mtb.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

Marwi mounts have about 10 degrees of rotation on each side of center

Magicshine to Marwi mount adapters

Magic Shine to Marwi adapter

And you will need the Marwi mount -

LED Bike Lights 7

***


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## BobaX (Sep 2, 2013)

Got mine mounted by enlarging the original screw on the light. Loctite the screw so it doesn't come loose. Works perfectly!


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## Swissam (Apr 8, 2008)

I guess I should say thank you to everyone in this thread. I was about to buy one of these lights from Amazon (Germany) since it had such great reviews on the amazon site. Right before I was about to click "buy" I says to myself, maybe you should check other reviews from those bike internets. I don't know anything about electrical work nor do I have time to tinker with it until I get fed up and bin it for something more legit. Thank you all for saving me 30 euros and who knows how much frustration. I guess I'll go stright for the magic shine or Gemeni.


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## -Archie- (Aug 25, 2013)

I think, it's the right way to go. Good luck!


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

To use the Cateye H24 bracket I fabricated a custom piece of plastic allowing a channel for the wire to come through the back.

I drilled&counter bored 2 holes in the plastic piece which screws into the lamp.
I modified the lamp head by drilling&tapping 2 holes 8-32 to which this piece is bolted on to.
Then I drilled & tapped a center hole to which the the "H24 Spacer" attaches. 
I Hope this helps.









Put Together


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## MK96 (Nov 5, 2012)

I have similar spacer but made from rubber thick about 3-4 mm. Oh man this thread has 209.000 views!


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

MK96 said:


> .... Oh man this thread has 209.000 views!


Yes. 
This was quite unexpected but since my OP 3 years ago the light is still going strong.


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## scar (Jun 2, 2005)

spartacus001 said:


> Wow.
> 80K+ views and counting. I'm flattered with the ongoing discussion since my original post a year ago.
> 
> *Time for an update:*
> ...


You say the light is still going strong. How much more money did you have to invest (new charger, new battery, different mount) to make it a reliable light?

*****


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

On its 3rd year and still working

I love the versatility of the custom battery pack. 
I can take the single 18650s to run my other handheld flashlights. 

I'm very tempted to pick up the latest 3-emitter head.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

after a little over a year and a half of moderate (2 x wk) use, my battery is apparently fading. 

it just plain quit on me last night after less than two hours of use. fortunately, i use two lights and really didn't need two lights where it quit.

for $35, you get what you pay for.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

If the Emitter head is still good then your can replace it with a high quality battery pack. I made my own pack: 
http://forums.mtbr.com/lights-diy-d...-4-cell-2p2s-build-829284-2.html#post10080747

And I recently picked up the 3x XML for my helmet. It's a shooter rather then a flooder but no real difference in light output compared to a single XML.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

my goodness, look at this price...

http://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Bicyc...=1415080717&sr=1-5&keywords=magic+shine+light


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## steelhmr (Sep 30, 2011)

Can anyone recommend a single LED lighthead that produces a slow pulse when in flash mode? As opposed to the normal fast strobe in flash mode? Thanks.


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## plugp7 (Oct 8, 2011)

steelhmr said:


> Can anyone recommend a single LED lighthead that produces a slow pulse when in flash mode? As opposed to the normal fast strobe in flash mode? Thanks.


This is something I was looking at for quite a while. I used DX drivers, cheap and cheerful. The simplest way I ended up with was to use a power MOSFET to interupt the battery supply to the driver. I used a low power blinking led as a trigger to switch the MOSFET on and off about 100 time per min. The MOSFET etc, sits in the battery pack.


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

shekky said:


> my goodness, look at this price...
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Bicycl...ic+shine+light


and no slo boat from china...


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

Is this the same light?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006Y1FK18...olid=B5KOGTRD52K4&coliid=I3QJ98K3IMBLSC&psc=1


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

i'm a bit confused with that one. are they selling a tail light, the headlamp and accessories or both?


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

My understanding is 'either'. There is the option to choose tail light, or head light.


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## patski (Dec 12, 2005)

ARandomBiker said:


> Is this the same light?
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006Y1FK18/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=B5KOGTRD52K4&coliid=I3QJ98K3IMBLSC&psc=1


Says AAA Battery, dont' think you want that....


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

Interesting. It shows a battery pack in the photos.

Edit: the reviews and comments mention 4x 18650's as well.
Quite the confusion.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

well, mine flat quit on me twenty minutes into descending railroad grade on mt tam--these things don't go dim, they just QUIT...i bought it a little more than a year ago. i tested the run time today on a full charge and got about ten minutes in on high before the green nub on the back of the head went red.

no worries. for thirty five dollars, that's about the life i expected from a cheap chinese knockoff.

i found another one on amazon for just under thirteen dollars (with the same kind of rechargeable battery pack, mind you) 

let's see if i can squeeze a year out of that set...


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## phoenixnr (Jul 26, 2009)

My old one is still going. Bought another for my wife. Looks like the quality has improved a little, the light itself is very spotty. Resolved with a wide angle lens for the magic shine product.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## C.M.S (Aug 28, 2009)

A few eBay vendors have these with XML-L2's at the same cost as the older XML T6


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## 47mph (Nov 3, 2014)

Ordered the head unit for $8 total (includes shipping). I have a 2 Panasonic 3100mah batteries pack. Got some red transparent plexiglas. I'm going to use this as a tail light. 

My headlight is the Solar Storm 2x.

So as a tail light it will be in the strobe mode. Any mods for the board to increase the strobe brightness and/or change strobe speed? Photos would be helpful.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

sooooo...i ended up getting another one for almost eighteen dollars U.S., shipped included. it was mailed from florida to california and made it to my work address in about four calendar days.

right out of the box, the charge indicator will not turn green to indicate a full charge, even after an overnight charge. i figure the best i can do is charge it no more than three hours following each use, being sure to use the alarm on my watch or cell phone to keep track of the time. other than the charge indicator not functioning, the light seems to work okay following three one and a half hour test run/charge cycles and two consecutive 2.5 hour night rides. 

i agree with other posts that the beam is really spotty and will be purchasing a lens as soon as i find one that ships from a location in the U.S.

in regards to the light that i purchased in february (?) of 2013, i had my LBS check the battery and they confirmed that it was kaput.

all in all, however, you get what you pay for and these lights do a pretty good job for the price.


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## Action LED Lights (Nov 11, 2011)

Shekky,

If your current Len is about 39mm, which it likely, is then our wide angle lens should do the trick. (Action-LED-Lights ? Wide Angle Lens) Made in and shipped from the US. Available in clear, red or Amber.


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## shekky (Oct 21, 2011)

action LED lights...i ordered one yesterday...from YOU!

thanks!


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## Seville62 (Feb 2, 2015)

Hi Spartacus

Thank you for a truly comprehensive and informative review. I have just received these lights and would like to act on your good advice. Could you please send exact details of the 'wide angle lens' you refer to as I can't find a suitable match on ebay.

Many thanks

Martin


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## 47mph (Nov 3, 2014)

A simple plain red lens works for anything further back than 76 feet. For a 2 lane road 12 feet wide riding 2 feet from the shoulder, half of the 15 degree projection angle is 7.5 degrees. Solving for adjacent in opposite over adjacent for tangent of 7.5 degrees is 76 feet. That's a little less than 6 car lengths. Given the brightness of the Cree, you should be visible for at least a 1/2 mile in daylight conditions. A diffuser is not needed.


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## spartacus001 (Aug 2, 2011)

Sorry. I haven't been very active here with our winter.
As Jim had answered:

_"If your current Len is about 39mm, which it likely, is then our wide angle lens should do the trick. (Action-LED-Lights ? Wide Angle Lens) Made in and shipped from the US. Available in clear, red or Amber."
_
Wide Angle Lens - Action-LED-Lights
or
Wide Angle Lens for MagicShine 808 All Ver CREE XML T6 Single LED Bike Lights | eBay



Seville62 said:


> Hi Spartacus
> 
> Thank you for a truly comprehensive and informative review. I have just received these lights and would like to act on your good advice. Could you please send exact details of the 'wide angle lens' you refer to as I can't find a suitable match on ebay.
> 
> ...


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