# Twin DX XPG / bflex in the making



## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Liking the look of the beam and the feedback from thread I've jumped in and ordered a couple of these drop in's, as well as a couple of other bits and pieces from DX

It's my first order with DX and my question is, just how patient am I going to have to be waiting for the postman? I've heard horror stories of people waiting months but is that the norm?


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

emu, the norm is around 2-3 weeks to the UK and I have had quite a bit from them over the years with no problems... up untill now that is.

My last order that I made back in May still hasn't arrived but a friend who also put in an order back in May had his stuff arrive last week!

As I said though they are normally quite good so perhaps May was just a bad month.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Thanks Yetibetty.

I'm guessing about the same time frame down under would be reasonable then. Let's hope its the 2-3 weeks and not the 6 months.

Do you have any way of chasing them when it is that late?


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## Wombat (Jan 25, 2004)

For me in Australia it's usually 4 weeks plus, and everything has always arrived.

Tim


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## Turveyd (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm at just over 3 weeks on my SST-50 they shipped it relatively quickly 18days and no show previously it would of arrived in 7-9days Xmas rush crippling everything I guess.


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## larsan (Jan 15, 2010)

The current record is 13 months on a swedish forum...

I ordered one Magicshine which took about two months to get to Sweden.
A friend ordered the same light the day after I ordered, and his arrived in two weeks.

So I guess it's random chance...


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

hmm, you're not filling me with confidence here boys, but thanks for the replies


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

Confidence and DealExtreme now that would be a first.

Emu, I'm sure you'll be fine. Just try and forget that you ordered anything for at least 3 weeks or else the 3 weeks will feel like 3 years and the postman will think that there is somthing strange going on when he finds you staring out of the window at him every day.

You would have to pic just before Xmas though.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

8 business days after order placed I get an email saying order shipped. Better than I was bracing my self for.

I log onto the DX site to check my tracking number and it has both a tracking number as well as order status which now reads "waiting for supplier". I'm guessing Ill be getting delivery of only part of my order in about a week and half time?


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## gticlay (Dec 13, 2007)

I've had stuff shipping within 2 weeks so far.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

OK, I know I am being impatient but I'm hoping someone here will put me out of my misery.

Does the status on the China post international parcel tracking ever actually change or is my DX package really likely to still be sitting at the Shenzhen transit office two weeks after it arrived there?


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

this won't make you feel any better, my package has been there for a month 

I'll be checking with my local post office though, just in case.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

WTF?

You're messing with me, right?

Seriously, why would it sit at their post office for that long? Have you tried chasing DX about it?


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

Emu, did you get an email from DX saying "order shipped"? If so then it is usually about 6 days from then that it lands on your doormat.

Their tracking never works.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

yetibetty said:


> Emu, did you get an email from DX saying "order shipped"? If so then it is usually about 6 days from then that it lands on your doormat.
> 
> Their tracking never works.


Yes, back on 29/11. I figured probably about 2 weeks to Oz from then which is about now.

I'm pleased to hear you say the tracking never works, that is what I was hoping it was. To be honest, I'm surprised you get any form of tracking with free post


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## talcy69 (Mar 12, 2009)

There tracking is rubbish. Last order took 2.5months to arrive to uk.


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## bravellir (Nov 24, 2008)

Their (hk post) tracking doesn’t help that much. Is a long wait until I manage to use their tracking number to track at my local (Portugal) posts. I can track from the moment it enters Portuguese posts until I get it at home. But its usually 3 weeks since I pay until I get any track info.


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

emu26 said:


> WTF?
> 
> You're messing with me, right?
> 
> Seriously, why would it sit at their post office for that long? Have you tried chasing DX about it?


sadly not  It shipped Nov 14th, arrived Shenzhen 15th, been there ever since. Emailed them after 3wks, they had be confirm my address and said it would be ~3wks or sometimes more, plus check with my local post office (which I'll do when I get back). Bit annoying as part of it is something I need to make a Xmas present, but I'll figure something out. Still, ya pays ya money, ya takes ya choice


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## BlownCivic (Sep 12, 2006)

also am waiting for an order of batteries from Hong Kong (not DX). I have been looking at the same tracking information on the HK Post tracking page for the last month.

Just yesterday I was finally able to see on the Canada Post tracking that the package has arrived in Vancouver and is sitting at customs. The HK Post tracking still remains unchanged from what it showed back on the 13th of Nov.


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

yetibetty said:


> emu, the norm is around 2-3 weeks to the UK and I have had quite a bit from them over the years with no problems... up untill now that is.
> 
> My last order that I made back in May still hasn't arrived but a friend who also put in an order back in May had his stuff arrive last week!
> 
> As I said though they are normally quite good so perhaps May was just a bad month.


well it finally arrived. Only a pack of O-rings but it took 7 months.

Problem now is I can't remember what I wanted them for


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

yetibetty said:


> well it finally arrived. Only a pack of O-rings but it took 7 months.
> 
> Problem now is I can't remember what I wanted them for


:lol: :lol: :lol: Thanks Yeti I needed a laugh :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

yetibetty said:


> well it finally arrived. Only a pack of O-rings but it took 7 months.
> 
> Problem now is I can't remember what I wanted them for


LOL, guess what the only thing I ordered that didn't ship was?.......A pack of O rings.

Still no movement on the delivery front for the rest


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

my stuff shipped on 11/11/10 its been stuck in sheshuan land ever since I have a paypal claim against them now, I ended up paying 10 bucks more and got every thing in the US instead. [email protected]#k DX if I had known their shipping was so shatty i never would have bought from them. good luck on getting your stuff when you need it. I guess you need to order 6 month in advance .


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Still no news on this delivery.

Have had several "emails" with DX, first one asked me to wait 2 weeks while they looked into it, I replied, they replied about a week later asking me to wait a week while they looked into it, I replied again, a little more tersely this time to which they replied please be patient delivery takes 7 - 10 days. Aaarrggghhhhhh

Has anyone else found these reflectors anywhere other than DX?


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

that's the same runaround Ive been getting from them i ended up buying what I needed from someone else now waiting for paypal to refund my money F*&k dx I cant wait this long 7to 10 days my a$$.


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## klynk (Apr 18, 2010)

Rakuman said:


> I cant wait this long 7to 10 days my a$$.


You don't have the patience 
The _quickiest_ delivery from DX (to me) was 15 days.


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

klynk said:


> You don't have the patience
> The _quickiest_ delivery from DX (to me) was 15 days.


 Dude I'm pushing 55 days sorry not into waiting to see if i might get my order


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Just to clarify I am searching for these reflectors from a source other than DX? Originally featured in this thread from BKruahnndon. Am happy to buy them as a drop in but am also happy just buying the reflector and getting the XPG on a star from Cutter.

Cheers


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

hmmm, a slight feeling of dé·jà vu here. So, DX finally agreed to reship the goods ordered middle of last November, have a look this morning to see if there has been any change and surprise surprise, there has but I'm not sure what to make of this.








If its the "reshipped' goods I'm not sure how it ends up with the same tracking number, which it does have, and if its the original goods I'm not sure how it arrives and departs from the same location which it arrived and departed from over 6 weeks earlier 

You guys that buy from them regularly clearly have a better temperament than I do


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

Just look at the left column ,don't normally see tracking info go through the years.

Emu, your not having much luck and it's a shame that it was your first order with them. 

They were good a year or too back.but after my 7 month wait for some o-rings, plus all the other storries I have read I'm going to try and find a new site to order from as I need 18650's and have always relied on DX for them.

I hope you get those reflectors soon


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## Rakuman (Oct 30, 2004)

I finally see some movement on my tracking numbers the day Paypal refunds my money, "Gee that's kind of weird or is it " same exact thing I just dont get the way they do there shipping I wonder if they shipped at all, and were waiting for things to get in but saying they shipped to keep you from filing a claim,


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

A little faith has been restored.

My O rings were delivered today :thumbsup: 

Ordered on 14/11/10, shipped 28/12/10 delivered 10/1/11 so 12 days in transit I think is quite reasonable. Maybe my optics will show up sometime this year


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

if it's any consolation, my balance charger (DX, ordered 12th Nov), replacement individual cell charger (DX, ordered 17th Dec) and Thunder AC6 balance charger (Hobbypartz US, ordered last week) all arrived today. How nuts is that? I did have to jump up and down on DX to get the first order sorted though and there are still some orders outstanding.

I guess the moral is - don't order anything from DX closer than 3 mths to Christmas! 

Hope you get your parts soon, I get the impression that China post is clearing its Christmas backlog.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

*something shiny this way comes*

so i've been playing a little bit  must say whilst it doesn't compare to some of the stuff churned out here I am pretty chuffed with how this housing has turned out.

Naked weight is smack on 100gms so should see a finished build weight around 150 - 160 gms including mount (they are al reflectors and the star is on a brass slug


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

emu26 said:


> I am pretty chuffed with how this housing has turned out.


Justifiably so! The housings that get made on this forum using hand tools and minimal machinery is impressive. Get you creative types in front of a proper mill and lathe, and look out.


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

Emu, you kept quiet about this creation. Very nice work.

Have you received the reflectors yet?


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## Goldigger (Nov 6, 2009)

Good job:thumbsup:
Did you use tube or Ali bar?
What tools did you use? bet them fins took some time..


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Thanks Vancbiker, I drool every time I see a pic on this forum and there is a lathe or a mill in shot.

Yeti, I haven't really kept it that quiet, look at the title of the thread  I didn't want to start it until I was sure of dimensions but ended up with some time this week while the boss is in the States with work and I have the kids at home on school holidays. So I started it Tuesday and have been doing a little bit here and there most days since.

As for the delivery, well I don't want to say too much at this point in time for fear of jinxing myself but I did receive the "O" rings last week, as per my previous post the original packet container the drop ins reappeared on the tracking a few days after the O rings were sent, and since then DX have sent two more parcels to me within about a day of the new tracking info so lets just say that I'm fairly confident that I can see the light at the end of this tunnel (if you look closely you might as well)

Goldigger, same tools as per The Beast compound saw, dremel and a bench drill with a cheapy cross slide vice. The fins are the easiest part as they are done on the saw. I think I'm finally getting the hang of using the drill press as a mill but I have to learn to be more patient. This build ended up being fairly expensive on the tool front.

2, 2mm "crap" end mills from virtual village,
1 file (my fault, I really should not have used it to remove the jammed pilot drill from the hole saw)
1 dremel collet, although the wear was probably started long ago, and most costly but also the luckiest escape,
1 185mm Metabo saw blade, it lost parts of 7 teeth (can't really complain too much about this one as I have had the saw over 20 years and it was the original blade, not al specific either. Besides I didn't get a mark on me when it caught, jammed and then threw the light. A good reminder that even well clamped materials need to be checked between cuts.


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## Goldigger (Nov 6, 2009)

I can relate to the broken tool bin
1 hss 1mm slot drill, snapped
1 carbide 1mm slot drill, snapped
1 carbide 2mm slot drill, shattered the corners of it
1 M2 spiral flut tap, snapped
numerous drill bits snapped 2-5mm
10mm slot drill worn out..still used for removing lots of material..
12mm slot drill, still cuts but dropped it and bent one of the cutting edges..gives a crap finish.


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## odtexas (Oct 2, 2008)

emu26 said:


> Besides I didn't get a mark on me when it caught, jammed and then threw the light.
> View attachment 592859


Half the fun in building is the danger factor.   
Looks great.


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

odtexas said:


> Half the fun in building is the danger factor.
> Looks great.


I just knew you'd say that!

looking really good emu, this should be fantastic when it all goes together. I think hassling DX is definitely worth the time and effort. It's resolved a couple of problem orders, though I still have another couple to sort out. Still, I'll never order from them within 2 months either side of Christmas and that goes for any seller that uses China or HK post.


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## savagemann (Jan 14, 2008)

Awesome work Emu.
I only hope I can pull off something nearly as good with similar tools.
Wish me luck with my most recent DX order...........fingers crossed.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

*and if there could be only one *

OK, just back from doing beam shots.

This was not a ride, just a simple beam shot on a local fire trail so stationary imaging only but if I could only have one light, I think I just found it 

Resizing and labelling pics on photoshop on the other computer, will post up asap


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Well that was easier than I was expecting.

Camera settings are almost MTBR standard but I have used 4 sec exposure. I can't do 6 sec and 5 was still unrealistically bright. Pics taken on a local fire trail, distances are in metres. FT is between 3 and 4 metres wide

Twin DX XPG with b2flex @1A








Twin DX XPG with b2flex @1.5A








Pics are a little misleading in that there doesn't appear to much difference between the two but in real life there certainly is, throw is certainly better on 1.5A (thanks George). I don't think it's because of poor aiming, look at the bottom cutoff point, both are almost identical. Might be because when i choose a shutter speed slower than 1/4 sec the camera has automagic NR that I can't control.

Either way this is a cracker of a light, nice tight beam that is clearly visible 50m down the trail. Actually I've just realised the 50 marker should read 55 and the 75 should read 80m

Very very happy, pity I'm giving it to its owner on Thursday night 

I have taken pics of several other lights at the same time so this will be up in the beam shots thread soon, probably Thursday


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

I can see the extra throw. where the two trees cross at the top.

Francois has changed his beam shots to 4 sec exposure as they are more realistic so I think that is the new MTBR settings.

Emu, have you got a pic of the light fully built?


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## TTGV (Oct 31, 2008)

Very good pictures :eekster: , nice beam too. :eekster: 
Is the final setup lamp as fine as beam shots ?


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## klynk (Apr 18, 2010)

Even @ 1A each, double XPG + Reginas is a very good light.


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

nice job! I'm glad everything came together in the end 

beam pattern looks good too, slightly tighter/ brighter hotspot, but a more even spill (possibly, it's a little hard to tell).


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

yeti, I'm still working on the helmet mount but should have a pic by late Thursday at the latest.

TTGV yes if I understand your question correctly the it looks better in real life than the beam shot. The extra throw and tighter hot spot are much more visible. I'll post comparison pics against a triple regina and a few other lights later this week.

klynk, I didn't find the hot spot of my triple regina tight enough. Personal choice I guess but we have very light coloured trails here often quite thickly wooded on either side and I was finding it was difficult to pick the hot spot when looking down trail, I think probably because of the reflected light in my peripheral vision.

matt, yes very pleased it all worked out. The overall foot print is almost identical to the regina but it has much better throw and is noticeably tighter. There's a red gum tree on the right hand side of the trail @ 130m, it is noticeably more visible with the DX reflectors.


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## bravellir (Nov 24, 2008)

I have been using those reflectors for some time. They are very good. And they are alu. 

Great light emu.


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

:thumbsup: Nice shots is it me or is there a colour shift from 1 amp to 1.5 amps  
Bearing in mind I have defective colour vision .


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## klynk (Apr 18, 2010)

emu26 said:


> I didn't find the hot spot of my triple regina tight enough.


I don't like bright hotspot with sharp border between light/dark - that's why I like Regina so much.


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

troutie-mtb said:


> is it me or is there a colour shift from 1 amp to 1.5 amps


I could not really see a color shift in the pictures, but my MC-E light is noticeably more white at 1000mA than at 750mA. At 750mA it has a slight greenish look.


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## TTGV (Oct 31, 2008)

troutie-mtb said:


> :thumbsup: Nice shots is it me or is there a colour shift from 1 amp to 1.5 amps
> Bearing in mind I have defective colour vision .


When I switch from a picture to the other, I see that the aimed point changed; 
1A > hot spot on 20 -30m trail and trees on the right.
1.5A> hot spot on 50 m trail, higher in trees, and with a little shift on the left. : The farer aimed point, might explain the same brightness feeling. 
EXIF data are the same.
According to CPF, Post #354 :
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=89607&page=12
1A > 351 lm; 1.5A > 441 lm => 25% more light. With a camera feeling, that is less than a half aperture jump. With a human eye, near the limit of perception, on the trail sides, it could be a lot.

This smooth and progressive trail is very good to show the beam. :thumbsup:


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Thanks guys.

I don't think it is much of a change in aim, look at the bottom cut off point, both are very similar. I think the jump from 1 to 1.5 increases the size and obviously brightness of the hot spot and this pic is great example of what i have referred to in several threads about the reflection from our trees. A lot of our gum trees are smooth and light grey in colour and really throw the light back at you. I think the larger brighter hot spot at 1.5 A is just picking up those trees more. The other illusion is that at about 30m mark the trail is free of leave litter and the white / grey sand really reflects the light as well.

As for colour change, not noticeably to the eye but my camera has auto NR on it that i can't adjust with shutter speeds slower than 1/4 sec. I'm not sure if that has something to do with it or not, not really sure what the noise reduction does.

What will be really evident when I get around to putting up the other beam shots is that my triple regina xpg has a warm tint LED in the middle for better colour rendition and it is very noticeable.


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

BTW, a bit of a "spot" quiz.

Anyone spot the baby wallaby on the side of the trail? here's a clue, it jumped out just I took one pic but when I was reprogramming the light which would have shown it more clearly it moved further down trail and behind a tree


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

What, no takers for spot the wallaby? 

Beam shots of most of my other lights have been posted for comparison, bottom of this page


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

I tried looking for it, but couldn't find it. Only ever seen one in the wild once, so I'm not exactly well practiced


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Don't feel bad Matt, I'd have been amazed if anyone actually spotted it.

On the 1A pic, the little grey blur just below the centre of the 75, if you look at the 1.5A pic it's not there. At 4sec there was no way it was going to be in focus


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

oh yeah, I see it now. Bit hard to tell that it's a wallaby at that distance, must have been rather surprised!


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Build is finally finished. Just need to finish low / mid battery warning and cut off.


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## yetibetty (Dec 24, 2007)

It's alive! Well done emu. It looks nice and small.


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## Swords (Jan 19, 2008)

*Nice job*

Nice job mate, I'll have two please.


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## odtexas (Oct 2, 2008)

Very tidy. 

Enough finning there for a dual XML..:ihih: :ihih:


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## emu26 (Jun 23, 2008)

Thanks guys. Not as small or as light (weight wise) as I'd like but it'll get the job done.

odtexas, next project is the dual xpg with a single xml in it as well, using the same optics. Discussed over here now just to work out how to make it accommodate 50% more optic / led at the same weight, oh yeah and a driver that is closer to 40mm than 25mm.

Swords, not a chance besides we both know you can produce much nicer looking stuff during your lunch break. I might have a couple of spare DX pills if you're interested


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## troutie-mtb (Sep 20, 2007)

Good un Stu looks like MTBR is entering a cubist era :thumbsup:


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## Vancbiker (May 25, 2005)

troutie-mtb said:


> Good un Stu looks like MTBR is entering a cubist era :thumbsup:


That, and boosting worldwide sales of carbide tipped circular sawblades!


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## mattthemuppet (Jul 16, 2004)

that looks really tidy emu, I'm impressed! Very neat joins too, hope it was worth the wait 

on a side note, my order from ~12/12 finally arrived yesterday after much DX hassling and, guess what, my wife was out! 2 1/2 mths wait and the day it has to arrive on was one of the rare ones when no one was around:madmax:


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